When I first started working, both the steel mills, and the coal mines had a company doctor. This was in the late 1960’s.
By the 1970’s the doctors were putting in part-time hours, and were generally on call.
By the end of the 1970’s the factory doctor office was open a part of the time and it was staffed by an RN. And by the early 1980’s even she was part time.
By the 1990’s this was all eliminated, and instead, the businesses offered free health care, and free dental and free prescriptions with a card.
All those free things ended by 1995 and were replaced with insurance plans. With the employee paying a small fee and no deductible.
By the year 2000, the idea of “inside” insurance plans with low cost, and expensive “outside” treatments was abolished.
That of course, was eventually migrated into larger and larger monthly deductions from the paycheck and larger and larger deductibles.
This happened faster and faster until you have the situation of today; employees pay large fees, for an insurance that is only beneficial if you have catastrophic need for medical care.
And most Americans are FUCKED.
Meanwhile, in the rest of the world, health care is considered a public need. Not a for-profit venue to make money. And accordingly the costs and access to reasonable medical care is easy and far cheaper than the fiasco that exists in the United States today.
Ah. And that is the difference between the for-profit capitalism model of “American democracy” compared to the rest of the world.
Today…
Six (6) E-6B “Mercury” TACAMO Nuclear Command Aircraft Flying over CONUS
Hal Turner Nation October 01, 2025 Hits: 15
As of about 3:00 PM eastern US time today, October 1, 2025, there were a total of SIX (6) E-6B Mercury Nuclear Command and Control aircraft that were airborne over the continental United States. This is unprecedented.
The Boeing E-6B Mercury is a U.S. Navy airborne communication relay and command post aircraft, primarily known as a “doomsday plane.”
It supports two main functions: the Take Charge and Move Out (TACAMO) mission, which provides airborne command and control links to U.S. nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines, and the Looking Glass mission, serving as an airborne command post for launching intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).
Derived from the Boeing 707, the E-6B is equipped with a trailing wire antenna for very-low-frequency (VLF) communications, enabling it to reach submerged submarines.
Usually, only one or two such aircraft are up at any given time.
In a “crisis” situation, we have seen three or four such aircraft in the sky at once.
NEVER BEFORE have we seen SIX (6) Such planes flying at the same time. This isn’t training; this is nuclear war posture.
Did you experience having no money at all? What did you do?
Yes, I know what it’s like to be that broke. I rarely talk about the horrible days, and I’ve forgotten many of them. I put myself through college without help from anyone. I won grants in my senior year, but I worked for those grants too. I graduated from college with the maximum allowable debt at the time and paid it all back while working more than one job, and I never missed a payment.
In the really bad days, when I had no money at all, I picked “tarped” blueberries for $2.00 a box. I could fill about one box an hour, sometimes two. I was paid cash every time I filled a box. I dog sat, I cleaned a dentist’s office—anything for immediate cash.
I lived in my Diesel Rabbit for two weeks when our landlord lost the rental to the bank and we were served with an eviction notice. I didn’t have enough money to pay rent twice. It took a while to find a place for me and my dog. I got through it, and never considered myself homeless.
I had a dog, and that dog’s chow came first no matter what, even when I had to skip a meal. I never, ever complained either. I was the optimist and would talk about what I was going to someday do. I talked about it all the time. I fixed my own shoes and clothes and furnished my room with junk. When I became successful, the two things I bought a lot were cars and shoes- the two things I couldn’t afford.
Food was a lot of flour tortillas with anything on top. It was a lot of peanut butter, popcorn, tomato sauce, tuna when I could afford it, Kraft Mac & Cheese, Top Ramen. I accepted food stamps just once, and I hated how I felt and never did it again. I’ll never forget that feeling or that day. I was so embarrassed too. I would buy bulk cereal and eat it dry or sometimes with a little water. Some of what I ate sounds gross, but I’ll still eat it now once in a while. I’ll get a craving for a can of tuna over pasta with salt and pepper or oatmeal.
I didn’t have a car at the time, and all of my housemates were just as poor, so there were lots of communal meals. A friend worked at a nearby grocery store and would wrap expired food so we’d identify it in the dumpster at night. That’s how I got through not just college but into my first start.
Because I knew how to live so cheaply, I bought my first business on a debt assumption before I had a car. I took the bus to and from work until I could afford to buy a car. That was how I got my start. My first car after I bought the business was a beat up VW diesel Rabbit. I leased it from a fly-by-night and paid too much every month, but it got wheels under me. Next was a Saab and I put 180k miles on it. By then I was into my third company. I didn’t have a place of my own until I was 35, the same year a company I founded went public in Canada.
You’ve all watched me write on Quora for years, and while I talk about how I started with nothing, I really did. I’ve written extensively on the subject on Substack and here.
I don’t feel like I was unlucky, and I never, ever felt sorry for myself. I was working towards something, and that kept me going. I never once had a “poor me” moment. I saw every bit of that time as me just paying my dues. All of those people are still in my life today. I just accepted a new role as CEO of a company in New York, but I won’t be selling Moose Lodge. I’ll write more about that soon.
EDIT: It would be nice to stay out of the moral relativism or speculate on someone’s background or motive. It’s an answer to a question. Move on if the answer doesn’t fit your bubble.
WW1 Pilot Describes the AFTERLIFE in Astonishing Detail!
What would happen if Taiwan agreed to rejoin mainland China but wanted 20 years of democratic self-rule like Hong Kong did?
Beijing has signaled in the Xi administration that it is willing to negotiate with everything on the table to preserve the peace.
Nothing is off-topic, except for independence.
Let me emphasize this is a sincere approach, and has been stable and consistent.
The sunshine trade and economic policies massively favoring Taiwan has passed its zenith, and in rapid retreat. The direction is certain, but the speed can be calibrated at will to pull privileges and demand equivalence.
Goodwill is rapidly turning rancid under Ching-Te’s watch. So far, I’ve not heard one good word from my Taiwanese friends in support of the incumbent.
The ball is firmly in Taipei’s hand, when it comes to pursuing mainland goodwill.
Negotiable peace or a devastating dead end, a here and now choice for Taiwan.
Roast Chicken with Fruited Corn Tortilla Stuffing
Ingredients
- 3/4 pound Mexican-style (spicy, unsmoked) chorizo sausage
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 cup chopped yellow onions
- 3 cups day-old (but not dry) corn tortillas, torn into small pieces (about 8 medium tortillas)
- 3 cups day old (but not dry) firm white peasant-style sourdough bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 cup (about 4 ounces) coarsely chopped dried apricots
- 6 long green chiles, roasted, peeled and chopped, or 1 cup frozen chopped roasted green chiles, thawed and drained
- 1 1/4 cups lightly salted chicken broth
- 1 egg, well beaten
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 (4 to 4 1/2 pound) roasting chicken
- Salt
Instructions
- Crumble the chorizo into a cold skillet, set it over medium heat, and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
- With a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to paper towels to drain.
- Discard the drippings and wipe the skillet.
- Set the skillet over medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons of the oil and the onions and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Cool.
- Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.
- In a medium bowl, combine the tortillas, bread cubes, apricots, green chiles, chorizo and the onions with their oil.
- Add the broth and egg and stir.
- Season generously with fresh pepper and stir again.
- Spoon the stuffing into the cavity of the chicken, packing it lightly.
- Pat the chicken dry and set it on a rack in a shallow roasting pan.
- Rub the skin with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
- Roast the chicken until it is crisp and brown and the juices from a thigh, when pricked at its thickest, run pinkish yellow, 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes.
- Let the chicken stand on a rack, tented with foil, for 20 minutes.
- Spoon the stuffing out of the chicken and out of the bowl into a serving dish.
- Carve the chicken and serve immediately, accompanied by the stuffing.
Attribution
The El Paso Chile Company
What is the best case of “You just picked a fight with the wrong person” that you’ve witnessed?
In high school there was a quiet guy named Lester. Lester was a tall skinny kid with long hair down to his belt and an army jacket. Call him a stoner or a hippie.. whatever. He was a really nice kid that was very quiet and kept to himself.
This huge football player named Dan kept harassing and bullying Les. Les would push him away and walk away.
One day Dan cornered him in a remote part of the high school, pulled a scissors out of his pocket and decided that he was going to cut off Les’s hair. What he didn’t know was that Les had over a foot of reach on him and was a very tough wiry farm kid that could probably out bench press most of the football team. No one had ever seen him without his jacket on.
Dan had a bad day that day, getting hit three times on the way down to his nap on the floor. When he woke up he had a lot of his own blood on him, along with a very broken nose. He got to sport the two black eyes raccoon look for a few weeks as the entire high school laughed at him for getting a proper beating from the quiet skinny hippie kid. You know what they say about the book and its cover..
What can China do to withstand higher tariffs by the US, and how will this impact Europe?
China has highly diversified trade with over 200 trading partners. High tariffs won’t hurt China much, as their products have high c/p ratio. The products sell themselves.
China is reciprocating the attacks like everybody else. China stands to lose less than the perpetrator and that’s for sure. Europe might move closer to China now that they are also subjected to high US tariffs. The trend is that all countries have awaken to reality and are likely to be more pragmatic going forward and ditch the inane bloc mentality. Trump deserves the credit for this positive change.
I AM A BLASTED TREE
Submitted into Contest #288 in response to: Set your story during — or just before — a storm.… view prompt
HAAKON RAGNSKJOLD
It was no human being who had attacked me! I found my way out of the chamber and ran down deserted corridors. I located a door that let me out into a luxuriant green valley.
I ran. I had no idea where I was. At times a bolt of pure lightning would strike from the azure sky. Each time something would appear. I didn’t seem to be the target of these bolts.
The first time, a man appeared. He must have leapt an eighth of a mile.
The second time an incredible, bat-winged flying machine appeared in mid-air before crashing. It must have been a hundred feet in length. Men emerged from the craft, apparently not greatly injured.
If I’d thought the flying machine immense, it was as nothing compared to what the third bolt brought forth. The reptilian creature must have towered some five hundred feet in height. Its cry was deafening. Lightning lanced upon the bony plates lining its spine. Pure fire blasted the valley.
I had never run so fast and so far. At last I fell almost senseless by a great white rock. When I came to, I looked at the valley. It nestled between two ranges of mountains. Something did not look right here. It took a moment for it to click into place. The valley extended for what must have been at least fifty miles. But there was no horizon. It just went on an on in a straight line. I was in a gigantic corridor but it was artificial.
Before the lightning had struck me I had glimpsed that dark shape in the sky. Was I in some immense craft? The three women had said I was the first of many. Had I already seen three more? And that gigantic creature? It couldn’t be what I thought it was, even though it looked exactly like what I thought it was. And I…and these others? What kind of job would require something like this?
And I knew who they all were. The man whose father had injected his pregnant wife with a serum of alkaline radicals—made him a super human. He had challenged God on a mountain top and been struck by lightning.
An engineer who had created a steampunk flying machine in the Nineteenth Century. He too had challenged God by flying into the heart of the grandfather of all thunderstorms.
The lizard, it seems, had brought his own lightning to the buffet.
Not a hundred feet from me another bolt of lightning exploded. I was thrown against the white rock. My head cleared and I saw a man appear. He was dressed in rags and tatters. He saw me and swiftly approached.
When he drew near, I was shocked at his appearance. His hair was black and matted. His eyes were yellow and watery. His skin yellow, like parchment. I had no strength left. If he meant me harm I could not fight him. He was as tall as the white rock I’d rested against—a giant of eight feet.
“Do you understand the English tongue?”
I nodded.
“I do not know where I am. I thought I was dead. I should be dead. I went out to die. I know the thunders of heaven struck me. I am a blasted tree. The bolt has entered my soul.”
The creature looked into my eyes. Up this close the full impact of who, and what, I was seeing took my breath away. I could well understand how his creator had recoiled from his creation in horror, calling what he saw hideous. The man was indeed hideous. Yet, I could see there that he had chosen the features for their beauty. But that this thing lived had turned its beauty into ashes.
I tried to cam myself. I had no doubt this being could tear me limb from limb if he wished.
“Were you struck by lightning,” I asked. “Your clothes. There are burnt patches.”
“I have wanted to die. For all I have done I deserve to die. I gathered the wood for my pyre. Fire came from above. I felt its agonies. Wilt Thou burn out all the evil I have done? Let its pain grant me redemption and forgiveness. Let me scream in its agonies as that my suffering may surpass that which I inflicted.”
Lost in his soliloquy, the creature looked at me, seemingly for the first time. His hand stroked my face.
“You, too, are scarred. You are like me.” He leaned in close.
“Are you like me in other ways? Did he make you too?” I could not read the creature’s thoughts, nor gain insight as to his intentions. Did he think I was a second of his creator’s efforts?
The creature shook his head. “No. You have been scarred and flawed, but the hand of God has made you. You need not fear me. Vengeance’ has gained me nothing. I took the life of those who had never wronged me. I have suffered and suffered for the evil I did the innocent, who never did me wrong. You have done me no evil.”
He set his hand on my shoulder and it seemed those eyes looked deep into my soul.
“Will you be my friend?”
I admit I was taken back by this request. I knew exactly who, and what I was dealing with here, though it was impossible for me to understand how these things could be. Certainly, to refuse this request would be perilous. But to accept it without being truly sincere, and acquiescing only out of fear would not do. If I said yes, it must be out of a sincere heart, and not just an attempt to escape death. I had already endeavored to kill myself on Mount Washington—if I die now, I would only be gaining my wish, however belatedly.
The fact is, if the story was true, this man might never had had a friend in his entire life. How like him I felt. There was no need to search my soul. Could I deny to another sufferer that which I had so longed for in my life, and never really had?
I raised my hand to his shoulder. “Of course I will.” And I saw how well his creator had made him, for those tear ducts were now flooded.
We talked for long after that. I had often thought of the story. The monster had often been characterized as evil—yet, was it not his creator’s rejection of, what was without a doubt his own child, that had resulted in those acts he did? Certainly they were wrong. But the creature had long put such intentions far from himself. Indeed, his resolve to destroy his very own self witnessed to the desire to atone.
“What is your name?’
“Jhäeggr. And you?”
“He never even gave me a name. I was so hideous in his eyes that he could not regard me as a child of his labors, but a deserving inhabitant of the dunghill. Though I am unlike all men, and have none of the rights they may call their own—may a man not strive after such wishes? May a man not try to attain what others have by right? May he not be willing to pay a great price for his freedom, though others are freeborn?
“I thought I should call myself Adam, since I, like that first Adam, was created by the hand of his Father. But I was certainly not made in my father’s image, as he was in His. I am truly a monstrous thing. And I should not have been. But was my father not monstrous, who turned away from me in disgust? I was indeed the thing you see, while he was fair, comely and straight. But as I was in visage, he was in heart. So I do my father proud. He has paid for his crimes. I will honor my father, who am so monstrous as was he. I am Victor.”
“That is another way we are alike, Victor. I, too, picked a name for myself.”
“There are many ways we are alike. Our names, which we have chosen. That we have endured terrible scarring. That we both seek a mate and have always been denied. And…you too went out into the frozen wilderness, as did I, to put an end to your life. Why did you seek to do this?”
“I was tired of being alone as I was. Like you, I had no companion—not even friend to lighten my load. You were denied that—but did he not start to build you…?”
“It was all I asked of him. He reneged on our contract. So close it came. Do you understand my rage? Bad enough he brought me into existence and did not take responsibility for me. But to create another, to so lift up my hopes—and then take an ax to her before she had even tasted of life? Hard enough to lose what you did not even know you had—but to see the fruit near ready for the plucking, snatched from your grasp, thrown down and ground down by hateful tread. He declared it was to protect man, he feared what the two of us would do—but what I did far outshone the mightiest of his fears. If anything had ever made me an enemy of the human race, it was that solitary act of murder—torn from my grasp, murdered before she even drew her first breath!”
I had never imagined such depths of feeling. Rage enfolded him like the lightning storm that had embraced me. But in a moment it was gone. And great, wracking sobs overcame him. Though deep down I feared this being and knew not what would follow, I could not deny the fellow feeling. I set my hands on his shoulders. Not even looking at me I knew that never had he had another to suffer with him and be to him a sympathetic ear.
The face that looked up to me was that of a different man. With that deluge of sorrow, and with another to share his grief it was as if he had truly become human. I was not fooled. He had always been human, but enduring unconscionable suffering had driven him near to madness.
He had recovered himself. There was a curious expression on his face. “You, too sought to destroy yourself. But why?”
“I told you. I couldn’t endure the suffering any longer. I had no more purpose to live. It was better I was gone. I would inconvenience no one any longer”
Victor looked at me strangely.
“I should never have been given life. By destroying myself I might atone for what I had done. My ashes might then be of some use to at least fertilize the earth. But what would your death prove? You were no blasphemy to life like I was. God had made you. You are lawful life—yet you wanted to destroy yourself. Help me comprehend this.”
“Victor—my own mother did not want me to be. Months before I should have been born, I was torn out of her womb. This I learned long after. If my own mother didn’t want me…”
“Why then are you still living if they meant to take your life?”
“A nurse found me. I was on the steel table, gasping out my life. She endangered her own job. She snuck me out of there. She gave me a chance.” I did not like the look on Victor’s face.
“And this is how you reward this woman’s sacrifice? You were scheduled to die. Your life was spared.”
“Look at me—look at my face! Who will love me as I am? I haven’t a single hope in hell of that! Do you think I want to keep on living like this?”
I couldn’t conceive how someone that big could move so fast. I didn’t see his arm moving. I felt the blow as he back handed me. I must have flown fifteen feet. The astonishment hurt worse than getting struck.
“Your self-pity disgusts me. You think you’re so hideous? Look up at the face that a creator couldn’t even bear to set his eyes on. Then tell me if you think you’re hideous. I am a blasphemy—but you, you’re life is lawful. You have not the right to take what God’s given you. You would have died had He not put that nurse there. You would have died had not that thing found you in the forest. You would have died had not the lightning taken you to this place like it took me. It took me! It found a use for me! No reason for you to live? You’ve been given a reason! You’re needed for something more important than your own little life. If it wants me, as lawless as I am—how much more you?” Victor’s eyes softened.
“I am sorry I was so hard on you. Give me your hand. I’ll help you up. Do not despair. Someday someone may find you. I found someone a long time ago. It was her I told my story to. No one before her had ever failed to recoil from me in disgust. She could not be the mate I sought—and yet, what she became—that was so much more. If I inspired her—she in turn inspired me. Each, the other’s muse. I will never forget her.
“So if I, who am a monster, was that one time, able to find such a one, dare you think to have less chance than I? Do you think yourself more monstrous?
“Something has brought us both to this place. Chanced us new possibilities. I see it. Can you not see it as well, my friend? Come—let us see what fortune has set our steps upon. There is life in both of us. Let us see what we can make of it. Will you come with me?”
I nodded. Victor was right. Self pity. There was no room for it, not when this great new adventure had opened up the doors. Several miles away I saw another flash of lightning light up the azure sky.
What is the most important factor when choosing a restaurant?
Sometime back one of our friends recommended a restaurant in the city. “Food is just awesome “ she said.
So one day I and my decided to go for dinner to that restaurant. When we entered that place, it was so shabby that we took an immediate about turn.
For a restaurant it’s the ambience which is the first impression. It’s difficult to go to a restaurant if it’s shabby and the staff is ill dressed. Food maybe good, but you can’t enjoy food in such surroundings.
***** FLASH TRAFFIC ***** URGENT ***** France Army Chief Remarks
The Chief of the French Army has made a public statement telling the population of France they “must be ready for high intensity (military) conflict as early as tonight.”
There is not yet any context surrounding this public statement but it is widely viewed as having to do with Russia.
More if I get it. Check back.
UPDATE 1:24 PM EDT —
The Chief of Staff for the French Army, Gen. Pierre Schill,
has stated that forces must be ready “as early as tonight” for high-intensity warfare, warning of a potential direct military confrontation in the near future with Russia over the defense of a NATO Ally in Eastern Europe.
HAL TURNER ANALYSIS
General Pierre Schill basically just told the world France is ready to throw on the gloves with Russia tonight if NATO calls the shot. That’s not peacetime language, that’s war footing.
When a top general openly warns of “high-intensity warfare” and hints at defending Eastern Europe, it means the brass are looking at this Ukraine-Russia mess turning into a full-blown NATO showdown.
Translation: tanks, jets, missiles, not proxy games.
The scary part? Leaders wouldn’t let him say this publicly unless the threat was real.
Europe’s sleepwalking into World War III while half its citizens are worried about climate taxes and TikTok.
This is the kind of spark that changes history overnight.
Related? — Poland just scrambled six F-16s armed with AIM-120S-7s missiles to intercept two Shahed drones heading towards Polish territory.
What did your boss say to you during a meeting that resulted in you immediately resigning?
Sign this new contract in three days.
The new contract required that if I got injured on the job I was required to use their doctors, their medical services and providers contracted by them.
Okay….
But there was more. I was also required to give up my right to sue in case of a dispute and agree to binding arbitration by arbitrators contracted and selected by them.
I had just retired from a city whoes insurance carrier had to be sued several times to be forced to comply with state law regarding workman’s compensation issues for first responders.
Now this company not only wanted my medical care to be completely under their control but to sign away my right to legally dispute any disagreement in court. They wouldn’t even agree to impartial third party arbitration.
I did not sign the new contract.
Is it true that students in China are taught that China defeated Japan in World War 2 even though the overwhelming force was actually the US?
Your textbooks certainly didn’t tell you that before 1940, the United States had been supporting Japan, just like Europe is supporting Ukraine now.
So, in the early stages of World War II, China was actually fighting both Japan and the United States at the same time.
What If You Landed on Proxima Centauri b?
What is an insane coincidence that you’ve experienced?
I was dating an Irish nurse and she had a very over protective brother she rarely saw as worked abroad, Malta think it was . He wouldn’t want his teen sister going on holiday with someone so we took a 2 week holiday to Spain on the quiet .
About the 3rd or 4th night we were in this disco and she spotted her brother and his wife and asked to leave quickly before he saw her . I said to her..no way is him surely, had never met him. A few months later he came to visit and was telling her about his holiday to Spain …it was a popular Brit destination to be fair but a bit weird.
Do doctors in emergency rooms or departments ever tell patients they shouldn’t have come to the emergency room with something so minor?
Yes. I woke up one morning and my leg was bothering me. I didn’t think much of it and went on to work. During the day, my leg started hurting a lot worse. To the extent I was having to use crutches to get around. I finally went to ER when I was having trouble standing on my other leg. The Dr did an X-ray of my leg and said he didn’t see anything, that it must just be in my head. He sent me home and advised that I go see a psychiatrist (even though by now I was in extreme pain and couldn’t even stand.). I was limited to getting around by wheelchair. The next day I made an appointment with my orthopedic surgeon. I had had a knee replacement 3 years prior and everything had been great. The Dr took one look at my knee and said he felt he knew what was wrong, but wanted to drain a little fluid from my knee to make sure. Once he did and saw how cloudy it was, he told me to get over to the ER immediately and he would call ahead to have them admit me. I got there before the Dr had called and the ER techs were trying to get me turned away until the call from the Dr came in. Turns out, I had a severe infection in my artificial knee and if I had waited another day, I would of lost my leg.
Can a doctor simply look at a patient and tell them what’s wrong with them?
Can a doctor simply look at a patient and tell them what’s wrong with them?
Not just a doctor, most health professionals are capable of picking the signs that someone may have a medical issue.
My daughter is a nurse in the New South Wales hospital system. As well as working in a state hospital she was for some time doing work in a local aged care facility.
One of her elderly charges had a regular habit of having her husband come in and share an evening meal before going home to retire for the night.
One night my daughter noticed he was having an issue with his face, it reminded her of the symptoms of Bell’s Palsy. She summoned the Registered nurse on duty saying she thought the man was having a stroke.
The Registered nurse couldn’t entirely agree with her diagnosis and suggested they keep an eye on him for a while. But Kate did not feel comfortable with this and she called an ambulance. The ambulance arrived, and the nursing home next got a message, the old guy had a massive stroke on the way to hospital and didn’t make it!
Kate was somewhat heartbroken by this event but, life goes on, it’s what happens when you work in the health system.
A few days later she was back at the care facility again and when she walked into this same old lady’s room she shot up in bed called Kate over for a hug and said….”My dear you saved my husbands life”!!!
Through the good work of the Ambo’s although he was technically dead on arrival at the hospital the staff swung into immediate action and brought him back again, they weren’t going to let him go over that rainbow bridge just yet. For some reason this information was not directly relayed back to the aged nursing facility, but when it did the staff decided to let the old lady surprise Kate with the news on her next shift.
Subsequently Kate was able to give him a hug and welcome him back to the nursing home and his wife!
She technically did the wrong thing that night, she is an EN, enrolled nurse and should always have respected the decision of the RN, registered nurse, but just by looking at this guy, she knew he was in serious trouble.
She said to me…”It’s days like this you realise why you have been put on this earth”.
Bravo Kate and the NSW health system.
Cheers……….Rob.
Sir Whiskerton and the Great Farm Talent Show: A Tale of Tap-Dancing Geese, Kazoos, and Feline Ingenuity
Ah, dear reader, prepare yourself for a tale of talent, chaos, and one very determined duck. Today’s story is one of tap-dancing geese, kazoo symphonies, and a farm on the brink of becoming a full-blown variety show. So, grab your popcorn and a sense of humor, as we dive into Sir Whiskerton and the Great Farm Talent Show: A Tale of Tap-Dancing Geese, Kazoos, and Feline Ingenuity.
The Announcement
It all began on a sunny afternoon when Sir Whiskerton was enjoying a peaceful nap on the farmer’s porch. The farm was its usual serene self—until Doris the Hen came clucking in, her feathers ruffled with excitement. “Sir Whiskerton! Sir Whiskerton!” she squawked. “We’re having a talent show!”
Sir Whiskerton blinked, his green eyes narrowing in confusion. “A talent show? Who decided this?”
“I did!” Doris declared, puffing out her chest. “It’s the perfect way to bring the farm together. Everyone’s going to participate—even you!”
Sir Whiskerton sighed, flicking his tail in irritation. “I suppose I don’t have a choice, do I?”
“Nope!” Doris said cheerfully. “The show is tomorrow, so start thinking of your act!”
As Doris clucked away, Sir Whiskerton couldn’t help but feel a sense of dread. A talent show on the farm? This was bound to end in chaos.
Mr. Ducky’s Grand Plan
Meanwhile, Mr. Ducky, the farm’s resident sales-duck and self-proclaimed showman, was already plotting his victory. “This is my chance to shine!” he quacked, pacing back and forth in front of the pond. “I’ll create the most spectacular act the farm has ever seen!”
His plan was as ambitious as it was absurd: he would teach the geese to tap-dance while he sang, accompanied by a kazoo beat provided by the chickens. “It’s going to be a masterpiece!” Mr. Ducky declared, his eyes gleaming with excitement. “The geese will tap, the chickens will kazoo, and I’ll be the star of the show!”
The geese, however, were less than enthusiastic. “Tap-dance?” Gertrude the Goose said, her voice dripping with skepticism. “We’re geese, not Broadway performers.”
“Nonsense!” Mr. Ducky said, waving a wing dismissively. “With a little practice, you’ll be tapping like pros. And as for the chickens…” He turned to Doris, who was already clutching a kazoo. “You’ll provide the beat. It’ll be easy!”
Doris looked doubtful but nodded. “If it means winning the talent show, I’m in.”
Pistachio and Tony’s Act
While Mr. Ducky was busy with his elaborate plans, other animals were preparing their own acts. Pistachio the Ostrich, ever the formal and forgetful bird, decided to perform a dramatic recitation of The Farmer’s Almanac. “It’s a timeless classic,” she said, adjusting her tiny glasses. “And I’ve memorized every word. Well, most of them.”
Tony the Bear, on the other hand, had a simpler act in mind. “I’m going to dance,” he said, his voice soft and shy. “I’ve been practicing in secret. It’s… it’s something I’ve always wanted to do.”
Sir Whiskerton, who had been eavesdropping, gave Tony an encouraging nod. “That sounds lovely, Tony. I’m sure you’ll do great.”
Tony blushed, his fur turning a faint shade of pink. “Thanks, Sir Whiskerton. That means a lot.”
The Rehearsal Disaster
The day of the talent show arrived, and the farm was abuzz with excitement. The animals had gathered in the barn, which had been transformed into a makeshift theater. A stage had been set up, complete with a curtain made from old bedsheets, and the audience—consisting of the farmer, Martha, and a few curious raccoons—was eagerly awaiting the first act.
Mr. Ducky’s act was up first. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he announced, his voice booming with confidence, “prepare to be amazed!”
The geese waddled onto the stage, their webbed feet clad in tiny tap shoes made from bottle caps and string. Doris and the chickens stood to the side, kazoos at the ready. Mr. Ducky took a deep breath and began to sing, his voice warbling slightly as the chickens started their kazoo accompaniment.
At first, everything seemed to be going well. The geese tapped their feet, the kazoos buzzed, and Mr. Ducky sang with gusto. But then, disaster struck. One of the geese tripped over its own feet, crashing into another goose, which in turn knocked over a chicken. The kazoos screeched to a halt as the chickens scattered, and the geese began honking in panic.
“No, no, no!” Mr. Ducky shouted, flapping his wings. “Stay in formation! Keep tapping!”
But it was too late. The stage was a chaotic mess of flapping wings, honking geese, and squawking chickens. The audience erupted into laughter, and Mr. Ducky’s face turned bright red with embarrassment.
Pistachio and Tony Shine
After the chaos of Mr. Ducky’s act, it was Pistachio’s turn. She stepped onto the stage, her long neck held high, and began her recitation. “Ahem. The Farmer’s Almanac, page one: ‘The weather in January is often cold and snowy…’” Her performance was dry but oddly captivating, and the audience listened in rapt attention—until she forgot the next line and started improvising. “Uh… and then the farmer plants… things. Yes. Things.”
Despite the hiccup, Pistachio’s act was charming in its own way, and the audience applauded politely.
Next up was Tony the Bear. He shuffled onto the stage, his massive frame looking out of place on the small platform. But as soon as the music started—a soft melody played by Ferdinand the Duck on his tiny guitar—Tony began to dance. His movements were slow and graceful, his large paws moving with surprising elegance. The audience watched in awe as Tony twirled and swayed, his shyness melting away with each step.
When the music ended, the barn erupted into applause. Tony bowed, his face glowing with pride. “I did it,” he whispered to himself. “I really did it.”
The Moral of the Story
As the talent show came to a close, Sir Whiskerton took the stage to announce the winner. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he said, his voice calm and measured, “while all the acts were… unique, there can only be one winner. And that winner is… Tony the Bear!”
The barn erupted into cheers as Tony shyly accepted his prize—a shiny blue ribbon made from an old piece of fabric. Mr. Ducky, still looking a little dejected, approached Sir Whiskerton. “I don’t understand,” he said. “My act was so elaborate. Why didn’t I win?”
Sir Whiskerton smiled. “True talent, Mr. Ducky, comes from the heart. Tony’s dance was simple, but it was genuine. That’s what made it special.”
Mr. Ducky nodded, his eyes softening. “I suppose you’re right. Maybe I was trying too hard to impress.”
A Happy Ending
With the talent show over, the farm animals gathered to celebrate. Mr. Ducky, humbled by the experience, decided to put his sales skills to good use by organizing a farm-wide kazoo band. “We’ll call it the Quacking Kazoo Crew!” he declared, his enthusiasm returning.
Tony, still glowing from his victory, danced with Bessie the Tie-Dye Cow, while Pistachio recited more passages from The Farmer’s Almanac to anyone who would listen. Sir Whiskerton, ever the observer, returned to his favorite sunbeam, content in the knowledge that he had once again brought harmony to the farm.
And so, dear reader, we leave our heroes with the promise of new adventures, new talents, and hopefully, no more tap-dancing geese. Until next time, may your days be filled with laughter, love, and just a little bit of feline genius.
The End.
What did a flight attendant do that made you go “you gotta be kidding me”?
On a long flight across the US we hit some turbulence. No big deal. It came and went.
There was no beverage service (water, soda, juice, etc.) for a long time during the flight if at all ever.
An older gentleman sitting a couple of rows ahead of me, also in a aisle set, requested a cup of water from the flight attendant. She just continued walking up the aisle glancing around.
About ~10–15 minutes later she passed by in the other direction, then back again. The older man politely requested a cup of water again. The flight attendant seemed annoyed and just walked off.
About ~30 mins later I just wanted to stretch my legs and walk around up and down the aircraft. I can’t stay seated in one position for hours at a time. When I passed by the area that the staff hangs out I noticed that same flight attendant furiously filling out real estate paperwork.
When I returned to my seat I had figured that she must have also been a real estate broker and that side job was more important than bringing a cup of water to a passenger, who would not have been able to get it himself. What if he had a medication that he had to take?
Most flight attendants I have encountered have been good to awesome. Even had a flight attendant on Southwest Airlines who was a part time comedian. Saw him on TV later that year. Another flight attendant kept bringing me beers because I was flying in my US Army Class A uniform — even in coach.
Difficult to classify
How do different Asian countries compare when it comes to work-life balance and business culture?
In the heat of the day during Ramadan in Kuwait, We were on a company minibus on the way home for lunch during which:-
I notice a Cadillac driving behind so close tailgating at hi-speed then it appears beside our minibus. The driver was an Arab he gestured for our driver to stop.
The guy in a white Arabic outfit walked out of his car. Our driver opened the door for him.
- He stepped up and stood at the door and shouted “ I demand to see your receptionist, or Habibie who answered the phone.” in Arabic-English with a hoarse voice out from the throat.
No one answered him- He went on “ You know you were very rude, don’t you ever do it again when I called” He stood still in 5 second and everyone saw smoke came out through his ear and nose. He said before he left “ My name is Mohamed Ikhtiyar al-Din“
After he left, all 15 of us ( From Singapore) turned to Doris, our receptionist who appeared shaken. “ I only asked him to spell his name only wah, I asked him 3 times, after the 3rd time – is it D for donkey? he hung up” She said with an innocent look.
Business culture in Arab, all local Arab are kings —you better be good. Wait, you need not to ask anyone to spell their names. (After he or she spelled it out, you still don’t get it just write down and spell what you heard.)
FYI even any official roads’ name, there are several official signs in different spelling in Kuwait..a bit of Thailand.
In Thailand, a Quoran brother was slapped with a fine with 6-digit number after he used ‘f-word’ inplied defaming his contractor’s mother- Libel or defamation is a criminal offense. Another thing, When all the counters are empty in any government office during office hour- it means they are all upstairs singing “Happy Birthday well-wishes to the boss”
In China, never give a design sketch of the building project without a crucial clause disclaim ‘ Copyrights’ (even you got paid) You will fall of the chair after you search online see that ‘building is beautifully built’ in no time. Chinese are a fast gunslinger in the East.
Our friends in Singapore stop giving a bottle of expensive Wine as a gift in the hampers during festive seasons, after their minister was put behind bars for accepting similar Gift that they consider bribery. But some still say (with a gesture of both hands in the air) to “ Come and catch me lah.”
I wonder how the business culture is like in India.
Why I’m Leaving America 🇺🇸 and Moving to the Philippines
Russian Missile Strike Destroys Five F-16’s; Kills Numerous NATO Personnell
Two Russian hypersonic missiles struck Ukraine’s Starokostyantyniv airbase today, destroying five (5) US-supplied F-16 Fighter jets, an unknown number of British-supplied Storm Shadow/SCALP missiles, along with “Dozens” of NATO instructors and targeting crews.
According to a Ukrainian Telegram channel from the site: “Everyone is dead, everything is destroyed, we are in agony. Everything on the base is burning.”
Hal Turner Remarks
This is VERY big news and I suspect you will see it on TV as soon as the propaganda to hide it fails . . .
Remember NATO is “not” in Ukraine; so they can never admit this..
Many Ukraine channels on Telegram are reporting on the horror of the strike.
Images and video are being censored in real time.
Why is it acceptable for a doctor to take you 30 minutes late, but a patient’s appointment is cancelled if they show up 10 minutes late?
When my son was ten days old, we noticed he felt warm. Sure enough, he had a temperature of 102 F. Out of an abundance of caution, we called our pediatrician’s office. As soon as we explained the situation, the doctor got on the phone and told us to go to the emergency room of the nearest hospital immediately and he would meet us there. This was in the middle of a weekday, during office hours. Frightened, we did what he told us. He was already at the ER, making arrangements for our son to stay for several days. We had no idea why he was so concerned. He told us “Your son has an FUO—fever of unknown origin. 75–80% of the time it is nothing. 20–25% of the time it is meningitis. If it is meningitis, he has a 50% chance of dying or becoming severely disabled. He has no immune system. The only immunities he is getting are from being nursed. He needs to be hooked up to an IV immediately. You (directed to my wife) need to nurse him as much as you possibly can as often as you possibly can. It may be a matter of life and death.” He spent hours at the hospital with us. My son did not have meningitis, and was released from the hospital five days later. And from them on, whenever we went to his office and he was running late, whether minutes or hours, it did not bother me. I knew he was somewhere, doing everything he could to save the life of a child.
What was the scariest knock at your door you’ve ever gotten?
I was about 9 or 10 and someone knocked on our door. I glanced out the window to see one of my friends standing there with something in his hand. I ran to the door and opened it, only to be met with the barrel of a fucking pistol that he pressed right in my face.
Obviously, I fall back, completely confused and scared. He laughed and tossed the gun to me. Turns out the gun only fired blanks, which he so gracefully decided to test out, by firing at some random people on the street. Safe to say, the police were not very happy to be called down to the block for domestic terrorism.
Trainload U.S. Tanks Seen in Estonia Moving Toward Russia Border
A trainload of United States M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tanks was seen in Estonia today, moving toward the Russia Border.
Photo above. No other details, yet.
Texas Breakfast Burritos
Ingredients
- 12 flour tortillas, warmed
- 1/2 pound bacon
- 2 tomatoes, cubed
- 1 onion, sliced
- 3 1/2 tablespoons salsa
- 6 eggs
Instructions
- Cook bacon until crisp.
- Using same pan with a little grease, cook onion.
- Crumble bacon coarsely and return to pan.
- Beat eggs; stir into pan. Cook until eggs are set.
- Fold in cubed tomatoes and salsa.
- Fill warm tortillas with egg mixture.
What is the most ignorant thing someone has said to you?
I was working for a technology company and my boss was an engineer who thought very highly of himself. One day, we were at lunch and he decided to share details about a side hustle he was working on. He explained at a high level the concept, and it was straightforward direct sales of a product that he was going to invest in. Being polite, I asked him some additional questions, but he came to a hard stop and said:
“I’d tell you, but you probably wouldn’t understand.”
Later on, I discovered his side hustle was nothing more than a kind of multi-level marketing scheme that consumed all his time, money, energy, and freedom. In that context, then, I believe he was probably correct in his assumption, and I’m glad that I was spared the additional insight.
What would it mean for China if the next Dalai Lama is born outside of China?
If the next Dalai Lama is born outside of Tibet it would upend centuries of tradition and be the beginning of the end of this version of Buddhism.
Any legitimacy of the new Dalai Lama, someone chosen by an exiled group of monks, would be in serious doubt.
There would likely form a permanent rift between the Tibetean buddhist sect outside Tibet, and those majority practioners inside Tibet.
Overtime, the sect outside Tibet in India would diminish and become extinct.
For China, this would resolve a thorn in its side and be a positive outcome.
This is the dilemma for the current imbecilic pedophile serving as the Dalai Lama. If he agrees he will be reborn in China, his entire sect in India loses all functionality going forward, and the religion moves back into centralized control under China. If he says he will be reborn outside China, his religious sect will die a slow death anyway.
What’s an immortal soul to do? Stay faithful to the religion and whom it it meant to serve, or try to be greedy and split the religion permanently with dire consequences.
A true Dalai Lama would know that his purpose is to serve the religion so that it endures, thrives and provides guidance to the Tibetean people, bit for this Dalai Lama, that has never been what its been about.
Acuweather
Submitted into Contest #288 in response to: Set your story during — or just before — a storm.… view prompt
Riley Noel
He got out of his rocking chair with a groan. His knee was stiff. Holding his mail to his chest, he hobbled inside and flipped on the weather channel.
His least favorite face came on the screen: Roland, terrible weatherman.
“What do you have for us today, fraud?”
“For those of you staying at home,” Roland started. “You’re missing one of the most beautiful days of the year.”
Ansel let out a mocking snort. Roland continued, unphased.
“With a high of seventy, and a low of sixty-five, today’s a great day to get your vitamin D in the valley.” Ansel held his knee in protest of this information. There’s no way that was true.
“And when you’re done getting that tan, come by the library where I’ll be doing a signing for my new book: Weather and Whatever. It chronicles the life of your favorite weatherman, from his varsity football days to his years on your television screen, every morning seven AM sharp. See you there.”
Ansel turned off the TV, revealing his hunched over visage in the reflection. His knee hurt. There was a storm coming and it was going to rain out Roland’s book signing, he was sure of it.
He turned to his bookshelf and scanned for Beginner’s Acupuncture, he paused at the framed photo of his football team. There was Roland at the front, always had to be at the center of the world.
Ansel’s hand landed on the book and he pulled it off the shelf. He needed to use it before he got anymore late fees. He set the book and the package Murr brought by on the counter and began to leaf through the pages.
“Knee, knee, knee…” Ansel whispered to himself. “Knee.” He’d found the section.
DO NOT USE NON-ACUPUNCTURE NEEDLES
The warning at the start of the chapter was bold and centered, not to be missed. But you must be licensed to buy the real kind of needles, Ansel thought as he ripped open his package. These were pretty standard sewing needles, as thin as he could find.
What’s the big deal? He was getting desperate for some relief.
“Yang Ling Quan,” he read aloud. “Located below and in front of the head of the shinbone.” He felt around on his knee, looking at the diagram. “That’s got to be the yingling.”
“Yin Ling Quan,” he continued. “On the outside of the lower leg, below, and in front of the head of the shinbone.” He felt around as he read until he was satisfied.
He looked out his kitchen window, the sky was still clear. Maybe his knee was just getting worse. It all started the day Roland tackled him at practice, a prank gone wrong. Or maybe a rivalry gone too far, but it had been getting worse with age. The party trick of feeling incoming storms was getting old.
Ansel felt again for the Yang Ling Quan and held his finger to it as he pulled out a needle. This was just a test, he could always get the real needle when he got serious about this. He drove the needle in above his finger.
Nothing. He felt nothing. The pain stopped. Then pain shot through his entire leg, and up through his body. His vision went white and he heard a loud bang.
Laying on the floor, he came to. There was wind howling through his kitchen. He pulled himself up and realized the kitchen window had burst open, and a giant crack was letting water in.
Ansel went into his bathroom to grab a towel. Coming back into the kitchen, he peered out the broken window and saw a smoldering hole in his back yard. That must have been the bang, he thought. Lightning struck right outside.
He couldn’t wait to see what Roland had to say about this. He turned on the weather channel. Roland was reporting live from the library, at his signing.
“We’ve never seen a storm like this in the one hundred fifty years of our town! I advise everyone to shelter in place under the storm calms down. There’s a strong possibility of tornados touching down as well…” Roland continued as Ansel smirked to himself.
He looked down to his knee and saw the needle still there. It had really worked, no pain, no aches. He pried the needle out and studied it. Who needs acupuncture needles? These work fine.
The aching began to return, quickly, and worse than before. He felt around for the Yang Ying Quan and held his finger there, driving the needle back in. His TV lit up and the room glowed white. Ansel flew backwards into his coat stand.
Lighting had struck his TV, and left a smoldering pile of junk. Laying on his back, Ansel looked to his knee, then to the TV. What were the odds? Two strikes at the same moments he jabbed himself. There’s no way that’s coincidence.
He pulled himself up by his coat rack and put on a poncho. Whatever was happening, he was going to unleash it on Roland.
What was a choice you made that completely changed your life?
I quit college and worked as a laborer at a construction site!
When I was in high school, I was a smart kid, very high marks on my ACT but just did not make good grades. Ended high school with a 2.35. My mom and close family members were surprised at my low performance….I seemed like a good kid, well liked, and smart but I did not do well at all academically.
What was going on? I could not concentrate. I was “spacey”. I would read a chapter and barely remember anything. I went to class and tried to take notes but you could tell the first five minutes were excellent and it dwindled down to some chicken scratch by the end. Several times, i literally was handed a test that I had no idea was coming. Of course, since I was all about maintaining a positive “front” I never revealed my issues with anyone. (bad idea). It was weird but as soon as the pain of those suprise test and poor grades passed…..it didn’t change my behavior. Advance planning? nope. Keeping a calendar? nope. Making flash cards and other study devices? yeah right! It was like I was incapable of staying focused for any period of time more than a few minutes. Crazy.
I graduated High School with the 2.35 just because I was smart and I guess absorbed more than I thought. However, many teachers loved me and I know now those D’s ended up being C’s and those B’s ended up being As. I was lucky.
Time for college. My mom always told all of us (I was #9 of 10 kids) “go to college and good things will happen”. Back in the 80’s and 90’s that was still true. So…I saved up some money and signed up for community college. Flunked 1 class and all C’s in the 3 others. Horrible.
Since i was on Veterans Benefits from my deceased father, I had exactly 48 months of monthly checks rolling in. I just wasted 4 months. So, I suspended those payments and took the Christmas break to try to figure it out.
Well, at the same time, my Step Dad was moving my mom and younger brother to South Alabama from our home in Southern Illinois and I was invited. 5 of us took the move. It was near the beach and was a delightful area. ( I recently moved my family back here).
My step dad said on New Years Eve (in a kind but stern way) “If you’re going to live here you’ve got to contribute. If you’re going to contribute then you need a job. Your job starting January 2nd is to find a job. I want you out of the house by 8am and don’t come back until 5pm.”
My brother (#6 of 10) and I headed to the nearest gas station that served food (that was a thing back then), got a coffee and a sausage biscuit and a newspaper and checked out the want ads in the car.
There was lots of construction at the beach so we circled a few prospects and drove the 30 minutes down there. We both landed the same job installing air conditioning duct work in high rise condominiums, duplexes, and homes. Attic work and itchy insulation from the fiberglass ductwork. I call it a laborer position. Very little skill involved.
We earned a few paychecks and moved into our own apartment. i was excited. Had I found a life hack? Maybe I don’t need to go through the pain and suffering (as I knew it at the time) of college classes. Maybe this small paycheck will blossom over time!?!
Only a couple months in, I knew I didn’t fit and it was a bad idea. I had worked on our family farm and my work ethic was very good and the owner really liked me and my brother. However, some of the guys on the crew were pretty rough. Lots of pot smoking. Lots of alcohol and amphetamines. Lots of coming in late to work because of nasty hangovers. Although I enjoyed a good party, I really didn’t get into that lifestyle. A couple of guys that were 26 (I was still 18) would run out of money on a Thursday and literally ate bread with mayo on it for lunch for two days. I gave them part of my lunch quite often or bought them vienna sausages at the gas station.
The moment of truth came about month 4 of the 12 months I worked there. I was always taught to have a bank account so after my second check I did just that. Well, I noticed 5 of the probably 12 man crew would go to a gas station to cash their checks on Friday. The gas station charged them $5 each. This was in 1984 so that was really extortion. But it is what is was.
So I told those guys…hey let me cash your checks for free and you can save that money (and have a full lunch on thursday and friday!! haha). The next friday they followed me to the bank. They each gave me their check and I had the clerk cash them one by one. Each one was placed in an envelope and I wrote their name on it. Well, as I did this I obviously saw their paycheck amount. I was a newbie so I expected everyone older to be making more. Maybe a lot more. I didn’t know as I was only 18 and this was my first real job off the farm and my Uncle’s small businesses.
What became grossly apparent is the top paycheck of these guys was from a 40 year old man (yes 40 years old and no bank account!) and he was earning maybe twice my check. What! I have to work another 20 years and only make another $200 per week? I literally had no idea. (stupid right?) That was when the light bulb turned on. I knew I have to figure something else out. But what?
So I saved up a lot of money and started talking to people. My mom and others introduced me to a banker. An accountant. A doctor. A real estate agent. Some folks in the military. etc… I wrote to colleges around the country and asked for their “catalog” (remember this you old folks?) as nothing was online. I looked at the degrees available. I dreamed about meteorology from one college. Commercial insurance from another. Accounting and marketing from another. The world was my oyster! haha
What did I do? First…I found a job that had me working in Air Conditioning!!! Working in attics is hot folks! I moved back in with my folks and signed up for a couple of classes at a community college. I found that handling two classes was easy for me. Aced both of them. Oh boy…that got my 1.8 GPA to a 1.9. Ugh. I then took three courses the next semester. Not bad. All three A’s. 2.0 GPA! better but frustrating as I worked hard on those A’s.
Cutting to the chase…I eventually earned my Accounting Degree from the University of Alabama. Crappy GPA of 2.75. In accounting that is really bad. (Unfortunately, I never did figure out how to not be so spacey and retain information so college was hell for me. In hindsight I have ADHD without hyperactivity and should have been on meds.) Well, Accounting firms won’t look at you below 3.25 so my dream job vanished away. I was offered a job at a textile mill in middle of mississippi for half the pay of my peers at the accounting firm. Needless to say I cried myself to sleep that night 🙂 Dark days.
Luckily, I was working part time as an general office worker and sometimes bookkeeper at a local division of a large company named Waste Management. The Controller there liked me as did the AP and AR clerks and ops managers. I was very “operational” and got processes and procedures and special projects very well. I could add value by running special projects all day long. I liked that. It tied in well with my ADHD…something different to do weekly. However, I really sucked at Accounting.
Luckily, they liked me so much that they hired me as an Assistant Controller. (They never found out I sucked at accounting as I excelled at special project and interfacing with operations. Many controllers are not good in that area. I think working as a laborer and on the farm made me speak the same language as the driver supervisor, etc… Waste Management asked me what they should pay me (they rarely hired new grads) and I gave them the salary of my accounting firm peers. They agreed! haha
Fast forward to now. i am 59 years old. Got out of Controllership after a few years and earned my MBA (gosh that was hard but not as hard as undergrad) and went into management consulting. I never was the smartest guy in the room but I worked hard and did fairly well. Never could make Partner though. To cope in such a high stress/performance environment….when the team went out for dinner/drinks I was in my hotel room catching up to them! I am now working for a large software company and have a great job. Still good special projects and interfacing with ops/sales/clients!
I never did fix my horrible study skills and abilities….but that decision to take that laborer job, experience hot work, low pay and no future (because of no real skills) forced me to go back to college for a job(s) that were in air conditioning(!). It was the best decision I ever made (as far as quality of life goes) for me….and I sit here enjoying my air conditioning in my home office. How nice that decision was for me. thanks for reading.
Can you describe your experience as a British person living in Australia? Do you have any regrets about leaving Britain permanently?
I was an army brat, my father was in the British army and during most of my childhood we lived wherever the army sent him. This was rarely in Britain, so by the age of 14 I had lived in Egypt, Libya, Cyprus, Malta and Germany. This gave me a world view a bit different to most brit 14 year olds. After school in UK, which I found to be extremely claustrophobic, I joined the RAF and spent the next 10 years travelling the world at the governments expense. When I left the RAF I worked in London for several years, but I found England to be crowded, wet and generally not to my liking. During this period I met and married my wife and found that she shared my view of life in England. Emigration was a no-brainer, and it came to a choice of 4 locatione. The US, which we rejected because while we like Americans as individuals, as a group they frighten the crap out of me. South Africa, which we rejected because we didn’t care for the politics, Canada, which came close, but the cold weather and the proximity to the US ruled it out and Australia. We came here in 1969 and it was like coming home. We were instantly made welcome, we found well paid jobs and we fitted into the lifestyle easily. We became citizens as quickly as we could and have not the slightest regret. I’ve been back to UK twice on brief visits and my wife a few more times, but we feel no real linkage with the UK any more. We are now Australians who once, briefly, lived in Britain.
UPDATED 10:00 AM EDT — Iran Goes on Military Alert; Says Hostilities with Israel and U.S. “Imminent”
The Islamic Republic of Iran Army and the IRGC are on high alert, with Iranian media and officials warning of an imminent confrontation with the United States and Israel.
This is a developing story — check back
UPDATE 10:00 AM EDT —
President Trump just signed an executive order: ANY attack on Qatar = a direct threat to the United States.
Remember: the largest U.S. airbase in the Middle East is in Qatar. And in the last 24 hours, dozens of American fighter jets and refueling tankers have been shifted eastward — many landing at Al-Udeid Airbase.
This isn’t routine diplomacy. This looks like the U.S. setting the legal and military stage for an Iranian strike that could come from Qatari soil.
The order states:
“The United States shall regard any armed attack on the territory, sovereignty, or critical infrastructure of the State of Qatar as a threat to the peace and security of the United States.
In the event of such an attack, the United States shall take all lawful and appropriate measures — including diplomatic, economic, and, if necessary, military — to defend the interests of the United States and of the State of Qatar.”