We are just a group of retired spooks that discuss things that you’ll not find anywhere else. It makes us unique. Take a look around. Learn a thing or two.
In fact, it was her right index finger. And when I was growing up I was told that the reason why it was gone was because she stuck her finger in a fan when she was a little girl. And, that fan chopped her finger off.
Right at the knuckle.
And I, and all the rest of the kids, believed that story.
As I got older, and took care of my aging mother, and learned some history… I’m not so sure that was the REAL story.
My mother’s mother (my grandmother) was a famous (well, in the Pittsburgh area) dancer during the roaring 20’s. She was pretty talented, and she had all these publicity poses and pictures of her.
She also had a very powerful boyfriend. He was NOT my grandfather. But, this powerful boyfriend was quite the stylish fellow. He drove a fancy Ford automobile, at a time when very few people owned cars. He also wore a big bear skin coat that made him look kind of iconic, with a flat straw hat of the period. And he had an ugly bulldog as a pet.
When looking at the pictures of my grandmother in her “glory days”, I noticed that all her fingers were on her hand. So… yeah, that finger came off after she was with this powerful and stylish boyfriend.
Guys… how does an adult … man or woman lose a finger?
If it was an accident, then certainly other parts of her would be scarred; he arm and her hand. Nope. All normal. Just a missing finger before the knuckle bone.
I never got a real answer.
My mother just cryptically told me that
"...it was important to know who you were going to date and associate with. That sometimes they can hurt you in ways that you can never recover from."
China is turning the global economy into an expanded version of the Chinese global economy by introducing new technologies and products globally just as fast as they were previously introduced in the China domestic market.
The G-7 nations, led by the US, are resisting this; this was what Janet Yellen meant when she was talking about “overproduction”. It is natural for the US and G-7 nations to close their markets to new Chinese technologies and products because they don’t want China to profit from this strategy.
But it won’t make a difference because instead of selling to G-7 markets, Chinese companies will sell their products to other markets.
Example: There has been extensive coverage of Chinese EVs piling up at German ports. The Wall Street Journal has been reporting that the Chinese export plans which worked in the past will not work now because western markets are now closed to Chinese markets.
It won’t make a difference because Chinese automakers have enough production capacity for 50% of the world’s automobile demand.
My guess is that those Chinese EVs stuck in German ports will be loaded onto auto carriers and taken to South America or African ports, and even sold at port-side auctions where payment must be in cash.
Mexico will have more technologically advanced EVs than the US and Canada, and at a lower price.
That is the world we are heading into…
Jo Jo Gunne – Run Run Run
What’s something you did as a child that you still feel bad about as an adult?
I am not an adult yet, but there something I did as a child that I really feel bad and sad about when I think about it.
If you want to skip all the context, just scroll down.
I was maybe 8 or 9, can’t seem to remember when exactly, anyways, my mother had met someone at the time, and she was so happy and proud to be with this man. Though I hated him, this with passion; there was something that really frustrated me about him.
Then he started to sleep at our house, and be with us more and more often, that is when my anger turned towards my dear mother.
It started with being not respectful to her, then not joining them at dinner time, often not eating at all, I would stop talking to her and ignoring her, even if the guy was not there.
Then it really started to go in a wrong way, I began to lock myself in my room for the entire night, therefore not seeing her for days, because I would leave for school before she wake up, and get home before she did. I would eat before she get home, and lock myself until I would fall asleep, this every single day, for months… Our conversations were; her trying to talk and understand me, though I would just yell, at the top of my lungs, to go away.
One day, back from school, like usual, I grabbed food and went to my room, though this time the handle had been removed. There was just a hole in my room’s door.
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(Not my picture, though it was like that)
When she got home, she immediately came in my room, and asked me if I wanted to talk, I would always answer angrily to go away.
As days passed, she eventually thought all this ‘thing’ had to stop… She came in my room again, but this time didn’t leave when I yelled her to, she stood there waiting and looking at me yelling and crying of anger…
Then my dear mother approached me to simply talk to put things straight, and I just instinctively kicked her in the stomach with my foot and yelled to go away and to never come back, as she was no longer my mother.
I feel so sorry and sad now, to think about this event, just seeing her backing off with difficulties to even breath and tears in her eyes filled with sadness. All she wanted is to find someone that would take care and love her after all those years of being a single mother… And there I was ruining everything again…
I love you so much mom, and I wish I could do something for that scar I created…
EDIT: For those who want to know what happened afterwards, it continued like this for months, until she broke up with the guy and from there things got better and better over the course of a year or two.
What is the most ridiculous reason for which you have been fired?
This happened several years ago. I had been working in a position for about 5 years. I was out of town on vacation when I got a call from the boss telling me he sent me an email and to please read it. No other explanation. I opened the email and there was a statement asking me to open the attachment. Again, nothing else. The attachment was the budget for the upcoming year. I noticed an awful lot of zeros next to positions, which I assumed meant those positions weee no longer being funded for the upcoming year…. just zeros nothing else. I was a program director in the agency, and followed those zeros on up to my line on the budget. As you have probably guessed by now… yup, there was a zero for my position. I found out I was being laid off at the end of the fiscal year (2 months from then) via email.
I did call my boss back to clarify the zeros and I did indeed read it correctly. He then asked me to please not leave before the end of the year because there was so much to do to “finalize projects.” I used that time to help myself and about 10 soon to be laid off employees find other jobs.
It turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I ended up in a new career that I love and make a ton more money..
NOT in my worst nightmare did I think the US could revert us to puppet status in less than two years, a status that ended when a nationalistic Senate kicked out American military bases here in 1999, despite the popular Corazon Aquino’s huge efforts to retain them.
Ironically, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the son of the dictator whom Aquino believed had her husband killed, has now trampled on our independence to make the country the US’ certified vassal — the squire-member more accurately of “trilateral alliances” among the US, Japan and Australia, designed to contain the rise of China, the superpower challenging US hegemony.
We’re now Asia’s Ukraine.
But the vassal state is in a boiling-frog situation: While its puppetry right now has put it in the tepid waters of a pan, it is under a fire that will slowly boil, not perceiving the mortal danger it is in until it is too weak to escape.
In the Chinese view, the US has prodded Marcos to quarrel with China over the control of the Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal. With its expertise in propaganda and control of local and global media, it succeeded in portraying China as a bully, water-cannoning and blocking Filipinos from that area that is “Philippine territory.” US propaganda has portrayed Beijing as having no basis at all for claiming that group of islands we call the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) and which the Chinese call Nansha Qundao, and that it is an imperialist power. This is, of course, false, as China had claimed the area as a sovereign territory even before World War II, even centuries before.
The Philippine claims are based on President Ferdinand E. Marcos’ 1978 annexation of the island group and its patently false interpretation of exclusive economic zones (invented by the treaty called Unclos that took effect only in 1994) as superior to sovereign territory and territorial waters. The US also has successfully brainwashed even intelligent Filipinos that China’s claims are based on its arbitrary “nine-dash” line, which China has never claimed.
Basis
We have to understand the basis of our claims in the Spratlys, as well as that of other claimants, as US propagandists have effectively used the disputes to paint China as our enemy rather than just another claimant, the others being Vietnan, Taiwan and Malaysia, pursuing their own interests based on their understanding of history and international law.
Marcos, goaded by the US, insists that Ayungin Shoal is within our EEZ. China insists that it is within its sovereign territory, Nansha Qundao, which is clearly mapped in its maps as early as 1947. Marcos ignores that claim and sends his Navy Coast Guard, contracting civilian wooden vessels, to assert the Philippines’ rights as EEZ holder of the shoal to supply with repair materials the BRP Sierra Madre that had been deliberately grounded there in 1999. China claims Marcos is violating an agreement in 1999 not to do that, which was honored by the Estrada, Arroyo and Duterte administrations.
For the first time since the dispute emerged mainly in the 1950s, the US openly backs the Philippine claims, and declared that it will militarily defend the country if conflict breaks out, if China blocks Filipino vessels from supplying the all-but-sinking Navy ship.
What is a nuclear superpower like China, which has a bigger Navy in Asia than the US, to do? Be cowed by the US nuclear arsenal and its Seventh Fleet? The fact that it was China’s Ministry of National Defense, and not its foreign ministry, which recently “[vowed] to take resolute measures against the Philippines should it continue to challenge China,” is a very strong signal that the Chinese could be moving toward a military stance against the Philippines to resolve the Ayungin issue.
My bet is that it will be gradually raising the temperature of the waters of the pan where we have been placed by Marcos. At first, we will hardly notice as the Chinese stop all investments in the Philippines and reduce the number of tourists coming here.
Move
Its last move would be for its authoritarian government to order the slowdown and then cessation of trade with us on the grounds that the Philippines has joined the de facto military alliances that the US has set up to contain its rise, and in particular, to battle with it when it takes over its rogue province Taiwan. China probably won’t declare such a move, but it will do so quietly and gradually.
In 2012, President Aquino 3rd started backing down from his belligerent stance against China after Filipino fruit exporters lost hundreds of millions of pesos when their banana exports were left to rot in Chinese ports, with Chinese officials claiming they had to check the reported presence of pests in those shipments.
A trade cessation or even just a major slowdown of our trade with China will result in an economic catastrophe for our country.
China is our biggest trading partner, accounting for 20 percent of our trade, twice that of the US. The Philippines, on the other hand, accounts for 2 percent of its trade, which means the Chinese would hardly feel the loss of that market. Our imports from China in 2023 totaled $29.4 billion, or 23 percent of our total $126.2 billion imports. By comparison, the US accounted for only 7 percent. While the US is officially our biggest export market, accounting for 16 percent of the total, China is on its heels, accounting for 15 percent. Add exports to the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong to that figure, and China accounts for 27 percent of our exports.
value
Are you sure you want a quarrel with this country? DTI DATA
Check out how many made-in-China products fill supermarket shelves, and you will be surprised. What has also not been noticed is that China is the fastest-growing source of petroleum products, ranking third in 2022 with a 15.4 percent share. Its share is actually higher, as Singapore, the second-biggest supplier of gasoline here, gets much of its petroleum products from China. Many of the never-heard ubiquitous gasoline stations in areas outside the metropolis import their gas and diesel from China. We’ll have a transportation crisis the day China orders its state-owned companies to stop selling gas and diesel to us.
Quarrel
Do we really want to quarrel with China? Or just swallow our pride, stop the US from using us as its pawn, and give up a dilapidated, rusting-to-its-core WW II-era vessel that will, except by some miracle, soon sink to the bottom of the sea, which we proudly claim symbolizes our sovereignty over a useless permanently submerged tiny shoal that can fit in half of Taal Lake.
I sincerely hope I’m wrong.
Unlike our political-economic elite and even our Congress, half of whom I estimate have houses in the US and Spain, my family and I are stuck here in an unlucky country ravaged by an uncaring ruling class. Indeed, a top-ranking Marcos official who has been the No. 1 spokesman against China late last year made a down payment for an apartment in New York. Maybe he was already on his second glass of Scotch when I talked to him since he even intriguingly told me, “Where will I go if someone with a monosyllabic name becomes president?”
Viewed from all angles, quarreling with the superpower in our neighborhood is insane. Our Asean neighbors, two of which are claimants themselves, are laughing at our asininity, happy that whatever trade and investments China would have brought here would instead flow to them.
We’re now the US’ puppet state, and a boiling frog
NOT in my worst nightmare did I think the US could revert us to puppet status in less than two years, a status that ended when a nationalistic Senate kicked out American military bases here in 1999, despite the popular Corazon Aquino’s huge efforts to retain them.
Note: The Philippines won’t be relevant here which is lucky. Because Mindanao, Phillipines communists and other minorities have real power in the country to prevent Marcos from doing stupid things. However, the country will miss out on economic opportunities as it has lost to many others especially Vietnam.
Is America Really Better Than Europe? || FOREIGN REACTS
OMG! This is amazing!
Ukraine SitRep: The Power Plant War – Ideological Losses – More Signs Of Corruption
The Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenski is lobbying Congress through U.S. media for more weapons and monetary support. It requires him to finally depict the situation as dire as it is:
Speaking to the PBS news hour on Tuesday, April 16, Zelensky underlined Ukraine’s air defences’ critical condition.“I’ll give you a very simple example,” he said.
“Eleven missiles were launched towards the Trypillya [thermal power] station, upon which the electricity supply in the Kyiv region depends. We managed to intercept the first seven, but the remaining four hit Trypillya. Why? Because we had zero missiles left. We have exhausted all the missiles that were defending Trypillya,” the President added.
…
In response to the targeting of critical infrastructure, Zelensky used this example to once again call upon Ukraine’s allies to urgently supply the weapons Kyiv needs, particularly air defense launchers and missiles.
“Frankly speaking, without this assistance, we stand little chance of victory, because we need to be significantly stronger than our adversaries. The current ratio of artillery shells stands at 1 to 10. Can we endure for much longer? No,” Zelensky said.
It is good to see that Zelenski is finally noticing the situation Ukraine is in.
The electricity infrastructure is indeed a critical point. John Helmer, via Naked Capitalism, suggest that Russia is using the destruction of Ukrainian power plants to press for its unconditional surrender.
Boris Rozhin, whose Colonel Cassad military blog broadly represents General Staff thinking, reports the operational breakthrough demonstrated on April 11, and explains what the maps of current targeting foreshadow for the next round of strikes, and the rounds after that. Rozhin republishes his analysis from RT, the state media organ.“By the evening of April 11, Ukrainian sources reported that air-launched X-69 missiles could be used to hit the Tripolskaya TPP [Thermal Power Plant]. So far, there is no confirmation of this information, but it is worth studying these missiles in more detail. Their range is almost 20 times less than that of the X-101 missiles [equivalent to about 250-500 kilometres], the carriers of which are strategic aircraft of the Aerospace Forces [Tu-95]. In their [X-69] function, they are closer to the foreign [Anglo-French] Storm Shadow/SCALP missiles, which are being attempted for strikes on the Crimean Bridge. The [X-69’s] long range of the 300 km could be enough if the launches of missiles were carried out from the territory of the Bryansk region. If the use of missiles is confirmed in the future, it will mean that no energy facility of the Ukraine on the Dnieper River can work safely, and the strike capabilities of the Aerospace Forces have multiplied.” https://t.me/rt_russian/197065
The lack of power supply is not the only unsolvable problem Zelenski has.
The situation at the frontline is deteriorating. One of the critical sectors in now Chasiv Yar, some 10 kilometer west of Bakhmut, where the Russian forces recently managed to make some crucial progress.
Ground that had been held by parts of the 67th Separate Mechanized Brigade had been given up very quickly.
The Ukraine command investigated and found the root cause in the ideological framework of the ‘nationalist’ brigade:
After losing some positions on the Chasiv Yar front in Donetsk Oblast, where heavy fighting has been ongoing since the beginning of 2024, the 67th Separate Mechanised Brigade of the Right Sector Ukrainian Volunteer Corps is being investigated and the military personnel who served as the brigade’s backbone are being transferred to other units.
…
One of the factors revealed by the audit was issues within the brigade. The leadership allegedly separated the soldiers from the Right Sector and those who were transferred from other parts during the recent replenishment (they were referred to as “pixels”, in reference to the pattern on the Ukrainian military uniform). The attitude toward the “pixels” was even worse; they were the first to be sent into combat, and their lack of experience made them lose territory.According to a source of Ukrainska Pravda, this was not the only reason for the brigade’s combat capacity deficiencies, as revealed by the audit.
According to a former Ukrainian Volunteer Corps fighter who served in the unit during the 2014-2018 anti-terrorist operation in Ukraine’s east and the first year of the full-scale invasion, the current problem stems from the inability to reform the former volunteer unit into a regular brigade of the Armed Forces.
Following the reformatting of the Ukrainian Volunteer Corps into the 67th Brigade, volunteers were forced to live “according to military tenets”, as determined by the newly formed army command. The former Ukrainian Volunteer Corps leaders lacked the military experience necessary for high positions.
The street gangs and hooligans of the fascist Right Sector, who played a major role during the so called Maidan revolution, were not keen to be real soldiers. They put the least experienced mobilized men into the frontline and kept their ideological brethren in the back.
Such behavior had been fine under the former Commander in Chief General Zaluzhni who has a well known affinity for the hard right ‘nationalists’ units. But the new Commander in Chief General Syrski needs real soldiers, not amateurish terrorists:
During the tenure of former Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the backbone of the Ukrainian Volunteer Corps, particularly Andrii Stempitskyi, was able to maintain some autonomy in the brigade while receiving assistance from the General Staff.Quote: “And when Sirskyi was appointed, they were confronted with the fact that they must only do activities that are appropriate for their official position. They saw it as political persecution. For highly ideological Ukrainian Volunteer Corps combatants, this appears to be the end of a movement, but it is actually the system bringing its combat units up to standard.”
Stranaadds a bit of history (machine translation):
Recall that the” Ukrainian Volunteer Corps “(DUK) was formed in 2014 by the “Right Sector” during the anti-terrorist operation. After that, for a long time he was not a member of any of the official law enforcement agencies of Ukraine, which raised questions about the ambiguity of his legal status. This continued until 2018, after which most of the DUK joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Like other fascists groupings in Ukraine, i.e. Azov, the DUK or ‘Right Sector has multiplied during the war. It has infiltrated more units:
In 2023, the Ukrainian Volunteer Corps was split into two parts: one joined the Special Operations Forces and the other formed the 67th Separate Mechanised Brigade. In February 2024, a portion of the Da Vinci Wolves Unit transferred from the 67th Brigade to the 59th Separate Motorised Infantry Brigade.
‘Reforming’ the ‘nationalist’ brigades will be quite a task for the new command under Syrski. As he was born in Russia they may in the end declare him to be their ultimate enemy.
Another problem Zelenski should, but wont, care for, are the signs of corruption which due to the war have only increased:
By law, Ukrainian officials such as lawmakers, prosecutors, and judges must declare their assets to the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (NACP).The NACP received some 664,000 documents by March 31, which was the submission deadline for 2023, Economic Pravda reported.
The news site reported Wednesday that it randomly selected declarations for 2,200 officials to see how their fortunes had changed from 2022 to 2023.
It found that every sixth official had bought an apartment or house, and every third one a car. They purchased 721 cars, 268 apartments, and 90 new houses.
Meanwhile, even with the new asset purchases, the officials’ savings increased.
Economic Pravda found that the cash and bank deposits of the declarants increased by about a quarter during the two years of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The dire economic situation of Ukraine leaves no explanation but corruption for this (machine translation):
In Ukraine, record sales of luxury foreign cars were recorded last year. Some premium brands were included in the top 10 best-selling cars, which was not even in peacetime. And the number of Tesla cars in Ukraine has increased almost 10 times compared to 2021.Such a boom in demand for expensive cars in a warring country, at first glance, looks at least strange. But there are explanations for this.
Used Teslas have become a bit cheaper in Ukraine. But the main reason why the sales of luxury cars in Ukraine is booming is this:
Third (and this is the main thing), there is a category of new applicants for luxury cars-people whose welfare has grown significantly since the beginning of the war.”Before the war, a man drove a modest Volkswagen. And then he sat down on the stream, got money, decided to upgrade the car, bought a Range Rover. And there are a lot of them,” one of the car dealerships in Kiev told us.
According to employees of the salon, massively upgrading cars to something “more decent”, are in particular, the security forces.
In addition, a whole layer of people appeared in the country, who became very rich during the war. Including on corruption schemes for supplies to the army. They are also a major category of luxury car buyers. Yes, and other expensive things. For example, one of the dealers of luxury watches told Strana that in the last year its sales are breaking records for the entire existence of the business.
While Zelenski is begging Congress it should consider that someone will have to pay for those who ‘sit down on the stream’ and gain from it.
Posted by b on April 16, 2024 at 15:04 UTC | Permalink
By now, most of the world knows that Iran launched a multi-faceted attack against Israel about 48 hours ago. The “fallout” from that attack is now becoming frighteningly clear, and it has Defense Experts TERRIFIED.
As the attack was in-progress, Iran undertook a very unusual, and apparently foolish, series of steps. They announced they had launched drones and then cruise missiles against Israel. They announced this despite the fact the drones and missiles still had 57 more minutes to travel before reaching their targets!
Expert Observers thought it very strange – and foolish – that an attacker would give out such information while the very weapons they launched had not yet arrived. It gave Israel and its allies time to go after those weapons, which they did.
Well . . . it turns out this was not strange or foolish – it was planned. Iran launched the old dregs of their arsenal! First generation drones. First generation cruise missiles. What they launched was the junk they had laying around for years! Slow moving, loud, junk.
Many of the drones simply fell out of the sky from malfunctions. Others were easily intercepted by fighter jets from Israel, the US, and the UK, with some help from French naval assets in the Mediterranean Sea.
There was a much-heralded “99% interception success rate” broadcast around the world for all to hear. Turns out, there’s a problem. A MAJOR problem: Iran’s Ballistic Missiles. A few of them, got through.
Almost no one noticed this “problem” because there has been no media coverage of it, until this article.
The hint there was a BIG problem, came today. US Media reported:
“U.S. National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan stated today that the Department of Defense alongside U.S. Central Command is continuing to Increase the Readiness and Integration of Air Defenses and Early Warning Systems in the Middle East, in order to Erode the Effectiveness of Iran’s Missile and Drone Capabilities.”
When I read that, I thought to myself “Who asked you?” Why say something like that? Unless . . . . unless. . . . there’s a big problem. So I started looking, and asking questions. Here’s what I found:
The missiles that hit the two bases in the Negev region didn’t just “get through.” They did so against the most-heavily-defended area in the world, protected with the most advanced, integrated, Anti-Ballistic-Missile (ABM) systems known to exist in the West.
Two Israeli Bases in the Negev region and one Intelligence Base in the far north of Israel on Mount Hermon, got hit by Iranian missiles.
In the north, the secret intelligence base in the north of the occupied Golan Heights located in Jabal al-Sheikh (Mount Hermon), got hit and seriously damaged.
In the south, the Israeli Nevatim and Ramon Bases got hit and THIS is where the problem reared its ugly head.
According to secret intelligence information, at the Nevatim Air Base in the Negev Desert, Hangar to Israel’s F-35 Stealth aircraft and Mossad Spy aircraft, at least Forty-four (44) Mossad personnel were killed.
But for the Defense sector, that pales in comparison to what took place for Iran to achieve that.
Nevatim was defended by the world’s most advanced integrated anti-missile defense shield which incorporated Arrow 2, David’s Sling, THAAD, and Patriot 3 with the AN/TPY-2 X-band surveillance and targeting radar. This system was designed to exclusively defend against the Iranian medium-range ballistic missile threat.
Below is an actual photo of the actual radar deployed to protect those bases. Here is what it looks like:
US advanced Radar Negev Desert Israel
And yet . . . 5 to 7 missiles hit Nevatim. The Israelis have acknowledged 2 runways and three warehouse structures hit.
Not a knockout blow — it wasn’t intended as such.
But any Battle Damage Assessment (BDA) expert would note that the point of impact was center mass, a clear indication of precision guidance.
5-7 missiles hit the world’s most heavily defended location, defeating an integrated ABM defense that was custom built to defeat the very missiles it failed to shoot down.
THAT has some people in the Defense sector, literally panicked. You see, if 5-7 missiles got through, then it is a given that others can get through. And simple math reveals that had Iran fired thirty (30) missiles at that base, the base would no longer exist.
The Iranians know this now. They __know__ Israeli “missile defenses” cannot stop their medium range ballistic missiles with any great reliability.
While Jordan fired US PATRIOT missiles to down a few Iranian missiles, Jordan’s PATRIOTS are now completely depleted. They have NONE left.
Fighter jets did down a few additional Iranian missiles, but not many.
As such, Israel is not only vulnerable, there is no “filler” technology that can be quickly inserted into the advanced, integrated system, to make things better for Israel. Put simply, right now, Israel is factually defenseless from any large salvos of these missiles.
Think about that for a moment.
The most advanced, integrated air defense radar system in the world, its mission is to detect Iranian missile launches, and pass targeting data to Israeli Arrow, David’s Sling, and U.S. THAAD ABM batteries deployed to protect sensitive Israeli sites, including Dimona and the Nevatim and Ramon air bases.
Iranian missiles struck both Nevatim and Ramon air bases.
The best surveillance radar in the world, working in concert with the most sophisticated anti-missile defenses in the world, were impotent in the face of the Iranian attack.
What has galled Israel is not the attack itself, it was that the most advanced missile defense systems in the world couldn’t stop the very missiles they were built to stop!
Iran has now achieved a “strategic deterrence” of Israel. Israel now knows Iran will hit them, but can also hit them at-will with missiles Israel cannot stop.
Even worse, now that the “junk” is gone from Iran’s inventory, they can bring out the Second and third generation versions of their drones and missiles. Hezbollah did that TODAY. Hezbollah utilized almost silent, very-much-faster, jet powered drones to hit Israel in the north today.
People on the ground did not hear the drones until they were dive bombing the targets!
If Iran starts using these, the speed alone will cut down flight time, by half or more, making it even harder to intercept such drones if launched.
What the second or third generation cruise missiles might be able to do, none of us know yet.
We’ve now seen what Iran’s Ballistic Missiles can do – nasty!
The Iran response to the Israel attack up the Iranian Embassy in Syria, has opened a chasm in the Middle East balance of power. The world changed that day. Not in ways the general public knew – until now.
So true – no middle class
In what way has China surpassed Japan?
I haven’t had lots of Quorans yelling at me all at once, so let’s take a trip down Nostalgia Lane…
My first trip to China was in 1985. This photo was taken on the major road through the center of Beijing, the one that runs past the Forbidden City.
At that point 80% of the population lived in poverty. 30 years later, 800 million people had been lifted out of poverty, an accomplish never before done, by anyone, in the history of the world.
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My first trip to Shanghai was in 1990. The road from the airport to our hotel was largely dirt, and we had to stop frequently for cattle crossings and other disruptions. Jump forward 15 years and we were able to take the world’s first maglev train into the city, at a top speed of 431 km/hr.
By contrast, one of my first jobs as a copywriter in the early 1980’s was doing an ad for Hitachi’s maglev train. It’s now 2024 and the train still isn’t in commercial operation.
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Now jump ahead to 2018. In the downtown Shanghai subways there are photos on the walls so that it looks like a 2D supermarket. Scan the items you want on your phone, and they’ll be waiting for you at your stop when you get off. Nothing like that exists in Japan, which shunned e-money until COVID made everyone afraid of touching coins and bills that had passed through unknown numbers of unknown hands.
Those are the stories; here are the points:
China has a very strong central government. You can make complaints about censorship, access to social media, etc., but when it comes to public works — including poverty reduction — I’d argue it’s the most effective in the world. (My Indian colleagues were late to a meeting because they kept walking the streets of Shanghai in wonder, saying “Why can’t our government do this?”)
That’s also the point of the maglev story. Japan has 2nd generation trains you can ride on a test track, but permitting in one prefecture has blocked commercialization. Japan created the tech; China utilized it.
China is a LOT more advanced technically than most people know. 9 of the world’s Top 20 tech companies are in China, and 3 of the Top 10. We’re seeing this a lot recently as China now dominates the EV market once owned by Tesla. The pace of innovation has been stunning, and while there are cheap options available, this is NOT a case of low-tech EV’s made with cheap manufacturing labor. BYD has a truly impressive ecosystem that covers everything from chips to ships.
Fortunately, China and Japan are in close proximity, so a lot of Japanese leaders — both political and business — understand just what China is capable of.
The US? Not so much.
Russia Hits FRENCH FOREIGN LEGION TROOPS in Ukraine
On April 13, this website reported the arrival of French Foreign Legion troops into Slavyansk, Ukraine. Overnight, those troops were hit and mostly killed by the Russian Army.
The French military brought the CAESAR self-propelled gun to Slavyansk
According to the Military Chronicle, the brigade artillery group consists of 12 to 15 wheeled howitzers, as well as several Renault trucks with auxiliary equipment. According to preliminary information, the equipment was transferred for storage to the Starokramatorsky Machine-Building Plant from Dnepropetrovsk.
In Slavyansk itself, in the area of clay quarries, as well as to the south (in the Cherevkovka area), firing positions have already been prepared for these guns: a road has been rolled out and ammunition supply routes have been equipped.
Most likely, we are talking about the potential use of the French CAESAR for barrage fire in the event of an attack by the Russian Armed Forces on Slavyansk, but we cannot exclude the use of this technology in the defense of Chasov Yar and its likely transfer to units of the 54th Mechanized Infantry Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (as well as the direct participation of the French within this division.)
When firing extended-range projectiles with a bottom gas generator from the Belenkoye area (between Kramatorsk and Slavyansk), the entire eastern part of Chasov Yar, including the western part of Bogdanovka and the entry point of Russian troops in the area of vocational school No . 77 in the Kanal microdistrict, may be in the CAESAR destruction zone.
Those French troops and their CAESAR artillery were demolished overnight by the Russian Army.
Russia had previously warned NATO countries that if they sent troops into Ukraine, those troops would become legitimate targets. Now, Russia has made good on its word (again) and a slew of French Foreign Legion troops are now dead.
This Healthy Broccoli Cheddar Soup Recipe is a healthier version of the classic broccoli and cheddar soup. Made with milk instead of cream and loaded with Broccoli, carrots, and celery. Easy to make, filling, and the perfect side dish to add to your dinner table.
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If you love the broccoli cheddar soup at Panera then you will love this soup. This recipe for broccoli cheddar soup is comforting food at its best for this looming cold weather. It is so filling delicious, and the ultimate comfort food that one bowl won’t be enough. It is made without any heavy cream, made with milk, broccoli, broth, low-fat cheese, and some simple pantry-staple ingredients that you won’t need to run to the store to grab.
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Why you will love this recipe
Tasty: This light broccoli cheddar soup is packed with flavor and not as creamy and dense as what you get at restaurants that are just too buttery and creamy.
East-to-make: Easy to follow directions on making this simple homemade broccoli and cheddar cheese soup that will be ready in under an hour.
Healthy and good for you: A much healthier option than what you get at a restaurant and carry-out soup. Made without any heavy cream and a lot less cheese. Full of nutrients and fiber.
Broccoli Cheddar Soup Ingredients
Butter or Ghee: Give a rich taste to the soup and a great option for a keto-soup, but you may use oil instead
Olive Oil: or avocado oil
Gluten-Free Flour: or any other flour of your choice.
Chicken or Vegetable Stock: for vegan-option use vegetable broth or water.
Milk: 2% milk or unsweetened almond milk for vegan
Medium Sweet Yellow Onion
Garlic Cloves: use fresh garlic instead of garlic powder
Carrot: Do use fresh carrots and not canned
Fresh Celery thinly sliced
Fresh Broccoli florets: frozen broccoli can also be used.
Cayenne Pepper: this ingredient is optional
Low-fat Grated sharp Cheddar Cheese
HOW TO MAKE BROCCOLI CHEDDAR SOUP
Making this creamy broccoli cheddar soup recipe is quite easy.
In a small bowl, whisk flour and cold stock until well combined. Heat olive oil and butter/ghee in a large skillet on your stovetop over medium-high heat. (butter is fine for the keto version)
Saute the onions until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add in carrots, celery, and garlic, and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes.
Add in broccoli, cayenne pepper, milk stock, and flour mixture, and simmer until veggies are tender and soup is creamy. About 8-10 minutes.
Transfer about half of the soup to a blender. Blend until smooth, then stir the mixture back into the pot or dutch oven.
Stir in Cheddar cheese and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste. Enjoy!
How to thicken broccoli cheddar soup
Based on your dietary needs there are different ways to thicken your broccoli cheddar soup:
Add some flour- about 2 tablespoons mixed in with either milk or cold water
Corn starch
arrowroot powder
blended soup – blend a bit of your soup and add it back in
Recipe Variations and Notes
For a Vegan option: If you would like to make a vegan version of this homemade Broccoli Cheddar Soup recipe you can swap a few of the ingredients to make it into a vegan soup. Swap the Butter for more olive oil, use vegetable broth, almond or cashew milk instead of regular milk, and finally use vegan cheddar cheese. You can find this at health food stores.
Keto-option: To make a keto version of this easy cheddar broccoli soup, use butter or ghee instead of olive oil, skip the flour and use arrowroot powder, or just blend some of the soup to give a thick consistency. Consider adding 1 cup of heavy whipping cream along with 1 cup of milk instead of 2 cups of milk. Also, use whole-fat cheddar cheese.
Add more protein: Want to add more protein to make this a complete meal? Add some leftover shredded chicken or Rotisserie Chicken. Serve it with some crusty bread or dinner rolls.
Don’t have a blender? You may use an immersion blender instead
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Storage and reheating recommendations
Storage: Store your leftover cheddar and broccoli soup in a sealed container and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days. Allow the soup to cool first before storing it. Freeze for up to 3 months in a freezer-friendly container.
Reheating: You may either reheat the leftover soup in the microwave or a saucepan over medium heat.
Do not settle
What is your opinion on Philippine President Duterte’s recent comments about the Spratly Islands dispute with China?
Duterte is a good man, he just doesn’t want the war to happen in his own country.
Last night, Iran launched missile and drone attacks on Israel, causing damage to Israeli buildings and casualties.
This is the first time that Jews have experienced attacks on their own territory since the establishment of Israel in 1947. Groups of Israelis were frightened and screamed loudly and ran to underground air defense facilities to take shelter. The scene was very chaotic.
However, the United States has no intention of sending troops to join forces with Israel.
U.S. Defense Secretary Austin’s latest statement highlights: “We do not seek conflict with Iran…”
Israel is the most staunch ally of the United States and the spiritual home of American Jews.
The United States and Israel have signed a mutual defense agreement: when Israel is attacked, the United States is obliged to provide protection, but the United States has actually violated the agreement.
The relationship between the Philippines and the United States is far less close than the relationship between Israel and the United States.
Israel is a thousand times more important to the United States than the Philippines. But even so, the United States still does not intend to send troops to fight jointly with Israel.
Duterte is very clear that if a war breaks out between the Philippines and China over the Spratly Islands issue, the United States will not provide the protection they say. The Philippines is just a pawn that the United States can discard at any time.
It’s okay for Filipinos to die for the United States, but don’t expect Americans to die for the Philippines.
China is a superpower and its military power in the South China Sea is stronger than that of the United States. Americans are cunning and will instigate Filipinos to become cannon fodder. When you ask American’s sons to die defending the Philippines, no American citizen will agree.
Also, Many Taiwanese people believe that if Taiwan faces war, the United States will help defend Taiwan. Haha, believing in the empty promises of the United States is equivalent to believing that pigs can fly.
Iran is a nuclear power and the United States will not have a direct war with Iran.
The United States will avoid direct armed confrontation with superpowers such as Russia and China.
The US statement of providing protection to the Philippines and Taiwan is nothing more than an empty promise.
What is an incident that changed your life?
Ok, Let me tell you, It was around 9 PM . A well dressed boy,he must be around 23 years old entered into a footwear shop with a big smile on his face and the conversation started
Shopkeeper: Namasthe sir, what kind of foot wear do you want?
He: I want a good pair of slippers for my Mother,which must be durable
Shopkeeper: okay sir! What is the foot measurement of your mother?
He: I don’t know her foot measurement. But I had this one (He given a paper which was folded 4 times )
The shocked by seeing the paper on which her mother footlines were drawn by him and asked
Shopkeeper: Sir I want the number for measurement
He:Sorry I don’t have her foot measurements.Actually my mother never worn slippers.she is a laborer and she always work hard for money which are used only for my studies and food to us .Today I got my first salary,so I wanted to buy a good pair of slippers to her.
The shopkeeper showed good pair of durable slippers
Shopkeeper: Is this okay for you?These are very durable and it costs 1500
The boy was ready for that price
Shopkeeper: Sir, please don’t mind.How much salary do you earn?
He:At present, 15000. 5 to 6thousand for my room expenses and food ,5 thousand for my mother.
Shopkeeper: Sorry sir! Then 1500 are more to spend for slippers
He: No, It’s worthy !
The shopkeeper packed them and the boy gave the money to the shopkeeper
Shopkeeper: Sir what is your name?
He: I’m Ayyapan son of Lakshmi.
Shopkeeper: Sir! Will you give me one thing?
He: What is it?
Shopkeeper: The paper on which you drawn your mother footlines.
The boy given that paper to him
Shopkeeper: Sir,take this.This is an another pair of slippers to your mother by your brother
He: Thank you sir.
He went out of the shop happily.
The shopkeeper placed that paper in his worshipping area and said to his son to worship it bcz theses are Goddess Lakshmi Devi footsteps which are taken by his true devotee and this brings a lot of benefit to our business.
Ps: I have read this story when I’m studying 11th standard .It changed me a lot.Being inspired from that story I had a thought of taking my mother footlines too.Not because to buy footwear but to keep them with me ,in my college bag. So I took those with my mother permission.
I’m living in hostel, whenever there’s an exm or whenever I miss her I used to touch those footlines🥰
"In France, it is acknowledged that Macron's statements about supporting negotiations on Ukraine's accession into the EU are merely a façade.
They are made solely out of solidarity with Kiev.
In reality, there is a conviction that Ukraine has no place in the European Union, because the accession of the world's largest grain producer would be a fatal mistake for the union.
In the same France, it was confirmed that the statements of Ukraine's imminent accession to the EU are short-term assistance to the Kiev regime.
This is one of the elements for possible peace negotiations on Ukraine's exit from the armed conflict.
But in reality, these statements have nothing worthwhile underpinning them, as the EU is well aware that Ukraine's entry would structurally change everything within the union.
In the US, a different idea has been expressed—Ukraine could give up its agricultural sector in exchange for EU membership.
And here lies all the irony.
First, the West stripped Ukraine of its industry.
Now, it plans to deprive it of the agricultural sector as well, making the Kiev regime's statements about turning Ukraine into an 'agricultural superpower' unattainable dreams.
What then is Ukraine to live on, having become infested with debts over the last decade with the help of the very same West, as a dog is with fleas?"
-Message posted by former Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov on his Facebook page, April 14, 2024.
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Love or control
What is really ironic?
1. The most shoplifted book in America is the bible.
2. Four of the original actors who played the Marlboro man in the tv adverts died of lung cancer.
3. The first man to survive going over Niagara Falls in a barrel died after slipping on an orange peel.
4. A Canadian university was promoting safe sex by handing out condoms with safe notes attached to them. The condoms were recalled because the staples punctured holes into the condoms.
5. The building holding the patent to the fire hydrant burned down in 1836.
6. Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia ” is the fear of long words.
7. Barry Manilow’s 1976 hit ‘I Write The Songs,’ was written by Bruce Johnson.
8. Gary Kremen, the founder of match.com, lost his girlfriend to a man she met on match.com.
9. Charles Darwin, infamous for his theory of evolution and survival of the fittest, married his cousin.
10. McDonalds’ employee health page, which is now shut down, once warned against eating McDonald’s burgers and fries.
MODERN WOMEN reacting to the SOFT GUY ERA “Drizzle “Drizzle ” trend part 2
Asking of Filipinos currently in The Philippines: what is your opinion of Bongbong Marcos? What are your thoughts, and the general feeling “on the street” of his closeness to the United States, and his feelings towards China.
Sawaga Bisayawa
Lives in The Philippines (2022–present)
I can only speak for the Bisaya people, who form the majority ethnic group in the Visayas and Mindanao regions.
Most of us hate him, and we want him removed as soon as possible.
SWS: Satisfaction with President Marcos lowest in Mindanao
There are large rallies and press conferences from the leaders of the Bisaya regions of Visayas and Mindanao, condemning Marcos for his foreign policies, drug use, corruption and poor handling of key domestic issues, namely the economy and safety.
A large rally against Marcos just happened last night in Tagum City, Mindanao, attended by more than 10,000 people.
The theme of these rallies are the same.
Promoting peaceful cooperation with China and the rejection of American warmongering, including the demand for the immediate removal of American bases in our country.
Urging the military to remove Marcos from power, and replace him with the vice president Sara Duterte.
Criticize Marcos’ handling of the economy and safety.
Expose Marcos’ alleged cocaine use.
Expose Marcos’ corruption and theft of public funds.
Reject the changing of the constitution by Marcos and his allies.
Marcos’ trust rating is currently at a low 33% according to the latest Publicus Asia survey.
From the same survey, distrust for Marcos is highest in the Visayas and Mindanao regions at 34% where the Bisaya people form the majority ethnolinguistic group.
Below, we see approval ratings of the previous Aquino and Duterte administrations compared to the current Marcos administration from Pulse Asia.
As you can see, Marcos’ popularity has dipped heavily (red) even after only being two years into office, while the previous Duterte administration (green) enjoyed a relatively high approval rating during the 7th quarter of his term (2nd year in office).
Source for graph: @IanIsland3 on X.
graph
Marcos’ unpopularity is in sharp contrast to the still very popular Rodrigo Duterte, who is labeled as “pro-China” and authoritarian by his critics, both locally (neoliberals and communists terrorists) and abroad (mostly neoliberal and liberal Westoids).
Duterte remains to be the most popular president in Philippine history.
The biggest concern for Filipinos is the economy, while the dispute with China is at last place at only 9%.
Fall season calls for hearty and delicious soup dishes and this Homemade roasted tomato soup recipe will be your perfect bowl of comfort on your dinner table. It is an easy vegan tomato soup recipe that the whole family will enjoy and is perfect all year round.
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This easy and healthy roasted tomato and garlic soup is one of our favorite soup recipes that we make all year long and even in the summertime when we have freshly grown tomatoes in abundance. The fresh tomatoes are oven-roasted with shallots and garlic, herbs, and some simple ingredients, and then blended to make a perfectly warm and comforting bowl of soup. It can be served as a meal on its own or as a side dish. It is low in calories and vegan-friendly.
This Vegan homemade tomato soup recipe is going to be your new favorite weeknight meal. It is just a perfect bowl of comfort that’s bursting with flavors. It’s the healthier version of your classic tomato soup with no added cream or sugar. Made with comforting and feel-good heart-healthy ingredients.
Recipe highlights
Simple and Easy: Making this homemade tomato basil soup can’t get any easier. With simple ingredients needed, roasting the tomato, garlic, and onions, and then blending.
Heart healthy: Did anyone ever tell you tomatoes are good for your heart? They are right! Tomatoes are loaded with an antioxidant called lycopene which is so good for your heart. They are also high in Vitamin C and Potassium.
Comforting: There is something about a bowl of warm Tomato soup that will warm you all over and comfort you in all the best ways.
Low in calories: Tomatoes are low in calories which makes it an easy meal option to get full and not worry about high calories.
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Ingredients needed
Ripe tomatoes cut in half: Please use fresh tomatoes instead of canned
Garlic cloves: we recommend fresh garlic cloves instead of garlic powder.
Smoked paprika: if you do not have smoked paprika powder, normal paprika will work
Shallots (Purple Onions): If you have white onions, you can use that as well.
Dried oregano: if you do not have this ingredient, use Italian seasoning.
Extra virgin olive oil: or avocado oil
Organic or homemade vegetable broth: for vegan-option, only use vegetable broth, otherwise chicken stock works
Balsamic Vinegar: We love adding this for a bit of a tangy Flavor. Makes a difference
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Sprigs of fresh basil: to garnish or you may chop some and toss in the soup towards the end.
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How to make this Roasted tomato Soup recipe
Preheat the oven to 375F
Prepare a large baking sheet pan. Place tomatoes cut-side up together with garlic and shallots.
Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with oregano, and paprika, and season generously with sea salt and black pepper. Roast for 40 minutes to 1 hour, or until the tomatoes are soft and sticky.
Once veggies are done roasting, place them into a large pan, and pour in the stock.
Roughly chop and add the basil stalks with most of the leaves. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes
Add in balsamic vinegar, then blend with a hand blender until smooth.
Pour into bowls, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, and garnish with fresh basil. Enjoy
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As a doctor, what is the saddest thing you’ve been asked by a patient?
It was not the hardest thing I heard, it is what I saw.
An uninsured patient came in with a back problem. It was bad. She had callouses on her knees and elbows because she could not really walk and was crawling around her residence.
I took x-rays and decided she needed an MRI. Did I mention she was uninsured?
The other fact was that I was the biggest rainmaker my hospital had ever seen. So I declared her an emergency. I told her to (lie) that she was losing bowel control. Whatever.
She had the MRI which showed she had a large herniated disc.
I proceeded to tell the hospital that they would do the operation for free. They did, I did. She got better. It cost her $100.
I made the world better and caused a hospital to make her life better. 1.5 hours in the OR and 23 hours in the hospital did not cost them much.
I got Christmas cards for years. A Thank You is sometimes more important than anything you could ever have been paid. Have a heart. No I wasn’t paid at all and never submitted a bill. I got good Karma from it.
ETA: If you think I stole money from the poor little hospital, that hospital was THE MOST PROFITABLE HOSPITAL in the entire chain of for profit hospitals. They made $10 million a year profit on just what I did.
I want to relate a story of something that happened when I was in fifth grade.
At that time, I was attending a small elementary school in my town, and it was so very typical of the 1960’s. It was, just as you might imagine it to be. Wholesome, 1960’s era, and just middle America. It was a slice from “Mayberry RFD”.
My class was 60 students and one teacher. I seem to recall that his name was Mr. Calhoun. It was pretty much 30 girls and 30 boys.
One day,a classmate named Steven decided to have a birthday party at his home on Saturday. And he sent out invitations to everyone except to two students; myself and a girl named Karen.
I didn’t care. But Karen was pretty upset about it.
Nothing much would of come of it, except that my parents (when they took my sister to the party) noticed that everyone in the class was there except me. And so they asked her what was going on, and my sister told them “Oh, Robert and Karen, weren’t invited. We don’t want them at the party.”
My parents said, “if Robert cannot go, you won’t go either” which caused a howling of lament and kicked up a big fuss-storm. “We don’t want them!” and all the rest.
Well…
I’ll give my parents this credit. They went up to Steven’s parents and had a word to them. Which pretty much straightened out everything, and soon Karen and myself were able to attend, and we were given first class treatment at the party.
…
About eight years later I was attending university, and my friends were all on this one particular dorm in the building on campus. I was there all the time.
Day Hall.
day
Everyone knew me. Not a day went by where I did not hang out there, even though I actually lived off campus. That dorm was my actual home.
Well, the dorm floor (it was co-ed) was going to have a dinner, but the RA (Residential advisor) refused to allow me to participate in the dinner, even if I was willing to contribute and pay for my dinner. The entire floor was upset. But she held her ground. Stating that “rules were rules”.
So I didn’t go.
Neither did, one of the most popular people on that floor; Howard.
No. He went and took me out to dinner himself and we ate dinner at a place called “Hungry Charlies” and had a good old time.
Hungry Charlies before it was torn down
Apparently, without us two, the dinner was just kind of bland, and a formal kind of thing. Not filled with the normal crazy life that use odd-balls contributed to the environment. LOL.
When we finished dinner, and arrived at the dorm, we got off the elevator and was welcomed by the entire floor with open arms. It was a great time! Lot’s of missing us, apologies and all the rest.
Both events were similar.
A party was held, a few people were left out, later they were let back in, and people learned that these individuals were more important to the body politic than was was first obvious on the surface. So take note. And have heart.
Odd-balls, and the outliers should always be welcome.
Today…
Disturbing addresses after Victoria Neuland is dismissed
Rufus story
Six-year-old Bridger from Cheyenne, Wyoming, saved his sister from an attacking dog on July 9. After getting bit several times, he grabbed her hand and ran for safety. He later said, “If someone had to die, I thought it should be me.” He’s now in recovery after receiving about 90 stitches. A true hero who deserves our praise! ❤️
Credit: Nikki Walker / Instagram
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Despite the ongoing trade tensions between China and the US, why some US companies won’t decouple from China? What’re in their considerations?
The reason why US companies have not fully decoupled from China is multifaceted. Firstly, China is an integral part of the global supply chain that feeds into American companies’ production processes. Products manufactured in China are often price competitive and offer good value, which appeals to US consumers’ preferences for affordability and quality.
Additionally, China boasts the largest consumer market globally, providing significant opportunities for US companies to generate profits. These profits contribute to various pension funds, including those for millions of public employees(military personnel, government employees, and teachers). Moreover, a portion of these profits is reinvested into the US economy for future business endeavors and research and development, further solidifying the economic ties between the two countries. Overall, the interconnectedness of the global economy, coupled with China’s significance as a manufacturing hub and consumer market, incentivizes US companies to maintain their presence and operations in China.
Additionally, several other factors contribute to US companies’ continued engagement with China:
Skilled Workforce: China has a large and increasingly skilled workforce, making it an attractive destination for manufacturing and production activities. Many US companies benefit from access to this pool of labor, which can be cost-effective and efficient for certain types of manufacturing processes.
Infrastructure: China has invested heavily in infrastructure development, including transportation networks, ports, and industrial zones. This infrastructure supports efficient logistics and supply chain management, making it easier for US companies to conduct business operations in China.
Supply Chain Resilience: While there has been discussion about diversifying supply chains away from China, the country still offers supply chain resilience due to its extensive network of suppliers, subcontractors, and manufacturing capabilities. US companies may find it challenging to replicate this level of integration and efficiency elsewhere.
Technological Collaboration: China is increasingly investing in research and development across various industries, creating opportunities for technological collaboration and innovation partnerships with US companies. These collaborations can drive advancements in technology and foster mutually beneficial relationships.
Cost Considerations: Despite rising labor and operational costs in China, certain industries still find it cost-effective to manufacture products there. Factors such as economies of scale, specialized skills, and established infrastructure can offset higher labor costs, making China a competitive manufacturing destination.
While there are challenges and complexities associated with doing business in China, the country offers significant advantages and opportunities for US companies across various sectors. As a result, many companies continue to maintain their presence and engagement in the Chinese market.
Being real
Did you ever go to hospital in an emergency and were admitted immediately?
Yes.
Back in the mid 80’s I contracted salmonella poisoning from eating undercooked chicken at an employee luncheon.
About 6 hours after eating the chicken, I started feeling sick. I was aching all over, running a fever and having bad diarrhea.
But I had a three yr old and a 1 yr old to care for and my now ex husband did not believe it was a man’s place to take care of the children.
I made it through the first night and got the babies ready for day care the next day. I have never been so sick in my life. I remember lying in bed dreaming of eating popsicles because I was so thirsty. This went on for a couple more days, sending the kids to day care in the mornings, lying in bed all day, and trying my best to take care of them at night.
I was just 22, so I finally broke and called my mom. She came immediately, took my temperature, which read at 106 degrees, and ordered my husband to take me to the emergency room while she watched the babies.
I fully expected to get a prescription and get sent home. I had no idea just how sick I was.
I waited for about 30 minutes before being seen. But once I was, things moved really fast. I was a little out of it, but I remember a team of doctors and nurses trying to get an IV in me. Every vein they tried collapsed because I was so dehydrated. They eventually got an IV into my jugular vein.
The next thing I remember was lying on a bed and being rushed through the halls. Whoever was pushing me was literally running.
I was taken to the ICU where I stayed for almost 2 weeks. One night I was freezing, so when the nurse came in, I asked for an extra blanket. She told me she would get it as soon as she checked my vitals. I never got the blanket. When she checked my temperature, she literally dropped the thermometer and ran out of the room. There was another nurse with her, so I asked her how high my fever was. She said “honey, it’s so high that we can’t read it”. I was packed with ice bags and a cooling blanket after that. I was in and out but do remember someone saying “I think it’s time to call in the family.”
I made it through the night, but had a small stroke as a result of my fever being so high.
I eventually fully recovered and my doctor told me that I had had the most severe case of salmonella ever reported in our county and that I was lucky to be alive.
If not for my mom insisting that my ex husband take me to the ER, I probably wouldn’t be here today.
Overpriced American Weapon vs Low-Cost Chinese Golf Cart
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Beef Turnovers (Empanadas)
You can use the discos or make your own turnover pastry. I’ve done both, and they’re equally as good.
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Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup tomato sauce
6 stuffed green olives, finely chopped
2 tablespoons sofrito
1 packet sazon with coriander and annato
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Ground black pepper, to taste
1 (14 ounce) package Goya discos (yellow or white), thawed*
Vegetable oil, for frying
Instructions
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef and cook until browned, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, about 10 minutes.
Add onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes more.
Stir in tomato sauce, olives, sofrito, garlic, oregano and black pepper. Lower heat to medium-low and simmer until mixture thickens, about 15 minutes.
On a lightly floured work surface, using a rolling pin, roll out discos until 1/2-inch larger in diameter. Spoon about 1 tablespoon meat mixture into middle, fold in half to form a half moon; moisten edges with water and pinch to seal closed, or seal with a fork.
Fill a deep saucepan with oil to a depth of 2 1/2 inches. Heat oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking (350 degrees F on deep-fry thermometer).
Cook turnovers in batches until crisp and golden brown, flipping once, 4 – 6 minutes.
Transfer to paper towels to drain.
Notes
* Flattened dough for turnover pastries all rolled out and ready to fill – in the Mexican refrigerated section. Make sure you buy the larger ones.
As far as sazon, you can really use whichever flavor you like. Goya now makes a salt-free version of their seasoning. Or, if you don’t want to use sazon for any reason, just use a good seasoning salt, to taste.
Some more nice renderings of girls and food
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It’s the kind of mood that I am in now.
Oh fuck
What are some Unexpected psychological facts about ladies?
If a woman says she is okay or replies with ‘hmm’ , she is not okay , she is either mad or her mood is off.
A woman doesn’t dress up or do a lot of skincare for guys or other people , she does it , cause she feels relaxed and happy while taking care of herself.
If you are a friend with a woman and you like her , you better tell her early because its hard to get out of the friend zone or brother zone she has put you in.
Beautiful , cute , pretty are lame compliments, these never make women blush or anything. Be genuine and comment about her personality and her soul not only outer beauty .
If a girl is a wearing makeup or glasses and you tell her that “ you look good without makeup/glasses .” Please don’t, she didn’t do makeup to look same and she is wearing glasses cause she has to. That is literally a backhanded compliment.
Women likes guys who are caring , genuine, can make them laugh and a man who has his future planned.
If a women is kind and sweet to all and if you ever get on her bad side get ready to see worst of hell.
Women are more mature than men but they act immature only infront of their favorite men.
Being friendly and flirty doesn’t mean that a girl likes you. She acts like that with everyone cause she wants to be kind and not uptight. So be clear about your feelings because what you are reading as signals are clearly her being kind to you.
Make it stick
What are the circumstances that will force the NATO countries to let Russia get Ukraine? Will they all ever allow Putin to beat them?
They will allow it. EDIT, mostly because they’re powerless to stop it. Russian military production capability exceeds all of NATO and westerners are still just TALKING about ramping up production.
But what will happen yeah? Is the state controlled media in NATO countries will simply stop talking about it and hope everybody forgets.
Remember this? I sure do.
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The Americans with their SUPER SOLDIERS, SUPER MEGA ULTRA TECH weapons and the best training and best everything… were humiliated by a bunch of men with beards.
They spent trillions to replace the Taliban… with the Taliban.
Note how little news coverage this absolute humiliation gets.
The same will happen.
Smooth
What is it like having an octopus as a pet?
It’s a lot of fun, but will have a tragic ending. Octopuses are fairly well known for being intelligent, which is something that makes them interesting pets. Most octopuses are nocturnal by nature, meaning they are most active at night, like bats. Thing is, many of the octopuses I’ve kept quickly realized that Jim and other humans are harmless and, in fact, friendly. From there, the octopuses also quickly realized Jim is the Food God, which naturally helped jump start our relationships. Once that is established, they happily started following my schedule. Just like an affectionate dog or cat is excited to see their master when they get home from work, a pet octopus will also come out in anticipation of a treat or some interaction. This friendship will grow. You will get to know your octopus, and it will get to know you. Some of my octopuses loved being petted. Some loved playing tug-O-war games. Some just enjoyed running their sucker-covered arms over my hands (which is how they smell us- their suckers are full of sensory cells) Others enjoyed getting a Lego submarine or other toy they could tear apart and destroy. Several octopuses I kept seemed to be music lovers- I was a guitar player/singer in several bands and when we practiced at my house, my octopuses routinely came out and danced around on the glass all night while we played. They are very complex animals, and no two are alike in personality or demeanor. Some will become your best friend, but others may just want to be left alone.
The problem is that they are also very short lived critters. Most octopuses only live about a year. They hatch as teeny tiny little things and grow very quickly. What that means for the prospective keeper is that a wild-caught octopus is likely already more than 6 months old (so it has grown large enough for collection divers to find). By the time you bring it home and have tamed it to the point of a relationship I described above, it’s close to the end. It’s usually heartbreaking. Male octopuses often suffer from senescence- a sort of cephalopod-based senility. They lose their minds and start doing strange things. They stop eating food and begin nibbling the ends of their arms off. They will do strange things. One hung upside down from some of the tank plumbing and refused to move. In the wild, they often stop hiding and get snapped up by predators. Despite their reputation for being escape artists, most of my escaped octopuses were suffering senescence. Then one day your little buddy will just die, and it can be just like losing that loyal dog or cat: it’s going to hurt. Just as you started to get to know him, his time is over. Female octopuses will often lay eggs whether they mated or not. At that time, she will guard those eggs literally with her life. She will refuse food and do nothing but hide in her den and groom the eggs religiously. In the wild, when the eggs hatch the babies go off on their own and the mother will die hours later. At home, she will defend those eggs for a month or so until she expires. There’s no avoiding it.
I’ve been keeping and studying octopuses for over 20 years now. You learn to brace for that early end, but it does not get any easier, especially when you happen upon an especially interesting and unique octopus.
My God!
How significant is the Chinese government’s generous subsidies for EVs in driving Chinese companies like BYD to compete successfully with Western rivals?
When Chinese environment is bad you guys demonised China and blamed them for global warming and accused them of being uncaring to their population. Well the acted positively. They now cultivate the most wind, water and solar energy and they subsidise their population to stop using Internal combustion Engines and moved into full EVs that made their environment healthy and their skies blue again and now you find fault with these too!
China can never ever win! China should not care about what the west says at all! China should and is doing what is good for China and the world! The west also gave subsidies to their EVs too except that they are simply not as strategic or as smart as BYDs and the likes. That is your problem it has nothing to do with China.
The U.S. and the west made a racial profiling that they meaning white people and only they can makes stuffs so they can charge whatever they wanted. Hence they allowed their workers and their CEO get whatever they wanted. As these cost can always be passed on to consumers! But the are dead wrong. The Japanese, then Koreans, ASEAN and now Chinese can do everything faster, cheaper and way better than the west and today it cannot sell everything unless it is heavily subsidised. It not only EVS. It is everything.
Sick and Tired
As a lawyer, what is the easiest case you’ve won?
Two cases come to mind.
Flood Insurance case: I represented a lady who had the misfortune to rent an apartment in a flood zone, and it flooded. She did have the good sense to buy a flood insurance policy, but FEMA declined to pay for an obscure reason. The apartment owner also had flood insurance, and FEMA paid that claim. I filed suit on behalf of the lady, and said that her apartment was the exact same apartment insured by policy # XXX issued to the owner, and that the owner’s claim was paid. Three days before Christmas I got a call from a Department of Justice attorney representing FEMA and she said “We read your complaint. You’re right. How do we write the check?”
Collection case: I represented a guy who was being sued on a credit card account. After preliminary skirmishes it’s the day of the trial – client asked where should he meet me, and I said he wasn’t to meet me unless I called him. I told him to stay away from the courthouse but close enough he could be there within 10 minutes if I called. He objected and I told him to trust me on this. I went into court and the lawyer for the credit card company (who had interned for me a few years earlier) showed up; we exchanged pleasantries. She then asked ‘where’s your client?’ and I said I didn’t know but was ready to try the case without him. She had a blank look for a moment, then said something about my maternal canine ancestry as she realized my tactic (to my immense grinning) and had to take a dismissal of the case. She had planned to call my client as an adverse witness to introduce the credit card documents (credit card collection companies almost never send a witness to court) which had to be done to prove the collection case. But my client wasn’t subpoenaed as a witness so didn’t have to be there. Without a witness to the debt (which probably was in fact owed) they couldn’t get a judgment.
Why do some people cover their laptop cameras with tape? Is it just paranoia?
chicky
“If you don’t do as I say, I’ll upload every photo I have of you”. This was the email Cassidy Wolf received from her hacker.
Cassidy was confused. Only two photos of herself hung on her bedroom wall. She realized later that the hacker had been spying on her for over a year through her webcam.
Cassidy used to keep her laptop open on her bedroom floor. She would play music whilst studying, changing and going back and forth in the shower. The hacker watched everything.
Cassidy must have opened an email with a link, enabling him to place malicious software on her laptop. If she clicked on the link, this would have granted him full access to her computer.
The hacker was able to trace the keystrokes on Cassidy’s keyboard. This way, he learnt her passwords, saw the sites she was accessing, and accessed her webcam 24/7.
[1] The hacker posted pictures of Cassidy changing using various Facebook accounts, including her younger sister’s account.
The hacker was someone from her high school; somebody whom she passed in the hallway every day.
Despite the hacker being caught, Cassidy has to live with this trauma forever. The sound of every email notification will continue to make her stomach churn.
This happened before she was Miss Teen USA. If this could happen to Cassidy, it could happen to any one of us.
Somebody may be watching you through your camera right now…
Yes of course you are unless you become a US lackey in that case you become a U.S. dog! Taiwanese are like me an ancestor from Hokkien or Fuxian province in the south of China. I am what you called a Singaporean with a Chinese origin and you are a Chinese living in a province of China call Taiwan! We both loved our motherland and we will do everything to helped the cause of Chinese successes.
The U.S. and the west are Chinese haters simply because the failed to steal China into their spheres and could not break China up into a hundred minute nations so that it can swallow up one by one. Hence it us trying to destabilise Taiwan, Hong Kong, Tibet and Xinxiang using false pretences and war mongering. But it has failed so far and it is costing the US an arm and a leg doing so. So to China it is like providing the US with a long and strong rope to kill it selves. If that is what they wanted!
Taiwan will forever be a part of China and that status can never changed no matter ho much the U.S. tries to prised it away.
Leftists SHOCKED Employer LIED In Order To Avoid Hiring Them, Company FEARS WOKE LAWSUITS
Surprise!
This is a very good video. It surprised me. It really did.
Do prisoners have rights?
Not in any meaningful way.
Let’s say you went to prison with an artificial leg. The leg enables you to walk and you’ve used it for so long that, with pants on, most people think you just have a bad limp.
The prison says you can’t bring your prosthesis in with you because it might have drugs hidden in a secret compartment. No worries they say… we’ll get you fitted for a new leg when the doctor comes around… in September. So you wait… and wait… and wait in a prison issue wheelchair.
The day of the doctor’s visit finally comes. Uh oh… there was a fight at the higher security prison next door. We’re on lock down. Nobody is going anywhere. No worries they say… the doctor will be back next year.
So, you file a grievance. You have the right to write down whatever angers you on a form and give it to your case manager. He dismisses your concerns… you try to go over his head, but you need copies of his denial…hard to get when he’s only in his office an hour each week… It’s amazing how often the man can lose paperwork. Case managers are often the folks not friendly or efficient enough to work at the DMV.
Nine months later, you’ve made it through three levels of appeal and only have a couple more to go… what are you crying about says the next appeal response… the doc will be there in just three short months! They mark your grievance as “resolved” and list it as a success for the process.
Yes. On paper prisoners have rights. In reality they are locked away from being able to help themselves or exercise those rights. They are completely at the mercy of a staff that could not care any less.
Oh, and my story about the artificial leg? He was still stuck in the chair when I left.
Brenden’s Easy Pork Ribs
This is one of the best and easiest ways to make baked barbecue ribs. Try using pineapple or mango juice or other juices instead of the orange juice.
Oven Pork Ribs IMAGE 5
Ingredients
Pork ribs (any variety)
1 bottle Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue Sauce
1 cup orange juice
Instructions
Mix together barbecue sauce and orange juice.
Lay ribs in a baking pan and pour barbecue mixture over the top. The ribs should be nearly submerged in the barbecue mixture.
Cover pan with foil and set oven to 250 degrees F.
Option 1: Cook for approximately 3 hours (depending on amount of meat). Remove from pan. The meat will be juicy and delicious. This method will make the meat fall off the bones. Excellent for sandwiches!
Option 2: Cook meat for about 2 hours, remove from oven and transfer to hot grill. While on grill, continue to brush with barbecue mix from pan. They should only need a few minutes on each side. The barbecue sauce should get a bit crispy.
Option 3: Instant Pot: Stand ribs on end on a trivet in Instant Pot. Pour in orange juice. Cook on manual for 25 minutes. Natural release for 10 minutes. Place ribs on foil-lined baking sheet, and brush with barbecue sauce. Broil for 7 minutes, then serve.
Darn cool from Africa
EU ambassadors are unanimously ignoring an invitation to talk from Lavrov
MACHINE-TRANSLATED FROM DER-SPEIGEL IN GERMANY — The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has invited EU ambassadors to speak to Foreign Minister Lavrov, but EU ambassadors have canceled their participation. Russia says it will have “terrible consequences.
Ambassadors sent to other countries are primarily responsible for being in contact with the government of their host country. They prepare meetings of politicians, negotiate economic issues, but of course also cultural and other issues. But their most important task is to contact the government of the host country.
Ambassadors must not interfere in the internal affairs of their host country. The UN Charter, i.e. the basis of international law, clearly defines this in Article 2. However, this does not prevent the ambassadors of the EU and its member states from interfering in Russian affairs by supporting the radical Russian opposition or making LGBT propaganda, which is prohibited in Russia. For the sake of completeness, LGBT is not banned or punished even in Russia, there are gay clubs and so on. It is only forbidden in Russia to propagate this.
Imagine that the Russian ambassador to Germany would interfere in German politics, support Reich citizens effectively, for example, and violate German laws. Would the federal government put up with it, or would it invite the Russian ambassador to speak and demand that he refrain from doing so?
That was also what the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs wanted to tell the EU ambassadors about the hot phase of the Russian presidential campaign, as Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov. March in an interview told:
„ Two days before the planned event, before the meeting, they sent us a note: ‚ We decided not to go there. ‘ Can you imagine relations with diplomatic countries whose ambassadors are afraid to meet the minister of the country where they are accredited? Where was that ever seen? “
Lavrov said that his ministry „ has gathered a lot of material on how EU embassies in Moscow are preparing for our presidential election, what mechanisms for interference “ they use and that „ any projects are created to support our non-systemic opponents “. And he said:
„ Overall, these are things that messages are not allowed to do. “
The arrogance of the EU
Thereupon a Russian business portal asked the EU embassy in Moscow and the following answer to get:
„ Our reaction followed the death of Alexei Navalny and after the EU’s demands for an independent international investigation into the causes of death had not been considered. “
It is fascinating how arrogant the EU is. Would a western country accept an international investigation requested by Russia if a prisoner dies there in prison? For example, God forbid Julian Assange? And why is the EU coming the Russian demand not, to investigate the shooting down of the Russian Il-76 with 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war on board?
In its response, the Permanent Representation of the EU also referred to an extremely low level of trust „ and added:
„ We were invited to discuss EU-Russia relations, but Minister Lavrov is now saying that the conversation was about teaching us. This proves that we were right to reject the invitation. “
That raises two questions. First, why are there still ambassadors for the EU and its member states in Russia if they now even reject invitations to talk to their contact person, i.e. the Russian Foreign Minister? Secondly, who really makes foreign policy decisions in the EU if the EU can ensure that the ambassadors of all EU countries simply reject an invitation?
The official Russian reaction
Maria Sakharova, the spokeswoman for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was at her regular Press conference asked about the scandal and I completely translated the question and its answer.
Start of translation:
Question: You mentioned that the EU ambassadors refused to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. What consequences will your actions have for you?
Sakharova: The consequences for them become terrible, terrible. If a professional diplomat loses his face, if everyone realizes that he has lost his professionalism and skills, then there is no compensation, in no way and in no form. They have to ascribe that to themselves.
You sincerely harm me for one reason. They have become hostages to their own regimes. Many of them have come a long way to become ambassadors for EU countries in the Russian Federation. It is a fact that experienced people are deployed to large countries, including members of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and nuclear powers. Given its size, our country should actually send specialists who have considerable experience. After many years of work, they all came to this position, this post. And they made their own states look stupid and bad. Not their peoples, but the regimes in their countries. Unfortunately, that happened. I don’t think there is any other explanation.Whether they pinched themselves or whether their regimes showed them, it is always the same thing. They basically signed „ “ that they are not ambassadors for their countries.
What is a „ Ambassador “? An ambassador represents not only a specific organization, but the whole country as a whole. It is very important. It is not just someone who represents this or that political party or social movement that has appointed him. It is not someone who represents this or that ideology that is in power or in opposition. No, it is someone who represents the people of his country as a whole.
Who do they represent if they refuse to meet with the authority that is the counterpart for them? For them, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is primarily the source of all information, data, both on bilateral relations and on the position in multilateral formats. You did it all yourself and arranged it. This has the corresponding consequences.
The second point: it would be okay if they sealed themselves off on all fronts in our country and in principle didn’t speak to anyone. That would be a strange attitude, self-torture, unprofessional. But at least you could see a certain logic in it. According to the motto, self-isolation according to the COVID 19 pandemic is not over yet. But they regularly take part in some marginal events and are making a fool of themselves in our country.
We treat the representatives of countries and peoples with respect, who are guided by the fact that they represent their countries in their entirety. The proposal to hold this meeting was made out of respect for their peoples. But our people, the people, the NGOs literally laugh at them. They have already become heroes of „ Memes “ or a kind of performance art.
Go online and enter „ American Ambassador to Moscow “. Who writes that? It is not the government, it is not some special institution that does it. These are people who find it funny how the ambassadors of the countries of the „ collective West “ have turned from diplomats into marginal ones who take part in any wild actions, that are not intended for intergovernmental communication.
They agitate within our society, interfere in internal affairs and become the „ clowns “ who are released before a rodeo, to warm up the dog handler or rider „ “ and entertain the audience. They become these clowns, run around in front of our audience and endlessly try to attract attention, stage a performance, participate in something, send their strange messages and appeals, that are hardly understood by our audience. They are constantly trying to lay flowers somewhere, to raise any „ rainbow flags “ above their messages and wherever possible. People are already laughing at them. They probably just don’t understand it. Many of them speak little or no Russian. Maybe they just don’t understand how to think about them.
If the US ambassador now publishes information on his official website, the Russians are said to be not afraid to take part in „ humanitarian actions “ by the US government. That is said to not harm your patriotism. How is that possible? Our brothers and sisters, our citizens, are killed with American weapons. Terrorist attacks against civil infrastructure occur regularly in Russian regions. Children die and you invite our country’s citizens to participate in US government programs that guarantee, that their patriotism is not harmed? We decide for ourselves how we should deal with everything we should do with patriotism, how we can show it and how we should deal with all your programs.
This is sad, but was to be expected in view of the degradation that we have observed for many years in the diplomacy of the „ collective West “. The clearest example is Josep Borrell, who holds the post of EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. All 27 EU countries are guided by it and give it the right to speak on its behalf on foreign policy issues. What is he chatting about? It turned out that even official representatives of the EU countries do not understand what he is saying. It turned out that it is not he who writes his column, but that someone writes it for him. I’m not sure if he’s reading that at all. How does it work? What is that creepy performance?
What kind of diplomat is he? Have you ever heard a diplomat say that there is no place for diplomacy and that everything on the battlefield has to be decided? We always emphasize that we stand for peace, negotiations and, to the end, for a peaceful solution. Even though we are facing hybrid aggression from the United States. What did the head of European diplomacy say? Josep Borrell says the opposite and kills diplomacy.
Ursula von der Leyen, who also deals with the international relations of the EU, does she represent them? It enforces US policy within the EU. This is anti-diplomacy.
I would like to remind you of Liss Truss, who was Britain’s Prime Minister for a month and a half and before that was Foreign Minister, diplomat of the Kingdom, for a year. Before that, she also held various senior positions in the British government for a short time. What kind of diplomacy is that? At a fateful moment, she came to very important negotiations in our country and did not even know that the Rostov and Voronezh regions were part of the Russian Federation. Is that normal? This happened during a conversation about the situation between Russia and Ukraine.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that she would not speak to Russia unless it turned 360 degrees and fundamentally changed its foreign policy. We turned 360 degrees, so what? We are waiting for active actions from Berlin. Where are they?
And she said that more than once. Either nobody tells her that she talks nonsense and stupid stuff, or she believes that they are all enemies who talk about their mistakes, and she has to resist that – I can’t tell you that. But that’s the level of „ diplomacy “. That was to be expected.
This is the degradation of western diplomacy in all its „ splendor “. What are they doing in the UN Security Council? They kill the Security Council by blocking obvious resolutions and only replacing them with sanctions. There is only one thing left for them: to decide on these endless sanctions that destroy diplomacy. Even more, these are not just sanctions, but part of the hybrid and economic war against our country.
End of translation
HAL TURNER OPINION
I’ve taken several hours to assess what is in the article above and, to me, it boils down to this:
The “Ambassadors” are acting like High School kids in a Clique: “We’re not talking to yooooooou.”
It would be laughable if it wasn’t so pathetic.
Yet “pathetic” is not the only descriptor that comes to my mind. “Dangerous” is another descriptor.
What these “Ambassadors” are doing is leading very explicitly to actual World War 3. When Diplomacy ceases, generally, war commences.
When history writes the epitaph of our collective West, it may say something like “They destroyed themselves because children in adult bodies threw a temper tantrum and wouldn’t talk Diplomatically.”
To me, it’s as though the Russians are the only adults in the room.
Our civilization is being lead down the road toward destruction my supposed “men” who choose to act like high school children.
RFK Jr.: How I See The State Of Our Union
He hasn’t a chance in the 2024 election, but he is the one deserving of consideration. Libertarian Party Candidate.
Russia Reveals Intent for Ukraine: Map Shows what will be left . . .
Deputy Chairman of the Russian Federation Council (i.e. Senate), Dmitry Medvedev, has revealed how much of “Ukraine” will remain once Russia completes its military operation. Not much.
In a social media posting, Medvedev made clear “We will not stop until this is the case.” Here is the full map:
Medvedev map future Ukraine
The collective West, through NATO, wanted to place US Missile defenses on Ukrainian territory so those missiles would have only about a five minute flight time to Moscow, and to Russia’s Strategic Nuclear Silos. Russia said “no.”
Russia pointed out that no nation can defend itself from missiles that have only a five minute flight time between launch and impact, and so the positioning of US missiles on Ukraine soil was simply an intolerable security threat to Russia.
The West did not listen.
Russia tried to negotiate what they called “Iron-clad, legally enforceable, security guarantees” and the collective West scoffed, and threw Russia’s proposal (rhetorically) into the trash.
Russia then re-proposed those security guarantees by having their proposal hand delivered to the White House, to NATO HQ, and to the Executive addresses for each NATO member country, with the additional warning that if Russia could not obtain security guarantees Diplomatically, they would do so by military, or military-technical mean.
The West waited about ten days before they scoffed (again) and (rhetorically) threw the proposal in the trash again.
Days later, Russia telephoned Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky and told him he had FIVE HOURS to agree to Russia’s security demands. Zelensky called both the British Home Office and the US State Department, both of whom told him “ignore Russia’s ultimatum.”
Two hours after that deadline passed, Russian troops crossed the border into Ukraine.
So here we are, slightly over two years into the Ukraine-Russia conflict, and Russia is taking by force, the territory it needs to protect itself from US/NATO missiles.
Over one million troops are now dead — mostly Ukrainians, but a considerable number of Russians, too — all because the US and NATO wanted to put US missiles on Ukrainian territory.
None of this had to be. Yet here we are.
Now, we see the extent to which Russia will conquer to protect itself. The map is clear.
Only instead of figuring out that this **MUST** be the way things will be, the collective West is now talking about sending troops into Ukraine to fight Russia.
Russia has long said such an act would mean “a war no one will win” which, as Readers are well aware, means Nuclear War. Yet French President Macron just this week, doubled-down on his idea to send troops into Ukraine.
What part of “No” does Macron (and NATO) not understand?
The world is being lead into a nuclear conflict that does not have to be.
Prostitutes in LA
Why did soldiers march into enemy fire like in movies?
If you’re talking about the Napoleonic era wars, with long lines of men in fields slowly marching forward and shooting en masse, as depicted in, for example, the movie “Barry Lyndon”:
The answer is that they fought this way, according to my military historian friend, because:
a) That was actually not as suicidal as it seems to modern eyes, because typically, in a big battle like that, you’d only have about 5% to 10% casualties…
b) Unless one side lost its nerve, and broke and ran, in which case they would have much, much higher casualties (because it’s much, much harder for scattered individuals to defend themselves against an organized group).
Hanging out with a military historian can be quite interesting. You can see how technology dictates tactics, and both evolve over time.
Long lines are for maximizing the number of guns that you can get into a mass volley fire (and massed fire, i.e. everyone shooting simultaneously, can have devastating psychological effect and break a charge).
Horses are for fast mobility, so you can get around the line faster than the men can re-arrange themselves, come at them from the side (where only a few can get a clear shot at you) and stomp all over them.
Squares (literally take that line of men and arrange them in a square, facing outward) are for keeping horses from being able to get around you.
That the US President acted and sounded presidential. Think about this; when he said Kanye West was a “jackass” (I personally believe this was light, considering what had happened), the press was all over it. Can you imagine if the president today called Kanye West a Jackass? It would not even make the news!
He actually knew there was a world full of thinking, intelligent people outside of US borders.
The way he behaved as a gentleman, to all people, but, specially, with his wife (you know, little things like opening a door for her, or waiting for her to get out of the car before joining someone).
I know I already mentioned the way he talked, but I will also state here the way he responded to people speaking to him with highly charged emotions; he always seemed cool and tempered. He was smart, and his comebacks were always good, without being rude.
That he was not afraid to admit a mistake.
The fact that he was actually involved in being president. He knew what was going on; he based his knowledge on personal involvement. This also, of course, also made the fact that when he spoke, he knew what he was talking about.
The depth of his speeches, and the lack of words like “big”, “enormous”, and “huge” being repeated a thousand times per speech.
His wife and his children; they were just real. Looking at the Trump family today reminds me of when I met the Prince of Japan; the princess was nothing more than window dressing.
Overall, there is one word that describes Obama which Trump, no matter how hard he tries, he will never have:
CLASS
Bad guy gets justice
What’s the most pathetic date you’ve ever been on?
I went out with a co-worker who asked me to go furniture shopping with him because he wanted a woman’s opinion when decorating his new house. He said that for taking the time to go shopping with him, he wanted to buy me dinner.
I met him at his place and he drove the furniture store.
He asked for my opinion on different pieces of furniture and, if I liked anything, he would examine it thoroughly and then tell me everything that was wrong with it and why I was wrong to like it. 2 hours later, we left the store without buying so much as a lamp.
He stopped by Kentucky Fried Chicken and bought a bucket of chicken. He then drove us back to his house.
We ate the KFC at his kitchen counter (he had no table or chairs) and then he announced it was time for us to go to bed (more accurately, to mattress on the floor since he had no bed).
I picked up my purse and headed for the door. He was insulted and disappointed that we weren’t going to end that fantastic evening with coitus.
Worst part — I had to look at this moron every day at work for the next 5 years.
Yup! They have no trouble at all distinguishing one human from another. In fact, my first octopus hated my ex. She always tickled the octopus in a way that really annoyed the little cephalopod, and the octopus responded by squirting water at her.
It got to be a running joke, because if she even opened the lid slightly the octopus would surge up to the surface and give her a face full of water, then retreat and hide under its den. It was like a cartoon!
It liked me though. It would greet me and play tug O war and take food right from my hand. The octopus clearly could tell us apart, but I wanted to know: how far did the recognition go? It gave me an idea: we tried to fool the octopus.
I put on her hat, her sunglasses and jacket, and I let my hair down (I’ve had long hair since the ‘90s)
Nothing. He knew instantly it was me.
Then it was her turn: she tied her hair back in a ponytail, wore one of my shirts and sunglasses. She opened the lid and:….…GOOOOSH! Not even a little hesitation.
That was a long time and many many octopuses ago, but the trend is clear: That first octopus wasn’t unique. Since then, we have had many, many octopuses that could very obviously and easily tell us apart. Now I’m married to a fellow ceph expert, and now my darling wife and I make sure to take turns interacting with our octopuses to make sure neither of us winds up on the wet side of an unfavorable cephalopod yelp review.
What is the biggest myth about jail?
It’s a myth that when you leave prison, you’re done.
You see it happen in movies… the prisoner is finally released after years. He walks out that front gate into a new life full of opportunity and hope.
Ahem… bullshit.
After you walk out that gate, your movements are monitored; you’ll have court ordered requirements and a probation officer to enforce them. You may be enrolled in classes, substance abuse sessions, public service, etc. You might have to take a weekly urinalysis. Maybe you’ll wear a drug patch. You might sport a nifty GPS ankle monitor that can shout helpful things at you like, “Call your PO, NOW!” You might have to cough up a chunk of your meager salary to pay for all these things.
You could have fines or restitution to take care of, and the courts are a creditor that doesn’t take no for an answer.
You’ll have a hell of a time finding a decent job. Apartments aren’t any easier. Would you want to rent to a felon, or hire one? Even people that say they would, still quietly look for ways not to.
I applied for a county job and had the job in the bag until my felony came up. The hiring manager said he believed in second chances… Ten days later I received a terse letter from the HR department explaining that “due to adverse information” I could not be considered for hire. The second chance wasn’t mine, it was theirs… a second chance to back out. Even if the hiring manager was 100% sure that I was the perfect candidate, he doesn’t want to stick his neck out for a felon. I don’t blame him.
Instead I wound up working at a car wash for minimum wage for my first year. Now I’ve got a warehouse job, but I still make only a quarter of what I made before my journey started. After child support and insurance are deducted, my job pays me $125 a week (don’t even raise the topic of getting support reduced… I’ve tried).
Your PO can knock on your door any time of the day or night and can ransack your place for any reason or suspicion. They can show up at your job to ask questions or talk to your neighbors (hasn’t happened to me, but I’ve heard plenty of state cases where it has).
My probation is for five years, but I’ve known a few guys who have lifetime probation. Imagine looking over your shoulder for the rest of your life. One forbidden beer and you’re off to cell block seven!
The “help” the state provides to get you under way after release was the biggest impediment to starting over. I’m sure some guys need what was provided if they’ve burned every last bridge in their lives. For me, the halfway house just frustrated my efforts.
The felony will haunt you for as long as you live.
Truth is that once you’ve seen the inside of a prison, you never really get to walk out free again.
After Nearly 24 Years With My Queen, Our Journey Is Over 💔
All good things end. This is a tribute, but I can feel it’s reality.
When I lived in Indiana, it was an experience in extremes. The Summers were roasting hot. And the Winters were frigid and cold with gusts blowing and wind chill factors in the negative double digits.
To keep warm in our mobile home, we supplemented the heater (which was kerosene) with electric space heaters. And it worked out fine.
This is… or was…
Until my one cat, Scooby (might have been another) decided to pee on the heating coils of the heater.
Of course, we didn’t know this occurred until the very moment we need to use that heater.
Ah. It was a howling cold night, with wind gusts and sub-freezing temperatures. And so we pulled out the old space heater and fired it up.
Let me tell youse guys… nothing quite stinks like well heated, year old cat urine. Lordy!
I’ll tell you what…
I turned that thing off and threw it in the snow. It was horrible. I think that the stench permeated everything and it took weeks to air out the house in that particular Winter.
A word to the wise; never heat up cat urine. You will despise the experience. Ugh!
Having worked at gas stations off and on for decades, I have a few more than normal, but this is the one that keeps me going with “what were they thinking”.
Many years ago, the owner of the gas station that I was working evenings at volunteered one of the garage bays to Fish and Wildlife as a weigh and tag station during hunting season.
This vehicle pulls in and the driver goes up to the state biologist completely chuffed with himself. Apparently he had just bagged the biggest deer he had ever seen. I got work to do inside, so I keep on going until the biologist walks up to the counter and tells me to call the troopers, and have them send along a sergeant, cause “They are going to want to see this.”
I make the phone call, and about ten minutes later, two state police cruisers pull in. and at the exclamation of “You sorry SOB.” had to step outside to sate my curiosity. Turns out this out of state hunter had not bagged himself a record white tail deer, but a good sized Jersey cow. Almost certainly the best milker in that farmers herd.
Gentleman winds up arrested, car impounded, rifle confiscated, hunting permit revoked, fine to the state, and one hell of a payment to that farmer.
The Chinese
The PRC is nowhere sitting idle. It may not speak a language that you (or I or the West) understands well but it acting decisively.
China is diplomatically much less cautious than they used to, too. But their real target audience isn’t the West, it is the rest of the world. And I think they’re winning that discussion fair and square.
Why you’ll love this lemon butter garlic pasta sauce
It’s ready in 15 minutes. You can have a bowl of delicious garlic lemon butter pasta in your hands super fast. Just what I want to hear when I’m pressed for time!
It’s super versatile. This creamy lemon butter garlic pasta sauce is great on its own but also perfect with prawns, chicken or salmon.
It’s loaded with flavour. Lemon, butter and garlic are an amazing flavour combo just perfect for a no-frills pasta dish.
What goes into pasta al limone?
Olive oil — Use the best quality extra virgin olive oil you can for this recipe for the best flavour.
Butter — Unsalted butter is best for this garlic lemon butter pasta sauce. if you use salted butter, you may not need to add any extra seasoning.
Garlic — Feel free to add as much garlic as you like. I like to make this sauce with at least six cloves. You can either finely slice the garlic or mince it.
How to make garlic lemon butter pasta?
Cook the pasta al dente in salted water according to the instructions on the package. Reserve 1-2 cups of pasta water before draining.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pan or Dutch oven and melt the butter in it over low-medium heat.
Stir in the garlic and red chilli flakes and cook for 1-2 minutes until the garlic changes its colour, careful not to burn it.
Transfer the cooked pasta to the pan and toss well with a pair of kitchen tongs to cover it in the butter sauce. Add a splash of pasta water if it looks too thick.
Recipe notes and tips
To make sure the pasta water is extra starchy, cook the pasta in less water than you’d usually do. The starchier water will make the sauce creamier.
It’s always a good idea to grate your Parmesan or hard cheese yourself because freshly grated cheese has more flavour than bagged cheese.
Pasta al limone is best served immediately, and I don’t recommend reheating it.
This is something my husband did to help a young lady who was being followed after a road rage incident.
He was in the military and they were putting him through Graduate school so was in good physical shape. He was on his way to class around 1:00 and as he pulled into the parking area for the college and got out he heard someone crying and heard what sounded like someone being thrown against the chain link fence.
He ran down and saw a man throwing a young college girl hard against the fence and then would let her drop to the ground and do it again over and over while yelling at her the entire time. There was blood everywhere.
He ran to help her and grabbed and threw him to the ground. He jumped in his car and left fast. My husband memorized the tag and turned to help the girl. He yelled at another student walking by to call 911. (No cell phones then)
She was shaking, crying and in shock. He said he would stay with her until the ambulance came and asked her name and number so he could get a hold of someone for her. The ambulance was soon there and immediately took her to the hospital.
He met with the Police and after telling them everything he called the number and left a message telling which hospital she was in and what had happened and left his phone number and name if they had questions.
Later that evening a man called and thanked him for protecting his daughter. He said, “I’m her Dad and just wanted to thank you for saving my daughter today. I truly believe you saved her life. She had broken ribs, stitches in her head and a concussion but wasn’t hurt worse because you stepped in to help. You can rest assured he is in jail as we speak and by the way, I am the Superintendent of the Police. Thank you so much.”
~ You may never know whose child, sibling or mother you might be saving or who might be watching.
“A few apples fell from my neighbor’s tree branch which hangs over onto my property. I picked them up and kept them. He called the police on me for “stealing food” and threatened to sue me. Will the police do anything? Does he have a case?”
Here, no. Oh, he can sue you. Lawyers love this as it means money for them, even if they can’t win. Parasites.
But, his property was on, or over, your property line. So, if it falls naturally, it’s yours. You can TRIM the tree back, but not go over and cut it down. He can trim it so it’s not over your property, but he can’t go over and collect “his” fruit that falls or it’s trespassing.
The most we would do is explain this to him and leave.
However, when you go to court, it’s anyone’s guess. Lawyers and judges, kindred souls, tend to do whatever they want. Unless you have someone who can play the game, you might very well have to pay him for the “stolen” food, damages, and emotional pain and suffering. Heck, maybe even court costs. Criminally, he doesn’t have a leg to stand on, but…
I’ll tell you, growing up, kids used to pick an apple or two to eat and it didn’t cause any problems. It was only if you picked the whole tree, or took more than you needed, that people complained. Even apple orchards didn’t freak too much. If it fell on the ground, it was “free.” In fact, some even liked for you to clean this up for them to keep wasps and other insects from feeding on them and making a mess.
Oh, and another thing, those will be some expensive apples for him. Court isn’t cheap and neither are lawyers. Were they golden apples, maybe? If so, he might be worried you’ll plant the seeds and grow your own gold apples, stealing from his market.
You know, if he claims the apples, you might be able to make him pay for the leaves and branches that fall on your property. Clean up and damages, if you get my meaning. I figure there are a lot more leaves and branches that fall than apples, and, while you’re at it, how about the damage that those apples did to your lawn when they hit it? If you didn’t pick the apples up, they could attract wasps, which could sting you, and possibly dull your mower blades or become risks, such as slipping.
I arrived at my doctors office 15 minutes early for a routine visit in the evening. I paid my $5.00 co-pay. The receptionist informed me that I was early. I thought that was strange since most people arrive early for doctors’ appointments. There was a couple waiting to see the only doctor on duty. The receptionist called the woman’s name so she was the patient. I am a registered nurse and the patient did not seem to be in any distress. She and her male partner went into the doctor’s office. I waited an hour. It is none of my business what the patient and the doctor talked about but talking with the same patient for an hour seemed a bit long to me even if she had cancer or some other serious chronic disease. I patiently waited for the hour.
A young male patient came in and he apologized for being late. The receptionist said it is okay and he will be seen next. He did not seem to be in any particular distress. I had been waiting for an hour. I informed the receptionist that I am leaving. She asked me if I wanted to re-schedule the appointment and I said no. I went home and I filed a complaint with the HMO. The doctor’s office had to respond to the complaint. Eventually, they sent me my $5.00 co-pay. I did not care about the co-pay. I was concerned that I was waiting for an hour and the couple was still seeing the doctor and the young man, who was late for his appointment, was going to be seen before me.
I changed primary physician offices. When I called the office of the doctor I eventually selected I asked them how their appointments go? Is a patient generally seen within 15 minutes of their appointment time? They said yes. They also said I can call before my appointment to see if they are exceptionally busy. I have never had an experience like the one I just reported ever again.
I get choked up telling this but I will. In 1987 I was 7 years old, my parents had divorced and my father paid my mother $20 a month for 3 kids. Now this was pretty pathetic already, but he had not paid her for 6 months. Anyhow my mother was struggling to make ends meet, we had very little food in the house and I did not know it at the time but my mum was starving so the food would last longer for us kids. Christmas day my father turns up and accuses my mother of being a drug addict (I assure you she’s not) and told her I’m not paying cash anymore or she will spend it in drugs. He gave her a Christmas card and inside was 2 gift cards for the local supermarket totalling $200, he even said “Merry Christmas” to her as this was all the owed money and then some more. My mother did not care, she would have used $200 cash for food anyhow. She took what little she had in cash and used it to buy fuel for her car, we drove to the supermarket and loaded two trollies (1987 $200 went a long way) mum even purchased Froot Loops for us kids, it was a happy day…… Well until we got to the check out. The bill came to $199.90, mum presented the 2 gift cards, they were both declined. People stared at her, and the store accused her of stealing the gift cards, they told her to leave or they would call the police. People stared at us, and my mother left so embarrassed. My younger brother was 4, he was crying as the Froot Loops were taken from his hands.
What actually happened: My deadbeat father stole the gift cards from the store, however their is no money in them despite them saying $100 on each. You see if you want to purchase the card you need to take them to the counter and pay the face value, then the card is activated and can be used in the store. A few days later my mother collapsed from starvation, we had apple trees next door at the neighbours farm, we took some for my mother, she ate apples for 5 days straight. It gets worse however, when my father was confronted by my mother a big argument broke out, my father accused my mother of lying and then refused to pay her any child support for another 4 months as he had given her $200.
Over the course of 6 years my father paid a grand total of $60 for us 3 children. In 2002 when I was 22, out of sheer coincidence, I saw my father enter a bar. I sat next to him he pretended like nothing had happened, he offered to buy my drink I told him “I don’t want anything from you” and paid for my own drink, the tension was so thick at this point. He started talking about how “that was the past and it’s okay now.” I finished my drink, opened my wallet and pulled out $60. I sat it in the bar in front of him and said “that is everything I owe you, don’t you ever f@cking contact me or my brother’s again.” Then left the bar, I honestly have no idea where he is today, and I really do not care.
EXTRA PART.
I have had a few people question about the last time I saw my father as a child, this includes my own daughter, well it was not at age 8. When I was 8 he started to hardly ever see us, he saw us once a month, then on our birthdays and Christmas, then he called us on these days. Now when you are 8–10 years old a month is a long time, so as a child I was always wondering if I had done something wrong. Yes my mother comforted me, but deep down you can not shake that “why was I not loved enough to want to see me” feeling.
By the age of 10 he had barely seen us for a year. On my 12th birthday be turned up with a fantastic cake, it had a fighter jet on it made out of icing, he remembered I liked fighter jets. He was such a loving father that day, I don’t know why, but he was. I remember him going, telling me “I will see you again real soon son,” then he left. That guilt feeling went away, I still felt I had done something to upset him, that’s why he left the first time, but I had now been punished, and forgiven. I felt my nightmare was over, I could live a life with a loving father again.
That night I went to bed and I recall my mother asking me if I had a good birthday? I told her “today has been the best day ever,” it really had. I rang dad’s phone about 2 weeks later as he had not contacted us, I was excited to talk to him, the number was disconnected, I had no address and I was 12. Mum could not contact him either, I don’t know if it was deliberately done, or if the phone was disconnected, I really don’t know. What I do know is that he knew our number and our address, but didn’t want to know us. I had a $2 coin that I would put in the pay phone near my school every afternoon while waiting for the school bus I would dial his number over and over. I had a special tiny bag I kept that coin inside, I still have this coin today. I keep it in a display, a reminder if the pain I felt every time I rang that disconnected number. About a year later the phone rang, the person who answered did not know my father, obviously the phone company had recycled the number.
My daughter has asked why I keep a normal $2 coin on display in my office. I have never told her, but I guess she knows now, you see I did not know she was on Quora, I had no idea she was following this post. Everytime I look at that coin (everyday) I am reminded of the hurt a parent can inflict on a child. My father never beat us, or did anything like this, but I think I would have preferred this as opposed to the emotional torture he gave us.
I live my daughter, she turns 15 soon (May 22nd) and I would take a bullet for her if that was ever the situation, I can’t image her putting $2 in a pay phone everyday for over a year (yes I know we have mobile phones now). I would feel bad if I slept in on her birthday, let alone didn’t turn up altogether. She has no wish to meet her grandfather and I doubt she will after reading this. She loves her grandmother, she looks up to her as a role model, and what a great role model to have. She’s a really smart person, even when she was 8, I explained to her the reason we live so comfortable is because of the sacrifices her grandmother made, she understood completely.
With few exceptions, the biggest stars tend to be the nicest people. Why? Probably because they’ve achieved their greatest ambitions and have nothing to prove. Too, most of them had to endure a lot of rejection before finally getting their big break.
In 1990, I worked with Martin Sheen and LeBar Burton producing their voiceovers on an environmentally themed charity album entitled “Put On Your Green Shoes.” Sheen was so nice, he refused to be paid for his contribution, which caused us some problems because AFTRA insisted that he receive scale for the session. As one would expect, Burton was a true gentleman and did take after take because he wanted nothing else but to serve the project.
I wrote a song for Tim McGraw’s “All I Want” album and he proved to be one of the nicest, down-to-earth superstars I’ve ever met.
I’ve written in Quora about my disappointing encounters with certain rock stars… Kevin DuBrow, Mike Love, and Todd Rundgren, in particular, were extremely unpleasant and rude personalities.
A chance meeting with another celeb was also disillusioning. The first movie soundtrack I was involved with was the original Vanishing Point, circa 1971, starring Barry Newman. About 8 years later, I ran into Newman who, by then, had starred in the CBS series Petrocelli.
I was arriving at an LA tennis court as he was leaving. “Barry Newman! Vanishing Point!” I exclaimed, as he approached. He just scowled at me and marched past. Thinking he might be more open to giving a co-creator a hello, I said, “I did some songs in that film.”
“Yeah, sure,” he grumbled, and walked on. I certainly found that extremely rude and disrespectful. Still, I have no idea whether Newman was surly by nature or whether he was just having a bad day.
They move from slavery to colonialism and to virtual colonialism ie. Rules Based International Order.
Rules set arbitrarily and unilaterally by white Caucasian. Anglo European stock to ensure that the rest of the world are fully submissive and subservient to them in a set of rules that favours them and it ensure that the world is theirs to take, loot, steal as they please. They enriched themselves and the coloured people toils and slaved for them.
When the rules are not suitable they simply change them. The rules are set by them, change by them, ratified by them, policed by them and judged by them! To ensure they write what is right and what is wrong they monopolised the media that says the white is right, the white is moral, the white is honourable, the white is pure!
Everything black is bad. Black magic, black cat, black out, Black Friday, black Monday black listed…The media and the European stock can demonised anyone that refused to be submissive and subservient to them. They can even kill, murder, slaughter, rape at will! To enrich the west they get the biggest muscle in the room US to be their henchmen.
They can even murder 3 million in Vietnam and Indo China. And the media say it is to prevent communism, 2 million in Korea to stop communism and 2 million in Iraq to install western value like freedom! Then 1 million in Afghanistan to protect women’s right! It is up to what sells best to the fools in the west!
So after 300 years of enslavement and colonialism and another 75 years of virtual Colonialism that is about to end. The west blames China or Russia but frankly if you are anyone of the 175 non beneficiary nations, the 87% if the world or the so called Global South, everyone wants out! And it will be history whether the beneficiary scream, shout or threaten genocide we will stop at nothing!
Europeans and go cheat on each other and steal from each other.
My buddy had the same problem. He had addressed several times but the teenaged son continued the behavior.
He took matters into his own hands. He did not damage any property. He took come plastic valve caps and superglued a simple BB into the top. He then snugged up the valve caps so it just slightly depressed the Schrader valve, slowly releasing air from the tires. The next day all 4 tires were flat.
The neighbor had the vehicle towed to a repair shop. All 4 tires checked out as good. The vehicle was driven home, with the same caps installed by the repair facility. Next day, all 4 tires were flat. The car was then towed to repair shop again. All 4 tires check out again. That shop reused the caps again.
Finally on the third day of towing, the repair shop found the BB’s and replaced the caps. When they returned home all my buddy did is was grin at them as they drove in. His lawn never was driven over again.
Well, it was my co-worker, and we were both let go due to layoffs. Actually, we were let go after the ‘official’ round of layoffs were completed and we thought we were in the clear. For me, it happened just a few days after it was completed. After our weekly IT meeting, I got called into HR (thinking it was an IT issue) but got ambushed by our manager (cisco VC call from TX) who promptly explained about the firm consolidating and removing redundancies.
Due to NY state law, HR was required to give me a list of employees being let go that day (just their age, department, and title) to show there was no discrimination by age or other factors.
After I left the building, my co-worker came down to say his goodbyes, and asked about the whole procedure. Then I showed him the list that HR gave me. He then noticed the age and title and said that was his, and then the realization that his last day was today too. Sure enough, he saw a missed call on his phone from someone in HR.
He went back inside, and sure enough, about 15 minutes or so, I get a text from him saying he was let go too.
But for me the key consideration is the attitude of shops and customers service in Hong Kong is atrocious.
I had to buy a new phone 2 years ago and dread doing it.
You go into shops ask for something and they’ll try sell you something else when you say no thanks you get a tirade of abuse.
A bicycle company that has shut down did this. I wanted a bicycle tyre he tried to sell me 19. I wanted 23. He gave me an earful of abuse about how he knew better than me and how 19 was the way to go.
Here’s Why America is About to be Bankrupt AND Everything You’ve Worked for Means Nothing!
We hired a young man just out of high school who needed a break. Bright, motivated, smiled and nodded to everyone. We qualified his on forklift in shipping department. He was so happy his life was on track. He got his first apartment and got engaged. I was very proud of him and we chatted now and than about his future.
He was off one day. This was a couple weeks after we were told the plant would shut down in 6 to 8 months.
Our HR lady got a call from corporate telling her to fire him today. He was hired 89 days ago and if he was here 90 days they had to pay unemployment. So they called him in for some BS reason. I tried to find his number, call him and tell him to turn his phone off and don’t come in but I couldn’t get it.
He came in and went up front. Came back to his car and left. I could see him tearing up. Once again his world had been upended. I had told him before all this that qualified forklift operator opened a lot of good paying jobs if he ever left.
I felt so bad for him and contempt at the company for saving a few bucks and not caring about people.
If I lived in a smaller town with a diner or two around and a couple of fast food places and one Olive Garden, it would be heaven on earth. A clean place to sit down and eat with gobs of salad, a friendly waitstaff, and interesting combinations of food that I just couldn’t get anywhere else. If you told me that it wasn’t authentic Italian food I could only say, “So what?” It is a comfortable dining experience in my little town and the food tastes pretty darn decent. That Olive Garden would be a special treat for me and my family.
I live in a much larger community and there are two Olive Gardens near by as well as a plethora restaurants and cafeterias around. Once a month or so my wife and I get a take-out from Olive Garden. She always gets the lasagna (her only go to meal at Olive Garden) and I usually ask for my own concoction of a pasta with Italian Sausage with meat sauce with the gnocchi/chicken soup. She loves the lasagna and I really like what I get. We are not looking for a particular Italian experience, we are looking a particular food we appreciate.
So my suggestion is that Olive Garden is not bad at all. Is it exquisite dining? Not at all. Is it authentic Italian? Nope. But exquisite dining and true Italian are available to me when I want it. The Olive Garden is not a replacement, it is simply an additional option. Others must agree with me because these places around me are invariably crowded.
Mom: I couldn’t find my saved money, I need to pay the deliveryman.
Dad: Don’t worry, you’ll find it. How much for the deliveryman?
Mom: 5 thousand rupees. I ordered some groceries and essentials for the house.
Dad paid the deliveryman and we eventually got busy with our daily work.
The next day, Mom, Dad, and I were cleaning the kitchen, when my mom shouted.
Mom: Look, I got my money, it’s in the cupboard. I was so foolish, I searched the whole house for it.
Mom looked so happy because she saved it for her friend’s birthday gift.
But the situation was something else.
Dad got out of the house to smoke a cigarette and I ran behind him.
I said “Why did you do that?’
Father asked: ‘Do what?’
I replied “I swear I have seen you taking the money out of your wallet and putting it in the cupboard.
Dad smirked and replied: “You know she was everything for me! I can’t see her getting sad over the little money she lost yesterday. Because I think we need to care for the person, we love the most!”
Dad takes out a handkerchief and starts putting off his sweat.
I said “Dad, now why are you using mom’s handkerchief? Is it a sign of your care towards Mom too?”
Dad “Nope, because it still has her fragrance”
This was something that changed my whole point of view not only towards life but also towards love too.
You weren’t wrong, but depending on circumstances, a better approach might have been to be nice. Especially if your boss had no say in the decision to furlough you.
If the boss was the one who made this decision, and you don’t like him, then what you did was a perfectly reasonable response.
The large company I worked for, was bought out by another company, and they laid off 1200 people in our company, immediately.
I was one of the casualties, but they were nice and gave me severance plus an extra day to clean out my office, which I spent copying files over to the people left behind.
The very first day, my coworker, one of 4 from a group of 13, that survived the culling, called me asking me for help. I gave it to him, no sense making a friends life miserable. Everyday I spent 15 minutes with him. He wasn’t qualified to do my job, and he knew it, but he was just doing his best.
On the sixth work day, our partners complained that they had agreed to let our company manage the project, and paid our company outrageous money to do so, because I was managing the contract and not some unqualified guy.
I was brought back on contract, paying far more than my old salary, to manage the contract. The CEO of the new combined company had to sign off on any laid off employee, being brought back on contract, in less than a year. There was a lot of flack flying in the company over hiring me back after a week.
The deciding vote to bring me back, was the fear of my being bitter and taking revenge on the company by sabotaging the project. Once it was explained that I had copied all the data I could to the relevant people, after being laid off, and spent 15 minutes a day helping the company, it was decided that it was worth the risk, and I was contracted back. I was the only one of 1200 people brought back in the first year.
Some companies are reluctant to bring back people they view as bitter. Even if you have every right to be bitter.
A co-worker – he was 21 years old – and another co-worker – she was 19 years old – decided to take their morning 15 minute break in the janitor closet. An employee came with her water can to get water for her plants. She opened the door to the utility closet and dropped her can and screamed OH MY GOD. She ran and got security. The young man was in a standing position, nekked from the waist down. The young woman was kneeling, nekked from the waist up. The young man zipped up, zipped out and fled outside to smoke a badly needed cigarette. The young woman had to do more work to get decent. The guard caught her. He asked her “Where is your partner in crime?” She replied “I am sure he is outside smoking a cigarette. This is his name and this is what he looks like.” So, both criminals got caught and fired right away. The young man went home right away. The woman actually finished out her work day, her head held up high, not embarrassed or uncomfortable or anything. She caught me and two other people talking about her. She actually came up to us and stated “I don’t think you should be talking about my private life in public.” Can you believe it …..
I was making good money in NYC, but I had had enough of it. It was becoming too dangerous a place for me to raise my wonderful kids. I didn’t want them to have the same upbringing as me. I’m your typical, cynical, non-trusting, New Yorker. I wanted them to have a better outlook on life.
I managed to find a job in Vermont that payed half what I was making in NYC, but, allegedly, the cost of living was cheaper. In some ways, that was correct, but in others… well, there are things about VT that are MORE expensive than NYC. We were struggling for those first years.
Four years later and I’m making a little more than I made in my best year in NYC. My daughter thinks I Yoko-Ono’ed her bond with her friends and she’ll probably never forgive me for that, but you know what? One of her best friends (15 years old) was recently found, in broad daylight, passed out drunk in a stall in Panera Bread. So maybe moving her away from that may have been a good thing. She’ll never see it though.
My dad was freaking out when I informed him of my intentions to move. He claimed that I’d never have the opportunity that I had enjoyed in NYC. I have changed jobs 3 times since moving here, and I finally have probably the best chance to enjoy retirement from the job I have now. It’s been a blessing, mixed at times, but a blessing.
Take chances. You never know what you’re missing if you don’t.
And this is going to make a lot of Quorans think less of me. But I’m just being honest.
No sarcasm in this answer either.
I’m very much biased against illegal drug users. This is because of my experiences growing up with an older sister who was a drug addict. I saw what it did to her. I saw what it did to her daughter. But mostly, I saw what it did to my parents.
I don’t have any friends anymore anyway… the wife and kids take all of my time, and I’m an introvert… but, when I was younger and did have some friends, I’d cut them from my life the moment I found out they did drugs.
In my early 20s, I had some coworkers who smoked weed on a regular basis. I didn’t think too highly of them. They were mainly middle-aged men who were still doing entry-level and part-time work. Were they happy? Sure. Did I want to be like them at their age? No. I just avoided talking to them unless it was work-related.
I don’t get preachy with drug users. (It’s pointless.) I know some of the people I interact with on a regular basis here on Quora, my “Quora friends,” use drugs. I’ve seen their posts about it. The fact that we only interact via the written word in a virtual world is the only reason I don’t care about it. If this were the real world, and you were sitting in front of me now, discussing how you planned to get high this weekend, I’d politely excuse myself from the table. I don’t need that around me in the real world.
You do you, but respect that I don’t want any part of anyone who does those things.
For me, personally, I suppose it’s like someone who grew up with an alcoholic parent, and made it a point to never be around people who drink a lot. It just brings up bad memories that you don’t need in your life.
It’s something that my family (well, my wife and oldest daughter) have noticed for years. They used to encourage me to make some friends, but I guess they gave up on that.
I have coworkers with whom I talk about work-related things. I have neighbors I chat with when I happen to be outside at the same time they are. I have Facebook friends who are old real-life friends from high school, none of whom I’ve seen in real life in 20 years, and will likely never see again.
And that’s it. I have my family, and a bunch of acquaintances, but no real friends.
That’s not a complaint. I’m happy this way.
The last real friend I had… someone with whom I’d hang out on the weekends… I haven’t spoken to him since 2007. We were friends and roommates in college, and I worked with him for a little while, but once we both got married, got our careers, got our houses, and had our children, we just kind of grew apart.
I’m not anti-social. I’m asocial. It’s something I don’t even think about, unless someone else points it out to me. Here it is, a Saturday night (St. Patrick’s Day weekend in Chicago, no less), and I’m answering questions on Quora in the gap time between tucking in my children and going to bed myself. I suppose that sounds sad or pathetic to people who value their social lives. Not to me, though. It sounds comfortable. I like comfortable.
RIA-Novosti press agency published photographs taken from the Facebook account of Alexis Drion, one of the casualties of the Russian bombing of Khirkov/Kharkov on January 17.
The Russian Foreign Ministry continues to claim that the building targeted by the Russian strike was hosting “foreign mercenaries”, mainly French. On its side, the French Foreign Ministry denies just as vigorously the presence of French “mercenaries” embroiled in the conflict.
Understandably, Russia is trying to present evidence that French soldiers were in Ukraine carrying out a mission, which would constitute an act of war.
After publishing the names of 13 of the victims of the January 17 bombing, the agency dug deeper and stumbled on an Facebook account <Facebook
> created in December 2011. Though relatively inactive, an image can be spotted of the young man from 2013 in military uniform, at the age of 27. Various photos seem to link him to the Foreign Legion. In the latest pictures, we find him in Ukraine brandishing an insignia of France and the OUN, the militia of “integral nationalists”.
image 173
Alexis Drion during a ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris
Russian press issues list of 13 French “mercenaries” who died in Ukraine
VOLTAIRE NETWORK | 22 JANUARY 2024
image 172
While the French authorities have formally declared that there were no French “mercenaries” in Ukraine, the Russian press has published a list of 13 names corresponding to some of the victims of the 17 January bombing on Kharkiv/Kharkov.
• Albert Emeric (d.o.b. 22 December 1999), • Alexis Drion (13/06/1986), • Béranger Guillaume Alain Minault (30/12/1978), • Valentin Dupois Mel (02/01/1994), • Gilles Bernard Sylvain (10 /27/1980), • Jacques-Pierre Gabriel Evrard Philippe (29/09/1987), • Jean-Pierre Bonneau Chris Heray (17/07/1999), • Maris André Dubois Clément (28/09/1995), • Marcellin Demont (05 /23/2002), • Sébastien Claude Rémy Benard (04/04/1974), • Thomas Jeremy Nathan Gourrier (24/02/1996), • Charles Bertin Roussel (01/09/1996), • Emmanuel Tanguy Kenneth Delange Grandal (26/09/1996) /1998).
Russian Duma to address French Parliament
VOLTAIRE NETWORK | 19 JANUARY 2024
image 171
The Russian Duma will address the French Parliament regarding the presence of French “mercenaries” in Ukraine.
Officially, France is not engaged in military operations in Ukraine, but supports the latter by providing it with weapons. If French soldiers were involved in the fighting, the French Republic would be at war with the Russian Federation.
It would seem that the Duma is intent on disclosing the presence of French Special Forces, which are in Ukraine without authorization from the French Parliament.
Article 35 of the French Constitution stipulates stipulates as follows:
“The Government informs Parliament of its decision to have the armed forces intervene abroad, at the latest three days after the beginning of said intervention. It specifies the objectives pursued. This information may give rise to a debate which is not followed by any vote. When the duration of the intervention exceeds four months, the Government submits its extension to Parliament for authorization. It may request the National Assembly to make the final decision.”
It was at an office BBQ with our families, it was hot, and there was a wasp.
The bosses eight or nine-year-old daughter started screaming that there was a bee in her shirt. She was wearing a spaghetti top. Everyone panicked.
The thing about me, is that a Bee sting is much like a mosquito bite, it swells up a little bit and itches. No big deal. Some people, a bee sting would kill them. If I did nothing, would she die?
I calmly asked her if I could put my hand in her shirt. She screamed “YES! YES!”
In front of her panicking dad and mom, she pulled her top open and I reached into her shirt and grabbed the Wasp. I pulled my hand out and threw it on the ground and stomped it. I looked at my palm. It had stung me, so I bit the wound and sucked, then spit. I got stung a few times every year, no big deal.
Then I realized that I had just had my hand down the front of a little girls shirt in front of thirty witnesses.
But everyone treated me like a hero, especially my boss. Go figure.
Heeeee! I oughta say “don’t ask,” but can’t resist.
I took over a job that had been occupied by my eminently sensible, smart, and long-suffering cousin. That last adjective — long-suffering — is the operative term. She put up with the guy’s sh!t (a euphemism, we might say) until she went off to marry a handsome and rich young rancher and live happily ever after.
Totally naive, I applied for and got her job.
What.
A.
Jerk.
The.
Guy.
Was.
The day I came in and found an incredibly NASTY note in the middle of my office floor — he was unhappy because I’d thrown out some trash — mostly ads — without shredding every sheet of paper and envelope — was the day that I took everything I was supposed to be working on, dropped it smack in the middle of the office floor, went out the door, locked it behind me, jumped in my car, drove away, and never came back.
From there the next move was to go back to graduate school. Get a job teaching freshman comp for peanuts (I was used to the “peanuts” part by then…), complete the Ph.D., get my book published, and land an academic job. A job, we might add, where the bosses more or less treated you like you were human. Well. Almost as human as they were. 😀
What do you do if you get fired from your job? CELEBRATE!!!!!
Met a woman in a busy local mall after chatting with her online a few times. Met her through a horrendous online dating app. Made sure lots of people around in case things headed south. Bought her lunch and we sat and ate as she just kept on and on. Saying nothing until she says I have something important to tell you. Ohhhh okay. I just got out of prison. Oh yeah? Umm what for I asked. Bank robbery in Nevada. A casino heist. Oh really? So what brought you to Florida? I met my husband as a penpal in prison and we wrote back and forth for years. Husband? Yeah he recently had a massive heart attack and died. Ummm ok? Yeah he was 25 years older then me and lives in Bonita Springs. He had a vending machine business. Ohhhh. So did you at least stash some of the stolen money away from your heist? She said that her 2 “ friends” left her behind and she got busted and they got away with several hundred thousand dollars. So you never caught up with them? Nooo, she couldn’t find them and never saw them again. Attractive well endowed blonde woman . Spent a good 1/2 hour talking . Nice girl but a bit tooo much baggage for me.
An employee can be fired by phone, though I wouldn’t recommend that. California requires that you hand an employee their final check (and a few other documents) on their last day. That would be very difficult to accomplish over the phone, right. You might have an out:
this is an on-the-spot firing because you just learned that the employee did something so bad that you have to term them immediately. California law gives you 72 hours to get the check to them if it truly is an unplanned termination.
the employee agrees to something like having their check delivered to their door by courier, say within the hour. (I agreed to that when I retired. I was recorded, with my permission, waiving my right to come in and pick up my check and other documentation in person.)
My aside brings up a key point: what did you say? What did the employee say in return? An unrecorded phone call leaves you with a he said – she said. That’s not going to be a fun day if the employee decides to challenge your firing.
Some states are single party consent, meaning you can record the call without the employee’s knowledge or consent. But just because you can do something doesn’t mean that you should. You can quickly gain a bad reputation in the labor pool and with recruiters and agencies for having shady, though legal, HR practices. “You don’t want to work there! They call you first thing in the AM, fire you and sneak record everything you say.”
My friends and I witnessed a fantastic scene on a public bus last November.
A few stops after we got on, two young boys waddled onto the bus. They were maybe about seven or eight years old, small enough that they were practically dwarfed by their puffy winter coats and colorful backpacks.
As soon as their fathers sat down, the two kids began quietly talking to each other. Based on the things they were saying, it sounded like they were trying to recreate what they’d learned in some kind of anti-bullying assembly at school.
“If you don’t let me play with you,” one boy whispered, “that’s bullying!”
“But if you do let us play with you,” the other boy whispered back, “that’s respect!”
“If you push someone over on the playground, that’s bullying!”
“If you help someone get up after they fall, that’s respect!”
Their secretive whispering gradually evolved into enthusiastic shouting as they applied this newly learned dichotomy to scenario after scenario. After a few minutes, it became clear that they’d started to go off-script.
“If you never ever say sorry again, THAT’S BULLYING!”
“If you say sorry a hundred million billion times forever and forever until you die, THAT’S RESPECT!”
“If you go on the toilet and you forget to flush but then you go back and you see the poop and you flush it, THAT’S BULLYING!”
“No, wait, I think that’s respect.”
“That’s respect?”
“Yeah.”
“No, but I think the poop makes it bullying.”
My friends and I were sitting at the back of the bus throughout their conversation, trying our best to hold back our laughter.
I have a friend who worked for a small firm as a graphic designer. He was the youngest and newest, and felt like he was underappreciated and under paid. Also, he thought his boss was a moron. When the business hit hard times, he saw cutbacks coming and decided to just do whatever he wanted until they let him go.
Monday morning, an hour after he was supposed to be in, he called and said he’d be out all week, and would be in Friday, then hung up before he got a response. He watched TV and played video games for four days straight, taking breaks to look for a new job.
On Friday he rolled in two hours late, not at all surprised to discover that his boss wanted to see him in his office.
“The company has needed to do some restructuring and make some tough choices. I need to inform you-”
Here it comes, freedom at last from this awful place!
“- that we’ve let everyone else in the creative department go, and you are now our lead designer. We’re ready to give you an immediate raise of 20% and creative control over all projects. Also, it looks like you’ve needed a break this week, so we’re also ready to offer you more vacation days.”
By the end of the discussion, he not only got more vacation days and the 20% raise, but also got to work from home every Friday. I guess being absent all week made his boss realize how valuable he was to the company.
Edit: There were some questions as to why my friend was the only one kept on, so I’ll elaborate. The company had two web designers, a graphic designer, and my friend, who did video directing and editing. It just so happened he was also a great designer, artist, and could do web design. Everyone in the department could do their job, but he could do everyone’s job.
I was a Probation officer, and I had a probationer back before the court for a probation violation hearing. There were several charges, but one charge was the guy had shown up for an urine screen, and claimed he couldn’t urinate for three hours, even though I saw him go to the restroom twice. (He said he was just testing.) Anyway, I told him to come in the next morning at eight. He showed up at eleven.
At the hearing, the attorney who was a friend of mine got feisty for some reason. After I testified that I told him to report back at eight, the defense attorney asked me, “And did he?”
I replied, “Well..”
“Yes or no answer,” he snapped.
I turned to the judge and said, “It’s not a yes or no question.” (I wanted to say that he showed up at eleven.)
The judge said, “ If the defense attorney wants a yes or no answer he’s entitled to it., Ask your question again.”
“Officer Davis did my client show up at 8:00AM as you told him to?”
“No”
He got an additional charge. I later told the judge in private, and we had a new hearing where he had two months of his eight months in jail reduced. But if I’d been a jerk his attorneys showboating would have cost him two extra months.
Before freezing to death, people tend to remove their clothes.
Yes.
This is called “paradoxical undressing”, a phenomenon frequently seen in cases of lethal hypothermia. Shortly before death, the person will remove all their clothes, as if they were burning up, when in fact they are freezing.
When people feel cold, the most important thing is to ensure the function of the brain, internal organs and other major organs, so the blood vessels at the ends of the body will automatically contract to ensure adequate blood flow to the major organs.
In this state of stress for a long time, the muscles that contract the blood vessels fall into fatigue and can no longer work, and must take a calm “rest”.
The peripheral blood vessels on the surface of the body will all open, blood will quickly flow to the end of the limbs, and the long-term cold limbs will be immediately filled with warm blood, resulting in the illusion of “very hot”. When this signal is sent back to the brain, the brain will send the wrong instructions to the body, so that people may think that it is really hot, take off all the clothes.
At this time, people who are on the verge of dying get up and struggle to undress, thinking that undressing is good.
I was a reservist in the ’90s. I got put on guard duty a few times.
One night, I had to guard a building. They gave me a rubber duck weapon. (An M-16 made out of rubber. Yes, they exist.) I had to walk the perimeter of the building every hour with the “weapon.” I had to note anything out of the ordinary.
When I guarded the SCIF (Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility), they gave me a real rifle and a full magazine. There was classified information in there that I didn’t have the clearance to see. I didn’t even know what I was guarding.
They briefed me on the use of force. Basically, you halt the person. You get their ID, detain them and call the commander of the relief. If they don’t halt, you shoot center of mass. There are no warning shots.
Yes. They will kill you if you don’t halt and follow their orders. They have orders to do so. They will follow their lawful orders. National security is no joke to them.
I was 19 and working at a major retailer, I’d rather not mention but is definitely a conglomerate. I went on lunch break, had a drink with a coworker, and returned to post. My manager instantly smelled alcohol on my breath, idiot I was didn’t try to hide or cover the pungent odor that is Seagrams gin. Manager notified the higher ups who put me in a room and three higher ups sat at a table opposite of me. They began asking where I got the alcohol, did I drink with anyone, and saying that they saw us on cameras. I was to rat this coworker out with a written statement. I wound up writing that I drank alone like George Thurgood and not one person laughed. They decided to fire me and I happily left. I was mentally ready to leave that place. The only thing I regret is when I have to answer for it at job interviews even thought it’s been nearly 20 years.
We had an 18th disco-style birthday party for our daughter at our house, with the expectation that it would wind up around 11pm. By 11:30 it was still going strong with music blaring out loud and kids dancing and drinking a little too much (beer and light drinks only allowed).
My Father-in-law was living with us at the time – an ex-Grenadier Guard and Seargent-Major. Seeing our frustration and not dealing with it adequately, to his mind at least, said he would deal with it.
At 11:50pm he walked into our large lounge, cleared to be a dance floor, switched off the music and switched on the main lights and announced.
“In 10 minutes, it will be Sunday and at 12:05 I will start a religious service. I expect anyone still here to attend”.
The place cleared by 12 midnight.
Quantum Leap: Russia-China’s Quantum Communication Test
Went to a bar in Australia, saw that no-one was tending and joked with the next guy that walked in, that he needed a bartender, else I’d pour my own, he said, ok, come pour your own. I did, with a near perfect head, and he said, can you start here? now? today? sure I said, he left me there for 4 hours to run the bar. I worked there 2 years.
Went to an bar in Shanghai while travelling, the Bartender there was a Kiwi, it was an Aussie bar, after I asked for a drink he asked me, what I was doing in Shanghai, and I said, looking for a job (I was interviewing for English Teaching jobs) and he said, Well, you sound Aussie, you can work here if you can pour a beer. I started that night and worked for a half a year (ESL teaching in the day, bartender at night).
Went to a ESL School for an interview in a new country after that, walked into the wrong dept, and asked for the head of dept (as it was all I had to go on) and started the interview from my end, and half way through she realised I was in the wrong place, but then asked me how I would deal with businessmen instead of kids. I said, ‘under the suit, they’re just kids’ she hired me there instead, I stayed in that country 10 years.
Generally, when this happens, especially in a salaried position, your current employer will pay you for the final two weeks. If the employer doesn’t offer it, ask for it. It never hurts to ask. It’s just easier and safer for your employer to pay you off than to make an issue of it.
Years ago, as a recent college graduate with an accounting degree, I was an employee in good standing, working as an office supervisor, while I searched for an accounting job. When I was hired by a new company as an accountant (at a significant pay increase,) I gave my two weeks’ notice, fully intending to use the next two weeks to make the transition as easy as possible for my current team. My manager didn’t appear to be angry or resentful when I resigned, but two days later she told me that she didn’t think my mind was on my work. She instructed me to pack up my personal belongings and leave immediately. She told me the company would pay me for the remaining portion of my final two weeks.
What did I do? I packed up and left with no cross words or fanfare. Then I enjoyed an unexpected, 10-day, paid vacation on my old company, knowing I would be starting a better-paying job in my chosen field at the end of my break.
My First Time Hearing Zhou Shen – Floating Light REACTION
I don’t think of it as revenge, but just standing up for myself.
I was a sergeant for a large California police department. I was working swing watch for a lieutenant that was worse than an asshole. I can work for an asshole if he is competent regarding the job, and if he is consistently an asshole. This guy was worse than an asshole in the following ways: some days he’d act like your buddy. Some days he’d say ‘Do X,Y, and Z’ and the following day he’d say “No! I said do Q,R, and W’. He would also tell me how he didn’t trust a large number of our officers. He had quite a paranoia about him. Just a miserable human being who I believe was trying to mask some serious insecurities.
One day I came into work five hours early as a favor, due to some gang murders and a trial that ws going on. I had a squad of swing watch officers assigned to me for this detail. Around 2:30pm the lieutenant came into work with his nasty mood on full display. He started complaining to me about some of the swing watch officers being lazy. I countered by saying if they were so lazy, then why did they come to work 5 hours early to work a stressful assignment? The lieutenant’s office door was open and our argument could be heard in the hallway.
I realized there was no salvaging a professional demeanor with this guy during this shift. My solution: I told him (it was the beginning of our ten hour regular shift) that I had a splitting headache and was going home. There was nothing he could do. He knew he’d get stuck doing a lot of my work. I had to train my boss to be better.
Fortunately, we had our biannual sign-up shortly thereafter, so I signed up for day watch, just to get away from this guy. Within a week of the sign-up results being posted, he was banished to an undesirable post. (Management personnel can be moved at the whim of the chief.) Worse for him, his commute went from 45 minutes to 90 minutes. There were rumors floating around the station. How bad must our captain have thought about this lieutenant to get him shipped off to Siberia?
Our captain had only been at our station for about two months when this happened. He knew me when we were both officers and he knew of my work ethic. He confided in me that when he saw that I signed up for a shift I don’t even like, that there was a BIG problem with this lieutenant. It also solidified the old saying that sergeants run the stations. Things got a lot better for the whole station once that jerk was kicked out.
This isn’t a very popular opinion, especially in veteran’s circles, but it is a fact and therefore, it should be said:
The casualty numbers sustained by the so-called “Resolute Support”
[1]mission in Afghanistan are so ridiculously low that it cannot even be called an armed conflict or a war.
In 2018, the United States military had the highest number of casualties from all “Resolute Support” contingents. Altogether, they lost seventeen soldiers, sailors, and Marines in Afghanistan. If you compare this to their absolute numbers (1,358,190 active military personnel) you have a casualty rate of Soldiers Killed in Action (KIA) of about 0.0012%. If you count only personnel deployed to a combat zone (around 18,000 in 2018),[2]you get around 0,09%. Not very impressive. Being a US soldier isn’t even in the TOP 25 of the most dangerous professions in the United States.[3][4]To compare this number to other modern conflicts, the German army in WWII lost around 26.6% of their soldiers in the Soviet Union, while during the Vietnam War the US lost 40,000 of their soldiers on the battlefield (KIA rate of 8%).[5]
In 2018, the German Army’s contingent in Afghanistan didn’t lose a single soldier while at the same time eight soldiers died at home in various accidents.
[6]Although it was one of the years which saw the highest number of German military personnel deployed to crisis regions, 2018 was also the year the Bundeswehr lost the smallest number of soldiers in its history: only 8 were killed. In comparison, in 1962, long before any foreign involvement, the Bundeswehr lost 166 soldiers, most of them in accidents.
Of course, every dead soldier is one too many, but the probability for a US or an Allied soldier to get killed in Afghanistan is much lower than, for example, that of a Russian or Israeli soldier dying during military training.
Next time, we hear people calling to “bring our troops home” or thanking them for their sacrifice, we should put that into perspective. This is also the reason why the “war” in Afghanistan takes so long: the price is paid by the Afghan civilian population and not by our soldiers and Marines.
Admiral Hyman G. Rickover was the founder of the US Nuclear Navy and is a man clouded in legend. There are a number of stories about him, some of which most certainly are true. Others may or may not be true, but certainly do fit his rather unique style of command. As an example, and this is 100% true because I’ve seen it, and it still sits in the Naval Reactors office, during their interview, Admiral Rickover had his prospective officers sit in a simple office chair… with four inches cut from the front legs.
One story details one of The Admiral’s tours of Nuclear Power School. He decided to enter a classroom, perhaps during the lesson or during study. He entered the rear of the room where he quickly and silently suppressed the impending calls to attention.
At the front of the room, a junior sailor, maybe a Third Class Petty Officer, was working an assigned problem on the board. The Admiral approached the student and, from a short distance behind him, observed the student’s work over his shoulder.
After some time, the student got frustrated. He turned to The Admiral and stated, “Excuse me, sir. I’m trying to work this problem here,” and resumed his work. The Admiral wordlessly departed the classroom, assuredly to the dumbfounded looks of the sailor’s classmates.
As the story goes, later that day, word reached the sailor that The Admiral offered him a commission as an officer in the US Navy.
The U.S. thinks and fooled themselves that the world thinks highly of themselves, they most certainly don’t.
Who thinks highly of America? Some very young starry eye highly naive spoilt brat kids perhaps! Or some totally ignorant bigoted white supremacist mainly older, less travelled, less educated people in America thinks America is good!
Everyone else don’t. In fact they don’t think they know US is not at all a good or honourable or caring nation to its own people and certainly very barbaric to the world!
Even most of US slave nations such as Germany, Japan or Korea don’t think so too. They may be forced to but deep inside the disdain America. British, Aussies, Kiwis, Canadian and fellow despicable former colonialists don’t too, they may suck up to the U.S. or at least they use the U.S. as a shield against others who may want to hurt them but they think little about America!
So in percentage it may be as little as 1% thinks they are good. 99% thinks they are barbaric, inhuman, inconsiderate parasite that they cannot respect but some 15% of the world fear them or at least wants their protection. So they pretend to have nice word for the US.
According to Rommel’s diaries, Hitler said to Rommel that the war was lost late 1943 when Rommel was appointed Inspector General. That makes sense as it was after Kursk, which in a way the Germans won (losses) but they were routed anyway because unlike USSR, Germany could not make up for their losses and this would have been clear at the highest level.
Hitler said to Rommel that from now on it was a question of creating the best possible position for negotiations.
Rommel expressed disappointment, so at this point it was only seen vy those who wanted to see.
As for reactions they were not the sane across the fronts.
Kesselring (Italy) reacted well before this by building fall-back positions planning an incremental withdrawal already early 1943.
On the Eastern front this was forbidden by Hitler which meant withdrawals were often unplanned and more costly than needed. Stalingrad is a good example, but other units, cities or regiments were ordered to fight till death as well.
Is it bad? Not at all. In fact, it is actually quite liberating.
I was hired to work as a computer support tech at a community college but the man who offered me the job resigned, unexpectedly, just days before I was scheduled to start. His replacement was on the panel that interviewed candidates and he preferred another candidate over me, so he went to his boss to have my job offer revoked. His boss refused to do it and that made him incredibly angry, so he decided to take it out on me by micromanaging my every move.
He had no experience as a manager — he’d been a systems admin at the school before being named interim IT Director — and he didn’t like working with older people. This was unfortunate because I was 58 years old at the time and the ony other support tech was 63 years old, so interim enjoyed trying to embarrass us. He called us both out in front of a room full of people for running a network line incorrectly, and we angered him by telling him to finish the job up while we went to lunch.
My coworker decided he’d had enough at that point and took that afternoon off before sending interim an email stating that he wouldn’t return. Interim tried to write me up for insubordination but his boss wouldn’t let him and that made a bad work relationship even worse. I took to working in empty classrooms and lecture halls to avoid interim, and spoke to him only when directly asked a question.
Two years after my old coworker quit I turned in my resignation — the letter simply stated that I was resigning and that my last day would be in two weeks, on a specific date. When interim — yes, after three years he was still interim IT director — showed up he walked over to my office and stood in the doorway, and asked me why I was quitting. I usually offer up a vague response like, “It’s time to move on” or “ I want to try something new” but this time I told interim that I could no longer stand to work for someone I did not like or respect. The look on his face — shock, dismay, anger — was worth having to sit and twiddle my thumbs for those last two weeks. That’s right — he pulled all the work he’d assigned me to punish me. Needless to say, my new coworker didn’t appreciate that move.
I was a straight A student in high school, and in my sophomore year I was receiving brochures from college. I had some spread out on the kitchen table, and Mom and I were discussing which ones would be worth a visit during my junior year. Dad came home from work, noticed the brochures, and scoffed, “She’s not going to college; I’m not paying for her Mrs. degree like her sister!” I started to explain to him what degree I wanted, and wasn’t going to college to get married, as my sister had done. Mom cut me off, stood up and got in Dad’s face. She sternly pointed out that he HAD paid for my brother’s B.S. and M.S. and if I wanted to go to college I DAMN well was going to go! Dad and I both stared at her, our mouths agape, because Mom never contradicted Dad in front of us. (As it turned out, I earned enough scholarships and had a parttime job on campus, that I was a bargain, costing them very little out of pocket.)
Yes! Our neighbor, a pastor, invited us over when his wife was away. They had very old fashioned roles, she did housework, he earned money. When we arrived he asked my husband to help him install a hanging lamp. He asked me to start dinner. All he had was stuff for salad. I went home and got some steak and potatoes, cooked it while they worked. After dinner i did the dishes and he told me to take out the trash. I said “ Excuse me?”. He laughed and told me to take it out its “womens work”. So not wanting to alienate someone we had to share an property line with, i did. When my husband and i left He turned to me and said “ What the heck was that?”. I said, he took advantage of our kindness! He got free labor, a free dinner, and free maid service! We never accepted another invitation for dinner! This is the same guy who adopted an African baby so he could “ Get over being a bigot, like my father”. Cant make this stuff up!
Hardly as bad as pulling a shirt off, but an episode in my Catholic high school has passed into legend.
One student I’ll call Henry was an easy target for one particular bully. He spoke strangely as a consequence of a congenital hearing defect, wore a bulky hearing aid, carried an extra forty pounds, had a bad complexion and was 100% nerd right down to the pocket protector and slide rule.
His bus arrived early. Early students had to wait in the cafeteria until home room opened. Henry would turn down his hearing aid, open a book, and write computer programs or do math problems. He would place his lunch – a sandwich in a small paper bag – on the table next to him.
His nemesis would yell in his ear “how are you this morning, Henry” while he smashed the sandwich flat. Henry had had enough. One morning he put in the bag a piece of cardboard with thumbtacks pushed through the cardboard pointing up. The bully, as usual, smashed the bag flat. He let out a howl as he pulled his hand away with a dozen punctures streaming blood.
One of the nuns heard the howl, figured out what had happened, and dragged Henry by his earlobe to the Director of Discipline, Fr. Huller. Huller was a regular guy. He had landed in the second wave at Normandy and seen a few things.
Huller listened to the nun’s version and then to Henry’s version. He asked the nun to leave so that he could speak to Henry privately. Huller could barely keep from laughing. He tried to say something several times but couldn’t get the words out. Finally, he told Henry “just don’t do that again.”
Huller then asked to see the bully who had been patched up by the school nurse. He told the bully that his impalement was punishment enough but if he smashed any more sandwiches he’d be expelled.
I sure did. I was working for a company helped them open their location. They had me doing supervisor duties with the promise of soon getting that position. I was young and dumb not realizing that was a mistake. I did it for about 6 months working my tail off and never missing work and always coming in early and or staying late. When it came down to it, they said they were giving the position to a new person that was new coming in and just gave me a $.10 raise. It was a slap in the face. Thinking about all those extra duties I put in. The times they would keep calling me on the ear piece even when I was just going to go pee they called me. Then one day on my day off when I went to pick up my check, the boss said a bunch of people called off and they only had 1 station open, 1 employee there out of 6 15 minutes to open, and 2 bus loads of kids coming in. He then told me he needed me to start right away. I told him I didn’t have my uniform. He told me to grab one from the back, but those were dirty. I said ok sure. I went to the back and said good bye to everyone. They asked where I was going and I said I quit. Never done that in my life. Felt awful but it was a turning point for me to never let anyone take advantage of me again.
This happened about 20 years ago. We had a cheap and cheerful washing machine. It was 15 years old and had required a few repairs in the recent years; new door seal, new belt, new motor brushes etc. Problem was the the motor commutator had become scored and the brushes didn’t last too long and really the motor needed replacing. We also wanted a machine with a higher load capacity so we went shopping. We chose a high spec Bosch washing machine with a 9kg load capacity and a 3 year extended warranty i.e. to 4 years. It cost about £450 which was a fair amount at the time.
Just over 4 years later the machine was on its spin cycle. There was an enormous series of bangs, the machine threw itself around the floor and ground to a halt. A repair technician was called but found that the machine was completely destroyed. We commissioned an engineers report. This stated that the tub counterbalance had become detached. It should have had say6 studs and nuts holding it in place. A couple were missing completely and the rest had sheared off. The tub spinning at high speed had been thrown around the inside of the machine, slicing through wiring and pipes, smashing the control circuit board and even causing large dents in the steel panel at the rear.
Bosch’s attitude was unbelievable. Essentially they said that “it could not be a manufacturing fault as it would have shown up during the warranty period” and “what did you expect as it was now outside warranty”. Apparently although a cheap and cheerful machine would last 15 years with a few cheap repairs but a quality one was expected to self destruct as soon as the warranty period expired. Eventually they did consent to a small amount of compensation but left us massively out of pocket.
I’ve never bought another Bosch power tool, fridge, freezer or anything else since then
I went to court, fought the ticket, exposed the lying cop, and got my charges dismissed. The judge offered his “congratulations, on an excellent defense”. I went into court prepared, righteous, and loaded for bear. I fought a handful of tickets, over the years, and won every time. They were all bogus. For a couple that I got, which were legit, I was able to get reduced fines, or even deferred adjudication.
Know the laws on the offense you’re charged with, AND the fine schedule and other possible punishments. I prepped a friend, for his seatbelt ticket defense. He was told he would be fined $250, and then he brought a printout of the state law, which called for a $66 (or thereabouts) fine. He then said he wanted to know just whose pocket the rest of that $250 was going into. The charge was dropped, and he was sent out the door. The city prosecutor, and whoever wrote the fines, hadn’t bothered to see if the numbers matched the legal amount set by the state.
I was hired with the promise of being the #2 in the company as CIO. One hour into the first day, the CEO comes into my office and asks me to call somebody at our other office to help him with a problem. He told me that I worked for him as well since he was in charge of the department over there that ran a document scanning operation I had not been told of.
So much for only having to worry about one unqualified person telling me how to be a CIO, I now had two. I knew then I was dealing with somebody who tells someone exactly what they want to hear. It was too late, as I’d already moved the family, etc… Had to try to make it work. Developed clinical depression as a result.
I did have the honor of watching the CEO get deposed from a company he owned a majority of stock in (only way that happens is extortion or blackmail by the other shareholders), and having the new CEO grovel at my feet when I left him after a year of his abuse. Then I watched the company implode, first by closing down the scanning center (the only profit generator for the company – brilliant people), then having everybody else bail because they no longer got paid.
I waited on Nicholas Cage one Sunday morning in Vegas. He, the lady he was with, and his young son were the only guests at the time. I greeted him as Mr. Cage and at the outset he seemed very nice. I informed the manager (goof) and he immediately said to ask him for a photo as “corporate”loves that. I have waited on other celebrities and I would take a bullet before doing something so gauche. Mr. Cage did take some photos with other guests as the restaurant filled. He was very polite the entire time. At the end I said “Mr. Cage I am great admirer of your work”. I mean c’mon after Moonstruck? It was totally the truth! He said, “John it was a pleasure meeting YOU”! I had to go out to the parking area as he left his credit card on the table. Did he give me a nice tip? Yes. Was it outrageous? No. All class.
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Just an hour ago, My girlfriend offered to buy me Lemon soda in one of those small roadside shops. We were regulars there.
I was thirsty so I finished my drink fast. She was halfway through her glass when a Traffic policeman approached the shop.
Him: One lemon juice please.
Shopkeeper: Sure sir, please wait for a minute.
He makes the juice and hands it over to him.
My Girlfriend starts drinking the juice very slowly. I asked her what happened.
“I’m just waiting to see what he’ll do” *points at the traffic policeman*
After he was done with the drink.
Him: Thanks. *Leaves without paying*
The shopkeeper just continues with his work.
Her: Yeah, that’s what I thought.
Pretty common sight in India. Cops get freebies in a lot of roadside stalls and they don’t even think for a second that the small amount of 10–15 rupees is the shopkeeper’s hard earned money.
In the city I used to live in photo radar was set for 13 kmph over the speed limit, about 8 mph. There are no demerits for photo radar, just the fine. Its a great cash cow, because it catches all of those who are momentarily not paying attention, as well as those who are purposely speeding. The province refuses to allow photo radar on its highways. Because they say its just a cash cow.
In the little town that I retired to, they thought they were going to get rich off of speeding tourists. They moved the speed limit signs so that it dropped from 100 to 80 to 50 kmph farther outside of town, and they bought a $125,000 photo radar, and said it would pay for itself in two months. The main tourist drag through town was a provincial highway. They sat the only town police officer at the edge of town, and ticketed away. In the very first month a guy fought his ticket, and the judge ruled that it was illegal to use photo radar on the highway. Rather than move it to other streets, where most of the offenders would be locals, they sold the photo radar for about half of what they paid for it. When it was working, they had looked into hiring a second officer to bring in more money, but once it was scrapped, all talk of a second officer was cancelled.
The fact that they wouldn’t use it on non tourist streets, moved the speed limit signs out of town, and talked about hiring a second officer, but only when they were using the radar trap, and dropped the plan as soon as they dropped the radar, pretty much tells you the intent of the radar trap.
The photo radar was still perfectly useable, except that you had to actually stop the car and write up the ticket, check licence and registration, sobriety, etc , exactly as the province required.
But, because of the time required, the town said it wasn’t economical to give tickets to people doing less than about 25 kmph ,15.5 mph, and there weren’t enough of them to make it worthwhile.
So there you have it, if its automatically sent out in the mail, the limit is 13 kmph over the speed limit, if they have to check to make sure you aren’t a mass murderer, driving a hijacked car, its almost double at 25 kmph.
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I had a manager who was putting me on a last and final write-up (next step suspension / terminated) for something I didn’t do. I refused to sign the write-up until I talked to the director (his boss) about the situation as I hadn’t made an error. The manager replied, “It would’ve been easier if you would’ve just signed it!” He goes through the steps of bringing on another manager to witness me refusing to sign the paperwork, as was protocol for this type of situation, and I went about the rest of my shift.
What my manager didn’t know was my wife, who happened to be an auditor in the company, had made me aware of the situation before I went into work so I was able to research things before my write-up was going to be given to me. I was able to see that my manager had changed some of the data I used to complete my daily reports, which caused my paperwork error. I printed the evidence showing he caused the error and held onto it until the meeting with the director.
So I’m meeting with the director and the manager is going, “… does sub par work, careless with his reports, yada yada”. My director then asks me for my side of the story and I tell him, “The manager changed the data I use to run my daily reports”. The manager was offended and says something along the lines that I was wrong. I then show the screenshots of when the information I used was changed and who doctored it. The information was changed 30 minutes after I left work for the day by my manager making him responsible for the error. The meeting ended about two minutes later with a half-hearted apology.
Edit: So there have been a few comments on why the manager wasn’t fired for his actions of doctoring a record. The overall reason was we had just started using a new computer system a few months prior and there was still a lot of growing pains with everybody figuring it out. I don’t think the manager’s actions were malicious with the error, it was part of the learning process. I even learned better procedures to follow to prevent the error from happening again. At first it was for CYA, then it became the procedure I taught to others to guarantee accuracy of the reports.
I had this friend in college who would always eat my lunches. I didn’t really mind and it’s not because she didn’t have any money or anything it’s just that she never made lunch for herself and when she did she still thought mine were more appetizing.
I shared my meal everyday with her and I would often make more for the two of us.
One day I didn’t have time to make lunch and she didn’t bring one so I suggested that we go eat at a small bistro near the school. She ordered a big meal and everything and paid. When it was my turn I didn’t have any money because I left my wallet at home. I asked her to lend me some money and told her I would pay her back. She refused saying that it’s my fault that I was poorly organized and I should always have my wallet with me. She then told me I purposely forgot my wallet and that it was a plan for her to pay me back for all of the meals that i shared with her.
I didn’t eat lunch with her. I just left and blocked her. Never thought people could take so much but never give when needed.
JFK’S Secretary of State, Dean Rusk, was in France in the early 60’s when DeGaulle decided to pull out of NATO. DeGaulle said he wanted all US military out of France as soon as possible. Rusk responded, “Does that include those who are buried here?”
DeGaulle did not respond. You could have heard a pin drop.
When in England, at a fairly large conference, Colin Powell was asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury if our plans for Iraq were just an example of ’empire building’ by George Bush.
He answered by saying, “Over the years, the United States has sent many of Its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom beyond our borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked for in return is enough to bury those that did not return.”
You could have heard a pin drop.
There was a conference in France where a number of international engineers were taking part, including French and American. During a break, One of the French engineers came back into the room saying, “Have you heard the latest dumb stunt Bush has done? He has sent an aircraft carrier to Indonesia to help the tsunami victims. What does he intend to do, bomb them?” A Boeing engineer stood up and replied quietly: “Our carriers have three hospitals on board that can treat several hundred people; they are nuclear powered and can supply emergency electrical power to shore facilities; they have three cafeterias with the capacity to feed 3,000 people three meals a day, they can produce several thousand gallons of fresh water from sea water each day, and they carry half a dozen helicopters for use in transporting victims and injured to and from their flight deck. We have eleven such ships. How many does France have?”
You could have heard a pin drop.
A U.S. Navy admiral was attending a naval conference that included admirals from the U.S., English, Canadian, Australian and French navies at a cocktail reception. He found himself standing with a large group of officers that included personnel from most of those countries. Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped their drinks when a French admiral suddenly complained that, whereas Europeans learn many languages, Americans learn only English. He then asked, “Why is it that we always have to speak English in these conferences rather than speaking French?” Without hesitating, the American admiral replied, “Maybe it’s because the Brits, Canadians, Aussies and Americans arranged it so you wouldn’t have to speak German.”
You could have heard a pin drop.
AND THIS STORY FITS RIGHT IN WITH THE ABOVE…
Robert Whiting, an elderly gentleman of 83, arrived in Paris by plane. At French customs, he took a few minutes to locate his passport in his carry on. “You have been to France before, monsieur?” the customs officer asked sarcastically. Mr. Whiting admitted that he had been to France previously. “Then you should know enough to have your passport ready.” The American said, “The last time I was here, I didn’t have to show it.” “Impossible. Americans always have to show their passports on arrival in France !” The American senior gave the Frenchman a long hard look. Then he quietly explained, ”Well, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day in 1944 to help liberate this country, I couldn’t find a single Frenchman to show a passport to.”
My friend punched a girl back. In fact 3 girls. He asked me to take him to court when he was prosecuted for it. The evidence was on CCTV.
When I saw the video I was shocked how they attacked him in the street first by punching him then using their stilletos. You could see the injuries just below his eye and on the top of his head.
The prosecutor said he’d used too much force when he punched them after their THIRD wave of attacks. They’d pursued him through the streets, stolen and hidden his jacket and car and house keys as well.
The reason given was that they didn’t like it when he was passing one of them in a club and said how nice she looked, and when she swore at him he’d said how unpleasant she was. They’d followed him out of the club and attacked him from behind in the street.
The prosecutor admitted that the worst of the attackers should have been in the court for assaulting him with a dangerous weapon – a stilleto in the eye causes blindness. Instead she accepted a caution and no further action was taken.
It was evident he’d been trying to escape the area and to find his jacket. He was acquitted. The case was thrown out with less than 2 minutes consideration by the magistrates.
So, yeah, if a male or female attacks you to that degree then striking back as a last resort is what you might need to do, even though it is heavily looked down upon.
Do you mean the worst loss or the most aggressive win. The bloodiest fight I was ever in took place in a bar. I’m going to give them short version of this night because I don’t want to type it all out. Because of a little scuffle at a party I was at all my friends got turned around. We all went different ways. I ended up ina bar laying low wondering if cops maybe looking for me. So already pumped up from the fun at the party I wasn’t going to say away from nothing. In the bar got a beer and walk towards the pool tables. Now I’m not a big guy about average five nine and 170 poundsat 21 years of age hanging drywall for a living and trying m.m.a. 5 nights a week. I was in better shape than most men. But I my leather riding jacket no one could see i wasn’t in great shape looked like a skin nerd. My whole life people challenged me. I can’t remember the exact words that where said to me but my response was I fuck bitchs bader than you. Witch led to him thinking he needed to prove me wrong. Mind you’ve all ready been in a fight that had a lot more involved than just 2 men and ran I don’t know how far. I knew I had to win fast as I got pounding on this guy I didn’t notice his two friends jumping not knowing exactly what was happening I pulled my knife just a small lock blade. As used it on one of the guys the other ones wanted nothing to do with it. This small hole in the wall tavern didn’t have door men. But cops had been called they showed up took me to jail at first charged with assault 2 weapons enhancement. I ended up plea bargaining to a displaying a weapon with intent to harm and or intimidate. Did get a strike but got 60 months in a maximum security penitentiary. That was the worst fight I’ve ever been in.
I was being given a severance package. While it was something I had negotiated and was okay with (finally), the setting was a bit strange.
I had walked into the meeting with my coat and bag and was ready to leave. The HR rep (with whom I was on good terms) and my boss were waiting for me. The rep was laughing. I asked why and he said that he’d bet my boss 20 bucks that I’d be all ready to go.
My boss objected saying “Yeah but I added that he’d have all the cards and cell phone and company stuff in an envelope too.”
I smiled and took an envelope out of my bag and slid it over to the HR rep.
At that my boss started in on his spiel but was flustered. He stopped and said “I guess you know all this. Here’s the pertinent papers. Good luck!” He handed me a few papers and envelopes and beat a hasty retreat.
Later when I got home I found a printed email that he’d sent to the president of the company explaining why they’d had to give me the package. One line stood out. “I’ve been trying to get him to quit for a year and it hasn’t worked.” In his fluster he had passed me stuff that he shouldn’t have.
Yeah. It cost ‘em.
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I had a lot more sex in my late 20’s, which was fun. My endless pursuit of it also derailed a lot of golden opportunities life handed me in a golden basket. It was like:
“Here’s a free basket of incredible things for you, Stephen!”
“Wait. What? What’s that stuff?”
“An amazing cornucopia of gifts, just for you!”
“NO!”
Why did I do this? Because I couldn’t think about anything else besides sex. Ironically, I had all that fun when I was an incredible jerk to people. (If anybody on Quora thinks I’m a jerk now, you’re not totally wrong, but be grateful you didn’t know me back when I was 27. Whew. What an asshole.)
In my early 30’s, I was consumed by weepy nostalgia and crippling loneliness. This also caused me to pass on a lot of great opportunities. Life, but especially North Carolina, handed me a lot of amazing options… and I threw those back in its face, because I was obsessed with running into the past. At 33, I was still such a baby. An egocentric little whiner.
I finally hit a pretty good stride in my late 30s. And my 40’s have been amazingly calm overall. Don’t think too much about the past, don’t have to battle hormones so much, not rich but not broke either. Haven’t been in a relationship in several years, which is dumb, but also haven’t had to deal with all that madness, which is refreshing. Things are alright, really.
Done more travel globally in the last five years than I did at any point in my late 20’s or early 30’s, because I couldn’t afford it back then. And the quality of that travel has improved. Hard to say why. (I still stay at hostels sometimes, it’s not like I travel in swanky luxury today.) But the experience just seems richer and more interesting. A more mature appreciation of things, I guess. Art seems more profound, because I know more about humanity. Humanity created art. Food tastes better. Don’t know why, it just does. I’m definitely a better cook.
At 43, I’ve obviously read more books than at any other time in my life. The cumulative effect of a lifetime of reading has an impact on you. You can sit down and read William Wordsworth or Alexander Pope and think “This guy gets it.” At 21, I would have no idea what the hell they were talking about.
YouTube and the internet seem incredibly boring. Facebook: mindnumbing. Except for maybe Google Maps, you really feel like you’ve reached the end of what the internet has to offer.
Chronic indigestion is slowly killing me, even though I don’t have any sins anymore besides a few beers a week and a cigar. I can’t even really do that anymore. Every time I eat, I have to drink some baking soda dissolved in water just to control the indigestion. It’s awful. Eat a cookie: burp. Eat a banana: burp. I’m seeing a doctor in March. This is the only thing (so far) about getting old that just absolutely sucks.
Speaking personally here, because honestly I’m at a stage of life when a lot of people go through mid-life crises and resort to hookers and vodka to make themselves feel “young” again, but I feel less angst-ridden now than I ever did at any time in the past. My early 30’s were a disaster.
The only real question I have is why more women don’t find guys who’ve dumped most of their chronic bullshit appealing, and why women keep gravitating toward dumb suckers in their 20’s and 30’s. (Oh shit, eureka, I’ve found the answer: because women do exactly the same thing men do!). I’m not as “exciting” as I used to be. Yeah, and I’m not as stupid and rude.
But do I want to jeopardize what I have just to a have a woman in it? I mean, I like women a lot. But right now, no, I’m not jeopardizing my piece of mind just for anybody. I’m holding out for someone who is sheer gold.
Greek Salad
lemon salmon greek salad 8
Ingredients
Salad
1 bunch Romaine lettuce
1 small red onion
1 cucumber
4 Roma tomatoes
Kalamata olives
Feta cheese, crumbled
Dressing
1/4 cup good olive oil
3 to 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 or 2 cloves crushed garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
Whisk together dressing and let it sit while you prepare the vegetables.
Wash and spin dry lettuce, tear into pieces. Slice onion, tomato and cucumber. Add olives and feta to taste.
Whisk dressing before pouring on salad and toss.
Serves 4.
This goes well with focaccia bread or pita and hummus.
In college a guy accused me of stealing his bike (yeah I know) came to my dorm room drunk and tried fighting me in front of the whole floor. I tried getting away by closing my door but he forced his way in. He grabbed me and dragged me outside into the hall. He pushed me into one of those fire extinguisher cabinets with the break away glass. It shattered immediately. I grabbed the extinguisher and hit him in the face knocking out his front teeth. The return swing dislocated his shoulder. The third crushed the orbital of his left eye. Everything happened in about five seconds. I needed forty stitches in my back and arm from the glass. He was over 18 but thinking like he was in high school. He got arrested for breaking and entering, assault, and battery. He was found guilty of assault and battery and witness tampering. I hadn’t stolen his bike, I’d never seen his bike, and I let the police search my dorm room all they wanted. They never found his bike.
