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2371

General Discussion / Wonder if Duma will be chomping down on these dragon legs this weekend?

« on: January 17, 2023, 06:23:10 PM »

Giant legs of Vietnam's 'dragon chicken' a Lunar New Year delicacy

The lumpy legs of the Dong Tao chicken — named after the commune where it is bred in northern Vietnam — are considered a delicacy, and are particularly popular among the wealthy during the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, known as Tet.

2372

General Discussion / Will this stop folks from fishing & eating it especially in lower grounds??

« on: January 17, 2023, 06:19:05 PM »

"Eating one freshwater fish caught in a river or lake in the United States is the equivalent of drinking a month's worth of water contaminated with toxic "forever chemicals", new research said"

2373

General Discussion / Any body blue today?

« on: January 17, 2023, 12:38:13 AM »

What is Blue Monday - and what makes it the most depressing day of the year?
Blue Monday - supposedly the most depressing day of the year - falls on 16 January this year. But what makes the third Monday of January so sad? Sky News explores the origins and history of Blue Monday.

Welcome to Blue Monday, dubbed the most depressing day of the year.

But what's so miserable about it, and where did the concept come from? Here's everything you know about the supposedly gloomiest of days.

What is Blue Monday?

Blue Monday falls on the third Monday of the year - in 2023, that makes it Monday 16 January.

Blue Monday was originally dreamed up by psychologist Dr Cliff Arnall in 2004. He devised the formula for the bleakest day to help a travel company sell holidays, with the first Blue Monday on 24 January, 2005.

2374

General Discussion / I'm a member and the long lines reflect it

« on: January 17, 2023, 12:03:56 AM »

 :

AMERICANS CHOOSE COSTCO AS THEIR FAVORITE GAS STATION

Nationwide chain Costco's cleanliness, food, and customer service earned its place as the country's most preferred gas station. Regional brands like Buc-ee's and Wawa offered the same, while their iconic local experiences have also afforded them many devoted followers.

Despite being so much more affordable than gas from other suppliers, Costco's Kirkland Signature™ fuel is TOP TIER™ and even exceeds EPA standards. This gasoline is formulated to clean your engine, help your car run like new, and maximize fuel economy.


Here's a photo I took:

2375

General Discussion / Looks like the oil companies are giving Wyoming lots of $$$$

« on: January 16, 2023, 11:54:01 PM »

 :

Wyoming wants to phase out sales of new EVs by 2035
It's a symbolic gesture aimed at states like California.

While jurisdictions like California and New York move toward banning the sale of new gasoline-powered cars, one US state wants to go in the opposite direction. Wyoming’s legislature is considering a resolution that calls for a phaseout of new electric vehicle sales by 2035. Introduced on Friday, Senate Joint Resolution 4 has support from members of the state’s House of Representative s and Senate.

In the proposed resolution, a group of lawmakers led by Senator Jim Anderson says Wyoming’s “proud and valued” oil and gas industry has created “countless” jobs and contributed revenue to the state’s coffers. They add that a lack of charging infrastructure within Wyoming would make the widespread use of EVs “impracticable” and that the state would need to build “massive amounts of new power generation” to “sustain the misadventure of electric vehicles.”

SJ4 calls for residents and businesses to limit the sale and purchase of EVs voluntarily, with the goal of phasing them out entirely by 2035. If passed, the resolution would be entirely symbolic. In fact, it’s more about sending a message to EV advocates than banning the vehicles altogether. To that point, the final section of SJ4 calls for Wyoming’s Secretary of State to send President Biden and California Governor Gavin Newsom copies of the resolution.

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“One might even say tongue-in-cheek, but obviously it’s a very serious issue that deserves some public discussion,” Senator Boner, one of the bill’s co-sponsors, told the Cowboy State Daily. “I’m interested in making sure that the solutions that some folks want to the so-called climate crisis are actually practical in real life. I just don’t appreciate when other states try to force technology that isn’t ready,”

While the resolution has the markings of a political stunt, it does allude to genuine economic anxiety. Wyoming produced 85.43 million barrels of oil in 2021, making it the country’s eighth-largest crude oil producer that year. The state’s Carbon County is also home to one of the largest wind farms in the US. Something that’s not talked about enough when it comes to climate change is how the world transitions to a zero-emissions economy in an equitable way. People in many rural US states are rightfully mistrustful of so-called green technologies because they haven’t benefited from more recent technological shifts as much as their urban counterparts. Take the advent of the internet, for instance. In 2018, Microsoft found that many rural communities don’t have access to broadband internet. That’s something that has contributed to diminishing economic opportunities in those places.

2376

General Discussion / Taliban finally build 1st sports car, well sort of.. but they do know quality

« on: January 16, 2023, 11:51:27 PM »

..though in regards to the engine.. :

Taliban officials praise Afghanistan's first sports car. It has an engine from a 2000 Toyota Corolla.

A team of engineers and designers built what may be Afghanistan's first sports car. The car's power relies on a modded 2000 Toyota Corolla engine, according to a Tolo News report. The Taliban's spokesperson shared a video of the car, called Mada 9, doing donuts in the snow.

Afghanistan recently unveiled what may be its first sports car and Taliban officials are recognizing the achievement.

On Sunday, Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban's official spokesperson, shared a video on Twitter of the car doing donuts in the snow. He said the car was an honor for the country, according to The Telegraph.

2377

General Discussion / Speaking of Miss Universe, Asian girl made some GOP very proud in her red state

« on: January 16, 2023, 11:45:36 PM »

 :

R'Bonney Gabriel becomes 1st Filipina American crowned Miss Universe
Gabriel is the first American to win the crown in 10 years.

Gov. Greg Abbott congratulated the Houstonian:

"The new Miss Universe is the reigning Miss Texas USA from Houston Texas!

So proud."

2378

General Discussion / Hmong Lor girl didn't win but she still went further than any Hmong person

« on: January 16, 2023, 11:34:25 PM »

Back in Laos in 2022:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsJ_bKI6UFg

2379

General Discussion / My American passport is not bad but these Asian ones are much more powerful

« on: January 13, 2023, 07:38:37 PM »

Asian countries top ranking of world’s most powerful passports in 2023


Japan remains at the top of a recent ranking of the world’s most powerful passports, with Singapore and South Korea tied for second place.

In the latest Henley Passport Index rankings, Japan received a visa-free score of 193, meaning that Japanese passport holders can travel to 193 of 227 destinations without a visa. This is about 85% of the whole world, Henley and Partners, the company behind the rankings, said in a press release on Tuesday.

The company explained that its passport index “is the only one of its kind based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Authority,” the trade association for over 290 airlines around the world.

Singapore, which tied for first place with Japan last year, dropped down to second place this year. Both Singapore and South Korea received a score of 192, while Germany and Spain tied for third place with a score of 190.

Tied for fourth place are Finland, Italy and Luxembourg, with a score of 198. Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden received a score of 188, placing the European countries at No. 5. France, Ireland, Portugal and the United Kingdom tied for sixth place with a score of 187.

More from NextShark: Japanese Politicians Are Pushing to Give Everyone 4-Day Work Weeks

Meanwhile, the United States sits at No. 7 along with New Zealand and European countries such as Belgium, the Czech Republic, Norway and Switzerland.

Even though global travel has returned to around 75% of what it used to be pre-COVID-19 pandemic, the company stated that it "appears increasingly unlikely that either country [the U.S. and the U.K.] will ever regain the top spot on the index which they jointly held nearly a decade ago in 2014."

Analysts anticipate that countries such as Kuwait and Qatar will eventually climb up the rankings due to their visa-free deal with the European Union, which will be signed later this year.

2380

General Discussion / Now this is just wrong!!! What's wrong with this idiotic self-centered reviewer?

« on: January 13, 2023, 07:35:34 PM »

 :

Family gives restaurant 1-star review after receiving $50 worth of free food

A worker feels like a customer was too difficult when they demanded free food.

He explained the situation on Reddit’s “Choosing Beggars” forum, a subreddit dedicated to “people who are being way too picky when begging for things.”

According to the poster, he works at a locally owned Mexican restaurant. “The owners are two of the most kind, compassionate & selfless people I’ve ever met,” he explained. “The reader board outside of the restaurant reads as follows: ‘Hungry? No money? We will feed you.’ And they mean it. If you are hungry and have no money, you can eat for free.”

However, they have a few requirements. The restaurant only offers a limited menu of free food, and patrons cannot dine in with the free meal; they must take it to go.

An issue arose when a family of four came into the restaurant and tried to order a free meal.

The family wanted shrimp fajitas, which aren’t offered on the free menu. The father demanded the worker ask the manager for an exception. The manager denied their request, which angered the father. “You guys need to expand the options on this menu,” he reportedly said to the employee.

Despite not getting the food they wanted, the family placed a free order anyway — then proceeded to demand a table. The worker tried to explain how they would have to take the free meal to go. The father insisted they wanted a table — then brought his family to a booth, where the four sat down.

Only when the worker told them they would be charged if they dined in did the family get up and leave. The family told the worker “thanks for nothing” after receiving the free food, then went home and left the restaurant a one-star review.

People felt the family was being rude and ungrateful.

“I hope you can ban these people from coming back,” a user wrote.

“That’s how you get good people that give away free food to stop giving away free food,” another said.

“This guy is the reason so many good hearted people stop doing nice things for other people,” someone added.

2381

General Discussion / If you enjoy eating onions, don't stop by PH

« on: January 13, 2023, 07:29:17 PM »

The prices of onions have soared in recent months in the inflation-hit Southeast Asian nation. Onions can now reportedly cost up to 25 percent to 50 percent more than beef and pork, and cost about three times the price of chicken.

A kilogram (approximately 2.20 pounds) of onions can reach as much as 600 Philippine pesos (approximately $11) in local markets, according to reports. This is even higher than the Philippines' minimum daily wage.

2382

Debate Central / Some idiot said, "only trust your local news" ehh? Do you agree with his point??

« on: January 13, 2023, 07:18:36 PM »

The George Santos disaster is a direct consequence of the collapse of local news

After theNew York Times and other publications reported that newly elected Rep. George Santos probably didn’t descend from Holocaust survivors or run an animal-protection charity, or [gestures broadly] any of it, many suggested that it would have been more helpful for the press to dig into this before the election.

“This would all have been exposed before the election if local newspapers were not running on fumes,” tweeted former Sen. Claire McCaskill.

A few news cycles later it emerged that actually, the local press had reported on the Santos story. A local paper, the North Shore Leader, had declared that the Republican nominee was “most likely just a fabulist—a fake.”

So which is it: The triumph of the local press or a sign of its demise? More the latter, though for some surprising reasons.

Let’s start with the scoop. In September, the North Shore Leader reported that Santos’ financial disclosure form in 2020 claimed no assets over $5,000:

And his income was only just over $50,000 for the prior year, derived from a venture fund called “Harbor Hill Capital” that was closed and seized in 2020 by U.S. federal prosecutors as a “Ponzi Scheme.” Santos was the New York Director of that “fund.”

Now, in a filing dated Sept. 6, 2022, Santos claims his assets are now as much as $11 million, including personal bank accounts of between $1 million and $5 million; a condo in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, of between $500,000 and $1 million; and business interests of between $1 million and $5 million.

The paper, whose staff had been hearing rumors of various Santos concoctions for a while, followed up with that stinging editorial calling him a fraud.

Then . . . nothing happened. No other media outlets pursued the story. Not the six local TV stations or WNYC, or Politico, New York, the Times, the Daily News. Not even Newsday, the formerly-august news source for Long Island. Grant Lally, the publisher and owner of the North Shore Leader, told me he didn’t get a single call from another publication inquiring about it. “If this had run 25 years ago, it would have been gobbled up,” he said. “There’d have been 20 follow-ups from Newsday and other publications and the weeklies.”

2383

General Discussion / Per this Wisconsinite: No wonder the loser here "like" his "proven loser" idol

« on: January 13, 2023, 07:09:34 PM »

...so much as they sure have a lot in common especially when it comes to LIES. Man, pretty sad when even your side labeled you a "proven loser".. :

Paul Ryan Delivers Ominous Prediction For 'Proven Loser' Donald Trump

Former House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) says his party is done with Donald Trump.

“He’s fading fast,” he said Thursday on CNN. ”He’s a proven loser who cost us the House in ’18, he cost us the White House in ’20, he cost us the Senate again and again, and I think we all know that.”

Ryan said he believes Republicans are “moving past” the former president, who has already announced his 2024 candidacy to return to the White House.

“I can’t imagine him getting the nomination, frankly,” Ryan said....

2384

Pro Sports Discussion / When you purposely lie, cheat and steal, don't go running to the admins when

« on: January 13, 2023, 07:01:10 PM »

..others caught you red-handed and pointed it out  :

Officials on the lookout for field goal holders illegally placing football on foreign objects

NFL officials are closely scrutinizing the holders on field goals and extra points, after the league has seen evidence of some holders breaking the rules by placing the ball on a foreign object. The league told officials to watch for the practice, according to FootballZebras .com.

2385

Marriage & Family Life / Those that bring kids to a child-free wedding are worst but I side w/ the sister

« on: January 13, 2023, 06:54:56 PM »

..in this case:

Bride gets furious at sister for not attending child-free wedding: ‘I can’t attend if I can’t bring my baby’

A pregnant woman is refusing to attend her sister’s child-free wedding.

She asked Reddit’s “Am I the A******? (AITA)” forum for advice. Her sister Lisa is getting married later this year. By the wedding, she will have given birth and have a 5-month-old baby.

She asked Lisa if she could bring her newborn, but Lisa refused, so she is skipping the wedding. However, now Lisa is furious.

“She said she wants me to be there and give a speech as the sister of the bride, but I told her I can’t attend if I can’t bring my baby,” the Reddit poster wrote.

Their mom volunteered to watch the newborn for a few hours while she gave the speech, but Lisa refused to let either parent step away from the ceremony.

Redditors thought Lisa was being unreasonable and wanted to have it both ways.

“People are allowed to have child-free weddings, they are not allowed to be offended when people don’t come,” a user wrote.

“Your sister will just have to get over it, she can’t expect you to ditch your baby just for her wedding,” another said.

“Your child comes before her wedding,” a Redditor commented.