Last Viewed Society Blogs (899)

America has been discovered by Columbus .........? And on his card was seriously that this is the correct answer? : ') I do not want to live in this world anymore ...

What time?
'I belong to the group of people who take their mobile to see what time it is. And who then check everything from Whatsapp to Facebook and ultimately do not know what time it is......

It's October 31st and we're still in the EU. No ifs, no buts, come Hell or high water.

Honesty is the most important thing, in your life and through history. It is a difficult topic, because dishonesty is so easy, so tempting and so successful. We are in a disadvantage because we have to hold a man innocent until proven guilty. In order to tackle that, we have a court-system, else we end in chaos and anarchy.

We are dependent on other people from birth to grave, and thus all our relations depend on this trust. In the complex world of today, we have to safeguard every aspects of life from dishonest people. People have mixed poison in baby-foods that have been sold, to toxic toys, medicine, and you name it. If our judges takes bribes from dishonest men, our safety and system collapses.

Let me use an example. A doctor got an idea to fame and fortune, using a 3D printer to replace the windpipe of patients. They died.
How could this happen ? Well, he did what too many industries do, falsify documents and credentials, falsify publications and marketing campaigns and lobbying. The only safeguard we have is to make sure that honorable men actively fight against falsehood, distortions, corruption, and that we hold on to truths.
(https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/sep/01/paolo-macchiarini-scientist-surgeon-rise-and-fall)

At one time, with hard earned money, evangelist on TV were running a campaign for starving children in a disaster and I gave away money. They enriched themselves, and just a small portion of the donation was used for the children. You may call me naive, but I did trust that national known men that speak the lord's word, would at least be honorable men. I do have some more stories with them, so I cannot help being skeptical when people say - In God we trust/God bless/so help me God. The recent Trump’s evangelical rally, displayed a pretty bizarre performance taking into consideration what he have stated elsewhere. I have recently become aware of something called the Lincoln project, so I guess I am not alone raising question.

Then we learn what White House adviser Stephen Miller has been doing, and again you are left with the question - what can you trust ?
It was also revealing to listen to what Vice President Pence told on Fox and friends, in which he clearly twisted the truths. And the recent letter from Commanding General William Seely regarding pulling out of Iraq, which then later is said to be a mistake, it was only a draft. You cannot trust the Defense Department. So, who should we trust ?

This administration is a constant chaos, it is unable to keep up with the lies and impulses of the President. It is dishonest and not trustworthy - and this daily show is watched all around the world. Do they trust United States ? There are full debates in nations across the world, regarding how to respond to this. Take all the NATO countries that has to somehow explain what is going on, who can they trust.

Mike Pence and Donald Trump said that the early warning system, and their intelligence apparatus - everyone was fine during the Iranian missile attack. Well, unlike the United States, Iran gave the information of where and when they would attack. Somewhat remarkable ?
Other countries had their troops take cover, not by word from the leading country, but from Iran ? I sure would like to know how this played out, but - who and what should we trust ?

And the media, what newspaper or broadcast station can you trust ?

In my entire life, I have turned away from people that in words and actions have shown that they cannot be trusted, they cheat, they lie. It has been paramount for my own safety. It is the most important thing in all relations - honesty.

That is the first time I've admitted it 'out loud' on here.

At first I did not want to steal.
I really didn't.

But, my friends felt I would be good at it
and encouraged me to do it.
Now, although I was young, when I started, I do not blame others.
It was ultimately my choice to do it or not.
No one forced me to do it.

The first few times I was quite nervous about it
and I definitely feared being caught.
But, my friends were right.
I was very good at it, and even got much better at it the more I did it.
No one could catch me.

Thus, I led my baseball league in stolen bases many years.

What ?

I also stole signs.
I did this once I was on base, or when I coached a base.
It was easy. I would root the batter on continually, whether I got the sign or not.
Once the sign for which type of pitch was given (usually 1 finger for a fastball, 2 fingers for a curve, etc..) from the catcher, I would root;
"Come on (batter's name, i.e. Paul) stroke that ball" (if the pitch was going to be a fastball)
and "(batter's name) come on lets get some bingo going" if it was going to be an off speed pitch(i.e. a curveball).
If I didn't get the sign, I will still say something like "You're da man (batter's name) pick out a sweet one."
I let my team know what key words to listen for (i.e. stroke = fastball, bingo = offspeed, man = didn't get it) and I would change it to different words the next time we played the same team.

Since I played in a league that had some ex-pro players and college players in it, a couple of catcher's
eventually figured out, that I was stealing signs (it's part of the game).
They would walk out to the pitcher's mound to tell the pitcher,
that I was doing so and then would change the signs.
But it only took me a couple of pitches to figure out the new signs.
Sometimes the pitchers would retaliate by throwing a fastball at me,
when I was at bat. I didn't mind. I was quick enough to get out of the way
and got a lot of walks that way, after which I would steal a base or two.

Yeah, I was a thief.

The Houston Astros went much too far with it though.
While stealing signs is permitted, you're not allowed
to use any technology to steal signs.
They Astros used zoom cameras from the outfield fences at home games
focused on the catcher and would then beat loudly on a garbage can,
if it was going to be a fastball.
This was recently admitted by a pitcher who used to pitch for the Astros.
The Astros are now in trouble with the league for this.

I'd like to thank Catfood uhh... Catfoot for mentioning me first in his blog. I've been here more than a year coming from a de-funked site. Amazing to me it brought on hatred from the regulars here long before they got to know us. Not that we (members collectively from another site) were similar. Obviously, you can see we are very different and each bring some flavor to the already flavorful site (I've not see women so b*tchy on other sites) so again thanks Cat and RED for accidentally (that was an accident, wasn't it RED?) calling you catfood. It made me laugh... all day to be exact.

Hoob... your description of 'slimy' crumpets is also stuck in my brain...
I guess I no longer want to try them.
As for Bagels... in my neighborhood, you can easily find a bagel shop on every other corner.
Smoked Salmon on a bagel... Mmmm....

Estonia my fav.

Christmas in Argentina

In Argentina the weather is warm at Christmas. Preparations for Christmas begin very early in December and even in November.


Christmas in Bangladesh

December 25th is a public holiday for Christmas in Bangladesh even though only about 0.3% of the population, of about 170 million people, are Christians! (Over 85% of people in Bangladesh are Muslims.)


Christmas in China

In China, only about one percent of people are Christians, so most people only know a few things about Christmas. The post men might dress up as Santa when delivering letters before Christmas!


Christmas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Christmas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is more of a religious festival rather than being commercial. Most people won't have any presents.


Christmas in Estonia

In Estonia, Christmas time starts with Advent. Children put their socks on their window ledge and every day until Christmas Eve, December 24th, an elf comes and puts some sweets in it! On Christmas Eve families come together and in the evening Santa visits and asks people to tell him poems in exchange for gifts.


Christmas in Finland

Finnish people believe that Santa Claus or Father Christmas lives in the north part of Finland called Korvatunturi (or Lapland), north of the Arctic Circle. People from all over the world send letters to Santa Claus in Finland.


Christmas in India

Compared to other religious festivals, Christmas is quite a small festival in India, due to the number of people who are Christians (about 2.3%) compared to people who belong to other religions.



Christmas in Jamaica

Christmas is a very special time in Jamaica and like a lot of other countries, radio stations play carols all through the Christmas period.



Christmas in Lebanon

In Lebanon, 35% of the population follow a form of Christianity called Maronite Catholic. These Christians build manger scenes in their homes called a Nativity Crib. The crib is more popular than a Christmas Tree.



Christmas in New Zealand

In New Zealand, like its neighbor Australia, Christmas comes in the middle of the summer holidays.
Lots of people like to spend time of the beach, camping or at their Baches (holiday homes) for Christmas.


Christmas in Pakistan

In Pakistan, December 25th is a public holiday, but it is in memory of Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan.


Christmas in the Philippines

People in the Philippines like to celebrate Christmas for as long as possible! The playing of Christmas carols in shops can start in September! The formal Christmas celebrations start on 16th December when many people go the the first of nine pre-dawn or early morning masses.


Christmas in Portugal

Father Christmas ('Pai Natal') is believed to bring presents to children on Christmas Eve, rather than Christmas Day. The presents are left under the Christmas Tree or in shoes by the fireplace.


Christmas in South Africa

Because South Africa is in the Southern Hemisphere, Christmas comes in the summer. So there's lots of sun and beautiful flowers in full bloom.


Christmas in Spain

Most people in Spain go to Midnight Mass or 'La Misa Del Gallo' (The Mass of the Rooster). It is called this because a rooster is supposed to have crowed the night that Jesus was born.


Christmas in the United Kingdom

In the UK (or Great Britain), families often celebrate Christmas together, so they can watch each other open their presents!


Christmas in the United States of America

The United States of America has many different traditions and ways that people celebrate Christmas.

Thanks to:

Sobhraj was represented by the infamous lawyer Jacques Vergès, nicknamed the “devil’s advocate” because his roster of clients included the Nazi Klaus Barbie, Slobodan Milosevic and the renowned international terrorist Carlos the Jackal. Sobhraj wanted payment for the interview but I refused and, to my surprise, he agreed to talk.

I had never been much interested in serial killers but I happened to read Richard Neville’s and Julie Clarke’s extraordinary account of the killings, The Life and Crimes of Charles Sobhraj, just before Sobhraj’s release was announced. I couldn’t quite believe that someone who had confessed to a number of the murders to Neville, and against whom there was a wealth of compelling evidence, was free to walk the streets of a European capital.

The child of an affair between an Indian businessman-tailor and one of his Vietnamese shop assistants, Sobhraj (played in the BBC drama by French actor Tahar Rahim) had grown up in Saigon during the Vietnamese war of independence from France. His mother then married an occupying French soldier who, suffering from PTSD, returned to France with his young family. Sobhraj did not settle in his new home and twice stowed away on ships heading to Africa.

A bright but delinquent teenager, he was irresistibly drawn to crime – car theft, street muggings, and then holding up housewives with a gun. He spent most of his adolescence in Paris in and out of youth offender facilities and then their adult version. A well-

well-meaning prison visitor arranged work for him on the outside and also introduced him to a bourgeois young Parisian called Chantal Compagnon. They fell in love. He promised her that he was a reformed character and they got engaged, only for him to go back to prison for car theft.

But like so many women who were to follow, she had fallen under his spell. When he came out they embarked on a manic crime spree across Europe and Asia. It was 1970, the beginning of the so-called hippy trail, when hordes of young people would make long, low-budget trips through southern Europe, the Middle East, India and the far east. It was an era of porous borders and lax security, when the only contact with back home were poste restante letters that might take weeks to arrive. A generation was looking to find itself by getting lost or high somewhere off the beaten track. No one took much notice of who came and went.

It was in this transient milieu that Sobhraj stole from impressionable travellers. But first he was imprisoned in Greece – he escaped by swapping identities with his younger brother. Then he and Compagnon were imprisoned in Afghanistan. They had just had a daughter, who was sent back to live with Compagnon’s parents in France. Sobhraj managed to break out of prison by drugging a guard and then returned to France to kidnap his own daughter. When Compagnon finally got out, she was able to take the child and flee to America to escape Sobhraj’s destructive hold.

An embittered Sobhraj upped the crime stakes. He held a flamenco dancer hostage in a New Delhi hotel while he used her room to break into a gem store on the floor below. He became a famous outlaw in India. Like Patricia Highsmith’s Tom Ripley, he assumed different identities, using stolen passports and creating a trail of havoc wherever he went. Ripley has been described as “suave, agreeable, and utterly immoral”, and those adjectives were not out of place for Sobhraj.

............The Internet is a lot like ancient Egypt.

..the ] work Expanding so to fill..
Time available for it's Completion.- Parkinson 2.
..the sober 2nd thought of the people shall be
Law. - Fisher Ames 1789ish.
...2nd chapter Com. Manifesto..
( Re imagined for a California Democrat.)
...the FIRST $tep in the revolution by the working class is to raise the $an Franciscan to the position of Ruler Class, to win the battle for DEMOCRACY. [ !?
..The Ruling Class will use it's politick $upremacy to wrest, by degrees, all Capitol from the Fresno class..
To centralize all instruments of production in the hands of the State....in the Advanced States, the following will be Generally Applicable...
..2. heavy progressive Tax.
.3.. abolition of many "rights."
5... An Exclusive Monopoly on bank & credit.( $ee Fed. Reserve Not.)
....6. Central ization of Communication & Transport.
....4. Confiscate property of maga & R types.
10. Free Edumacations for children...
....11..] . Universal Health
12. .. planned Parenthood..( dbl speak..
13 .. glorious propaganda across muy platforms
...and big number 1..w/ a bullet..
NO Private Property..( . except the Ruling Class.
...clear Example of Ruling propaganda...
Truth. ) Washington
.eYe know they Lie. ) 5 Amerikans
Will Do. ) TV on the radio
..sin Tax. } That's how heartache is made.) Baby Washington.