Chinese houses tend to be quite different from those in the West.

For one thing… they are smaller.

They also (well many of them) are in huge complexes with yards-people, security, surveillance, electronic gates, walls, and facial recognition.

They tend to be stone… polished marbles, granite and other types over cement, and tend to be opulent.

For the longest time, I progressively moved into larger and larger homes, with my last two on the 300+ sq/m side. These are enormous by Chinese standards, and honestly, I found them to be too big for our little family.

But you know what?

As you move into larger homes, so does your possessions. They start to fill up the house, and before you know it, you need extra storage rooms to hold all your “stuff”.

So right now, we are living in much smaller homes.

Oh, sure the place is small and tight… with an over abundance of toys… I’ll tell you what. But it’s all we need.

Downsizing… or “right”-sizing has advantages if you look at the bigger picture.

And today…

If China decides to invade Taiwan by force, what is the most likely military scenario? Would there be a ground assault, or would a maritime blockade be deciding? Would China have to face the entire US navy?

Both would be counter productive

The Chinese are pastmasters in strategy

The Chinese will move only when there is a perfect wind. They need to be absolutely sure that the Taiwanese will approve of an eventual unification. Even if the Taiwanese openly reject Independence at any time and prefer Status quo until eventual Independence, China would gain enormous face

I predict the following scenario:-

• Revolt by Taiwanese Army against the Taiwanese leadership on charges of corruption
• Taiwans defences under complete control of the Army faction
• Arrest of Senior Leaders of the Taiwanese Government
• Permission to China to fly over Taiwanese Airspace and for Chinese Navy to land in Taiwan for “Securing peace and avoiding Civil War”

This is the only scenario where China will be able to walk into Taiwan and have the Full support of the UN and 90% of the world

Every law will support China in this scenario

If any Japanese or Korean or US vessel interferes, China can LEGITIMATELY declare war and have the whole world back China because TAIWAN IS INVITING CHINA

Even if the US allege that this is a coup de at, the law says it’s still Chinas problem to solve the issue because of the ONE CHINA POLICY

At this stage, North Korea can legally threaten South Korea and checkmate Seoul while Russia can checkmate Japan in the Sea of Japan

Both would be within their rights as Allies of China because Japan, Korea and US would be the aggressors NOT CHINA

It would be like if Kashmir had a separatist movement and Kashmiris begged the Indian Army to help

Nobody can stop the Indian Army because India is within the law

---

That would be the scenario China would typically envision

I am certain China has a very strong group ready for such a rebellion within Taiwan

Take over Taiwan by revolution and then legitimately arrive in Taiwan to solve the crisis which would be fully legal due to the One China Policy

It’s a Legal masterpiece

The US can at best sanction China and do what they did to Russia but China has had time to slowly plan alternates

---

Even if Taiwan declare Independence, this would be Chinas counter plan

My husband is in the military, he isn’t allowed to talk about what he does overseas. He shuts down about his feelings and is very cold towards me. Divorce is not an option. What should I do?

I can answer this one and I’ll give you the no-frills version: Your husband obviously has a high security job. He cannot talk about the work he does or he will lose his job and possibly go to prison. My late husband had that kind of job in the Army. You just don’t ask. My thought was that if he didn’t tell me anything, I couldn’t accidently repeat it. He would come home from work and I would ask “How was your day?” and he would tell me if so-and-so was in a bad mood or if they had a surprise inspection or if the soda machine was out of Coke, but NEVER any specifics of the job. Sometimes he’d tell me it was a rough day or a quiet day, but nothing else. You have to understand this and accept it. If you can’t, then divorce. The other thing I want to address here is you say is he shuts down and is cold. He doesn’t have much choice. If you are badgering him about details about his job all the time and he has told you he cannot tell you, then stop. Just stop. Who would want to come home to someone asking the same questions over and over when they’ve been told they can’t know? When he comes home, ask the simple, easy questions. “How was your trip?” “Did it go well?” Don’t even ask about the weather, since he might not be able to even tell you where he was. I believe it takes a strong person to be a military spouse, and not everyone can do it. You need to decide if this life is for you or not. Just some info: My soldier was gone a lot during one of our stateside assignments. We lived in one state for almost 5 years and he was gone at least 2.5 years of that time. Not usually more than up to 6 weeks at a time, but many of those trips were ones where he could not even call home. Make some friends, get a job, get some hobbies (I read all the books in the fiction section of the tiny post library, among other things.) And, most of all, love him when he’s home.

What’s the last thing you did to “pay it forward”?

I was at a restaurant with my son. It was around 2:00 p.m., and the store was relatively empty, so we were relaxing, chatting, going over the menu, and pretty much inclined to just settle in, take our time and enjoy, not only the food, but chatting with our server…you know, a nice, relaxed family time together.

About 15 minutes later, a couple walked in, he in a blue suit, and she in wedding gown and veil. A bit surprised, I smiled, they returned it, he with a grin, she with a brilliant, happy smile. I was confused, though. Bride, Groom, obviously directly from the ceremony – alone?

So, I’ll admit it, I eavesdropped, just a little – enough to determine that no one came to their wedding. They were alone.

This made me sad, and my son kept saying, “Poor kids.” So, I did it. I ordered them a bottle of champagne and asked our server if, since it was slow, the kitchen could whip up some kind of wedding cake or dessert.

I wish you could have seen their faces! I’m actually tearing up now remembering it! They toasted me and Chris, and asked if they could take a picture with us. So, Chris and I are in a wedding photo album, somewhere in Ohio.

It turns out, they were both in “the system,” both were 18 and had just been dropped by the system. I’m not sure how they met, but they decided that, having no family, they’d make one of their own.

Great kids! Absolutely stellar human beings – and so sweet!

What’s the most inaccurate thing your child has ever been taught in school?

The School phoned me up as my son was being extremely disruptive and arguing with the teacher in class. I was to come down and speak to the hear teacher abotu this and what can be done etc etc etc.

Now, to be fair on her, she did not know the details at this time, but she was right in that he should not have been acting up like he did.

Now, I got to the school, asked at reception for the Head Teacher, and we both went to her office, where my son was sat down. looking a bit like he was up for it I have to admit, and I was really annoyed and so we asked WTF has just happened and why was he arguing with the teacher?

It was all down to the teacher telling the class, that Evolution is not proper science, because it is only a theory! – My son, correctly pointed out that somethign in science only makes it to a theory once it has been shown to be right. Now, so far, I have not mentioned that he was 9.

I started to laugh and I then sided with my son 100% and I said to the headteacher that the teacher was clearly wrong, and that my son would have just been arguing because he was being told wrong information. The Head did agree with me that the teacher was incorrect on this. The head said that she will have a talk with the teacher, however, this to me was simply not good enough!

I argued, that we need to go back to the class NOW, and you need to enforce the fact that the teacher is wrong and that my son is absolutely correct. The head did NOT want to do this, however, I then told her that if she did not, then I will go to the local papers and I will do whatever I can to get hat teacher fired. ( Yes, I am a git at times ).

So yeah, the teacher was absolutely horrified that the head was correcting her and that a 9 year old child had made her look like a moron.

I am NOT going to allow that level of ridiculous nonsense to be taught to my kids.

I dont care if they want to believe in any religious stuff, but if they do, then they need to have solid reasons to do so, and of course, when you understand how science works, it kind of stops you from believing in such hocus pocus as religion.

My son wants to be a carpenter. He has a 3.78 GPA. I keep telling him that he is wasting his life by working in construction instead of going to college to get a real well-paying job. What should I do?

I graduated high school with an Honors Diploma, 3.98 GPA. I went to a trade school for HVAC and Refrigeration. Took right at 18 months to complete and get my technical degrees.

While in HVAC classes, I decided to doubled up and got my digital and analog electronics certifications. I was in trade school right at 2 yrs. Came out debt free.

Those 2 years a worked at a local factory.

1 month out of school, I landed a job at one of the largest hospitals in my state, as a boiler/chiller operator.

Within 1 yr at that job I moved up to lead hvac tech. Stayed there for 10 yrs.

I took every class they offered in my field. Left that hospital with certifications in building automation controls, deep knowledge in commercial HVAC, chillers, high pressure steam boilers, etc.

Moved on to a higher paying job with my states goverment general service department. Worked there for 6 yrs, gained even more knowledge and certifications.

I now part of a commercial HVAC service business. Have seven people in the company, all with extensive knowledge in commercial HVAC service work. Each of us making well over 100k a year.

I was the first in my family to not go to a traditional 4yr college.

My parents supported me in that. With that support, I was able to do what I was passionate about. I was the first, in my family, to get a job within my choosen field, without major debt.

25 yrs later, Im also the first in my family to stick with my degree and advance it/add to it, still without taking on any debt.

All this to say, support your son in what he wants to do.

Getting into the trades is looked down upon, but if it wasn’t for the trades, the world we live in, would not be remotely the same.

If he feels he can make it work, support him.

And if he fails, stand beside him with a supportive attitude and not a “I told you so” attitude.

Our kids need to make their own successes and failures.

As parents, when our kids hit a certain age, we have to let them fly on their own and hope and pray our guidance and teachings was enough to mold and shape them into productive, happy members of society.

This isn’t to say we stay totally hands off.

My two oldest children (22 and 20) still ask advice on things.

I give my life experiences on the subject matter they ask, and what worked for me. It’s up to them to take the advice, modify it to their life and run with it.

“The Stand”: US Biological Laboratory Leak Leads to 99% Global Fatality

What is the nastiest lunch you’ve seen your co-worker eat at work?

Canned Co-worker

I proudly was the nasty co-worker in the teacher’s lounge. I worked with a woman who thought she should be in charge of everyone because her husband was campus security. On more than one occasion she had let me know that she thought my lunch was “odd.” I had changed my eating habits, increased my exercise resulting in a major weight loss that was being recognized. This other woman was larger than the size I was when I embarked on my health journey. I am not fat-shaming, I am just pointing out that she was not a role model for healthy eating and lifestyle. The things I was eating were working for me.

I was in the teacher’s lounge getting my cup of coffee before I sat down to eat. The only place to sit was next to Mrs. Campus Security. I sat down, then opened my lunch box, pulled out my can opener and a can of pork and beans.

I had only one bite out of the can when I heard in a disgusted tone, “You’re not really going to eat out of the can?”

“Why, do you want some? I can scoop some out for you.” I said in reply, trying to ignore her rudeness and half a pan of lasagna that she was eating.

“That is the grossest thing I have ever seen anyone eat for lunch. You’re eating those nasty greasy beans out of a can… cold!”

“Yep, that was my plan to eat these ‘taste’ nasty beans right out of this can.”

I thought that would be the end of the conversation. All through lunch she had a comment about, “How gross I was for eating beans” or “How my beans smelled bad.” When I finished my beans, I pulled out my treat: a can of peaches in fruit juice.

I started to open the can when I heard, “You got to be kidding me! Are you going to eat those out of the can too?”

I couldn’t resist the moment and began singing a song by Presidents of the United States of America, “Peaches come from a can they were put there by a man in a factory downtown…” The other staff began laughing at the song. We were all tired of listening to Mrs. Campus Security grumble.

We had a staff meeting that afternoon, after school, that controlling lady was still complaining about my lunch. Her still being riled about my lunch led to me being inspired; I decided, right then and there, that I needed to eat the same thing daily while sitting next to her for the sheer entertainment factor.

The next day, she flipped out when I casually sat next to her, then had the same lunch as the day prior. Now, I started making comments about, how flavorful the can makes the beans. I loudly scraped my can sitting next to her while railing on about how delicious they were. The day after that, I did it again. I did it every day for a month. A few days into my inspired entertainment, the other staff realized what I was doing, they started to bring pork and beans for lunch also. Mrs. Campus Security quit coming into the teacher’s lounge during lunch because of being grossed out by us co-workers. The rest of us enjoyed our lunch period much more after her departure.

According to BBC, despite decades of high growth rates, China’s growth is expected to slow significantly in the coming years, affecting the global economy. What do you think?

Let me use an analogy:

China is like a man who put on a lot of fat and muscle in order to become strong. Now it wants to improve its health by losing fat while keeping muscle through a tough diet and training regimen.

Chinese society and its economy are now going through that transition.

Up until about 2016, growth in China was easy because it was fueled by manufacturing and rising real estate prices. Most exports were made for foreign brand companies like Apple. Following this growth model, China was able to grow stronger in manufacturing by building multiple supply chains and developing its technology.

With Trump’s election in 2016, the U.S. made it clear that it would not allow this growth model to continue because it believed that China was getting a free development ride at the US’s expense. Trump started with import tariffs on Chinese exports to the U.S., and when that did not generate the desired results, he called for U.S. companies to lesser their reliance on Chinese manufacturing by moving to more friendly and compliant nations like Vietnam and India, a policy which Apple has been following.

The Biden administration has continued this policy and added to it by adding technology sanctions to U.S. IP and chips, and has encouraged companies like TSMC to build chip fabs in the U.S.

What we are learning now is that the Chinese government and Huawei in particular have been secretly preparing for this worst-case scenario for at least five years and have been building their own technology, manufacturing and supply chains which are completely free of western IP. Now, the Chinese are positioning themselves to sell their own indigenously-developed technologies and products worldwide under their own Chinese brands instead of western brands. The Chinese will compete by offering what are now considered expensive high-end features in Western products as standard features in Chinese products.

Chinese companies are already doing this with electric vehicle automobiles and mobile phones, and will do it with other products. There will be a very bloody price war between Chinese and Western brands, and in order to survive, western brands will have to accept lower profits.

Domestically, the Chinese government has worked off its dependency on real estate to fuel domestic growth, which is why Evergrande, Country Garden and other real estate developers are in such trouble.

Make no mistake, this is a tough and painful transition, but there are good reasons for the short-term sacrifice.

China has always been about the medium- and long-term, never about the short-term.

Erased from History

Stuffing Balls

Ingredients

• 2 cups chopped onion
• 2 cups chopped celery
• 3 sticks butter, melted
• 4 (14 ounce) cans creamed corn
• 2 cups water
• 4 teaspoons poultry seasoning
• 2 teaspoons pepper
• 2 (16 ounce) bags Pepperidge Farm Seasoned Stuffing
• 9 beaten eggs

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a saucepan melt 2 sticks butter. Add onion and celery and sauté. Add creamed corn, water, poultry seasoning and pepper. Bring to a boil. In a very large bowl, pour this mixture over stuffing mixture. Toss lightly then stir in eggs. Shape into tennis ball-size rounds. Place on a sheet pan. Brush with 1 stick melted butter.
3. Bake for 25 minutes.

The Wrath of Khan (1982) “Kirk’s Response”

https://youtu.be/gl_y5wTeJtk

I sold some sneakers for $130. A seller bought them and “accidentally” sent me a $1,385 check. Are they scamming me into making me cash out a check with money they might not have?

The check they sent you is fake. It probably looked like a money order. The scam goes like this: They buy something from you and send you payment for too much. They tell you to go ahead and deposit the check, but to send them the balance. They may even tell you to keep a little extra “for your trouble.”

So you (the mark) deposit the bogus money order and send a check to the “buyer.” The bank quickly discovers that the money order is fake, and debit your account for the amount. You’re out the $1,200 or whatever you sent to the fraudster.

I had this happen a few years ago. I was selling an old TV for $25.00 on Craigslist. I got an email asking if it was still available. It was. He was on vacation in England, so he’d have his “assistant,” who was somewhat local (100 miles away) send me a check and pick up the TV.

A few days later, I got a money order for $1,300 in an envelope with a Sacramento return address. Then I got an email from the “buyer” telling me his incompetent assistant had sent me the wrong money order. Could I please deposit it and send a check for the excess? I could keep an extra $25.

I replied that I’d just send them the check back and wait for one in the correct amount. The “buyer” began to get angry, sending me emails threatening legal action if I didn’t comply with his demands. Out of curiosity, I called the credit union printed on the money order—they were several hundred miles away, in San Diego. They told me it was not anything they had issued. Shocker.

I looked up the physical address on Google Earth the “buyer” told me to use to send the “refund” to. It was a mail drop in London, probably with some sort of forwarding arrangement.

After several angry, threatening emails from the “buyer,” the whole thing just faded away. I still have the bogus money order as a souvenir.

Sadly, just like the venerable “Nigerian Prince” scam, there will be people who fall for it.

Hopefully, gentle reader, you won’t be one of them.

What Happened to the President? in The Walking Dead – What We Know Now

What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?

When I was married to my first husband, my family hated him so much they managed to get me kicked out of church. From across the state.

There was an AME church directly behind where we lived and I attended there. I wasn’t raised AME. I don’t raise my hands like I know the answers. I don’t dance around. I just wanted to worship with fellow Christians.

Despite me being white, these people accepted me in and made me feel comfortable. Some of the older folks actually got between me and some younger people who didn’t want me there and we’re going to “make me leave”.

They explained that skin color has nothing to do with WHO we are… that how they acted tells everything about WHO they are. And it was unacceptable.

The folks apologized to me and would look for me each week.

I didn’t want any trouble. I didn’t want to be a distraction. I just wanted to worship. And I didn’t care who was around me.

I don’t care what color someone’s skin is. I never have. It’s about who we are, not what we look like.

When I wouldn’t show up, usually because my first husband used to beat me mercilessly, they came by to get me.

The ladies saw me in a pathetic state and they would get the men… who explained to my husband how it was unacceptable. Sometimes in forceful terms.

They helped me escape.

THAT was the most Christian loving thing I’d experienced… and I’m a preacher’s kid.

What was a time when someone absolutely deserved to be fired?

I’d just finished 37 years of working in IT. I wrote a tiny piece of code used in the Internet. I ended up working in a warehouse. Their internet connection sucked and was made far worse by my boss’ insistance of watching videos all day causing print jobs to fail and produce scanners to act up.

Using ordinary user computers I’d bring up the DOS prompt and show her the crappy network numbers. She forbade me from doing it, saying I was “hacking”.

She was constantly on the phone with her Pastor. Once a month she’d be doubled over with cramps, throwing up all over the offices but refused medication because it was “sinful”.

My coffee consumption is measured in pots. The coffee pot was a one minute walk away but she’d be constantly complaining “you’re taking your coffee break now???” until I made it clear that I wasn’t taking the mandatory 15 minute coffee breaks and often working through lunch, threatening a “work to rule”.

The last straw was when she went on vacation, failed to show up when she was supposed to, failed to contact her supervisor and left me trying to do two jobs.

Her replacement was even worse. When I informed management I was fired by her for insubordination for identifying an unsafe working condition.

Has another parent ever gotten mad at you for saying ‘no’ to their child?

Yes. A parent was furious and called to scream at me when I said their child couldn’t play right now. Their child had knocked on my door, and I politely told the little girl she could come back and play tomorrow.

Her mom called and went off on me. She said I was selfish and a bully and that I let everyone else play at my house but her child. I tried explaining that her child had literally played at my house every single day for the last few months. I told her that during the last month, I fed her dinner almost every day and also took her with our family to the park, movie theater, and school functions.

I then stated that I was a single mom of 3 and needed a day to myself to catch up on household chores and run errands. I said I had been working 7 days a week and also needed a couple hours to just lay on the couch and rest with my family. She screamed that I should be ashamed of myself for making her kid sad. Now, keep in mind she was married, only had one kid, and never invited my kids over to play even though she was unemployed and home 24/7.

I later learned that mom was an addict and she wanted her kid out of the house so she could do drugs with no interruptions.

What is the most disgusting thing a bully has ever done to you?

This probably isn’t considered “disgusting” to others, but it was to me. I was hired as a bartender/night manager for a small beer and wine pub-type place by the owner, whose adult kids worked at his restaurant next door. His daughters were nice – I was actually referred by his younger daughter who’d been a customer of mine at another place I tended bar. But his son – WOW! I don’t know why he hated me on sight, but he did. Unfortunately, he was the cook and I had to deal with him whenever one of my customers ordered food, and he would go out of his way to insult or belittle me.

It was my last shift before Christmas and I wanted to be a little “extra”, so I put on a super cute red and white outfit with black boots and a Santa hat. I felt incredibly festive and cute and was really looking forward to my shift. I was, that is, until I walked into the restaurant to get my till. He came out of the kitchen as I was standing there, and he literally started laughing hysterically, pointing at me and saying awful things about how he couldn’t believe I’d worn that and how stupid I looked. Somehow I was able to hold back the tears until I was back at my bar alone, but I bawled, hard. He was always mean, but that night he was especially cruel.

For the record, my customers loved my outfit and tipped me generously, being that it was so close to Christmas. And yes, I did try to speak to the owner about his son’s behavior several times, and each time he said he’d take care of it, but it never got better, which is why I quit as soon as I found another job.

What is the most amazing thing you overheard because people didn’t think you understood their language?

My niece and I were standing in line at the grocery store check out. There were 2 Spanish girls behind us talking away in Spanish about how they were running the streets and what guys they were hooking up with . My niece who is as white as can be pulled out her food stamps to pay for her groceries. The two girls behind us started making fun of her because she was on public assistance and were calling her all kind of derogatory names and jokes. Now my niece grew up with Spanish people and also took Spanish in school so she turns around and responded to the girls in Spanish that at least she could afford to take care of her family instead of running the streets like they obviously did. They were so dumfounded they just looked at her and couldn’t respond. We just gathered up our groceries and walked out while the check out lady was laughing hysterically at the two girls.

Do you know anybody who faced cancer or any other terminal illness and never complained about it, or never asked, “Why me, lord?”?

I guess that woud be me.

I was diagnosed with incurable breast cancer the week I turned 34.

Tumors were all over my bones and broke my spine, hip and cracked my ribs. Several of my vertebrae collapsed and I now have kyphosis.

My disease was stable for almost four years, but slowing tumors started growing again in my spine, and this past year have spread many to other bones plus my liver and lung.

Recently a skull tumor spread into my brain and I have partially lost control of my right foot. Several of the tumors in my spine are currently threatening my spinal canal. Since that area was radiated before, it cannot be radiated again, which means that there is a very high chance I will be paralysed from the arms down before I die. That’s if I don’t die before of liver failure.

At this point I’m hoping my liver will fail before I am paralysed. I dread that so much.

That’s for the physical hardship, there’s also knowing I won’t be there for my young daughter as she grows up, that my parents will see their daughter die before them.

So to sum it up: because I’ll be missing out on more than half of my life (based on my predicted life expectancy at birth), because I’m leaving behind an 8 year-old daughter, because I could be almost entirely paralysed the last weeks or months of my life, because this is something that my child and family will have to witness… I feel like I would have good reasons to complain and feel sorry for myself.

And yet I don’t.

Don’t get me wrong, I am mad it happened and definitely wish it never had.

But it did and it does every day to too many people. You draw the short straw, or maybe just feel like you do because we don’t know what everyone else goes through. I do grumble about my uncooperative leg (now also known as “dead weight”). I do cry and often feel sad beyond words but honestly don’t feel any point in wondering “why me?”

My body reacted in such a way that made it possible for rogue cells to grow. I was otherwise young, relatively healthy, and with no cancer history in my family. It was very unlikely to happen but it did. The bodies of some people just react that way. Why not mine?

I do hope for the best, in other words a treatment that will buy me some time, but I’m also very aware of the limitations of our current medical knowledge and its unability to cure my type of cancer. (And please don’t suggest random cures in the comments, at the time of this post NOTHING has been proved to cure my particular disease).

As a terminally ill person, my thoughts converge toward what matters most: practical end-of-life arrangements, of course my daughter and leaving some sort of legacy behind. Things like expecting a miracle cure or indulging in self-pity would just feel like wasted time at this point.

What is the most inappropriate experience you have had with a neighbor?

This just happened to us, last month. It was my wife’s birthday, and some flowers were delivered to our house in a box. Thinking they were from our daughter, my wife took them out, and arranged them in a big vase along with a bouquet that I had brought home for her earlier that morning.

And, then, she noticed the card in the box … which read “Very sorry for your loss. Margret and Victor Voss” (names changed for privacy). We don’t know Margret & Victor and we hadn’t experienced any loss. So, she looked at the delivery label – which had OUR address on it, but not HER name. It was addressed to “April Andrews” – another name we didn’t know. And, again – OUR address.

So, I went online to the flower company website and did a live chat with their Customer Service. I explained the situation to them, and said that we didn’t know April Andrews. And, I asked them what they wanted us to do. They told us to keep the flowers, and that they would straighten out the problem. It was, after all, actually my wife’s birthday.

Well, a day and a half later … our doorbell rings. And, there stands a woman we didn’t know, but who apparently lives down the street in a house whose number is a transposition of our house number. She introduced herself as April Andrews and said that she understood that, “We have her flowers … seeing as how her father just died.”

So, instead of the flower company “taking care of the problem” by finding out the correct address from the senders and delivering another bunch of flowers – what they did was notify the local flower shop who originally made/delivered the bouquet. And THEY chose to “take care of the problem” by driving back over to the Andrews house and POINTING them up the street at our house as the place where they left the box.

Again, the flowers were now 2 days old and intermixed with others. We didn’t have any simple way to just “turn them over”. And, we were told to keep them. (I had the chat transcript in email to prove it).

But, now we have a neighbor whose first impression of us is “the people who stole their dead father’s sympathy flowers.” Real damn nice!

We did give her the card.

As a doctor, what was your most ‘now that was stupid’ moment with a patient?

Glad you asked. I have about 500 of them but most cannot really be shared. This one ended up in the newspaper so I think we are pretty clear to talk about it.

About 30 years ago (when I was a paramedic) there were several guys in their late teens and early twenties fishing in a lake near town. This lake is a pretty large, man-made reservoir and a place for boating, sailing, camping and fishing. It also happens to be the scene of about 375 of the 500 “now that was stupid” moments I mentioned above. These guys were fishing from the shore and I guess the fish weren’t biting all that much so they were able to spend more time on their other pastime; drinking beer. Well, as young boys will, they started thinking about what funny thing they could dare each other to do and of course one of them suggests eating their bait. Their live bait. Minnows to be exact. These small fish (about the size of a carnival goldfish) could easily be swallowed whole with a half can of Keystone Beer. After one or two rounds one of the guys decides to take it up a notch and he pulls out a red ear sunfish he caught a few minutes before. They look like this.

His was just slightly smaller than this one but not by much. Notice the very spikey dorsal fin on this fish. They tend to deploy them like that when they are alarmed or threatened. A good example of that “threat” would be an 18 year old boy attempting to swallow you whole with a river of beer. The perch made it about a third of the way down his esophagus before becoming lodged. He swallowed it head first (because he didn’t want to get poked by the fins…. Smart) but his swallow was too slow and the fish too large and it got stuck. The tail of the fish was visible in the back of the throat so his friends tried to grab it with needle nose pliers and pull it out. That was a mistake. The dorsal fin then entered the esophagus and the fish was incredibly lodged. And alive. Very alive. And the tail was flapping back and forth over the glottis causing a major airway issue.

He was taken by ambulance to the ER and he nearly died. His friends succeeded in tearing most of the tail off the fish but it was still alive. He ended up with a cricothyroidotomy and a trip to the OR to have the fish removed surgically. As his friends messed around with the fish in the back of his throat he vomited of course. Lots of beer. This was even more of an airway issue.

So, if you’re thinking about swallowing a live fish of any size remember this. The surgery is a massive deal and fish are not sterile. Those fins often contain a deadly mix of bacteria (especially catfish) and occasionally even venom. After the acute phase of treatment….assuming you live…. You are still facing a long road to recovery. Holes in your esophagus allow gastric contents through as well and that is a major problem for your lungs and heart. Better by far to stick to those little yellow cracker goldfish snacks with beer.

Which century would you least like to live in?

6th century and the Dark Ages climate pessimum.

The Dark Ages were not only dark – they were cold as well. In 535 Krakatau erupted and pushed in so much volcanic ash that the average temperature sank with several degrees, and historian Prokopios describes 536 as a “year with no summer” and the sun shone gloomily and did not warm. These events are recorded also by the Barbarian poetic epics. The Kalevala records this as Louhi stealing Sun and Moon, and the Eddas record 535 as Fimbulvinter.

Not only did crops fail and people all around Europe die from hunger, but in 541–542 the Justinian Plague swept over Europe and killed 50% of Europeans, whose immunity had been compromised by malnutrition and hunger. This plague – caused by the same Yersinia pestis bacterium as the Black Death in the 1300s, was a worse catastrophe than the Black Death itself, and finally killed off the Antiquity.

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6th century was the worst century of the whole Dark Ages. The Frankish Kingdom was wrecked by the petty civil wars of the Merovingians, Britain lapsed back to Paganism due to the Anglo-Saxon conquest, Hispania was wrecked by the wars of the Eastern Roman Empire and the Visigoths, and Italy was wrecked by the Eastern Roman Empire reconquest – Rome again belonged in the Empire.

The climate change, which had begun in the 3rd century, had reached the pessimum by 550 AD. After that, climate again began to warm, reaching the global average by 750 AD.

What’s the one big no-no that will make you walk out of an auto dealership?

My now ex-wife and I were shopping used vans. In one used car business, we found one of the make/model vans we were interested in. But the price was almost double what we’d budgeted to pay. Along comes a salesman, we chat and tell him it would need a deep discount for us to be able to consider it. We did the test drive, liked it but got no assurance that it could fit our budget, so we made to leave. He said we should let him give us a quote for their best price. We agreed, told him we didn’t want to do the whole back and forth with the manager thing, and he agreed. So we go inside the building and wait to get this quote. And we wait, and we wait. I had the feeling there was a hidden microphone at the table where we were seated, which was verified by the fact that after I said “Let’s go” they magically appeared with the quote. It was $500 off the $20k listed on the window of the van. I handed back the quote in disgust and we continued out the door. I swear three people came after us, yelling “Wait, wait!” at the back of our heads. They even knocked on the windows of our car as we were pulling out. Car dealers, don’t ignore the things we tell you, lie and use sleazy tactics to try and sell.

Respect

What are the consequences of being too good at your job? Can you get fired for it?

In a corporate setting, my best buddy, a successful consultant, once faced an intriguing challenge. He was called in to assess a project that was significantly behind schedule and plagued with bugs. The project had been in development for almost a year, with parts being tested by end-users, only to find them too buggy to put into production. Additionally, several critical functions remained unimplemented.

My buddy’s task was clear: take the project’s current state and chart a path to completion using the existing staff. Upon analyzing the original specifications, he realized that the project was essentially a straightforward database application with a few user forms required for various tasks. Taking the project home on a Friday, he dedicated his weekend to it.

On Monday, he returned to present the completed project to the manager. To the manager’s surprise, all screens worked flawlessly, with no bugs in sight. All user interfaces were in place and functioning exactly as they had been originally whiteboarded.

At first, the manager hesitated, assuming these were mock-ups. However, upon realizing that my friend had accomplished in a weekend what the manager’s team had struggled with for a year, the situation took a turn. Instead of accepting the code, the manager paid my friend for the hours claimed and forbade any further communication with the project staff or associates.

This incident underscored an important lesson that my buddy had learned over the years as a consultant: often, in complex problems, there’s a simpler solution waiting to be discovered if you’re willing to look for it.

What was a gift that made you speechless?

What was a gift that made you speechless?

Not just speechless, but left in tears, as well.

About 2 months ago, I received a card in the mail from my uncle (Mom’s youngest brother). In the card was a check for $250.

His wife had read something I posted on Facebook, as a comment to a friend of mine. It was about being so broke that we didn’t have any food right then and would be using old gravy packets to make “soup”. I tried to make it sound like a joke, but my Uncle saw through it. Things weren’t quite that bad but they were close. I’m trying to support 3 other people who either won’t work or won’t pay to live in my house (long story but two are family) on less money than I need to do that. Although two of them have food stamps and buy food for the household, it’s still running me into bankruptcy.

Here’s what killed me though – My Uncle was fighting Stage 4 cancer at the time and he apologized in his note that he couldn’t send more!

With all he was going through, he took the time to think of me!

That check arrived on a day when I was so very low because I just didn’t know how I was going to get any food in the house to last us until the food stamp cards refilled.

I wrote him a thank you letter, and I’m glad I got it sent out right away. Less than 3 weeks later, my uncle died. I didn’t know just how sick he was until the day before he died, when his daughters posted a photo of him in a bed in a hospice. He hadn’t wanted anyone to know.

I’m still in shock that he’s gone, and still grateful beyond words to him for his help.

10 Great advice for teenager

1. Don’t get addicted to porn, smoking, alcohol, internet or sex.
2. Do not hide anything from your doctor, he is not your father, he will not scold you
3. Don’t fall into debt. Pay all your bills early before they become a headache.
4. Smile frequently, 30 seconds every 30 minutes, this will increase your productivity and mental energy.
5. Give thanks for the food you were given at someone else’s house.
6. Never wait for the perfect moment to do something, do what’s on your mind right now and learn how to do it better as time goes on.
7. Make your bed as soon as you get up.
8. Throw away the things you no longer use, or even better, donate them. Also start getting rid of all the clothes you haven’t worn in the last 3 months.
9. Find a hobby that you like too much.
10. Have a list of all the good things about you, read it daily when you wake up.

What’s the most disturbing crime between loved ones you’ve heard of?

Cody Johnson was a 25-year-old country boy who loved cars and the wilderness.

He was looking for a church-oriented woman he could share his life with. He met the tall, pretty brunette, Jordan Graham and they began dating.

You would have never guessed they had issues if you saw their smiling pictures on Facebook. They presented a great front and Cody didn’t grasp the depth of their problems.

Cody was head over heels in love with Jordan. He cooked for her and brought her gifts and gave her tons of much attention.

A week after meeting Jordan, Cody told his mother, “I think I met the woman I’m going to marry.”

However, Cody’s friends grew concerned as the relationship seemed one-sided. They’d never seen the two of them kiss or hold hands. Jordan was cold and distant.

Jordan was extremely religious and wanted to wait until marriage before having sex. Cody was fine with it.

But he could hardly get her to kiss him. She reassured Cody that she loved him.

One year into dating, he proposed and she said yes — which is where the path to ruin began.

The wedding plans

Jordan’s friends said she was excited anytime they talked about planning the wedding, the party, and all it involved — but never said anything about Cody.

On her wedding day, as Jordan walked down the aisle crying, onlookers smiled, but her maid of honor, Katrina Martinez, was horrified.

She knew Jordan and knew this wasn’t a “good cry”.

Jordan had been asking Kristina in the weeks leading up to the wedding if she should go through with it.

Katrina told Jordan, “I can’t make that decision for you. You need to talk to Cody.”

Cody’s best man knew there was trouble beforehand too. He said he told Cody not to marry her. Something was off.

He could tell Jordan wasn’t in love with him.

But Cody was blinded by his own feelings.

The day before getting married, Jordan had a massive meltdown, telling her friend she’d “Made a mistake”. But then changed her mind and moved forward.

Ominously, they had a custom song made for their wedding and one of the lyrics said, “You helped me climb higher for a better view. You’re my safe place to fall.”

The murder — 8 days later

They attended church on the Sunday morning of July 7th, 2013. On the way out, witnesses said she’d told her husband she had a “big surprise” for him.

Prosecutors later alleged Jordan had promised to do something sexual with Cody. He made excited comments to friends before they left. And they later found a blindfold at the crime scene.

The next day, Cody’s work called and asked where he was. His boss, Cameron, was excited to congratulate him on the wedding.

Cody didn’t answer his phone so Cameron went to his house looking for him.

Nobody answered the door. Cameron sensed something was wrong and broke the door in.

Nobody was inside. He said the home gave him a terrible vibe.

He wandered through the quiet house and eventually found Cody’s phone on the ground in the garage — which was totally unlike him. Cody always had his phone.

Cameron rushed to the police station and reported Cody missing.

The cops immediately wondered why his wife wasn’t the one reporting her husband missing. A friend finally got ahold of Jordan and asked her if she’d seen Cody.

She said she didn’t know but later told cops, “He went out with a bunch of friends I’ve never met. I don’t know anything more, any of the whereabouts or anything.”

Friends and cops were immediately struck by how unemotional Jordan was with Cody’s disappearance.

When friends came to her house to provide support and comfort, she grew agitated that they were there rather than upset Cody that was missing.

At one point, she got upset and threw her wedding ring across the room — which caught sent a chill down everyone’s spine.

Then, there was a random email that Jordan received from a mysterious man named Tony The Carman, “Hello Jordan. My name is Tony. There is no bother in looking for Cody anymore.”

Cody is gone. Call off the search. He fell off a cliff at Glacier National Park.”

She took the message to the cops.

Search parties went out. Jordan participated and drove with her friends to the park.

During the drive, she was happy, singing songs and hanging her hand out the window, flying it in the wind. You’d have never known her husband was missing.

At the park, Jordan led her group to the exact location of Cody’s body. She said she “Just had a feeling he’d be there.”

His body was at bottom of a steep, remote cliff, in terrible condition.

She told her friends, “Cody told me he wanted to see this spot before he died.”

This drew even more scrutiny to Jordan. She started fudging details and changing her story during an interrogation.

Jordan didn’t help herself when authorities asked, “How did you locate his body so fast?”

This time she said the spirit of Jesus Christ led her to his body.

Cody’s best man said, “I almost instantly thought Jordan did something.”

At Cody’s funeral, Jordan sat in the front row, playing on her phone, smiling and unaffected.

People who only passingly knew Cody were more emotional than his own wife. It was at this point that her friends all concurrently knew that Jordan had murdered her husband.

Cops later confirmed that the mysterious email from Tony the Car Man had been sent by Jordan on her dad’s device.

The partial confession

Jordan admitted to pushing Cody.

She said they’d been in a fight. She said she was so upset that when he turned his back to her, she shoved him hard in the back, sending him over the edge.

He fell 300 feet to his death, landing headfirst.

There wasn’t even a struggle or self-defense argument made. She said she just did it because she was angry.

But because of so many other lies, mounting evidence, and a complete lack of caring for her dead husband, it was an obvious case of murder.

She entered a guilty plea.

On March 27th, 2014, Jordan was sentenced to 30 years in prison with no possibility of parole.

Cody’s mother is inconsolable and his family is still coping with the loss.

Cody was murdered eight days after their wedding ceremony. It’s hard to imagine how things could go so wrong so fast.

It’s even harder to fathom how someone could find breaking a person’s heart harder than killing him. But stranger, darker things have happened.

Rest in peace Cody. You didn’t deserve it.

What’s the most savage way you’ve seen someone get fired?

One of my old managers was a great guy but didn’t take crap from anyone.

There was a guy we worked with that was a total jerk. He liked to act all rough and tough whenever the manager, AGM or I weren’t around (I was a lead/MIT)…He especially had a history of intimidating the young shift leaders and other coworkers (especially the females). He constantly denied this but we had no reason to doubt our leadership team.

We heard through the grapevine that he was going to call out for a weekend as he felt entitled that he didn’t have to work weekends and we were assholes for scheduling him. That Friday night he texts the manager to say he was going to be out for awhile due to a “family emergency” and we better not put him on the schedule him until he says it’s ok too.

Two weeks goes by and my manager texts him to come in and we would go over his new schedule. The guy came in expecting us to give him the schedule he felt he deserved…instead he handed him a blank calendar and said that was the best we could do…basically he made the guy drive in with the sole purpose of firing him…the look the guy gave was priceless.

Is it cruel to give a bath to a cat?

First things first, anyone who has ever attempted to bathe a cat knows that it can be akin to a kind of very small, domesticated warfare. Cats generally do not like water. Not only is this aversion instinctual, but it’s also part of their self-grooming pride. They spend a significant slice of their waking hours meticulously cleaning themselves with their tongues, so in their eyes, getting dunked into water is completely unnecessary.

Now, is it cruel? It can certainly seem that way, especially with all the hissing, clawing, and Olympic-level gymnastics they do to escape a bathtub.

However, there are exceptions to the no-bath rule. If your cat has rolled around in something toxic or sticky, or if they have long fur that’s become matted and dirty beyond the help of their own tongue, a bath isn’t just kind, it might be necessary for their health.

The key is technique and preparation. Unlike dogs, most cats aren’t going to jump into a bath with wagging tails and excited eyes. You have to be methodical. Prep the area with all the tools you’ll need – shampoo, towels, a non-slip mat, and perhaps even a cat bathing bag if you value the skin on your arms.

Warm water is a must. Not hot, not cold – think baby bath temperature. And always talk to them in a calm voice. Granted, they might not listen because they’re shrieking louder than a banshee, but at least you’ve done your part to maintain a façade of serenity.

After the bath, the tricky part might be drying them off. Some cats tolerate being swaddled in a towel; others might handle a blow-dryer on a low, quiet setting. Above all, ensure they’re fully dry before they saunter off because a damp cat is a cold cat, and a cold cat is a grumpy cat.

So cruel? Not inherently. But bathing a cat should be done with careful consideration and only when necessary.

And remember, while a picture of a wet cat might fetch a good number of likes on social media, your cat’s dignity and your unscratched arms might be more worth it.

What office rule made you say “You gotta be kidding me”?

This happened at all three banks where I was previously employed, before I retired.

The rule was that we were to answer the phone after the second ring. No exceptions. The tellers, New Accounts Representatives, anyone except the men. Well, I answered after the first or second ring, if I was available, and didn’t already have a customer at my desk. If I was opening accounts, doing a Stop Pay, preparing paperwork for a Foreign Wire Transfer, and the other hundred things you help customers with, yes, I would let it ring .

If you get in your car, make the trip to do some banking in person and are sitting at my desk , I am NOT going to be so rude as to ignore the customer in front of me to answer questions on the phone. (Examples: can you see if my Social Security has been deposited? What are your CD rates? Do you have any specials? Can you do a Stop Payment for me? Why is my account negative? My mother died and I am checking to see if she had any accounts with you. How late can I make my loan payment? What is the cutoff time for a Wire Transfer?)

I wouldn’t do this if a guest was in my home, so the same etiquette should be at work.

I once closed a newish account because, as I was being helped at the teller window in the lobby, the teller actually paused the transaction to answer the phone and do bank business with the person on the phone. Unacceptable!

I noticed the loan officers, the President. Vice President never answered the phone when they had a customer at their desk (and most likely could not answer questions about accounts anyway, which is the Operations side of the bank). They were on the Loan side of the bank.

What would you do if your neighbor came to your front door in a barely controlled rage?

I briefly mentioned this in a different post but that most angry neighbor that ever came to our door was my husband’s Commanding Officer.

He was livid with anger. He was shaking he was so upset.

When I asked him what was wrong, sir? he yelled that my 5-year-old twin boys had come to his quarters and pulled every plant from his carefully tended garden. Tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, even a few stalks of corn.

After my husband and I got him calmed down I called the boys into the room and ask them if they had done that. They surprised me by proudly declaring they had.

It turned out, that afternioon while I was shopping and they were home with the maid, the 10 and 12 year old boys next door had told my little ones that the Commander was transferring (was well understood by two Army kids) and his garden had to be completely cleared. And that he would pay a dollar a piece to them to do it.

He gave them each a dollar and headed for my next door neighbor’s house. I don’t know what happened to those two boys.

I bet it was not pretty.

The Stand (1994): Super-Flu Virus. The Dark Man is Coming.

What is the best habit you’ve taken up from another person?

A guy went to a restaurant for lunch.

He asked waiter about the menu and placed his order.

After a while a family came on the table next to him & placed their order.

To the guy’s dismay, they got served FIRST.

They started laughing and eating. One of them bragged how he knows someone in the hotel.

The guy called the waiter and asked.

The waiter calmly replies: Yours is a special order being prepared by the Chief chef. Theirs is a regular order prepared by the students in attachment because the top chefs are preparing your order. That’s why it’s taking time.

Please have some juice in the meantime, he said and left calmly.

Short after six waiters brought this guy’s order. Unknown to the guys, the hotel owner was his long lost friend who recognised him and decided to surprise him.

He changed his simple meal to a Five-star meal. The people next to his table were shocked. They couldn’t stop staring and started mumuring why he got such VIP treatment.

This is life.

Some people are ahead of you, eating their meals, mocking you & talking how they are better than you. How well connected they are.

You are waiting for your meal and wondering why is it taking so long. You endure the taunts, mockery and humiliation.

May be you are going through stress, anxiety or depression.

Don’t worry…

The owner of the world has seen you and he doesn’t want to serve you a simple meal.

Yours is a special order hand made by the top chefs. That’s why it’s taking time.

When it comes the laughing party will be silenced for good.

The Stand (opening scene)

Have you ever had a job where you did nothing for years and nobody found out?

I worked for a mid size firm in the technology field for 25 years. Over time technology changed and eventually the system i supported was outdated. I never was really interested in learning the new stuff I was aging and I was pretty much burned out in that job. As time went on my system was phased out and eventually eliminated. I knew my time was up. I waited for that pink slip for over three years whilst doing nothing but surfing the web, catching up on current events and social media. By that time I was so bored, felt so useless and the days dragged on so long I was ready for that pink slip. When it finally came I was so relieved I was ecstatic. It took me several years to find another job that paid 1/4 of what that job paid and I worked my ass off for that tiny wage. But at least I felt worthwhile and somewhat useful. It’s not all about the money.

As a police officer, what is the dirtiest thing you’ve seen a fellow police officer do?

Three or four years ago, I, along with several of our day-shift officers, was dispatched to a theft call at a local grocery store. The complainant, an elderly lady, told us that while she was shopping, a man grabbed her purse from her shopping cart and ran from the store. She was very upset, as she had quite a bit of cash in her purse, along with some jewelry and other valuables. We went out into the parking lot and a woman told us that she had seen a man run from the store with a purse and that he ran around the corner of the building toward the back. I sent three officers around the back of the store to look for the suspect and told two other officers to canvas the parking lot and try to locate any other witnesses.

I then drove around to the back of the store where the officers were looking in every possible hiding place for the suspect. After a few minutes, one of the officers shouted that she had found something. She was holding up a purse matching the description of the purse the complainant told us had been taken. The purse looked as if it had been ripped open to make it easier to quickly search for valuables. While some of the items remained in the purse, most of the contents, including the valuables appeared to be gone.

I radioed one of the officers in front of the store and asked him to bring the complainant around to the back. When she arrived and got out of the police vehicle, I showed the lady the purse that was found and asked if it was hers. She took it from me and frantically started looking through the the remaining contents of the purse, discarding what appeared to be trash and items of insignificance as she searched. “It’s not here!” She told me. “My mother’s wedding ring set isn’t here!” She was distraught. “It appears that the thief took everything of value,” said one of the Officers. “Maybe we can get a description and find it at one of the pawn shops.” The woman was inconsolable. She explained that the ring set was the only thing she had left to remember her deceased mother. “How would he have found it?” she asked, “It was hidden in the lining.” She showed us where the ring had been concealed in the lining of the purse. We had to admit that it had been well concealed and it seemed unlikely that a thief who was in a hurry to get away would have taken the time to check for anything hidden. However, the purse had been torn, so it did seem possible that the ring fell out of the purse when the thief tossed it as he made his escape.

“Where did you find the purse?” I asked the Officer who had located the item. “It was right there, in that dumpster,” the Officer replied, pointing to a large dumpster behind the grocery store. We all walked over to the half full dumpster and took a peek. “It was right here,” the Officer told us, gesturing to one end of the container. Another Officer who was peering into the dumpster contents reached in and retrieved a pen that appeared to be expensive. “ Was this in your purse, Ma’am?” The Officer asked her. “Yes it was,” the lady replied. “My grandson gave me that pen about six months ago.” “Well,” I said to to the officers, “Who wants to go dumpster diving?”

The chances of finding the ring set seemed remote, but we decided that it was worth the effort. We agreed that each of us would take a turn digging through the dumpster for 20 minutes at a time. After gloves were passed around, the first officer went in. After 20 minutes, we switched out and the next Officer took the plunge. After about ten minutes of foraging, to our dismay, from the bowels of the dumpster came a cry of triumph from the second Officer, “Found it!” The Officer popped up out of the dumpster, proudly clutching the ring set. I’m not sure who was more pleased; the lady, who probably thought she would never see the ring set again, or the three of us who had not yet taken a turn digging through the dumpster. The lady was in disbelief (so were we), and very grateful. With tears in her eyes, she insisted on giving us a reward. I explained that while we appreciated her generous offer, we did not accept rewards and that we were just pleased that we had been able to help her. After several more minutes of discussing the miraculous recovery of the ring set, obtaining a description of the thief and a list, description and value of the stolen items, the lady left the scene.

As the five of us stood near the dumpster, I noticed for the first time how truly filthy the two Officers were who had climbed into the dumpster. “I can’t be sure until we have an expert make a determination, but it’s my guess that those uniforms will need to be incinerated,” I told them. “You guys did a great job today,” I told them. “Go home, take those uniforms off and put them in black plastic bags and then take at least three hot showers. See you tomorrow.”

The actions of those Officers that day were by far the dirtiest thing I have ever seen a fellow police officer do.

Thanks,

Captain John Sharp

The Stand – Explosion in the last scene “I brought you the fire” (S01E08)

Isn’t it a sad thing for the Chinese that the Koreans would rather make friends with white people than them?

Let me help to makes western admirers amongst orientals and Chinese nations such as Japan-and South Korea, people from greater China such as Hong Kong and Taiwan and neighbours such as Phillipines and Vietnam see light.

I am qualified to advise and share my experience. I was born in Malaysia and now a Singaporean who were a starry eye west admirer for say the first 20 years of my life.

Today I am a practical and pragmatic person who sees things differently. If your nation is a direct neighbour or in Chinese neighbourhood, try to comprehend the following.

China has been around for 5000 years as your neighbourhood and during 4800 out of the 5000 years China were really really strong. In fact so strong it could if it wants to, to walk right into your nation and claimed it for good. But they didn’t. Japan, Korea, Philippines, India and others remained a fully sovereign nation. Appreciate that.

Just look at the nation that lies and spread fear about China, the U.S. it is barely 247 years old yet it started as a 13 states union and in less than a hundred years it stole another 37 states from its neighbours. And what did the U.S. do in Asia! It murdered 3 million Vietnamese, a million each in Philippines in Mindanao, Laos and Cambodia, and at least 2 million suspected communists in Indonesia and colonised the Philippines for close to 50 years.

And they do that as a nation 10 thousand miles away from Asia! China is stone’s throw away from your shores yet you are independent! So be logical and honest about who is the aggressor and who respects your sovereignty? If you are fair China has a 5000 years gentleman. The U.S. is a 247 years hoodlum you never want to get close with

Next let me help you know your future. China is the world’s most humongous market. Your nation is blessed to have such a huge market at your door step. They can buy your products and resources and yet supply you with value for money product at a song.

They are not the despicable west who wants to change your way. They even say their socialism with Chinese characteristics is not exportable and urge you to seek your best political and social system going forward. US says it is their way or the highway! In fact the murdered 5 million Indo Chinese to make them democratic unsuccessfully.

Go to the U.S. to have fun and travel around, do business with them as they are a big spender. But whatever you do remember who really is with you and where is your future with. Most of all remember where is your nation is geographically and China will always be there! It cannot be floated away and so are you stuck there.

Don’t ever let your nation be another Ukraine, the U.S. want your people to die and your nation to be destroyed just to poke China in the eye, just like how they used Ukraine to poke Russia in the eye, unfortunately one time too many. Don’t let them have even one CIA or NED officials in your nation. And don’t ever be used as a cannon fodder.

Grow up and know right from wrong. Korea for example, whether you stay rich and get richer depends on China not the U.S. The only thing the U.S. can help you is simply to get your nation destroyed! China will always be there, it will grow to be 4–5 times the size of the U.S. economy before then of this century. And as a market for Korea, it will be bigger than your next 20 biggest market! So get real, grow up like me, be a realist and be smart.

Vote in pro Chinese candidate. Vote in a leader that has no inclination to do shit for the U.S. And telll the US. that you are a friend and a partner of China, and that you want them as tourist and investor. But under no circumstances will you allow them to interfere in your nation and in Asia. Asia is for Asians. If you have issues involving the US is a sure way to implicate issues and create discord.

The Search for Noah’s Ark and the Aliens in the Book of Enoch

Alien Abductions in the Book of Enoch and the Search for Noah’s Ark Enoch warned the Giants and the Watchers of the world. Repent or feel God’s wrath. They ignored his warning.

The floodgates of Heaven burst forth and water rushed over the Earth, destroying everything. The only thing to survive is a single vessel, a huge ship: the Ark. 5 months later, the waters recede and the Ark made ground on a mountaintop. A man named Noah emerged, and civilization began again.

Some version of the Noah’s Ark story exists in almost every religion and every culture on Earth. But did Noah and the Ark really exist? There’s evidence that they did. So much evidence, that it was classified by the CIA for almost 50 years.

But why classify it? Well, there are two problems with the Noah’s Ark story. One, the Ark is much older than anyone thought. And two, the man named Noah? He wasn’t a man. At least, not a man from Earth.

What are few things only mature people can tell you?

1. Never use a person to forget another.
2. Don’t go back to less just because you are too impatient to wait for better.
3. You’re not required to set yourself on fire to keep other people warm.
4. Don’t ruin a good today by thinking about a bad yesterday.
5. People should fall in love with their eyes closed.
6. Attracting what’s right for you will require you to finally let go of what isn’t.
7. Someday you will look back and know exactly why it had to happen.
8. When a version of you ends, so will the connections attached to it.
9. The happiest you’ve ever been won’t be the happiest you’ll ever be.
10. You either get busy living or get busy dying.

Greenland Final Comet Planet Killer Scene | HD clip

What’s the worst accident that you’ve witnessed at work?

“What’s the worst accident that you’ve witnessed at work?”

Back in 1998 to 2000 I was an IT consultant supporting the computers at The RAND Corporation. My first office was a bull pen with a window facing the tunnel where Interstate-10 becomes CA-1 the Pacific Coast Highway.

I heard a crashing noise through the window. I looked towards the tunnel. Out of the tunnel came a couple of cars tumbling as they decelerated from freeway speed to zero. Unfortunately one person was not wearing seat belts. The body flew out of one of the cars. One of the other cars smashed into the road at that point where the person had hit the road. Most of the body was ejected away from the wreckage. I had nightmares for at least a year.

I asked for a different office. My new work station was in a janitor room with a window. I worked in a room with mops, cleaning chemicals, a tape drive for computer backups and a couple of computer terminals. The window looked the other direction out of the building so I could see palm trees and most of Santa Monica Pier.

Actually at the office the worst accidents were cuts from metal edges. Go get a tetanus shot. Maybe a stitch. As data centers improved it got to be rare that anyone would get cuts.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind Air Traffic Control Scene with airport deleted scene included.

Soldiers, what is the most useless piece of equipment you were issued?

See…here’s the the thing.

Generals love new toys, especially cool looking toys that their soldiers get to wear. They love adding things to improve their soldiers. Sometimes those things are, in fact, cool and useful!

They do tend to forget however that soldiers are human and must then carry, in substandard conditions, that cool piece of gear.

Thus I give you the most useless piece of gear I was ever issued.

The IOTV deltoid protector.

Looks cool? Check.

Actually protects the soldier? Check!

It’s a win!

Not quite.

I was issued these lovely pieces of equipment and then promptly sent to Iraq in May.

You might not know this, but it’s REALLY hot in Iraq and that heat ramps up around April. Given my position as a SAW gunner, I was already carrying 95lbs of kit, not counting an assault pack, in temperatures that were quickly approaching 95–125 degrees. And my 1st Sgt informs us that we’ll all be wearing these beauties on patrol. I am not impressed for three reasons:

1: It was already hot as hell and one of the few places my sweat could soak through and cool me off was my shoulders. Now those would be covered. I’m up to 120 weather on patrol.

2: Several studies have shown that infantryman carrying more than 1/3 of their body weight suffer severely adverse consequences to their ability to fight effectively. I was already carrying 95lbs. 3–4 lbs might not sound like much but when your body armor is already creating incipient back problems, those pounds add up. Imagine getting up off the ground from a prone position, rushing 10 to 15 yards and throwing yourself bodily down on the ground with a 90 pound rucksack on your back. Then imagine someone asks you to add more weight to that.

3: Of all the places that I would choose to get shot if I had to, I’d love to get shot in the shoulder. I could fight more effectively with one hand then I can with a wound in my abdomen, very little in my shoulder is vital, and frankly the benefits just weren’t there given the cost required of me.

Fortunately my chain of command saw sense and after about two weeks of using deltoid protectors we were given permission to remove them from our kit. I put mine away and didn’t even look at them for the rest of the deployment. I did have to pay for one I couldn’t find when I got out… Those things are expensive for such a useless piece of equipment!

Chernobyl (2019) Nuclear Reactor Explosion Scene

What is the strangest way you found out a friend was wealthy?

In 1978, I saw a guy dressed like a bum in a bar. He asked several people to buy him a beer, and they refused and make negative comments about him. I felt a little sorry for him the way he was being treated. He came up to the bar, sat beside me and asked me to buy him a beer. I brought him a few and we talked. I found him to be quite intelligent. He then said he had the next round and would buy me a beer and I could keep the change. He put what I thought a 1 dollar bill on the counter. The bar tender gave him change for $100.00. At first, I refused to take his money until he told me who he really was.

He was a millionaire and half owner of a racetrack. He explained as a rich millionaire. He had no real friends. People only pretended to be his friend because his is rich and hoping to get his money. He had no wife or girlfriends for the same reason. His rich backstabbing associates were no better. He said money is not everything and that he has a sad and lonely life. He said sometimes he will dress and act like a bum to see how people will treat him if they thought he was not rich. Some people heard what he was saying. The next thing we had, people flocked around us. He said see. At first, they didn’t want anything to do with me. Now that they know, I am a millionaire. Now they want to be my friends. I didn’t know who he was at first. But still treated him with respect and ended up with $98.00.

The China Syndrome (1980) – Reactor Scram Scene

What is missing in India as compared to China? Write 5 majors.

The word “missing” is not that appropriate here I think. I have to say in the beginning that listing things that are better in China as compared to India doesn’t mean that China is superior to India. There are also numerous things that China needs to learn from India.

First and foremost, there’s the talk about infrastructure. The roads in China are always smooth as silk. Railways that seem like they could host a ballet. And don’t even have to mention the power supply. In comparison, India is often grappling with pothole-ridden roads, crowded and aging railways, and power outages.

Then comes the education scene. The level of education among the labor force in China is something we all can learn from. It’s not just about degrees; it’s about a certain finesse, a skill set that makes the workforce a well-oiled machine. In India, they’ve got the brains, but sometimes it feels like they need to fine-tune the engine a bit.

Diligence. Chinese folks are known for their hard work, their commitment to their craft. It’s like they have an extra gear that many missed. Not to say that people in India aren’t hardworking, but sometimes, that extra pinch of diligence can make all the difference.

Public Safety and Discipline. China is known for its strict enforcement of laws and regulations, resulting in low crime rates and a generally safe environment. Public spaces are often well-maintained, and there is a strong emphasis on social discipline. In contrast, India, like many countries, grapples with issues such as crime, traffic management, and maintaining public spaces with the same level of discipline.

Business Environment. China has often been praised for its business-friendly environment and efficient bureaucratic processes, attracting significant foreign direct investment. India, despite improvements, has faced criticism for bureaucratic red tape and regulatory complexities that can hinder the ease of doing business.

Lastly, sanitation. China has been on a cleanliness drive that’s nothing short of impressive. Public spaces are spick and span, and the streets seem to sparkle. In India, while they have been making strides, there’s still room for improvement.

China’s Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge in the Lingdingyang waters.

Down Periscope (1996) Out of Context

As a teacher, what is the harshest truth a student has ever taught you?

Well, this is not exactly a teacher-student lesson, but a lesson which put me right in my place. I’m a physicist and have a solid base in mathematics. So when my younger brother asked me to solve this, I took one look at the problem and blurted instantly: “oh come on, man! You find this crap hard? Try solving Schrodinger’s equation to start with!”

“Just solve it, Neil!” He insisted.

I was at my usual coffee shop, having breakfast and was a little annoyed at the way I was interrupted. Nonetheless, I decided to switch on my Show Off Mode and solve the damn thing.

I grabbed a serviette that the waiter had given me and scribbled him the answer and sent it through Whatsapp. As soon as it got sent, I sat back and smiled, quite content and proud with the answer that I had given him.

So, here’s the question

And here’s my answer:

Well, 3 unknowns and 3 simultaneous equations, piece of cake, right?

Half an hour later my brother messaged me back.

Noel (My Brother): Shit, man! What a nerd! I totally see the physicist in you taking over.

Me (gloating with pride): So, did you get it?

Noel: Sure did! But I solved it in a different way.

Me: Aaaaannd you got the same answer?

Noel: Yes, I did!

Me: Wow, really?

Noel: Well, all the figures appear twice in the first three diagrams and if you add them all up you get, 2(x+y+z) = 10 + 20 + 24 = 54. So x+y+z = 54/2 = 27!

Me (my pride nosediving): Hey, that’s not bad!

That’s the day I realized there’s always a simpler explanation to everything. You just need to keep your mind and ears open to get it!

Land Of The Lost – Pool Scene

Western media claims that China’s 9-10 percent GDP growth rate was too high and that it will experience a hard landing, but China’s 6.5-7.0 percent GDP growth rate is low. Why was it reported differently?

Once upon a time, maybe even until the early 2000s, the Western Media had CREDIBILITY

They followed the five principles of INVESTIGATE JOURNALISM

• Find the evidence
• Establish the facts based on the Evidence
• Try to destroy the facts yourself to see if they can stand up to scrutiny using the RED TEAM BLUE TEAM ANALYSIS
• Build the Narrative
• Write about and Talk about the Narrative

It’s why their coverage of the Vietnam War or the 91 Gulf War or the 99 Kosovo Crisis was so appreciated and admired

---

Today or even over the last decade, they have started a different course

• First Build a Narrative based on what Money Interests & Politicians want (Russia is losing, China is collapsing etc)
• Then start selectively FINDING AND TWISTING facts to fit the narrative
• Then start FINDING the evidence to fit the narrative and IGNORE all the contrary evidence
• Attack anyone who tries to counter the narrative by going personal on them and accusing their integrity or morality or accuse them of racism and bigotry

The Best example was the Ukrainian Crisis :-

First the Narrative was Putin has missiles only for 3 months

That was obviously nonsense

Next was the Narrative that Putin and his economy was collapsing

That was nonsense too

Next was Putin’s ISOLATION

That turned out to be nonsense too

Now it is the fact that Putin has lost 300000 men so far

Again that is nonsense of the highest order

The Narrative becomes lesser and lesser credible and more and more bizzare and weird

The Western Media finds so called ‘Experts’ who will shamelessly fall in line with the narrative even if they know they will be embarrassed later

So many Military experts have been humiliated by their predictions on Putin and yet without a shred of shame, they still go around talking and giving expert opinion

The Real experts like Brian Berletic, Scott Ritter, Colonel Kassad, Doug Macgregor etc have been saying the perfect truth for over a couple of years now

They still follow the old method of journalism

---

With China the Narratives have changed

First it was Uyghur Genocide

That was nonsense

Next it was Slave Labor

Again Nonsense

Next it was Cultural Genocide

Again Nonsense

As each Narrative becomes more and more unbelievable , the newer narrative becomes even more bizzare

Like this China and the Hard Landing

Every ‘Expert’ who predicted a collapse of China and there have been 60 of them across the last 34 years – have missed their deadlines by almost a decade at least

In 1990, they said China would collapse before the new Millennium (1/1/2000)

Then they said in 2003, that by 2011 China would collapse

Then by 2015 (In 2005)

Then by 2025 (In 2010)

Every single time they are proven wrong

Every single time they double down and give a new date

Even now when China, for a $ 19T economy delivers a 5% growth against a very low global demand and a real estate slump, it’s regarded an economic weakness whereas every economist of repute regards it as EXCELLENT RESILIENCE

Yet when India with its $ 3.53T economy manages 6.5% growth , it’s regarded as a boom when any economist can see that it’s a result of spending and inflation mostly

Likewise UK or Germany are completely ignored

So the Mainstream Media doesn’t any longer have the CREDIBILITY they so enjoyed

Their Economic Experts are shameless men who don’t care how many times they are proven wrong

They are ready to risk their reputation again and again and have lost all their credibility

They all have Political Agenda now

The best way to handle them is like is like our friends the Afghanistan Taliban

Their simple response is “If you publish lies about us, we will burn your daughter alive while you watch”

Crude but Brutally effective 😁😁

Worked well with Laura Ingraham who was so terrified she stopped entirely

Mosquito Bites Will Ferrell

Did another parent ever tell you something about your child that you didn’t know?

The kids in my daughter’s nursery get a milk carton every day in school during milk and fruit time. The milk comes in a paper carton with a small straw attached to it which is wrapped in a small plastic cover.

We just found out today that one of the kids at the beginning of the year struggled with opening her wrapped straw from the cover so my daughter helped the kid unwrap it. And because pretty much all the kids struggled with it, they all gave their milk cartons to her so that she could unwrap it.

So apparently, every day during lunch the kids form an orderly queue so our little one can unwrap each and every kid’s straw in the classroom.

My daughter is lactose intolerant so does not drink milk. She brings her bottle of almond milk with her from home. She unwraps every single kid’s milk carton before she goes about drinking her own almond milk. When the teachers told us that today, my wife cried a little bit inside! Very proud of our LO!

What is the best case of “You just picked a fight with the wrong person” that you’ve witnessed?

I grew up in a small, rural area in the midwest. Our school bus was the only one with racial unrest. A handful of black children went to the school and all rode this particular bus to school. They had to endure a great deal of harassment, including name calling.

At the beginning of one school year, a new family moved in. The mom was white. The dad had some mixture of black blood. They had a number of children including two middle school-aged boys. The trouble on the bus began almost immediately.

A tall, high school-aged white boy walked up to one of these boys (he was probably about 5’7″ with sandy, curly hair) and said, “Move over n—–.” The new kid replied, “Say it nicely.” The big, white kid repeated, “Move over n—–!” He now had an audience and was enjoying this. The new kid repeated, “Say it nicely.” By now everyone was watching to see what would happen. The big, white kid shoved the new kid to show him who was boss. The new kid calmly stood up, and beat the living daylights out of this big, white kid with his bare hands. He, then, calmly sat down and said, “Say it nicely.” I don’t remember anyone bothering him, or his sisters, ever again.

1K Upvotes! Thank you, everyone. And, yes, this is a true story. I was an eye witness to this event, and was sitting in the next forward seat of the bus. All I had to do was turn around in my seat to see this played out in living color.

“Blood” here refers to family background or lineage. Obviously, I am not referring to the color of blood in a person’s physical body. We often speak of ‘Irish’ or of ‘Italian’ blood.

Seeing The Future Of The Strong Independent Single Women

Chicken Cordon Bleu

A slightly unconventional, but delicious, recipe for Chicken Cordon Bleu.

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 6 chicken breast halves, skinned and boned
• Salt and pepper
• 6 thin slices ham
• 3 slices Swiss cheese, halved
• 1/2 cup Ritz cracker crumbs
• 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 tablespoons parsley, minced
• 3/4 cup margarine*, melted

Instructions

1. Place chicken breasts on a cutting board; cover with waxed paper, and lightly pound to flatten the breasts. Do not cut through meat. Discard waxed paper.
2. Lightly salt and pepper the breasts. Place a slice of ham and 1/2 slice of Swiss cheese on each breast. (Cheese may need to be folded to fit on breast.) Roll the breast, jellyroll style; secure with a wooden pick.
3. Combine cracker crumbs, Parmesan cheese and parsley.
4. Melt margarine* and dip rolled breasts in the margarine, then in the cracker crumb mixture.
5. Place in a greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes.

Notes

* We use butter.

Land of the Lost – Giant Crab

If employers rejected me, does it always mean I am worthless or incompetent?

Originally Answered: If employers rejected you, does it always mean you are worthless or incompetent?

Well….

No. Definitely not.

Take this example, of a clearly worthwhile human being who was rejected for employment by Cadbury in the UK.

Now, Mr. Jones CLEARLY had great worth and was a fine example of a human being. It’s possible his approach to Cadbury when seeking employment could have been improved somewhat, but how could you call him either worthless or incompetent?

• He had submitted a very creative sketch of an “Everlasting Chocolate Bar”; who couldn’t get on board with that idea?
• He obviously had some good feedback from his various eBay transactions that he was able to provide as proof of his worth.
• Who’s really to say that he actually never did “super-secret spy work” that he legally couldn’t talk about?
• And consider the kindness and thoughtfulness it took for him to “pay it forward” and include a £5 note with his application so that the hard-working human resources clerk could have lunch!

See? An employment rejection letter sent to a very worthwhile and competent human being.

Congratulations, Mr. Jones!