In the late 1970’s / early 1980’s was a short-lived period of time where Beowulf restaurants made an appearance. They were briefly popular. And didn’t last long. But it was something that happened and then disappeared long before the invention of the Internet.

I never attended one of these venues, and so all that I know about this fad was second hand and from articles that I had read at that time. Apparently, what was popular was a rather crude communal table where everyone ate rather simple meals of meat, mead, and rough breads.

Time moves on… and the world revolves. The past is forgotten, and replaced with new things. We all need to deal with this reality.

Today…

Did you ever see karma hit someone who deserved it so befittingly that it was eerie?

Aged 13, just after school two pretty girls ask me to come to the bicycle lot to “show me something”. Wow – attention from two pretty girls – I’m in! (OK, I was also headed there anyhow to get my bike to cycle home, but still!) So off we go. They’re flirty and friendly, I’m wondering what the heck is going on but I’m too stoked to be suspicious.

As we come around a corner two boys jump me, each grabbing an arm and holding fast. Another approaches carrying a big plastic container, filled with some kind of lumpy slimy stuff – looks a bit like oat porridge. As he gets closer he is flanked by the two girls and gets ready to chuck the stuff on me. I am desperate. I kick at it, just hoping to prevent him achieving his goal. It spins out of his hands, flinging slime into his and both girls’ faces, as well as all over the boy on my left’s chest and stomach. They’re all screaming and scatter. Now I am angry. I turn and pick up the container, spin and throw it wildly away from me. It randomly hits the one boy that was not initially splattered square on the back of his head as he is running away and spills the last of its contents down his back. Five for five.

I go get my bike and head home, not a speck on me.

Bringing up the hard conversation

As a teacher, what was the best excuse a student gave for being late?

True story:
I had a student who was 15 minutes late to my 1st period class every day. After a week of this, I asked what the hell was going on. Turned out his single parent mom was an alcoholic and every morning was passed out on the couch. He took it upon himself to get his younger sister ready for school each morning, making sure she showered, had clean clothes, and ate breakfast, homework completed, etc. Then he drove her to middle school which was in the opposite direction of the high school to assure she arrived safely. Because of the different 1st bell times, he was always 15 minutes late. I told him to skip going to the office and just come directly to class, enter quietly, and we’d be good. I never questioned his story. Other students whined and asked why THEY had to be on time if he didn’t. “You want to trade places with him? Take his life for yours?” No takers. Everyone knew.

So it wasn’t really an excuse, it was a legit reason.

What is the most condescending advice you received from someone who assumed you were poorer or less educated than them?

I was walking my dog around the marina and I was going back to my dad’s boat. I saw a couple standing next to it. I walked down to the end of the dock and the guy told me only boat owners are allowed on the docks, and I have to get out. Then he turned to the woman and was telling her about the places he’s been on his boat, and how he has to find someone to clean it…all this time he was pointing at my dad’s boat.

I was just standing there wondering what’s going on. Then he told me that if I’m lucky enough I’ll find a rich guy like him, and told me to go away before he called security. The woman said I’ll have to find some other guy because he’s taken. She made a face at me and was hugging him. I tried going around them and he asked what I’m doing. I told him I was getting on my dad’s boat, and they both laughed at me.

Then Ed (one of the crew) came out from the back of the boat and told me dinner is ready. I told him I’ll be right up as soon as these idiots got out of my way. I stuck my tongue out at the woman and said he’s all yours. She got mad and walked away. The guy was following her and she kept yelling at him to stay away and how he’s a fake. Tom (another crew) opened the side door and asked me what’s going on….I said she didn’t like him as much as she thought she did.

What is the definition of “an alcoholic”?

I am an alcoholic. Warning, answer may contain triggers.

When I have one beer, although I will drink it slow, I will want another one directly afterwards. Because I will have opened something inside of me that is similar to a lock.

Once this lock has been opened I immediately relax. I feel good. That beer tasted great and made me feel great. I want to feel more of that.

So I have a second beer. This one I drink a little quicker because I now have the taste for it. After my fourth beer I start drinking rum. I don’t even remember drinking those last two pints, but I’m sure that they tasted great too. I feel fantastic.

I buy a bottle of rum to take home, and make sure that there is at least six beers chilling in the fridge for tomorrow. I drink through the night.

The next day I wake up and there’s only one beer left in the fridge and the rum is nearly empty. I polish off the beer directly after breakfast and pop to the shops to buy some more. I’ll buy 20 beers this time to last through the week, and another bottle of rum. But I’ll save the rum for the week, and buy a couple of bottles of Prosecco for today. It’s a nice and sunny day, and will be lighter than drinking beer.

By 3pm the Prosecco has gone and I am back on the beer and the rum. I run out of beer on Monday and the rum has gone by Tuesday, so I pop back to the shops to stock up mid week.

After fifteen years of living like this my kidneys start bleeding urate crystals into my blood stream which gives me gout. I lose the ability to walk, sleep or function as a normal human being for weeks at a time. Over the next few years my life becomes a living hell.

I decide to quit drinking and have now been sober for 26 months. I no longer suffer from gout.

I avoid going to the pub, because it is frankly boring if you are not eating or drinking. “Why don’t you just have one ?” my friends always ask.

Because I am an alcoholic. When I have one beer, although I will drink it slow, I will want another one afterwards.

Arousal

Have you ever had such a close call it makes your skin shiver everytime you think about it? If so, what happened?

Back in middle school, I would bike my way to school, about 1.7 miles each way. I rode a $40 10-speed bike as two days of work was all that my parents could afford at the time.

The route would take me through city streets and up and down an overpass that stopped at a red light with cross traffic. Every time I came down that overpass, I would hope the light is green so I didn’t need to push my bike’s crappy brakes to their limits.

During the winter months when rain added to my misery, that downslope stop got extra sketchy as wet bike tires won’t grip the pavement. I really tried to time for that green light on the way down.

One time, when the rains made the pavement extra slick, I worked my way down when the light was green. So, I didn’t bother slowing down as much. But, just as I was about the enter the intersection, about 30 feet away, the light turned yellow. At that point, I had no chance to stop. I had two choices. I could either wipe out and slide straight into traffic or take my chances shooting through it.

I went with what seemed to be the lower risk move and went for it. As I entered the intersection, the light turned red and the cross traffic light turned green. A big pick up truck, one of those from the 1980s with the chrome trimmed grill, came straight at me from the left. Apparently he had seen his light turn green and was trying to catch it.

Somehow, he caught sight of me flying across in front of him and slammed on his brakes. I heard his tires tear at the wet pavement as they brought the big truck to a stop inches from me. I felt the steamy heat from radiator pour right on my face.

Stunned, I didn’t stop. I crossed the intersection and continued on the other side without daring to look back. I heard the truck roar across the intersection as I kept going, still shaking from the close call.

Those days, I never wore a bike helmet as I was young and an idiot. Somehow, I lucked out instead of becoming a vegetable.

Why Are Japanese Women Blowing Loads On Men

This is super interesting. And it is NOT what you think.

What will always be cool?

My buddy Tyler and I were out at a pool hall shooting a few games of 8 Ball.

A couple of jerkoffs fueled by liquid courage sat down in our area, pulled out their fancy cue sticks, and asked “You guys want to play doubles against us?”

When we declined their offer, they assumed we were just scared of losing.

We were having fun and not taking our game too seriously, but after every missed shot, we heard their snide remarks.

“C’mon, man! A toddler could have made that.”
“If you guys played against us, you’d probably learn a thing or two.”

Tyler had enough and invited them in for a game. He is an excellent billiards player, but he kept quiet, didn’t hype himself up, and didn’t trash talk.

Those guys maybe sank 3 of their balls before Tyler cleared the table.

Even after he demolished them, he didn’t gloat or rub it in their face. He just said “Good game” and we went about our business.

Humbly putting people in their place will always be cool.

Alphas and Beta orbiters

Do you think a character can be too flawed to work as a character in a story?

No. There’s no such thing as “too flawed a character.” Just look at A Song of Ice and Fire. Everyone in the story is flawed, and about half of them are entirely irredeemable. Still, it captured the hearts and souls of a generation of readers.

You can even make your flawed, irredeemable character your protagonist, like Lolita. Humbert Humbert was a pathetic child rapist who lived in his own fantasy world. He took us (the readers) on a ride and forced us to think about our own preconceptions about “love and romance.”

However, there are some pitfalls you need to be mindful about.

First of all, be very clear about the flaws of your character. There are a lot of supposed good characters engaging in extremely questionable behaviors and were considered “acceptable” by the author, by the characters around the flawed characters, and the author wanted the readers to root for the flawed character, ignoring or sometimes because of their problematic behavior.

For example, Edward’s obsession with Bella in Twilight is deeply problematic and abusive. Bella constantly puts herself in danger so she can see Edward is deeply problematic and manipulative. And yet, the author obviously thought these behaviors were OMG so romantic, and we’re supported to root for a 100-year-old vampire taking advantage of a teenager’s vulnerability. That’s bad storytelling.

If you want to write a flawed character, you need to make sure other characters in your story react to your flawed character in realistic and reasonable ways. One good example is Elementary on CBS. Granted, it is a TV show, but the concept applies. Similar to other modern Sherlock retellings, Sherlock Holmes in Elementary is deeply flawed in your typical Sherlockian ways. But unlike other modern Sherlock retellings, people around Sherlock don’t take his bullshit. They aren’t unreasonable enablers of his abusive behavior. They call him out for it so Sherlock can grow to be a better person.

And that’s the KEY of having a flawed character. The point isn’t writing the flaws. The POINT of the story is for the flawed characters to GROW and become better (or become worse if you are writing a tragedy). A flawed character who remains the same from beginning to end is a boring character (unless they are a villain).

Secondly, there’s a difference between being flawed and being likable. Han Solo is a flawed character, but he’s also instantly likable and remains so throughout the series. On the other hand, Princess Leia was also a flawed character, and she started out entirely unlikable. Han Solo’s character growth is about him growing some conscience and doing the right thing, while Leia’s character arc is about her becoming more and more relatable and likable, which is a lot harder to write (Lucas absolutely doesn’t have the skill to write it). If the story was about Leia as the protagonist, Star Wars might not be as enjoyable as it is.

The reason I stopped reading Name of the Wind is because I found Kvothe to be entirely unlikable. Yes, yes, I understand the writer wants to pull a Humber Humbert and give us an unreliable narrator, but the point of an unreliable narrator is to show how unreliable the narrator was. In the case of Lolita, the author shows us the devastation of Humbert Humbert’s actions on Lolita and how it ruined her life. And if the “Lolita is 12” doesn’t make the point of Humber Humbert being an unreliable narrator and a despicable child predator from the beginning, I think you should be on some kind of list.

The problem with Name of the Wind is that the author was so wrapped up in the awesomeness of his own unreliable narrator and never bothered to show us just how stupid and arrogant the guy actually is. Sure, in later books, we get to see some failures of Kvothe, but the author went out of his way to make justifications for Kvothe so we, the readers, would still root for him.

I found Kvothe’s narrative to be juvenile. If a 15-year-old edge lord wants to write a self-insert wish-fulfilling fantasy where he’s the best of everything, the youngest of everything in the whole damn world, and save the day being the hero, get multiple girls to fall for him, you get Kvothe. I roll my eyes every other page until I have to give up before I get an aneurysm.

Of course, Name of the Wind is an award-winning book. And there are plenty of 15-year-old edge lords who see themselves in Kvothe and will defend the book to the death. So… to each their own.

That leads me to my third point: You can’t please everyone. There will always be people who don’t like your story, and that’s OK. As writers, the only thing we can do is to be authentic to ourselves and hope that authenticity will connect us to our readers through our works. So, if you want to write deeply flawed characters doing horrible things, go right ahead. There are plenty of writers who make a career writing extremely gory stories about horrible people torturing and killing each other (Yes, I’m looking at you, GRRM, where’s the Winds of Winter? Hum?).

Do what feels right for you.

Inflation

What is the weirdest life lesson you have learned in your life?

1. One of the worst feeling is letting someone go from your life but still keeping them in your heart, you miss them but you can’t tell them because situations aren’t the same anymore.
2. Sometimes, you end up losing yourself trying to hold on to someone who doesn’t care about losing you.
3. Strangers can become best friends just as easy as best friends can become strangers.
4. Spending a large amount of time with someone literally causes you to a pick up their habits. Choose your friends wisely.
5. No one ever discovers the depth of their own loneliness.
6. Most people have their own shit to worry about.
7. When in doubt, don’t act. Wait for that moment of inspiration to strike.
8. Denying the truth doesn’t change the facts.
9. It’s weird how we sometimes think we can’t live without them again then you blink and you don’t even miss them anymore.
10. We often pretend that everything is getting better, when it’s not.
11. Sometimes being all alone and enjoying our own company helps a lot.
12. It’s awesome when someone understands you more than you.

Have you ever accidentally found out that you were about to be fired?

HR lady I was friendly with did me a solid. We were at the coffee maker and she was fuming about something, so I asked what was up. She looked at me, sighed and said “You might want to start looking for a new job. Your manager is not your friend”. That’s when I realised I wasn’t being paranoid and my manager really was trying to push me out. A week later, I was sacked.

Flawed logic

Does Xi Jinping’s family or relatives own land in the U.S.?

Sanctioning, confiscating, and robbing “enemy countries” is a Western specialty.

If Xi’s family or relatives owned land in the United States, it would have been confiscated by the US government in the Sino US confrontation. Confiscating the assets of Xi’s family is much more justified than robbing the assets of legitimate Chinese businessmen such as Huawei.

The West has not even let go of sanctions against Russian cats, Russian artist, let alone the land owned by the Xi’s family.

Meng Wanzhou was inexplicably detained by Canada for three years simply because Huawei received payment from Iran in its HSBC account.

Mao loves swimming, and when Americans learned this information, During the Mao era, even bikini swimsuits and trunks sold to China were subject to US sanctions. Lol!

What’s the cleverest cheating you’ve ever seen as a teacher or student?

I quite enjoyed the “cheat” I used in a mock A-level exam many years ago. We all had Casio FX-7000G programmable calculators that had room for ten custom programs. For our maths exams (and probably physics as well?) it was standard practice for the invigilators to wander up and down the line of desks before the exam, where you had to show the program home screen that displayed the list of ten slots and showed them all as being empty. I thought it would be funny simply to create a program that, when run, displayed a mock-up of the home screen, showing text that looked identical to the actual home screen with all ten slots being (apparently) empty. In one of my exams I had this set as the sole program on the calculator, just to prove (to myself) that the invigilators would not be able to notice the difference. I ran it just before entering the exam hall, and, yep, the invigilator took a look at the calculator and was satisfied that there were no programs entered on it. If I recall correctly, there WAS one visible difference, which was that the real screen had a flashing text caret at the bottom whereas my mocked-up screen did not. But the invigilator didn’t spot it. I suppose you’re just expecting everybody to comply and your brain sees what it wants to see when 99% of the screen is exactly as predicted.

I probably wouldn’t have had the guts to pull the same stunt in the real final exams, let alone actually use it to mask the presence of other hidden programs. But I did have fun testing out my little proto-cheating hypothesis that one time.

When you were a kid, what did you teach yourself to do without your parents knowing or approving?

Not me … but once I took a former student of mine and her eight year old daughter to breakfast when I was visiting her city. While we were catching up, the daughter was doing something quietly with her fingers. We asked what she was doing. “Oh, I’m counting in binary, see? One, two, three, … ,” as she raised and lowered successive fingers to represent the 1’s and 0’s of the binary system. “But I can only go to 32, holding all five fingers out. Oh, wait! 33, 34, 35 … “ as she used her other hand to coninue. Her mom asked where she learned that. She said, “I saw some older kids do it, so I taught myself.” I don’t think we should worry about that child.

Favorites…

What did someone say to you that instantly made you realize their life was in danger?

My dad said he should get his “cancer” looked at. I asked what he meant and he opened his shirt. There was a 2-inch long mole-like growth on his chest, brown and black and rough on the surface.

I’d had many skin cancers removed, and dermatologists have lots of pictures around showing both the benign and the dangerous kinds. This looked exactly like the photos of very dangerous Melanoma, the lethal version that had no cure.

I got him to go to the best doctor in Dallas. His diagnosis: Lie on the operating table – now! We have to remove the cancer today, without waiting for the biopsy. It was definitely the deadly kind.

He removed it all using the then-new Mohs technique of mapping the sample, flash freezing it and checking if there were any ‘edges’ that may still leave cancer cells.

My dad came home with 23 staples in his chest; my mom fainted at the sight. But he survived.

He’s 94 years old, living comfortably in Arizona, and still mentions how I saved his life sending him to the doctor 30 years ago.

Body counts of 19 year old girls

Damn! But, it’s a new world…

What screams “I’m upper class”?

In college, I made a pretty good living writing papers for trust-funders.

My background is dirt poor: single mother, trailer park, small town. I earned a scholarship to a Top 20 private university. It was my first exposure to True Wealth.

Where I grew up, the farmer who drove his Cadillac into town was “rich.” The doctor who built a Tudor monstrosity beside the lake was “rich.”

They weren’t, as I realized during freshman orientation.

A guy down the hall had the same last name as a Wall Street brokerage. His great-(or great-great) grandfather founded it.

A girl upstairs (coed dorm) was the daughter of a household-name media figure.

My roommate’s dad wasn’t famous, but he owned a company that manufactured parts for the Big 3 automakers. It was quite a conversation stopper when he asked, “So what does your dad do?”

I met many others. I became friends with some. Others, I noticed, were patronizingly polite toward me.

They took money for granted, to the extent that they were baffled, even resentful, when lack of it was an impediment. A friend and I discussed moving to an off-campus apartment the next year. I calculated that my scholarships (plus the side hustle) would cover half the rent and utilities for basic two-bedroom squalor.

He found us a condo that, for a mere $150,000 apiece (40 years ago), we could live in for three years and then resell for a handsome profit. He couldn’t understand how my single mother, still living in a trailer, didn’t have $150,000. “Well, can’t she just borrow it?” He found a future roomie with deeper parental pockets. We were never as friendly again.

He was the son of a lawyer and a Fortune 500 VP. Like so many others I met, he had attended prestigious prep schools, some of which even a hick like me had heard of.

And many of them didn’t give a fuck about the education an elite university could provide. They viewed their admission the same as their trust funds — as a present given at birth.

My roommate skipped far more classes than he attended, but he managed to pass. (Not only are the rich different from you and me, as Fitzgerald observed, but so are the rules that apply to them.)

His mom had even written his admissions essay. It was how things worked in their world. Other people did things for you, while you floated along in your cloud of privilege.

He was my first customer — an English 101 five-pager comparing-contrasting Holden Caulfield and Huck Finn. He wanted to go skiing instead.

I was careful not to write it too well. He got a B-minus and was satisfied.

Word got around. I charged exorbitantly — $100 (about $350 today) and sometimes more, depending on length and deadline imminence. The Fifth-Avenuers and Connecticut-estaters were happy to be overcharged and undereducated.

These were not stupid people. Their range of experiences had made them far more sophisticated than I. They just didn’t see the point of learning for learning’s sake. No classroom-derived fact or principle or perspective would make a material difference in their lives’ trajectories.

My roommate, for example, knew that once he shook the dean’s hand and accepted his fancy paper, he’d begin working in his dad’s company. The four years until then were Party Time. All he had to do was not get kicked out.

Years later, I realized that as an executive in the family business, he’d never dream of sorting out a complex problem by himself. If critical thinking or analysis were required, or research and a report to summarize it, he’d hire someone to do it — some jumped-up striver, some social-climbing grind educated on scholarships.

Someone like me. In a way, college actually was preparing him for the future.

Effort is for the little people. Nothing screams “upper class” louder.

EDIT: A few replies have criticized my answer for equating monetary wealth with social class. Fair point, although in my experience the noblesse oblige plummet rather swiftly without wealth to keep them aloft.

On the other side of the coin, even the nouveau-est of the nouveau-riches often establish their begrudged place among American aristocracy within a generation. Papa Joe Kennedy was a crass, rum-running thug, yet his kids were perceived to be shining knights of Camelot.

Upper class is longitudinal wealth and privilege. And power. Always power, even when wielded without malice or intent.

With that in mind, I’ve made a few tweaks to clarify that the old classmates I’ve mentioned grew up in an upper class cocoon, where they developed the patronizing obliviousness toward struggle/work/effort and an occasionally disdainful amusement toward social climbers.

Doing the right thing

What was the shortest interview you’ve had that led to a job offer?

I left message with a cruise line stating I was a dealer looking for work.

30 minutes later I got a call back.

Hi this is Ed from Dolphin cruise lines. Do you deal roulette?

Me: yes

Ed: you have a passport?

Me: yes

Ed: we have an opening but you need to make it to Miami in 3 days. Call me when you’re here.

So. I sold my car to get money for a flight. Told my girlfriend I was moving out and leaving for Miami. (It was a crappy relationship. Part of the reason I applied).

As soon as I got to Miami I called Ed and he told me to hurry and get to the port. I arrived and was amazed at how big the ships were and was trying to guess which one was mine when I met Ed. He gave me a plane ticket to Aruba and told me to hurry back to airport as the flight was leaving in a few hours.

Flew on the first and only smoking flight on Air Aruba. Got off and joined the M/S Oceanbreeze. Was the start of a 12 year journey that had me see over 100 countries, 27 ships, and 9 cruises lines until I met my wife on one and we returned to Canada to settle down.

In retrospect it was the most influential call of my life.

While driving a stick shift, how do you handle taking off at a traffic light when there’s a car extremely close behind you on a hill?

Fifty years ago, on my honeymoon in San Francisco, my new bride asked if she could drive my car. I said “Sure!” – without hesitation, knowing that was the only conceivable right answer. It was a Porsche 356 coupe I had while still in grad school and while we were dating. She had been with me on lots of drives, but had never driven the car.

But you don’t drive in San Francisco without, at some time, being stuck on a hill – the city is hilly! And sure enough, a car came right up behind us and stopped.

“What do I do?”, she cried out. I talked her through it: With your feet firmly on the clutch and brake, pull on the parking brake. Then with the car in first gear, move your foot to the accelerator pedal and rev the engine so it doesn’t lug. Now slowly let the clutch out until you feel the car try to move forward, then release the parking brake. Up the hill we went (whew!).

She never asked to drive my car again.

Only seeing the finished product

Have you ever done something nice for someone, and they returned the favor many years later?

I’m a physician and used to work in a small town. One evening a tree cutter knocked on my door. He had cut his thumb off. I made sure the bleeding was slowed and suggested he see a specialty hand surgeon but he insisted he had no insurance and could neither afford the emergency room or a specialist.

I agreed to do the surgery. I blocked his arm with anesthesia and I spent all night in my office re-implanting his thumb.

The next day, my office staff saw the blood in the exam/surgical room and asked what happened and asked how much to charge. I instructed them NOT to charge him as he had no insurance.

Although the first few days were rocky, my patient did well and now has a normal functioning thumb.

Years went by and Hurricane Hugo smashed the North and South Carolina coast directly hitting Charleston and began to move inward and upward. The storm hit my town and knocked trees over and many were in my yard including one that fell and hit my two-year-old daughter’s window!

The morning after the storm, I heard the noise of a chain saw. I looked out and there was the tree cutter cleaning up AND grinding the stumps of all my trees! He yelled and waved- “Doc, no worries – I’m just paying you back!” Quite a nice barter deal!

What women want

These video clips are just so precious.

I’m 63 years old and so lonely. Does it matter to anyone?

A couple of years ago, I noticed a hunchbacked figure standing in our front garden, but I had no idea what it was doing there. Instead of approaching the figure, I watched it patiently, and noticed that she seemed to be pulling weeds. And then she was gone.

Over the next few weeks and months, the woman reappeared on an irregular basis, and proceeded with pulling weeds on her own in our frontyard, slowly and decidedly, but also absently — as if she was meditating.

Sometimes, I also heard her singing.

One day, we walked up to her to have a chat. And so she told us she was a widow who had lived on her own for almost a decade now, only a couple of houses further down the road, and that in lack of any company (except for a son who only seemed to surface if he needed something), one day she had decided to pull some weeds — be cause she loved doing that.

And she had chosen our frontyard.

She asked us if that was alright, and we happily acknowledged. It was the start of a curious frontyard relationship which sublimated through (watching) pulling weeds, (listening to) old forgotten songs, waving hallo to each other with a smile, and the occasional short chat. It lasted for some years.

One day, the weeds kept on growing and the old songs started to fade, and in front of her old house, an ugly “TO SELL” sign appeared which symbolized her passing. In between the high grass and long thistles in our frontyard, you could still find some crumbled musical notes if you had some luck.

So to answer your question: it does matter to anyone.

It matters to us.

Creole Goulash

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 pounds beef round steak
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 (16 ounce) bag frozen soup vegetables
• 1 (16 ounce) bag frozen Brussels sprouts
• 1 bag frozen hash brown potatoes
• 1 can tomato juice
• McCormick’s Creole Seasoning
• Garlic powder or salt

Instructions

1. Cut meat into bite-size chunks and brown in olive oil.
2. Add frozen vegetables and a nice amount of the hash brown potatoes and dash liberally with Creole seasoning.
3. Dash slightly with garlic salt. Stir well.
4. Add enough tomatoes juice to make a nice thick sauce and dash more Creole seasoning/mix to taste.
5. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are cooked and/or reduce heat for desired thickness of tomatoes sauce.

What conversations have you overheard in a language they assumed you don’t know?

I work at a reception in London. I’m Swedish, as are some of our guests.

Guest: “The light bulb in our room is out.”

Me: “I’m so sorry about that! The maintenance guy will be here later, are you OK until then?”

Guest: “Sure, thanks!”

Guests among each other in Swedish, right in front of me: “How fucking hard can it be to change a light bulb?”

Me: “Oh, you’re Swedish, cool! The problem is that I have no idea where he keeps the light bulbs.”

I will never forget the looks on their faces! I take customer service and my job very seriously, but I must admit I enjoyed that moment at the expense of the guest 🙂

Is it true that most young unmarried men in China don’t have girlfriends, because of the gender imbalance in China? If yes, then what are some solutions for this problem?

I have a solution to the gender imbalance problem. I also have a solution to the “I cant afford to marry a girl because I can’t afford a house, car, and bride price” problem. Are you ready for it?

Chinese men should actively pursue and seek to bring women from America, Australia, Europe (etc) to China. Western women don’t usually expect their partner to automatically have a house or even a car, and they certainly don’t expect any sort of dowry or bride price.

China has historically been very good at absorbing any invading people groups. This would be no different. Let the Western women “invade” and in a generation they will be absorbed into the culture. If China put effort into exporting soft power appeal in the same way that Japan and Korea do, then getting women to come over and marry would be easier. Would there be cultural differences as wide as the Grand Canyon and a big language barrier? Yes. But they could be overcame easily enough with time and patience.

My answer is a bit silly perhaps, but you must admit, it’s creative!

Why people like Tiktok

What will serve you well in life?

Just yesterday, I was on my way to work, a commute that involves driving across Tampa Bay on a 2 mile long bridge.

My bridge was stuffed with traffic.

A commute that usually took 30 minutes, took 2 hours.

This traffic jam literally shut down Tampa’s morning commute, causing everyone to be an hour late.

What I later found out, was that that morning around 5:00 AM, a highly intoxicated man drove down the wrong side of the bridge.

He made it almost 2/3 the way down across the bridge.

He was weaving between oncoming traffic, until he finally went head on into an oncoming commuter:

He was killed.

The innocent person he hit is in the hospital currently, in critical condition.

The driver had a history of drunk driving.

It does make one wonder what takes people down these roads in their life.

Perhaps it started with one drink with friends as a younger man, and later snowballed into a full blown addiction.

Maybe the addiction was just a substitute for unhappiness in his life.

Or maybe driving down that bridge was his way out, and he was willing to take someone with him.

In any event, we all have our demons, though typically they aren’t as powerful as this man’s was. But those demons represent our weaker selves.

Know your demons. Know their names. Know when they visit. Know how to keep them out.

Small demons can become big demons. Big demons can be many demons. And when that happens, it’s game over.

Keep an eye on your demons.

Demons hate being seen. When you see them, they tend to shrink. They tend not to multiply.

How do you interpret President Xi Jinping’s meeting with American executives in San Francisco?

US business men are normal successful people who knows right from wrong. And they know China is a humongous and unavoidable market that makes or break them. The average Joe here is QUORA who are hubris, naive and ignorant thinks the U.S. is a ten foot giant and it can do any shit it wants. That is why they are less read, less travelled, more conservative mainly white trash don’t get it.

But U.S. business men are articulate and mindful. The came in force here in San Francisco to greet and express support to China and Xi Xinping. Waves flow to the shores everywhere and businesses go where money can be made.

Your U.S. media can say or do shit it wants. It don’t work. Your despicable politicians can say or do anything it wants but it won’t work. Every firm get out of China 3 new firms move into China. These companies unlike the average Joe the racist are smart and knows how to grow.

Unfortunately in the U.S. is mainly made of average Joe, so it seems the entire U.S. are made of fools. But the U.S. business men are no fools.

Kenny Veach Vanishes on his Quest for the M Cave | Mojave Mysteries Vol. 1

The Why Files is just on another level compared to other Youtube channels. Everytime Why Files uploads a video, it makes you question reality, it makes you laugh (looking at you Hecklefish), and sometimes (like this time) it makes you feel. I’m so glad that I stumble on this channel.

What is the most embarrassing thing you heard over the mic while gaming?

Back in high-school, I regularly had game night with a couple of good friends, and being that we were a group of socially awkward nerds, we had plenty of hilarious experiences.

One night while we were playing Grand Theft Auto V, my friend’s mom suddenly came into his room, and she seemed incredibly concerned.

James: “Hi Mom. Do you need something?”

Her: “James. We need to talk.”

James: “Uh, okay. Let me turn off my mic real quick.”

Her: “No no, leave it on. I want your friends to hear this too.”

James: “Uhhhh, okay? So what’s going on?”

Her: “James, I want you to be honest with me. Are you gay?”

James: “What? No! Why are you asking me this?”

Her: “Are you sure? It’s okay. I don’t mind. It’s just that you’re almost 18 now, and you still haven’t had a girlfriend yet.”

James: “…”

Her: “I mean, I’ve never even seen you talk to a girl before. Are you afraid of women or something? It’s okay. You can be honest with me.”

James: “No Mom, it’s not like that. Can we please talk about this later?”

Her: “James, I’m just really concerned for you. Guys your age should be getting experience.”

James: “Oh my god. Mom, please…”

Her: “Is there anyone that you’re interested in? Maybe I can help you out. Or what if you ask some of your friends right now? I bet they know some good girls for you.”

James: “MOM. PLEASE. AHHHHH.”

The rest of us could barely hold in our laughter.

Now, I don’t know if his mom was just trolling us or not, but it was absolutely hilarious.

What is normal in China that is weird and sometimes rude in many countries?

Asking for something in the shop to the cashier.

If you are in an English speaking country, and you over hear a Chinese person say to the cashier in the general store, or waiter/waitress in restaurant some thing like:

“Give me a pack of Marlboro, and a lighter.”

“Give me a pack of gum, and a mint.”

“Give me a House Specialty Grilled Rib with mashed potatoes on the side.”

And it cringes you, because you find it rude and impolite.

It made you think of a robber in the dark alley saying:

“Give me your fucking wallet, or I’ll cut you!”

You are right to feel that way…

But mind you, it’s not that the Chinese people are rude.

It’s because this asking for something is extremely acceptable in the Chinese language.

If I were to go to buy stuff in China, I’d say:

“给我一个冰淇淋， 谢谢。”

“给我们一个红糖冰粉，加西瓜；油爆鳝糊；莼菜银鱼羹；两客生煎；一份时令鲜蔬；两碗米饭。”

literally, it means “Give me an ice cream, thanks.”

In China, it doesn’t have strong command implications.

But the acceptable way of ordering and buying in English speaking cultures, it’s:

“I’ll have…”

“I’ll get…”

“I want…”

To sound less aggressively demanding and more “asking politely”.

What is a stand that you took with a customer that you will never apologize for?

I was working a seasonal second job as a cashier at Toys R Us to earn extra money for the holidays. I was working Thanksgiving evening. We opened the doors at 6:00 pm to give an early start to Black Friday customers. The man who was first in line went running back to the exact spot where the specific toy he wanted for his granddaughter SHOULD have been. Each store was guaranteed to have at least one Barbie Escalade that year, but it was strangely not the case at our large store.

I knew there were certain employees who would often buy the limited items before customers ever had the chance to buy them. Sooo….when the gentleman came to my checkout aisle, panicking over not being able to find the car he had been waiting for out in the cold since that morning, I apologized and took him straight to the manager.

Since I was seasonal, I didn’t really care if I lost my job or not. I explained to the manager, right in front of the customer, that the gentleman was here for the one guaranteed Barbie car, but it was not on the floor. When the manager said someone must have gotten to it first, I then said, “This gentleman has been waiting first in line outside all day, skipping Thanksgiving, and was the first person back to that department. The registers have not had anyone check anything out yet. Clearly, we owe this man a car.” The manager simply said, “I’m sorry, but there are no rainchecks and we probably won’t get anymore in before Christmas.” I told her, in front of him, that I suspected an employee had rung it out and taken it to their car before we opened. “While this gentleman is here, can you please track this inventory number to see who checked it out?” The manager said she didn’t have the time.

I gave the gentleman, after she walked away, the inventory number and the number to the district manager so he knew who to report it to and what to say.

I found out later it was a friend of the manager who worked in the back room who had grabbed it up. I guess that still happens at a lot of stores…..Grinches they are.

He’s just being friendly…

What is something you need to confront?

I stumbled upon a DVD of old home videos in my dad’s stuff. They were from ’96 so I wasn’t even a thought back then — all the footage was of my sister, age 2, doing nothing of importance but everything worth filming to first-time parents.

And you bet your ass I sobbed while watching it.

I have lost a lot in the past three years.

We lost our family house, built five generations ago.

One dog. One cat. One bird. A few fish.

My parents’ marriage.

My mom’s new apartment.

Friendships because of depression.

When I could no longer afford it, college.

And the small stuff. I think someone sold my guitar while I was away. I don’t know where my records went. Where are my keepsakes, my high school yearbooks I will never look through but what if I wanted to?

My solution is, was, and has always been, to simply not think about it.

Don’t ask Mom where your guitar is. Don’t ask Mom what happened to your cat. Don’t ask, don’t question, don’t wonder.

It’s gone. Just let it be.

For months now I haven’t grieved because grieving is what you do when someone dies. It’s how you process the loss of a physical person, and through all the turmoil all of my physical people — whether I liked it or not — had survived.

But just a few weeks ago, my dad passed away.

Suddenly I was faced with my own definition of what grief should be, and even so I rejected it because I simply didn’t need to grieve.

I hadn’t seen him in nearly two years by the time he passed. Never mind the fact I lived with him for 18, clearly we weren’t close and therefore I had no real reason to grieve.

Done. Problem solved. Grief averted.

A week after he passed my sister and I traveled back to Wyoming to sort through his stuff and in the mess we uncovered a DVD labeled “home videos.”

Out of curiosity I polished it up and popped it in a disk drive. I figured it’d be some nice nostalgia, something fun and lighthearted.

At first, it was. I laughed a lot. The first video was my sister’s 2nd birthday party, so I watched her open presents and play with toys and blow out the candles on her cake.

Then the camera panned around the room and I saw everyone in attendance — both my grandmas, all my uncles and aunts and cousins and great-aunts and everyone in one room, laughing and joking and telling stories.

It hit me like a freight train.

Over half of the people in that shot were either dead or estranged. Most of them hate each other now. Some I haven’t seen in years. Others I’ll never see again.

The footage cut and continued to a few days after her birthday party. My sister was on the couch watching TV while my dad chattered from behind the camera.

“Taylor, what are you doing?”

She grins.

“Look at that smile.” He laughs.

“Taylor, I love you. I love you Taylor. I love you.”

I had to pause to get tissues. My chest hurt. I felt lightheaded.

Look at everything we’ve lost.

I would never have that life again. No big family coming together happily for a birthday party. No dad cooing from behind the camera, just proud to be a father. No watching my parents be in love. It’s gone. It’s all gone.

And I can’t keep pretending it doesn’t bother me.

Is it any wonder why I don’t want to date because I know they’ll always leave? Why I don’t make new friends, because they’ll leave too? Why I hate leaving my apartment because I know my cat will die, or leaving my car because I know they’ll tow it away even though they have no reason to? Why I refuse to get a regular salaried job because I know they’ll fire me and I’ll lose everything — my home, my stuff, my life?

Is it any wonder I’m afraid?

I know that if I never grieve, I’ll always have that clinging onto me. I’ll always be scared to do anything, to gain anything, because I’ll always be afraid that I might lose it again.

So as much as I dislike it, I have to confront where I’ve been. I have to accept loss and find ways to move forward with it.

It hurts. It hurts so much.

But carrying it with me every single day is so, so much worse.

My Girlfriend Failed A Loyalty Test And Had A Complete MELTDOWN After I Told Her It Was Over

Human relationships and the turmoil that can occur. Ugh! I am so very glad that I past that stage in my life. It’s so difficult for so many people.

Have you ever discovered that you or your friend’s drink was drugged or tampered with?

It was 80’s Florida, a party at some college students’ apartment. My older sister, 18 and I, 16, went. My sis didn’t do drugs and wasn’t a big drinker. After a couple hours, we were standing outside talking, all was normal. The next second, my sis couldn’t stand up. She just slumped to the ground as if all her bones had suddenly disintegrated. Luckily her bf was there too – between the two of us we managed to get her in the back of the car and outta there. When we got home we put her in her bed and explained to mom what had happened. As she didn’t drink much or do drugs, somebody must have spiked her drink. Luckily she was with us when it took effect, or God knows what would have happened.

Gender aging

What was the shortest interview you’ve had that led to a job offer?

The department store personnel director lady slid the familiar-looking booklet across her desk. “It’s just a short test we give all our applicants,” she said. “You have five minutes.” I glanced down at the first page. “Uh … I really can’t take this test,” I told her. She looked puzzled. “And why not?” I smiled. “Because I know all the answers,” I replied. She smirked. “Well, I guess we’ll see about THAT, won’t we?”

It wasn’t an idle boast. During my sophomore year of college I did an internship at a local mental health clinic where I administered and scored various tests. In addition to personality profiles, many of our clients were given a timed, multiple choice IQ test that had been developed by the military. It was the same test the store personnel lady had just handed me. I’d scored hundreds of them. And, with lots of practice, I’d memorized the answer key.

It took less than a minute to color in all of the little circles on the answer sheet. “Did you even bother to read the questions?” she asked. “Sort of,” I replied. End of interview.

My mother was standing by the phone as I walked through the kitchen door. “The store just called,” she said. “They want to offer you a job.” I climbed back into my car and returned to the store where the flustered personnel lady spent the next few minutes gushing over my “highest ever” test score. I was quickly ushered into the store manager’s office. My test was on his desk. “How?” he asked. He cradled his head in his hand and tried hard not to laugh as I recounted my repeated attempts to explain my knowledge of and experience with the test I’d just aced.

“So you really did know all the answers,” he said with a smile. Yup.

The job was mine.

Why does everyone say China’s economy is doing so badly when they are growing at 5.4% according to the IMF?

It is doing badly

No point in being an Ostrich. After all we can’t be like our Indian brothers

Two of its largest earners – Exports and Real Estate have taken a hit plus due to the Global slowdown and Fed interest rates , Investments are in mild net outflow

The point is SO ARE OTHER ECONOMIES

They are doing way worse than China which is not being covered in any way by anyone

The Narrative is that China is the only economy that is doing badly, giving the illusion that every other economy is booming and thriving

That’s the problem and that is propaganda

Every Economy has good and bad points

China’s bad points are it’s Real Estate, it’s Exports , it’s Investment outflow and it’s Local Government Debt

Yet it’s good points are it’s surging domestic demand, domestic consumption, very strong fiscal stability and very low National Debt for a GDP of that size

It’s Resilience so to speak of

The Western Media continuously harp on the negative aspects of Chinas economy while ignoring the positive aspects completely

The Western Media almost always harp on the positive aspects of countries like USA while turning a blind eye to the negative aspects

The reason is over the last two years or so, the Western Media and the Western Nations have decided to go back to the DEMOCRACY IS THE BEST MODEL mode

Thus they target primarily China and Russia for all the flaws and illustrate that both nations are likely to collapse any minute

Putin doesn’t care too much

He has his Oil and Gas and his army and he simply has no dependence on the US. He knows at the end of the day, for thirty years at least, maybe forty, the world needs his Oil badly and as long as he sells Oil, he gets whatever imports he wants

Besides at 2 Trillion, Russia isn’t an Economic threat to the West

Their threat is Military and hence the barrage of so called Russian Military Collapses predicted since 2022 May by every Western Journalist

Xi meanwhile is dependent on the West today for a lot of business and so he can’t say f*** you like Putin can

Besides at $ 19 Trillion, China is an economic threat to the US directly rather than a Military one

So the narrative is one sided, badly one sided

The reality is US and Europe are doing worse than China

Its just a bad time for the Global Economy due to three years of Covid led economic fracture plus the Ukraine conflict plus now Gaza

People are in recession mode and aren’t jumping to buy stuff and build stuff, the way they were in 2016–2017

Democracies hide and sugar coat the issues they face due to election fears

China faces the problems head on

That’s the simple difference

In 1917…

China

Excerpts from some speeches:

China is a socialist country, and a developing country as well. China belongs to the Third World. 

Consistently following Chairman Mao’s teachings, the Chinese Government and people firmly support all oppressed peoples and oppressed nations in their struggle to win or defend national independence, develop the national economy and oppose colonialism, imperialism and hegemonism. 

This is our bounden internationalist duty. China is not a superpower, nor will she ever seek to be one. What is a superpower? 

A superpower is an imperialist country which everywhere subjects other countries to its aggression, interference, control, subversion or plunder and strives for world hegemony. If capitalism is restored in a big socialist country, it will inevitably become a superpower. 

The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, which has been carried out in China in recent years, and the campaign of criticizing Lin Piao and Confucius now under way throughout China, are both aimed at preventing capitalist restoration and ensuring that socialist China will never change her colour and will always stand by the oppressed peoples and oppressed nations.

If one day China should change her colour and turn into a superpower, if she too should play the tyrant in the world, and everywhere subject others to her bullying, aggression and exploitation, the people of the world should identify her as social-imperialism, expose it, oppose it and work together with the Chinese people to overthrow it.

Deng’s speech represents Mao’s attitude and is also a declaration from the PRC government to the world.

This speech actually represents China’s long-standing foreign policy and national positioning:

mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, non- interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence.

Wolf Formation

Were you aware that a Chinese fighter jet intercepted a Canadian surveillance plane taking part in a UN operation to enforce sanctions against North Korea?

FFS, it was not an intercept. No one got shot at or shot down.

The Canadian plane was there, far away from home. The Chinese plane was there, close to home. They flew together for a while, but the Canadian crew got anxious. Perhaps they know that they do no have a real excuse to be there.

If and when a Chinese military plane ever flies close to the Canadian coast, a Canadian flight might do the same.

The last time an errant Chinese balloon drifted over the North American continent, it was shot down. That is what you’d call an intercept.

Let’s stop with the hypocrisy and the hyperbole.

No action…

Biden Sends “War Powers” Notification to Congress over Gaza Situation

World Hal Turner

Al Jazeera is reporting utterly massive and continuous bombardment of the northern Gaza Strip; unlike anything seen so far.  They believe a ground offensive has begun.  ALL COMMUNICATIONS CUT OFF.  Phones, Fax, Internet, Cellular all off.

Russian Television (RT) reports complete loss of contact with their crew inside Gaza.  Even TV satellite uplinks are not working; possibly being JAMMED.

Sources in and around Gaza are claiming that the Artillery, Tank, and Airstrikes on the Northern Gaza Strip tonight are the Heaviest they have seen since the start of the War.

Israeli naval vessels have begun shelling the northern tip of the Gaza Strip.   This is in ADDITION to ongoing air strikes, and artillery shelling.

— Reports of General mobilization announced by Palestinian resistance in West Bank.

— IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari says the military has ramped up airstrikes in the Gaza Strip in the last few hours: “The Air Force is striking underground targets very significantly. Ground forces are expanding the ground activity this evening.“

–Palestinian Red Crescent says it has lost contact with its operations headquarters in Gaza.

— IDF Spokesman Hagari announces: “The ground forces are expanding ground operations this evening”

— IDF set to expand ground operations in Gaza tonight; Israel considers giving up on hostage deal & fully invading Gaza.

— U.S. President Biden has just been Briefed by his National Security Team on Updates regarding the Situation in Israel and Gaza:

Iran Foreign Minister: “They pressed the button.”   (HT remark: I take this to mean the Ground Offensive is a “Go.”  )

 — Israeli Channel 12: “Israel abandons the prisoner deal and prepares for ground entry.”

— Israeli Diplomatic Officials have stated tonight that they believe Hamas has been “Dragging their Feet” on Hostage Negotiations within Qatar in order to Delay or Halt an Israeli Invasion of the Gaza Strip, and that despite the claims made the last few days by U.S, Egyptian, and Qatari Officials there is No Breakthrough that has been seen; further stating that they are Finished with Waiting.

UPDATE 3:48 PM EDT —

Columns of Israeli tanks are on the move, approaching the Gaza Border north of Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoun:

— Hamas official tells the Financial Times the organization ‘did not expect this much of a response from America’ after the 7th of October attack, adding ‘what we are seeing now is the entrance of the US into the battle, and this we didn’t count on’.

 3:50 PM EDT —  Hamas: We hold Israel, Washington, and Western capitals responsible for the massacres in Gaza.

— Oil prices surge by 3% over Middle East tensions

 — Hamas calls on Arab countries and the international community to help ‘stop the crimes and massacres against our people’

 ***** BULLETIN *****

3:54 PM EDT —

ISRAELI TANKS ARE NOW STORMING INTO GAZA

Israeli Tanks have crossed the Border Fence into the Northern Gaza Strip near the City of Beit Hanoun.

— Gold hits $2,000 an ounce for the first time in five months

— Oil just spiked 3% and rising.

UPDATE 4:02 PM EDT —

Israeli tanks have just now begun crossing the Northern Border into Gaza.

 4:05 PM EDT —  Hamas-Linked Accounts are claiming that Israeli Tank has been Struck by an Anti-Tank Guided Missile and Destroyed to the East of Beit Hanou in Northern Gaza.

Meanwhile, up at the West Bank . . . . There is a shootout between Hamas and the IDF at the Nitzani Oz checkpoint in the Tulkarm region. Three homemade bombs were thrown at Israeli soldiers at the checkpoint.

 ***** FLASH *****

Update from Israeli Defense Force: “The Expanded Activity into Gaza Is Not The Anticipated Larger Operation”

 — The Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs states that the Israeli Invasion of the Gaza Strip has begun.

4:10 PM EDT — Large IDF infantry & armored forces operating in several towns; exchanges of fire and massive airstrikes reported

4:12 PM EDT — JUST IN: Rocket attacks have begun against U.S. facilities in both Syria and Iraq.

 NOW ALSO IN THE WEST BANK — The city of Nablus is uprising against the Israeli invasion of Gaza.  Thousands taking to the streets.

4:16 PM EDT — The map below shows where Israeli forces have entered the northern Gaza Strip:

— this may be a probing attack . . .

— Adviser to Israel’s PM says military operations are underway and ‘when this is over, Gaza will be very different’.

 — Explosions reported in another US illegal base in Kharab al-Jir area in Hasakah Syria.

Entire West Bank Erupting:

4:21 PM EDT — Large Explosions have now also been reported at the Al-Omar Oil Fields in Northwestern Syria which houses a U.S. Operations Base.

 4:24 PM EDT —

HMMMMMMMMMMMMMM . . . . . . .

Reports of Egyptian Air Force and Israeli Air Force airborne over the EGYPT/ISRAELI border at Eilat and Taba.

Why did Egypt put fighter jets up, and why is Israel mirroring them?   

MORE:

Just-in:   Egypt deployed air defense systems to the Sinai Peninsula.    Well, Egypt certainly isn’t doing that over the Palestinians . . . is Egypt going to war against Israel?

UPDATE 4:31 PM EDT —

Houthis in Yemen are launching ballistic missiles and drones towards Israel.

 — IDF infantry and armored forces are now operating in Bureij, Beit Hanoun and Jabaliya in the Gaza Strip, with gunfire and heavy airstrikes reported.

EGYPT . . . .     

Grand Imam of Egypt’s Al-Azhar Ahmed el-Tayeb condemns what Israel is doing now in Gaza as ‘blind terrorism, clear violation of all conventions, norms’

FROM INSIDE GAZA VIA SOURCE WITH Turkish cellular SIM Card:

“The area of Beit Hanoun adjacent to the Erez crossing point is being annihilated into oblivion”

DUGIN IN RUSSIA:  “Israel has just declared the beginning of ground operation in Gaza. The Judgment Day is announced. Now the most important events have to follow. All US efforts to prevent or at least to delay it were in vain. This is the war between islamic world and collective West.”

4:38 PM EDT — Initial Reports of Explosions over the City of Eilat in Southern Israel.

— Turkish President Erdogan is urging residents to come out tomorrow for a rally in support of Palestine.

— Hamas’ Al-Qassam Brigades says it is confronting Israeli ground incursion into Beit Hanoun, northern Gaza Strip; violent clashes taking place on the ground

4:57 PM EDT — In the Update above showing 4:31 PM, I reported Yemen was launching Ballistic Missiles at Israel.  At the Update above showing 4:38 PM, I reported “Explosions over the city of Eliat” Israel.   Moments ago, Hezbollah’s official channel posted a message from a member of Yemen’s Ansarullah movement with a single word: ‘Eilat’  —  following recent explosions in the southern Israeli city. Hezbollah had previously hinted at involvement if Israel pursued a ground invasion.   With it’s posting saying “Eliat” Yemen becomes the first outside country to attack Israel over the Gaza situation.

USELESS . . .

UN General Assembly adopted a draft resolution calling for an “immediate, permanent and sustained humanitarian ceasefire” in Gaza and demanding a cessation of hostilities immediately.  (HT Remark: Useless words, from Useless people in a Useless organization.   The UN should be dissolved.)

Naval Assault By Israel

SPAIN . . .

Spain’s social rights minister says after communications cut off in Gaza, “The objective is clear; they want even more impunity to commit the worst atrocities’

UPDATE 5:08 PM EDT —

Claims now POURING IN saying a Yemen Missile struck Eliat,Israel and this photo is ALLEGEDLY the aftermath of that hit:

— Senior Pentagon official: CVN 69 aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower has passed through the Strait of Hormuz and will be in the waters of the Persian Gulf.

 ***** BULLETIN *****

UPDATE 5:12 PM EDT —

Syrian army artillery in Daraa has begun shelling Israeli army positions in the Golan Heights.   Syria now becomes the SECOND outside country to begin attacking Israel over the Gaza situation.  At this hour, Yemen and Syria are now, apparently, in this fight.

UPDATE 5:17 PM EDT —

Al Jazeera reporter Wael al-Dahduh: “We are not all right. Human body parts are everywhere. Missiles are aimed at everyone. The bombing (of Gaza) does not stop for a second.”

********** URGENT **********

5:19 PM EDT —

Coastal areas of Gaza report that American troops of the Delta Force unit are fighting on the ground.  (I am attempting to verify or corroborate these CLAIMS.   I __did__ call the Pentagon Press Office.  It went like this:  “Hello  this is Hal Turner with radio stations WBCQ and WRMI.  I am receiving reports that American troops from the Delta Force allegedly made entry into the Gaza Strip and are engaged in battle.  Does the Pentagon have any comment to make?  The reply: ‘Not at this time.”  Sooooo, they didn’t confirm it, but they also didn’t DENY it.)

5:40 PM EDT —

Reports of Heavy LOSSES of Israeli armored vehicles (including tanks) destroyed, and Soldiers KILLED.

RELATED: The Dutch embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, urges all Dutch citizens to leave Iraq immediately.

UPDATE 5:44 PM EDT —

President of Belarus: “Any attack on Iran will lead to the third world war.”

— Two Senior U.S. Officials have told CBS News that the Israeli Strikes and Ground Operations tonight in the Gaza Strip appear to be the “Rolling Start” to the Full-Scale Invasion of Gaza.

UPDATE 7:00 PM EDT —

The U.S. State Dept. recommends that U.S. citizens in Lebanon leave now while commercial flights remain available due to the unpredictable security situation. Please see available flight options at Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport

— Israeli Channel 14 says “Disappointment for our army tonight”

— MILITARY OBSERVERS: Israeli army has so far failed with a ground invasion and is practicing a scorched earth policy through indiscriminate bombing of Gaza.

***** FLASH *****

UPDATE 8:09 PM EDT —

North Korean leader Kim Jung Un in a Special Announcement to the people of North Korea, announced: “We are on the threshold of World War III and everyone must prepare.”

— “Moses Staff” an Iranian computer-hacker group warning Israel: “You will undergo irreparable damage in the field of cyber and infrastructure. From now on you should pay for each spilled blood. Wait for huge combined attacks. Our target is clear, specified and accurate”

 — Military Analyst of Israeli Channel 14: The first land operation is a complete disappointment. The government is gambling with the lives of soldiers.

 — Israeli Media is reporting that Thousands of Israeli Troops alongside Hundreds of Tanks and Armored Vehicles have entered the Northern Gaza Strip tonight near the City of Beit Hanoun with Heavy and Difficult Fighting against Terrorist Forces ongoing.

— Hamas spokesman Osama Hamdan said there are ‘no talks’ currently taking place between the group and Israel over a potential ceasefire and prisoner exchange.

 — The Israeli army received a devastating blow on the outskirts of Bureij camp, and the tanks were burning as if they were toys and dolls — Walla News

UPDATE 8:19 PM EDT –

In New York City RIGHT NOW, thousands of people are engaging in a “sit-in” at Grand Central Station.  The event, organized by Jews, DEMANDS an immediate cease fire and saying:

WE’RE TAKING OVER THE GRAND CONCOURSE. WE’RE REFUSING TO ALLOW A GENOCIDE BE CARRIED OUT IN OUR NAMES. CEASEFIRE NOW! NEVER AGAIN FOR ANYONE! 

—  A source in the Palestinian resistance to Al-Mayadeen: “Israeli army is in a state of hit and run and has not been able to stabilize any of its forces in the main effort areas northeast, northwest, and central in Al-Bureij, therefore it intensifies the shelling at the fronts where they intend to advance.”

UPDATE 10:25 PM EDT —

Palestinian sources report that Israeli forces have stormed the Jalazone camp in the West Bank.

— STATEMENT FROM HAMAS LEADER ALI BARAKA ON THE GAZA GENOCIDE

“Bleeding for the people of the Arab nation. The failure of the ground attack launched by the occupation forces on the Gaza Strip through three fronts, and there are heavy losses among the enemy’s ranks in terms of soldiers and equipment.

The enemy fell into ambushes prepared by the Palestinian resistance on a number of fronts, and since the beginning of the battle there have been defensive plans against any attempt.

Kornet missiles and Yassin missiles were used to repel the attack, and we expect the enemy to try again.

The Israeli occupation used helicopters to evacuate the wounded and dead from the battlefield.”

UPDATE 10:31 PM EDT —

Biden sends War Powers Notification to US Congress. 

He will move on

Biden Forced To Call Off His Plans For Ethnic Cleansing Of Gaza

The U.S. government under Joe Biden had developed plans to ethnically cleanse Gaza by moving all of its 2.3 million people into Egypt:

Harry Sisson @harryjsisson – 2:44 UTC · Oct 11, 2023

Amazing: President Biden is working on a plan with other countries that would allow civilians to safely leave Gaza and cross the border into Egypt. This is great news. President Biden is making sure that innocent people don’t die due to the actions of Hamas. That’s leadership.

The NSC spokesperson had confirmed that plan:

US ‘actively working’ to establish safe corridor for Gaza civilians: White House – Yeni Safak – Oct 12, 2023

The US is in active talks with Israel and Egypt to establish “safe passage” corridors for civilians in Gaza to flee ongoing Israeli airstrikes, the White House said Wednesday amid an expected ground offensive in the besieged enclave.

“We’re actively discussing this with our Israeli and our Egyptian counterparts, we support safe passions for civilians. Civilians are not to blame for what Hamas has done. They didn’t do anything wrong,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters at the White House.

“We are actively working on this with Egyptian and our Israeli counterparts. Civilians are protected under the laws of armed conflict, and they should be given every opportunity to avoid the fighting,” he added.

This all was based on a plan originally developed by radical Zionist within the government of Israel:

Leaked: Israeli plan to ethnically cleanse Gaza – The Cradle – Oct 29, 2023

Israeli culture magazine Mekovit published on 28 October a leaked document issued by Israel’s Ministry of Intelligence recommending the occupation of Gaza and total transfer of its 2.3 million inhabitants to Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.

The document, issued on 13 October, identifies a plan to transfer all residents of the Gaza Strip to North Sinai as the preferred option among three alternatives regarding the future of the Palestinians in Gaza at the end of the current war between Israel and the Hamas-led Palestinian resistance.

The document recommends that Israel evacuate the Gazan population to Sinai during the war, establish tent cities and new cities in northern Sinai to accommodate the deported population, and then create a closed security zone stretching several kilometers inside Egypt. The deported Palestinians would not be allowed to return to any areas near the Israeli border.

Egypt of course rejected any such plans. As I had explained:

Netanyahoo’s Strategic Dilemma – Moon of Alabama – Oct 21, 2023

Israel, with the help of the U.S., has tried to push the population of Gaza into Egypt. From Egypt’s standpoint that would be a humanitarian solution, at least as long as others pay for it. But it would cause a serious strategic problem. Resistance by Hamas and others against Israel would continue indefinitely, but Egypt would be held responsible for it.It can not and will not take on that burden.

Despite that logic the White House continued to proceed with its plan. Its request to Congress to finance the wars in the Ukraine and Gaza with up to $106 billion included these lines (pg 40):

Letter regarding critical national security funding needs for FY 2024 – White House – Oct 20, 2023

These resources would support displaced and conflict-affected civilians, including Palestinian refugees in Gaza and the West Bank, and to address potential needs of Gazans fleeing to neighboring countries. This would include food and non- food items, healthcare, emergency shelter support, water and sanitation assistance, and emergency protection. This would also include potential critical humanitarian infrastructure costs needed for the refugee population to provide access to basic, life-sustaining support. This crisis could well result in displacement across border and higher regional humanitarian needs, and funding may be used to meet evolving programming requirements outside of Gaza.

Russia had called out the plan for the nonsense it is:

Middle East and Central Asia. Lavrov on the interests of the USA and the West, parallels with Ukraine – Belta – Oct 28, 2023

“It is clear that such an approach is disastrous, because if the Gaza Strip is destroyed, if two million residents are driven out, as some politicians in Israel and abroad are implying, this will create a catastrophe that will last for many decades, if not centuries,” Sergey Lavrov noted.

Backed by Russia the Egyptian resistance against the plan continued. A phone call held yesterday finally buried it:

Sisi, Biden probe developments of Gaza escalation, reject displacement of Palestinians – Ahram Online – Oct 29, 2023

During the call, El-Sisi reiterated Egypt’s firm rejection of policies that collectively punish and displace the Palestinian people.

Biden, for his part, affirmed to El-Sisi that the US likewise rejects the displacement of Palestinians outside their homeland, expressing his appreciation for the positive role played by Egypt in this crisis, said Egyptian Presidential Spokesman Ahmed Fahmy.

The call touched upon the importance of preventing the expansion of the conflict into the region, added Fahmy.

During the call, El-Sisi reiterated Egypt’s firm rejection of policies that collectively punish and displace the Palestinian people. Biden, for his part, affirmed to El-Sisi that the US likewise rejects the displacement of Palestinians outside their homeland, expressing his appreciation for the positive role played by Egypt in this crisis, said Egyptian Presidential Spokesman Ahmed Fahmy.

Biden was forced to publicly declare that his plans for the ethnic cleansing of Gaza were called off:

President Biden @POTUS – 21:23 UTC · Oct 29, 2023

I also spoke with President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi to share my appreciation for Egypt facilitating the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Gaza.

We reaffirmed our commitment to work together and discussed the importance of protecting civilian lives, respect for international humanitarian law, and ensuring that Palestinians in Gaza are not displaced to Egypt or any other nation.

This is another failure of the dimwit policies cooked up by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and SecState Anthony Blinken as directed by their Zionist puppeteers.

I for one support all plans that would allow them to safely leave Washington DC. They can move to Antarctica or to wherever the climate is severe enough to cool their genocidal moods.

Posted by b on October 30, 2023 at 9:35 UTC | Permalink

Mommy issues

Do soldiers in war ever help the enemy?

Of course. There are many instances. One of the most conspicuous was the case of Lt. Friedrich Lengfeld. He not only died to help a wounded American soldier during the battle of Hürtgen Forest, but is one of the very few Germans honored by his American enemies who in the 50th anniversary of the battle set up a monument in his honor. Here is an excerpt of the story:

By November 10, Lengfeld’s company was exhausted. The group had been decimated, and those who survived hadn’t bathed in days. Everyone was suffering from a serious bout of lice, hunger, malnutrition, and severe cold, as well as damp because of the snow and rain.

They had been fighting over a forester’s lodge in the woods to the south of where the Hürtgen War Cemetery now stands. At the time, the lodge had been used as a shelter by both sides depending on who held it.

The structure was beside a minefield the Germans called “Wilde Sau” (wild sow) and despite its decrepit condition, it provided some shelter from the elements. The following day, Lengfeld lost two men from sniper fire, so they prepared for another attack.

Later that evening, the US 12th Infantry captured the lodge, causing Lengfeld to lose more men. Rallying around him, they launched a counterattack and managed to drive the Americans out the following morning. As the Americans retreated, one of them ran directly into the Wilde Sau with disastrous consequences.

Though severely injured, the American survived and began calling out for help. Beside the minefield was a safe path guarded by a German machine gun. Lengfeld ordered Hubert Gees (a rifleman and his communications runner) to go to the gunner and tell him not to fire at any Americans who came to rescue the man.

Hours passed and no one came for him, either believing he was dead or because the Americans had retreated in disarray. Unable to take the man’s cries any longer, Lengfeld decided to mount a rescue himself.

The lodge was located beside a road protected with antitank mines the company had placed and knew the locations of. At around 10:30 AM, Lengfeld led a team of medics beside the road till he got opposite the American soldier. He then went into the minefield, but as he got off the safety of the path, he stepped on a hidden anti-personnel mine which blasted him away.

They quickly carried Lengfeld back to the lodge, but it was too late. There were two deep holes in his back, and he was suffering from serious internal injuries. They managed to get him to the First Aid Station in Froitzheim where he died later that evening.

The identity of the American soldier remains unknown.

The Battle of Hürtgen Forest was one of the longest battles fought in WWII, lasting from September 1944 until February 1945 at a cost of some 33,000 American lives and about 28,000 German ones.

Despite this, Lieutenant Colonel John Ruggles, former Regimental Executive Officer of the 22nd Infantry felt compelled to honor Lengfeld’s heroism during the battle’s 50th anniversary. And that’s why veterans of the 22nd US Infantry Society set up a monument in his honor at the cemetery.

In part, it reads: No man hath greater love than he who layeth down his life for his enemy

Lt. Lengfeld was 23 years old.

All three mistakes

What are the first things you notice when you become homeless?

I think the very first thing you notice is people’s behavior towards you changing.

Even before you are on the streets, even before you notice how random strangers now treat you differently, call the cops on you for existing, or feel justified in harassing or persecuting you…

Before that, you learn that for so many of the people you considered to be friends, you dont exist anymore. You learn who your real friends and family are, who the people are that will actually stand by you, even in tough times. Often, there are not that many.

The other thing that you learn a lot about is how much people waste.

How much food, clothes, furniture, space, money, how so much of everything is being wasted.

When you live on other people’s scraps, you develop an eye for waste.

It is amazing how much stuff people throw away, most of it perfectly good.

It is also super interesting to see how incredibly protective people are of their garbage! They were throwing it out a second ago to be destroyed, but if you take it, that would be the end of the world. I think it might be because when you take it, it induces cognitive dissonance as people see that the stuff they are throwing out is actually useful.

You notice a lot of other things too. For example that poor people are a lot more tolerant, and willing to help than rich people. To poor people, you are human, but as socioeconomic level rises, things change.
One time one of my friends received some change from someone wearing a suit. We celebrated the event, it was too rare an occasion not to.

Also, you notice how little a roof actually matters, compared to other things.

Is sleeping in a shelter worth the loss of half your day, the loss of your safety, being treated like an animal, suffering withdrawal symptoms, and abandoning your dog? Yeah, no, I’ll find some cardboard somewhere instead, thank you very much.

Edit: and one more that I forgot to mention: Homeless invisibility!

As I sat on the streets, I often pondered what an incredible spy I would make.

Being homeless was sometimes kind of like looking at life from an alternate dimension, where I could see and hear others, but they could not see me, hear me, or notice me.

I could be waving, and speaking to them, but I might as well not have existed, no reaction at all.
Sometimes, I was almost able to get through to some people.
They didn’t quite seem to actually notice me, or ever look at me, but they would speed up a little, or make a detour around me. Perhaps some kind of 6th sense allowed them to feel my presence, even though they could not see or hear me? Maybe this is where the reports of ghosts and other such paranormal experiences come from?

Adaptation

What did someone do on an airplane that made you say “You’ve gotta be kidding me”?

This happened years ago, before I had kids. I was on a flight, sitting in the window seat, minding my own business as people boarded. A young woman with a child sat in the middle seat next to me. I figured the child had the aisle seat, but no, someone else had that seat.

Now the rules then were that a child could be a free lap-rider up until the age of 2 years, then were required to purchase a seat.

This was the biggest 2 year old I have ever seen or the mother was pulling one over on the airline. Now they require a birth certificate if there is any doubt the age of the child.

Everything was fine until the plane took off. At that point the child decided they needed to see out the window and walked onto my lap to see the view.

Mother didn’t even flinch.

Just kept encouraging the child to see the view. She then slipped on headphones and buried her nose in a magazine.

Over the next two hours the child stomped all over me, demanded my attention, and prevented me from eating or drinking anything.

The flight attendants repeatedly asked the mother to keep her child on her lap, and she would for as long as it took for the FA to walk away. The flight attendants kept mouthing ‘sorry’ to me the whole flight.

I decided to suck it up for the child and since it was a short flight to just deal with it. As I stood to disembark the plane, after the mother and child had already left, all of the flight attendants hugged me, shoved extra snacks into my hands and thanked me over and over.

I ended up leaving with a big smile on my face. People like that mother are the reason the rest of us have to deal with so many rules and regulations.

Creole Cabbage Rolls

Add a Creole twist to stuffed cabbage roll recipes. These Creole Cabbage Rolls are stuffed with ground beef, Italian sausage, onions and Zatarain’s Spanish Rice, covered in rich tomato sauce. A delicious dinner recipe, or enjoy as a cold weather meal any time of day.

Prep: 30 min | Bake: 45 min | Yield: 15 servings

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1/2 pound Italian sausage
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 package Zatarain’s® Spanish Rice
• 1 head cabbage, core removed
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

Instructions

1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and sausage; cook and stir until no longer pink.
2. Stir in water, diced tomatoes and Rice Mix; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 25 minutes or until rice is tender.
3. Remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts lightly salted water to boil in large sauce pot. Drop cabbage, stem-side down, into water. Reduce heat to low; simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Remove cabbage and carefully remove outer leaves. Return cabbage to simmering water; simmer until outer leaves have softened.
6. Repeat simmering and removal of cabbage leaves as necessary.
7. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
8. Place about 1/3 cup of rice stuffing near core end of each cabbage leaf. Fold in sides of leaf over stuffing, then roll up. Place rolls, seam-side down, in 13 x 9 inch baking pan. Pour tomato sauce over top.
9. Bake for 45 minutes or until cabbage rolls are tender.

Notes

Variation: Top cabbage rolls with 1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, during the last 10 minutes of cooking.

What could have been awesome if people hadn’t ruined it?

Hitchbot, the hitchhiking robot.

Hitchbot was created by two Canadian professors. According to his creators, he came to fruition in order to see if robots could trust human beings. Hitchbot could not walk, he was only able to speak. Still, he could relate facts and carry on basic conversations. Using just these abilities, the professors wanted to see if he could travel across countries only by hitchhiking.

For a while their plan worked!

Through the kindness of people, Hitchbot had traveled across Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands. Along the way, Hitchbot had cruised the canals of Amsterdam, spent a week with a heavy metal band, and been a part of a wave at a Red Sox game.

Unfortunately, his good fortune would not continue.

Starting on July 17, 2015, Hitchbot would start on his fourth and final journey: attempting to travel from Boston to San Francisco.

After about two weeks, Hitchbot met his sad demise in Philadelphia. The robot was found stripped and decapitated, broken beyond repair. Photos were tweeted of his body, but the head was never found.

Hitchbot could have been a testament to human kindness, and for a while he was. But, ultimately, people had to ruin what could have been an awesome thing.

Still, regardless of his destruction, there was a strong outpouring across the Internet mourning his demise. Despite the poor actions of a few individuals, Hitchbot was able to touch the lives of many.

He remained upbeat all the way up to his passing. His last words are below.

“My trip must come to an end for now, but my love for humans will never fade,” the bot said. “Thank you to all my friends.”

Sources:

HitchBOT, hitchhiking robot, gets beheaded in Philly – CNN

Hitchhiking Robot, Safe in Several Countries, Meets Its End in Philadelphia

hitchBOT – Wikipedia

Power Dynamic

What office rule made you say “Really?”

We had a no alcohol in the office rule. But we were having a summer BBQ put on by the company, which featured a keg of beer. The BBQ was on the lawn in front of the office. One of my coworkers had to use the washroom, and didnt want to put down their red solo cup, with the 10 other identical red solo cups, that were sitting on top of the flower box, by the entrance to the office.

I doubt they even thought about it, they just walked into the washroom, and put their cup on the counter by the sink. One of the bosses walked into the washroom, and started giving him heck, saying that he was going to write him up, and that this was a serious offence. It was, the company had fired someone, for picking up a bottle of wine at lunch, and putting it in his desk, to take home for dinner.

Another coworker was leaving the washroom at the time, and came and got us, and asked us all to bring our beer cups with us to the washroom. We couldn’t even fit in the washroom, we were backed up down the hall.

The boss seeing how big a fuss this was going to be, backed down and said people would only get a verbal warning this time.

Its pretty ridiculous, that a company has a no alcohol in the office policy, but supplies alcohol on the property, where the only washroom is in the office.

What is something about human psychology that almost nobody knows?

• By exercising daily, your risk of catching a cold, flu, or some serious form of infection is dramatically reduced;
• Don’t punish people in your present for the actions of people in your past;
• About 80% of human conversations are complaints;
• People with low self-esteem are more likely to put others down;
• If you want to do more than meet the expectations of society’s life plan, create your own definition of success;
• Growth comes from doing what we don’t want or are afraid to do;
• Your physical pain, as well as fear and stress, can be alleviated by holding the hand of someone you love;
• Even the illusion of progress can be motivating;
• The beginning and the end are always easier to remember;
• All advice is guided by the experience of the person;
• Mental health is just as important as physical health. Emotions are real. Get comfortable with them. Understand that what you feel is normal. You are not less because of how you feel. Find a good therapist before you need one;
• Getting a good night’s sleep, eating healthy foods, and being physically active are essential to staying healthy throughout your life!

What a good man wants…

Do you think democracy is a failure? Why & why not?

Democracy isn’t a failure. When implemented correctly, democracy works very well.

The problem is the US isn’t a democracy.

Yes, yes, I hear you. Technically speaking, the US is a republic, and we use “representative democracy.” Yes, I took Political Science 101 in college, just like you. So shut up for once.

The US isn’t even a “representative democracy.”

The US system is a plutocracy or rule of wealth.

Thank Citizen United, our system is entirely dominated by money. People with great wealth have great influence over our policy. Our representatives in the House and Senate are bought and sold by interest groups. You want single-payer universal health care? LOL, the insurance interests group will kill whatever bill you bring to the floor with super PACs. Do you want to be reelected? Better not hurt the status quo. Oh, and while we’re at it, let’s start another war in the Middle East because weapon manufacturers and military-industrial complexes are paying for my next election.

We might not be able to do much as individual voters, but we can put in the effort to be informed voters. Vote in local elections. Read about policies. Do your research on the candidate you vote for and pay special attention to who’s paying for their campaigns. Donate to candidates who rely on individual donors instead of Super PACs.

And, more than anything, overturn Citizen United Vs. FEC. Money isn’t speech. Political donations should not be protected. Remove money from the election so we can actually have a democracy.

Pre Birth Plan: Woman Volunteers for INSANE HARDSHIPS to Help Earth SHIFT!