Default A 1950s era pinup In the opulent 1950s golden age of i 2(7)

Pay attention to understanding

It wasn’t a call, but a text…. And it wasn’t weird until I made it weird

It was around lunchtime on a weekday afternoon and I was on the train, I get a text.

“Hey, just a quick text to tell you I will be late home from work tonight, don’t wait up, I love you X”

I don’t recognise the number, I lived alone so it definitely wasn’t for me, but I replied anyway…

“You’re always working late, I’m getting fed up with it, you never spend time with me any more”

They replied back to me….

“I’m sorry, were just really busy at the moment, I promise I’ll make it up to you, don’t be angry, X”

I thought, I’m commited to this now, I have to reply…..

“No, I’ve had enough, I don’t love you any more”

They replied

“What?”

I’m still committed, so…

“Yes that’s right, I don’t love you any more, your such a disappointment and all these late nights you have been working I’ve been fucking your brother”.

Hours passed before I got a reply.

“Mum, is everything ok?”

There’s a bunch of ways that would be more effective in different situations.

But my personal favourite?

Just walk right up and be direct. Put on a smile, tell a joke, and don’t make it look like a big deal.

She should think you’ve had this exact scenario dozens of times before. And you should.

The problem with young guys is that they let the approach get into their heads. They make it into some difficult task for which they feel the need to consult experts on a QA site.

It’s not.

Smile like you’ve spoken to her 100 times before. Shake her hand to prove to break the touch barrier (and make yourself less intimidated). Be friendly.

It’s hard to reply to a charming smile with a frown.

Obviously, proper grooming and knowing when to make your move is a prerequisite to all this. Your charming smile won’t do much good if you smell like her brother’s musty socks on a hot afternoon.

Take a shower, get a haircut, and use some cologne. A few hours in the gym can’t hurt, either.

But once you have those basics down, the “approach” starts to matter a lot less. It’s just down to your confidence.

You can talk about the weather, the sea, heck, you can rizz her up with Plato’s last academic texts if she’s really that kinda gal.

“Hello, am I speaking to Mr. Gairson?”

“Yes.”

“I am with the [] State Bar Association. I am calling because X has finished law school and is applying to become an attorney. Do you know X?”

“Yes, I know X.”

“Do you believe that X would make a good attorney?”

“Is this call confidential?”

“Yes.”

“I have not seen or heard from X since [date #2]. I do not know what he is like these days.”

“Here it says that he was employed at your firm from [date #1] to [date #3]. Is that correct?”

“His last day was on [date #2].”

“So he did not work for you until [date #3]?”

“No, he did not.”

“Why not?”

“I fired him.”

“Why did you fire him?”

“He failed to show up at work.”

“Is that all?”

“Every time I paid him, he would miss the next four days of work.”

“Why?”

“I do not personally know. However, on [date #3], his mother called me.”

“Why did his mother call you?”

“To ask why I had emailed him on [date #2] that he was fired.”

“What did you tell her?”

“I told her he was fired because he failed to show up at work.”

“What did she say?”

“She informed me that I was an idiot for paying him directly.”

“What?”

“She stated that I should have sent the paychecks to her, directly, rather than paying him directly.”

“Why did she say that?”

“She claimed that he had a drug addiction and his income was restricted because of it. Thus, all income should go through her to be given to him over time.”

“Do you have anything else to add?”

“He had the most brilliant legal mind I have ever met. When it comes to the law, he is a genius. When it comes to his life choices and common sense, he is far less intelligent. I could not trust him to do his job, because of his life choices and I fired him. I have seen first hand what happens to lawyers who are drug abusers and I have seen them disbarred as a result. I cannot give him a good recommendation because of it and frankly am surprised that he listed me as a resource. He would have had far better luck had he told you his supervisor was [other attorney], because that attorney loved him despite the addictions. Then again, [other attorney] is currently in disciplinary proceedings for being a drug addict.”

“So you would not recommend him to join the bar?”

“I would recommend that you confirm that he is no longer a drug abuser.”


He called me six months later. He was not admitted to the bar. They had called him in for a special interview. He missed the first one, which was on a Monday . . . the Monday after he had been paid by the large firm that was holding a position open for him. They rescheduled, he went in, they asked about his drug and alcohol history and why he had not mentioned it on his bar application. He initially expressed shock that they had found out (wrong response by the way), and asked who had told them (they outed me, so much for confidentiality). The bar advised him to provide rehabilitation or medical records and references and gave him the opportunity to amend his record. He provided them records, which showed that he had repeatedly failed to complete treatment and was prone to relapses. He called me, hoping I could change my earlier assessment over a cup of coffee or give him a job to prove himself. I declined. Over a year later he completed rehab, thanked me, and now has a successful career served by his law degree in another industry but is not an attorney.

[Other attorney] was disbarred and put in prison for several years. Lawyer life lesson: drugs kill careers and harm clients.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/_PSra_bw-Ag?feature=share

There is a temple in Andhra Pradesh

Near Tuni in Vishakapatnam where eligible men and women swear before God that they are not hiding any terrible secret and they toss lots and the girl marries the boy who picks her number

No backsies

Why not visit that place?

No Caste (Upper Castes only though, Brahmin, Kamma, Kapu etc sadly), No color, No Looks

Just a roll of the dice

One of my ex staff married his daughter there because of her horoscope to a farmer young man in that temple in 2010/11

The couple were happy as of 2019

She was working for BSNL and he was a farmer with 400+ Acres (Family)

Both had horoscope issues

Go to Tuni and ask around

Many Guys on the highway will guide you to the temple for PELLI meaning marriage

I have a family member who was married in December of 2015. About a month or two after getting married, his wife started showing some very disturbing and troubling behavior. She had to control everything he did, when and what he ate. If he did anything to displease her, she would leave often with all of their bank cards and any access to money and she refused to tell him where she went. Sometimes she would be gone for at least two days without giving him access to money for food and other necessities for him and their pets.

Eventually, she started telling her friends and family that he was abusing her. She tried to convince as many people in our family as well. The way she behaved when he didn’t do exactly as she said raised massive red flags. Family members and friends also were seeing signs that she was physically abusing him too. The last straw was when she blew up at him for an unbelievably trivial matter and he left the house to see his parents and look into making arrangements. While he was there, she and her friends had called the police on him, saying they were afraid he was going to hurt them. He was made to get only what he could carry from HIS house and he wasn’t allowed to set foot on the property for the time being.

This happened in the space of five months from the time of his wedding. When they went to court for the divorce hearing, the judge made him responsible for the majority of her debts. He had been able to return to his house, but she and her friends had vandalized it. Between the separation and the hearing, she had filed police complaints, including false accusations, that the police looked into EVERY time. When he found that she had vandalized his house, the police told him there was nothing they could do.

She continuously stalked him. Nothing could be legally done because the people who he has to rely on to handle the matters can’t be bothered because he’s a man. This kind of thing happens more than you might think.

Reuben Sliders

What to do with leftover corned beef? Make Reuben Sliders, of course.

reuben sliders
reuben sliders

Prep: 20 min | Bake: 5 min | Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 6 Rhodes Warm-N-Serv Soft Yeast Rolls, thawed
  • 1/2 cup Thousand Island dressing
  • 3/4 pound corned beef, thinly sliced
  • 6 slices Swiss cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups sauerkraut, drained
  • 1 tablespoon butter, melted or 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Instructions

  1. Slice rolls in half to make sliders. Spread inside of top and bottom with dressing.
  2. Layer a slice of cheese, corned beef and about 2 tablespoons sauerkraut on the bottom half of each roll.
  3. Place tops on sliders.
  4. Place sliders on baking sheet. Brush top with melted butter or beaten egg. Sprinkle with poppy seeds.
  5. Bake at 350 degrees F about 5 minutes, just until cheese starts to melt.

Not me, my dad.

it was the early 1960s, and my dad was sent by his employer, Northern Electric – telephone people – from Canada to India to oversee the installation of a long-distance line from New Delhi (as it was) to another city, about 60 miles away. On a weekend, he decided to experience the joys of Indian train travel, and booked a seat. In his carriage, otherwise filled with Indians of course, one started up a conversation

Where are you from?

Canada.

Ah, I have a brother in Canada, perhaps you know him.

Well, it’s a big country. I live in Montreal.

Ah! My brother lives in Montreal! You must know him.

Well, Montreal’s a big city. I live in the NDG area.

Amazing! My brother lives in NDG!

So, as you have already guessed, we were neighbours. We lived in one unit of four four-plexes that shared a common backyard. The brother lived directly kitty-corner to us. He was actually a professional wrestler, back in the days when TV wrestling was more choreographed than any ballet.

Another tale from that trip, all about the cost of labour. The telephone line was to be installed underground, meaning a 60 mile long, 6 foot deep, 3 foot wide trench had to be dug. The day for laying the cable was approaching, and nothing was happening. My dad was getting worried. No problem, he was told. All is under control. And sure enough, the day before the cable was to be laid, workers showed up – thousands, each with a shovel. Each spent the day digging a short section, three feet wide, six feet deep, stretched over sixty miles. That’s 100 km. Because in those days, labour was much, much cheaper than investing in equipment.

  1. You are afraid of losing people but no one is afraid of losing you.
  2. Forgiving people in silence & not talking to them, is a form of self-care.
  3. Hope dies when efforts doesn’t work.
  4. Stay where there’s no fear in yourself.
  5. A little rain is nothing compared to the storm I grew up in.
  6. We are all unique, we only need to accept it.
  7. Just focus on yourself because many will hold you back for growing.
  8. If you are trying your best every single day, be proud of yourself.
  9. Silence is full of answers.
  10. Sometimes temporary people teach you permanent lessons.
  11. I always became an ear for those who need; but no one became for me.
  12. Even if you trust someone, don’t tell them everything.
  13. Don’t even hurt soft-hearted person, because you don’t know how much it got hurted.
  14. Maturity is when you realise your responsibilities are more important than heartbreak.
  15. Memories are too loyal than the people who gave.
  16. Value what you have & value your peace more than people’s opinion.
  17. Standing alone is better than being with fake people.
  18. Live your life today itself, because no one knows if there’ll be tomorrow or not.
  19. Childhood memories were best.
  20. Nobody is too busy, it is just a matter of priorities.

https://youtu.be/PwNhCa8Yr0Q

So let’s say you have this beautiful girlfriend. You love her and you have a fabulous relationship and you want to get married. But first, you want to test her to make sure she will always be loyal to you. One little test. You know she’ll pass because you are both so in love and meant to be together. So it will only prove it that much more, right?

So you have a friend that you always suspected she thought was good looking. You have him over. The three of you are hanging out and you make up an excuse to leave and, under your instructions, he attempts to hit on her and tries to make a move to see if she’ll take the bait. He says things like “your boyfriend will never know” and “it’s not like you’re married” and “I’ve seen the way you look at me”
But she turns him down at every turn and kicks him out of the house.

When you get home, she is upset. One of your best friends hit on her and made her feel like a piece of meat. You console her, feeling internally very confident and proud that your plan worked, and promise it will never happen again.

She says, no. He can never come here again.

You say, but he was just messing around! He won’t do it again!

And she says, how could you possibly know that?! You weren’t even here! He can never come here again.

And that’s when you realise you have to tell her. It was you. You did that to her.

You put her in that position.

In order to find out if she was trustworthy, you broke her trust.

She feels betrayed and hurt and horrified. And most likely you lose what you wanted most (your girlfriend) even though she passed the test you so cunningly set up for her. You are not as clever as you think and even if you are you will be a very clever, lonely man.

Friendship is not a threshold to be tested. Keep testing those limits and you will hit a wall…or a fist.

Friendship is alive and needs to be nourished and cared for by both sides.

The trustworthiness of your friends is a direct reflection of your own.

I got put in cuffs once, not being an idiot I knew that once the police wanted to put cuffs on there was no point doing or saying anything other than offering my wrists in a peaceful manner. I knew I hadn’t done anything wrong, but once the police want to put cuffs on there’s no point arguing or fighting.

I was actually surprised how tight they put them on, but so long as you don’t pull on the cuffs or try and wriggle out you don’t injure yourself. If you struggle against them though it’s very painful. I tried to wriggle a bit in them just to see, and it’s not a good idea.

Once the police were satisfied I was an uninvolved bystander (I was walking out of a club behind a group of guys who decided to assault another guy on the way out), they took the cuffs off, apologised and sent me on my way. They must’ve realised something was up anyway when I had a southern accent (gang were northern) and happily let them cuff me instead of swearing and jostling the police as the gang did.

Anyways this is suffice to say that you really cause your own injuries when in cuffs. I cannot recommend the ‘not fighting/struggling with law enforcement’ tactic enough. Being honest, genuine and friendly no matter the circumstances is always the grown up move no matter how indignant you are.

My wife showed her character fairly early on in our relationship. We’d met online and talked for several months prior to our first in-person date. We were both divorced single parents, and as anyone who has been in that position while re-entering the dating world can attest, we turned to serious topics of conversation very quickly and our relationship became very close as we realized how compatible we were. A few months and many dates later, my kids summer vacation was starting. At the time, I worked for a propane company, so work slowed down a lot while my expenses dramatically increased, with the need for daycare during my parent time of 10 days on and 10 days off through the summer. As I recall, I typically spent about $2000 over each summer for that. I mentioned this to my girlfriend shortly before my second round of parent time for that summer, and she volunteered to babysit my kids during my parent time the rest of the summer. This got my attention. Under any circumstances, this would be a significant sacrifice, but in her case it involved traveling 6 hours one way with her own 2 kids, renting an Airbnb house (because at the time I lived at my parents house, and there wasn’t room for an extra 3 people) for a week, and coming up with a different craft or activity each day, and cooking delicious homemade meals for all of us 3 times a day. On top of that, she refused to let me pay anything for the rental or her gas and time, despite it probably costing her more than I would’ve spent on daycare. After that summer, I knew that without question, she would walk the walk for my kids and I as much as her own kids or herself. She’s not only my wife, but she is my best friend without question.

Philippines was colonised by USA until 1946.

Like many countries that were colonised before, some people still worship their coloniser as god, even after their country has become independent.

They have the mentality to look up to the (former) coloniser & look down upon its own culture/people. Physically they are independent but mentally they are slaves to their former coloniser.

Hongkong was a British colony until 1997. Today in 2024, there are still HKers who worship UK. Before 2020, HK court system still accepted top judges appointed by former coloniser UK. Why accept UK appointment? Are HK judges inferior? No. It is just because some HKers are so used to work as a mental slave for the (former) coloniser. They dont want to change. As long as they can make (lots of) money with a good job, they dont mind to continue to work for the former coloniser.

To mental slaves, their heart is with their former coloniser.

I wont be surprised if there are such Filipinos too.

Irish O’ Garlic Cabbage Pockets

Irish O’ Garlic Cabbage Pockets is a lunchtime favorite for St. Patrick’s Day!

irish o garlic cabbage pockets
irish o garlic cabbage pockets

Bake: 15 min | Yield: 12 servings

This recipe includes Air Fryer instructions!

Ingredients

  • 1 (19 ounce) package Johnsonville® Irish O’ Garlic Sausage, casings removed
  • 1 small head green cabbage, 1/4 inch slices
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 (1 pound) loaves frozen white bread dough, thawed and proofed
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • Grainy mustard, to serve

Instructions

  1. In a large skillet, cook and crumble sausage over medium heat until browned and fully cooked; drain. Set aside and keep warm.
  2. Add cabbage and onion to same skillet; cook and stir for 6 minutes.
  3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  4. Return sausage to skillet; cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes.
  5. Cover; reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
  6. Roll bread dough into 18 (6 inch) circles. Place 1/2 cup of filling in the center of each circle.
  7. Brush water on edges of dough.
  8. Pull dough over top of filling and crimp down edges with a fork. Cut three slits in top of dough.
  9. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs and water to create egg wash. Brush dough with egg wash; sprinkle with sesame, poppy seeds or everything bagel seasoning.
  10. Bake at 350 degrees F for 12 to 15 minutes; until golden brown.
  11. Serve with grainy mustard.

Notes

Air Fryer Instructions

Heat air fryer to 300 degrees F.

In a bowl, combine the cabbage, onion and oil; toss to combine.

Fry for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender.

Decase the sausage; place in air fryer. Fry at 350 degrees F for 12 minutes, turning halfway through; chop. Combine with cabbage mixture; sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roll bread into 18 (6 inch) circles.

Place 1/2 cup filling in the center of each circle. Brush water on edges of dough. Pull dough over filling and crimp edges with a fork. Cut three slits in top of dough. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame, poppyseeds or everything bagel seasoning.

Arrange 2 pockets in air fryer; fry at 350 degrees F for 6 to 7 minutes or until golden brown. Repeat with remaining pockets.

I would make the challenge simpler at first. This is an iron nail made by the Romans

The production chain for a nail is very simple. You need to:

  • Mine iron ore. It sounds a lot more challenging once you understand that you’ll be mining with rocks, sticks and bones (no tools from the future).
  • Build a smelter. I guess you can do that with ceramics? The smelter also needs coal, charcoal might do.
  • Transport all this stuff. Obviously, if you’re lucky you teleported your group right between easily accessible iron and clay deposits.
  • Take your iron to a smithy where a guy will again need a furnace, hammer and anvil. Initially they’ll be working with rock tools.

In the meantime, your group of 1000 tool-less people is:

  • Hungry, with hunting and gathering as the only options for food initially.
  • Homeless – depending on the area, time period and climate, it may not be possible to build adequate shelter without tools.
  • Sick and injured – this lifestyle will produce a lot more sickness and injuries, and your group might be exposed to germs that they do not have antibodies against.
  • Threatened by predators or stone-age tribes – again, you can defend with sticks, fire and stones.

I think that having a sustainable colony and getting the first nail produced within a year would mean great success. It is possible given a bit of luck, mild climate, good survival skills and nearby resources (from food to iron). Congratulations, you’ve successfully entered the IRON AGE. Now you just need to skip a couple thousand years of progress to get to electronics.

Unfortunately, a computer is a product of hundreds of production chains, some rather complicated. The first electronic computers had vacuum tubes, finely and precisely tooled bits of various metals (like rotating drums) capacitors, cables… and obviously required electric power to operate. And weighed tons.

So your group of 1000 people (minus the ones who died) is ready to build the computer as soon as they recreate the industrial base of a modern civilization.

It seems like a bigger feat than 1000 people are capable of.

China has canceled US, Australian, France wheat imports, replacing them with orders from Russia, Kazakhstan and Argentina.

The US cancellation was the largest cancellation since 1999.

The Chinese government is showing a strong preference for buying from the BRICS and Global South economies, and is moving away from buying from the G7 countries which are part of the western bloc led by the US.

This is done for a combination of political and economic reasons. The US is pulling out the big guns when it comes to chip technology, AI, and blocking Chinese sales of EVs and solar panels, and more recently, the forced divesting of TikTok USA, which are all part of de-coupling and de-risking. From the Chinese perspective, the US’s Biden administration is heading rapidly in the direction of sanctions against Chinese companies following the sanctions applied against Russia. Opposition and hostility to Chinese companies and business interests in Congress is very strong, and China must be prepared for the US acting to seize Chinese assets which the US can reach. The only way to avoid this scenario is to have as few overseas assets in US dollars and held by US banks as possible.

This is the de-risking and de-coupling model the Chinese are following.

In the US, there may be a political side-effect in this US election year: Trump supporters are usually stronger in US rural states, and some farmers may blame the Biden administration for poor wheat sales and vote for Trump. In a tight race, this may be an important factor.

I spent three hours today sipping coffee while I did my weekly grocery shopping and other Saturday morning errands. I bought enough food to feed five people for a week, gas for my van, a dozen new comic books for my collection, and a few other random things. At no point during my shopping spree did I have to worry about being able to pay for any of it.

Then I came home and spent about four hours playing with my kids. It was the first warm day of the year here in Chicago, so I got to play basketball with my kids, ride bikes with them, play catch with them, and play soccer. I also got to spend about an hour walking my dog.

Then I spent about an hour grading some papers for work. I didn’t have to do that today, but I wanted to get it done. I sat in my recliner and graded them while listening to music and sipping yet more coffee. It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it.

Then I made dinner and enjoyed it with my family. Then I had a little alone time, reading my new comic books and surfing the internet, before spending even more time with my kids before tucking them into bed.

When I’m done with this post, I’ll head up to my bedroom, where my wife is already. She’s watching a show. When I come up, she’ll pass me the remote and let me watch whatever I want to watch, while she cuddles with me.

Do you think you’ll ever “make it”?

I “made it” about 15 years ago. Let me tell you, from someone on this side of the “it” hurdle, it’s awesome over here. I wish everyone good luck in jumping over that hurdle and joining me over here in the greenest pastures of all.

A fun experience. Takes you to Asia where life is so very different from that of the West.

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