Welcome to Saturday's Potluck - 8-13-2022

“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.”
Pablo Picasso

This year I will be be celebrating the end of the dog days of summer. the heat has been intense. The last time I had to set up water cooling sites for livestock was the late 1970's during an intense drought. Many similarities with the weather cycle of several decades ago. Some of the agricultural irrigation systems with junior water rights had to decrease or stop water deliveries, then and now.

The primary difference is the population has increased by at least 500%. The increased infrastructure to support the population and business growth creates more demand on surface and underground water sources. Urban growth area is expanding with new buildings, roads, paved driveways and parking lots absorbing and storing heat during the day to release at night.

An urban heat island (UHI) is an urban or metropolitan area that is significantly warmer than its surrounding rural areas due to human activities. The temperature difference is usually larger at night than during the day, and is most apparent when winds are weak. UHI is most noticeable during the summer and winter. The main cause of the UHI effect is from the modification of land surfaces.[1][2] Waste heat generated by energy usage is a secondary contributor.[3] As a population center grows, it tends to expand its area and increase its average temperature.
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Interesting read on how an individual without family connections influence international affairs while amassing, hiding and possibly loosing a fortune.

Escobar: The Fugitive Who Tried To Spark A US-China War ZeroHedge 8-9-22 by Pepe Escobar

Guo was born to a modest family in February 1967 in a rural area of Shandong province. According to the news site China Youth Network, he went through proverbial, eye-opening experiences as a teenager, such as skipping school, brawling and gambling. He married at 18; got his own brother killed for an argument revolving around a mere 7,000 yuan; and was sentenced to three years in prison and four years probation for fraud.

Guo rose to fame by building a real estate empire in Beijing, which earned him titles such as “Capital Giant”, “Power Hunter” and “Pirate of the Caribbean” from awed Chinese netizens. In 2017, Interpol issued a Red Notice for Guo, who had already fled to the US in 2015 after being accused by the Chinese government of fraud, bribery, and money laundering. He denied all charges.
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Guo impressed his American hosts with a show of vast wealth. After fleeing China he took up residence in New York in a $70 million apartment in the Sherry-Netherland Hotel on Fifth Avenue overlooking Central Park.

His bragging rights included buying more than 200 custom-tailored suits a year; spending more than $20 million in legal fees around the world; smoking $10,000 cigars; and drinking limited editions of the Chinese liquor Moutai. All that, of course, neatly fit his claim to bankruptcy court of holding only $3,850 in personal assets.

In his bankruptcy filing, Guo argued to the court that his expenses were funded by his family. The luxury apartment in New York was owned by the family company; a villa was owned by his wife’s company; daily expenses and all those customized suits were provided by Golden Spring, a New York-based company owned by his son Guo Qiang.

Qu Guojiao, or Natasha Qu, Guo Wengui’s former financial assistant, still living in China, revealed in an exclusive interview that in the space of over 20 years, Guo set up more than 100 companies in Hong Kong, China, the United Kingdom, the United States, the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands. None of these were under his name, she said. Yet regardless of who and which company holds them, the ultimate flow of funds and shareholding arrangements always proceeded at Guo’s own discretion, Qu said.
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As previously reported by the respected Chinese business newspaper Caixin Global, one of Guo’s main sources of money materialized with the help of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. With Blair’s endorsement, Guo raised $3 billion from the Abu Dhabi royal family.
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After he fled to the US, Guo tried his best to package himself as deeply hostile to Beijing. Guo’s patrons in the security services were convicted of major crimes or under investigation, and he feared arrest under corruption charges. According to the New York Times, Guo was on China’s most-wanted list for bribery, fraud and money laundering.

Guo spent lavishly to win the support of associates of President Donald Trump. He hired former White House strategist Steve Bannon for a $1 million a year retainer. In 2020, alongside Bannon, Guo announced the creation of the “New Federal State of China,” supposedly to overthrow China’s Communist Party.

The “Federal State” held an event in New York on June 4, 2022, with Bannon and a group of former senior Trump aides, including White House trade advisor Peter Navarro and speechwriter Jason Miller.

Before the “Federal State” adventure, Guo set up the Rule of Law Foundation in 2018; launched a G series of investment projects such as GTV and G Coin, as well as farm loans, G-Club cards and Xi Coin. These ventures brought in hundreds of millions of dollars in sales and donations, but landed him in legal trouble.

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Another reason to support student debt relief.

US Navy targets indebted Americans Russia Times 8-7-2022

The US Navy wants to persuade Americans drowning in debt to join by offering to pay off their student loans with enlistment bonuses as high as $50,000.

Recruits who are willing to ship out by September 30 and meet other requirements will be eligible for as much as $65,000 in loan repayments, bringing their total bonus potential to $115,000, the Navy announced on Saturday. The offer applies to new sailors and to veterans who seek to return to service and who didn’t receive a bonus for their first enlistment.

“This is an opportunity without precedent” that could be “life-altering” for those burdened by student loans, said Navy Recruiting Command chief Rear Adm. Lex Walker.

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For the next few weeks until the end of irrigation and harvest season my time and energy is limited. Dialog in the comment section is up to C99 members - have fun.

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What is on your mind today?

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Comments

Weather weirding is getting extreme. I'm thankful for all of the deciduous trees in our yard.
Shade is our friend in this micro-clime. Struggling to keep the veggies going. Cooler wind out of the north today, yeah! Good luck with your irrigation and harvest projects.

Thanks for the potluck!

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Tulsi G. guest host for Tucker Carlson.

Way to go wahine!

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CB's picture

@Blue Republic
to preempt Trump's bid for the presidency in 2024. He's now more popular than anyone the Dems can push forward.

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@CB

But I'm concerned they may have something more immediate in the
works prior to the midterms.

Reichstag 2.0?

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Lookout's picture

Graft and corruption everywhere I guess. The Chinese story was revealing in that regard.

We're having pleasant weather. 4.5" of rain this month so far, and 62F this morning. Nice walk and visit around trade day this morning...catching up with old friends and neighbors.

Had to grade the roads yesterday morning, and in the afternoon a friend came over with his power sprayer and helped us clean all our decks. Had hoped to get some water seal on them this week, but they are calling for more rain. Fall is typically our driest season, so we'll find a time in the near term I think.

Thanks for the OT, and hope other than the heat and dryness all is well on the homestead!

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

CB's picture

Estonia/Finland blockade, Baltic Sea will be NATO sea.

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snoopydawg's picture

Sam has been watching cat videos and says that I should get her a kitty. Hmmm….

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Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

CB's picture

@snoopydawg
They are much more intelligent than dogs.

They don't do stupid tricks for their servants. Blum 3

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snoopydawg's picture

@CB

I’ve had cats before and have loved them just as much as the dawgs. And I’m not mocking them or cat owners. Or cat staff I should say. As for making Sam do tricks the only one I do is sit by closing my hand. It’s more for obedience and safety tho. She comes up with enough tricks of her own. But I have been thinking of getting her a cat. Not quite ready to get another dawg yet. I’m having too much fun with her.

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Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

CB's picture

Clearing "petal" mines...

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enhydra lutris's picture

market, got odds and ends for this week. Japanese eggplant and Chinese long beans are now available and bok choy is a distant memory. It's my week to cook but I hope to get by with 3 major meals and 3 days of leftovers from same and then grill some Fresh salmon from next Saturday's farmers' market.

So, on this day back in 1553, alleged christianist reformer John Calvin had the polymath Michael Servetus arrested in Geneva for heresy. Over the following months he and other pseudo-reformers managed to work their way around Geneva Law and see to it that Servetus was burned to death on a pile of his writings because wrong thinking.

This is also the anniversary of the Mock Battle for Manila in which the US and Spanish troops pretended to fight each other resulting in a pretend Spanish surrender, which was done to prevent the indigenous populace of the Philippines from taking over and running their country, an idea totally unacceptable to both imperialist foes.

be well and have a good one

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Ukraine is in default and has been downgraded.

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those paid off criminals keeping the thieving developers and property prospectors happy with pollyanna insanity regarding drought considerations NEVER mention the populations magnitude while comparing the rainfall from one decade to another 50 years ago. anything for money, always.

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Yes, population is the major part of the problem.
I remember in Kenya, we 6 tourists were in a small van, and outside Nairobi, we made a departure from the highway onto a dirt road. Holes, bumps, ditches, for hours. Some tourists started bitching. The guide said, "When the roads come, the animals go." Stores, service stations, houses...and problems with water, problems with food. It is no different here. Add to the animal list, water, and flora.
I had never heard anything about that Chinese billionaire/crook! Wow! Thanks!
Most of our armed forces are made up of the working class and poor. The former incentive was to pay for their college education, if they survived their service.
Thanks so much for the interesting pot luck. Much appreciated.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981