When I met my first wife, say in 1983, she was working as a live in caregiver to a 90-something blind woman. Occasionally her 65-year old son would stop by and flirt with my (then) 21 year old girlfriend. But eventually, he stopped coming and just fired my girlfriend. But I’ll tell youse guys that 90-year old granny was a hoot.
She couldn’t see, but she could hear everything.
She liked me a lot, and for some reason she kept on calling me “Robert Gillespie” because … I really don’t know why … I have no idea. But she thought that I was this man from her past.
She wanted to touch my face and feel my arms. She said that I was a good man; and strong. Then she felt my hands. She told my girlfriend that I have “big hands” and that we needed to get married as I would make her really happy in bed.
— ! —
Anyways, I’m pretty sure that she’s no longer around. If she was, she’d be older than the hills right now. She was a nice old granny. I hope that when I get that old, I’m gonna be nice and well spoken to others as she was to me.
Today…
I’m 63 years old and so lonely. Does it matter to anyone?
I have been there, I found myself alone, my son no longer needed me to be around for him anymore. And I watched a lot of TV! I did a few things I shouldn’t have done. ( I don’t recommend). Got back on track, watched more TV, did a lot of soul searching.
Decided to go back to work, part-time. I was very apprehensive at first I hadn’t worked and almost 17 years. Just a little convenience store job. I didn’t want it to interfere with my disability check. Turns out it was the best thing that I could have done for myself! Got to know my neighbors, all the people that lived around me. After working there for 2 and 1/2 years they had my back when I needed some of them. And made a lot of friends there. I highly recommend you do something simple that takes your mind off of yourself. Be it work with animals, help another senior citizen, give somebody a ride to a doctor’s appointment, walk somebody’s dog, they’re a myriad of things you can do for free and things you can do to make money. You may find you just meet somebody that you click with.
Have you ever seen a rude or entitled customer get put in their place?
Yes, yes I have and it was glorious.
I was managing a convenience store in the second largest city in Massachusetts. It was a hard working, hard partying, rough and tumble neighborhood with some interesting residents. It was pretty common for a customer to cut into the line and, while talking in their mobile, make their request. “Yo, gimme a pack of Newport hunnrits and a mango wrap.” Usually, I ignore such actions and wait on the next person in line…because it’s a line and that’s what one does….stand and wait…like all the other customers.
On this particular morning, this particular customer honestly and truly thought that he was entitled to behave like a rude and obnoxious jerk. He demanded the manager because they always need to speak to a manager, especially when they are wrong. I politely offered the obnoxious a coffee while he waited. Of course, while waiting he had to run his mouth and call me names. Then it happened, one of my newly trained customers came in to make his daily purchase.
“Good Morning, may I please have a pack of Newport 100’s?”
“Good morning, of course you may. May I see your ID?”
“Yes, here you go.”
“Thank you, that will be $9.75.”
While I was getting his change, he remarked, “lemme guess, he needs to talk to the manager. You are making him wait…just like you did to me.” I just smiled and my newly trained customer knew. He sauntered over to the waiting customer, who was still spewing vulgarities about me and asked, “Do you talk to your mother or your aunts like that?” “Do you call your baby momma those names? How bout your sidechick?” The rude customer started to answer but the newly trained customer cut him off, “You see that lady? She is the manager. This is her house and she doesn’t deserve to be called names, insulted or threatened because you don’t want to wait in line or show your ID to buy a pack of smokes.” He took a deep breath and continued, “If you want to do business here, then you need to pull your saggy britches up, put your shoulders back, look her in the eye, apologize, and use your Sunday manners and make your purchase.” The rude customer said he wanted to speak to the manager to which the newly trained customer said, “Yo, dude, she IS the manager and she ain’t got the time to play with you! Be nice or be gone…pretty simple!”
The newly trained customer walked with the rude customer to the counter and taught him how to behave in the store.
Fighting Russia & China to Last American: Destroying US From Within
Have you ever quit a job in an unplanned manner where one day you just snapped and said “I’ve had enough of this, I’m done”?
One day on the way to work…i lived close to work so i always walked to work enjoying the walk with a cup of coffee and a cigarette
That day was different. .the coffee didnt taste right and i didnt want my usual cig
I got to work and the manager said…its about time you got here…and it was only 730am. My scheduled start time was 8am…then she started telling me that others werent doing their jobs.
She had a stack of papers about an inch thick ..it contained our daily overstock reports..apparently they hadnt been done in over a week. She said she wanted them done ASAP.
I told id start on them when i punched in at 8am.
Well i punched in and started working on the overstock report…about 15mins later..the manager comes back to where i was working and said are you done yet…and i said no…
So im under the gun to do the report that others havent done in a week.
Im still not feeling my normal self…i went to the restroom and puked and washed my mouth out.
About an hour later..the manager again asks me if im done..again i said no
Manager leaves looking and acting very pissed at me…
I go back to the report and again i stop and go to the restroom and puke
Only this time after puking and washing my mouth out…i walk up to the manager and slam the report on the counter and …im out of here…i quit and head to the register and check out (thats how we clocked in n out) and continue walking out without looking back. She called my name and said come back. I ignored her and went home
The manager called me the next day and asked me to come in and talk to him. I told him as long as the other manager worked there ..i wasnt going back
Two weeks later the other manager who was rude to me was transferred to another store and i went back to work ..
I will never work where im not appreciated or talked down to
Who was the greatest con man in history?
Bernie Madoff.
He used one of the oldest tricks in the book. A Ponzi scheme – use money from new investors to pay money for old investors – but eventually it gets too big – there won’t be enough new investors – and the Ponzi scheme collapses.
What made Madoff the greatest con man was not only did he con investors out of US$10–20bn, but he managed to pull this off for at least 17 years without even one serious SEC investigation.
I mean, he only got caught when he owned up to it!
So, instead of making investments with clients money his company just used them to pay clients that wanted their investments cashed out while making false trade reports to show investments had been made.
Because he consistently gave investors cashing out strong returns, he was considered an investment genius by many.
Madoff lived in a US$21m home in Palm Beach, had a US$7m apartment in New York, and had other houses around the world.
In 2008, thanks to the Global Financial Crisis, the markets turned and the game was up. Madoff claimed that he confessed to his two sons, who worked with him, and they turned him in.
A few months later, Madoff, aged 70, was sentenced to 150 years in prison.
One son, Mark (left), attempted suicide a year after his father’s arrest, leaving a note “Now you know how you have destroyed the lives of your sons by your life of deceit. Fuck you.” A year later he successfully committed suicide. Prisoners say Madoff broke down in tears after hearing news of Mark from his prison cell.
The other son, Andrew, died of cancer 4 years later. Madoff and his wife, Ruth, had no other children.
His wife kept US$2.5m in a deal made with prosecutors, and now lives a relatively modest life.
I’m sure it was great fun before the Ponzi scheme collapsed, but this story didn’t end well…
What the world is like today
Has China developed a conventional bomber that is the same class with the Tu-26 backfire?
No, China’s newest Xi’an H-20 bomber is designed to compete with America’s Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider.
There is currently only one prototype of the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider.
Although the Xi’an H-20 already has a test aircraft, the design can still be modified.
China is waiting for Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider to enter mass production before finalizing the design specifications for the Xi’an H-20 and putting it into production. This will ensure that the Xi’an H-20 does not lag behind the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider.
Many aspects of business warfare strategies and military strategies are common.
The United States is the market leader and China is the market follower.
- The United States has the advantage of being the first mover, but its weakness is that once it takes the lead in mass production, the cost of transforming its production line will be very high.
- China adopts a follower strategy, and followers have the opportunity to discover the weaknesses of leaders and surpass them.
In fact, this is true for most weapons…
The United States was the first country to develop an Railgun, and China adopted a follow-up strategy. China’s Railgun has surpassed it.
The United States was the first country to develop a robot dog, and China adopted a follow-up strategy. China’s robot dog has also surpassed it.
"We cannot rely on and exploit others, as the United States does. Every year, the United States has a US$1 trillion trade deficit. What is this? I believe everyone present here will understand what I mean. This is a modern version of neocolonialism. By using the dollar’s monopolistic status, the United States consumes US$1 trillion more annually than it produces. It extracts these resources from other countries. We spoke about the pandemic period earlier. What did they do? I do not recall the exact amount of money the United States printed, but it totalled over US$5 trillion. By the way, Europe printed an estimated 3.4 trillion euros. What did they do next? They circulated all these banknotes domestically and then started buying foods on the global food market. They absorbed all these resources within their country, acting like a vacuum cleaner, and for the first time in many years, they became net food buyers and importers, rather than exporters. As a result, global food inflation skyrocketed. However, we cannot behave in the same way, and we do not monopolise the global currency market, the way the US dollar is doing. We have never acted like colonialists or neo-colonialists. In this case, we should, of course, rely on our economic potential and assess it realistically, which is what we are doing. Naturally, we are considering diversification in order to balance the current industrial situation, the real economy and the future situation. This is how everything is developing."
Excerpt from remarks by Russian President Vladimir Putin at the plenary session of the 27th St Petersburg International Economic Forum, June 7, 2024.
The world is on FIRE and young men are looksmaxxing
Documents show that India contacted China for China to build high speed rails for India to replace Japan, but China has declined the Indian request. Why?
I can’t confirm the authenticity of this news
But it may be true
I noticed that some Indian media and online commentators advocated: “China should be banned from investing in India”
But it seems that most Indians and media have not paid attention to Chinese public opinion, and no one cares about what the Chinese think.
In fact, Chinese companies’ investment and engineering construction in India are increasingly opposed by the public and public opinion.
1. Chinese companies’ interest in the Indian market has declined
Among China’s foreign trade companies, there is such a message: If Europeans send you an order, you can send the goods first and then send the bill. If Americans send you an order, you’d better collect half of the payment first. If an Indian sends you an order, remember to ask him to pay the full amount before shipping.
This may be a certain degree of exaggeration and joke, but the Indian market does not have a good reputation in China:
1. They like overly cheap goods, which makes manufacturers unprofitable and have to produce inferior goods, which will damage the reputation of suppliers.
2. They have poor credibility, always delay payment, shirk responsibility, and find various reasons not to pay or reduce payment.
2. India’s investment environment is unstable
The Indian federal government has been trying to invite foreign companies to invest in India, but many companies have encountered various troubles after investing in India. For example, Foxconn, Flextronics, MI and other companies have encountered tax audits, fines, strikes and lengthy judicial procedures in India. The statements of local officials and federal officials are always inconsistent, and the interpretation and enforcement of the law are fickle, which brings great risks to companies investing in India.
3. Do not want to cultivate a competitor
India has a large young population, but lacks the most adequate infrastructure, production equipment, technology and experience. It lacks China’s complete industrial chain and basic industry. Many Chinese nationalists believe that Chinese companies go to India to build railways, bridges, and power plants to support India’s manufacturing industry. This will make India a commercial competitor of China.
Therefore, Chinese companies going to India to build infrastructure are increasingly opposed by domestic public opinion. Although they understand that even if they leave Chinese companies, there are companies from other countries that can undertake these tasks, but at least they are more expensive and less efficient.
Therefore, if Chinese companies are unwilling to undertake the construction project of India’s high-speed rail, this is indeed possible. For example, too low a bid, too harsh financing requirements, technology transfer requirements and excessive political risks.
Many Chinese are paying attention to the Indian high-speed rail built by Japan. The Indian high-speed rail started almost at the same time as the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail built by China in Indonesia. Now, the Indonesian high-speed rail has been completed for 2 years and has quickly become a symbol of progress in Southeast Asia. Every day, tourists from all over the world praise this high-speed rail on social media.
When will the Indian high-speed rail be completed and how much will it cost overrun? This has become a hot joke on Chinese social media, and people are betting: 3 years later, 5 years later, or even 10 years later. 50% overrun, 100% overrun, or even 300% overrun.
The West MUST WAKE UP To IMMINENT Nuclear Danger
What is the most unforgettable sentence that someone said to you?
I have 2.
The first was in 2006. I was checking out groceries in Brookshires. It was my turn and I was just small talking with the cashier. The lady who had just checked out before me was waiting by her cart while she waited for the young man to finish bagging her groceries. I didn’t recognize her but she apparently knew who I was because she looked at me and said, “You must have lost your baby.” She said this so matter of fact like she was discussing the weather. I said yes and she said nothing else and left.
Those words were like a punch in the gut. I had. My baby was born early and she only lived for 4 hours. I couldn’t believe how someone could be so callous and so unaware of the inappropriateness of such a comment. It was so hurtful. I remember it like yesterday. I was speechless and bewildered.
The second was in 1996. I worked as a retail store manager in a video store. It was in a small town where most customers were regulars. When someone set up a membership, I tried very hard to remember the new customers names so I could greet them by name when they came back. One day a couple set up a new membership. The wife typically came in a few times a week. One day after I had checked her out and she went to leave, I heard her stop by the exit so I turned around. I could tell she really wanted to tell me something but she was hesitating. “Yes, Mrs Smith. Did you need something?” I asked her. She replied slowly, “When I first moved here a few months ago…..it was ….really………….difficult……….coming here and you greeting me by my name…….made it…….. easier. Thank you.” Then she left.
It sounds so simple but I remember this exchange to this day. I remember what she was wearing, her voice and the pain on her face.
VLADIMIR PUTIN:
"Please note everyone: we recognised the independence of these self-proclaimed republics. Could we do this from the point of view of international law, or no? As Article One of the UN Charter says, we could. It is about the nations’ right to self-determination. The UN International Court of Justice ruled (it is put in writing) that, if any territory of a country decides to become independent, it is not obliged to appeal to the higher authorities of that country. All this was done regarding Kosovo. There is a decision of the International Court of Justice, which reads: if a territory has decided on independence, it is not obliged to apply to the capital for permission to exercise this right. However, if it is like it is written in the UN court decision, then these unrecognised republics, the republics, had the right to do so. And they did. Did we have the right to recognise them? Of course, we did. And we did recognise them. Next, we entered into an agreement with them. Could we sign an agreement with them or not? Yes, of course. The agreement provided for assistance to these states in the event of aggression. Kiev waged a war against these states, which we recognised eight years later. Eight years. Could we recognise them? We could. And then, in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter, we provided them with assistance. You know, no matter what anyone says, this is exactly what I told Mr Guterres, the logic we followed, step by step. Where is the mistake here? Where are the violations of international law here? There are no violations, considering international law. Then we hear the answer: well, you attacked anyway. We did not attack, but defended ourselves, just to make it clear to everyone. The first step towards the war was taken by those who encouraged the bloody unconstitutional coup d'etat."
Excerpt from remarks by Russian President Vladimir Putin during a meeting with heads of the world’s leading news agencies, Saint Petersburg, June 5, 2024.
A farmer story
A Newfoundland farmer named Angus had a car accident. He was hit by a truck owned by the Eversweet Company.
In court, the Eversweet Company’s hot-shot solicitor was questioning Angus.
‘Didn’t you say to the RCMP at the scene of the accident, ‘I’m fine I’m fine?’ asked the solicitor.
Angus responded: ‘Well, I’ll tell you what happened. I’d just loaded my fav’rit cow, Bessie, into da… ‘
‘I didn’t ask for any details’, the solicitor interrupted. ‘Just answer the question. Did you not say, at the scene of the accident, ‘I’m fine!’?’
Angus said, ‘Well, I’d just got Bessie into da trailer and I was drivin’ down da road…. ‘
The solicitor interrupted again and said ,’Your Honour, I am trying to establish the fact that, at the scene of the accident, this man told the police on the scene that he was fine. Now several weeks after the accident, he is trying to sue my client. I believe he is a fraud. Please tell him to simply answer the question. ‘
By this time, the Judge was fairly interested in Angus’ answer and said to the solicitor: ‘I’d like to hear what he has to say about his favourite cow, Bessie’.
Angus thanked the Judge and proceeded. ‘Well as I was saying, I had just loaded Bessie, my fav’rit cow, into de trailer and was drivin’ her down de road when this huge Eversweet truck and trailer came tundering tru a stop sign and hit me trailer right in da side. I was trown into one ditch and Bessie was trown into da udder. By Jaysus I was hurt, very bad like, and didn’t want to move. However, I could hear old Bessie moanin’ and groanin’. I knew she was in terrible pain just by her groans.
Shortly after da accident, a policeman on a motorbike turned up. He could hear Bessie moanin’ and groanin’ too, so he went over to her. After he looked at her, and saw her condition, he took out his gun and shot her between the eyes.
Den da policeman came across de road, gun still in hand, looked at me, and said, ‘How are you feelin’?’
‘Now wot da fock would you say?
Why Young Men Are Turning Their Backs On Women And Marriage In Record Numbers
One of the better videos out there. It’s all so disturbing.
The Social Media RED FLAG.
As someone who had moved from the Nordic countries to the USA, what do you like or dislike the most about the USA?
I’ve lived years in North America, and know a lot of other nordic people who have moved to the USA. This is by no means comprehensive list, and each person will have unique points of view -someone else would make a very different list. Also, USA is HUGE and where you live makes a massive difference (New York ain’t Alabama). However, here goes:
LIKES
Tremendous career prospects for educated, skilled workers. A very good chance to increase your net worth due combination of low taxes, low-priced consumer goods and high salaries. For entrepreneurs like me, the best access to venture capital money there is. A hub for high tech, science and innovation from the top universities of the world to the cutting edge developments of the Silicon Valley.
A humongous country to travel and see some of the greatest wonders of the nature, from Grand Canyon to Niagara Falls. Truly the US is the dance floor of Mother Nature.
Friendly, warm, people, with social and night life for those who like to party -some of the best clubs and concerts on the planet. Individuality is valued and seen as a plus. Especially when travelling in the American Deep South I’ve encountered hospitality that has only ever been rivalled by the Russians.
Whatever you are into, there is a convention, concert or a massive art gallery for it. US is a Mecca for hobbyists and enthusiasts.
Options for Entertainment in general is unparalleled, from Disneyland to Navy Pier.
Excellent variety of restaurants, shops and other services. All the latest gadgets come to the US first. Food especially is startlingly cheap and plentiful to a Nordic person, and the portions are gigantic.
Enlightened laws about Free Speech, Separation of Church and State, and a possibility to declare personal bankruptcy and start again if your life takes a bad turn. Nordics really should incorporate the personal bankruptcy laws of the US.
Hard work and entrepreneurship is respected and valued not (just) envied. American positive thinking and encouragement of visionaries leads into innovations that change the world.
Spacious living quarters. With a massive country comes the ability to have plenty of living space for you and your family at a manageable cost, unless you live in LA, NY, Seattle or San Francisco or the other cities where the cost of living has skyrocketed out of control.
DISLIKES
Public transportation is a joke for most of the US, though I give a honourable mention to New York subway. Public transport is by and large seen as something only poor people use, and instead you end up stuck in endless traffic jams in your car for hours. Nordic people miss their punctual trains and trams!
There are no public funds for Childcare, Healthcare, Homelessness or Education unless you are tremendously poor or land a stipend. It is hard for Nordic people to grasp why you would not care about your fellow Americans enough to ensure that they would not fall into utterly miserable squalor. This is the big one for someone coming from the Nordics.
Ironically, though the nation was founded on the premise of breaking the shackles of a class society, US has become very segregated by your financial status. The contrast between the Skid Row and the immense wealth of central LA is startling every time I see it. Many, many of my working class American friends work harder than my friends in the 3rd world, and still struggle to make ends meet. Social upwards mobility appears to be very low indeed -a stark contrast to Nordics.
Almost no vacation time. The standard 2 weeks of Vacation for full-time employees is not enough for people to recover, and it also means that productivity dips. Nordics believe in work/life balance not because of pinko socialist ideology but because it makes people much more productive.
Massive prison population. It is very expensive to the taxpayer to put so many people in prison for minor offences. This also creates career criminals. The logic is hard to fathom. In Nordics the premium is put on reforming the criminals and incorporating them into the society. Putting people behind bars is the last option.
Treating guns differently from cars. I come from a country with very high gun ownership levels (Finland) where hunting is common and every man learns to use a gun in the army. I believe population should have the right to bear arms. But I think this comes with a duty of passing some exams and taking care of your guns responsibly -i.e. needing a license. This is obviously a big difference between Nordics and USA. I am well aware of the historical reasons for American gun ownership, so this is not criticism as such, just one of those areas where the cultures clash.
Omnipresent fear the Americans feel towards their fellow Americans. A huge part of the media is devoted into how to protect yourself from other Americans. Social media is filled with anxiety the US population feels towards each other. Far too many of my American friends are on shockingly heavy medication because of it. Perhaps a symptom of this is that unlike in the Nordics, you very rarely see children walk/cycle to school or play on their own outside.
Keeping up with Joneses. There is an arms race going on in America, and it is between Middle Class and above people having a compulsive need to compete with each other when it comes to overt consumption. Social pressure to show off is huge, and many Nordic people in the US suffer from it in their neighbourhoods.
Pressure to Tip. A minor one, but in the Nordics we really believe that you should make a living wage and no-one should be forced to rely on tips. It is of course a small thing in a greater scheme of things, but it is an everyday difference you encounter.
Rampant commercialism and advertising married to a very weird dual relationship with nudity and sexuality. In the Nordics, nudity is no big deal. In much of the USA, it is seen as a huge issue, and yet the omni-present advertising sells everything based on it.
NEW BIRD FLU w/100% KILL RATE, MYSTERIOUS ORIGIN
Meander stock went up 100%…
Chinese Type 076 Electromagnetic Catapult Amphibious Assault Ship
Recently, we noticed that the US media specifically mentioned China’s 076 amphibious assault ship. The title used by the US media was actually “China’s 076 is shaping up to be a monster amphibious warship”!
Recently, clear satellite images of 076 at the Hudong Shipyard have appeared. It may be the world’s first electromagnetic catapult “quasi-aircraft carrier”. According to the schedule, it is very likely to be launched in the first quarter of 2024.
They believe the Type 076 amphibious assault ship may be 263 meters long and 43 meters wide. The overall displacement is currently unknown. But it is likely to be much larger than the Type 075 amphibious assault ship, which has a full load displacement of 40,000 tons. This size is only about 55 meters shorter than the Fujian aircraft carrier’s 315-meter length.
If it comes to taking off and landing drones, there are many options available, including the fixed-wing drone Attack-11, which is 12.2 meters long and has a wingspan of 14.4 meters, and the Rainbow 4 drone, which can carry a 500 kg payload, including an anti-submarine pod, which can cooperate with the Z-9 joint anti-submarine through data links, greatly increasing the anti-submarine coverage and time. In addition, propeller drones such as the TB-001 Double-tailed Scorpion of the HNA may also be put on board.
US media believes that it may form a support system with the Fujian aircraft carrier strike group, use drones to carry out low-altitude sea and air support operations, and fight against manned fighter jets that suddenly appear from the deck.
The future combat direction for this ship It should not be mainly used as a support ship in the Fujian aircraft carrier battle formation. The most needed strategic combat mission of the East China Sea Fleet is amphibious landing operations and sea and air operations related to blockades. This kind of mission is extremely suitable for the use of future amphibious assault ships. Manned fighters will have greater flexibility than performing tasks on aircraft carriers. So from this point of view, in addition to being used in conjunction with aircraft carrier battle formations, the 076 is more important. It is the direction of amphibious force delivery and rapid blockade of sea and air areas.
BREAKING: 97 Countries To Attend BRICS 2024 In Russia *How You Can Invest NOW*
Detroit Style Pizza
This is a traditional Detroit Style Pizza that you can make at home.
Ingredients
- 12 Rhodes Yeast Dinner Rolls or 1 Loaf Rhodes White Bread, thawed to room temperature
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- Pepperoni
- 1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
- 1 1/2 cups grated Wisconsin brick cheese
- 2 cups crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
Instructions
- Spray counter lightly with cooking spray.
- Combine rolls and roll into a 9 x 13 inch rectangle. Place dough in a sprayed 9 x 13 inch pan to completely cover the bottom. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until double.
- While dough is rising, pour crushed tomatoes in a saucepan and add seasonings. Heat until warmed through.
- Remove wrap from dough and place a layer of pepperoni over the risen dough.
- Combine both cheeses and sprinkle liberally across the top, building it up on the edges.
- Bake at 450 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Loosen from sides and remove from pan to a cooling rack. Top each piece with the warm crushed tomatoes mixture before serving.
What do you wish you had never seen?
On February 19, 2016, I received a phone call from my 34 year old Son’s girlfriend. She informed me that my Son had become jaundiced and she was taking him to the hospital. I dropped everything and drove the 150 miles to be by his side. When I got there, my Son was in a “regular “ room and in decent spirits. When the Doctor showed up he informed us that my Son had 40% liver function and the next 48 hours would be critical to his recovery. I stayed with him that night and at some point he began spitting up blood. When the doctor showed up that day he again encouraged us by explaining how resilient the liver is and how my son’s habits in the next couple of days would determine his outcome. He needed to eat and drink mainly drink water to flush his liver and kidneys out. They did more tests that day. My son had several visitors that day and I had dogs in unfinished business at home so I hurried home to make arrangements and take care of business. The next morning I went back to the hospital. When I got there his girlfriend called me and informed me during the night they had moved him into a critical care unit. I was in shock at this point as nothing the doctor said let any of us to believe we were at a critical point. I spent the next three days by my son’s side slowly watching him slip away. As his liver stopped producing any blood clotting agent, they were unable to administer much to him in the way of pain medication or any other medication for that matter. He did have an IV which kept coming out and each time it came out they could not get the blood stopped to put it back in. Sometime during the second day of the doctor called me on the phone in the hospital. He basically told me I had a couple of decisions to make. I point blank asked him what my son’s chances were to which he replied 0. I remember falling to the floor and being unable to to get up . My son had never been married and had no children and my husband, his father had died when he was four. This made me his next of kin I made those tough decisions and proceeded to call all of his friends. Everyone he knew drove the hundred and fifty miles to be by his side also. My son’s vitals were being artificially manipulated. I basically had to decide between keeping those machines operating or removing them and giving him copious amounts of morphine. His girlfriend and I stayed by his side for the next 24 hours. At some point I requested a priest to come and baptize him. He became less and less lucid and could barely speak. Finally at 5:24 p.m. he took his last breath.
Despite losing my husband and recently performing hospice and losing my Mother, this was the most horrible moment of my entire life. While I wouldn’t change the fact that I was there with my son and his final , I can never ever ever get the visions of those days out of my mind.
Shorpy
The Ugly Duckling 2120
Submitted into Contest #251 in response to: Write a story about a future academic (or another influential person) “rediscovering” a book that, in its time, was dismissed. The book can be fictitious or real.… view prompt
All those ducklings that you didn’t know were swans.
So many twists you should have seen coming.
Ciabatta Lambada
Ciabatta Lambada is basically a do-it-yourself pizza, where you select the toppings and amounts of each.
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 loaf ciabatta bread, sliced horizontally
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Roasted garlic, to taste
- Minced garlic cloves, to taste
- Crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
- Crumbled or grated Gruyere cheese
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- Grated Fontina cheese
- Fresh basil, chopped
- Fresh rosemary, chopped
- Fresh tomato, chopped
- Fresh tomato, sliced
- Red onion, sliced into rings
- Red bell pepper, sliced into rings
- Chopped sun-dried tomatoes
Instructions
- Drizzle olive oil on half of the ciabatta bread.
- Add your choice of toppings, garlic, onion, sun-dried tomatoes, tomato slices and bell pepper rings.
- Top with your choice of cheeses.
- Lightly drizzle olive oil on top, and place into a preheated 400 degree F oven.
- Bake until cheese melts, about five to six minutes.
- Cut into slices, and serve hot.
“We are witnessing a profound transformation of international relations triggered by the formation of a fairer and polycentric system of international order.
It would reflect the entire gamut of cultural and civilizational diversity of the modern-day world and ensure the right of every nation to determine its own future and its own path of development.
The stronger voice of the Global Majority—the countries of Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and the Caribbean—which are not part of the collective West, is a major trend now.
Only by uniting our ranks can we truly and effectively promote a vision of a just future shared by all of us.
In this context, it is important to strengthen the role of the country-to-country groups that advocate balanced and equitable approaches to international development.
We are talking about formats that reflect the principles of equitable cooperation in practice rather than in words.
These include, along with BRICS, the SCO, the African Union, the EAEU, the CIS, ASEAN, LAS, CELAC, the GCC, IORA, and many other organizations.
The chairs of many of these organizations are here with us.”
Excerpt from remarks by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at an extended meeting with the participation of the foreign ministers from the Global South and the Global East, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, June 11, 2024.
Are the Chinese authorities concerned about the draining of China’s top talent to the US? Do they have any strategies for keeping them?
The earliest Chinese students studying abroad in 1980 were sent out at public expense by the state. At that time, we were also very worried that these international students would stay in the United States. But Deng Xiaoping said that we sent four students to study in the United States. As long as one student can come back, the country can have one more talent.
Most of the early Chinese students stayed in the United States and only a few returned. We have developed little by little by relying on these few foreign students.
We cherish the returning students very much.
The United States has absorbed talents from all over the world because they have the best conditions. We have a large number of top talents in the United States, unfortunately they did not return to China. But they are still engaged in scientific research and still contributing to the development of the entire world.
If we force them to stay in China without adequate educational conditions, they will not be able to make so many contributions, which would be a loss to the entire human race.
We are willing to allow the best students to receive the best education, and then we provide excellent enough conditions to attract them back. If they do not come back, then we will have the opportunity to continue cooperation in the future.
Now China’s scientific research conditions are getting better and better, and more and more students are returning to China. China’s scientific research has embarked on a path of sound development.
In another 20 years, scientific exchanges between us and the United States may be more equal, and we will attract enough talents from all over the world.
So don’t worry, real talents should go to the places that suit them best. We can’t force them to retain them. We can only help them create the best conditions and let them emit the brightest light.
Vintage advertisements
Many are sexually suggestive.
Singapore’s Minister of Defense expressed concern in recent news about the global system potentially reaching a breaking point, emphasizing that Asian countries cannot treat this issue like “boiling a frog in lukewarm water.” What do you think?
Certainly true, but what can we do?
Look at Fumio, Suk Yeol and Bongbong.
The first two have literally run their countries to the ground pursuing foolhardy policies, with a mile-long list of anti-China measures.
Both administrations have hit record low approval ratings in the ~20% region.
20%!
How is that one man one vote rule by majority?
Goes to show who is the rainmaker behind the scenes, busy going around the world tying down coalitions to enact long-term policies that a strongman like Donald will find very hard to undo, such as the doubling of the Japanese “defense” budget.
Joe is sunshine after the Donald storm.
As for Bongbong, he is not only the son of an ousted President, he was a ranking member of the administration who fled when the Filipino people rose up in revolution. They fled to Hawaii with valuables valued at over a billion dollars (in current dollar terms), leaving behind outrageous opulence and excess they couldn’t fit in the plane.
The United States sheltered a corrupt President and has refused to repatriate the ill-gotten riches of the Marcos family.
Corazon Aquino who came to power post-ouster had the mandate from an angry electorate to make a series of Constitutional changes that was designed to prevent another Marcos from taking charge again.
And yet, Bongbong won a landslide in alliance with Duterte, despite a disinterested campaign.
Duterte has expressed massive regret, accusing Bongbong of reneging on assurances and representations made while sidelining his daughter.
Bongbong is now pushing to undo the shackles put in place by Aquino on the Marcos family, simultaneously seeking to overturn term limits and restore the Marcos dynasty.
Need I remind the reader that all three countries where the political process has been hijacked share a common denominator—U.S. troops on the ground, deployed with offensive capability aimed squarely at one nation.
The U.S. will promote anyone—good, bad, qualified, unqualified, doesn’t matter—as long as American policy goals are delivered. What carrots and resources were offered, especially the Philippines, given the absurd landslide and lightning betrayal that surprised both China and Duterte?
As long as national leaders remain willing to jump on the American ship, we are in for a really hairy rollercoaster. American policy seeks to benefit America and hurt its enemies, proxies be damned.
That is why my Harvard-trained American friend recently confided that even though he hates Donald’s guts and is ashamed to have him at the helm, he is of the opinion that a return to the White House may be a good respite, because America will find it much harder to incite and shape coalitions of conflict as an isolationist bully.
I am less sanguine. The world is in a way more dangerous place going forward than anytime this century. And if the United States fails to adjust to the cracks in American empire and downsize accordingly, the fading hegemon’s thrashing and flailing against the dying of the light will blight East Asia.
What scary gut feeling did you have that turned out to be true?
I had met a woman on a dating site. She was in the US and i lived in UK. We video chatted and she invired me over to visit. I went and in a day she had invited me into her bed. She was a stunning 5ft 9 long legged blonde. Within days i was the love of her life. In bed one night i got up to get water and on my return was accused of trying to sneak out of the house. Weird. I got back into bed and i swear i heard a voice say ‘Damaged goods’. I asked her if she’d said anything and she said no. There followed the best times of my life for six months. She moved to England and we had a great tine. I fell deeply in love with her . Then she walked away after a minor disagreement. She questioned my love my generosity and even my faith. she ghosted me and the next thing i knew she was back in the US only to retuen several times Each time i took her back
i had met a true narcissist. I have spent 2and a half years in a maelstrom of her personalty disorder. I cannot help her and have finally got over her (i think). If i had have listened and trusted that voice my heart and spirit wouldn’t have been broken
“My husband lied about paying mortgage for almost a year.”
My husband (41m) and I (34f) have our finances pretty separate. We each have our own accounts and the only thing in both of our names is our house and his car. He makes about 2x what I make and we split expenses up in a way we both felt was fair and manageable for each of us while both working on our own personal credit card debt we brought into the relationship. One of the things he covers is the mortgage in full. He works in accounting and I work in education, I have never been great at managing my money so he does my monthly budget for me and has access to all of my accounts and knows what my debts are.
There has always been a veil of secrecy around his situation but he has always assured me everything was fine on his end, money was always tight but he was always almost caught up. When I would ask specific questions he would get kind of defensive and I felt it wasn’t worth digging for more info and took his word on things.
Taking his word on things was pretty naive of me considering our biggest issues in the past had revolved around him lying. When we first started dating he told me he was taking classes towards his masters degree. I found out that he was actually in a Bachelor’s program when he had told me he had already had his bachelor’s degree. When I confronted him he apologized, told me he was embarrassed and felt ashamed that I was more educated than he was at the time. I let it slide because he seemed genuinely apologetic and I felt bad he was embarrassed.
More recently about a year after our son was born I had mentioned that he smelled like cigarette smoke a few times and he said “that’s weird.” A few months later I found a lighter and spray under the seat in one of our cars. He told me the lighter was in case the locks froze in winter but didn’t know what the spray was. A couple months after that I found a pack of cigarettes in his jacket pocket while I was looking for his keys and he confessed to smoking the whole time.
Then again, about a year ago I was clued in that he might be having trouble when I had a notice for a late payment on my credit report. I checked immediately and saw he didn’t make his car payment. When I asked him he got defensive and stated that he has the account auto pay and he doesn’t know why they wouldn’t have taken it out. I asked him to please call them to have it straightened out as I didn’t want the hit to my credit and he was frustrated and said he would but nothing came of it and I let it go because the conversations were so unpleasant. I asked him to please tell me if he was struggling with the bills and his money situation and he said it was all fine.
Flash forward to a few days ago I got a notice that we were behind on daycare payments. I asked him what was going on why they were only getting partial payment I could tell he was lying. He was immediately defensive, said he put in a form months ago for them to do automatic withdrawal from his account but they never did so while he was waiting he would bring them “however much the ATM would let me take out at a time” in cash. I couldn’t let this go as I felt in my bones he was lying and I asked him if things were ok and did he need help, was the mortgage current? He said yeah it should be. Then I asked again and begged him to tell me the l truth and I found out he hadn’t paid the mortgage in 11 months.
He says he is sorry, he feels bad. He didn’t know what to do. About a year ago his health insurance costs increased dramatically and he could no longer afford the mortgage. Instead of asking me to take on the insurance through my job or talking to me at all he decided to just not pay it. I was pregnant at the time so he didn’t want to drop the insurance. He didn’t tell me any of this because he didn’t want to stress me out. He tells me about a week ago he applied for some kind of relief program, so waiting to hear back on that. If that isn’t approved we go into foreclosure.
I keep talking about it I feel betrayed and angry, he just says he’s sorry he doesn’t know what else to say. He maintains he did it to protect me but it certainly doesn’t feel like it. Then he tells me he was just scared to tell me. I asked for full transparency and to see all of his accounts and he was first angry and said “so now I’m being babysat? That sucks” but later he reluctantly let me see his bank accounts. As far as I can tell no gambling or drug addiction or anything crazy just living beyond our means and an alarming amount of door dash charges.
I always knew he would lie about things that weren’t super important but thought he was overall a responsible, reasonable person and I never in a million years would have imagined he would do something like this to our family. Is this something we could come back from? How big a deal is lying like this?
Your husband’s pattern of lying, culminating in the massive deception about your mortgage, has understandably shattered your trust in him. It’s not just the scale of this particular lie, but the fact that it follows a history of dishonesty about his education and smoking.
You’re right to feel angry and betrayed. His defensiveness and reluctance to be fully transparent only compound the problem. While he claims he hid the truth about the mortgage to protect you from stress during pregnancy, his actions have had the opposite effect — putting your family’s financial stability and housing situation in serious jeopardy.
The fact that he unilaterally decided not to pay the mortgage for 11 months, without looping you in as an equal partner, is a major violation of the trust and respect you deserve in your marriage. It’s not surprising you’re questioning whether you can move forward from this.
While his deception doesn’t seem to stem from substance abuse or gambling issues, the revelation of living beyond your means and excessive takeout spending highlights the need for a serious overhaul of your financial habits and communication.
Before you can even contemplate rebuilding trust, your husband needs to take full accountability for his actions, commit to complete transparency about your finances, and be willing to put in the hard work to regain your faith in him. Counseling is essential to unpack his motivations for lying and develop healthier communication skills as a couple.
In the meantime, you need to prioritize protecting yourself and your child. Consult with a financial advisor to assess your options, and don’t hesitate to loop in a lawyer if the foreclosure threat becomes a reality. Rally a support network of friends and family to lean on during this difficult chapter.
Your husband’s lies have put you in an incredibly painful position, and it’s natural to have doubts about your future together. Only you can decide if there’s a path forward, but it starts with his genuine remorse, total transparency, and commitment to change. You deserve honesty, equality, and security in your marriage — don’t settle for less.
Wishing you strength and clarity,
What is the most badass thing your parent has ever done?
Back in the fall of 1986, my sister, age 13, called my heretofore mild-mannered dad from a payphone outside of the roller rink where she had just been thrown out of. A local psychopath bully named Bob Rachels, age 18, and his friends, had been bullying her, hitting her, shoving her, etc, the so-called adults present had evidently not observed what was going on, but suddenly they decided that the perps and the victim were “fighting” and threw them ALL out without bothering to get the facts or ascertain who was actually victimizing whom.
This meant that the 18YO bully, his male buddies, and the youngest of all, my 13YO sister, were thrown outside.
My sister managed to tell my dad that “Bob Rachels did it.” I was 17, but Bob was in my grade, and I knew who he was.
My dad (a social worker, of all professions) hollered “get in the car” so I did, and he drove like a bat out of hell out to Moulton’s roller skating rink in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. As he tore into the parking lot, I pointed out who Bob Rachels was. My dad (with a serious life-threatening heart condition, to boot) just about flew out of the car. Instead of doing what one would expect a social worker to do (such as calling the cops, or attempting to speak rationally to the parties involved), my dad ran over to Bob cursing and swearing, grabbed him by the front of his shirt, lifted him up, and actually threw him onto the hood of our family car, then picked him up and slammed him back down a few times, banging the SOB’s head on the car hood a few times to make his point.
I can’t recall the specific words that my father used, but the gist of it was that if Bob ever touched his daughter again, or if he ever heard of Bob harming any girl again, my father would break every bone in his body and smash his skull to the point that he’d be in a nursing home bed the remainder of his life.
While all this was going on my sister got in the car and buckled herself in.
I, for some weird reason, was concerned that Bob would call the cops, have my dad charged with battery and disorderly conduct, my dad would lose his job, health insurance, etc., and that my dad would get sued civilly and our insurance wouldn’t cover it and the family would lose everything. Of course that didn’t happen.
Psychopath Bob apparently realized that he’d met someone who was even tougher than he was. We never heard from him.
"Today, I drew some parallels between then-Leningrad and the emergence of BRICS. Quoting Mark Twain from my old home state of Missouri: 'History never repeats, but it often rhymes.' The rhyme here is what I called BRICS and Leningrad. Leningrad represented the attempt of the Nazis to destroy the people of Leningrad. With the emergence of BRICS, we see the West—the United States and Europe in particular—organizing to try to destroy it. The big difference is this: the Germans were able to encircle Leningrad except for that one lake route that was only open during the winter. They came close to starving it out and destroying it, but they never did. It was a reminder that what kept Saint Petersburg alive was the need for food and fuel. Here we are looking at modern BRICS as Russia, China, India, South Africa, and Brazil combine to create a new economic order, one not controlled by the United States. This has the West up in arms; they're livid. How dare these countries try to operate an economy without the United States calling the shots? That's really at the root of why BRICS is doing what it's doing. The United States, stupidly, accelerated the process when it decided to impose sanctions on Russia after the start of the special military operation in February 2022. The West, like any true narcissist, is unwilling to acknowledge any error, any mistake, any flaw, and insists this was all Russia's fault. The United States, like any sick narcissist, always believes it is perfect, always does everything right, and refuses to accept any responsibility for provoking the Russians by doggedly trying to expand NATO towards the western border of Russia. This accelerated the process of the union between Russia and China. Unlike Saint Petersburg, which was surrounded by the Nazis, the West's attempt to surround the BRICS countries is failing. They can't surround Russia, China, India, Brazil, and South Africa working together. These countries, in their cooperation, represent a significant majority of the world's population and economies. Russia is the number four economy in the world in terms of Gross Domestic Product by Purchasing Power Parity (PPP), India is number three, and China is number two. So three of the top four economies in the world are now working together against the United States. They're no longer willing to be held hostage by US economic sanctions and threats to seize their dollar assets or by US subversion courtesy of the CIA. They're pushing back, saying, 'Goddamn it, we've had enough, and we're not going to take it anymore.' It's like that famous scene from the movie 'Network': 'I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore.' Yeah, they're mad. What's compounding the problem is that Western politicians are doing two incredibly stupid things. One, they continue to overtly threaten both Russia and China with war. Those countries are taking those threats seriously and are preparing accordingly. The United States may just be trying to blow smoke up their ass, but the reality is that those countries have to take those threats seriously and, by reacting to those threats, are making sure that they're now in a position to resist the United States. The other thing is you hear these Europeans and Americans talk about seizing. They've already frozen Russian bank accounts and are holding hostage $300 million, so they're talking about seizing that. Well, if the West decides to start seizing dollar deposits that foreign countries have made, they're going to start a run on the banks in the West as countries around the world start pulling their money out because they realize it's no longer safe. I think BRICS is headed toward using a combination of tying their currencies to gold and commodities such as oil and gas. As such, unlike the poor people of Leningrad who were hanging on by a thread, relying on an ice road across Lake Ladoga during the winter, Russia, China, India, Brazil, and South Africa now have ample supplies of oil, courtesy principally of Russia but also from countries like Iran. They have plenty of natural gas, and the trade volume among those five countries is going up, not going down. At the same time, countries like Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Turkey are lining up to join BRICS and become members of this larger trading block. So, what's ironic is that here's this international economic forum with literally miles of exhibits and tens of thousands of people in attendance, and the United States and Europe are not there because they're too good, too special—frankly, they're too stupid! What a mistake."
Excerpt from message by Larry Johnson, former CIA analyst and U.S. State Department employee, posted on Youtube, June 7, 2024.
Your first book on Amazon is out of print. Is there any chance we can have access to it in the future?
News to me. I will look into it. -MM
Yes, and only your link here on metallicman site can direct me to your book. When I search the key words on Amazon, it does not show up.