Jumped and shamed all because of the secretive nature of female beauty
When I was a boy growing up, I used to sneak peeks at the stash of Playboy magazines that my father kept in “his” basement bathroom.
My parents maintained a more-or-less traditional household with the father working and the mother being a stay-at-home mom. And part of this lifestyle was the separation of bathrooms.
My father has a small bathroom in the basement, while my mother maintained a larger, more ornate bathroom next to the parental bedroom.
In my father’s basement was a stack of magazines. And buried in the bottom of them were a collection of Playboy and other “girlie” magazines that men would read. He also had magazines about “Men’s adventure” and such topics. And, well, being a boy I of course discovered the stash and would look though them.
They would always give me a rise in my groin, but I really didn’t know what to do past that. As this was still before I discovered the natural release of masturbation. So I would just sneak a peek at the forbidden magazines that my father favored, and my mother deplored.
One day, when I was around ten years old, I got out of the bathroom and opened the door where my sister jumped me; like some kind of fierce tiger, and startled the living fuck out of me.
She screamed at me at the top… the TOP of her lungs. All set at decibel level 1000.
She screamed “Got ya!” and repeated over and over “You are in so much trouble now!”.
Startled and in shock, not to mention viewing the “dirty” magazines, I was horrified and ashamed, and in shock.
So I stayed in the bathroom.
Shaking.
And I stayed there not moving for hours. Maybe three or four hours in total.
And eventually my mother came down. She opened the basement door and made her way down the stairs to the basement bathroom.
She told me to come out. No one is going to beat me, and to get ready for dinner. And that was that.
No bitch-out session.
It was as if nothing happened. But to me, I must have been as pale as a ghost.
Dad ignored everything.
So we set down to eat. Not a word about the terrifying events passed anyones lips.
When my sister tried to say anything, my father SHUT HER UP, and told her to leave the table. Where she promptly stomped off making loud pounding noises as she assaulted the stars to her bedroom.
I didn’t know it then, but I know it now…
Forcefully violating someones privacy; insulting them, shaming them, and generally attempting to lay this “deep sin” on my shoulders was absolutely not acceptable.
It could, if handled wrongly, damage me for life.
Shame. Ridicule.
Betrayal.
All in all, I think that my parents handled this properly.
Months later my dad had a chat with me.
Not about the incident, but telling me that one should never be ashamed of being interested in girls.
And a natural curiosity in the female body is fine, healthy and normal. He told me never to be ashamed of being a normal boy.
After that, he used that to discuss the “birds and bees” with me.
Oh, sure as shit, my sister continued to be a little tyrannical bitch, but that incident was closed, and NEVER reopened again.
This one was handled properly by my parents. They weren’t complete fuck-up’s you know. They did things RIGHT from time to time.
Today…
What are the darkest secrets of elite US universities?
Originally Answered: What are the darkest secrets of elite US universities such as Harvard, Yale, Princeton, or Stanford?To me, the secret about elite universities — or at least the fact that they prefer not to publicize overtly — is that the admissions game is far from fair, which most people would define as based on merit. The truth is that when it comes to admissions, the Ivies, Stanford, and other top schools have their own agendas. Which means that the actual number of spaces available for students without a “hook” is much smaller than one might think.
One agenda is to favor legacies. Harvard has been known to have the children of alums take up one-third of the class. Other schools do the same, at somewhat lower rates. Among my college essay students, I see admissions for legacies as much more likely than for others. If nothing else, the tie often goes to the legacy.
Athletes also get a big edge. This is not limited to Stanford, home of many Olympic medalists. Even at the Ivies, where the level of play in most sports is well below Olympic caliber, a big chunk of admitted students are recruited athletes, who sometimes get a bit of a break on grades and test scores. About half of students at Williams are athletes.
Money matters. Yes, you can buy your way into a top college. It is now known that the parents of Jared Kushner knew that he was not Harvard material and spent millions greasing the wheels. In my own experience, I have seen a student with really weak academics get into a school where the family’s name was on a building.
Race also matters. Students who are historically underrepresented minorities get an edge, even if the family is rich. It is documented that Asian students need higher grades and scores to get into many top schools. Harvard is being sued for this practice.
Universities are more willing to publicize their efforts to broaden opportunity by giving preference to student who will be the first in their family to go to college. “60 Minutes” recently did a segment about Princeton’s efforts to increase socioeconomic diversity. I applaud plans like this. But I also know that this means a lot of places will be earmarked for certain types of students.
Imagine a game of musical chairs with ten chairs. The game begins with legacies seated in two chairs. Recruited athletes are in two other chairs. Two more may already be filled by students who are underrepresented minorities or first to attend college. One more will be an international student. How many spots are left if you do not fit into one of those categories? Three? And half of those go to men and half to women?
The above scenario is inexact. But the point is clear. For a student without a hook, the window to squeeze through to get into an elite university is much smaller than the universities would have you believe.
MM’s AI work from today part 1
I’ve been experimenting with Baroque figurative imagery.
Comfortably Numb – Pink Floyd – The Wall – 4K Remastered
While the United States has repeatedly exaggerated the “Chinese military threat” and wants to continue to increase its budget and join forces with its allies to manufacture and transfer weapons and expand military production, China’s unexpected decision suddenly made the US and European militaries feel real pressure.
According to the Global Times, the Ministry of Commerce and the General Administration of Customs of China recently issued an announcement, announcing that from September 15, export controls will be imposed on antimony and superhard materials related items. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce said that China’s policy is not aimed at any specific country or region, but is based on international practices to better safeguard national security and fulfill international obligations such as non-proliferation. The important role of antimony in military production and China’s dominant position in antimony mining and supply have determined that this move will have an impact on many countries, and the United States will be the first to bear the brunt.
(Antimony Ore)
Foreign media analysis said that antimony, as a strategic metal, is not only used in the production of batteries and photovoltaic equipment, but also an important raw material for many military equipment, such as ammunition, infrared-guided missiles, nuclear weapons, and night vision goggles. China is the world’s largest antimony producer, mining about 40,000 tons last year, accounting for nearly half of the global total. The United States is the world’s largest buyer of antimony ore. Relevant statistics show that 63% of the antimony ore and its oxides imported by the United States from 2019 to 2022 came from China. From this perspective, China’s export controls on antimony are actually a “reverse stranglehold” on the United States, which is likely to cause difficulties for the United States’ weapons manufacturing.
However, it is not the first time that China has strangled the United States in the export of key minerals. Last year, China announced export controls on two rare metals, germanium and gallium, which prompted the United States to discuss countermeasures with allies such as the European Union, Japan, and South Korea as soon as possible.
(The raw materials of the US AIM-9X infrared-guided air-to-air missile include antimony)
In addition, in recent years, the United States has been trying to get rid of its dependence on China in the supply of key minerals, including cooperating with Australia, Mongolia and other countries to develop mineral resources, but both mining and processing technology and related patents are firmly in the hands of China. As a result, the US has to admit that it is still unable and unwilling to exclude China from the US “key mineral supply chain”.
However, not to mention that China’s export restrictions are not aimed at any specific country, even if the policies specifically targeted at the United States are just a way to treat the person in his own way, because it is the United States that is accustomed to building “campus walls”.
From Trump to Biden, the United States can be said to have tried every means to suppress China in the high-tech field, including but not limited to putting Chinese companies on the “blacklist”. Huawei, DJI and other companies have not escaped, and allies have implemented various export controls on China. At the time when China’s export controls on antimony were in place, the Biden administration was still planning to implement new restrictions on technology exports to China.
However, unlike the United States, the suppression by the United States cannot fundamentally prevent our rise. Instead, it has prompted China’s high-tech enterprises to make great progress and development through self-reliance and independent innovation. Take the most critical semiconductor industry as an example. At present, domestic chips have made breakthrough progress and are gradually replacing the market of foreign chips.
As emphasized by the Ministry of Commerce, China opposes any country or region using controlled items from China to engage in activities that undermine China’s national sovereignty, security and development interests. Since the United States uses key minerals provided by China to build weapons against China, there is no need for China to be polite. It is more appropriate to let the United States taste the taste of being “choked”.
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Be the Rufus
Have you ever seen an employer fire someone without realizing what a crucial role the employee played?
Me. My position was eliminated, and while I gathered my things in the presence of the new office manager, I told her that she’d need to contract a snow removal company to clean and salt the walks, early morning, every time it snowed. Because I was the one who did that.
She looked shocked and dismayed and she said that she didn’t realize that.
A large portion of the client base was children and elderly people and it was not just a matter of courtesy, but an insurance liability. I also cleaned the public sidewalks around the building because even though the city would do it, it might take days before it was done.
Unfortunately for her, contracting a company is the sort of thing that has to be negotiated and booked well in advance, and winter was upon us. The cost for service would be greater than my salary was.
The other employees only worked when they had clients booked, and they were generally small women with medical degrees, and they could not be hot, sweaty and potentially smelly from physical exertion anyway.
And the three dentists sure weren’t going to do it.
*Back to the Future* is sooo FREAKIN’ GOOD!!!
Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) often evokes images of self-absorbed egomaniacs who crave admiration and wield manipulation like a weapon. But beneath the polished veneer of grandiose self-image lies a hidden truth: narcissism is a learned response to deep-seated wounds inflicted in childhood. It’s a desperate dance for love and attention, born from a warped perception of neglect and unworthiness.
From Crib to Con: The Twisted Path of Narcissism
The seeds of narcissism are often sown in the fertile ground of early childhood experiences. Imagine a young child, yearning for the warmth of parental love, only to encounter a void of emotional connection. Perhaps their needs were consistently unmet, their cries left unanswered, or their achievements ignored. This perceived neglect breeds a gnawing sense of unworthiness and insecurity.
To cope with this emotional turmoil, the child instinctively adopts survival tactics. They learn that loud tantrums, exaggerated displays of distress, and even manipulative ploys garner attention, albeit negative. This “infantile fakery,” as you aptly call it, becomes a twisted currency, securing the fleeting validation that soothes their raw vulnerability.
Over time, these behaviors morph into a sophisticated arsenal of manipulation. The narcissist learns to charm their way through life, cutting corners, deflecting blame, and leveraging the sympathy of unsuspecting others. It’s a desperate attempt to fill the void within, a never-ending quest for external validation to compensate for the internal chasm of perceived inadequacy.
The Vicious Cycle: Escalation and Escape
This relentless pursuit of self-gratification comes at a hefty cost. Relationships become transactional, mere stepping stones on the path to narcissistic aggrandizement. As their true nature is revealed, the inevitable happens: disillusionment sets in. People tire of the grandiosity, the constant blame game, and the emotional manipulation.
Faced with this potential rejection, the narcissist resorts to their default coping mechanism: escape. They may abruptly discard relationships, change jobs, or move cities, leaving behind a trail of emotional casualties. But amidst this flurry of movement, there’s no introspection, no genuine growth. The core issue of self-worth remains unaddressed, festering like an untreated wound.
The Impossibility of Perfection: Why Narcissists Can’t Learn
At the heart of narcissism lies an unshakeable belief in one’s own perfection. Any suggestion of imperfection, any hint of a mistake, shatters their carefully constructed facade. This crippling fear of vulnerability makes genuine learning virtually impossible. Why invest in self-improvement when you believe you’re already beyond reproach?
Instead, the narcissist resorts to intellectual shortcuts, relying on charm and bluster to mask their lack of knowledge. They avoid honest self-reflection, deflecting blame and responsibility like Teflon repels water. It’s a vicious cycle, perpetuating their inflated sense of self while simultaneously hindering their ability to grow and evolve.
The Toll of Denial: Broken Promises and Shattered Lives
The ramifications of this arrested development are far-reaching. The narcissist’s inability to learn and adapt translates into a string of failures: broken relationships, lost jobs, and a trail of emotional wreckage. Their charisma may initially draw people in, but their manipulative tactics and emotional detachment eventually wear thin.
As the masks slip and the truth emerges, those closest to the narcissist bear the brunt of the pain. Family members become collateral damage, spouses are emotionally abused, and friends are left bewildered and hurt. The narcissist, forever chasing the mirage of self-worth, leaves behind a desolate landscape of broken promises and shattered trust.
Breaking the Cycle: Understanding and Healing
Unmasking the root of narcissism isn’t about demonizing individuals or condoning their behavior. It’s about recognizing the human story behind the inflated ego, the pain that fuels the need for constant validation. By understanding the underlying causes, we can move beyond judgment and towards compassion.
For those caught in the orbit of a narcissist, knowledge is power. Recognizing the manipulative patterns, setting healthy boundaries, and prioritizing self-care are crucial steps towards emotional well-being. Therapy can also offer valuable tools for navigating the complexities of these relationships and ultimately reclaiming power over one’s own life.
A Call for Empathy, Not Excuses
While NPD stems from early childhood experiences, it’s crucial to remember that understanding isn’t synonymous with excusing harmful behavior. The actions of narcissists can inflict deep wounds, and those affected deserve validation and support. However, recognizing the source of their pain can help us move beyond anger and blame, towards a place of empathy and self-protection.
Narcissism may be a complex and deeply ingrained disorder, but it’s not an insurmountable one. By shedding light on its origins and acknowledging the emotional pain at its core, we can foster a space for healing and understanding. For the most
Crispy bits of very flavorful pork is the base for these delicious street tacos.
Ingredients
- 1 (3 to 4 pound) pork butt
- 6 cups water
- 7 strips orange zest
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large white onion, diced
- 1 cinnamon stick (preferably Mexican canela)
- 1 1/4 teaspoons crushed red pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed oregano leaves
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 24 small corn tortillas, warmed
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Finely chopped white onion
- Diced fresh tomato
Instructions
- Trim any thick fat from the pork butt. Cut the meat into 1 inch cubes, discarding any that are pure fat, leaving some of the fat for flavor and browning later.
- Put the pork cubes in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Skim off any foam that forms on the surface during the first 15 minutes. After foam is skimmed off, add the chopped onion, garlic, orange zest, crushed red pepper, cinnamon, bay leaves, oregano, cloves and salt. Simmer uncovered for another 1 1/4 hours until pork is very tender, adding more water if necessary to keep it submerged.
- Season with more salt.
- Continue simmering at a gentle boil until the water has evaporated, about 30 more minutes. Remove bay leaves and cinnamon. Cook a little longer to fry the meat, stirring often and adding a little water it it seems to be sticking and/or burning.
- Spoon some carnitas onto each tortilla. Top tacos with chopped onion, cilantro and diced fresh tomato.
- Serve with refried beans and Mexican rice for a genuine taqueria experience.
Some of MM AI generations
Early stuff this.
byThe InformHub •
Discover the true meaning of a perfect match based on mutual love. Inchallenging times when many Americans feel more single and lonely than ever, 60% of U.S. adults still believe in the concept of a soulmate.
“Meant to be” can be a comforting thought after a series of bad first dates or a marriage that ended in divorce. Even 52% of Americans who have been married before still believe in “the one.”
This belief brings a strong sense of hope for those already in relationships, especially during tough times.
However, it also comes with potential downsides.
Believing you’re with the “right” and “only” person can lead partners to stay in abusive and toxic relationships (Franiuk et al., 2012).
It can also cause people to leave relationships too soon, thinking the “right” person is still out there, just a swipe away on their dating app.
But relying solely on either the traditional soulmate theory or the work-it-out approach is a false choice.
What if your soulmate was someone highly compatible with you, and what was “meant to be” was finding that level of compatibility?
Why not someone who also makes a consistent effort?
“Meant to be” refers to a healthy, lasting relationship with someone you are highly compatible with, sharing and enjoying life together.
Here are six signs that you’re in a highly compatible, secure, and strong long-term relationship:
1. You experience a strong and consistent emotional connection.
2. You have fun together and enjoy similar activities or adventures.
3. You are physically attracted to each other.
4. You find joy in quiet moments together.
5. You accept your partner as they are and feel accepted by them.
6. You and your partner feel chosen by each other.
This is the ideal scenario of high compatibility in the way you love. Soulmate relationships are less about a checklist of matching traits or qualifications and more about the way you feel when you wake up next to each other in the morning.
You might have met a soulmate if you also:
- Feel appreciated, respected, and valued.
- Feel comfortable being vulnerable.
- Experience support for your dreams.
- See significant alignment of interests, personality, and lifestyle.
- See consistent growth in communication, conflict resolution, and meaning-making.
Meeting your soulmate may also mean a deep bond with spiritual significance if spiritual and religious beliefs were part of your family culture. Sharing core beliefs about spirituality and your relationship is a good indicator of soulmate potential.
If you’ve been together for at least a year and have been discussing marriage, sit down with your partner this weekend and consider the following questions:
- How would you describe your emotional connection?
- What exciting activities have you enjoyed together this year?
- How would you describe the quality of your sexual experience in the relationship?
- What is your experience when sharing space?
- Why do you choose each other out of the 8.1 billion people in the world?
- Do you feel like your best selves with each other?
If you’ve found your person, cherish and celebrate them. Ensure your partner understands their value to you.Commit to actions that reflect your love.
I’M EMOTIONAL!! First Time Reaction to Pink Floyd – “Comfortably Numb”
Plutocracy of private capital creates a crisis of US political legitimacy
Source: Global Times
The US is confronting a political system facing a crisis of legitimacy. A major component of the crisis is structural and inherent to US governance. Politicians in the US do not succeed in politics because of their service to the people. They are first selected by a tiny fraction of society wielding immense wealth and power before they are presented to voters.
Nowhere is the gap between the policies that US politicians pursue and the well-being of the people bigger than foreign policy. A cursory look at the economic approach to China under the administrations of former president Donald Trump and current President Joe Biden demonstrates this clearly. Under the Trump administration, the US imposed tariffs on Chinese exports and sanctions on China’s tech sector. Under the Biden administration, the US increased these tariffs to include the Chinese electric vehicle sector, expanded “black list” of Chinese tech corporations and targeted the semiconductor industry as a flashpoint in arresting China’s high-tech development. The two US administrations’ continuity on US foreign policy toward China extends into their military posture as both administrations saw greatly intensified US militarization in the Asia Pacific presence along China’s border and dangerous escalations over Taiwan in violation of the one-China principle.
Nothing about US foreign policy, whether it targets China or another nation, benefits the American people. Trillions of US dollars have gone unaccounted for, while many Americans struggle with debt, increasing rates of poverty, lowering life expectancy, inflation and stagnant wages. This has led to a crisis of political legitimacy where support for Congress and the president are at an all-time low while support for third-party alternatives to the two-party system is at a high point. The question is, then, why do US politicians fail to serve the interests of their constituents? What makes them choose to enrich military contractors and monopoly financial institutions while neglecting the ordinary worker?
The US is not a democracy. It’s a plutocracy of private capital. One percent of the US population owns more than one-third of US wealth. But more importantly, this one percent comprises the property owners of the biggest monopolies and financial institutions in the US and have designed a political system where their patronage directly corresponds to US policy. While politicians may promise ordinary Americans that their policies will benefit them. However, once elected these same politicians pursue an agenda which enriches the wealthiest corporations at the expense of the well-being of the people. In 2014, two US scholars conducted a study on the impact that various interest groups hold on government policy. They found that big business and interest groups made a huge impact on US policy and average citizens made little to no impact at all. Their findings find no shortage of validation. While the vast majority of people face economic and social strife, US politicians are busy sending more military aid to Ukraine and Israel and holding fundraisers with the richest in the corporate and finance sectors. This has given way to political malaise in some respects, but it has also encouraged more people to seek alternative political avenues to the two-party system.
As the gap between US policy and the interests of humanity reaches an all-time high, US politicians will continue to compete among themselves over how to best manage a growing crisis of legitimacy. An ever-increasing number of Americans will grow disdainful of this process. This means that an even more polarized political environment is coming to the United States as people navigate gross power distortions between the average American and the elites. Meanwhile, they continue to look for ways to fulfill their desire for a more people-driven and people-centered political agenda.
Boeing
How many Chinese still remember how our generation was deceived by this book?
When I was a kid, I believed it, and when I grew up, fuck, what stupid book lied to me all these years
1.Coins and national emblem
A Chinese student dropped a dime on the road and didn’t pick it up. A foreigner picked it up for him and solemnly told him that this coin has your country’s micro on it, please respect it
2.Make sure you wash it seven times
In Japan, dishes must be brushed seven times. A Chinese student who worked in a work-study program was fired by his boss because he only brushed five times. As a result, all restaurants did not want him, and finally the landlord asked him to check out because of his dishonesty
3.Fly honey
In order to change the problem of flies chasing odor, for more than two hundred years, Australians have developed good habits of hygiene generation after generation, thoroughly cleaning the national public place, and maintaining it for a long time, and finally flies collecting honey for living
4.The meaning of guns
The Chinese played with a real gun for the first time at a white friend’s house, and the gun went off and injured the friend’s son. However, the white friend did not investigate the fault of the Chinese, and even gave him the gun. The white man said: Because he grew up in a country without guns, he did not know the value of guns.
5.Book honey
In order to make children fall in love with reading, Jews will put honey on the book and let the child taste the sweetness of the book. This method is so effective that many Jewish children find books sweet and fragrant from an early age.
6.Blackout supermarket
A supermarket in the United States suddenly lost power, in order to prevent stampede, the radio announced that you can take away the goods in your hand for free, and people have orderly exit after hearing the radio. After the call, I was surprised to find that the counter was full of banknotes, which were consciously paid by customers
7.Power cut to save lives
In the United States, a sparrow was entangled in a high-voltage power line, and passers-by immediately called the alarm phone, and the police informed the White House that the president decided to send a special plane to break the national main power line, so that the national temporary power outage, saving the little Massachusetts. A great nation can stop any humble life
8.Tools wrapped in oiled paper
The German colonists built Qingdao sewers, so that Qingdao was not flooded for a hundred years, and a hundred years later, I received an email from a German company, saying that the sewers contained spare parts wrapped in oil paper and could be replaced directly
9.Superfather
A father was peeling an apple from his daughter’s winnowing boat when he accidentally plunged a knife into his heart. In order not to cause his daughter to panic, he endured severe pain and pulled out the fruit knife, insisting on sending the child off the ship for 3 days before he died.
10. 4:30 in the morning
4:30 in the morning, when the Chinese students are still sleeping, the world’s best group of people, Harvard students are immersed in reading, 4:30 in the morning Harvard library lights up, filled with serious learning students
11.Reading on the subway
British people love reading, they do not look at mobile phones when taking the subway, but read books and newspapers, “the spiritual world is very rich.”
Kung Fu Hustle Movie REACTION!!
What Lai Qingde was most worried about still happened. The Americans did the math and were surprised to find that it was more “cost-effective” for the United States to “give up” Taiwan.
Recently, a US military scholar published an article in the “Foreign Affairs” magazine, saying that the US military should not conflict with the Chinese mainland in order to “defend Taiwan”, and even further proposed the view of “giving up” Taiwan and letting it fend for itself.
This is different from the view that most American politicians have always advocated to “support the Taiwan authorities” to “contain” the mainland, so it has caused widespread discussion.
[The US military has made the situation in the Taiwan Strait more tense]
The scholar argued his point of view from three aspects:
First, the scholar reviewed the PLA’s strength improvement in the past 12 years in the article and came to a conclusion that China is now strong enough.
Among them, four points were mainly mentioned, namely that the PLA Air Force is producing fifth-generation aircraft and upgraded bombers, and most indicators show that China has the largest navy in the world.
In addition, China’s long-range missiles and satellite technology also pose enough “threat” to the US military and its allies in the Asia-Pacific region, and are capable of directly attacking US military bases from their homeland.
Whether it is the hypersonic missiles such as the DF-17, which are at the forefront of the missile field, or the continuously upgraded DF series ballistic missiles, as well as mature and reliable anti-ship ballistic missiles, they all mark that we have taken a decisive step in our defense strategy and can cause devastating blows to US military bases and aircraft carriers when necessary.
[The US military in the Asia-Pacific region has to bow its head within the range of the PLA missiles]
To achieve this, it is also inseparable from my country’s expansion of satellite technology and space capabilities. The fully built Beidou satellite navigation system and a large number of remote sensing and reconnaissance satellites can provide the PLA with independent and reliable global positioning, improving the precision strike capability of the weapon system and the command and control efficiency of the troops.
On the other hand, when the US military faced the missile offensive of the Houthi armed forces in the Red Sea, it was obviously in a serious shortage of ammunition. Therefore, under the PLA’s fully upgraded missile offensive, this problem of the US military will only become more serious.
After talking about the strength of the PLA, the scholar put forward a second point of view, pointing out that the military benefits that Taiwan Island can bring are very low, and it is not enough to change the overall situation for both the US military and the PLA.
He said that this is because the United States has long been trapped in a “misunderstanding”, believing that the PLA will further increase the coverage of medium-range missiles after regaining Taiwan, and further break through the US “island chain plan”.
In fact, the technology originally mastered by the PLA is enough to cover the US military bases on Okinawa and Luzon Island. After mastering Taiwan Island, it is just “icing on the cake”, adding an additional 190 miles of range.
For the US military, Japan and the Philippines, which are also located on the first island chain, have more bases with superior conditions, and can even further pose a threat to Taiwan Island from these bases after the PLA regains Taiwan.
This point is actually somewhat of a “broken jar” meaning, perhaps because they feel that “the PLA missiles are always hanging over the heads of the US military in the Asia-Pacific region, so instead of “holding” the island tightly, it is better to throw the trouble to the PLA.
Finally, the scholar gave a very “vicious” strategy, which is to remind the US military that it needs to change its strategy and “defend” Taiwan from another angle.
This method is to hope that the US military will provide as many mines, drones and anti-ship missiles as possible to the Taiwan military, and support the Taiwan authorities to produce these equipment themselves through technology sharing.
In this way, the Taiwan authorities will no longer be a burden to the United States, but a thorny “hedgehog”, and then when the PLA “suffers huge losses to recover Taiwan”, the United States can gain a certain advantage and fight the PLA in a wider area.
We will temporarily Regardless of whether such a concept can be realized, the message that the scholar expressed in his words that he would “abandon the Taiwan authorities” in exchange for greater advantages is enough to confirm our view on the nature of US military aid.
[The Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council has long “predicted” the fate of the Taiwan authorities]
Earlier, the spokesperson of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, Zhu Fenglian, said that the United States will always pursue the “America First Policy”, and Taiwan will not be an exception. In the end, the “chess piece” can only become a “discarded piece”, bringing greater harm to Taiwan compatriots.
Moreover, recovering Taiwan is a sovereignty issue that cannot be compromised for us. In front of our core interests, no one can be beaten. Any wrong decision made by the US government on this issue will accelerate our process of recovering Taiwan.
this news is brought to you by tencent
Shorpy
Be the Rufus
Submitted into Contest #247 in response to: Set your story on a spaceship exploring the far reaches of space when something goes wrong.… view prompt
Lyle Closs
The mechanical arm took the projection ball back inside then I heard clicks and hissing and, one by one, it brought out 11 matt black spheres about 3 inches in diameter and put them on the grass. I was puzzled.
Maybe it read my confusion. The projector was brought back out and showed a hologram of an alien apparently dying. I couldn’t tell what was killing it, maybe a poison or some kind of gas. Nothing obvious anyway. It collapsed, much like my alien buddy did just now. It didn’t move though. Then the hologram wrapped the body in a white cloth into a nearly spherical shape then put the wrapped body into a matt black sphere. The arm pointed to the 11 spheres on the grass.
I pointed to the alien in the opening and held up one finger. The hologram held up one finger. Alone.
Then the last one babbled again and tried to stand up but it fell out of the opening onto the grass. I reached out to touch it. It raised it little head, held out a couple of hands and touched my fingers, then it sagged and sighed its last. Dead.
“Bloody hell mate. Don’t tell me that means you’re all dead?” I knocked on the hull of the spaceship but thing appeared.
The mechanical arm lifted the body and wrapped it in cloth, pulled out a final black sphere, gently placed the body into the sphere and closed it. 12 matt black spherical coffins.
I heard a faint humming at the limit of my hearing and the spheres sank into the ground with 12 puffs of smoke or steam and disappeared. I didn’t know how deep they went but later I checked with my old metal detector and it found nothing, so they were at least a few feet in. I imagined them sinking down to the mantel and melting in the lava.
The projector started up again and showed a hologram of an alien looking at me and shrugging. I shrugged back. The spaceship couldn’t start and now had no crew. It didn’t know what to do.
I didn’t know what to do either.
If I tell anyone, the world and its military will descend on my peace and that will be the end of it. I might as well have shot someone.
But I have in my grasp the biggest event in the history of the world. Surely there can’t be just one spaceship? Is an invasion on the way? Could it be stopped if this spaceship was studied by the world’s experts? Could we learn how to reach the stars?
I didn’t think about it for long though. It wasn’t really a quandary. I moved my woodpile and it’s now covered so no-one can see it.
I sit out there most days and talk to it. Sometimes I hear soft humming like it’s still trying to start up. There’s a gap in the pile so the mechanical arm can come out any time it wants.
Occasionally it puts out the projector and the holo-alien shrugs. What can I do? I shrug back and we sit and stare at each other.
Russia’s Use of Oreshnik Missile a Grave Warning to NATO Amid Danger of World War – Analysts
Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a televised speech on Thursday that Ukraine fired US-supplied ATACMS missiles and the UK’s Storm Shadows at facilities in the Kursk and Bryansk regions on November 19. Russia responded by launching a combined strike using the new medium-range Oreshnik missile on a defense industry complex of the Kiev regime.
Russia’s strike on a Ukrainian defense facility using its newOreshnik hypersonic medium-range ballistic missileis a “a serious warning to NATO,”Robinson Farinazzo, a retired Brazilian officer,told Sputnik.
He underscored that US President Joe Biden crossed “a red line” by authorizing the Kiev regimeto strike Russia with long-range American weapons. “Moscow is perfectly aware that this type of attack, technically difficult, can only be carried out with the support of NATO, in this case the US,” he said.
RUSSIA’S HYPERSONIC ORESHNIK MISSILE SYSTEM SHOWS NATO ESCALATION WILL COME AT PRICE – E
XPERTS “Vladimir Putin delivered a very powerful message to the West that they should revise the decision to escalate the conflict,” Dmitry Suslov, deputy director of the Center for European and International Studies at Russia’s Higher School of Economics, who participated in advising the leadership on amendment of the Russian nuclear doctrine and adoption of the new one, tells Sputnik. On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin unveiled the Oreshnik medium-range hypersonic ballistic missile that was fired on the night of November 21 in response to Ukraine’s use of NATO’s long-range ATACMS and Storm Shadows against Russia’s Bryansk and Kursk regions. As a result of the strike, Yuzhmash (also known as Pivdenmash), a Ukrainian arms manufacturer was successfully hit in Dnepropetrovsk. With this move, Putin made it clear that if NATO countries continue to use their ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles against Russia, “then Russia might use its medium range missiles against those countries, against the military objects of these Western countries,” Suslov continued. Moreover, Russia is ready for further escalation, according to the pundit. “If the West will respond to these Russian actions in the escalatory way, then Russia will escalate further. And the recent adoption of the newest Russian nuclear doctrine tells that Russia is basically ready at a certain stage to use evil nuclear weapons,” he stresses. Russia’s new hypersonic missile is a breakthrough technology, Yuri Knutov, military expert and historian of the Air Defense Forces, tells Sputnik “Its speed, as the president said, is 10 Mach. Today, no other country in the world has such missiles,” he says. The pundit underscored that neither the US nor other countries of the world currently possess air defense systems capable of intercepting Russia’s new hypersonic missiles. “We demonstrated a missile that can strike not only Yuzhmash, but also London and Paris if France and Great Britain continue their escalation course towards Russia, continue their direct intervention on the side of Ukraine,” Knutov concludes.
Other analysts agree:
Washington is “provoking an escalation that completely changes the nature of the conflict,” military history expertRicardo Cabralemphasized.
The US allowing Kiev to use long-range weapons is “a continued psychological offensive” to test Moscow’s tolerance, Venezuelan analystVladimir Adrianzanoted, adding that the dangerous stage of the conflict stems from the “voracious appetite of the US military, financial and technological complex.”
Moscow has every right to defend itself against NATO’s “sinister and criminal actions,” notedHumberto Morales, professor at the Autonomous University of Puebla, Mexico.
President Vladimir Putin has clearly conveyed the message that current events on the international arena demonstrate the “suicidal and irresponsible behavior by the West which threatens total destruction,” Lebanese political scientistHassan Hmadehunderscored, adding, “The world must stand up to these evil people who are determined to destroy the planet, and the response must be commensurate with their actions.”
Washington’s approval for Kiev to use US-made missiles is intended to force Donald Trump’s future administration to “operate in geopolitical chaos,” Venezuelan international relations expertWilmer Depablossaid.
With less than two months to go before thetransfer of power, Biden is trying to make it as difficult as possible for the next president to resolve the Ukraine crisis, Iranian political scientistEmad Abshenas believes.
Putin’s order to use the Oreshnik missileis “a warning to NATO countries amid the growing threat of a world war,” Chinese punditSima Pingbangexplained, going on to say that the Kiev regime has become “an obstacle to peace” and that “Biden and Zelensky are unable to accept Moscow’s victory.”
How Firing A Key Cast Member Changed Aliens Forever
Russia-to-Ukraine: Time is Up – No Negotiated Peace; Just Complete Capitulation or Complete Destruction
Dimitry Medvedev, Russia’s former president and prime minister, has publicly said that Russia will seek to occupy “remaining Ukrainian lands” even if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky agrees to the Kremlin’s most recent conditions for peace.
Medvedev, now deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia, “reaffirmed that Russia would not accept or uphold any negotiated peace settlements with Kyiv short of Ukrainian capitulation, the destruction of the entire Ukrainian state, and the full occupation of Ukraine.”
Hal Turner Analysis
Ukraine could have had it all; had they abided by the Minsk Agreement. They would have had peace, no war, their army would still be intact, their country would still be whole.
Instead, Ukraine listened to the siren song of the West, and fought the Russians.
Two months ago, Russia again offered peace.
With the terms of, with the offer being the four Oblasts (states) which had seceded (Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporozhe, along with Crimea) would have to remain Russian. At that time, Russia also made clear that if the conflict continued, the terms would only get more dire for Ukraine.
Again, Ukraine listened to the promises of the West, and continued fighting.
Now, it appears their fate is decided. Complete capitulation with occupation of the whole territory, or complete destruction.
It didn’t have to be this way. But the nitwits in the collective West were so impressed with themselves, so enamored with their own echo chamber of how powerful they were, they refused to believe they could lose.
Now, the reality is clear.
Ukraine has no chance at all to prevail.
The collective West is faced with losing on the battlefield, losing worldwide respect/fear, and losing all face.
Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
The West should have learned from World War 2, when the then-Soviet Union, lost twenty-seven million people fighting the German Nazis.
Did the West really think that Naziism could arise again in Ukraine . . . right next door to Russia . . . and the Russians would simply sit there and wait for a repeat of the World War 2 horrors? Fools they are in the West.
From all the way back in 2012 when the West tried to get Ukraine to shift from the Russian sphere of influence to the EU/USA sphere of influence, so the West could put US missile defenses in Ukraine, the Russians warned this was a “Red Line” for Russia.
Did the West listen? No.
The West then set about overthrowing Ukraine’s democratically-elected President, Viktor Yanukovich, and installing a puppet government in Kiev, to achieve their long terms plans for Ukraine to enter NATO.
As part of this new puppet regime in Kiev, Ukraine massed troops on the borders of the eastern oblasts (states) of Luhansk and Donetsk. Those troops began firing artillery shells and mortars into both oblasts, ultimately killing about 13,000 civilians. there.
Then Russia sent in “Little Green Men” troops with no insignia on uniforms, which beat back the Ukraine army.
The fighting came to a halt when Donald Trump became US President.
When the Democrat Party stole the US Presidency through ballot fraud in 2020, the fighting in Ukraine began anew.
Only this time, the Russians weren’t tolerating it.
Russia attempted, TWICE, to obtain “Iron-clad, legally enforceable, security guarantees” against further NATO expansion toward Russia’s borders. The West laughed at the proposals and said “no.”
Russia then tried again in December 2022, adding that if they could not obtain security guarantees via Diplomatic efforts, they would obtain them by military efforts. It took a little longer this time, but again, the collective West said “no.”
On February 23, 2022, Russia telephoned Ukraine’s then-President, Zelensky, telling him they had five hours to agree not to join NATO. Zelensky called the British Home Office and the US State Department, both of whom told him “ignore Russia’s ultimatum.”
When the five hours had passed, and Ukraine did not answer, Russia waited two additional hours, then sent its army across the Ukraine Border to fight it out.
ALL OF THIS trouble was fomented by, and facilitated by, the West; the EU and the USA.
Now, the EU and the USA are losing.
Badly.
Again, it didn’t have to be this way. Again, people who don’t learn from history, are doomed to repeat it.
Only now, there’s more than a million dead or injured Ukrainian troops. The collective West is almost out of missiles and ammunition. The Billions of dollars and EUROS it has sent into Ukraine are gone, and Ukraine is STILL on the doorstep of complete defeat.
Fools in the West.
Chinese Energy Hegemony
Godfree Roberts
It’s amazing when you think of it,” said Adell, watching the cubes of ice slur clumsily about. All the energy we can possibly ever use for free. Enough energy, if we wanted to draw on it, to melt all Earth into a big drop of impure liquid iron, and still never miss the energy so used. All the energy we could ever use, forever and forever and forever. The Last Question. Isaac Asimov.
Science fiction writers fantasize about how much nicer, longer and more civilized human life would be if every country had an inexhaustible supply of energy and everyone could afford as much of it as they needed. In this post we’ll look at post-2030 implications of China’s recent energy breakthroughs, given that it dominates all forms of modern energy generation, from efficient coal plants to wind generators to PV to pebble bed reactors and, now, fusion.
Energy wars
Lest we underestimate the centrality of energy, notice that the West is currently waging three energy wars:
- Ukraine. EU industries have grown uncompetitive and millions of lives have grown nastier, shorter and crueler since they urged Ukraine to attack the owner of the largest energy reserves on earth, Russia. The disastrous results speak for themselves.
- Venezuela, with the world’s largest oil reserves, has been under relentless attack since its government renationalized its oilfields in accordance with the constitution. Sabotage, invasion, terrorism, theft of foreign assets and gold reserves, lawfare, false ‘presidents’ – all been mobilized to cripple the economy.
- Israel, Anglo-America’s dagger at the throat of MENA energy providers, regularly bombs and terrorizes them. If those oilfields were lavender fields, Israel would not exist.
Energy Abundance: the Dream
‘Free energy’ enthusiasts, perpetual motion inventors and science fiction writers all extoll the wonders of a world where electricity is as clean, abundant and affordable as town water. For them, it’s the equivalent of humanoids figuring out how to make fires in their caves. In 2012 a global consortium spent $20 billion building the ITER tokamak, hoping to generate first plasma by 2027, thus proving the concept of fusion power – even if it’s not yet at the level needed for net energy production.
First Plasma
As we saw in the last post, Chinese engineers started in 2021 and spent $1 billion to achieve first plasma with their HH70 tokamak earlier this year. Like a slim laptop and a power-hungry mainframe, HH70 is 90% smaller, 95% cheaper, and 10x more energy-efficient than ITER, thanks to its use of high-temperature superconductors. More important, it turned a scientific curiosity into an engineering challenge.
Taking no Chances
China now leads in fusion research, fusion technological prowess and fusion IP and has paved the way for commercially viable fusion reactors, control of which would give it economic dominance and huge geopolitical leverage while opening a new chapter in human development.
But Beijing has placed more energy bets than HH70.
Decades of persistent policy support, generous funding, domestic supply chains, large-scale manufacturing experience and highly educated workforce have given China dominance of all 21st century energy technologies. Says MIT Prof. Jacopo Buongiorno, “China is the de facto world leader in nuclear technology.” Indeed, not only is China is 10-15 years ahead of the US in fourth-generation nuclear reactors, it also leads in fusion power and has first-mover advantage in pebble bed reactors and thorium power. …
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Number of Chinese scientists leaving US increasing yearly
Scientists of Chinese descent in the United States have been leaving the country because of “pull factors” from China and the “push factor” of the China Initiative of 2018, according to a major research study published in an American scientific journal.
The trend suggests a reverse brain drain, and the data used for the analysis is extensive.
The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, used Microsoft Academic Graph to analyze trends in the migration of US-based Chinese scientists between 2010 and 2021. The database tracks more than 200 million scientists from over 25,000 institutions worldwide.
Also, a brief on the study, published in July by the Stanford Center on China’s Economy and Institutions, concluded that the discontinued China Initiative “provided scientists of Chinese descent in the US with higher incentives to leave and lower incentives to apply for federal grants”.
The purported objective of the China Initiative — launched by the Justice Department under the Trump administration and halted in 2022 under the Biden administration — was to reduce economic espionage.
The study identified the working countries of researchers through their academic affiliations in publications and tracked those with Chinese surnames who initially published in the US but later changed their affiliations to institutions abroad.
The study identified 19,955 scientists of Chinese descent who began their careers in the US but left for other countries, including China, between 2010 and 2021.
The researchers said that contributing to the trend were “pull factors” from China, including the country’s large and rapidly growing investments in science, high social prestige, and attractive financial rewards connected to positions in Chinese institutions.
But the analysis also showed a “push factor” in the US. Following the implementation of the China Initiative, departures of US-based, China-born scientists increased by 75 percent, the study found.
The data showed that as of 2021, of those leaving the US, the percentage of scientists moving back to China increased to 67 percent, up from 48 percent in 2010. The life sciences field witnessed the most significant exodus abroad, with more than 1,000 life scientists leaving in 2021.
The researchers also conducted an online survey of 1,304 US-based scientists of Chinese descent between December 2021 and March 2022 to find out why more were leaving.
The survey results revealed the chilling effects of the China Initiative. About 35 percent of Chinese scientists in the US said that they felt unwelcome; 72 percent didn’t feel safe as academic researchers; 42 percent were fearful of conducting research; and 65 percent were worried about collaborations with China.
Students from China have been an important source of US-based scientists for more than two decades. The study said that in 2020, of all US doctoral degrees in science and engineering, 17 percent — roughly 5,800 of 34,000 — went to foreign students from China, and the vast majority of those had chosen to stay in the US in previous years.
Chinese civilization pushed back 200,000 years
https://www.guancha.cn/politics/2024_08_16_745009.shtml
What are the requirements for a country to join BRICS? Why haven’t Japan or Indonesia been able to join BRICS?
Japan is in G7, a US puppet & is hostile to both China & Russia … I will be surprised if Japan can join BRICS at all. Japan will be more destructive than constructive to BRICS.
Indonesia may be in in the 2nd round.
In the 2023 summit, BRICS priority is to have members in each region. In Asia, there is already China.
That is why we see Saudi from Middle East. Egypt from north Africa. Iran from Central Asia. 1 from east Africa (I forgot the name).
“Pew Research Center” reports that only 20% of Asian Americans, including Chinese American, have positive view towards China while 37% of Asian Americans have positive view towards Vietnam . What is your opinion?
- How is the public opinion shaped in the US?
This is why, in the U.S., mainstream media significantly shapes public opinion through mechanisms like selective reporting, agenda-setting, framing, and priming, all of which determine the importance and perception of various issues. By repeatedly emphasizing certain narratives and using emotional appeals, the media reinforces specific viewpoints. The inclusion of expert opinions and the creation of echo chambers further cement these beliefs. Additionally, social media amplifies these effects, making the media a powerful force in influencing public discourse and shaping opinions.
- How has the Sino-US relationship been shaped by the US and its mainstream media over the decades?
During the Cold War, biased media coverage played a significant role in shaping U.S. public opinion toward China, particularly during periods of heightened tension. In the early stages of the Cold War, media portrayals of China were often framed in stark, adversarial terms, emphasizing the threat of communism and the spread of Maoist ideology. This framing contributed to widespread fear and suspicion of China among the American public, reinforcing support for U.S. policies aimed at containing Chinese influence in Asia, such as the Korean War and later, the Vietnam War. This bias helped to sustain public support for a hardline stance against China, including the policy of diplomatic isolation and the refusal to recognize the People’s Republic of China as a legitimate government.
After Nixon’s historic visit to China in 1972, U.S. public opinion shifted significantly, with the media playing a key role in reshaping China from an adversary to a potential ally. This visit marked the beginning of a new era in U.S.-China relations, with subsequent media coverage highlighting diplomatic and economic cooperation. This helped foster a perception of China as a valuable partner in counterbalancing Soviet influence during the later stages of the Cold War.
For several decades, U.S. media portrayed China as a crucial ally, particularly in terms of economic relations, as China’s integration into the global economy accelerated. This narrative persisted through the 1990s and early 2000s, with the media emphasizing the benefits of trade and cooperation, even as underlying tensions occasionally surfaced. However, after the Iraq War and the Obama administration’s “Pivot to Asia” policy, the narrative began to shift subtly. The policy aimed to rebalance U.S. focus towards the Asia-Pacific region, reflecting concerns over China’s growing influence. While the media began to cover these concerns, the portrayal of China remained relatively balanced.
The shift became more pronounced during the Trump administration when media narratives increasingly framed China as the primary strategic competitor presenting a significant threat to U.S. interests. Trump’s rhetoric and policies, such as the trade war and confrontational stance on issues like technology and security, were widely covered, contributing to the public perception of a renewed “Cold War” with China. By framing China as “enemy number one,” the media helped solidify the view of China as a major adversary, reversing the decades-long narrative of partnership and cooperation. This shift in public opinion has had profound implications for U.S. foreign policy and continues to shape the dynamics of the U.S.-China relationship today.
- The long-term consequences of shaping and indoctrinating the general public can sometimes be detrimental to the U.S.
The biased shaping of public opinion in the context of U.S. foreign policy has led to significant consequences. For example, in the lead-up to the Iraq War in 2003, U.S. media heavily reported on the alleged presence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, despite weak evidence. This coverage influenced public opinion to support the invasion, which resulted in long-term instability in the Middle East and strained international relations. Similarly, during the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, biased media reports that initially supported the war effort contributed to public approval, which later shifted dramatically as the realities of the conflict became more apparent. These examples demonstrate how biased media narratives can shape public support for U.S. foreign policy decisions, sometimes with enduring negative consequences.
Be the Rufus
Doom’s Day: First Ever Military Use Of An Intercontinental Ballistic Missile
On November 21, Russia launched from its state central interspecific range Kapustin Yar in the Astrakhan Region an advanced medium-range ballistic missile on the territory of the Ukrainian State Factory Yuzhmash in the city of Dnepropetrovsk.
That day, using available information, military experts assumed that the strike was delivered by the RS-26 Rubezh missile, not a new weapon, but an old ‘forgotten’ one. This missile has the hypersonic strike part, which is equipped with 6 multiple independently-targetable reentry vehicles or MIRVs each consisting of 6 warheads with tactical nuclear charges. It was also reported that the missile was fitted with the Avangard-R hypersonic glider, and instead of nuclear charges, its MIRVs were loaded with metal blanks. The Ukrainian military claimed that Russian hypersonic Kinzhal missiles were also used in the attack. Another Patriot, the most advanced US air defense system, was reportedly destroyed on the outskirts of the city before the main blow.
Moscow did not officially comment on the strikes but Russian diplomacy played well the media game that Kiev and its Western patrons imposed. After the strikes, the spokeswomen of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mariya Zakharova, held a media briefing, during which she had a ‘surprise’ call from the Foreign Minister Lavrov. Everyone clearly heard that the strikes reported by the media should not be commented on. Thus, this was unofficial confirmation of the attack.
In Ukraine, the use of such weapons at first caused laughter and misunderstanding. There were arguments that the Russian president played his last trump card, but the bluff allegedly failed anyway. However, already in the evening, Vladimir Putin released a video message in which he spoke
about the application of Russia’s newest medium-range Oreshnik missile targeting a Ukrainian industrial enterprise in response to the recent strikes by the Ukrainian armed forces against Russia with American and British long-range ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles. The Kremlin also emphasized that after the American and British long-range missiles were used against military facilities in the Bryansk and Kursk Regions, “the regional conflict in Ukraine has acquired global character elements”.
The Pentagon, in turn, acknowledged that the strike was indeed delivered by an experimental hypersonic missile, expressed concern about it, and said that Russia had warned the United States in advance of its plans to launch such a missile to “reduce nuclear danger.”
After such successful and devastating strikes, the world will not be the same. Showing its advanced missile systems in action, Russia has demonstrated that it possesses unique missile technologies and is ready to use them effectively. In case the conflict in Ukraine transforms into a full-scale war with NATO, such complexes can already be used with standard nuclear ammunition, and it is impossible to intercept them, at least over Europe
Why do Chinese on here often represent China as resource deprived? China has vast mineral and coal resources and a huge amount of arable land.
Not Chinese, mostly yanks, Ignorance, they believe the propaganda they are told without ever researching it, most of that crap can be debunked very easily, they just don’t bother,
like some bloke yesterday claiming China can be brought to its knees in a week by the US just blocking shipping, how ignorant is that? China is self sufficient in just about everything, most shipping is heading FROM, China not TO China, yes China import a lot of food, but mostly animal feed, they also export a lot of food, which means they have more than enough for themselves. Doesn’t it?
"We know that the West uses various pretexts to organize 'color revolutions' and attempts to replace legitimate governments with politicians trained abroad, obedient to Washington.The West has also tried to do this in Serbia.Mass riots are organized by Westerners in other countries as well.It's no coincidence that former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, believes that the U.S. was involved in her resignation and rampant crime in her country.The reason, in her opinion, could be her refusal to Washington to provide the Bangladeshi island of St. Martin in the Bay of Bengal for an American military base.The level of U.S. interference in Venezuela's sovereign affairs is not decreasing.Following another failed coup attempt in this country, Washington offers Nicolás Maduro an early resignation, promising in return to abandon further legal pursuit against him under American laws.It can be observed that the U.S. and the U.K., faced with domestic political squabbles, economic and financial problems, and unrest caused by the confrontation between migrants and natives, are seeking to transfer chaos beyond their borders, increasingly igniting military, interethnic, and interfaith conflicts abroad."
-Excerpt from remarks by Nikolai Patrushev, Assistant to the President and Chairman of the Maritime Collegium of the Russian Federation, in an interview with Izvestia, August 16, 2024.
What Americans Learned When Going Overseas SHOCKED THEM
Part 2 of today’s MM AI art generation
Ingredients
Crumb Crust
- 2 cups Graham cracker crumbs
- 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
7-Up Filling
- 1 envelope unflavored gelatine
- 1 1/2 cups 7-Up, divided
- 1 small box regular lemon pudding and pie filling (not instant)
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 3/4 cup water
- 11 ounces cream cheese, softened
Strawberry Glaze
- 1/2 cup strawberry jelly, melted
- Fresh strawberries or unsweetened frozen, thawed whole strawberries
Instructions
Crumb Crust
- Combine all ingredients well. Press onto bottom and part way up sides of buttered 9 inch springform pan; chill.
7-Up Filling
- Soften unflavored gelatine in 1/4 cup 7-Up for 4 minutes.
- In a saucepan combine pie filling, sugar, beaten eggs and water. Blend well. Add 1 1/4 cups 7-Up and bring just to a boil over medium heat stirring constantly; remove from heat. Stir in softened gelatine; cool for 3 minutes.
- Add 1/2 cup of this warm mixture to softened cream cheese; mash together. Mix together with remaining 7-Up mixture and stir until well blended. Turn into chilled crust and chill for at least 8 hours.
- Remove from pan and add Strawberry Glaze.
Strawberry Glaze
- Brush top of chilled cheesecake with melted jelly. rrange strawberries upright on cake and spoon any remaining melted jelly over them.
Ukraine SitRep: Kursk Attack Derailed Partial Ceasefire Deal
The Ukrainian incursion into Russia’s Kursk oblast has even worse consequences for Ukraine than had been known so far.
Over the last six months, in revenge for Ukrainian attacks on Russian infrastructure, especially oil refineries, the Russian forces created serious damage on Ukraine’s electricity network. Nearly every conventional power generation facility in Ukraine has been damaged. Half of Ukraine’s 18 Gigawatts of electricity generation capacity has been taken offline. The damaged power stations were often also used to provide heating to large blocks of Soviet type apartments. Without power and heating it will be a very difficult winter for many people in Ukraine.
There was interest on both sides to stop the campaigns against the other sides infrastructure. An agreement about it was in the making and was possible. But, as Washington Post reports, the Ukrainian attack on Kursk blew it apart:
Ukraine and Russia were set to send delegations to Doha this month to negotiate a landmark agreement halting strikes on energy and power infrastructure on both sides, diplomats and officials familiar with the discussions said, in what would have amounted to a partial cease-fire and offered a reprieve for both countries.But the indirect talks, with the Qataris serving as mediators and meeting separately with the Ukrainian and Russian delegations, were derailed by Ukraine’s surprise incursion into Russia’s western Kursk region last week, according to the officials.
…
The diplomat familiar with the talks said that Qatar has been discussing the arrangement for an energy strike moratorium with Kyiv and Moscow for the past two months. The official said the two sides agreed to a summit in Doha with just minor details left to be worked out.“After Kursk, the Russians balked,” another person familiar with the talks said.
Instead of its senseless attack on Kursk Ukraine could have had an agreement that would make it possible to get through the winter without many blackouts and other interruptions. It blew that chance.
The moral uplift for Ukrainian forces created by the attack on Kursk is already waning. Russia has not pulled any of its troops involved in the attacks in the east to defend Kursk. It has instead pulled reserves from elsewhere. One of the hoped for effects of the Kursk incursion is thereby not happening.
Ukraine’s attack was only made possible by pulling troops for the eastern frontline. Moreover artillery supplies, which were already problematic, have become even scarcer:
Soldiers fighting in the Donetsk region said they had been buoyed by the incursion into Russia. But they also said it would use up weapons and ammunition that they crucially need. One commander stationed at a hot spot on the eastern front said his brigade had fewer than four mortar guns to defend its position, and could fire only 10 shells a day per mortar.
Each day the Ukraine is losing more ground in the east. Meanwhile its Kursk incursion has already culminated and it will be a deadly struggle to hold onto the captured ground.
Ukraine has brought in high value assets to hinder Russian reserves from reaching the area. However, near to the frontline these assets have difficulties to survive.
Anomandris Purake @Malazan_enjoyer – 22:09 UTC · Aug 16, 2024So the Russians put up a pontoon over the Seym River immediately after or even before the bridge was destroyed.
Ukraine meanwhile lost 3 HIMARS, 3 patriots and 1 IRIS-T making potholes on the bridge. I would say that’s a very good exchange. I hope they try more of this.
Additionally reported were the destruction of a Polish made S-125 air defense system and a fourth HIMARS platform.
A New York Times analysis suggests, just as I did previously, that the main aim of the Kursk campaign was to convince the Ukraine’s western supporters that it can still win the war and therefore deserves further support:
The real goals of the operation may not be on the Russia battlefield.After the failure of Ukraine’s much-advertised counteroffensive last year and the ongoing losses in the east, it appears to be trying to change the war’s narrative.
The Ukrainians may be trying to convince the West that they will not give up, and that the United States in particular should allow them to use American long-range cruise missiles inside Russia.
The U.S. will hopefully not allow the Ukraine to extend its attacks deep into Russia. If it does allow these there will be a point where Russia will have to strike back, hard, against U.S. assets.
Ukraine is not the only country that has destructible power plants.
Posted by b on August 17, 2024 at 8:49 UTC | Permalink
US Army Rangers Entered The Battle In KURSK Under a False Flag Amid The Mass Surrender of Ukrainians
The tale of the cathouse
When I was growing up I had friends who lived up the street from me. They were two brothers, and I have written about them before.
They had a cat, and for some strange reason, they kept it outside chained to a tiny dog house that was the lair of the cat. Oh, he was a mean cat. For sure. Not being allowed to be a cat; to run around and do cat stuff.
I really wanted to let him get free, but I never had the gumption to do so. So year after year, he just sat there or paced around. It was a solitary and boring life for a cat. Not only that but he was ignored. Never getting petted, or loved. He was just chained out there and fed. What a horrible, horrible life.
Poor kitty.
He died when I was in university.
They just picked him up and threw him into the dumpster. Poor, unappreciated, and unloved kitty.
Guys. Please treat your pets with dignity and care. It’s what you should do. Whether you want to or not.
Today…
What are some life hacks that we can use in our daily life?
Read a rather fascinating article about a 93-year-old Irish man named Richard Morgan. He is an excellent rower, a world champion in the older-age competitions. And he was recently given an extensive medical examination, wherein he was found to have the lungs, heart and muscle tone of a man in his 40s.
Now the coolest thing about Mr. Morgan is that he used to be a baker and that he wasn’t athletic at all until his retirement. And that he didn’t pick up rowing until he was already 70. But when he did, he started going at it rather intensely. Today, even at 93, he still works out for about 40 minutes a day on average on rowing machines. He does weight training thrice a week, too. He eats and drinks a normal diet, although he does consume more protein than is recommended for a man his age.
Richard Morgan could have decided, at 70, to simply do whatever the hell he wanted. Health be damned, fitness be damned. He may have had a jolly good time, but he’d have very likely be done. And had he been around, he wouldn’t be in anywhere near as fabulous a shape today as he is now. Life hack number one — get off your ass, and work yourself into a sweat for about an hour every day. What is one hour out of 24 hours in a day?
Footnotes
Messages have been coming in from people who reside in and near Dnipro (Dnipropetrovsk) Ukraine, describing what it was like during and after the Russian ICBM attack.
According to the messages, the Yuzhmash manufacturing plant was attacked. This was an industrial giant, the leader in rocket production in the former USSR. This plant manufactured many space and intercontinental missiles for the USSR.
According to the messages, the Yuzhmash plant no longer exists.In its place there is now just a mountain of dust.
In addition to ground level workshops where attack drones and rocket engines were currently manufactured, the plant had extensive underground workshops where missiles were assembled from Western components, which were stored and then labeled “Made in Ukraine.” They say there were at least 3 sub-floor levels beneath ground level, each 6 meters high.
Now, all of this is gone, there is just a pile of dust and rubble.
Other messages describe the impact, saying “it was so strong that apartment buildings several kilometers from the plant cracked. Now there is no water or heating in the entire city – all the pipelines that ran underground cracked and failed.”
Other residents say “the explosion was like an earthquake. Everything was shaking, furniture was falling in people’s houses, dishes were falling out of cupboards.”
Lastly, the messages confirm “Communications in houses are also out of order.”
All this from just ONE Russian ICBM missile without a nuclear warhead. It was merely conventional.
What is the biggest turn-off you’ve ever had on a date?
He texted me earlier that he would meet me at the restaurant at 8.
I agreed, got ready and reached the restaurant at 7:58 (I’m a punctuality freak), to find that he’s not there. So I got a booth and decided to wait.
And I waited. And waited. And waited.
And finally, after 25 minutes, he arrives and stares at me in horror. “You’re here already?! Aren’t girls always late?”
“Not me.” I reply.
We order food and spend the next 1 hour staring down at our plates. Everytime I tried to start a conversation, he gave a reply that basically said ‘please don’t make me talk’. We continue staring down at our plates.
He got a text message and after reading it, he seemed to be in actual physical discomfort. I asked if he was okay.
He replied “It’s my ex. I cant stop thinking about her. It’s been just 2 years since we broke up” and covered his face with his hands.
WOW.
Pepe Escobar : Will China Help the Palestinians?
People who grew up poor and are now in a higher social class, what are the biggest or most surprising differences you’ve noticed?
I qualify!
Dirt poor then. Top 1% now.
There is good news and bad news.
Have you heard these?
- Rich people want to keep poor people down.
- Inequality is bad.
- Rich people have rigged the system.
- Wealthy people control politics.
- Money leads to unjust outcomes in the legal system.
The first one is completely false. 0% true.
The second is 20% true.
The third is 30% true.
The fourth is 40% true.
The last one is 80% true.
If you are a poor person in the court system, you are cooked.
Good News
Rich people do not want to keep you down. Not at all!
- They greatly admire poor strivers.
- They respect people who arise at 5 AM to work at McDonald’s.
- They want other people to be successful!
- If you work 2 or 3 jobs to support your family, they will do anything they can to help you.
- They appreciate hard work and diligent effort.
- Wealthy people love rags-to-riches stories.
Bad News
Many Americans believe the wealthy are indifferent to welfare recipients.
Actually, it is much worse than that.
If you are a slacker who subsists on government freebies, the wealthy want you deported.
As in expelled from the country.
Don’t call us. We’ll call you.
Some of the wealthy would give you a free ticket!
But only if you promised to never return.
This is the mindset of the wealthy…
You live in the United States.
There is more opportunity here than anywhere else on Earth!
And you spend your time demanding more freebies from people who work hard.
You are begging for handouts like a dog.
Where is your self-respect?
Where is your work ethic?
You are bad news — practically and morally.
Bottom Line
- Anyone can go from bottom to top in America. My brothers and I did it!
- Rich is better than poor.
- I no longer buy day-old bread, patch holes w/cardboard, buy gasoline with dimes.
- Meritocracy works! Any attempt to reduce meritocracy harms our country.
- Welfare, DEI, and other forms of redistributive justice lead to good outcomes for the bottom 25% and terrible outcomes for the other 75%.
- Economic growth is more important than economic equality.
Good luck to you!
MEN ARE SO SIMPLE MINDED| Mark Grungor | Men and Women’s Brain – NOTHING BOX (REACTION)
Yes. The box theory.
Will Bangladesh drift closer to China now?
Being friendly to China is a policy formulated by the Bangladesh government out of consideration of national interests.
- Sheikh Hasina fled to India instead of China, which shows that she is pro-India.
- Nobel Prize winner Muhammad Yunus is likely to become the new prime minister of Bangladesh. He is pro-American.
Sheikh Hasina stepped down due to protests, and the most angry person was Indian Prime Minister Modi.
Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India, claimed that the reason for the riots in Bangladesh was the intervention of the US Department of Defense. Because she refused the request of the US Department of Defense, the CIA led the riots in the country.
Specifically, the US military took a fancy to Saint Martin’s Island in Bangladesh and asked Bangladesh to hand over the island to the US military to establish a naval and air base. The US promised to ensure that Hasina would continue to rule Bangladesh.
Sheikh Hasina accuses the US: What’s the significance of St Martin’s Island? | World News – Times of India
South Asia News: Explore the history and geopolitical significance of St Martin’s Island in Bangladesh, including its maritime boundary disputes and strategic location near the Bay of Bengal. Learn about the island’s role in international relations and recent allegations of foreign interference in Bangladeshi politics.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/sheikh-hasina-accuses-the-us-whats-the-significance-of-st-martins-island/articleshow/112446885.cms
Sheikh Hasina hints at US role in ouster: ‘Had I surrendered sovereignty of Saint Martin Island…’
Everyone knows the result of the incident. Starting in June 2024, there were large-scale demonstrations in Bangladesh, which eventually led to Hasina’s escape to India by helicopter.
India has been supporting Sheikh Hasina, who spent years in exile in India after her entire family was assassinated in 1975.
India-Bangladesh relations have shown signs of cooling since Sheikh Hasina’s departure.
According to local Indian media reports, non-essential staff of the Indian High Commission in Bangladesh have been withdrawn after Sheikh Hasina resigned.
Bangladesh is currently led by an interim government led by Nobel Peace Prize winner and economist Muhammad Yunus.
Some Indian news outlets have been claiming that Pakistan and China are behind the protests and have exaggerated the scale of attacks on Hindu minorities following the protests.
But Muhammad Yunus is not pro-China, he is pro-American.
He has close contacts with American politicians and is also the candidate favored by the US State Department for the new prime minister of Bangladesh.
Whether he is pro-American or not can only be known after Muhammad Yunus is formally sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Bangladesh and whether he will hand over St. Martin Island to the US military as a military base.
If the US military establishes a military base on Saint Martin’s Island, the US military will enter the Indian Ocean.
Saint Martin’s Island is very close to Kyaukpyu Port in Myanmar.
Kyaukpyu Port in Myanmar is the port of entry for the China-Myanmar oil and gas pipeline.
The US military can use Saint Martin’s Island to block the entrance of Chinese oil and gas pipelines in the Indian Ocean.
It can be said that the reason why the United States is eager to obtain Saint Martin’s Island is to contain China.
even if Myanmar’s Kyaukpyu Port ceases to operate, China still has Pakistan’s Gwadar Port on the Arabian Sea as an entry point for oil and gas pipelines.
Of course, the country most affected by the establishment of US military bases in the Indian Ocean is still India.
After all, India has always regarded the Indian Ocean as its own backyard, and Indians feel even more threatened by the United States.
Saint Martin Island : Will A US Military Base Threaten India or China? | Indian Defence News
The Varsha nuclear submarine base under construction in India, the headquarters of the Eastern Naval Command of the Indian Navy and the Abdul Kalam Island used for tactical and strategic missile testing are not far from St. Maarten.
Bangladesh’s military strength and military technology are simply not comparable to those of the United States.
If the U.S. military establishes a military base on St. Martin, it will be close to India’s sea-based nuclear deterrent, a major weapons testing facility and naval headquarters, directly touching New Delhi’s major red line.
If the US military establishes a military base on St. Maarten, then the Indian military will have no secrets from the US military, and all Indian military bases are within the coverage of the radar stations and missiles established by the US on St. Maarten.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Naval_Command
Strategic Base for Nuclear Submarines
https://www.spsnavalforces.com/story/?id=505&h=Strategic-Base-for-Nuclear-Submarines
What China loses is commercial interests, and what India loses is defense interests.
by Michael
Now Joe Biden has really done it. By giving the green light to long-range missile strikes deep inside of Russian territory, he has brought us closer to nuclear conflict than ever before. As you will see below, Russian officials have become convinced that “NATO has gone to war with Russia”. I feel like I am watching a slow-motion train wreck that I am powerless to stop. I have been warning about this for so many years, and now it is here. Steve Quayle, Henry Gruver, Dumitru Duduman, Marty Breeden and so many others have also warned America about what is coming. If we stay on the path that we are on, nuclear weapons will be used. Do we really want to go down that road?
The corporate media here in the United States is trying really hard to convince us that Joe Biden’s decision wasn’t really a big deal.
But the Russians sure do think that it was a big deal…
In Moscow, meanwhile, senior lawmaker Leonid Slutsky slammed Mr. Biden, accusing him of deciding “to end his presidential term and go down in history as ‘Bloody Joe’.”
Senator Vladimir Dzhabarov, meanwhile, told Russia’s state-run Tass news agency that Biden’s decision represented “a very big step toward the beginning of the third world war.”
The official newspaper of the Russian state, Rossiyskaya Gazeta, warned “the madmen who are drawing NATO into a direct conflict with our country may soon be in great pain.”
And according to the Washington Post, one former Kremlin official is warning that “Moscow now believes NATO has gone to war with Russia”…
A former Kremlin official told The Washington Post that Moscow now believes NATO has gone to war with Russia and that “they will proceed accordingly.” The official spoke on the basis of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.
That is rather chilling.
Of course that language echoes something that Vladimir Putin said himself back in September…
Putin had personally warned against the eventuality previously, issuing a warning in September that U.S. permission for Ukraine to fire American-supplied long-range missiles at his country, “would mean that NATO countries, the United States, and European countries, are parties to the war in Ukraine.”
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov referenced that previous statement by Putin when he was specifically asked how the Russian government is viewing the latest developments…
“And here the position of our President, the position of the Russian side, was very clearly and unambiguously formulated by our Head of State in his statement that he made in St Petersburg.
“It says everything very clearly. I simply recommend that you read these words of the President once again.”
Wow.
War with Russia is here.
Sergey Markov was asked if Vladimir Putin would actually use nuclear weapons once long-range missiles start falling deep inside Russian territory, and he warned that in a worst case scenario “nuclear war happens before Christmas of this year”…
Asked if Putin would use nuclear missiles in response, Mr Markov said ‘not now’ and said it was more likely that bases in eastern Europe could be hit by smaller, tactical nuclear missiles.
But he added: “I think Biden, Macron and Starmer want escalation which could lead to, from my understanding, in the worst scenario, the nuclear war happens before Christmas of this year.
“Probably you will not be able to say ‘Merry Christmas’ because you will stay in the hole trying to hide away [your] family from the nuclear catastrophe. It can develop very, very quickly.”
Personally, I don’t think that it will happen quite so fast.
But we are definitely on a road that leads to nuclear war.
After Biden’s announcement, U.S. Representative Thomas Massie stated that Biden had just committed an impeachable offense…
By authorizing long range missiles to strike inside Russia, Biden is committing an unconstitutional Act of War that endangers the lives of all U.S. citizens. This is an impeachable offense, but the reality is he’s an emasculated puppet of a deep state.
I agree with Massie 100 percent.
But there won’t be a move to impeach Biden now.
Most Republicans in Congress are way too lily-livered to do anything like that.
Donald Trump Jr. was also horrified by Biden’s decision…
Trump Jr., 46, tweeted that the “military-industrial complex” is trying to undermine his dad before he takes office by pushing the war further into chaos.
“The Military Industrial Complex seems to want to make sure they get World War 3 going before my father has a chance to create peace and save lives,” he tweeted.
Yes, Joe Biden is still in the White House, but this was a decision that Donald Trump should have been allowed to make.
Trump needs to come out and immediately denounce what Biden has done, but if he does that he will be accused of “colluding with Putin” and that is something that Trump very much wants to avoid.
But Trump can’t be concerned about what others will think at this point.
We are literally on the brink of nuclear war, and we are running out of time to reverse course.
In fact, Sweden is so concerned about the possibility of nuclear war that it has “issued five million pamphlets warning its citizens to stockpile food and water”…
Sweden has issued five million pamphlets warning its citizens to stockpile food and water – just hours after Volodymyr Zelensky’s chilling video address to Vladimir Putin warned US missile strikes “will speak for themselves.”
If our leaders had any sense, they would be doing the same thing.
But instead, they keep assuring us that the Russians are bluffing and that they would never actually use nuclear weapons.
In the end, we shall see who was bluffing and who was not.
Interestingly, on Monday it was being reported that Internet cables under the Baltic Sea have been “suddenly disrupted”…
Two undersea internet cables in the Baltic Sea have been suddenly disrupted, according to local telecommunications companies, amid fresh warnings of possible Russian interference with global undersea infrastructure.
A communications cable between Lithuania and Sweden was cut on Sunday morning around 10:00 a.m. local time, a spokesperson from telecommunications company Telia Lithuania confirmed to CNN.
Did the Russians do that?
Were they trying to send us a message?
I just wrote about how vulnerable our undersea Internet cables are last week.
Cutting two cables is not going to disrupt much, but what if the Russians started cutting dozens of cables?
We really are in uncharted territory.
Hopefully cooler heads will prevail, because right now the road that we are on only leads to pain.
Be the Rufus
After Hitler, which dictator was the worst in history?
Hitler wasn’t the worst. My vote goes to Pol Pot. He was the dictator of Cambodia 1976–1978.
His claims to infamy:
- Killed more people in proportion to the size of the nation than any other dictator
- Killed most people in shortest timeframe
- Destroyed the economy of Cambodia
- Destroyed the intelligentsia of Cambodia
- Effectively rendered Cambodia back to the Bronze Age
- Destroyed the infrastructure of Cambodia
- Caused a man-made famine in Cambodia
- Obliterated literacy in Cambodia
- Deurbanized and deindustrialized the country completely
- Sowed the land full of land mines, making 30% of the fields of Cambodia uncultivable
- Founded the largest extermination camps ever and coined the concept “killing fields”.
Finally his ambitions went too far when he attacked Vietnam. The Khmer Rouge military, already starving and badly armed for anything else than terrorizing unarmed people with eyeglasses, collapsed in front of the Vietnamese military (who had just kicked the arses of both USA and China).
Never before has a foreign conqueror been welcomed so heartly than in Cambodia, and never before has a war turned so quickly into a humanitarian rescue operation as in Cambodia.
No Man’s Sky: Brilliant New Update Makes This Game’s Biggest Redemption Story
Shorpy
Are there any non-Han Chinese on Quora?
I am of Hui ethnicity, currently living in Jiangsu Province. My family is a pure-blood Muslim family. My parents’ ancestors came from Jining in Shandong Province and Dangshan in Henan Province, both of which are major Muslim communities in central China.
In addition to that, we also have relatives in Xinjiang and Qinghai, but as the older generations passed away, we have grown distant from these relatives, who live thousands of kilometers away.
My grandfather was an imam in the Xuzhou area. From a young age, I learned a lot about Islam from him. His home was right next to the mosque, so I essentially grew up in the mosque.
Back in the 1980s, the old mosque in Xuzhou had a large courtyard, and I would play there every day after school. I knew all the imams at the mosque, and because I was a good student, they all encouraged me to attend an Islamic college when the time came to choose a university.
Having been brought up in Islamic teachings from a young age, I still follow most of the Islamic practices today, even though I am now in my 40s.
My grandfather, as an imam, maintained a close relationship with the local Han Chinese community. He was not only eager to help Muslims but also willingly assisted Han Chinese people. Sometimes, he would give the beef that Muslims gifted him to some of his poor Han neighbors. If Han Chinese people came to him for help because of poverty, he would even give them money, expecting nothing in return. Because of his kindness, both Hui and Han people respected him.
I still have a photo of him from when he was 90 years old, standing by the mosque’s gate. I remember the gate had calligraphy written in both Chinese characters and Arabic: “Respect Islamic teachings, and love China.”
I believe these memories of mine are a small reflection of the close relationship between Han Chinese and Muslims in China.
While I did not end up attending an Islamic college, I earned dual degrees in sociology and psychology, and eventually became a programmer.
I am aware that in recent years, there have been some tensions between the Hui and Han communities in parts of China. I don’t think these incidents are significant. From a young age, I learned from my grandfather what it means to see both Hui and Han as fellow citizens, looking out for and respecting one another. Therefore, while I respect my own ethnic background, I have never considered Han people to be “different” from me.
Later, I had a child, who is also proud to be Muslim. Every time we travel, he insists on visiting the famous mosques along the way, and he also enjoys reading books about Islam.
However, I believe he should be well-rounded and expand his perspective. In the past few years, I’ve recommended many books from other religions to him—Bible stories, introductions to Catholicism, biographies of Buddha, Buddhist basics, biographies of the Dalai Lama, Taoist texts, Zen writings, and more.
Since my child is free to make his own choices, I’ve shared with him everything I know about Islam, my personal religious experiences, and all the stories about my grandfather. After that, I will respect whatever path he chooses.
Beef Stroganoff Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 (12 ounce) package wide egg noodles
- 2 pounds round or sirloin steak, cut into 1 inch strips
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, in zip top bag
- 1 (16 ounce) package mushrooms, coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 (13 3/4 ounce) can beef broth
- 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
Instructions
- Heat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Place uncooked noodles in a 2 1/2 quart casserole.
- Coat strips of steak with flour by putting a few strips at a time in zip-style bag and shaking well.
- Arrange coated meat on top of noodles.
- Arrange chopped mushrooms evenly over meat.
- Sprinkle the onion, nutmeg, parsley and paprika on top of mushrooms.
- Pour beef broth over entire dish.
- Cover and bake for 1 hour.
- Stir in sour cream, and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
What is the worst job experience you ever had?
Working as an Amazon driver. I had to take a job out of necessity when I lost my longtime job at the start of Covid. I was 45 years old and took a job as a driver for Amazon. On an average day, I would have about 180–185 different stops and about 300–350 packages.
The vans always had something wrong with them. Broken seats, no AC, cracked windows, etc. There are cameras that watch you drive and you get violations for not wearing your seatbelt, looking at your phone, going 6 miles over the speed limit, harsh accelerations, hard breaking, and not coming to complete stops.
I had so many packages that I often could not use the rear or side doors. I had to wiggle out through the drivers door. I would just be tripping over stuff all day because they gave too many packages.
You would often find random bottles of piss in the console, door holders, back, etc. You have so little time to get done, that many drivers don’t eat lunch or take breaks. A lot are forced to pee in bottles so they can finish their routes on time.
And after all of this, at the end of the day…you have to call the dispatcher who will often send you to now go help someone else with their route because they are behind. That is your reward for doing your job well.
I lost 45 pounds working there. Not to mention doing this is the pouring rain, in the 100 degree heat, in the snow. But the worst part for me, was doing all of this in the dark. Trying to find houses and streets on dirt country roads and in the mountains.
We didn’t leave the facility to start until 11am or noon. to start! So in the winter, half of your day is delivering int he dark.
It was the most inhumane job I’ve ever had…and I was in the Army.
My Wife Pulled A Bait-And-Switch About Kids, Said My Son Isn’t Enough, So I’m Filing Divorce…
What meal from your childhood did you dread being served?
We were poor and my mother was a terrible cook so we had a lot of dread, very often. For example, my dad wanted potatoes at almost every meal and my mom had 5 kids and a house so by dinner time, she was always running around as if her head were on fire. Frequently, the potatoes burned before they could be mashed. Didn’t matter. We had to eat them anyway. Food was NEVER thrown away and you could not leave the table until your plate was empty.
On the very rare occasion that milk went sour, we had to drink it anyway. If the oatmeal was burned, we had to eat it anyway. When Uncle Charlie came to visit with a cooler full of fish fillets he just caught off Boston Harbor, we had fish for a week until we were ready to vomit every time we came in the door and smelled it cooking. Oh, and my uncle was not fastidious about deboning.
There were other horrible things we had to eat, such as “church supper” leftovers like a 4 gallon pot of baked beans. I will never eat anything with kidney beans or baked beans again. Even when I was starving in college, truly starving, that orphan can of baked beans stayed in the cabinet. I will never, ever, ever eat chili or baked beans ever again. Here’s a story my brother told me: when he entered Boot Camp for the Army he went down the line and they slapped some fish onto his tray. Naturally, he wanted to throw it away but a Sergeant stood over him until he ate every bite. To his astonishment, the first bite was delicious. He downed the whole thing and had it at every meal. Even the Sergeant was astonished – the fish was garbage. That gives you an example of how bad my mother’s cooking was.
Once, someone gave us some veal. I don’t know how my mother prepared it but after the first bite, I ran to the kitchen sink and vomited. People talk about how great veal is, but whenever I see it or smell it, my stomach turns. I hate veal – and not for emotional reasons. Another of my mother’s favorites was Liver and Onions. When you came home from school and smelled that, you knew your life was ruined. You WANTED to be in Detention. I can’t ever, ever eat that now. Or kidneys. My mother LOVED kidneys. Just the look of them made me want to be sick. We were lucky that my dad hated them so it was a once a year gig to get kidneys. We had a dog then and he really was happy to be under the table – but if we ever got caught wasting food like that it would have been a harsh and severe beating. Food was precious and it was never, ever wasted; burned, rotten or unloved – it had to be eaten or you couldn’t go to bed. I remember my brother sitting at the table one evening until midnight with the swill still on his plate – and then in his breakfast dish the next day. He tried to outlast my dad. He failed. He had to eat that garbage completely.
There were a lot of miserable meals in our home. You ate what was on your plate and you didn’t complain. Both my parents knew the hunger of the Depression and when I went to college and starved, I appreciated their reasoning a lot more.
British Police To Arrest Jimmy Dore Over Twitter Post!
Why is the U.S. heavily reliant on China for many products? Is it possible for the U.S. to stop buying from China and produce these products domestically?
We all know banana publics in South America. Even though we undergo huge inflation, the price of bananas is still relatively low. Yet nobody complains that the US relies on South America for bananas.
So to understand this issue, we must remember that today’s capitalism is the financial monopoly capitalism. The capitalists in the West after five hundred imperialism and colonialism exploiting the Global South, don’t need to produce everything to have a luxurious life. The Global North can just sit on its accumulated huge capital to “finance” the global economy so it can live on interest from the capital. That’s the world economic order after WWII. The US industry was not offshored to China, it offshored first to Japan, then Japan offshored the manufacture to South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, and Hong Kong, and finally the Four Tigers offshored manufacturing to China. This process of offshoring manufacturing has undergone for half a century already.
Since 2008, since Obama, the US has tried hard to bring manufacturing back to the US but filed. If Americans can have white-collar jobs, why let white-collar jobs become blue-collar jobs? In the 1970s, when the US offshored manufacturing to Japan, the US was very happy to celebrate the post-industrial society. The Global North can sit in the office and let the Global South toil in sweat. The Noth-South economic order since WWII has been implemented with Bretton Woods institutions, such as the World Bank, IMF, and WTO.
After China entered WTO, the North-South world order was tropicalized as Made-in-China-Comsumed-in-America. For every dollar of made-in-China one paid in shopping, only fifteen cents go to China, other eighty-five cents go to Japanese patents, European design, American brands of marketing and logistics, and retail services. The US went to post-industrial service when the service GDP was higher than the manufacturing GDP. Today,
Capital floods in Fintech, technology advancement is first used in finance and military industry. See the green portion at the upper-right corner of the graph above? it includes the military industry.
Service is hard to offshore. One cannot use other countries’ transport for transit, and going to other countries for health services is rare. If the US can offshore service, it will, such as offshoring telemarketing to India and the Philippines.
When Americans consume, they pay more for financial services than for real goods and services. When they visit doctors, they pay more for insurance services than the medicine and doctors. When using a car for 20 years, they pay more for insurance than the purchase of the car. American consumers cannot escape the financial services, the insurance, the mortgage, etc. That’s financial monopoly capitalism.
It is letting the Global South do the labor, don’t blame the Global South for “stealing the jobs”. You cannot eat the pie and have the pie. You cannot keep the jobs without doing the jobs.
After the failures of onshoring manufacturing, the US resorted to nearshore. Such as NAFTA to have manufacturing in Mexico. The US also resorts to friendly shoring, and encourages imports from ASEAN and India. But what’s the difference? The manufacturing is not going back to the US, and it is China’s turn, following Japan and the Four Tigers, to offshore its manufacture to India and ASEAN.
The US cannot help but feed the greed of Wall Street and the military-industrial complex. It is capitalism, The political system is by the capital, for the capital, and of the capital. It is the capitalist system and the capital become monopoly.
14 Year Old Killer Thinks He’s Going Home
https://youtu.be/sBZpcEQJT6A
Many Hong Kong buildings (particularly residential apartments and hotels) have hollow, open floors that look like a big hole halfway up the building. Is there a functional reason for this or is it cultural?
The fire safety laws in Hong Kong state that buildings of 40 floors or higher are required to have a “refuge floor” built, and for every 25 floors thereafter another refuge floor is required. A refuge floor is basically an open, empty floor with bare minimum structures, and a fire sprinkler system.
The purpose of these refuge floors is to act as a safe refuge for people to escape from fire and to gather there awaiting rescue. Another purpose of these floors is to act as a void between floors to prevent, or at least slow down, the spread of fire from lower floors to higher floors.
If you are talking about the vertical holes in some of the buildings in Hong Kong, then they are not refuge floors. Some of them are part of the architectural design, some of them are there for Fung Shuǐ reasons, and some have the specific purpose of preventing the “screen barrier effect” – whereby the width of buildings are so wide that they act like a screen barrier and obstruct light and air flow in the area. Some also have a hole in them to minimise the effect of wind force on the building during a typhoon.
Edit 20/9/2019: After replying to a comment from Mr. Faraone, I have added this to my answer.
Fung Shui Myth:
The hole in the building in the above image was designed specifically so that the passages of the “dragons” flying from the sea towards the hills behind, and vice versa, are not blocked. Apparently the building was built bang in the middle of the passage of the dragons and without that hike their passages would be blocked.
What are some particularly creative ways that students cheat?
In Fall 2009, Professor James Simpson of Harvard University was assigned to interview Harvard senior Adam Wheeler for his Fulbright Program application.
The Fulbright Program is an extremely competitive and prestigious fellowship program. The program pays for the selected American citizens to conduct research, study, or teach abroad. Each year, 8000 Americans receive a Fulbright grant. Recipients range from students to professional scientists and artists. Fulbright alumni have collectively won dozens of Nobel and Pulitzer Prizes.
Student applicants to the Fulbright get nominated by their school before moving on to the national level. In Wheeler’s case, this meant he had to clear the superstars at Harvard.
Before their interview, Professor Simpson looked over Wheeler’s application. It was extremely impressive. Wheeler was the author of multiple books (some in collaboration with Harvard professors), a lecturer at six academic events, a creator of Harvard courses, and a brilliant student with a nearly perfect GPA and glowing recommendations.
Simpson moved on to the personal statement. But something was off. The writing felt… familiar. After a bit of digging, Simpson found what he was looking for. Harvard professor Steven Greenblatt’s piece from Essays on General Education in Harvard College.
The piece matched almost exactly with Wheeler’s Fulbright essay. Simpson quickly called Harvard’s chair of the Fulbright nomination committee. Wheeler was notified, and he quickly and quietly left Harvard.
From there, Wheeler’s story unraveled. The personal statement wasn’t the only thing faked in his Fulbright application. The GPA was fake.
Wheeler’s records on Harvard official showed that he had transferred from MIT at the beginning of sophomore year. Due to a rocky start with a D-plus in his first semester, Wheeler had just over 3.6 GPA at the time of his Fulbright application.
Wheeler’s self-reported transcript for his Fulbright application.
Wheeler’s self-reported transcript claimed a 3.99 GPA after three years at Harvard. He had only been at the school for two.
The recommendations were fabricated. The books were never written. The lectures never happened.
But it didn’t stop there.
David Smith, Wheeler’s resident Dean, and Jay Ellison, then head of Harvard’s Ad Board (which handles cheating) continued looking. He checked the rest of Wheeler’s file. Wheeler’s Harvard forms listed his birth year as 1987. Wheeler’s passport read 1986.
As Smith kept searching, everything about Wheeler’s identity fell apart.
On Wheeler’s application to Harvard, the transcript was fake.
The perfect SAT scores. Fake.
His resume. Fake.
The 16 AP exams. Fake.
Adam Wheeler had never even been a student at MIT.
Wheeler hadn’t even stopped after the Fulbright incident. After he left Harvard, Wheeler had applied to Stanford and Yale. Smith was notified.
Eventually, Harvard’s Police Department took over from Smith and Ellison, trekking through the web of Wheeler’s lies. Prosecutor John Verner, in early May, decided there was sufficient evidence to charge Wheeler with 20 criminal counts, including identity fraud, falsifying approval, pretending to hold a degree, and larceny.
Later that month, Adam Wheeler was arrested in his home state of Delaware.
Russia’s final warning to NATO – you’ll get your war, but it’ll be over in 15 minutes
Drago Bosnic, independent geopolitical and military analyst
We are inches away froma global thermonuclear war. And no, this isn’t a meaningless, overused catchphrase. Quite the contrary, it’s as serious as it gets. We have reached a historical boiling point. At no other time in human history have we been closer to the scenario of annihilation, not even during the so-called “Cuban” Missile Crisis. It should really be called “Turkish” or something along those lines. And it’s important to note that we’re not digressing from the topic by mentioning this.
Namely,the mainstream propaganda machine just loves maintaining its narrativesthat essentiallywhitewash the political Westand denigrate the actual world. This is why the fact that the United States initiated the “Cuban” Missile Crisis by deploying nuclear-tipped missiles in Italy and Turkey back in 1961 (although some sources claim it was as early as 1959) is ever so “conveniently” forgotten. The USSR waited a full year (at the very least) to respond by placing its own missiles in Cuba.
Thus, it’s perfectly clear who initiated that confrontation. And yet, as previously mentioned, modern historiography remembers the event as the “Cuban” Missile Crisis, sending a subliminal message that it was initiated by the Soviet Union and Cuba. Why is this important? Because the same people are now telling us that Russia “escalated” the NATO-orchestrated Ukrainian conflict by “firing missiles at a democratic Ukraine”,once again “forgetting” to mention the preceding events.
Namely, as we all know,the political West gave the Neo-Nazi junta the go-aheadto use long-range missiles against targets deeper within Russia.
And they just did.
In the last two days, approximately a dozen ATACMS and “Storm Shadow”/SCALP-EG missiles have been used (on the same day Moscowupdated its nuclear doctrine, mind you).
So, how did the “evil Kremlin”, led by the “crazy, bloodthirsty tyrant Putin”, respond to this?
Well, not with nukes, as we’re still here, even though the doctrine allows it.
However, Russia did fire what is technically an ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile).This marks the first time such a weapon was used in a conflict. And while ICBMs normally carry thermonuclear warheads, this one was conventionally armed. To better understand what sort of weapon this is, we have to go back a decade or so, specifically to the RS-26 “Rubezh” program that was supposed to deter NATO’s crawling aggression in Europe and the post-Soviet space.
Namely, the RS-26 was envisaged as the successor tothe formidable RSD-10 “Pioneer” IRBM(intermediate-range ballistic missile). Essentially a shortened version of the three-stage RS-24 “Yars” ICBM, with one stage removed (and some other modifications), the RS-26 had a shorter range, but was no less deadly. In fact, it carried more powerful warheads than the “Pioneer” (at least four 300 kt instead of the latter’s three 150 kt ones), while also being more accurate and impossible to intercept.
This enabled it to target even massive underground command centers or any other high-priority targets across NATO-occupied Europe. However, there was a (geo)political problem with the RS-26. Namely,it was made at a time when the INF Treaty was still in force(banning all missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 km). So, for the RS-26 to formally comply with this, it had to have a range greater than 5,500 km. Otherwise, it would violate the INF Treaty and be designated as an IRBM.
To avoid this, it was designed to achieve a maximum range of 5,800 km, just enough to be designated as an ICBM. However, this created another problem, as it affected the New START treaty. Namely, this would force Russia to reduce the number of its, so to speak, “purebred” ICBMs such as “Yars”, R-36M2 “Voevoda” andRS-28 “Sarmat”. As a result, in 2011, the program was postponed for a period after 2027, with most resources diverted to the development ofRussia’s new hypersonic weapons.
However,on August 2, 2019, the US unilaterally withdrew from the INF Treatyand started developingpreviously banned intermediate and medium-range missiles, prompting Russia to respond. These programs accelerated significantly after the start of the special military operation (SMO), resulting in new designs, as well asmassive improvements to the existing ones. However, we still didn’t hear almost anything about the RS-26, indicating that the program might have even been scrapped altogether.
But, onApril 12 this year, Moscow tested an “unnamed ICBM”. To this day, the Russian military is yet to publicly reveal the exact type of the missile launched that day. At the time,I argued that the missile was actually the RS-26, as it had striking similarities with the previously mentioned RS-24 that the “Rubezh” was actually based on, including the way it conducted wobbling maneuvers designed to confuse NATO’s ABM (anti-ballistic missile) systems, making it virtually impossible to intercept.
For seven months, no news came through about this “mysterious ICBM”. Until the early hours of November 21, that is. Initially, the Russian military didn’t reveal what missile it was, letting NATO contemplate what to do next. However, the “mysterious ICBM” was soon not only uncovered, but actually named – “Oreshnik” (“Hazel” in Russian). However, solid information about the missile is extremely scant, fueling all sorts ofspeculation, wild guessing and outright misinformation.
For instance, the Pentagon insists the missile that hit Dnepropetrovsk was fired from Kapustin Yar, a testing site in the Astrakhan oblast (region) in southern Russia, located over 1000 km to the east. This distance is too short for an ICBM, raising questions about the veracity of the US military’s claims. Then, videos from Kazakhstan emerged,specifically over the city of Satbayev, which is 1,500 km to the east of Kapustin Yar. Even more interestingly, some 450 km to the southeast lies Sary Shagan.
This place is home to one of the largest and most important missile test sites in the former Soviet Union, with the Russian military still using it extensively, including during the aforementioned April 12 test. It’s simply impossible to see “Oreshnik” fly over Satbayev if it was fired from Kapustin Yar to Dnepropetrovsk. However, it’s certainly possible that the missile was fired from Sary Shagan. Still, NATO doesn’t want to reveal that it flew nearly 2,400 km beforehitting its targets with pinpoint precision.
Even more interestingly,videos over Satbayev also show that the missile is wobbling and maneuveringjust like the “mysterious ICBM” tested on April 12, further reinforcing the notion that the “Oreshnik” could actually be a conventionally armed “Rubezh”. In addition, its maximum range exceeds 5,000 km, which puts virtually all of Europe in range. And indeed, it makes little sense to get a completely new missile if you have the “Rubezh”, as it’s already a largely finished product.
Technically speaking, there are several possibilities when it comes to the “Oreshnik”. First, it doesn’t even have to be a regular missile and could be some sort of MaRV (maneuverable reentry vehicle), MIRV (multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle), HGV (hypersonic glide vehicle), etc. or perhaps even a hybrid, with the “Rubezh” being the primary missile carrier. The “Rubezh” itself can already carry the“Avangard”, so if the “Oreshnik” is an HGV, it shouldn’t be a problem for the “Rubezh” to deploy it.
Another possibility isthat the “Oreshnik” is a completely new missile(not necessarily ballistic, but likely a more advanced hypersonic, maneuvering weapon) that has its own MIRV/MaRV/HGV warheads. There are no definite claims about this at present, simply because very little is publicly known about it. However, personally, I am more inclined to believe that the “Oreshnik” is a conventionally armed HGV that can be carried by nuclear-capable ICBM/IRBMs like the RS-26 “Rubezh”.
The reason is quite simple, because why would someone make something completely new when they already have a finished project that can immediately go into production (the “Rubezh” uses the same production lines as the “Yars”)? This reinforces the notion that the RS-26 is a highly modular design which can be equipped with various types of warheads, including conventional ones. It also harkens back toPresident Putin’s vision of Russia’s strategic preemptive strike capabilities.
One more thing that should be noted about the “Oreshnik” is that it was certainly an overkill against the Neo-Nazi junta. Russia’s moretactical and operational level missiles could’ve easily conducted this. However, given the fact that Moscow is faced withthe increasingly delusional and aggressive West, it just had to demonstrate its firepower, prompting Putin to authorize the long-range strike on Dnepropetrovsk. This is a particularly important message to both the US and EU/NATO.
In terms of the functioning of the missile’s warhead, the available footage shows at least 30 smaller projectiles divided into five groups (six in each). The lack of visible detonations (althoughat least one was seen) suggests these are probably advanced kinetic penetrators capable of annihilating heavily defended and dug-in positions.This means that any NATO base anywhere in Europe and/or elsewhere would be in range, but Russia wouldn’t need to rely on its thermonuclear arsenal to deter aggression.
Source:InfoBrics
Some MISC pictures for fun enjoyment
Key European NATO Bases in Reach of Russia’s Oreshnik Hypersonic Missile
In his remarks unveiling the Oreshnik missile system on Thursday, President Vladimir Putin warned that Moscow reserves the right “to use our weapons against military facilities of those countries that allow using their weapons against our facilities.”
Russia’s new Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile has a 2.5-3 km/s flight speed, a 1-1.2 ton payload, is equipped with multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles, and is designated as an intermediate-range missile, which means a firing range of up to 5,500 km. During its test combat deployment against a Ukrainian military-industrial target Thursday, the Oreshnik was thought to have traveled 1,000 km or more to Dnepropetrovsk from Russia’s Astrakhan region.
Here are some key NATO facilities within reach of the new hypersonic intermediate-range missile:
Eastern Europe
Poland
Lask Air Base (home topermanentUS Air Force detachment)
Forward Operating Sites Powidz, Zagan and Poznan (US Armyweapons and equipment storage)
US Army Garrison Poland (V Corps Forward HQ), Poznan
Redzikowo Base (home to USAegis Ashore missile defense site)
Estonia
Amari Air Base (situated in Harjumaa, northern Estonia; deemedkeyfor NATO “air policing” operations over the Baltic Sea)
Latvia
Selonia Military Training Area (toutedas the largest NATO training camp in the Baltic)
Lithuania
Rudninkai Military Base (future home of Germany’sfirst permanent base abroad; set to station some 5,000 Bundeswehr troops when completed)
Romania
Deveselu Military Base (anotherUS Aegis Ashore site)
Mihail Kogalniceanu Military Base (NATO’seasternmost base in Europe, home to US Army Area Support Group Black Sea regional command)
Bulgaria
Bezmer Air Base (key potential storage site for US long range aircraft)
Novo Selo Range (major NATO training base)
Graf Ignatievo Air Base
Kosovo
Camp Bondsteel (set up in 1999 after the NATO bombardment of Yugoslavia and occupation of Kosovo.Largest US base in the Balkans)
Map showing showing rough locations of major US and NATO army bases, air and naval facilities throughout Europe.
© Sputnik
Northern Europe
Finland
Mikkeli (future homeof NATO Multi Corps Land Component Command HQ, as little as 150 km from Russian border)
Sweden
Karlskrona Naval Base (key to NATO calculationsfor establishing total controlof the Baltic Sea)
Western Europe
Germany
Home to by far the largest US garrison in Europe and the second-largest US deployment abroad, besides Japan. Home to some 35,000 troops and support personnel.
Ramstein Air Base (largest US and NATO air base in Europe, key to US operations in the region and Middle East, including theonce secret US drone program)
Spangdahlem Air Base
NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen
Buchel Air Base (stores US nukes)
US Army Garrison Ansbach
US Army Garrison Bavaria
US Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz
US Army Garrison Stuttgart
US Army Garrison Wiesbaden
Belgium
US Army Garrison Benelux
Kleine Brogel Air Base (stores US nukes)
Netherlands
Volkel Air Base (stores US nukes)
Italy
Another key US garrison country in Europe. Jumping off and/or transit point for US and NATO military operations in the Middle East and North Africa, including the2011 aerial aggressionagainst Libya, whichtriggereda wave of migrants and refugees flooding into Europe via Italy.
Aviano Air Base (stores US nukes)
Ghedi Air Base
Naval Air Station Sigonella, Sicily
Naval Support Activity Naples (HQ of US 6th Fleet)
US Army Garrison Italy
Greece
Naval Support Activity Souda Bay, Crete
UK
Royal Air Force Lakenheath
Royal Air Force Mildenhall
Royal Air Force Alconbury/Molesworth
Royal Air Force Croughton, Fairford, Welford (common stopoversite for US strike and strategic bomber aircraft)
Royal Air Force High Wycombe (RAF HQ)
Portsmouth Naval Base (home to two-thirds of Royal Navy’s surface fleet)
Spain
Rota Naval Base (permanent home to six US missile destroyers). Key strategic facility for US operations in the Mediterranean Sea.
Moron Air Base
Portugal
Lajes Air Base, Azores Islands (key NATO transatlantic logistical hub, targetable if Oreshnik can be redeployed from Astrakhan region to new launch locations somewhere west of Moscow)
温泉女子】カメがいるお座敷露天風呂から熱湯甲子園 コスパ最強鄙び宿【限定版は概要欄】渋温泉郷シリーズVol.2
This is a girl in Japan going eating, and taking a public bath in Japan. I like it because it is almost like you are there and experiencing it for yourself. A nice escape and adventure. No sexual anything. Just wholesome stuff.
(If you want the “sexy stuff” you can join her fanclub. It’s a mix of Japanese kinds of stuff. Not to my liking, but you all might want to go down that rabbit hole.)
UPDATED 7:43 PM EST — EXPLOSIONS IN KURSK AND IN ROSTOV, RUSSIA . . . CLAIM: ATACMS — AGAIN
Since about 3:00 PM eastern US time today, Saturday 23 Nov 2024, reports have been coming in saying there have been numerous explosions in Kursk, Russia. Those reports **claim** American-supplied ATACMS were used by Ukraine — again.
Other reports say “it may be Drones.”
Additional reports are also coming in claiming explosions in Rostov-on-Don, Russia.
I have received video of what is purported to be a residential area of Kursk, Russia, and the video clearly shows large flashes of light and the loud boom of a significant explosion. So the reports of “explosions” in Kursk seem to be true.
There is no official verification (yet) that the weapons used were ATACMS. I am endeavoring to grab the latest Intel on this, and will report what I find out; but here we are at 5:33 PM EST and for the past two and a half hours, multiple, consistent, reports are saying it WAS American-supplied ATACMS.
It was just two days ago that Russia responded to a different ATACMS strike, by launching a brand new ORENSHNIK Intermediate-Range Missile against Ukraine’s city of Dnipro.
If, in fact, Ukraine is once against hitting Russia with ATACMS, then clearly they didn’t learn any lesson at all from being hit with an ICBM and a larger act of retribution/deterrence might have to be delivered by the Russians.
How fast that may take place is anyone’s guess.
UPDATE 7:43 PM EST —
The explosions in Kursk ARE confirmed. It was a Ukrainian attack.
According to the Governor of Kursk, 27 Ukrainian UAVs and two “missiles” were shot down over the Kursk region.
No word on what type of “missiles.”
Ingredients
- 4 to 6 large bell peppers
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 (20 ounce) can whole tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups cooked rice
- 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
- Grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cut tops off bell peppers and remove seeds. Parboil in salted, boiling water for 4 minutes. Drain and cool.
- Brown meat in skillet with onion. Drain oil.
- Add tomatoes that have been mashed.
- Add Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Add rice. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat.
- Add Cheddar cheese, stirring until melted and well blended.
- Stuff mixture into peppers.
- Top with Parmesan cheese.
- Bake at 350 degrees F about 20 minutes or until hot.
Notes
If freezing peppers, do not bake. Wrap individually and place in a large freezer bag. Thaw well before baking.
When did you realize that your childhood was not normal?
I never had this big “aha” moment where it dawned on me all at once. But I’d say I first realized something really wasn’t right when I was around 9 or 10 years old. That’s about the age I started making friends on my own, spending time at other people’s houses without my parents also being around, etc. It was hard not to notice the differences between my house and most of my friends’ houses.
I saw parents who not only loved each other but openly expressed affection for one another. The fathers actually seemed to want to be home with their wives and kids. They certainly didn’t have random women in their lives that they openly dated and carried on with in front of their children.
Meanwhile, the mothers seemed to genuinely enjoy being mothers and to love their kids. They didn’t sit around all day pouting and drinking, alternating between ignoring their children and either yelling at them or criticizing every little thing about them. Instead, they were fun, and happy, and pretty, and generous. They smiled. They laughed. They had little busy things they liked to do with their spare time.
My friends’ mothers would even invite me to help them in the kitchen or sit and watch cooking shows with them in the mornings if I spent the night and happened to be up early. Their eyes would light up when they smiled at me. I had the impression that they genuinely liked me and enjoyed being with me. And when they’d tell me I was a pleasure to have in their homes and that I was welcome anytime, I could tell they meant it.
That’s also around the time I started lying and making up stories about how things were at home when asked about it by other people.
For example, we were always being given school assignments that required us to write about things like what our families liked to do together over the holidays or special things we did with each of our parents as far as quality time. I realized these were things that were supposed to be happening in family homes or else we wouldn’t be asked to write about them.
I also assumed the whole situation with my parents clearly not liking each other (or me) was somehow my fault, I was ashamed, and I didn’t want my teachers to know about it. So, I’d write about things my friends did with their parents as if it were me and my parents instead. Sometimes I’d just invent complete fictions that I thought sounded good — whatever I thought would make us seem normal.
And I lied to my friends, too. Like, I remember this one incident where I got a really high score on a big test — only one answer wrong — and my best friend at the time insisted my parents were going to buy me something or throw me a party to celebrate because that’s what her parents would do.
What actually happened when I showed my mother the test was she grilled me about the one wrong answer, demanding to know why I didn’t get all the answers right. So, I wasn’t praised for doing well. I was scolded for doing badly. But when I got back to school on Monday and my friends asked what kind of reward my parents treated me to over the weekend, I lied and said they threw me a giant pizza party and bought me a bunch of presents. I was too ashamed to tell them what had really happened.
Because before all this, I just thought my home and family were normal. I thought it was normal for parents not to love each other and to low-key hate their kids. I thought it was normal to just want to spend all your time alone in your room reading, and drawing, and writing, and retreating into your imagination because trying to connect with your family instead just made you feel… bad.
To this day, it’s still hard for me to think of parenthood as anything other than a waking nightmare to be avoided at all costs. There’s a part of me that will probably always worry that my parents were right to feel the way they did, to be so miserable, and to blame it on their kids. (I, unsurprisingly, never wanted children myself or had any. I didn’t want to wind up like my mom.)
As an adult, I naturally get that those things weren’t normal or healthy on any level. I logically know the situation at home between my parents wasn’t my fault and that it was very wrong of them to ever allow me to feel like it was. I also came to realize that my friends’ parents and families had problems and secrets of their own — huge ones, in some cases. They just weren’t airing out their dirty laundry in front of guests or anything.
But it’s still weird to think back on. That was a very confusing period in my life during which I felt pretty isolated and very confused. I thought I was literally the only kid in the world dealing with anything like that.
It was both a relief and a disappointment to find out that I wasn’t. I was relieved to know that I wasn’t alone and that I was far from the only kid who grew up in a dysfunctional home or had emotionally unavailable parents. But I missed believing in the fairytale that there was such a thing as a perfect family or a household where everyone got along 100 percent of the time.
Submitted into Contest #247 in response to: Set your story on a spaceship exploring the far reaches of space when something goes wrong.… view prompt
Raven Rhodes
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 (5 1/2 ounce) package risotto mix with garden vegetables
- 1 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
- 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- Prepare risotto mix according to package directions.
- Meanwhile in a large nonstick skillet, brown ground beef, mushrooms, bell pepper and garlic over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes or until beef is no longer pink, breaking beef up into small crumbles.
- Pour off drippings.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Stir risotto into beef mixture.
- Sprinkle with cheese and basil.
Is your last day as a police officer (before retirement) uneventful?
My last day as a police officer was June 10, 2010. I had been a member of the police department for 33 years.
On my last day I went to work at 8:00 AM, and soon after my arrival several officers came into my office to congratulate me on my retirement and to wish me luck and health. They were joined by some of the civilian staff, and a few sergeants and other commanders.
I didn’t get a lick of work done. You’d have thought I was giving out lottery tickets.
By about 10:00 AM the chief came in and shooed everyone out of my office. My chief (Mike) was a very large man, the very picture of an old time Irish American cop, with a heart of gold and a sense of humor the size of the solar system.
When he chased everyone else out of the office, he closed my door, and turned around to face me. He had tears in his eyes. He gave me a big hug (he was not capable of small hugs), and he kissed me on my left cheek.
Then he said, “This will always be your house.”
And then he said, “Now get the hell out of here.”
Mike made my last day eventful. He died a year later, and I miss him terribly.
What are some of the most famous unsolved mysteries?
The mystery of Simpson’s predictions:
- Simpsons predicted the famous Siegfried and Roy tiger attack.
Simpsons predicted that a friendly white tiger would attack two brothers when they perform in a show. The episode was telecast in 1993 and the Siegfried and Roy tiger attack happened in 2003 .
2. Simpsons predicted Facetime in 1995
Even before the internet became essential, The Simpsons telecasted a episode featuring Homer Simpson speaking with his wife visually. Apple introduced Facetime in 2010.
3. The Simpsons predicted faulty voter machines used in the 2012 US President elections
When Homer tries to vote for Barack Obama, the vote falls to John McCain. The incident turned out to be true in the elections of 2012 where Mitt Romney was the competitor for Barack Obama.
4. The Simpsons predicted the mass of Higgs Boson particle and thus discovered the existence of the God’s particle:
In the episode “ The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace” aired in 1998, Homer Simpson is a inventor and is shown to be solving an equation. That equation predicts the nano mass of Higgs Boson which was discovered in 2012.
5. The Simpsons predicted the NSA spying scandal:
In 2007, The Simpsons predicted that US people are being spied by the NSA. In that episode Marge Simpson says to her daughter that the government does not listen to anybody’s conversation. At that time a humanoid seems to record the information. The NSA spying scandal was revealed on 2013.
6. The Simpsons predicted the possibility of Outbreak of Ebola virus in America:
The Simpsons telecasted in 1997 about Ebola virus which was not popular till the 2013 Ebola virus Outbreak in America
7. The Simpsons predicted the FIFA corruption Scandal:
In March 2014, The Simpsons predicted the FIFA Corruption Scandal which was actually found out in 2015. They also predicted the finals of World Cup 2014 and the possibility of future world cup being held in a desert. The desert is Qatar where the 2022 world cup is going to take place.
8. The Simpsons predicted the Disney’s take over of 20th Century Fox:
Predicted in 1998 and happened in 2017
9. The Simpsons predicted the 9/11 attack:
This one might be a coincidence but the 9$ and the silhouette of the World Trade Center resembling 11 gives an eerie feel.
10. The Simpsons predicted the Syrian uprising:
The Syrian uprising was also talked about in the Simpsons way before it already happened.
The Simpsons also predicted the 3 eyed fish from the Japanese nuclear waste, Lady Gaga Superbowl show, The shard in London , Smart watches and many other events.
Thus, Matt Groening ( The creator of The Simpsons) is the ultimate and unsolved human prodigy.
Edit: Dipyaman Uzir and User-11191801878614068370 asked me about The Simpsons predicting the Trump as president in 2016 US elections. I have searched in the internet about this and here’s what I found.
The Simpsons predicted it 50% right. I say it because,
- The Simpsons predicted Trump in 2015, not in 2000 in the episode “Trumpastic Voyage” which was telecasted after Trump announced his presidential nomination.
- In 2000, The Simpsons telecast an episode “Bart to the future” where a joke about Trump becoming the president in the future is mentioned. Since Donald Trump was flirting with the idea of making a presidential run in 1999, this is a solved mystery.
- However the prediction about the electoral map still remains a mystery. The electoral map predicts the map for Mitt Romney but it became true for Donald Trump.
Sources:
- Siegfried and Roy Tiger Attack | Reader’s Digest
- US election 2012: voting machine ‘changes vote for Barack Obama to Mitt Romney’
- How Homer Simpson discovered the Higgs boson early
- NSA spying scandal: what we have learned
- West African Ebola virus epidemic – Wikipedia
- Did Homer Simpson predict the FIFA corruption scandal?
- ‘The Simpsons’ Predicted Trump Presidential Bid?
It is coming.
Listen to me. This is REAL.
