Living in American Samoa was quite the experience. So beautiful, yet so very remote.
And the Polynesian culture was really, REALLY different. Still, it was a great experience.
I remember driving by the local jail.
All the inmates were in the front lawn hanging out under the fale.
In Samoa, a "fale" is a traditional open-sided structure with a thatched roof, supported by wooden posts. These structures serve as communal spaces for gatherings, relaxation, and various activities, and they are an integral part of Samoan culture and architecture.
A fale.
I wondered, why no fences? But on second thought, why bother? Where will they run off to? Everyone on the island knows everyone else, there’s no place to hide.
So they were just chillin’ out.
Later on, they built a fence, and all the inmates gladly pitched in. Only in Samoa could you send an inmate out to fetch an order of burgers, and he will return back with your burgers and change.
Note the front gate, right of photo. The door isn't locked – it simply has a latch. Usually not engaged. Inmates can walk out. Sometimes they do; they always return. I recently had an escape charge – my client left (he went over the fence out back), went home for dinner, then snuck back in. He was hungry. They only caught him because somebody saw him walking down the street. He'll get 5 years for having dinner with Mom. Jail transport is a hoot. The van brings prisoners in orange jump suits up to Court. They get out, then mill around in & out of the court building. Families, girlfriends, kids are there and they get together, hug, and talk. If I need to speak to a client, I take him outside, we talk, I bring him back. The jailors don't seem to get bent out of shape about it. Then, in High Court, when they go into the actual courtroom all are shackled hand and foot with big chains. They can only shuffler arund, and can't even sign their names if required. Once they leave court, the chains come off and they meander outside back toward the van. Weird. But, where would they go? They're wearing an orange coverall and it's an ISLAND!!
It was a different culture, and a different way of life. I’ll tell you what.
Today…
As a doctor or nurse, what was your “oh shoot, this is bad!” moment?
Trauma surgeon here. We got a few patients from a high speed MVA. All of them were in varying amounts of pain, and one patient was in C-spine protection. Fire said that she had been unconscious when the arrived on scene, and she only woke up about five minutes into the drive to the hospital. She was kind of confused why she was in a neck brace at first, but once the situation was explained to her she rolled with it and then just asked for some pain medication.
No problemo.
So, we send her to CT, and I move on to a different patient. Now, right here, it is important to explain something – at my hospital we have iPhones running a secure program called Tiger, (so we can call/text/leave messages for each other directly, without having to use the PA system/call the floor.
That being said, you still routinely get calls on the floor phone for things like report, test results, etc. – pretty much anything that they want to make sure you see ASAP because it may change your care plan.) – and for something like this, I would expect to have them send me a text saying that the CT scan was ready and to call ext. XXXX if additional details are requested, along with a file of the imaging and the radiologist’s report. This also generally takes 1–2 hours.
About 20 minutes after I send her to CT, I simultaneously get paged over the PA, I get called on the floor, I get a call on my personal cell phone, and I get a call and text on my personal cell phone, and I get the following text message from the radiologist on Tiger:
| You’re gonna want to see this. CT rm. 3a.
No file. No radiologist’s report. Okay, so I now can safely assume some shit is going down in CT-3a. I excuse myself from my very confused second patient, but when I tell her it’s an emergency she is very understanding that her appendix will have to wait.
So I literally run to- and down the stairs to the basement, get to the room and my patient is now:
- In four point restraints.
- Heavily sedated.
Not gonna lie, I assumed she swung on the radiologist/radio tech, as there are very limited times you can put someone in restraints. Oh, and four point restraints? If you put those suckers on in any other situation than the tiny, minute, nearly-non-existent sliver of situations where it’s allowed, you can literally go to jail. Oddly enough, she doesn’t look upset, (yes, she’s flying high on the Versed that the radiologist ordered, but she’s like strangely calm.
So, one thing you never want to see on a CT/X-ray of the spine is black where two vertebrae are supposed to be shown beaming bright white like a Jamaican beach. You especially never want to see that space between two cervical vertebrae. Why? Because when you find that two cervical vertebrae are no longer touching your patient is either:
- Dead.
- Brain dead.
- About to be both of the above.
What your patient is not supposed to be is awake and talking.
Well, my patient was:
- Awake.
- Talking.
- Internally decapitated.
- Heavily sedated and restrained because my radiologist was willing to risk going to jail because he recognized that if she moved even a fraction of a centimeter she could – and most likely would – end up paralyzed or dead.
Luckily, we are a Level 1 trauma hospital, so, Radiologist and I started making some frantic phone calls, (where at some point in nearly every call we would end up saying something along the lines of I’m not joking. or Why would I joke about this? etc.)
So, eventually we, at a snail’s pace on purpose, move her from CT to the OR, and a team of a half-dozen of us open her up and miraculously put her spine back together. She survived with no lasting paralysis.
When we were scrubbing out and the weight of what happened finally hit us, the older of the two neurologists was kind of absently looking at the body bag in the corner. He was just pondering that which we never had to open nor use – thank the stars – and just matter-of-factly said what we had all been feeling.
I really thought that was going to be a Humpty Dumpty.
One of the surgical nurses asked what a Humpty Dumpty was, and I and the Ortho answered her in unison:
…and all the King’s horses, and all the King’s men, couldn’t put Humpty together again.
What do you think of NATO’s Washington Summit Declaration, referring to China as a “decisive enabler” of Russia’s war against Ukraine, and saying Beijing continues to pose systemic challenges to Euro-Atlantic security?
This is the biggest middle finger to NATO in the past 3 years
This single picture says it all
The Language is what defines anything
There was no Cautious Language that you read when you see Orban return from Russia or China where Orban for all his bluster is still very scared of the US and EU and uses very conservative language
There was a “F*** you” language to the Indian MEA transcripts
It was literally like this trip was on July 2021 not 2024
That’s what G7, US and Nato get today
My bet is India is also rapidly distancing itself from Israel
That’s because four Israeli firms have got the boot from the Global Approved Nuclear Energy Construction Vendor List and instead Two Russian, Two Chinese and One Brazilian firm has been added to the list since 2024 June
ALL BRICS MEMBER COUNTRIES
That’s the reality today
Of the 170 or so of the Nations, that aren’t US or their lackeys:-
Nobody gives a damn about Ukraine
Nobody gives a damn about NATO
Nobody gives a damn about G7
Nobody gives a damn about USA or IMF
Whatever the US says or NATO or G7 says, people listen with one ear and let it out with the other
Even Bong Bong has had enough
He insisted that US withdraw their missiles to 80 miles away and showed that even this Cretin Lackey has SOME SPINE
“Dadcore” Is My New Favorite Trend.
What is the grossest thing you have seen in the military?
I fought in the Russo-Ukrainian war with the International Legion. I saw many upsetting sight, but the grossest one that has really stuck with me was during the battle for Klishchiivka, slightly south of Bakhmut and after the fall of Bakhmut in 2023. It was before Ukraine recaptured Klishchiivka (and they have since lost it again).
We were on an assault mission the capture some trenches in the surrounding forest (what was left of it) and the place was littered with mines. We had an EOD expert leading the way and we passed a dead Ukrainian soldier inside a body bag. The area was still too hot to extract the body so it just lay there as the battle raged.
We failed the assault mission and had to fall back. No ground was gained or lost, but the Russians knew we were there and were raining artillery down on us. As we fell back, around noon, we passed the body bag again. It had been perforated by artillery shrapnel and the July heat had slow cooked the flesh. A foul, greenish-brown goop oozed out of the bag and stunk horribly. It was leaking onto the ground a few inches from the safe trail.
As the artillery was landing, we ducked for cover and I had to duck next to the body. On the other side of the trail were two Russian soldiers who had been dead for some time. They were Inside a shell crater and had almost decomposed completely. I could see their skeletons, one with a large hole in the skull. Both has bits of dehydrated flesh clinging to the skeleton. I was laying between dead of long ago and dead of recently, waiting for my death from the artillery.
A few meters further, there was the decapitated head of a Russian laying amongst some anti-tank mines that had been piled up. The head was as decomposed as the other Russians, a testament to the longevity of battle there. I did not see a body and did not bother to look. Helmets and shattered rifles littered the trail. So much death in the tiny tree line.
The body bag. Not a very clear image and I couldn’t find a clear shot of the Russian bodies.
Earlier In the day, as we arrived in the assault position, an M-113 was struck by a helicopter missile and burst into flames. Luckily, it was only ammunition in the back, which burned and cooked off for about 20 minutes. The driver and commander both survived. They came running across 250 meters of open field to our position with blistered skin and burned, shattered clothing. One soldier jumped into the fighting hole with me and I could see hand-sized blisters forming on his legs. He was in immense pain. Oleg was his name. He was extracted and I do not know his fate this day.
The whole day, collectively, would be my grossest experience, but the oozing body bag really got to me. I will never forget it
What is the minimum amount of capital to start a mini importation business with from China to Africa (specifically Ghana)?
I’d say as little as US$1000-$2000. Cash and carry, fly to Yiwu or Guangzhou, buy goods in cash, carry them back home in suitcases or cartons. You are in business.
Forget container, you can’t afford that, you don’t need that. If you need a shipping agent, there are many billboards and advertisements in wholesale markets, once you are there, you can ask them to ship for you.
There are 100,000s of African traders in Yiwu and Guangzhou, doing exactly as I described above. Ethiopian airlines fly directly to Guangzhou, I saw African traders at the airport, buying and taking goods home to sell, exactly what Marco Polo was doing 800 years ago.
YouTubers SMASH anti-China propaganda with REALITY
What do you think of NATO’s Washington Summit Declaration, referring to China as a “decisive enabler” of Russia’s war against Ukraine, and saying Beijing continues to pose systemic challenges to Euro-Atlantic security?
I think it speaks volumes that NATO doesn’t love Ukraine and they don’t want the war in Ukraine to end so soon.
The Chinese know that if you want the war to end as soon as possible, you should concentrate your forces on one opponent, so try to unite your friends and isolate your enemies.
If NATO thinks that the tragedy in Ukraine is caused by Russia, then concentrate your forces on Russia. You can buy as many weapons as you can and send them to Ukraine, you can even send soldiers to fight Russia directly, you can even drop nukes on Moscow. These are all solutions to the Ukrainian crisis.
But you didn’t do that, you sent expired weapons to Ukraine like toothpaste and sent young and middle-aged Ukrainians to their deaths. And then actually said, “We realized that China is the ultimate boss of the Ukra problem, so we should solve Russia and China together.” You guys really want Ukraine to die.
Molasses and Pepper Crusted Steak
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
Marinade
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme
- 2 teaspoons dried red pepper flakes
Steaks
- 4 Flat Iron, Top Sirloin, Tenderloin or Strip Steaks
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Marinade
- Whisk together ingredients. Pour into zip-top bag containing steaks. Seal tightly and flip a few times to evenly distribute marinade. Set in refrigerator to marinate for 30 minutes to 2 hours, flipping bag occasionally.
- Heat gas or charcoal grill to 400 degrees F.
Steaks
- Remove steaks and discard marinade. Season with salt and more pepper to taste.
- Place steaks on oiled grates and grill for approximately 7 to 9 minutes on one side, or until moisture starts to pool on the top and beef releases easily from grates with tongs. Flip once, grilling on the other side for 6 to 8 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 135 degrees F with meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of steak.
- Transfer steaks to platter and let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing against the grain.
Why she sold everything, left America, and moved to Vietnam
What are some of the accidental photos that went viral?
There are times when celebrities accidentally photobomb. Of course, it has to go viral.
Check out:
- Heisenberg
2. You have been Nick Caged!
3. Can you spot the celebrity?
4. The Rockkk!
5. He is looking for the choppa.
6. This is terrifying!
7 Here’s a girl with no name!
8. I never witness this kind of photobomb
9. This has to be the greatest accidental photo ever.
10. Benedict bombing all of them!
What’s the most unreasonable request you’ve received from your boss?
This happened thirty years ago and I still find my blood pressure spiking when I think about it.
I worked at a small steel mill in Tuscaloosa, AL, called (at the time) Tuscaloosa Steel. Our Vice President, “Percy,” was a stuck-up Brit from British Steel, the company that basically owned Tuscaloosa Steel.
My maternal grandmother had a major medical issue and was in the local hospital for open heart surgery. I took that day off work so I could be at the hospital for when she went into and came out of surgery, and to be there to support my mother and grandfather, who were beside themselves with worry. My boss and all my coworkers knew where I was and why. So did my boss’ boss, Percy.
We had just started installing new software called RollCIM at the mill, and no one was familiar with it except the IT department, of which I was a member.
My group was demonstrating part of RollCIM to some of the users and ran into an issue. Now, any single one of them could have fixed it.
But. No.
Percy decides that I and only I can fix whatever the hell the problem was. So he pages me (at the time there were no cell phones; we had pagers) with a 911. I call the mill from the hospital waiting room and am told to get my ass to the mill right now because Percy is frothing at the mouth and needs me to fix something that blew up while being demoed to our users.
My grandmother was literally in surgery. We didn’t know if she was going to live or die. But I had to leave the hospital with my mother and grandfather sitting there STUNNED at the audacity of this…”man.”
I get to the mill in record time because I went about 80. I run in, and there are 4 or 5 people standing around a terminal, and Percy is fuming. He gestures at the screen. “This is unacceptable!”
I literally pressed like three keys and it cleared the error right up. I said, “Is that all you needed? Because I need to be back at the hospital immediately. My grandmother should be coming out of surgery any time now.”
None of the people to whom the product was being demoed knew he’d gotten me out of the hospital to come press three keys on the keyboard. One of my coworkers said, “I kept telling him I could fix it, but he insisted it had to be you.”
So I high-tailed it back to the hospital and got there just in time for my grandmother to come out of surgery, OK. No complications, thank goodness.
But that’s not the end of the story.
Several days later, we were having a departmental meeting where we all got into a conference room and went over incidents of the previous week and plans for the current week. At the end of the meeting, Percy turns to me with a huge grin on his face and asks, “Oh, by the way, how is your aunt?”
I directed all the hate I could at him with just a look and said, “They’re all just fine. None of them were sick. My GRANDMOTHER, on the other hand, who had open-heart-surgery, is in a lot of pain, but recovering nicely, thank you.”
You could have heard a pin drop in that room and our boss called an end to the meeting immediately.
And that is but one of several stories I could tell about this pompous ass.
The 9 Sexiest Things Men Wear According To Women
Here’s a poser.
- Which is the biggest car market in the world, in terms of new car registrations?
- Which car market has the broadest retail presence by global carmakers?
Answer?
China.
Do you know why both the EU and America instituted lightning quick tariffs on Chinese EVs?
Because their ICE, hybrid and EV products are being decimated in China. Yup, “overproduction” that has spilled into China for decades are rapidly tumbling.
>30% sales reduction yoy is commonplace, and the list includes Porsche.
Even BMW, which a sales manager boasted (to me) “sells itself” and therefore, no discounts or freebies, had to immediately discount its brand new G60 i5 by 20+%, just to move the model out the door.
A 20+% discount on a brand new generation hot off the production line!
The Chinese competition is smoking hot.
The average non-mainland youtube car channel will look VERY, VERY different with Chinese cars in the mix.
At this point, mainland car channels might as well be from a different galaxy, showcasing wares that are not only cheaper, but materially superior to the competition.
2024 crystallizes the divergence between east and west, with the Chinese taking over the mantle of tech leadership.
Thank God I’m born Asian.
Welcome to the 21st century.
The Asian century.
Shorpy
What facts about Japan do foreigners not believe until they come to Japan?
Though nearly two months have passed since I came here, Japan never fails to amaze and amuse me with a different experience each day, everyday! Among other things, my interactions with the Japanese, though few and far, have already made a lasting impact on me! I would like to share two such memorable instances that will be enshrined in my heart forever.
- So, I had scheduled for a parcel to be delivered to my room at 12pm. I opened the door at 11:55 and the delivery man was standing right in front of the door! When I asked him why he hadn’t knocked on my door, he said he was waiting for the clock to strike 12! What?! I had no idea someone could be that humble (and of course punctual, it’s futile to even talk about their punctuality as it is simply too amazing to be described in words).
- On a cold afternoon, I was at an Indian restaurant having lunch. A man seated next to my table started smoking while eating. As I am averse to the cigar smoke, I asked the waiter and sat down at the corner table, far away from this man. On realizing that his smoking had bothered me, he came up to me and apologized. Well that’s polite and I can fathom it. But when I finished my lunch and went to pay the bill, the waiter told me that the man was very sorry for the inconvenience he might have caused me and had already paid my bill. Really?! Words fail to describe what I felt then!
I get a feeling that I’ll learn more from observing how Japanese are than by listening to lectures at the university! Hats off Japan! 🙂
High Value Man REFUSES To Pay For Woman’s Food & Leaves!
What is an example of a dirty trick that a thief tried but backfired when they saw your dog?
In the late 80s I took a promotion that required me to live in a town 50 miles from my wife; she had just landed her carrier position so we decide to rough it out for a few months to see what would work. At the time we had a Golden Lab mix named Amber she was just a huge sweetie. Meter readers etc had no problem coming into the yard; she would require them to toss the ball a couple of times for her cooperation. One evening the wife and I were talking to each other on the phone when we heard a back bedroom window break window break; Wife hung up reached for her pistol and called 911. When I arrived 45 minutes later, the Police were finishing their report and actually smirking; it seems that when the window broke Amber went hell hound and the guy breaking it and ripped his arm up pretty good. According to the police he showed up at the ER claiming a Dog attacked him as he was just walking along, he confessed when the officer asked him if the blood in our backyard would match his. Several months later we had to give her up; about 6 months later I am at McDs n the parking lot and all of a sudden Amber is jumping all over me. The young lady who hade her was embarrassed until she found out we were Ambers previous people; she than asked me if she had had any training as a protection dog: I told her no and she related that about 2 months after she got her a Ex decided to come pay her a visit, when she screamed Amber once again went Hell hound on him.
Never a New Year
Submitted into Contest #22 in response to: Write a short story about someone who does not spend December 31st celebrating New Year’s Eve.… view prompt
Sjan Evardsson
“Did… did someone get hurt?” The curiosity turned to concern.
“No, it just… didn’t work as expected.” Her expression turned sour.
“So your experiment failed?” Curiosity returned to his face. “Did the prototype get destroyed? Can you try again?”
“I didn’t say it failed.” She sighed. “It just worked in an unexpected fashion, which I might have been able to foresee had I been sober when I fired it up.”
“Well, that’s a good reason to not drink while experimenting, it hardly seems reason to give up celebrating at all,” he said.
“If you had to….” She sighed. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Fair enough.” He ate in silence for a minute, then put down his fork and turned in his chair to face her. “What I like best about it is a fresh start. A whole new year to try again, start over, or start something new.”
“It’s arbitrary.” Her appetite had returned, and she picked at her plate. “If it was a Solstice, then yeah, days are getting longer or shorter depending on which you choose.” She cut another bite of steak and popped it in her mouth.
“There’s no reason,” she said after swallowing, “that the change from December to January should be any different than the change from March to April.”
“But the year is changing, marking another trip around the sun.” The man ignored his cooling plate and continued to face her.
“Do you really think the year makes the difference?” She frowned. “Maybe for you it does. For me, it’s always the same. Tomorrow’s just another day.”
“Another day, another year.” His eyes smiled.
“So you really think 2020 will be different from 2019?” Her brown eyes locked on his.
“Probably,” he said. “Likely better.”
“A romantic and an optimist, huh?” She chuckled. “That’s an odd and unlikely combination.” Her voice dripped sarcasm.
“You said you stopped celebrating New Year’s Eve seven or eight years ago.” His eyes turned curious again. “What have you done since?”
She frowned. “Every year, for the past seven? Yes, seven… years I sit here on December 31, in this seat, and have a steak dinner before going home and going to bed.”
“That would be sad, if it was true.” His eyes narrowed. “Since this place only opened last year, I know that’s not the case. But, you want to keep it private, I understand.”
“You really don’t,” she said, “but thanks for trying, anyway.” She left a fifty-dollar bill on the counter and walked out.
Once back in her third-floor walk-up she locked the door, changed into pajamas, and set some music playing lightly on the stereo. She plugged in her phone. December 31, 2019 10:03 PM the display showed. Will I just cease to exist in 2020? What happens for them?
She soon fell into a fitful sleep. As she slept, she relived starting the machine in her dream. Even in her dream she experienced the hazy excitement of what it would mean if her machine worked. She tried to stop her dream self, but to no avail.
“Stop!” she screamed. “It doesn’t work the way you think!” Her dream self ignored her. The dream continued with the machine humming to life and then a blinding light.
She woke in the morning and looked at her phone. It showed her morning list of top tweets. The first was an all-caps greeting from the president, wishing a happy New Year to his “enemies” and the “fake news.” She knew it by heart. As much as she had hoped for a different year, it was the same. She locked the phone, the display showing January 1, 2019 8:04 AM.
TikTok Exposed REAL Grocery Price Inflation
Why do many Chinese people become much more patriotic and defensive about China after living in the West?
Originally Answered: Why do many Chinese become much more nationalistic and defensive about China after living in the west?
Because people realize the “west” they have been told about simply doesn’t exist.
Let me explain. Before the reformation of 1978, almost nobody had been to western countries, except for politicians and scholars. The country itself is not satisfying as well. Japan, Singapore, even North Korea (under Soviet reinforcement) is better than China in many ways. This, to the Chinese people, is mind blowing. People were taught that countries like Korea used to be sovereign states of China, but China is now left behind.
It wasn’t until the beginning of this century that Chinese started to go out and explore the rest of the world. But the idea of being left behind is still in many people’s mind.
However, when Chinese finally made it to the west, they get shocked by the fact that the so called “lighthouse of democracy” (nick name for the United States) is not perfect. People get frustrated by racism, foreign nationalism and violence in the foreign nation.
It is not their fault, not at all. But still, people believe that this can’t be true.
“How can there be so much racism? I was taught that Asians have the highest income here! Why is this happening?”
“How can there be so much nationalism? I was taught that the media of the United States was never controlled by their democratic government! Why is this happening?”
“How can there be so much violence? Why do people get shot almost once a week? I thought this wouldn’t happen in a democratic society!”
…
Several years gone…
When they look back to the place they just come from, a country growing at an astonishing speed, they finally understood why.
They now know every country has its own pros and cons, and they now know that the country they come from isn’t that bad at all. In the contrary, it might even seem to be a better choice for them.
Chinese people are sometimes fooled by its own kind that if you go to the west, you get everything: you get money, a happy family and a nice job. In fact, this is also what many US immigrants in the early 20th century believed. “Go to America! And you’ll get everything!”
But when your own country grows from “nothing” to “something” to “something more than something”, you’ll start to wander: is the US always better than China in every aspects? Is my country really worse than the US?
Development is the key.
That’s how you get nationalism.
Edit: the point I want to make clear of is that older generation Chinese have this strange “fairytale” thought about the west. It’s not because of propaganda, but because people accept the feeling of China being a backward country and the fact that the west is indeed much more advanced. But the economic boost changed all that. Now, many Chinese regain their confidence of being one of the top countries in the world. The Germans, Japanese and Russians all experienced the change when their country rises.
PREPARE! “We Have Never Seen Anything Like This In Recorded History.”
As a police officer, have you ever let someone by with a warning during a traffic stop and later on pulled them over again for the same violation?
I sure have! A particular young lad with an obnoxiously loud and very illegal aftermarket “muffler” installed on his modded Honda Civic. Both, the first and second times I pulled him over, I gave him a warning, informing him that the State law is very clear, that the installation of “mufflers” that do not dampen noise as effectively as the stock one does is prohibited.
I saw him continuing to drive around relatively often (it was hard to miss whenever he went by) but I deliberately waited about a month between the three more times I stopped him (preemptive countermeasure to any Harassment claim), and ticketed him all three times. The third ticket, however, was not for the illegal muffler, it was a Criminal Citation for driving on a suspended license: it was inactivated by the DMV for ignoring the requirement he actually pay the previous fined. Also, at that time, State law REQUIRED police to impound the vehicle of anyone caught driving on a suspended license. So I did, and never saw that car again. (No doubt it was because he couldn’t afford the impound & storage fee on top of all the tickets he got from me and probably other officers as well.)
Yes, I felt bad for him the first time I stopped him, which is why he got the warning. The second time, he told me that the replacement muffler had been shipped but hadn’t arrived yet, but had to get to work. I pointed out that he probably still had the stock muffler & strongly suggested he reinstall until the (unnecessary) new one arrived. But I let him off. I didn’t hook his car until four MONTHS later, during which time there were MANY times I saw him driving but didn’t stop him. By the end, no, I didn’t feel bad for him at all— all that happened to him he brought upon himself & he had his eyes wide open the whole time.
Man Silences Audience Full of Women..
Why should we not approach a stranded ship?
The true story of U-118 at Hastings and the dangers of old ships.
Aerial view of German U-118 U-Boat washed up on its way to France April 15 1919.
After World War 1 ended, the German Navy surrendered and many of its ships were interned at the Royal Navy’s chief naval base at Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands north of the Scottish mainland. However SM U-118 was surrender by the Imperial German Navy to the Allies at Harwich on 23 February 1919. U-118 was due to be transferred to France, but while on tow from Harwich to Brest, in company with UB-121 during the early hours of 15 April 1919 she broke tow in a storm , and ran aground on the beach at Hastings in Sussex at approximately 00:45, directly in front of the Queens Hotel.
Initially, there were attempts to re-float the stricken vessel. Three tractors were used to try and pull the submarine back into the sea and a French destroyer then attempted to break the ship apart using her guns, all efforts were unsuccessful, and the closeness of the submarine to the public beach and the Queens Hotel prevented the use of explosives.
U-118 had been launched on February 23, 1918, she was 267 feet long, displaced 1,200 tons and was armed with a 150mm deck gun, 14 torpedoes and 42 mines. SM U-118 had a lackluster career, sinking only two ships. She was surrendered to the Allies on February 23, 1919, exactly one year after she was launched.
The city fathers decided to make the best of this instant tourist attraction, the Admiralty put the local coast guard in charge and allowed the town clerk to charge sixpence apiece to visitors wishing to climb onto the deck of U-118. After two weeks, nearly £300 had been raised for the Mayor´s Fund for the welcome home of troops from France.
Special excursions inside the submarine were arranged for important visitors, these were led by the two coast guardsmen, but the visits were stopped after two weeks when both these gentlemen became strangely ill. Instead of getting better, they got progressively worse, until, by February of 1920, both were dead.
Their autopsies revealed abscesses in their lungs and brains, probably caused by chlorine gas leaking from the sub’s damaged batteries.
U-118 ashore at Hastings crowded with tourists.
The decision was made to break up U-118 and sell it for scrap. Hastings was presented with the 150mm (6-in) deck gun, but they decided to get rid of it in 1921. It is believed that portions of the sub’s keel still sit under the sands.
Putin Responds to Trump Wanting to End the War in Ukraine!
What Chinese foods in America impress Chinese people visiting America?
Thanks for the A2A, Liana.
My then 8 yo daughter had an one-month home stay at my cousin’s home in Denver, Colorado.
I video chatted with her daily. She told me she loved eating at Uncle Woo’s restaurant. Uncle Woo is my cousin’s husband, a second generation Chinese American who runs a Chinese restaurant in Denver. I was so grateful and relieved to hear that.
Me: ‘Great! What’s your favorite food in Uncle’s Chinese restaurant?’
She: ‘Sushi!’
Me: ‘Er… Sushi is a Japanese food… anyway I’m glad you love it. What’s your favorite topping of sushi? Tuna?’
She: ‘Tempura!’
Me: ‘Er… Tenpura on Sushi? I’ve never heard of that. Tell me more. What’s it like?’
She: ‘Uncle and Auntie deep fry big shrimps, top them on the rice roll, and dip sweet salty sauce on them. Yum yum!’
Me: ‘Wow that sounds unique. I wish I could taste them too.’
She: ‘You know what? Today Auntie taught me to make dumplings. I wrapped many dumplings. And they are flower-shaped!’
Me: ‘Impressive! I’ve never seen flower-shaped dumplings. Must be beautiful! What’s the fillings?’
She: ‘Cheese!’
Me: ‘Er… I can’t imagine what they would taste like… did you eat them?’
She: ‘Yes! Those are my No.2 favorite! We wrap them like flowers, then auntie deep fry them, they taste super creamy.’
When she came back from Denver, she brought many ‘Lucky Cookies’ as souvenirs from USA to her friends. The ‘Surprise!’ inside the cookies gave kids so much fun.
She also taught her grandma to make flower-shaped cheese-filling dumplings when we visited them in Beijing on Chinese New Year, and shared them with our neighbors.
Chinese people always say ‘Be it a black cat or a white cat, a cat that catches mice is a good cat.’
I say be it Chinese or American, be it Japanese or Italian, a food that is delicious and fun is a good food.
And salute Uncle Woo’s family, salute food lovers all over the world who constantly create new food cultures to warm our stomachs and hearts.
SCOTT RITTER JOINS ON PUTIN’S KNOCKOUT BLOW TO NATO
Perfect Backyard Porterhouse
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 9 x 13 inch aluminum foil pan
- 2 pounds baby new red potatoes, cut into 1 inch chunks
- 1 fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced
- 1 shallot, peeled and minced
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup red wine
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 pound asparagus, thick bottoms snapped off, stalks cut in half
- 4 (18 ounce) Certified Angus Beef® porterhouse steaks*
Instructions
- Place potatoes, fennel, shallot, butter, red wine, salt and pepper in foil pan. Seal tightly with aluminum foil and place on medium-high grill to steam, approximately 20 minutes.
- Add asparagus to vegetable tray; stir and continue to cook over medium heat 5 to 10 more minutes.
- Season steaks with salt and pepper. Grill to medium rare or desired doneness.
- Remove steaks and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Serve steak with vegetables and sauce from pan.
Notes
* Other cuts that you can use for this recipe: T-bone Steak, Ribeye Steak
What is the strangest scam a car dealership ever tried to pull on you?
NOTE: This is NOT my uncle’s actual car, but very similar to the one he bought. Picture for illustration purposes only.
When my uncle retired, he decided to treat himself to a brand-new Corvette. He shopped for weeks, finally choosing a loaded model in a bright racing yellow.
He was so excited on delivery day. I drove him to the dealership and when we arrived, his new car was out front, facing the street but parked very close to the wall of the showroom. He didn’t care because he’d be driving his new car and I would be driving my car. The salesman rushed him through the paperwork, gave him the keys and said he had another appointment to get to. This annoyed my uncle considering the amount of money he had just spent. But he was still excited, so he hopped in and fired up the 427 engine. I told him I’d follow him to the gas station; this happened in the days when a dealership provided just enough fuel to get you to your first fill-up.
He pulled out and turned right down the boulevard. A few blocks later, he pulled into a station, then swung the Corvette around the pump, perhaps so he’d be facing the street when finished gassing up. My mouth fell open in horror as I watched him swing around. The entire passenger side of the car, the side that was against the wall at the dealership, was totally smashed. Dents, paint ripped down to the fiberglass, trim completely missing. The car was destroyed on the passenger side. I pulled over and tried to warn my uncle before he saw it but I was too late. He had gotten out with a big smile on his face, ready for his first fill-up with his brand new Corvette, only to see this total mess. We both stood there dumbfounded for a moment, but soon anger took over.
We immediately returned to the dealership and found the salesman, who was on the phone. I had to restrain my uncle from hitting this guy, he was screaming at him at calling him every name in the book. We went outside and showed the salesman the car, and he had the balls to accuse my uncle of being the one who damaged the car! By this time a small crowd had gathered around the scene, and finally the owner of the dealership came out.
The salesman admitted that he had smashed the car when he was bringing it out of the storage lot, and didn’t want to lose the sale, so he hid the damage by parking it so it wasn’t visible. The owner immediately fired the salesman, apologized to my uncle, gave him a loaner car for free while they ordered a new Corvette, then when he came to pick up the replacement car, the owner gave my uncle a check for $10,000, which was more than he paid for the car! Because of all of this, my uncle didn’t sue the dealership. That salesman’s actions were the scummiest I’ve ever come across.
She Instantly REGRETS Divorcing Her Husband When She Realizes No One Want Her with 5 Kids | The Wall
Why do so many people think that dying their hair to look like an Easter egg and then walking around in public is so attractive?
I used to date a gay cop.
If we were out to dinner, he could become visibly fixated and angry, almost trembling with rage, because some stranger across the room had dyed and shaped their hairstyle into a violet Mohawk.
This really happened, decades ago, and I am still confused.
Returning to our date, I am siting there, thinking FFS, you’re a gay cop and you cannot handle anyone who does not fall in line according to your standards. It’s just hair. It’s not anti-social. The guy has cut his hair to express an identification with counterculture, maybe. It’s different, but who cares?
Gay cops are hot.
I gave him too many passes despite this scary inclination brought forth by non-conforming people of all stripes. It was amazingly predictable and a frightening irony. We have freedom of self expression in this nation, though we may lose it soon. If Republicans want state bans on contraception FFS?
The brunt of their authoritarian rage in full plumage is difficult to ascertain.
I think I finally told him, “You’re a gay cop. Not the fashion police, you know?”
In America, we don’t have a fashion police with enforcement powers.
And for damn good reasons.
Seriously, who gives a shit? Why would anyone give a shit?
The guy with the Mohawk is not your enemy.
You need a scapegoat.
Deep in this guy’s angry soul, he desperately needed everyone to conform or it upset him, as if his insistence on compliant appearances belied the inner shame that drove him to law enforcement in the first place, not that all cops are steeped in hypocritical denial.
I do not suffer from the need to judge something or someone I do not understand who does not pose any real threat to me. It does not cross my mind. Not for a second. But there are people in this world who will judge anyone who dares to step out of line as expressed in an unorthodox hairdo.
Do you not have bigger issues on your mind?
People dye their hairdos like Easter Eggs because, I assume, it’s fun. They like it when they look in mirror. It communicates their freedom of spirit to everyone. It adds color to their lives, and what in the hell could possibly be wrong with that?
Please remove the baton of imperious piety from you know where.
And relax. It’s just hair. It can’t hurt you.
Let people be different.
It’s not that hard.
It’s also one of your fundamental responsibilities as a citizen under the present Constitution as long as it continues to exist under the new tyranny of right-wing control. Good God, you went on a tirade when Twitter evicted their trolls, suppressing what you call freedom of speech, but you’re uptight over pink hair. It drove you crazy when the courts finally shut down Alex Jones and his lie factory for good.
You can’t see the freakish contradiction in your need to police “freedom” ?!? You can’t understand that freedom of speech does not mean the right to lie?
By definition, it means you can’t police other people and control their chosen forms of self expression, until they pose a direct danger to you or others.
You don’t get that? By definition, it means other people can dye their hair as long as they so choose even if it bugs you. Jesus. Seriously. Get a life.
What is the dirtiest fine print you’ve seen in a contract?
Not dirty money-wise, but it was infuriating on principle.
I was in a car accident, 100% the other party’s fault. The police report cited them as being at fault (failure to maintain control of the car). Their front end hit my front end, I was pointed south on a south-bound freeway, and they were pointed north (they lost control in a heavy rain).
Arbitration between the two insurance companies determined that the other party was 100% at fault. I got my deductible back, and my insurance covered the loss of the car.
My insurance did NOT cover a couple of over things. Some fishing gear was stolen (OK…”came up missing”) from my vehicle while it was at the collision center lot. I cracked a couple ribs during the accident, and couldn’t mow my very large lawn for a few weeks, and had to pay somebody to do it. A few other things. I wanted their insurance company to cover those losses. I could have asked for pain and suffering, and probably could have jacked up a lot of other expenses, but I didn’t; I just wanted them to cover a few clearly articulated losses.
The contract they sent me had a statement “I understand that this is a questionable claim….” followed by a statement that this would be the end of the matter.
I called the rep at the insurance company and told him on no uncertain terms that that the “questionable claim” statement was coming out before I signed the contract. I didn’t object to their wanting to close off indefinite demands, and was amenable to language that said the deal was done and over with once they sent me a check, but there was nothing the least bit “questionable” about the claim, and if they wanted to push the issue, I would conduct a more thorough review to my losses, and take them to court in a case that they had, for all practical purposes, already lost.
I got a revised contract with the offending language removed less than an hour later.
Fiancée Went MENTAL When I Said To Cut Ties With Awful Family, Now In Disbelief Wedding Is Canceled
If she can't be corrected then she can't be directed.
If she can't be directed then she can't be protected.
If she can't be protected then she can't be respected.
If she can't be respected then she can't be selected.
How do rich people actually avoid jail?
Former defense counsel here.
There are a few typical advantages that wealthy people have that many others don’t:
- They can afford highly-specialized counsel that deal only in their specific charge. An attorney who does nothing but DUI charges is likely going to be very, very good at defending DUI charges.
- Along with point one above, certain very wealthy people can actually out-spend the District Attorney’s office at trial. They can afford top-tier expert witnesses, independent crime scene investigators and several skilled attorneys. The DA will not be able to keep up with what a certain subset of the population can afford to spend on their defense.
- They likely don’t have criminal records. This isn’t to say that people who aren’t wealthy do, but people with means tend to commit less crimes…or at the very least get caught significantly less. Not having a criminal record gets you significant leniency during sentencing and plea negotiations.
- Wealthy folks also tend to have a lot of what we in the business call “mitigating factors.” These are detailed, legal reasons for why a sentencing judge or prosecutor should go easier on this person as opposed to the average joe charged with the same crime.
- Although this is rare, a few wealthy people also have an inordinately high level of influence in their community. It can be difficult for individuals to come forward to testify against them openly and willingly. This can lead to difficulty for prosecutors in building a strong case, which can lead to favorable plea deals for the defendant.
Using these tools, many wealthy individuals are able to get highly favorable outcomes from the judicial system here in the U.S.
Keir Starmer is now the UK’s new Prime Minister. What is his stance on China? Will the UK-China relationship improve during his time in office?
It is not what is Kier Starmer stance on China? It is China is watching if Kier Starmer wants to cooperate and partner with China or wants to do shit and be a US dog like his previous leaders, that is your choice. If you want to be a dog and do US bidding China will handle you based on your decision.
If you want to be a US slave or dog and do shit on China. China will return the favour and gives you double the dose! On the other hand if he is smart and wants to do what is good for UK, China will reciprocate in kind! The ball is on your court! You decide!
China is the world’s most humongous market and manufacturer, you can partner them and be prosperous and win EU market or you can be a dog and pretend you are fine with your economy tumbling negative with a 5–10% inflation. You British decide you want 3 good meals a day or have a 30 second limelight being an assistant sheriff to a dementia or degenerate.
Your choice. China will watch what he do not merely what he say! You Caucasian Anglophones thinks too much of yourself! You need China not China need you! UK market is about the size of a province in China nothing much more than that! It UK stop buying Chinese it may affect China 0.0.5% of their business but if China stop UK it cost UK 5–8% inflation! That is simply mathematical! Sunak, Liz and Boris are simply too dumb to realised and the chose a dog’s role that brings no benefit and a whole load of problem for UK!
Starmer needs to decide carefully and so does the British people!
If You Only Watch One Video, Make It THIS One
I think that he is running for President. But, aside from that, it’s a good video.
What facts about Japan do foreigners not believe until they come to Japan?
I have been living in Japan for three months now and one thing I realized is that there is no tipping here. At all.
I asked my Japanese friend why this was so. He asked me, ‘What is tipping?’
I said, ‘When you think a service in a restaurant is proper, the person in charge gets your food on time, we leave some money for the waiter’.
And he said, ‘But aren’t the workers supposed to be efficient? Isn’t that their job?’
Me: Ah well. Umm. Hmm. Yeah you are right.
It’s considered in the Japanese society that it is one’s duty to do their job perfectly. It’s even difficult explaining them such things as why one should tip in a restaurant!
Let me add some more things here.
Another thing I’ve noticed is that they have braille everywhere. Everywhere including beer cans and washlet (Japanese hi-tech toilet) buttons.
If I got lost on an African safari and came face-to-face with a growling lion, what should I do to garner the best chance of survival?
Originally Answered: If I were to get lost on an African safari and come face to face with a growling lion, what should I do to garner the best chance of survival?
The first thing you do when coming across a “growling lion” is freeze and avert your eyes. You also do not point at it.
If a lion is not habituated to man it will most likely run. The danger arises with lions that are more used to people.
Look at the animal’s tail. When a lion is angry or feeling threatened it will sweep its tail from side to side. If it is hunting it will keep its tail stiff and twitch it from time to time. It is much more serious if it is actively hunting you. If you see stalking indications then raise your arms above your head and wave them and most importantly SHOUT YOUR HEAD OFF. If you have something in your hand then throw it at the lion. Even if the lion charges you do not run. Believe me this can be extremely intimidating. They charge at 80 km per hour and the roaring is deafening. If you have frozen and then lion is not approaching but not leaving either then start to back slowly away. If it starts to move, then freeze immediately.
My wife, Marjet, once walked into a whole pride at a concession we were running in Botswana. It was early morning during the cool season and she was walking from our home to the camp (a couple of hundred meters away). The lions had just arrived and were sunning themselves in the tall grass, so she didn’t see them till she was right on top of them. Despite the aggressive roaring and repeated charges from different lionesses she held her nerve and walked away without a scratch. Needless to say she doesn’t take any nonsense from me…
Night time encounters are another story. I was once doing problem animal control in Gache Gache in Zimbabwe, trying to bait and shoot a lion that had killed several people and the night before had almost succeeded in breaking into Chief Mangare’s hut. It was dark but moonlit and I was lying on the ground, carefully backed into a euphorbia hedge along with two game scouts and a fellow ranger. I heard a very faint noise behind me and the lion was crawl-stalking me and just 10 foot back! He had actually carefully crawled through the dense hedging to sneak up on us. He was too close for me to be able to turn and shoot. However, I turned on the torch in my hand and shone it in his face. He ran off. So, if you are walking in the bush at night (it happens in safari camps especially) and come across lions, keep your beam in their eyes and back away.
One of the biggest myths is fire. Lions are not afraid of campfires and will often walk round them and see what’s happening. However, keeping a fire between you and a lion is probably better than nothing!