Salsa y Ketchup, tell me and I’ll fetch up…
When I was a young boy, the house that I lived in had a small brick basement. The curious thing about this basement was this little brick water moat along the walls. Of course, growing up, I thought that this is the way basements were designed. Not realized how unusual it was. Now as an older man, I realize that the brick walls would occasionally seep water, and that water would collect in the “moat” and drain away.
What seems common and everyday to us, could also be a very strange and unusual event, thing, place or behavior to another.
Keep in mind that just because you see things one way, does not mean that your neighbors will agree with you.
Photo album of a 1937 Japanese air strike on Shanghai handed over to Chinese consulate – SHINE News
A good man.
From HERE
Evan Kail, an American pawnshop owner, gave the Chinese Consulate General in Chicago an old collection of photos from World War II yesterday.
The collections contain more than 30 rare color prints documenting Japanese atrocities in Shanghai.
Kail sparked widespread curiosity in September after suggesting on TikTok that the photographs might be from the Nanjing Massacre.
Later, he claimed that the photographs were most likely taken in Shanghai, not Nanjing.
He announced on social media that he had handed over the book to a staff member from the consulate office.
“I want to thank China and all the people who stood by me throughout this process. It has been a life changing experience,” Kail wrote.
In a letter, Zhao Jian, consul general in Chicago, expressed his heartfelt gratitude for the album.
“History serves as a mirror for the people today and your donation certainly helps inspire everyone with a kind heart to safeguard peace,” Zhao wrote.
According to Zou Dehuai, a Chinese history blogger, the photos were from a Japanese air raid on Shanghai’s crowded Nanjing Road in 1937.
On the afternoon of August 23, 1937, an aerial bomb exploded on the third-floor southeast balcony of Sincere & Co Ltd, which was located on Shanghai’s densely populated Nanjing Road.
The windows of the nearby Wing On Co Ltd and stores along Nanjing Road and Laohe Road (now Liuhe Road) were all shattered. The air raid killed 215 people and injured over 570 others.
KARLS DISCO WIENER HAVEN
Best scene from the movie right there folks…
The movie is “Straight to Hell”, it’s a kind of cult flick. One of the greatest movie songs of all times. It gets stuck in your head….for years at a time.
Is China a threat to the international order?
Of ALL the countries of the world, China is the greatest threat to the International Order as led by the United States and Western countries because it has proven that its one party meritocratic system:
- had enabled the fastest growing economy in the history of men;
- it had uplifted its population from poverty in just several decades;
- it has become the largest manufacturing and industrial country with over fifty percent of the world’s output.
AND it has managed to avoid the political instability caused by two party systems such as the United States and United Kingdom where leaders harnessed hatred to win power and caused great harm to their country.
That is, China is a threat to the current western led International order because it has demonstrated that it is more effective a creating a better future for its people.
BUT its biggest threat is that thru the Belt and Road initiative, China is creating a better future for all mankind, a prosperous interconnected and interdependent world contrasting this with the International order which had inflict war and chaos and exploit those countries.
Izmir Koftesi
This Turkish dish comes from the Mediterranean town of Izmir, which is a popular tourist destination for Turks and foreigners, alike. It’s basically a dish of baked meatballs with potatoes in a flavorful tomato sauce. However, the real magic of this dish lies in its seasonings, which include fruity Aleppo chili flakes and nutty ground cumin.
This Turkish classic of meatballs and potatoes in tomato sauce is perfect anytime as a simple dinner or as an addition to an iftar table (the meal Muslims eat when they break their fast during the month of Ramadan). There are different ways to make the dish: some people form the meatballs into small football shapes; others prefer patties. Some sear the meatballs before baking; others put them in the oven raw. I prefer forming patties because they look better when arranged with the potatoes and are easier to sear. And I like searing them because it locks in the juices, but you can do whatever you prefer.
Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
2/3 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, plus more for garnish
2 tablespoons plain breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 large egg
1 onion, grated
3 cloves garlic plus 2 cloves garlic, minced separately
2 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Neutral-flavored oil, such as canola or vegetable, for searing
2 russet potatoes, peeled
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 large green bell pepper, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices
1 large tomato, cut into 6 or 8 wedges
Directions
- Place the ground beef, parsley, breadcrumbs, Aleppo pepper flakes, cumin, egg, onions, 3 of the minced garlic cloves, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the oregano, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl and combine well using your hands. The mixture will be wet and a bit sticky. Form into 20 to 24 meatballs about 1/2-inch-thick in the shape of your choosing (see Headnote).
- Heat 2 tablespoons neutral-flavored oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Working in batches and adding more oil as necessary, sear the meatballs until nicely browned on two sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Slice the potatoes crosswise 1/2 inch thick into a total of 20 to 24 slices. Arrange the seared meatballs and potatoes in an alternating pattern in a 9-by-9-inch baking dish. Set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until it starts to darken and release its color into the oil, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oregano, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper and give the mixture a nice stir. Add 1 1/2 cups water and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Simmer for about 5 minutes, then taste and add more salt, if needed.
- Pour the sauce gently over the meatballs and potatoes. Top with the bell peppers and tomatoes. Cover with parchment paper and bake until the potatoes are tender and the meatballs are cooked through, 40 to 50 minutes.
- Garnish with parsley before serving.
G7 is Clear-eyed to Align on China? | Speak Softly
The French are definitely putting something together. The EU really shot itself in the foot as it was following the US against Russia.
Which is a better place to live permanently, mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, or Singapore?
I’m Indian, speak (Mandarin), read and write Chinese and have lived in Singapore for 8 years, Mainland China for 7, HK for 3 and Taiwan for 2 years and am married to a Taiwanese lady. I am currently back in Shanghai for my 4th stint of living on the mainland and here’s what I think.
Taiwan: Inexpensive, clean, friendly. However, economic opportunities are limited and when I worked there I was at about 1/3 of what I used to earn in China, so it might be a good place to retire rich but not for your working years. Also not an international place, not even in Taipei City.
HK: Very international. Great mix of urban and outdoors opportunities – hiking, beaches, hang-gliding etc. However, it is expensive, not very friendly and while some sectors are healthy and have a lot of opportunities (finance, mostly) the rest are all very small now that HK is no longer the place where China companies are run from.
Singapore: Has changed a lot in the last couple of decades. It’s now become very international, expensive and highbrow, so it’s lost a lot of the simple charm and pleasures of some years ago. People (local Singaporeans, I mean) can be really charming and friendly , the variety and authenticity of food is amazing and it could be a nice place to live in long term if you’ve got a good job and live within your means, but I also know a lot of people who live beyond their means and that’s a surprisingly real danger in this city. Also, the weather sucks.
Mainland China: Lots of opportunities, things can be as expensive or as cheap as you want, big cities are clean (ish) and efficient and people are very very friendly if you speak even a little Mandarin. Also, contrary to popular belief, there is a great degree of personal freedom, it’s relatively easy to set up a business here and it’s extremely safe. I wouldn’t retire here but in my active working years, I keep coming back to China because it’s just amazing. Shanghai, in particular is very international and while it’s more expensive than most other cities in China you can still live here cheaply if you need to – I had to do that for about 2 years when I was in a startup and managed to live quite well on very little money, something that would not have worked in Singapore or HK.
So from my perspective, in the active years, it would be China, Singapore, HK and Taiwan in that order – possibly for retirement it would be Taiwan first and none of the other options – my next retirement option to Taiwan would be Malaysia.
UK orders sale of microchip factory by China’s Nexperia, citing national security
17 November 2022, 06:48 LONDON (Reuters) -The British government on Wednesday ordered Chinese-owned technology company Nexperia to sell at least 86% of Britain's biggest microchip factory, Newport Wafer Fab, following a national security assessment. The review of Nexperia's 2021 purchase of Newport Wafer Fab, now known as Nexperia Newport Limited, was announced earlier this year after legislation came into force in January allowing the government to scrutinise and potentially block acquisitions and investments in sensitive sectors. It can be applied retrospectively to deals completed since November 2020. "We welcome foreign trade and investment that supports growth and jobs. But where we identify a risk to national security we will act decisively," Business Minister Grant Shapps said on Twitter... Read more :
What makes the USA a powerful country, and can it be overtaken in terms of scientific and technological development?
Grow up.
USA has lost the scientific and technological edge at least since 2010 or perhaps even earlier. Go to China. Their trains traveled 600 KM per hour and they have 120’000KM high speed railway line most build within 10 years. The US took 10 years to build less than 500KM from San Francisco to Los Angeles and it is still not ready yet!
The Solar and Wind energy usage is bigger than the rest of the world combined, the US especially the Republican Party is still denying climate crisis! Chinese use 60% of worlds EVs and produce 90% of world’s EVs including most of US Tesla using Chinese made batteries.
The US is struggling to installing 5G throughout the US and it barely reached your suburbs, China has completely installed up the the most rural areas and has been using 5G for a few years. Now China has started 6G and has send up several 6G satellites to facilitate driverless vehicles.
China has taken the lead in quantum computing, Artificial Intelligence’s technology, Biotechnology, and most key fields. For example when the US wants to decouple from China in the Semiconductor Chips field what they meant is that the US who only possess some technology and some raw materials and some know how.
Most of the technology, raw materials and know how’s are now with other companies, other nations and non U.S. entities. The US can only bribe and coerce other nations to stop selling to China. And highly likely will not work. The logic is simple. If you forced a company or a nation to forego 40% of their market and influence negatively the rest of the market. Those companies will not choose bankruptcy and the US cannot compensate then a hundreds on billions for years on end.
US has some technologies, some are key and strategic. So has many countries and companies other than the US. At best US is one of the countries that has technologies. So get real.
A letter from a follower…
Hei MM,
Had a grand time the other evening supping on fine bread, fine cheese and honey, and homemade mead and digging the tunes of the best of The Police. I believe changes are afoot, and often they hit you upside the head when least expected to start a new direction.
What direction and to where, I don’t know, but I have hope and belief that I will get to where I need to be, perhaps regardless of my affirmations. Change in habits, expectations, or perception – perhaps the nudges were not loud enough.
Sometimes you lose a good friend, but you have to keep the memory alive. That is the way with Mutt, the sheep dog that never reached his potential, and all others that follow will be compared to him.
I have lost several dogs – one that died from old age next to our fireplace, one that got run over by the UPS guy in our driveway (a freak accident), several cats (I am not really a cat person, but I think we tolerate each other; we have the cats for the mice and rats that are around).
Side note here: when we first moved here (Estonia), for some reason we stored a bag of grain in a part of the house we were not using (that in itself is another story). One night I heard some noise in that room. I went to look, turned on the light, and there must have been 20-30 or more rats gorging themselves on this bag of grain. I grabbed the first thing I could find and ended up clubbing 2 of them to death. We found their holes and filled them in with Makroflex (not sure of the English name). Next night they were back again, after eating through the Makroflex, and I was only able to club one. We thought if we would hang the bag of grain from a rope tied to a rafter, it will deter the rats. Nope, they can climb. It got to the point where I would lay awake in bed each night waiting for them to come and rush in with my club often to no avail. We finally got cats (these ended up either disappearing or got ran over by cars), and finally totally dismantling the room (we found a few Kopeks dated in the 1940’s and 1950’s in the floorboards as well as part of a dismantled gun that from our research was originally manufactured in the late 1800’s).
We got 4 more cats (only 2 remain –one went wild nearby our neighbors, the other ran over recently), and we haven’t seen rats since, and occasionally get our mouse presents on doorstep.
Back to Mutt. He had a good life and one bad day (actually ~18 hrs). I have had a good life and probably more than one bad day, but the good far outweighs the bad.
My sheep have good lives, and then one bad day (for them). We still have one dog left but she has a different job – to protect the sheep from wolves, and has not failed to do so. It has been a tough couple weeks but each day gets a little better. I haven’t lost the memory of any animal that was dear to me.
My 2 takeaways from this episode so far.
One, for some reason I have quit drinking coffee and have no desire to. I have enjoyed my morning coffee for many years, and I don’t know what the connection is, but I no longer want coffee in the morning (or any other time) and the thought of drinking coffee doesn’t sit well with me. I cleaned my coffee press and cup the other day and found some moldy fuzzy stuff growing there. No matter how long I have been away from Mutt (when he was alive), a few minutes to all day, his exuberance and excitement to seeing me again was always the same.
If only we treated our friends, neighbors, acquaintances, and strangers that same way we would all be better people for doing so. Be the Rufus; help when you can, be kind to animals and fellow humans with no expectation of reward. Hug those you love and let them know how much you care and what they mean to you because you may not get another chance, and that is what you will regret – the woulda, shoulda, and what ifs of what was not done. These seeming little things can make a big difference later on in ways you cannot comprehend.
Hug your wife, your kids and let them know what they mean to you. Be good to your cats (goldfish, birds?) and continue to be the Rufus when you can.
Sometimes we all need reminding of what we know so keep reminding us all to be Rufus people. Thanks for all you do and as Joe Dirt says ‘keep on keepin on”.
Never give up.
Did President Duterte choose to raise the issue of China’s militarization in South China Sea during his meeting with Xi Jinping?
If you are an American, for your sake ask all officials and CIA operative to not travel to Asia and waste tax payers money.
Your tricks are up. Asian sees a con a long way away. Nothing can fool Asian neighbours anymore. We see the US as the source of the problem. And certainly not the solution at all.
We want you as far away as possible. Don’t get me wrong if you are an innocent tourist or a businessman with good intentions, you are welcome.
Asians people spot trouble maker and shit stirrer a mile away. We don’t welcome you. And if you do come we will miked you dry and go home penniless. Sure we will fool you with out unique Asian politeness. But we know our neighbours and neighbourhood better than you because we lived together thousands of years.
Not just Duterte. But every Asian leaders don’t want you, don’t need you, we like to stay as far away from you as humanly possible.
Color revolution in Malaysia
Excellent inside look at how the United States corrupts elections around the world, with visuals. The USA are the masters of controlling "democracies" to achieve whatever outcome they desire.
Bombshell Epstein secrets about to be revealed, and they are nervous
It’s s so freaky you can’t say her name.
What was the outcome of President Xi Jinping and President Joe Biden’s first face-to-face bilateral meeting? What did the two leaders discuss?
From Godfree Roberts
The first outcome of Xi’s meeting with President Biden is a new way of looking at the US-China relationship.
Western media presents the US-China relationship as a competition between two countries, but President Xi
presented a different perspective to President Biden: how the relationship looks to the other 193 countries: “Current China-U.S. relations don’t meet the fundamental interests of our two countries and their people, nor the expectations of the international community”.
“A statesman should think about and know where to lead his country. He should also think about and know how to get along with other countries and the wider world,” said Xi, and suggested they jointly “chart the right course for bilateral ties”.
The meeting was the first face-to-face meeting between China and the US since 2019, the first face-to-face meeting between the two leaders since President Joe Biden’s election, and Xi laid out three areas of common interest:
- preventing conflict and confrontation, leading to peaceful coexistence;
- benefiting from each other’s development; and
- promoting post-COVID global recovery, tackling climate change and coordinating to resolve regional problems.
Significantly, the three-and-a-half-hour meeting, which the White House requested, was held at the Chinese delegation’s residence in Bali, not at the G20 venue. Biden said the US does not seek a New Cold War; does not support “Taiwan independence”; does not support “two Chinas” or “one China, one Taiwan”; does not seek “decoupling” from China; and does not want to contain China.
The two men agreed on the importance of establishing the guiding principles of China-US relations, conducted constructive discussions on this issue and tasked their working teams to reach agreement. US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, will follow up during a visit to Beijing, and China suggested they work on together on six major items:
- The world in the 21st century must avoid repeating the mistakes of the Cold War. The two countries should take a correct view of each other’s internal and external policies and strategic intentions and establish a tone of dialogue rather than confrontation and win-win rather than zero-sum President Biden introduced the midterm elections in the United States,.
- Setting clear a direction that prevents China-US relations from spiraling out of control. President Xi said that two major countries such as China and the US cannot do without some great principled consensus, “With principles, there is direction, with direction, to properly handle differences and expand cooperation. It is based on this consideration that China and the US should adhere to mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation. President Biden has repeatedly reiterated such important statements as “four not one intention.”
- China says the US should translate President Biden’s positive remarks into concrete policies and actions, stop containing and suppressing China, stop interfering in China’s internal affairs, stop undermining China’s sovereign security and development interests, work with China to build the “four beams and eight pillars” conducive to the sound and steady development of China-US relations, and jointly consolidate the “solid foundation” for stable and lasting China-US relations.
- Taiwan is part of China, and the Taiwan issue is China’s internal affairs. During their meeting, President Xi briefed President Biden on Taiwan’s history of colonization and aggression by outside powers over the past few hundred years, stressing that China opposes “Taiwan independence” and maintains territorial integrity, which means protecting China’s ancestral land. Anyone who wants to split Taiwan from China runs counter to China’s national greatness. The Chinese people will certainly share the same enemy and will never consent. President Biden said the US side adheres to the one-China policy, does not support “Taiwan independence,” does not support “two Chinas” or “one China, one Taiwan” and does not seek to use the Taiwan issue as a weapon.
- Because China and the US are permanent members of the UN Security Council, the international community hopes they will jointly address global challenges. President Xi Jinping said that China-US cooperation is good for both countries and the world. There are differences and differences between China and the United States, and differences should not become an obstacle to the development of China-US relations. Differences should be Cooperation requires a good atmosphere and stable relations. It must not be done unilaterally. Facts have repeatedly shown that the entire China-US relationship cannot be defined simply by competition, and cooperation is always the best choice for both countries. China-US cooperation benefits all parties and opens up a win-win future for China and the world.
- On democratic human rights, President Xi observed that freedom, democracy and human rights are the common pursuit of mankind and the consistent pursuit of the CPC. The United States has American-style democracy and China has Chinese-style democracy, both of which are in line with their respective national conditions The entire process of people’s democracy in China is based on China’s national conditions and historical culture and reflects the will of the people Specific differences between the two sides can be explored, provided they are exchanged on an equal footing.
It is said that the Chinese are unfortunate because they do not have freedom. What do they think?
I’m an American who has been to China many times.
Freedom is somewhat relative. An old joke goes something like an American saying “You’re not free to criticize your government or country” and a Chinese responds “At least I’m free to support them!”
For the most part you can pretty much do whatever you want, there’s no random checks or harassment by the cops. Chinese cops are very friendly and hospitable, far more than Americans but that’s party because Chinese police aren’t hated or attacked nearly as much. Kids are taught from an early age to respect public servants like cops, firefighters, soldiers etc. It’s a very different culture, more like America 50 years ago.
There’s a few things that are banned such as pornography. You actually can criticize the government as long as you’re not a public figure like a radio personality, celebrity, journalist etc. Making jokes about the CPC is not unusual, they’re something like a meme to them. Guns aren’t universally banned as most people think, but very tightly regulated and require a license. Roughly the same level of private gun ownership as the UK. It’s a very safe society thanks to harsh penalties for breaking the law (you can get the death penalty for selling drugs, or even for political corruption, bribery, etc).
Journalism is basically supervised by the government, but they can generally publish whatever they want as long as it’s not politically critical. The media is very honest, because they don’t want to get caught in lies and undermine their legitimacy. They’d rather just omit a story than to lie about it. Compare to the US where most journalists lie routinely, on both sides, getting caught publishing fake news all the time.
Elections are a non issue that most people don’t bother with. You actually can vote, but it’s like voting for a local representative. That local rep votes for a higher rep, and so on. Nobody directly elects anyone of importance. Most people don’t even care so they don’t bother to vote.
Religion isn’t a problem if you belong to a legitimate established religion, not some crazy cult or scam like Scientology. Unfortunately the government doesn’t care about your holidays, nor do most employers, so it’s normal to work on Christmas. Churches accommodate this by holding services at night. With Catholics there’s no underground church anymore due to the agreement with the Pope a few years back. Church services are what you would experience everywhere else, same content, same Bible, and in major cities they’re in multiple languages, sometimes officiated by foreign missionaries, priests, etc.
Kids can drink in restaurants, it’s no big deal for a teen to have a beer or two.
Soldiers are confined to their bases, they live an extremely spartan lifestyle where enlisted men live together in communal barracks even if they’re married with children. Officers live in upstairs apartments. Discipline is harsh and getting arrested for anything is a dishonorable discharge, which carries with it far more limitations than here, like being banned from public transportation.
Altogether unless you like rioting and burning down buildings, committing crime, or watching porn, you probably wouldn’t notice much difference regarding freedom. Feel free to ask me any more specific questions, but don’t bother arguing with me or posting dubious news articles, you’ve never been there and I have so you don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.
Neo meets Morpheus (soundtrack edit)
The Matrix (1999)
Is the “Xinjiang Uyghurs” thing entirely a myth?
Of course it’s not a myth, silly! Uighurs are real! They aren’t like Santa Clause and unicorns! It’s just that they aren’t being exterminated in mass murder camps. China isn’t running their own version of Nazi Germany. Xi Jinping is not Hitler.
You see, the US is trying to fight a Cold War with China but China isn’t interested. Xi Jinping and those under him are very wise. Brilliant actually, because the US is throwing everything they can at China on multiple fronts. But China remains unmoved, resolute, strong in the face of pressure.
The US may start wars everywhere else but China is telling the US to get their troublemaking backsides off of their lawn and to go home.
The US harasses China in the SCS about Taiwan. The US harasses China’s financial district in Hong Kong. The US surrounds China in military bases from all sides. The US harasses China about Tibet.
Coincidentally Xinjiang separates China and the US theatre for war in the Middle East. Oooops! Didn’t know that, did you?
The US has admitted there is no genocide (state department). The US has admitted that they lie and are proud of it (Pompeo). The US admits that they run disinformation counterintelligence programs (Mockingbird, COINTELPRO etc). And the US has a terrible track record of starting wars and killing civilians whenever they want to “help spread democracy” (every war and intervention since WWII, literally). The US also thinks it runs the world and that China is about to surpass them as a superpower. Well they don’t run the world, but China is about to surpass them, and anything that will derail China’s success is fair game to the US government.
It’s no myth that Xinjiang and Uighurs exist. It’s a myth of lies every time you turn on Western media.
A China Insider comments on an e-mail thread
He’s well known, well liked, and well informed. But I cannot divulge his name. Many of you have read some of his writings on MM here.
Definitely the anti-mRNA movement has spread. With good reasons: People with a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine are dying faster than people with an inactivated, traditional vaccine.
Are you saying that the people resisting the devastating mRNA vaccines are the cause that more people are refusing the (traditional, inactivated) polio and measles vaccines ?
I didn’t knew that. Do you have some reports showing figures, proving that it are the mRNA refusers are the main cause of the increasing number of polio and measles vaccine refusers ?
China doesn’t want to approve and release a new mRNA vaccine without proper animal testing and the required Phase 1, 2 and 3 testing on humans. Such a procedure, if properly conducted, is taking almost two years.
One can’t say that, because China is testing a mRNA vaccine, developed in China, that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are safe.
Here, in my own neighbourhood, there are people
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1. who’re fully vaccinated, boostered et all with Pfizer vaccines. And are satisfied with it, in spite of the side effects.
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2. who’re fully vaccinated, boostered et all with Pfizer vaccines. And nevertheless died from Covid.
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3. who’re fully vaccinated, boostered et all with Pfizer vaccines. And shrugging say that they had no other option because they’re in the medial business or in the army, … Or any other excuse to satisfy their consciousness.
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4. who’re fully vaccinated, boostered et all with Pfizer vaccines. And deeply regret it, feel shame about it.
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5. who’re fully vaccinated, two shots. And refused the boosters.
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6. who got their first shot. And from then on got their ’re full consciousness back, refused any further Pfizer shots.
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7. who went to Hungary or Serbia to get a Sinovac or Sputnik vaccine
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8. who participated in testing of new, experimental Chinese vaccine in test phase 2 or 3
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9. who got no vaccine at all because there are no other than mRNA vaccines in this country
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10. who refuse all kind of vaccines out of religious reasons.
Enter the Matrix | The Matrix [Open Matte]
The mirror aspect of this scene follows the reverse Alice in Wonderland motif of the movie where, instead of going through the looking glass and traveling to a fantasy world, the looking glass travels into Neo’s body and wakes him up from the dream world into the real world.
The Killing Fields of Samoa
What happened in Samoa in 2019 and why is it so important now
Malo Lava!
We’re going back in time today… not all the way back to Ingersoll Lockwood times but just a little bit. To 2019. Just before the “COVID-19 pandemic”. Our location? The beautiful islands of Samoa.
And you’re asking “What are you talking about? What happened in Samoa?”.
A lot happened. All in one month in November 2019 – just before the PANDEMIC™ struck, and you will see that the similarities with the PANDEMIC™ are eerie – down to the same forced lockdowns and forced vaccinations that were only ever intended to enforce medical fascism on a population – because every pandemic plan document prior to 2020 said they were not helpful to contain a viral outbreak.
So let’s then turn to Samoa (and neighbouring Fiji and Tonga) in 2019. Here is the timeline
April 2019 – MMR relaunched in Samoa after a pause on the vaccination program in 2018 after two vaccine-related deaths of children. The vaccine program was poorly received by the Samoan population and uptake was low.
1st Oct 2019 – UNICEF delivered 135,000 doses of measles vaccines to Fiji, 110,500 doses of measles vaccines to Samoa (as well as supplies of vitamin A) and 12,000 doses of measles vaccines to Tonga
18th Oct 2019 – Samoa declares a measles outbreak.
24th Oct 2019 – Tonga declares a measles outbreak.
7th Nov 2019 – Fiji declares a measles outbreak (archive here)
15th Nov 2019 – State of emergency declared in Samoa after 1000 cases and 15 deaths (of which 14 were children under five)
Immediately the propaganda machine moves into action making the world believe that the problem is the fact that Samoa – for one year only – had a lower vaccination rate than the neighbouring islands…
Other estimates of vaccine coverage in the region actually put Fiji and Tonga at nearly 100% and the coverage in Samoa reached 100% in 2013 following which it started dropping. In other words, if the vaccines were working as promised herd immunity should have been reached years before. In fact, despite global vaccination rates over 80% it appears that the herd immunity promise has never eventuated for measles.
Confirmation of this was of course the fact that Fiji and Tonga both had measles outbreaks despite reported vaccination rates of near 100% – so the vaccines didn’t prevent a massive bout of infections at all.
And in fact, there was a mass vaccination campaign which had already provided 32,743 vaccinations (mostly children) before the outbreak – for a population of 200,000 people, of whom there are approximately 20,000 under-5s. In other words, enough of the Samoan population had been vaccinated by 2019 that they should have been “protected” from a fatal measles outbreak.
So why was the Samoan outbreak such a problem that it was reported worldwide while the Fiji/Tongan outbreaks were ignored? Well, kids were dying. A lot. In fact, the death rate in the Samoan measles outbreak of November 2019 was 40 times the usual death rate for measles in developed countries.
Wait, what? Here’s the official chart as at Dec 8, 2019 from the Samoan govt twitter feed when the population was “90% vaccinated”
In the under 10 category this was 62 deaths out of 2898, which is 2.1%1. The typical death rate for measles in “Developed economies” is 0.05%. Here is a review from 2009 but there have been similar reviews since.
I’ve chosen an earlier review on purpose, despite the fact that it was funded by the WHO. It is hard to find a later review not funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation. The authors concluded that there was trend to lower CFR (case fatality rate) in vaccinated populations but it wasn’t definitive and there may also have been a benefit of Vitamin A supplementation. The biggest underlying association with reported CFRs was in fact where the study was done, with rural and and urban areas showing higher CFRs on the basis that they were biased towards areas with a higher incidence of measles outbreaks.
We can assume therefore that the true CFR for measles should be much lower than 1%, in healthy populations irrespective of vaccination uptake. In fact the measles vaccination is supposed to prevent outbreaks (i.e. infection) rather than the complications of the outbreak (e.g. death and pneumonia). It is therefore interesting to see what happens in completely unvaccinated populations and why victims might die – a clue given in this study
The point being, that a rational overview of measles death rates should assess the medical care given to measles cases rather than simply relying on vaccination alone as a method to control measles fatalities. To underpin the point, despite measles vaccination programs reaching nearly every community of every country in the world, what is happening to the death rates from measles?
Oops.
So there are two aspects to the devastating and fatal Samoa outbreak
- Why did a measles outbreak occur in 3 neighbouring islands at the same time, just weeks after a delivery of UNICEF vaccines to those very islands?
- Why did the death rate in the Samoan outbreak reach such high levels far in excess of what would be expected in a country with access to healthcare?
Well for (1) it is clear that the vaccine wasn’t effective at preventing the outbreaks, which means that either the measles vaccines don’t work (not just the current one they provided but those from the years prior that were supposed to give herd immunity) – or there was a new strain of measles introduced that was not covered by the vaccines.
For (2) it is reasonably clear from reports on the ground that there were major issues getting hold of medical treatments for those affected. It’s really worth watching this episode of The Highwire from Dec 2019 which gives a very different view of the situation than the government and WHO reported.
The takeaway from reports in Samoa at the time was that basic medical care, including Vitamin A, Vitamin C and other supportive measures, was denied to the children of Samoa. It is almost as if it was necessary that a lot of children died to promote a narrative that then required government intervention “to sort out the problem”. To be clear, those children didn’t need to die. They died because the government needed to convince the population that they were in charge and dissent was not allowed. Governments do this.
In any case the desired intervention came swiftly in early December.
What is it that this “crazy anti-vaxx conspiracy theorist” is claiming? Vitamin A and vitamin C treats measles? That’s crazy, right?
Wrong.
Just to clarify, it’s better that children don’t get measles at all but if they do, the correct supportive measures (as you would get in “developed” countries which still get measles despite 95%+ vaccination rates) reduce the risk of death. That’s also according to the WHO
Of course, Vitamin A supplementation became an “anti-vaxx conspiracy theory” in December despite the fact that UNICEF delivered vitamin A supplements to Samoa in November.
Much much much more HERE
I do not want to turn MM into a anti-Vaxx blog. I just want to highlight an article of importance during this very critical time. -MM
It’s only WEEKS away and it might be worse than the Great Recession
"The current administration can’t do simple math and they certainly can’t do business. We’re so hosed."
Should the United States declare war on China in response to the Uyghur genocide?
Such an ignorant thing to suggest.
First of all, why would anybody start a long, bloody war over an internal domestic matter in China??? Such a war would be enormously destructive for both China and the United States, as well as the entire world. You do understand that both countries are major nuclear powers, right?
Second, there is no Uyghur genocide. This is anti-China propaganda bullshit from the Americans. You’re going to start a war over a fantasy?
Third, war would mean millions of civilian deaths in both countries. These civilians are innocent. You profess to defend innocent Uyghurs but you would condemn millions of Chinese civilians to wartime death?
It is clear you haven’t given an iota of thought to this entire matter. It’s a knee-jerk reaction from a profoundly ignorant mindset.
STRAIGHT TO HELL. 1987
Seriously, love this movie.
At his meeting with Xi Jinping, U.S. President Joe Biden reiterated the one-China principle and that Taiwan belongs to China. What do you think? Is Biden trying to improve US-China relations?
Talk is cheap.
Do it. since you admit Taiwan is part of China which means say Hawaii is part of the USA stop selling arms to Taiwan without China’s consent. China did not send its leader of congress flying into Hawaii?
He certainly don’t have a joint meeting and public announcement that condemns the US policy! China don’t arm Hawaii, it certainly don’t send its warships to Hawaii unannounced and unwelcome!
So saying one thing and behaving another like a rogue state cannot be good for America’s image. Back off. Taiwan is China’s business just as Hawaii is the US business. Just back off.
Your are damn right Biden is trying to improve relation just as China wants to. Offending your biggest market which happened to be bigger that the next 5 nations and growing a Spain a year is suicidal for the US.
Start repairing your image around the world beginning with China that the US knows bulling nations don’t work in 2022. Start accepting you are a pillar not the sole superpower anymore that knows you can’t arbitrarily sanctions nations you don’t like. These days it harm you more than it harms them.
This meeting is pursued by the US, China is happy to help make a better world. I am happy they met and the handshake and genuine smile from both man is a happy moment for the world. China is not your enemy. You have been your own enemy.
Biden, control you neocons, your military industrial complex and NRA before they destroy you and America. Act like a leader. Sack Blinken and O’Sullivan they destroy the spirit of humanity. Build bridges with China not walls. China knows wall don’t work. It has relics to remind them.
Start talking and start being a man.
Recently UK seized Venezuelan Gold Reserves:
Still remember, during the Covid pandemic, the crusaders seized each other shipment of medical supplies transit through each other countries? And the recent behavior across virtually all Western countries in seizing everything Russians? Yet, I wake up everyday surrounded by the crusader propaganda machine. Listening to all kind of HR craps, fake news, and self advertised universal Western values... Knowing the reverse is the truth... It is hard not to drive people resentment. I also collected the behavior of the crusader soldiers war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan by each and every crusader nations, these crimes includes chopping off people heads, use as ball to kick and have fun, and chopping of people fingers as trophy to keep track of how many they killed... Yet, those with war such crimes scandal won election. How not to link such behavior with the culture of cruelty? How not to call such civilization barbaric and needed culture reform and re-education? Cheers Chua
What is the biggest culture shock you have ever faced?
When I first came to America from China at the age of 6, I entered first grade. I didn’t understand why kids were getting their lunch food and not finishing it. I saw children bring their left over food to the large trash cans and scraping it off their trays – from half-eaten pizzas to untouched burgers. I watched them pour their milk into a white bucket. In China, this was a huge no-no in school. We had to finish everything. The first kid who finished his lunch got the privilege of helping the teacher clean up the classroom and set up the nap time area.
One day, my first grade American teacher announced that we would be having a pot luck and everyone was encouraged to bring something from their country. I got super excited and told my parents. They were debating whether to make pot stickers (Chinese dumplings) or Lo mein noodles. I loved dumplings!!! My mom stayed up after her long day of work and kneaded the dough, chopped up the bok choy and minced ginger and pork and folded them into dumplings. She put them in the fridge and woke up early in the morning to steam them and fry them so they would taste extra fresh when I brought them to school. They smelled great and looked golden brown after they were cooked.
(They looked exactly like these, photo from genius kitchen.)
I was so excited to share these with my class and teachers. It was placed in the corner of the table next to all the other delicious food. Many kids grabbed the cookies and juices and were hesitant to try the dumplings. One or two kids bravely took a piece and knew what they were because they had it with their parents at a Chinese restaurant. At the end of the party, it was cleanup. My teacher walked up to me and asked and pointed to the tray of dumplings, “would you like to take these home?” I meekly replied, “No…” it was very impolite to take your gift home. I thought she was going to share it with other teachers, but immediately after I said that, she poured the whole tray of dumplings into the trash and continued cleaning. I was baffled; what just happened???
This was the biggest culture shock I have experienced and still continue to see frequently in my American friends. Please eat all your food or take it to go or share it or just get enough so you don’t have to throw it away. Thank you.
Court Orders CDC to Release Data Showing 18 Million Vaccine Injuries in America
More than 18 million people were injured so badly by their first COVID shot from Pfizer or Moderna that they had to go to the hospital. That’s according to the CDC’s own internal data, which a court just ordered the federal agency to release to a watchdog group.
The CDC started a vaccine monitoring program back at the very beginning of the COVID shot rollout in December of 2020. You might remember it; the program was called V-safe. People were asked to install the V-safe app on their smartphones and then self-report if they have any negative effects from the experimental mRNA shots, which were released to the public under an Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA.
A lot of people were eager to help, because world governments had scared many folks very badly over the virus. Many thought that the COVID shots were a medical miracle in late 2020. So, more than 10 million people downloaded V-safe on their smartphones, and then proceeded to get vaccinated.
That’s a huge sample size for a medical study. With 10 million people participating in the V-safe self-reporting system, it gives an extremely accurate statistical model to use when studying the 230 million Americans who have had at least one COVID shot.
The CDC tracked data in the V-safe program for the first 18 months of the vaccine’s public availability, up through July of this year. But then, strangely, the CDC never published any data from V-safe. We couldn’t see it. We just had to trust the CDC, which had been caught lying repeatedly.
The CDC’s main webpage about the mRNA COVID shots still says, to this very day, “COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective and free.” That’s the very first sentence on the website. Safe and effective! That’s been the CDC’s position for the entire time. The vaccines are safe, and they cannot hurt you.
If that’s true, then why wouldn’t the CDC release the data until a court ordered it to do so following a lawsuit by the Informed Consent Action Network (ICAN)? The data speaks for itself.
Of the 10 million people who participated in V-safe – again, a massive sample size – 3.3 million reported Adverse Health Impacts (AHIs) immediately after their first vaccination. That’s 33% or one-in-three. Of those 3.3 million people, 1.2 million reported that they were unable to perform daily activities for a time after vaccination. 1.3 million reported getting so sick from the shots that they had to miss school or work. And about 800,000 reported being hospitalized by their COVID vaccination.
That last figure is the most worrisome. 800,000 hospitalizations out of 10 million people? That’s an 8% hospitalization rate. It means that as many as 18 million of the 230 million people who received at least one shot may have been hospitalized with an adverse reaction.
A study published in June of 2021 by the National Institutes of Health found that the hospitalization rate from COVID-19 for the total population was 2.1%. If you are under the age of 40, the NIH study claims hospitalization rate from COVID-19 is just 0.4%.
For the shots, the hospitalization rate has been 8%.
This means that:
YOU ARE 4 TIMES AS LIKELY TO BE HOSPITALIZED BY THE VACCINES THAN BY COVID ITSELF, NO MATTER WHAT AGE GROUP YOU ARE IN.
YOU ARE 20 TIMES AS LIKELY TO BE HOSPITALIZED BY THE SHOTS IF YOU ARE UNDER AGE 40 THAN BY COVID ITSELF.
You can read the NIH-published study HERE.
ICAN has set up a website where you can finally view the CDC’s V-safe data online. The data was released on October 3, 2022, under a court order. You can see the data for yourself HERE.
The CDC seems to many people to have been lying to the American people about the vaccines all this time.
(HT Remark: There need to be legal consequences for this. Public trials and long jail sentences are necessary for anyone at the CDC who participated in this cover-up.)
Grace Jones – I’m Not Perfect But I’m Perfect For You
Is there anything positive the crusaders could contribute to the world?
According to the joint chiefs of staff of the South Korean armed forces, four South Korean F-35A jets and four US F-16 fighters flew in a coordinated assault formation over the sea to the east of the Korean Peninsula.
The Joint Chief also announced a mock drill for attacking North Korea’s ground-launch facilities with GBU-12 airborne laser-guided bombs to show that they were prepared “to strike the adversary with precision.” The bombing mock drill was reportedly conducted at a firing range in Gangwon Province.
The intercontinental ballistic missile fired by North Korea reportedly traveled about a thousand kilometers before landing in the sea over 200 kilometers away from Japan. However, the Japanese Defense Minister stated that the intercontinental ballistic missile had a range sufficient to strike the entire mainland of the United States.
Have there been any recent notable strikes or labor protests in China’s manufacturing sector?
Thousands of Protests!!!!
Surprised?
Why exactly should you be?
I mean this is China – they manufacture on a Scale that is unimaginable to most of the world. Obviously a Nation that manufactures for the entire world would have far more Labor Protests and disputes than the rest of the world combined.
So why dont we hear of too many Protests?
I mean sure – One Protest and the West will cover it like its the next 1917 Revolution – but generally – the number of Protests we hear about are probably around 1% of the actual protests that happen in China.
The Reason is – The Dispute Resolution Mechanisms
Collective Bargaining is one of the best Dispute Resolution Mechanisms
Every Worker agrees that a Minimum Number is required to officially Protest during working hours
The General Number ranges from 1/3 to 3/4 of the Workers
Some Industries demand at least 4/5 Workers to register a Protest to initiate Collective Bargaining
The Main Protest in China isnt about Wages or Money. Its about the number of hours of work.
So a Single Meeting is enough to ensure that a Protest is finished successfully
Blacklisting
Blacklisting is famous and China has a single unified Database of Workers in most Cities.
A Blacklisted Worker can never be member of any Association and cannot be part of any Collective Bargaining.
Workers who protest too much – Western Style will get Blacklisted and that means being at least 50% worse off than your fellow workers.
Profit Linked Wage and Incentives
China is the only Country that officially has a system where Taxes are linked to Economy and where Profits must legally be split among the Workforce vide Wage and Incentives.
This way if the Owner suffers, the Employees will put up with it but if the Owners makes big profits then so will the Employees
The PLWI was already followed by many Companies in the Higher End of the Scale (Huawei for instance) but now its become the Law since 2017.
As a result – Most Workers in China dont protest on Wages or Conditions, unlike most other Countries.
Their Protests are about the more mundane things that can range from Working Hours to Alternate Sundays Off to Canteen doesnt serve Pork or The Bus is too slow for us
Thus Most Protests can be easily handled in a single meeting
STRIKES – NO!!!!
Strikes are Illegal and anyone who strikes will suffer the full force of the law.
Protests are legal if permission is availed and if the public is not disturbed
However any Protest that extends beyond Permitted Time or Space will lead to dire consequences
Ukrainian Soldiers Shown Slaughtering Surrendering Russian Soldiers, Allegedly Identified
The world was shocked when video emerged showing what appeared to be Ukrainian soldiers slaughtering Russian soldiers, who had surrendered, were disarmed, and laying face down on the ground. Now, Social Media postings claim they have identified the soldiers who fired the deadly shots!
Killing surrendering troops is a War Crime.
The violent and graphic video was reported earlier, HERE
As seen in the posting above, the men are now being “hunted” for what they did to the Russians.
Why are citizens of countries like Spain, Italy, and France who eat a lot of bread not among the most overweight people in the world?
Quite a few things:
- Our bread, and in general, our food, never have sugar added. I mean, if I got bread, and it tastes sugary, I never buy that again. Bread is not supposed to be sugary.
- We eat a lot less processed food.
- Our cities are walkable. I, for example, live in Madrid, and don’t even have a car. I’m at 15 min. walk from my work. I go walking to buy groceries and generally everything.
- This is a personal pet peeve of mine: what happens with the gluten-free mania you have there? I mean, if you are celiac (which is an objective thing that have its own test), then I can understand… but the rest? Gluten is protein, and one of the most complete proteins that you’ll find in the vegetal world… and you remove it from the bread??? Are you fucking crazy, people? I generally like breads with as much gluten as you can find; they are generally more airy, the crust is tastier, and is a lot more healthy. There is nothing like a Hogaza Gallega.
And this have more protein (around 15%) than many processed meals you eat.
5. Fats. If you don’t gorge yourself in sugars, you have space to eat healthy fats. Olive oil, the main one, but also fats that go with meat and fish. Likewise, if you don’t gorge on sugars and added starches of processed food, you can eat more starches. I eat french fries most days; of course, not the frozen stuff: directly cut from the potato, and fried in good olive oil. Good fats are important to be healthy, help raise testosterone and quite a few other things; if you avoid the hydrogenated shit of processed food, you have space for them in your calorie budget.
6. Sugary drinks. We have those, but we don’t have the same culture that you have. We drink it sometimes, but generally the zero version. They are also crap, but at least not sugary shit; and we don’t drink them that frequently.
Why do European people stop traveling to the USA?
Let me tell you a true story. Last year my wife and I flew from New Zealand to Britain for a holiday. It’s about 24 hours flying so there is a 2 hour stop half way at Los Angeles to refuel. It doesn’t take 2 hours to refuel but unlike sane countries where you can wait in a transit area the USA makes you go through immigration even though you are going straight back into the same seat on the same aircraft.
No problem, I have an APEC card so I can bypass the queues. Nope, unfortunately I was holding a transit card so my wife and I were pulled from the very short APEC queue as the busy body official said if I was in transit I was not in the USA to do business and therefore could not use my APEC card.
So we join the first queue for biometric scanning. Half an hour later we have a ticket and go join the new queue. I’m a known traveler so apparently I can join a short queue but my wife has never been to the USA so has to join the normal queue. The normal queue which is massive. After an hour we are only about one third done. I was expecting another 2 hours wait at the current progress rate. Before my APEC card, I had needed up to 3 hours to clear entry into the USA and missed at least two connecting flights that way. So half an hour before due departure the flight crew came looking for us. We waved our transit cards and were pulled from the queue. We were taken to the APEC line to clear so we would not delay the departure on to London. The same queue I was thrown out of 90 minutes earlier. I hate LAX, it is the worst run airport on the planet.
I have traveled to Ukraine and I regularly travel to China both of which are super pleasant experiences relative to entering the USA. Coming home is still the best. I can arrive on an international flight at Auckland airport and from the time the wheels touch the runway to the time I exit the terminal can often be less than 30 minutes and the one customs officer I have to talk to will have a smile on their face and do their job in about 20 seconds.
If the USA wants tourists, they need to first start treating their visitors as human beings, not terrorists.
China has donated 1.1 million masks and thousands of pieces of protective clothing to Japan, 7.1 million masks to South Korea and 1.25 million masks to Iran. Why hasn’t China donated masks to the United States?
The first thing to emphasize is that it is not that China has never donated masks to the United States. On April 21, 2020, Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai mentioned in an interview with Bloomberg: “At present, China has provided 1.4 billion masks to the United States. This is equivalent to each Chinese contributing 1 mask, and each American people can get 5 masks.
China’s donation of masks to the United States does not mean that China is courting the United States or to please the United States, but because China is a responsible country, not limited to political disputes, and can stand on a humanitarian level in the face of the epidemic, put aside conflicts and help each other.
But what have American politicians done to China during the epidemic? Trump has repeatedly called the novel coronavirus the “Chinese virus” in an attempt to stigmatize China, continue to intensify racial conflicts and racial discrimination, and incite hatred. They also continue to maliciously slander China, claiming to have found “the core evidence that China leaked the virus”, which is outrageous. They also watched the fire from the other side, and did not provide medical assistance to China.
In the face of these bottomless behaviors, there is no need for China to express any goodwill to the United States, but why is China still willing to put aside conflicts and donate materials to fight the epidemic together? That is because the Chinese people pay attention to tolerance, unlike those despicable American politicians, and choose to put the greater good first in the face of the epidemic, which is a common disaster to mankind. It can be seen that China has always pursued the realization of the common interests of mankind, and has always regarded the world as a community with a shared future. This is enough to admire.
Why was China willing to generously donate materials to Japan, South Korea and Iran?
That’s because these countries helped China in times of crisis, put aside their conflicts and disputes and cheered for China.
“The mountains and rivers are different, the wind and the moon are in the same sky” written on the materials donated by Japan to China touched the hearts of many people; all walks of life in South Korea have donated nearly 200 million yuan for China’s fight against the epidemic; and Iran, which was sanctioned by the United States, still donated millions of masks to China.
China will never forget these friendships. Thousands of years ago, there was a saying in China, “Put me with peach, and repay it with Qiong Yao “. China will definitely repay the help from all over the world.
Therefore , before asking this kind of question , it is best to think about whether what the United States has done is really worthy of China’s goodwill? At the same time, think carefully about whether the United States itself is worthy of the self-proclaimed “world leader” , and has it really taken on the responsibility of a big country to help those in distress? Of course , I also call for distinguishing those despicable American politicians from the friendship between the Chinese and American people. I think this friendship will allow us to remain compassion in the face of difficulties and malicious incitement .
Russia is sending record amounts of crude oil to Asian countries.
Obviously, the world can live without the crusaders, whereas, the crusaders without the power to bully and loot, they will be down the drain and become nothing.
Russia is scrambling to export more crude before European Union sanctions take effect, and the nation is currently shipping record volumes of oil to Asia.
Russian crude flows to China, India, and Turkey – as well as crude shipments that haven’t been labeled with a final destination – rose to 2.39 million barrels a day in the month leading up to November 11, Bloomberg reported on Monday. Meanwhile, in the last week, Russian oil exports fell to a three-week low, with the nation exporting just 2.9 million barrels a day.
That’s a sign Russia is ramping up crude sales to its allies ahead of December 5, the date where the EU ban on Russian oil will fully kick in and the bloc is expected to give support for the plan to cap Russian oil prices.
If successful, the measures are expected to majorly crimp Russia’s export revenue, and some effects are already being seen. Russia’s revenue from crude exports just hit its lowest point since the invasion of Ukraine. In particular, crude exports to Europe fell to a five-week low of 700,000 barrels a day in the month leading up to November 11, and oil shipments to Europe were down 11% compared to the previous four-week period, according to Bloomberg data.
Russia has threatened to simply sell more oil to Asia if western nations impose a price cap, but Russian ports are already running into insurance and shipping issues with sanctions, and the upcoming deadline has exporters racing to hand off crude to customers in Asia.
At this point, any ships loaded with Russian oil in the Baltics won’t make it to China or India in time before sanctions kick in, which could leave oil shipments uninsured mid-voyage. Russian ports in the Pacific are also unlikely to make it a trip to India without getting spoiled by sanctions, as the voyage takes several weeks.
China and India have been big buyers of Russian crude since the start of the war, and at one point, accounted for 50% of Moscow’s crude sales. Blocking those sales via sanctions could put Russia’s crude revenue in freefall, doing serious damage to its economy.
Europe could also get hurt by sanctions, as the continent faces an energy crisis and skyrocketing oil prices once Russian supplies are slashed from the spot market. Goldman Sachs commodities chief Jeff Currie warned that Europe would see another spike in oil prices this winter, with Brent crude hitting a $115 a barrel. Energy Aspects’ Livia Gallarati proposed a similar price range, as supplies are set to tighten and demand isn’t showing signs of slowing down.
FDA Now Says Telling People NOT TO TAKE Ivermectin for COVID-19 Was Just a Recommendation
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) telling people to “stop” taking ivermectin for COVID-19 was informal and just a recommendation, government lawyers argued during a recent hearing.
“The cited statements were not directives. They were not mandatory. They were recommendations. They said what parties should do. They said, for example, why you should not take ivermectin to treat COVID-19. They did not say you may not do it, you must not do it. They did not say it’s prohibited or it’s unlawful. They also did not say that doctors may not prescribe ivermectin,” Isaac Belfer, one of the lawyers, told the court during the Nov. 1 hearing in federal court in Texas.
“They use informal language, that is true,” he also said, adding that, “it’s conversational but not mandatory.”
The hearing was held in a case brought by three doctors who say the FDA illegally interfered with their ability to prescribe medicine to their patients when it issued statements on ivermectin, an anti-parasitic that has shown positive results in some trials against COVID-19.
Ivermectin is approved by the FDA but not for COVID-19. Drugs are commonly used for non-approved purposes in the United States; the practice is known as off-label treatment.
The FDA created a webpage in 2021 titled “Why You Should Not Use Ivermectin to Treat or Prevent COVID-19” and later posted a link to the page on Twitter while writing: “You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously, y’all. Stop it.”
A second post stated: “Hold your horses, y’all. Ivermectin may be trending, but it still isn’t authorized or approved to treat COVID-19.”
In a separate page, the FDA said:
“Q: Should I take ivermectin to prevent or treat COVID-19?
A: No.”
Those actions interfered with the doctors’ practice of medicine, violating the laws including the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, the lawsuit alleges.
It asked the court to rule the actions unlawful and bar the FDA from directing or opining as to whether ivermectin should be used to treat COVID-19.
Jared Kelson, an attorney representing the plaintiffs, told the court during the hearing that that informal claim “doesn’t explain the language they actually used: ‘Stop it. Stop it with the ivermectin.’”
The FDA’s actions “clearly convey that this is not an acceptable way to treat these patients,” he argued.
Plaintiffs in the case include Dr. Paul Marik, who began utilizing ivermectin in his COVID-19 treatment protocol in 2020 while he was chief of pulmonary and critical care medicine at Eastern Virginia Medical School and director of the intensive care unit at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital.
After the FDA’s statements, Marik was told to remove the protocol from the school’s servers while Sentara issued a memorandum to hospitals telling them to stop using ivermectin against COVID-19, with a citation to the FDA.
Marik was forced to resign from his positions because he couldn’t prescribe ivermectin due to the FDA’s statements, the suit alleges.
The government has moved to dismiss the complaint, asserting plaintiffs lack standing because the injuries cannot be traced back to the FDA.
More From the Hearing
During the recent hearing, which was on the motion to dismiss, the government said the FDA could not be blamed for the injuries.
“Plaintiffs have also not shown that any of their claimed injuries are fairly traceable to defendants’ statements because their injuries were caused by independent third-party conduct that was not a predictable response to those statements,” Belfer, the government lawyer, said.
Belfer noted that the FDA’s pages say people can use ivermectin if their health care provider prescribes it, argued the statements “did not bind the public or FDA, did not interpret any substantive rules, and did not set agency policy,” and said the FDA’s position could change in the future if new data become available.
“They also do not have legal consequences for anyone but simply provide nonbinding recommendations to consumers,” he said.
Kelson disagreed.
“If the government is going to label ivermectin a horse medicine or a horse dewormer and promulgate the idea that it is only for animals, then the natural correlation is that doctors who prescribe it are horse doctors or quack doctors, which has played out,” he said. “That is enough of a harm to get into court,” or have the motion to dismiss rejected, he said.
Ivermectin is used on animals in addition to humans. The FDA used a picture of a horse in its Twitter posts and on one of its pages.
“The government engaged in a singularly effective campaign here to malign a common drug that has been used for a very long time and has been dispensed in billions of doses. It’s one of the most famously safe drugs in the history of human medicine. And when people did exactly what the FDA said to ‘Stop it. Stop it with the ivermectin,’ I don’t understand how that would not be traceable back to the FDA,” Kelson said.
U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown, a Trump appointee overseeing the case, said that he was most concerned about the social media statements because they did not include any qualifiers.
Belfer argued the statements were aimed at consumers and that the Twitter posts linked to one of the pages, which does include the qualifier.
“So it was predictable that if you include the link to the article, people will click on the link and will see the full article, which includes that disclaimer that if your doctor writes you a prescription, you should fill it exactly as prescribed,” he said.
“The plaintiffs, by their own admission, have continued to prescribe ivermectin. So they always had the authority. It may be that patients were not able to fill prescriptions, but the doctors themselves always had the authority,” he added later.
Brown said he appreciated the briefing from the parties and that he would rule “as quickly as we can for ya’ll.” As of Nov. 19, he has not issued a ruling.
Ken Griffin warns U.S. faces ‘immediate Great Depression’ if China seizes Taiwan’s semiconductor industry
Note: like Chinese space station, Beidou, moon landing, the coming Chinese made chips will beat any existing crusader technologies.
Caldo Gallego
Pan Gallego is a traditional Spanish crusty bread originating from Galicia. It is characterized by a soft and springy crumb with many air pockets and a hard crust, depending on the variety. In artisan bakeries, it’s made with wheat flour or trigo gallego (Galician wheat), a sourdough starter, salt, and large amount of water.
The bread needs long rising times – at least 3 hours – and baking times. There are four types of loaves – the bolo or hogaza, a misshapen round loaf with small cracks on the upper part and often with a topknot; the rosca, an irregular and flat ring of bread; the bola or torta, which is round and flat; and the barra, a baguette-type loaf.
The bread is aromatic with an intense wheaty flavor and slightly acidic notes. For the best experience, try it with a cheese called La Tetilla.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon Spanish olive oil
1 smoked ham hock, skin scored
1 yellow onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
3 teaspoons salt, or to taste, divided
Freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sweet Spanish paprika
1 1/2 cups dried white beans, such as navy, rinsed and soaked in cold water overnight
1 pound potatoes, peeled and large-diced
1 pound turnip tops, rinsed well and coarsely chopped (substitute spring or savoy cabbage if you cannot find turnip greens)
1/2 pound Spanish chorizo, thinly sliced crosswise
Directions
- In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and add the ham hock, onions, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until slits of ham hock have begun to open and vegetables are soft, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, bay leaf, 1 teaspoon of the salt, pepper, to taste, and paprika and cook for 1 minute longer. Add 9 cups of water, bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 1 hour. Drain the white beans and add them to the pot. Return to a simmer and continue to cook at a simmer until beans are just beginning to get tender, about 1 hour longer. Remove the ham hock and, when cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the hock and shred into bite size pieces. (Discard skin and bones.) Return the meat to the pot along with the remaining salt (or to taste), potatoes, turnip greens, and chorizo and continue to cook until beans have broken down slightly, potatoes and greens are very tender, about 1 hour longer. Remove the bay leaf and serve hot.
- Note: you may have to add a bit more water if the soup gets too thick during the lengthy cooking time.
COVER-UP OF VACCINE DATA BEGINS; EUROPEAN DATA PURGED FROM VAERS SYSTEM
The Vaccine Adverse Event Recording System (VAERS) has been a well-spring of information about the ugly reality of COVID-19 “Vaccines.” This past week, the data in VAERS was “purged” of European information, at the request of “European Regulators.”
The deliberate removal of European information caused the following data changes:
The “Cancer Signal,” was halved
The “Myocarditis, Dose 3 Response Signal” was lost, AND;
994 “Spontaneous Abortions/Still-Births” were dropped.
A cover-up of Vaccine-related injury data is now in full progress.
The report below, by Jessica Rose, provides the details . . .
BY: Jessica Rose
As most of you know, me and a bunch of other people are monitoring VAERS data very closely week-by-week. This week (11.18.22), the first thing I noticed was that the Foreign data set was less than a fraction of the size it was last week (11.11.22): down from 283.51 MB to 96.81 MB. There is a disclaimer under the VAERS data that states the following, so this is not mistake.
I decided to process the data as I always do on Fridays.
The first thing I do when I analyze the VAERS data (after downloading) is compile the Domestic data set. Then I compile the Foreign data set. The I merge them along with the 2021 COVID-19 data. Then I count the numbers of VAERS IDs in both and do some basic descriptive statistics – like how many males versus females, age demographics, dose data and more. Then I start my grouped queries like death counts and severe adverse event counts, etc..
In the case of myocarditis, I always run the code over the Domestic, the Foreign and the combined data sets independently.
The first thing I noticed is that the myocarditis dose 3 response signal is gone. There is a 49% decrease in the number of myocarditis reports.
The second thing I noticed was that 944 spontaneous abortions are missing.
The third thing I noticed was that the cancer reports, although they maintain a similar age distribution as the previous weeks, as shown in Figure 4, there is a 46% decrease in reports.
There’s so much more to cover, but I will update as time goes on.
See OpenVAERS for more.
—— End Jessica Rose Report.
This move to scrub VAERS Data comes the exact same week that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) claimed in court that their telling people NOT TO USE Ivermectin to treat COVID-19, was merely a Recommendation . . . with no force to it. (STORY HERE)
Clearly, governments are trying to cover-up and erase the factual data and the actual conduct they engaged in surrounding COVID-19.
I might be moving with my husband to Canada. We’re from the US. What are some things I should know about Canadian culture before we move? Which American cultural things do I need to be aware of and avoid?
Twenty-five years ago I moved to Canada on a fiancé Visa. I have been very happy here. Canada is DIFFERENT in history, landscape, laws and constitution, politics, and their sense of place in the international scene. I spent the first 3 years listening and learning, being very sweet and respectful and above all generous and friendly. I let them see that I was actually OK and this made many good friends for me. I read as many books as I could about this wonderful nation and I paid attention to the local and national news. I was an IMMIGRANT and not so much an American anymore.
First you must determine if you will be allowed to live in Canada. The country has strict immigration laws which cannot be skirted. Not everyone is allowed to cross the border and set up a long-term living situation.
Culture: For the most part Canadians are quieter, less bossy, and far less outspoken that Americans. Americans seem more childlike in that they are louder, friendlier and more demanding. Sorry, but this is true. So tone it down. Be polite. Say please and thank you and show great respect for everyone. There are many cultures here and they love to celebrate themselves and their old-country traditions too. Join the fun!
It is silly and rude to compare the two countries. There are some things in which the U.S. surpasses all others in accomplishment. But that does not make it a “better” country. It is also rude to criticize Canada’s political system, health care system, highways, restaurants, holidays (Victoria Day?) traditional food (depending on which region you will be living in), availability of luxury items, or anything that is Canadian. Canadians can complain, but new immigrants should hold their tongues.
The health care system is not perfect, but it IS wonderful, in that NO one must ever worry about their ability to pay for medical care, from the most minor to the most major events. I had open-heart surgery and the cost to me, ambulance, medi-flight, 2 weeks in the cardiac unit to stabilize, then the surgery and the week of recovery cost us ….ZERO. The only expense my husband and I had was to fly home from the major city in another province to our sweet home in the wilderness of northern British Columbia. IF you are seriously ill you will be given the best care immediately. IF you can wait (as for a knee replacement) then you will be put on a list and when the orthopedic surgeons are finished treating emergency cases and all the folks ahead of you on “the list,” it will be YOUR turn to receive world class care. Canada is rightfully proud of its history of health care reform, and yet they really love to gripe about it.
Comparing the two countries is just wrong. It’s “apples and oranges.” Their trade agreements, climate, resource development and production are quite different from the systems in the U.S. For example: food is more expensive here. But you learn to make holistic adjustments to accommodate this. Drugs are cheaper because the government has control over the prices that can be charged.
Society: Canada isn’t so much a “melting pot” as it is a stew, with “foreign” cultures generally receiving the respect they deserve. Do to a constitutional agreement with Quebec, Catholic schools are also public schools and supported by the state. Get used to it. There is racism in Canada, and it seems to all on the aboriginal (native) people here who are referred to as First Nations People. They are the Inuit, Indians, Metis (mixed Indian and white). They don’t have the violent history that native people in the U.S. have had, but they suffer as second class citizens and low expectations. Canada recognizes this problem and doesn’t have any good answers to eradicate the racism because, as it is for every other nation, this is an endemic problem, deep and dug in.
There’s a fair amount of male chauvinism too. Women face the same barriers as they do in the U.S. And Canada has its share of right-wing extremists, white nationalists, kooks and cult leaders. And I was really surprised to discover that not just a few Canadians thought that Donald Trump was a savior, and they wanted him to come lead Canada in the “right direction.”
But since I have lived here, I’ve come to see that Canadian Conservatives are more liberal than our liberals are. They are proud of their county. They want to be GOOD people, socially responsible and kind. They seem more religiously tolerant as well, in that I have yet to meet a Canadian who thought they could tell ME how to worship.
Canadians are VERY proud of their land. It is majestic, wide, wild, beautiful and magnificent.
If you learn to sing their anthem, they will really like you for it.
Apple Souls
I have released one of my Patreon videos for public consumption. If you haven’t watched this one yet, I would recommend that you do.
Thanks so much for the Apple Souls video. I think about these matters frequently. You have already made a difference. I’ll never be able to thank you enough.
You are welcome.