I used to occupy my time during my (our) van days. This was the period in time when my (first) wife and I were traveling the nation looking for work. And I would immerse myself in mental pursuits during the long waits between jobs and income.
I would draw, compose stories and poems, and work on a long game along the lines of the (then popular) Dungeons and Dragons. Trivial and silly stuff. But it occupied my mind.
Like television. But we didn’t have access to it often.
So I was kind of on auto-pilot though life.
I wasn’t paying attention to the nuances that presented themselves to me.
…
In hindsight, one of the first fellows that I met when we first arrived in California suggested that I travel to Ridgecrest, California and look for work there.
I didn’t take up on his advice. But I should have. Years later, that was exactly where I linked back up with MAJestic.
Yeah. I wrote about that guy. Lived in a penthouse, drove a expensive sports car. Had a pretty wife/girlfriend, and had a grand piano in his home. San Francisco.
Anyways…
Coincidences.
The lesson is simple.
- Opportunities presented themselves. I didn’t take up in them, and I endured hardship.
- And then they came up later… in a much more direct way, and I thrived.
Learn from my experiences.
Maybe it was a network associated though MAJestic, or maybe it was the nature of my reality upon this template. I do not know. But I have this “sneaking feeling” that many of your out there in MM land have these things present themselves to you in a similar manner.
So, maybe, I am just like you all. The same, but on a different path.
Learn. Observe. Be aware.
Review your life and learn the lessons.
Today…
MASSIVE Fraud Going on in Social Security
President Trump has revealed his new Administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has begun uncovering MASSIVE fraud in Social Security:
The database for ACTIVE Social Security Payments reportedly includes:
- 879 people whose birthdate shows them as being 200 to 209 years old;
- 866 people whose birthdate shows them to be 210 to 219 years old,
- 1,039 people whose birthdate shows them to be 220 to 229 years old,
- 2 people whose birthdate shows them to be 240 to 249 years old, AND;
- 1 person that is 360 years old.
That’s 2,787 people collecting money every month. If those people are only getting $800 a month each, that comes out to be 2,229,600 a month or Twenty-six Million, seven-hundred fifty-five thousand, two hundred dollars ($26,755,200.) a year.
Outright theft.
For years!
China Just Hit America Where It Hurts Most — Cuts Off Lifeline For U.S. Military!
Have you ever genuinely forgot to pay for your car fuel and driven off? How were you treated when you realised your mistake?
I was working at a gas station, before cell phones, and a good and regular first nations customer, accidentally drove off without paying for gas, on his way to the city on a Friday night.
I knew he wasn’t trying to rip us off, so I started up a charge account for him, and put it on his tab, His brother already had a tab. An hour later, he comes flying back into service station, and apologizes profuses. He’s in a panic, afraid I had called the police on him. It was one of the first times, I saw the added stress, that the indigenous peoples were under daily. A typical white regular customer, would have been stressed, but would have pulled over at a pay phone, and called to see how we could work it out. Instead he wanted to make sure I had the money in my hand, as soon as possible.
I told him I had started a tab for him, and he barely kept it together. He insisted on clearing up his tab, and said he didn’t want this to be the first item on his tab. I told him I was sorry that he had to drive all the way back. I think he was amazed.
Why don’t Europeans like the quality of American food?
I am not an expert on food or medicine. But I was surprised to see the bread section in American supermarkets. The bread there has a very long shelf life.
You won’t find bread in the freezer when you’re in Europe.
Bread in Dutch supermarkets is freshly baked every day and only sits on the shelves for one day. At the end of the day, all the bread is removed and donated to food banks or animal farms.
In many supermarkets, you can cut the bread to the desired thickness yourself or cut it yourself at home.
To avoid losses, bread is discounted a few hours before closing time.
And then most Dutch people still find supermarket bread of lower quality compared to real bakeries.
Bread in Dutch supermarkets is processed as dough that is placed in a proofer the day before and then baked in the oven. In a real bakery, the baker prepares and bakes all the bread and pastries himself in the morning.
Even the cakes are freshly prepared every day and only displayed for one day.
Even more popular is fresh bread at the market.
Larry C. Johnson: NATO in a state of Clinical DEATH
A very bad time.
This is a very, very bad time to be a Ukrainian. I would rather be a Haitian than a Ukrainian right now.
This population of geniuses has despised Russia, adored and blindly trusted the United States, savagely persecuted Russian minorities, flown Nazi flags, eviscerated the name of Russia from everything in the country including the Church, and shut off Russian gas to the whole of Europe.
They abandoned Ukraine’s historic and natural place as a neutral bridge nation between Russia and the West and as the anchor of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. They shattered the 800-year-old bond of brotherhood between the two countries simply because they resented being the junior partner.
Most stupidly they willingly entered a suicidal war with a much more powerful and determined enemy, counting on the certainty of unlimited US economic and military aid and NATO membership to recover 100% of the vital strategic, industrial and coastal lands they lost and become an invincibly fortified US ally.
Today Ukrainians learned that the past 3 years of romanticized bloody sacrifice have all been for nothing.
- Ukraine will not recover any of the territory it lost to Russia. This means the Crimea, the industrialized east, and most of the Black Sea coastline are lost forever.
This is what the new Ukraine will look like:
The “temporarily occupied territories” are now forever-occupied territories.
- Ukraine will not be allowed to join NATO. This was Putin’s key condition for not invading in 2022, when he put 200,000 soldiers on the border and awaited Kiev’s reply.
Ukraine said no. Today a much smaller Ukraine says OK.
This is what the new map of NATO member states will look like. It’s the same as the old map. 🤣
- Neither the US nor NATO will be involved in peacekeeping operations in Ukraine. I.e. neither the US nor NATO will give Ukraine security guarantees against Russia.
- Individual and much weaker European states can provide Ukraine with peacekeepers and security guarantees if they choose.
However, if there is another Russian invasion and these European forces come under attack, Article 5 will not be triggered and neither the US nor NATO will intervene.
What European country will risk war with Russia all on its own without US or NATO backing? None!
- The treaty to end the war is being negotiated between the United States and Russia, with the government of Ukraine apparently being totally excluded.
Ukraine will be partitioned without the consent of her people. Ukrainians are now like native tribes during the Scramble for Africa.
- Russia will rejoin the Group of Seven, making it the Group of Eight again for the first time since 2014. 🤣
- Trump is demanding $500 billion worth of Ukraine’s rare earth metals as compensation for past US aid and a condition for future US aid — like some asshole who showers you with gifts you can’t afford, then years later says you gotta pay for them.
That’s about half of all critical mineral deposits in Ukraine. The US won’t pay for it. It’ll straight up TAKE it!
Ukraine agreed immediately and has already submitted a draft proposal. It has become a beggar state, no different from some rebel warlord in the Congo handing over tons of conflict diamonds for a few shipments of rifles and combat vehicles.
This enormous natural wealth will go to the United States (the richest country in the world) and not Ukraine (the poorest country in Europe)!!!
This is despite the fact that the US only sent Ukraine $130 billion since the start of the war. This includes $20 billion that the US stole from seized Russian Central Bank reserves, so it’s really $110 billion. LOL.
With a payout of $500 billion after 3 years, this was basically a loan with a 65% annual interest rate. 🤣
All in all, this may be the heaviest price that any country ever paid for trusting the United States.
How utterly humiliating.
Zelenskyy should just make aliyah to Israel, because he might well become a target for Ukrainian ultranationalists after this.
It’s the best day of Putin’s life! Christmas, New Year’s, Valentine’s and Easter all rolled into one. 🤣
Ukraine is finished. FINISHED!!
It traded a Slavic Christian master with 800 years of shared history for an Anglo kleptocratic master with 10 years of shared history.
At least the old master had love for Ukraine, always using generosity to keep his “little brother” under his wing. He thought the more he spoiled his junior sibling, the more the sibling would always want to stay with the family.
Lenin, Stalin, and Khrushchev all expanded Ukraine’s borders, making it the biggest country in Europe today. Ukraine was the second most powerful republic in the USSR after Russia — it was so important that only after it seceded did Russians lose faith that the Union could survive.
Remind me again, how many Soviet leaders came from Ukraine? Khrushchev, Brezhnev, Chernenko, and Gorbachev?
After independence the friendship continued. In exchange for hosting the Russian Black Sea Fleet Ukraine got a 30% discount on Russian natural gas, which was a boon for Ukrainian manufacturing. Russian crude oil kept Ukrainian refineries busy. Billions of dollars came to Ukraine from charging transit fees on Russian natural gas every year. Russia was Ukraine’s biggest trading partner. Most tourists to Ukraine came from Russia. In 2013, the last year of cordial relations, Ukraine got a $15 billion Russian loan at 5% interest, which was 1/3rd to 1/2 of the market rate at the time.
This history, deep kinship and symbiosis — the new master feels none of it. He just wants to inflict maximum exploitation and maximum arrogance and disrespect! Oh man, this story is fit to be one of Aesop’s Fables.
The Philippines is bound to have nuclear weapons and therefore pose a threat to China’s territory. What are the Chinese standpoints about this? Should the Chinese back off?
Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte recently said that my grandfather was Chinese and only China will help us. If the Philippines becomes a province of China, it owns the entire South China Sea and also has the most powerful navy in the world, gaining 9.6 million square kilometers of land, the top of the world – Mount Everest, vast grasslands, the Yangtze River, the Yellow River, the sixth-generation fighter jets, the Tiangong space station, AI …… Nuclear weapons are naturally possessed as well.
Of course, this is just a joke by Duterte who is just going toe-to-toe with those who are pro-American.
The Philippines has been claiming “independence” for so many years, but in fact, it has always been a colonial mindset; it has no culture of becoming an independent and sovereign nation, and it always wants to be dependent on the powerful. Filipinos have always wanted the Philippines to be the 51st state of the United States.
If the Philippines becomes the 51st state of the United States, it also immediately possesses nuclear weapons….
But why didn’t the US accept it? 🤣🤣🤣
Whether the Philippines becomes the 51st state of the United States or the 35th province of China, it can immediately possess nuclear weapons.
But neither China nor the United States has any intention of incorporating the Philippines into their territory.
- Most of the US nuclear weapons are products of the Cold War. The annual maintenance cost of nuclear weapons is between 200 billion and 300 billion US dollars, and the average maintenance cost of each nuclear weapon is between 80 million and 160 million US dollars. Can the poor Philippines afford it?
- China’s nuclear strategy is different from that of the US military. It pursues quality rather than quantity. China has now abolished fixed nuclear missile silos. Most of China’s nuclear weapons are products produced in recent years to replace old products. The maintenance cost is also lower than that of the US military, but it still costs at least $12 billion a year.
Therefore, the Filipinos might as well think seriously:
Is it better to follow the advice of the Americans to have nuclear weapons that require expensive maintenance, or is it better to follow the advice of the Chinese not to be a pawn of the great powers and to work hard to develop the economy and build the Philippines into a rich, strong and independent nation? Which option is better for Filipinos?
Elegant Mushroom Soup
Prep: 5 min | Cook: 5 min | Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients
- 1 cup College Inn® Chicken Broth 99% Fat Free
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1/2 pound fresh mushroom slices
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoons pepper
- 1/8 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tablespoons fresh parsley minced
- Ground nutmeg
- Sour cream
Instructions
- Sauté onion and mushrooms in butter in a large saucepan for 3 minutes or until onion is tender.
- Stir in flour, pepper and salt; gradually add milk and broth.
- Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
- Add parsley and nutmeg if desired.
- Top individual servings with a dollop of sour cream.
Notice in the last few rounds of American tariff/sanction escalation on China, the nature of china’s response has shifted?
This is still the Chinese spring holidays. Yet China immediately responded to Donald’s weekend bazooka with counters of its own.
Unlike Canada and Mexico, China is going toe to toe in pursuing shock therapy on the adversary’s economy and interests.
No negotiations, no pandering, no “let’s make Donald look good”.
Remember, this is the same Chinese administration that removed mention of MIC 2025 after Donald demanded “he didn’t like it”.
As Wang Yi said, “好自为之”.
It’s a whole new ballgame, compared to Donald’s first term.
https://m.mof.gov.cn/czxw/202502/t20250204_3955222.htm
国务院关税税则委员会关于对原产于美国的部分进口商品加征关税的公告
The Customs Tariffs of the State Council’s Council Commission on the announcement of tariffs on some imported goods native to the United States
税委会公告2025年第1号
Taxation Commission Announcement No. 1025 No. 1
2025年2月1日，美国政府宣布以芬太尼等问题为由对所有中国输美商品加征10%关税。美方单边加征关税的做法严重违反世界贸易组织规则，不仅无益于解决自身问题，也对中美正常经贸合作造成破坏。
On February 1, 2025, the U.S. government announced that it would impose 10%tariffs on all Chinese goods on the grounds of Fentny and other issues. The US unilateral plus tariffs seriously violate the rules of the World Trade Organization, which is not only conducive to solving its own problems, but also causes damage to normal economic and trade cooperation between China and the United States.
根据《中华人民共和国关税法》、《中华人民共和国海关法》、《中华人民共和国对外贸易法》等法律法规和国际法基本原则，经国务院批准，自2025年2月10日起，对原产于美国的部分进口商品加征关税。有关事项如下：
According to the “Customs Law of the People’s Republic of China”, “Customs Law of the People’s Republic of China”, and the basic principles of the Foreign Trade Law of the People’s Republic of China, and the basic principles of international law, with the approval of the State Council, from February 10, 2025, the origin of the origin will be native to the origin of the origin. Part of the imports of imports in the United States are imposed on tariffs. The relevant matters are as follows:
一、对煤炭、液化天然气加征15%关税，具体商品范围见附件1。
1. A 15%tariffs are imposed on coal and liquefied natural gas.
二、对原油、农业机械、大排量汽车、皮卡加征10%关税，具体商品范围见附件2。
2. 10%tariffs on crude oil, agricultural machinery, large -displacement cars, and pickups.
三、对原产于美国的附件所列进口商品，在现行适用关税税率基础上分别加征相应关税，现行保税、减免税政策不变，此次加征的关税不予减免。
3. For imported goods listed in the attachment native to the United States, the corresponding tariffs are imposed on top of the current applicable tariff rate. The current reduction and exemption policies remain unchanged, and will not be applied on the imposed tariffs.
附件：1.加征15%关税商品清单
Attachment: 1. Add 15%tariff product list
2.加征10%关税商品清单
2. Add 10%tariff product list
国务院关税税则委员会
Customs Tariffs Commission of the State Council
2025年2月4日
February 4, 2025
中国对钨、碲、铋、钼、铟等物项实施出口管制
中国两部门公告，从即日起，对钨、碲、铋、钼、铟等物项实施出口管制。
China ’s two departments announced that from now on, export controls have been implemented on tungsten, cricket, 铋, molybdenum, and crickets.中国商务部和海关总署星期二（2月4日）在商务部官网公告，根据《中华人民共和国出口管制法》《中华人民共和国对外贸易法》《中华人民共和国海关法》《中华人民共和国两用物项出口管制条例》有关规定，为维护国家安全和利益、履行防扩散等国际义务，经中国国务院批准，决定对钨、碲、铋、钼、铟相关物项实施出口管制。
The Chinese Ministry of Commerce and the Customs General Administration announced on Tuesday (February 4) on the official website of the Ministry of Commerce. The relevant provisions of the item export control regulations “In order to safeguard international obligations such as national security and interests, and fulfill the prevention of preventing and diffusion, with the approval of the State Council of the Chinese State Council, export control was implemented on tungsten, cricket, tadpoles, molybdenum, and crickets.出口经营者出口上述物项应当依照《中华人民共和国出口管制法》《中华人民共和国两用物项出口管制条例》的相关规定向中国国务院商务主管部门申请许可。
Export operators export the above items shall apply to the Chinese State Council’s competent business department of the State Council in accordance with the relevant provisions of the “People’s Republic of China Export Control Law” and “Regulations on Export Control of the People’s Republic of China” in accordance with the “People’s Republic of China Export Control Law”.本公告自发布之日起正式实施。《中华人民共和国两用物项出口管制清单》同步予以更新。
This announcement was officially implemented from the date of issuance. The “List of Export Control List of Dual -purpose Items of the People’s Republic of China” is updated simultaneously.此前，为反制美国总统特朗普宣布对中国输美商品加征10%关税的决定在星期二生效，中国官方也宣布，以涉违反反垄断法调查美国科技巨企谷歌、对美国部分输华商品加征10%至15%关税，以及将两家涉歧视中企的美国企业列入不可靠实体清单。
Earlier, in order to counter the decision to impose a 10%tariff on Chinese transmission of goods in the United States, President Trump will take effect on Tuesday. Chinese officials have also announced that it is involved in investigating U.S. Science and Technology Giant Google in violation of antitrust law. The goods are 10% to 15% tariffs, and the two American companies involving two discriminatory Chinese companies are included in the unreliable entity list.
谷歌公司涉嫌违反反垄断法 Google is suspected of violating the antitrust law
市场监管总局依法决定立案调查 The State Administration of Market Supervision decides to investigate in accordance with the law发布时间：2025-02-04 13:02 信息来源：市场监管总局
Release time: 2025-02-04 13:02 Source: General Administration of Market Supervision因谷歌公司涉嫌违反《中华人民共和国反垄断法》，市场监管总局依法对谷歌公司开展立案调查。
Because Google is suspected of violating the “Anti -Monopoly Law of the People’s Republic of China”, the General Administration of Market Supervision conducted a case investigation on Google in accordance with the law.
商务部：将美国PVH集团、因美纳公司列入不可靠实体清单
Department of Commerce: Incorporate the US PVH Group and Inmeda Company into the unreliable entity list
2025-02-04 13:25 来源：央视新闻客户端
2025-02-04 13:25 Source: CCTV News Client
今天，商务部发布《不可靠实体清单工作机制公告》，为维护国家主权、安全和发展利益，根据《中华人民共和国对外贸易法》《中华人民共和国国家安全法》《中华人民共和国反外国制裁法》等有关法律，依据《不可靠实体清单规定》有关规定，不可靠实体清单工作机制决定将美国PVH集团、因美纳公司（Illumina, Inc.）列入不可靠实体清单。
Today, the Ministry of Commerce issued the “Announcement of the Work Mechanism of Unreliable Entity List”. “The relevant laws, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the” Unreliable Entrance Listing Regulations “, the unreliable entity list work mechanism decides to include the US PVH Group and INC. Inc ..
上述两家实体违反正常的市场交易原则，中断与中国企业的正常交易，对中国企业采取歧视性措施，严重损害中国企业合法权益。不可靠实体清单工作机制将依据相关法律法规，对上述实体采取相应措施。
The above two entities violated the normal market transaction principles, interrupted normal transactions with Chinese companies, and adopted discriminatory measures to Chinese enterprises to seriously damage the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises. The working mechanism of the unreliable entity list will take corresponding measures to the above entities in accordance with relevant laws and regulations.
（总台央视记者 高媛）
(CCTV reporter Gao Yuan)
What’s the best decision you’ve ever made, and how has it shaped your life?
I had a small business that crashed and burned during the tech crash in 2001. I was unemployed, had a wife, 3 kids, a mortgage, and a car loan. Stress was the operative word.
My middle daughter who was 11 years old said I should become a teacher. I asked her why and she said I taught ice skating when we lived in Iowa City, I teach skiing at a local hill near our house, and I helped her with her homework. My dad was a college professor and my older sister was a special ed math teacher but I had never considered it a fit for me. I told her I would try it by substitute teaching and see if I liked it.
Being somewhat extroverted, I loved the energy of the schools. I also realized I could help students become better people and give them skills needed for life since I had been in the business world for 22 years.
The next question was what to teach. I had noticed when I was hiring people for my businesses that adults were poor at writing and math. They could not write a press release or calculate a sales person’s commission. So I thought I could add value if I taught writing or math. I knew what good writing was but I had no clue for how to teach it. I had an undergraduate degree in engineering so math fit me better. I knew that Algebra was the most used math in the real world so I chose to teach that. This led me to get certified as a secondary math teacher and it turned out to be a wonderful career for me.
It was super challenging and learning good classroom management skills took time but it was worth it. I had a good relationship with my high school and then middle school students which led to better effort. I retired in 2022 and have been a substitute teacher since. It is so rewarding to see former students who are happy to see me when I sub for their class.
Nature’s Call
Submitted into Contest #210 in response to: Write a story that includes someone saying, “We’re not alone.”… view prompt
Michael Martin
She was well aware of what bandits would do to a young woman alone in the woods. Even if she’d previously had any doubts, the other bandits who found her six months prior taught her better. Luckily they’d let her live, just leaving behind a parting gift that she’d only discovered recently.
She’d spent considerable time during scavenging runs to Valdosta look for additional protection, something more than her dull knife or the baseball bat her scrawny arms could hardly swing. She’d found it in the basement of a one-story rambler, a rusted revolver with a box of rounds next to it. She’d shoved both into her backpack and taken them back to the van, but she’d never fired a gun before. She wasn’t even sure it would fire. More so than that, she couldn’t bring herself to kill; she never understood how men could do it so easily, as if it were nothing more than an afternoon stroll.
She reached under the driver’s seat and grabbed the the black grip of the revolver. She’d always known that she couldn’t fire the gun; like the baseball bat that she couldn’t swing with enough force to do anything, the gun was never meant as a weapon – only a deterrent. The bat may not have worked last time, but she hoped the threat of being shot combined with her insistence that she had nothing of value would be enough to prevent what she knew he’d want. She knew it had little chance of working, but she tried to lie to herself – in vain. The icy terror continued to creep outward from her chest, eventually reaching the pit of her stomach. The baby seemed to sense her despair and responded by kicking the left side of her bulging belly.
“We’re not alone,” she whispered with a wavering voice, her hand instinctively covered her belly. The barrel of the revolver shook wildly as she lifted it to face the direction of the approaching footsteps. If she could just bring herself to fire, if the gun would actually shoot, she could end this now. She could fire the six rounds she’d long had loaded into the chamber. The danger would pass. She knew she should, but she knew she wouldn’t. There wasn’t a single violent bone in her body.
The sound of the sliding door’s handle caused her to jump; she’d heard the steps approaching, but she expected him to say something first. Knock possibly. The handle jiggled for a moment then stopped as the lock showed that it still worked. She couldn’t hold back her sobs any longer as fear overwhelmed her. She tried to muffle them. His voice told her she didn’t silence them enough.
“Oh sweetie, there’s no need to be scared.” His voice, raspy and deep, had a strong, Southern twang to it. “Why don’t you come on out and let ol’ Uncle Walter get a good look at you?” His laugh was slow with a devious edge as he moved to the passenger door. Her heart sunk as the handle rattled, the sudden realization hitting her that she didn’t know if that door was locked. The handle creaked as he lifted it, silence lasting an eternity before the handle creaked again as he lowered it. Three more times, he lifted and dropped the handle before giving up. Locked.
She let out a deep sigh as she realized none of the doors would open for the bandit. The driver’s side door had never opened since she’d moved in: it was rusted shut. Same with the rear cargo door. Perhaps he’ll give up, she told herself. But he knew she was in there, and like a predator digging into a tunnel with trapped prey, he’d find a way in eventually.
“Come on sweetheart, let’s stop playing these silly games. Let me in so we can enjoy this fine afternoon weather together.” His voice trailed as it moved around the front of the van. He tried the driver’s door, finding it unmoving as well. “You’re really sealed up tight in there, huh?” He turned back, stopping outside the sliding door once again.
She held the revolver in front of her face, the iron sights jumping around as she struggled to keep her aim steady. She could see his silhouette through the grime on the window but knew he couldn’t see her. Just shoot, she implored herself. Why couldn’t she do it?
A loud thud sent her scuffling back, pressing her back against the opposite wall. Another followed, then another, before the final blow ended with the sound of glass shattering. She recoiled, throwing her hands in front of her face. After the last of the shards clinked on the floor, she looked up to see Walter’s leathery face, stretched thin with a big smile that displayed only half the number of teeth it should have.
“Nice to finally meet you. You gon’ invite me in or not?” His face disappeared, replaced a moment later by his hand reaching through the newly opened window. He felt around for the lock, pressing the lever. Without the lock to prevent it, the door slid open when he pulled the handle this time. His smile was laced with anticipation and confidence.
“Aww honey, don’t be scared.” He spun the rifle on its strap until it was resting on his back. “I ain’t gon’ hurt you. Well, not as long as you play nice.”
Annie raised the revolver, her hand still shaking wildly. She wanted to speak, tell him that there was nothing there for him to take and that she’d shoot if he tried anything. She could hardly breathe, though. The words never formed.
“Oh! What you got there, missy? An ol’ snubnose? That’s cute. You ever even fired one of them things before?” His tone was playful, yet sinister. She’d heard the other bandits use that same tone. There wasn’t an ounce of fear anywhere in it.
The gun dropped as the fight left her body. She knew what was coming; she could only hope he would show the same mercy as the others did. She openly sobbed, deep sobs that started in her chest and convulsed over her entire body.
As she sobbed, she felt the van shift as it took on Walter’s weight.
She heard the sound of the rifle dropping to the ground as he began removing what he had on.
She felt the sensation of helplessness.
She smelled the sickening stench of sweat and filth as he drew closer.
She tasted iron as she bit her lip.
Then, she felt another kick.
She felt the weight of responsibility, her child relying on her.
She saw the situation for what it was.
She felt cool resolution wash her fear away and steady her hand.
She saw a smile cross his face when she raised the gun again.
She heard the blast echo in the van’s interior.
Will Canadians still buy American products?
How can I gently put this…?
FUCK YOU NO!!!
My wife and I just spent an hour going through our Amazon regular deliveries, and switched everything American to Canadian. (Yes, I know, it’s still Amazon, but we live in a rural,area and save a fortune on gas and time by having the deliveries. And now all the money is going to Canadian producers.) And I just cancelled my Netflix. Crave and Gem and a couple of others will do us just fine.
We also just cancelled a trip to the Peoples Republic of Austin. Love the place, won’t be going anytime soon.
America, you declared war on us. And we will fight back. No more American stuff. No more US wine or whisky, no more US furniture, no more US ANYTHING. I used to be a big American fan. But you attacked us, and I’m not backing down. You are in decline as a world power, and I am happy to see you go.
Shorpy
What was the most expensive thing you ever got for free, because someone made a mistake and didn’t charge you?
When my father died at age 67 he had an outstanding line of credit with a bank. The balance was around $14,000. I was taking care of his affairs and I took a hard look at the statements. The loan had an accompanying life insurance policy that would pay off the loan in the event of the borrower’s death. I saw on his bank statements they were collecting around $11 per month as a premium on the policy.
But there was fine print: it would only pay out if the borrower died at age 66 or less. Dad just missed the cutoff.
Something was odd. My father had been 67 for five or six months. On the recent bank statements they were still collecting the premium, but at a reduced rate, $4 per month. It seemed like they had noticed he had aged out of eligibility, but instead of zeroing out the premium they still collected $4 per month.
I called the bank and told them it wasn’t right to collect the premium and not pay out on the policy. The bank was non-committal. A few days later we got a statement in the mail indicating the insurance had paid off the loan and the balance was zero.
Sir Whiskerton and the Case of the Blue Barn Owl
Ah, dear reader, gather ‘round for another purr-fectly delightful tale starring none other than Sir Whiskerton, the farm’s most brilliant (and modest) detective. Today’s story is one of mystery, camaraderie, and a lesson in the power of community. It involves a very blue barn owl, a pink pig with a paintbrush, and a kitten who echoes everything—but mostly her own heart. So grab your sense of humor and let’s flutter into The Case of the Blue Barn Owl .
A Gloomy Day on the Farm
It all began on an unusually gray morning. The sun was hiding behind clouds, and even the roosters seemed reluctant to crow. Sir Whiskerton, perched atop his favorite hay bale, noticed something peculiar: Sedgwick the barn owl hadn’t emerged from his perch in days.
“Odd,” Sir Whiskerton muttered, stroking his whiskers. “Even owls need sunlight occasionally.”
Echo, the tiny gray-and-white kitten with bright green eyes, sat beside him, mimicking his every move. “Odd,” she echoed softly, tilting her head just as he had.
Sir Whiskerton sighed. “Echo, while I appreciate your enthusiasm, you’re starting to sound like Ditto. Could you try being original for once?”
“I’ll try!” Echo chirped brightly… before adding, “Try!”
Ignoring her antics, Sir Whiskerton decided to investigate. He padded over to the old oak tree where Sedgwick lived, Echo trailing closely behind.
“Sedgwick!” Sir Whiskerton called up into the branches. “What’s troubling you? You’ve been cooped up longer than Rufus after eating too many glow-in-the-dark pickles.”
There was no response—just the faint rustle of feathers.
“This requires further investigation,” Sir Whiskerton declared. “And perhaps some snacks. Owls love mice, don’t they?”
“Mice!” Echo repeated excitedly, scampering off toward the barn.
The Diagnosis: A Feathered Friend in Need
After bribing Sedgwick down with a particularly plump mouse (courtesy of Ratso, who insisted it wasn’t poisoned), Sir Whiskerton finally got to the bottom of things.
“It’s hopeless,” Sedgwick hooted mournfully. “I’m useless. My wings feel heavy, my talons are dull, and my wisdom has abandoned me. What good is an owl without wisdom?”
“Oh, come now,” Sir Whiskerton said, rolling his eyes. “You’re not useless. You’re just… temporarily uninspired. Happens to the best of us. Why, just last week, Ferdinand thought he’d lost his voice forever. Turns out, he’d swallowed a harmonica.”
“But what can I do?” Sedgwick asked glumly. “I used to guide the flock at night, offer sage advice, and keep watch for predators. Now, I can barely muster the energy to blink.”
“Well,” Sir Whiskerton said thoughtfully, “perhaps you’ve forgotten that wisdom isn’t just about giving advice—it’s also about receiving it. And right now, you need help. Lucky for you, this farm has plenty of helpers.”
“Helpers!” Echo chimed in, batting at a fallen leaf.
Operation Cheer-Up Sedgwick
Sir Whiskerton wasted no time assembling the troops. Within hours, the entire farm was buzzing with plans to lift Sedgwick’s spirits.
- Porkchop’s Art Therapy: Porkchop, inspired by Lester the Tattooed Pig, decided to become an artist overnight. Armed with a paintbrush and some leftover berry juice, he painted a mural on the side of the barn featuring Sedgwick as a majestic hero. Unfortunately, it looked more like a giant purple blob with wings, but the effort counted.
“Behold!” Porkchop announced proudly. “It’s you, Sedgwick! Defeating a dragon with your mighty hoots!”
“That’s… very abstract,” Sedgwick said, blinking slowly.
- Ferdinand’s Musical Serenade: Ferdinand the duck took center stage next, determined to serenade Sedgwick with his latest composition, Ode to a Wise Old Bird . Unfortunately, Ferdinand’s rendition sounded less like music and more like a goose being strangled.
“Encore!” Echo cheered, clapping her paws enthusiastically.
- Doris and Her Hen Posse: Doris, Harriet, and Lillian organized a “Feather Spa Day,” complete with mud baths and feather preening. While Lillian fainted twice during the process, Sedgwick admitted his feathers felt softer than ever.
- Rufus’s Midnight Snack Run: Knowing food could cure almost anything, Rufus snuck into the farmer’s pantry and returned with a stash of cheese cubes and crackers. Even Sedgwick couldn’t resist the allure of midnight snacks.
- The Grand Finale: Finally, Sir Whiskerton orchestrated a surprise performance by Jazzpurr the Beatnik Cat, who recited a poem titled Owl Be There For You . Accompanied by bongo drums and a kazoo solo from Bingo the dog, the performance left everyone laughing—and Sedgwick smiling for the first time in days.
A Helping Hand Makes All the Difference
By the end of the day, Sedgwick’s mood had transformed completely. Surrounded by friends, laughter, and absurdly bad art, he realized he wasn’t alone.
“You know,” Sedgwick said, his golden eyes twinkling again, “maybe I don’t have all the answers. But maybe I don’t need to. Maybe it’s enough to simply be here—with all of you.”
“Exactly!” Sir Whiskerton exclaimed, flicking his tail. “Community isn’t about solving problems alone; it’s about leaning on each other when life gets tough. Or, in your case, when life feels like a soggy worm.”
“Soggy worm!” Echo giggled, earning a playful swat from Sir Whiskerton.
The Moral of the Story
As the sun set over the farm, casting warm golden light across the fields, Sir Whiskerton reflected on the day’s events.
“The moral of the story, dear reader, is simple yet profound: we are stronger together than we are apart. Whether it’s cheering up a friend, sharing a laugh, or painting a terrible mural, the bonds we create make life brighter—even on the cloudiest days.”
With that, Sir Whiskerton settled onto his favorite sunbeam, Echo curled up beside him, purring contentedly. The farm was peaceful once more, its inhabitants reminded of the joy found in connection and kindness.
Until next time, my friends.
The End.
We Don’t Negotiate With Criminals: RUSSIA Banned UK and Europe From Participating In Negotiations
What is the biggest culture shock you have ever faced?
Once, I got off at a train station in a town called Bigotshire. The moment I stepped onto the platform, everyone froze, jaws dropping like I’d just landed from Mars. The silence was deafening—you could hear a pin drop. Safe to say, the culture shock was mutual 😂
Ain’t Childhood Grand
Submitted into Contest #210 in response to: Write a story that includes someone saying, “We’re not alone.”… view prompt
Catherine Stevens
By CJStevens
We have many enemies tonight, the wind is one of them. It grabs at our clothes and rips away thin strands of hair. It uses the sand, twigs and tiny pebbles as projectiles to hamper our escape. I think if we could only get back to camp, we’d be safe. The mobile lab is there and the bob truck. If I can get to either of them, I can radio for help. I must keep my brothers safe. I don’t know if my parents are still alive, we haven’t seen or heard from them in four days. Not since they went to explore the Caverna de Gargolas.
……………………………………………………………………………………………..
My parents are archeologists and we, my two brothers and I, go with them on every dig. About 4 months ago, my parents heard of a mysterious city deep inside a remote cavern. Through extensive research they found out that Cooper Canyon in Chihuahua Mexico, was the mostly likely site of the city. It was a very isolated and desolate place. Few people ever venture there, because it is mostly inaccessible. However, the ones who managed to penetrate the canyon and return, say it is a godforsaken place. There are many rumors and legends about the city, but my parents won’t allow us to hear of them.
We arrived at the basecamp a week ago but already my parents are moving us to a new site, closer to the cavern. So, we packed our gear and loaded it into the bob truck, they also brought along the mobile lab and several members of their archeological team, half the members stayed at the main camp and the others went with us.
After a 2 hour drive, we arrived at the new site and it took another hour to take all the gear and supplies down into the gorge and up to the mouth of the cavern. By the time we set up all the tents and equipment, it was midday. After lunch my parents informed everyone; they were going down into the pit. They had found it on their previous excursion. The pit was about 250 feet into the cavern and they had determined it was about 100 feet down. They believed that another cavern was at the bottom and wanted to explore it right away. So, with climbing gear in hand and two of their assistants they left us in the capable hands of our nanny, Lupe’.
We had expected our parents to return before dark, but they hadn’t. Lupe’ assured us that our parents would return in the morning, but I was still worried.
During the night I heard a commotion, thinking it was my parents I unzipped the door of our tent. I couldn’t wrap my head around what I saw, there were several creatures moving through the camp, they were knocking over tables and ripping apart the tents. I heard a cry and saw one of the things with Lupe’, it had thrown her over its shoulder and was carrying her away. Several of our team lay on the ground, I could only assumed that they were dead.
I knew it was only a matter of seconds before they got to our tent, so I quietly crept to my sleeping brothers. Tommy woke easily and I put my finger to his lips before he could speak and motioned to the noise outside.
“We are not alone!” I whispered urgently.
Then I went to Jimmy, he was the youngest and a heavy sleeper. I shook him several times, as the noise outside was getting louder and closer. Finally, he woke and I covered his mouth to keep him from crying out. I pointed at their shoes and went to the back of the tent. Once they were ready, I slit the back wall of the tent with my trusted Swiss army knife and we fled into the desert, under the cover of darkness.
We searched for the ladder, that would take us out of the gorge. The ladder went up some 20 feet to a rope bridge from there we could cross to the trail that would take us to the plateau, where the temporary camp and other members of our parents’ team where at.
We heard crashing behind us; the creatures must have realized we were missing. I caught a shiny glimpse out of the corner of my eye, it was the ladder! I hurriedly pushed my brothers up the ladder. A loud shriek boomed in the night, it was like nothing I had ever heard before. Jimmy froze, trembling afraid to keep climbing. I urgently tried to coax him up, but he wouldn’t budge, until he actually saw the creatures rushing to the ladder.
“Go, Go!” I screamed, no longer trying to be quiet. What was the point they had found us.
“Gargoyles! Those are Gargoyles!” Tommy screamed from the bridge.
The creatures reached the bottom of the ladder just as we got to the bridge. I pushed Jimmy up to Tommy and climbed up. The creatures had already started climbing by the time I took out my knife and started cutting the ropes that held the ladder up. The creatures were coming fast, I sawed furiously.
“Hurry Cathy, Hurry!” Tommy cried, the creatures were now halfway up and the bridge we were on was starting to sway from the weight.
“It’s not sharp enough!” I cried.
Suddenly the rope snapped, the bridge bounced dangerously, and I was thrown against the side, I grabbed Tommy to keep him from going over. Jimmy was laying on his belly holding on for dear life.
We watched as the ladder’s other rope gave way and all the creatures fell back into the gorge. It didn’t kill them, it only made them madder. They shrieked and jumped trying to reach us. We weren’t high enough for my comfort, so we made it across the bridge to the trail. I looked back to see if they were following but they were still in the gorge, obviously the walls of the gorge were to steep for them to climb and with the ladder broken now, I prayed they would be stuck in the gorge.
“What did you call them Tommy?” I asked as we walked along the trail.
“Gargoyles, I saw a picture of them in Dad’s journal. That’s what they were looking for, their city, the City of Gargoyles.
I thought about the creatures we had seen, their skin had looked like granite, gray and course. They had horns and spiky protrusions along their backs, their teeth were enormous hanging over their chins. And even though I’d seen stunted wings on their backs, they obviously couldn’t fly.
“Come on, we need to get to the lab and help, remember we aren’t alone in this.”
Tommy leads the way down the trail, we can still hear shrieking, it’s an unearthly sound and it sends shivers down our spines.
The trail to the top of the plateau is steep and treacherous. The wind is ferociously whipping at us. Thankfully, the moon is full and remarkably bright tonight. But the trail is still scary. I hold Jimmy by the arm as he struggles up.
At last, we’ve reached the plateau, but I can hear things being destroyed and people screaming. How did the Gargoyles beat us here? We hide behind a mesquite tree and watch as the creatures tip over the mobile lab.
“What are we going to do Cathy?” Tommy whispers.
I scan the surroundings, not knowing what to do until I see the Bob truck. It’s the vehicle my parents use to pull the lab around. It was sitting about 30 yards from the creatures, but only about 20 feet from us.
“We are going to get to the Bob truck.” I tell my brothers.
“But it’s kept locked Cathy!” Tommy told me.
“I know but the key is kept under the fender, and they’re far enough away and if we are quiet, we should be able to get to the truck, get the key and get inside before they see us.”
“But Cathy, they flipped over the lab.” Jimmy cried.
“The lab is a lot lighter than the truck, on the count of three, we run as fast and quietly as possible. Tommy you’re the fastest so you get the key and open the truck. We’ll be right behind you.” Tommy nods and I take Jimmys hand. 1, 2, 3……
We all take off running, almost instantly we hear the horrible shrieking again, the creatures all stop what they are doing and turn toward us. I slow a little as I see one of the creatures in the air. I thought they couldn’t fly! Why is this one flying, my mind cries out. This creature is larger than the others and has a wingspan that is probably 15 feet across and it’s flying right at us.
Jimmy squeezes my hand in terror, as we pick up speed. Tommy already has the door open, when we get there mere seconds before the creature lands in the bed of the truck. Another lands in front of the truck. They are enormous, their wings blot out all of the surroundings. They slam their fists onto the gas tank, that sits in the bed. They rip it from its fastening and hurl it out into the desert.
Screaming, I drag my brothers to the floorboard and watch as one of the creatures starts peeling the roof off. Saliva drips down on us. I know we are doomed. I hug my brothers close, telling them how much I love them as I wait for death…..
“Kids! It’s time for lunch.” We jump up from the floorboard of the truck at the sound of Grandpa’s voice.
“Ahhhhhhhh,” we all 3 scream in fright, when the dogs leap onto the roof of the truck in a barking frenzy.
“You blasted dogs! Get off that truck right now!” Grandpa yells, as we climb out of the truck.
The dogs bounce happily around us, barking and grabbing at our clothes. They are not yet ready to end our game. Laughing I pet their heads, these dogs are the best gargoyles ever….
When will S Korea stop making a fool of itself in UN, as far as Chinese-Korean culture is concerned?
UN Postal Admin has issued a postal stamp with a Chinese character Snake (蛇) in it because it is the Year of Snake according to Chinese culture. UNPA also calls it CHINESE Lunar New Year.
SKorea then complained saying many Asian countries eg SK & Vietnam celebrate their (new year) festival on the same day. It should be called Lunar New Year without the word Chinese.
1, Where did SK new year festival originate from? China. 2000 years ago. Set up by Han emperor.
Like the language “English” which originated from England. All countries that use English as an official language eg USA, Australia, Canada, India etc still call it English. Why SK feels so insecure about its heritage?
2, UNPA is indeed celebrating CHINESE New Year. Not SK new year. Not Vietnamese new year.
3, There are many lunar calendars in the world. UN is indeed celebrating the CHINESE lunar calendar called Huang calendar (黄历). Not other nations’.
SK wants to feel “great” about itself. It thinks by changing history, it can become “great”. But SK has “forgotten” it has no muscle.
Among the countries in northeast Asia, SK is the weakest. Even NK surpasses SK militarily. Without independent military power, you are nobody. In case of war, you cant even command your own troops without US approval. You cant even decide if you want to go into war. That is how “great” you are, SK.
1, SK calls its cultural fashion 韩服. Literal translation is SK’s fashion as if it was created by SK. NK corrected SK. It is not SK fashion but Korean fashion (朝鲜服) because the nation/culture is called Korea (朝鲜) & not SK (韩). 朝鲜 still exists today. There was no nation called 韩 in history. NK is called 北朝鲜 & not 北韩.
2, In 2005, SK claimed Dragon Boat Festival (端午节) is theirs. In 2009, China submitted written historical records to claim it is Chinese. SK’s claim is oral/air; China’s is written with solid evidence. China taught foreigners that the dumpling is called 粽子 (pronounced zongzi) & how to make it.
After Dragon Boat, China continued to claim back Chinese New Year as mentioned in other post. There is no Asian New Year because Asia is not a nation. But there is a nation called Chinese.
SK also claimed Confucius (孔子 ) is theirs. Again SK cannot provide any written historical traces.
Even the 5 symbols (yin-yang (阴阳) & 4 of the 8 Trigrams (八卦）) on SK’s national flag are Chinese. SK’s ancient myths are Chinese too. SK can de-Chinese by designing a new flag. But SK history still will record why SK changes the flag.
The sentence structure of Korean language is Chinese. They simplified Chinese written language.
The doggie died
This morning around 7:30, a woman walked into Home Depot, completely in tears. One of my co-workers brought her over to where a few of us were chatting.
The woman shared that she was searching for a crate or box. We were a bit confused and asked her why. She told us that her thirteen-year-old golden lab had been suffering all weekend, and she and her husband finally decided to take their pup in to be put down.
She mentioned that the dog was like a son to them and even served as the best man at their wedding.
The Lumber supervisor chimed in, saying that while we didn’t have anything suitable for a burial, she would be happy to donate the materials and labor to build a casket for the dog. The woman immediately broke down again, filled with gratitude.
Three of us started brainstorming ideas for a crate that would be fitting for a puppy burial. About two hours later, with help from a few others and approval from our store managers, we had a complete puppy casket ready.
We all realized this wasn’t about the cost of materials or the time we spent. It was simply about doing the right thing and helping someone through a really tough time.
Seeing the tears of closure on the woman’s face when we showed her the puppy casket made it all worthwhile and then some.
List of cartels and gangs to be designated “Foreign Terrorist Organizations”
Last week, half a dozen drug cartels were formally named in a list sent to Congress of groups the Trump Administration plans to designate as “foreign terrorist organizations.”
The list includes the international Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua – Spanish for “Train from Aragua” – that has ties to the socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro and has been terrorizing U.S. cities in recent months.
Other groups included in the list are the Salvadoran gang Mara Salvatrucha – also known as MS-13 – as well as several Mexican cartels, including the Sinaloa, Jalisco, Zetas, the Gulf Cartels, Cartel Unidos and “La Nueva Familia Michoacana.”
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office to direct the State Department and other executive agencies to move to designate cartels and other criminal groups as foreign terrorist organizations.
The order specifically mentioned Tren de Aragua – which is also known as “TdA” – as well MS-13 as groups needing to be designated as terror organizations. It gave Secretary of State Marco Rubio 14 days to make policy recommendations – in consultation with the secretaries of the Treasury and Homeland Security as well as the U.S. attorney general and director of national intelligence – to make a recommendation regarding the designation of criminal groups to be designated as terrorist organizations.
A foreign terrorist designation expands the government’s ability to crack down on criminal groups operating in the U.S., allowing all government agencies, including the Department of the Treasury, to target that group from every angle.
The order states that these groups “present an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States,” and invokes the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEP) to declare a national emergency to “deal with those threats.”
“It is the policy of the United States to ensure the total elimination of these organizations’ presence in the United States and their ability to threaten the territory, safety, and security of the United States through their extraterritorial command-and-control structures, thereby protecting the American people and the territorial integrity of the United States,” reads the order.
Designating these groups as foreign terrorist organizations places them “at the highest level” of U.S. national security interest, meaning their funding and any organizations enabling them can be targeted as well.
Trump just put all of them on notice: “We know you’re here; we know you’re up to no good, and we’re going to come after you.’
Where Trump’s Punishment Of Europe Should Lead To
On February 28 2022, five days after the operation to disarm Ukraine had started, I offered a prediction where it might lead to:
The U.S. and its proxies in the EU and elsewhere have put up very harsh sanctions on Russia to damage its economy.The final intent of this economic war is regime change in Russia.
The likely consequence will be regime change in many other countries.
…
All energy consumption in the U.S. and EU will now come at a premium price. This will push the EU and the U.S. into a recession. As Russia will increase the prices for exports of goods in which it has market power – gas, oil, wheat, potassium, titanium, aluminum, palladium, neon etc – the rise in inflation all around the world will become significant.
…
The shunning of economic relations with Russia and China means that Germany and its newbie chancellor Olaf Scholz have fallen for the U.S. scheme of creating a new Cold War. Germany’s economy will now become one of its victims.On February 4 Russia and China declared a multipolar world in which they are two partnering poles that will counter the American one. Russia’s move into the Ukraine is a demonstration of that.
…
The Europeans should have acknowledged that instead of helping the U.S. to keep up its self-image of a unipolar power.It will take some time for the new economic realities to settle in. They will likely change the current view of Europe’s real strategic interests.
Trump’s re-election was the most important regime change caused by the war in Ukraine. On Sunday there will be elections in Germany. Following three years of a shrinking German economy they will lead to another regime change. Many are still to follow.
What I could not predict at that time was that Trump’s punishment of Europe would become an accelerator of the process.
Mark Ames @MarkAmesExiled – 15:30 UTC · Feb 18, 2025The entire US/European media & political establishment are telling themselves (and us, repeatedly) that Trump “is being played by Putin” re: Ukraine. Because they cannot let themselves contemplate the other possibility: that Team Trump is deliberately punishing Ukraine & Europe.
I am not sure who is still claiming that Trump is ‘being played by Putin’. Hasn’t that play finished? But I am sure about the ‘deliberately punishing’ part.
Why would Trump want to punish Ukraine and Europe? Because they helped the Democrats and the Deep State to sabotage his first presidency.
Scott Ritter’s wide ranging piece on the Munich Security Conference does well in explaining this:
[Trump’s] victory in the 2016 presidential election sent a shockwave through the establishment, which spent the next four years undermining the Trump Revolution from within and without.And the next four years, under the auspices of its poster child, Joe Biden, the establishment used every tool in the establishment bag of dirty tricks, (including politically motivated prosecutions on multiple fronts and, possibly, assassination), to prevent a Trump resurrection.
…
In Munich we see the classic adaptation of the OODA-loop by Trump to destroy his NATO and EU enemies.Now, at this juncture, some might ask, “Wait a minute. How did NATO and the EU become the enemy of Donald Trump?”
The answer is quite clear — because they are an extension of the very establishment elites Trump has declared war on in America today.
These are the European elites who conspired against Trump during his first term, who pined for former President Barack Obama while delaying enacting Trump-mandated reforms in the hope that the American electoral cycle would purge Trump from the American political stage.
These are the people and institutions that doubled down on American warmongering, allowing themselves to sucked into a Ukraine trap that was designed to destroy Russia for America’s exclusive benefit, destroying Europe in the process.
The Europeans, ever the compliant minions, were too blinded by their willingness to serve to see that they were as much the sacrificial lambs as was Ukraine.
And, when it looked as if Trump was going to emerge victorious, it was the Europeans — in NATO and the EU — who conspired with the Biden administration to “Trump proof” policies in hopes that they could, once again, simply ride out four years of Trumpism while the U.S. establishment contained and undermined Trump from within.
But Trump had learned his lesson.
The revolution began on Day One by destroying the [U.S.] establishment Europe was counting on to contain Trump.
…
And then Trump turned his attention to Europe.Keep in mind that in the world of Donald Trump, the Europeans — especially their twin institutions, NATO and the EU — are not allies, but enemies.
Here is what Patrick Armstrong (Welcome back, Pat!) is chipping in:
What have we learned? Well, something that Moscow learned a long time ago: Washington is not reliable (the complicated Russia word is недоговороспособны which essentially means that you can’t make an agreement with it and even if you do, it won’t keep it). In a word, Washington caused the Ukraine disaster and, now that it’s gone irredeemably bad, is walking away from it and leaving it to Europe.
…
In the simplest, bluntest and most brutal terms the fact that has just hit it in the face is that USA is over there and Russia is here. The USA can make a mess anywhere and walk away at any time; remember Vietnam? Afghanistan? Well now it’s you.So Europe, there’re four things you’d better do immediately: 1) figure out what your real interests are; 2) get yourself into a position to defend them; 3) make your peace with Moscow. (A European master of realpolitik told you years ago “The secret of politics? Make a good treaty with Russia“.) And fourth, read and meditate on the joint Russia-Chinese statement of three years ago. Why? Because that’s the future.
The joint Russia-Chinese statement Patrick mentions is the same one I had pointed to three years ago.
Seeing Europe’s dilemma China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi is keeping that door open. In his MSC statement he offered to help:
With a five-percent GDP growth last year, China contributed to nearly 30 percent of the world economic growth. It has served as an important engine for global economic growth, and shared with the world the benefit of its supersized market. China is willing to synergize high-quality Belt and Road cooperation with the European Union’s Global Gateway strategy, so as to empower each other and empower the entire world.Friends,
China has always seen in Europe an important pole in the multipolar world. The two sides are partners, not rivals. This year marks the 50th anniversary of China-EU diplomatic relations. Taking this opportunity, China is willing to work with the European side to deepen strategic communication and mutually beneficial cooperation, and steer the world to a bright future of peace, security, prosperity and progress.
As Trump will continue his war against Europe’s bureaucracy it may only take a few months until we will see regime change in Brussels.
It could be the start of the long delayed move of Europe towards China.
Posted by b on February 18, 2025 at 17:28 UTC | Permalink
Fried Green Tomato Soup with Cornbread Croutons
This soup is also delicious served chilled. Prepare soup as directed. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight. Serve with Cornbread Croutons.
Prep: 10 min | Cook: 1 hr 30 min | Yield: 4; serving size: 3/4 cup
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped (1 cup)
- 2 large green tomatoes, coarsely chopped (3 cups)
- 3 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon McCormick Gourmet™ Thyme
- Pinch McCormick Gourmet™ Black Pepper, Coarse Ground
- 1 piece cornbread, about 3 inch square
Instructions
- Heat oil in a 2 quart saucepan on medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir for 10 minutes or until softened.
- Add tomatoes; cook over medium low heat for 25 minutes or until tomatoes are softened, stirring occasionally.
- Add water; simmer for 30 minutes or until tomatoes are tender.
- With center part of cover removed to let steam escape, puree soup in batches in blender on high speed until smooth.
- Strain and return soup to saucepan.
- Add salt, thyme and pepper; simmer for 20 minutes or until slightly thickened.
- Meanwhile, for the Cornbread Croutons, heat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cut prepared cornbread into 12 (3/4 inch) cubes. Place on baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until toasted.
- To serve, ladle soup into bowls and top each with 3 croutons.
Nutrition
Per serving: Calories: 184 Cholesterol: 7mg Sodium: 715mg Protein: 3g Total Fat: 12g Fiber: 2g Carbohydrate: 16g
Attribution
Recipe used with permission from: McCormick 
This recipe, developed by Cynthia Wilson, was the winning entry in the No Reservations McCormick Gourmet™ recipe contest.