Yesterday evening, I was informed, that my second cousin on my mothers side, has been remanded into custody pending fraud charges. He scammed some elderly people for a pretty huge amount, and the custody is until the 23rd of December, and after that he goes to trial.
Now let me be clear: I hate criminals - even if it's a part of my extended family. Growing up with the guy, he was not the kind of person, I would EVER suspect of growing up to be involved in this sort of situation. At all. But I should have seen it coming, because about eight years ago, he was arrested for stealing a car. We were, of course, VERY disappointed in him, which we told him. The following years, it escalated into being involved with the wrong crowd. I had conversations with him regarding that, and he told me, that he was in the process of turning his life around, but it was hard. It all culminated in an assault at a soccer match last year. He didn't do the assault, but his friend did. Who did that friend assault? My brother. Naturally, my brother lashed out, and once my second cousin came back from buying beer (they were spectators, not playing), my brother told my second cousin what had happened. This is where my second cousin made the ultimate betrayal, in my eyes: He believed his friend over my brother. His family. It all ended with a trial, where my brother ended up winning the case. Since then, my second cousin has not been welcome at all to any family gatherings. I suspect he will not be welcome at all now. In my family, once you are just the least bit involved with ANY crime what so ever, from shoplifting to fraud, you are out. We are very welcoming, but if you mess up, you are out. Completely. What makes it worse, is that my second cousins mother lives in the apartment below where I live, making it VERY awkward, because she is the only person supporting him at the moment.
I really hope he gets punished to the fullest extend of the law. Unfortunately, the laws in Denmark are VERY soft. Fraud triggers a max sentence of a year and six months. Severe cases of fraud triggers eight years. Life in prison here is 12 years. It makes no sense, but I am not a law maker. I just wish the sentences were longer.
The next family reunion will be VERY awkward.
Today, I got the urge to buy all the remaining gifts for Christmas.. Well, I am still missing my mom's gift, but my sister and I decided to split that gift between us, since I am almost broke. I know, we are two days into the month, but it's expensive buying Christmas gifts. Especially since I have to buy FIVE gifts. That really messes up my budget. I could plan ahead and save up, so I could give the best gifts ever.. I might actually do that starting next year. Yes, that's a plan! 500 a month for 12 months is 6000. For that I can give some pretty big gifts. And it gets even easier doing that, when I am starting the training part of my education. I will be paid double of what I am now, and if I can somehow get a rent that is below 2000 a month, I could EASILY save up at least 1500 a month. Times that by 12, and you have.. One sec.. Calculator time.. Talk among yourselves.. So 1500 times twelve is.. 18.000.. Oh boy for that I could give HUGE gifts.. But in the end, it's the thought that counts. And I am usually good at finding cheap gifts that hit the mark dead on. Like the time I went to my cousin's wedding. I lived in Scotland at the time, so I thought "wouldn't it be ace to give them a plot of land in Scotland, as well as granting them the title of Lord and Lady of Glencoe?".. So I did just that, and it hit the mark for real!
Anyway, I did also buy some food, that I need to prepare tomorrow. I bought two kilos of minced pork/beef, that I will mix with some spices to create, at least according to me, the best tasting meatballs - ever! Oh BOY it's gonna be AMAZING! And the fact that I have half a baguette in the kitchen somewhere makes it the best lunch - EVER! A meatball baguette - with mayo, lettuce, some cucumber and freshly fried meatballs! Oh wow I should open up a sandwich shop (or a sarnie shop, as they say in the UK). Apart from that mince and the spices, I also bought a lasagna, that you just have to pop in the oven. And I have pizza bases, fish fillets and chicken burger patties in the freezer, so I should be good for at least 20 days. Plus I have a LOAD of pasta I can boil, if I get really boring. And rice.. In bags.. Because for the life of me, I CANNOT boil rice if they are loose.. But other than that, I guess I am pretty good in a kitchen.. I just need to learn how to cook some more challenging stuff.. Like a beef wellington. Never had that before, but it sounds delish!
One more thing: I had a look at how close I am to finding my own place, and I am currently number 1001. I was at number 999 yesterday, so it keeps fluctuating, which is fine. It gives me more time to save up for the deposit. I need 10.040 for the deposit, plus 4481 for the first months rent, and the rent for where I am now, making the grand total 17.961.. My goal now is to save up so I have 20.000 on my savings account, which hopefully is doable. Otherwise, I will have to ask my family if they can help with the rest of what I need. Hopefully they say yes, but they know I really want to leave this place I am at now..
But for now, I will suck it up and stay put. And make sure I save up as much as I can!
Today, I ventured into the unknown and did half of my Christmas gift shopping. I bought two gift cards - one for my brother and one for my sister. Now I just need to buy for my niece and my mother, and then I am pretty much done. I also bought myself some cookies, some candy and other stuff, so I will be pretty set for a while. I did also buy some food, but I need to venture out again tomorrow to buy even more food! I have bought enough to last me 2 weeks, since I don't eat a lot. I just don't feel like it at the moment. It's not that I am sick, I am just not hungry.
But hopefully I will be able to get me a fantastic baguette, some chicken, bacon, lettuce and some curry mayo. That way I can make the BEST sandwich - ever! For real!
Life here is pretty much as dull as it can be. December is usually a very busy month, but not this year. Maybe the month will pick back up soon. If it does, I am READY to face it HEAD ON like the proud viking I am.
It'll be fun!
Yesterday, I was bored, so I watched three films back to back. Mosul, A Man Apart and The Last Runway. Let's begin with Mosul!
What is it about? It's set in the Iraqi city of Mosul, at the height of the ISIS regime, and we follow a small Iraqi swat team, in their efforts to fight back against the terrorist movement. All the actors are Iraqi or Arabic, meaning that this film is in Arabic, with very few English phrases. The movie is filled with fantastic moments, and it also has a fair amount of blood and gore. If you like foreign films, give this a watch. Just do me a favor: Watch it in the original language with subtitles for the best experience.
Next up is A Man Apart, starring Vin Diesel as Sean, an ex-gang banger turned DEA special agent, who busts a drug lord on Mexican soil. However, retaliation is swift, and after a tragic event, Sean digs deep into his past and unleashes justice his own way. This is an old fashioned revenge action flick, with decent performances by Diesel and his co-stars, and it's worth a watch on a Sunday morning, when you don't have anything else to do. It's not bad, but it's not good either. It's a middle of the road typical American revenge flick, with some explosions and shootouts, and a plot that is pretty solid.
So that leads me to the last film on today's blog: The Last Runway (or Leal, solo hay una forma de vivir), if we have to get specific. After a series of embarrassing attempts at busting a drug lord, a former Colonel, Fernandez, is appointed Minister of the National Anti-Drug Agency (SENAD). He purges the special forces, and starts from scratch to fight the first of many battles against the drug trafficking on the border of Paraguay and Argentina. As with Mosul, this film is in a different language than English. It is Spanish this time, which makes the movie super fun to watch. It has everything: Action, comedy and a fair bit of good music as well. The main villain is.. Not very threatening, however his brother is. He comes across as someone with a VERY short fuse, not something you want while running a drug smuggling ring. But the movie DOES get credit for being very inventive with the camera angles.
Grade time! Mosul gets a 9/10. Great film, highly recommended! A Man Apart gets a 6/10. Nothing special, but just a middle of the road grade. The Last Runway gets an 8/10. Fun and extremely creative!
The rules of Whamageddon are described here:
Enjoy this years Whamageddon, guys!
Meet Devin J. Stone, a trial lawyer who focuses on all aspects of civil litigation. He runs a YouTube channel called Legal Eagle, and in this video, he is tackling the whole Trump election fraud thing.
Before you go "He's a YouTuber and not a real lawyer", his resume can be found here
He IS a real lawyer, and he is super informative - and probably extremely expensive to hire
Today I had that 10 minute "interview", where they got to see who I was and I got to see who they were. I had one question for them: Do I have to pay for anything, or is everything included in the course?
Their answer: Everything is included in the course. You get a complete education, three licenses and a LOAD of experience.
I still need to read up on which career path I would like to take. I am drawn to the container hauling path, so I will spend a few hours reading up on that.
My next move is to find a student place. Preferably one with container haulage or tanker haulage. But I am not going to pass on a place, just because they don't have container haulage. I am open to any place, really. The school DO offer student places, but only to the people who are actually showing up to the classes, which makes sense. No point in offering a student place to someone, who does not want to do the job properly.
So now I have the what and how - I just need the when, which I got as well: January 18, 2021, is my start date. Tomorrow I am going to my aunts place for dinner, and my uncle is going to be there as well. He is an old trucker, so I can ask him about anything and everything regarding trucking. He was hauling those roll-off dumpster containers, so it's not exactly the same as I want to haul, which is those big 40 foot shipping containers.
It's gonna be awesome!
In order to get the best look into what I can expect with regards to my future career, I have been watching a LOT of YouTube videos. Not many vloggers from Europe, but there are a few. The Road Legends, who drive in the UK, Cassie from Sweden and Kristo Boginsky from Estonia. These people give some valuable information and show their day to day driving activities. All fine and dandy, but I still feel like I am only shown half the story.
So, my next move is to see if three truckers are willing to take me along for a day, just to show me how the industry is for real. One curtainside trucker, one container trucker and one tanker trucker. That way, I can see what fits me the best.
But tomorrow is the meeting with the school, and after that, I will see if I can find some truckers, who are willing to take me along for a ride. I am most interested in the container trucking bit. I mentioned this to my housemate, and he was telling me, that I had to load the container myself. He is, apparently, an expert in trucking, since he's working as an IT supporter. He has one friend who is a trucker, and he spent a day with him. But that friend drives a dual trailer truck, and not a container truck, so I am not sure he can know just HOW a container trucker works. As I understand it, you pick up a chassis where a container is already loaded. Of course you have to secure the trailer to the truck, and make sure that everything works. But that's pretty much it. No loading or anything. I might read up on it, just to be on the safe side.
But I am really set on spending a day with a trucker! At least before my education begins!
The school I am enrolled in, has put up a handy dandy chart, breaking down how the education is structured.
It starts with 20 weeks of school, where I get basic subjects, like Danish, IT, science, forklift certificate, first aid, fire and rescue and subjects relating to the course. Rules and such things.
Once those 20 weeks are over, it's time to take my category B driving license, which allows me to drive any car and van up to 3.5 tonnes. That course it about 1.5 weeks
When I pass that, I am sent to an employer, where I get to spend some time with them, getting the basics of the job.
Then it's back to school, where I get my category C license, which is semi truck/lorry, as well as more subjects. This course lasts around 7 weeks.
When I pass that, then it's off to do some more work, this time as a truck driver. After that, it's back to school for about 4 weeks, where I will train to receive my trailer and ADR license. This ADR license is the one I am looking most forward to getting done. With ADR, I can haul dangerous or hazardous goods. Think stuff like fuel, fireworks and corrosive materials.
Once I have passed that, it's time for yet another trip to the employer, to work.
After a bit, guess what.. Yes, it's back to school, where it's time to pick my speciality: goods, tanker, sanitation or movers. I have two in mind already: Goods and tanker. I get my final pick then, so a lot of time to think about that. This course is around 6 and a half week long.
Then.. You guessed it, time for more work with an employer.
Back to school for three weeks, where I learn how to drive with a trailer, and learn more stuff about trucking.
You can probably see where this is going. Yep, back to work.
After that, it's time for the one part of the education I am VERY excited about - a 4 and a half week course about hauling across borders. I also get language courses, so I will possibly have to learn a new language. I kind of doubt it, since most people in Europe speak English, but we'll see how it goes. I will also learn specific subjects, that relates to hauling across borders.
Then, back to work, for the final time. We're almost done!
Once I have completed my last work assignments, it's time for the final phase, where I am being quizzed about everything I have learned. If all goes well, then this final 5 week course will result in me passing my test at the end, and calling myself a truck driver! And I am looking forward to it!
An anonymous source has revealed, that Trump knows he has lost. He is also a bit angry over his loss to Biden, but he also enjoys the chaos he is creating. Apparently, "The President is supporting one outlandish conspiracy theory after another. He is not necessarily believing any of them, but he knows they sow chaos, which gives him time to think about what is next".
So.. What IS next for Trump, when he leaves The White House next year. He needs something else to throw his attention towards, except golf and Twitter. What could that be? Here are my four possible picks.
4: A new book deal!
Trump could easily sit down with a ghost writer to write a memoir about his time in The White House. People will buy it. He has 71 million possible books to sell, so why not cash in while he can? Rumor has it, that he is set to receive offers in excess of 100 million dollars. He could also cash in on TV and movies as well
3: Consulting work for a TV station!
Speaking of TV.. It is no secret, that Trump likes the spotlight. He could possibly become a commentator on Fox News or OANN. OANN seems most likely, since Fox News seems to take a more hardline stance on Trump.
2: His own TV network!
He could call it MAGA-TV, and he could easily pull some big names with him. Sean Hannity, Lou Dobbs and Tucker Carlson of Fox News, since he seems to like them the most. He could possibly buy OANN andrename it MAGA-TV. People would watch, definitely!
Honorable mentions!
This wouldn't be a list, without honorable mentions. Trump could throw his attention to his empire, and relaunch some of his previously failed brands. Trump Steaks, Trump Vodka and Trump: The board game seems like the obvious choices. He could buy a cattle farm and raise the cattle for his steaks, grow some potatoes for the vodka, and the board game would sell like hotcakes!
This brings me to number 1:
He could go in full 2024 mode, and decide to run for President again. Assuming that his base stays intact, that is 71 million+ people who would vote for Trump again. I know there are many that would like to see Trump in jail, or at least prosecuted for felonies he committed before he was elected POTUS.
In either case: Once the states certifies their results, it will be over for Trump. Then the USA can go back to having a President, that is perhaps a bit boring and normal. Someone who hasn't been on television as a reality host. Whatever happens, I will be watching with excitement.
A few weeks ago, I enrolled in a school, where I could study to become a trucker. The school would give me three licenses: Car, truck and trailer. I sent in the paperwork, and I was told I would hear from them closer to the start date. I got the call yesterday.
They would like to schedule an interview with me on Friday the 20th, just to get a sense of the level of my education and experience, and then they will plan the education around that.
This means, that my future job is set in stone - I am going to be a truck driver! Well, not immediately, of course. In 4 years time, I will be one. It takes time to learn how to drive a truck, learn about how to load a trailer and all the other bits and stuff. I would love to become a long distance truck driver! Driving loads from Denmark to Spain, for example. I could also branch out, and become a courier, Frank Martin style. For those of you who don't know who he is, he's a fictional character played by Jason Statham. He is a former soldier and now highly skilled driver/mercenary residing in the South of France whose callsign is "The Transporter". He strictly follows three rigid rules when transporting:
Once a deal is made, it is final
No names
Never open the package
Of course, I can't boast the ex-soldier bit.. Well actually, I can.. Ish.. It's a long story, that I will share later. Anyway, the point is: I would love to be that kind of transporter type person. Of course, not meddling with the criminal scum of the world, but you know.. Transporting, for example, a vase from one side of Paris to another, often cheaper than the regular courier services. Or maybe I will just stick to regular trucking. We'll see. All I know, is that I have pulled the trigger on the truck driving thing.
Also, I have been playing a lot of Assassin's Creed: Valhalla. It's a brutal third person action RPG set in the viking age. The main character is a viking called Eivor, who is thrust into an adventure, when her clan decides to settle in England. Here she meets all sorts of bad people, including priests, zealots, assassins and the Templar Order.
I am 35 hours into the game, and they say it takes around 60 hours to complete. I have some way to go!
Some lowlife, who was “upset at the political situation”, was charged by federal authorities with threatening to kidnap “Grandpa Biden” and rape his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, and then kill them both, according to a report on Wednesday.
The man in question, allegedly dropped a letter detailing the threats on the doorstop of a home with Biden/Harris campaign signs in Frederick on Oct. 4.
Is this REALLY what this has come to? First a group of lowlifes are being charged with plotting to kidnap a governor, and now this man has been charged with wanting to kidnap and kill Biden and Harris.
Naturally, this "model citizen" is being held without bond. I can't for the life of me get, why some people think it's fine wanting to kidnap and kill political figures.
Jeez..
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