Jupiter I

I looked through a telescope once,
and saw Jupiter and four of it’s moons.
It looked so lonely way out there.
I wish I was there.


Written in 1987.

This was originally posted on another site, but I thought it deserved to be rescued from there.

Quote:Yesterday somebody put up a link to the official British citizenship test.
Since there were many native Britons who failed the test, this was obviously "not quite the thing".
So the local darts team and the W.I. have had a joint meeting (at the local, of course), and the result is that I can now offer you a much more realistic test of familiarity with British culture.
Here are the questions in full;

Q1; What is the correct answer to the query "What do you think of the weather?"
a) Not bad for the time of year.
b) I never talk about the weather.
c) I'm looking forward to the cool season.
d) I think it will be disastrous if we don't get more rain soon.

Q2; What is your most likely reaction to the destruction of your house?
a) Ah well, these things are sent to try us.
b) Not another tornado!
c) I knew we shouldn't have built it in an earthquake zone.
d) I hate those Americans and their guided missiles.

Q3; How would you offer support to someone in an emotional crisis?
a) Offer them a nice cup of hot tea, sweet and strong.
b) Give them the number of your favourite psycho-analyst.
c) Report them to the commissars of the local soviet, as possible candidates for re-education.
d) Summon a shaman to drive out the evil spirits.

Q4: What is the normal term for someone who says he has no religion?
a) A member of the Church of England.
b) A goddam atheist.
c) A right-thinking member of the proletariat.
d) A prospective martyr.

Q5; When Bill Shankly said "Some people think it's a matter of life and death, but I can tell you it's a lot more important than that", what was he talking about?
a) Football
b) Making money
c) Politics
d) Religion

Q6; Which of these things would you rather do on a cricket pitch?
a) Make a century before lunch
b) Face an off-spinner bowling in-swingers, on a sticky wicket.
c) Bowl a maiden over in the gully.
d) Give the Ashes back to Australia.

Q7; The fourth verse of the National Anthem calls on God to help Marshall Wade crush which people?
a) Rebellious Scots
b) Insufferable Frenchmen
c) Beastly Germans
d) Smart-aleck Americans


Anyone who gets all the questions right may become an honorary Briton.
This offer is open to all site members (even the French).

Just lame. Now, I am not one to defend a screaming leftist but as we are seeing, if you support Israel in the far left circles, you are now the enemy and might as well be a Trump supporter.

Voice actress says she was fired from YouTube show 'for being Jewish'
Tara Strong was fired from her role after posting her support for Israel in its war against Hamas terrorists

https://thepostmillennial.com/voice-actr...ing-jewish

Quote:Beloved voice actress Tara Strong was fired from her role in the independent animated series "Boxtown" after posting her support for Israel in its war against Hamas terrorists on social media.


On Friday, Strong posted on X, "Just found out on Twitter!" regarding her termination. "This is what happens when you help fans get shows made I guess. Fired for being Jewish. Glad I helped you get your kickstarter money. Please lose my email address & pray for my family in Israel and in Gaza. & #prayforpeace."

Strong had previously written multiple posts slamming the atrocities committed by Hamas terrorists in Israel against civilians on Oct 7. She wrote in one of the posts, "For those who support the actions of #Hamas; when they infiltrate your hometown, on your soil, break into Jewish homes, raping, beheading innocent babies, will you applaud them? Will you wave their flag while they slaughter Christians & Muslims who don’t believe their ideologies?”

In another, she wrote, "World’s gone crazy. People ARGUING online about whether or not the mass raping, shooting & kidnapping of innocent young women from around the world at a music festival is justified! Could happen at ANY music festival! Supporting terrorists empowers them & that’s globally terrifying."

DeSantis crackdown on terrorist supporting student groups in Florida. I applaud him for enforcing the laws and addressing this head on.


https://twitter.com/MrAndyNgo/status/171...4149360006

Quote:Breaking: Gov.@RonDeSantis directed the chancellor of the State University System of Florida to deactivate the "Students for Justice in Palestine" group after it was revealed they sent out a "toolkit" inviting members to aid Hamas in their Operation Al-Aqsa Flood terrorist attacks. It is illegal in Florida to provide material support to foreign terror groups.

Quote:Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, in coordination with the chancellor of the state’s university system, has moved to crack down on student groups in the state they say have expressed support for "Hamas terrorism," which possibly involves terminating the student chapters and suspending school administrators.

"During a holy Jewish holiday, the recognized terrorist organization, Hamas, launched an unprovoked attack on Israel – among those killed were babies, women, and elderly," Ray Rodrigues, chancellor of the State University System of Florida, wrote in a letter to the state’s universities exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital.
"To date, approximately 1,400 Israelis have been killed, including 31 American citizens. Governor DeSantis, our State University System and the Florida College System have condemned these attacks."
The letter states that a student group present in at least two universities in the Florida system, known as National Students for Justice in Palestine (National SJP), published a "toolkit" that refers to the Hamas operation as "the resistance" and says that "Palestinian students in exile are PART of this movement, not in solidarity with this movement."


The letter explains that it is a "felony under Florida law to knowingly provide material support … to a designated foreign terrorist organization.

"These chapters exist under the headship of the National Students for Justice in Palestine, who distributed a toolkit identifying themselves as part of the Operation AlAqsa Flood," Rodrigues writes.
"Based on the National SJP’s support of terrorism, in consultation with Governor DeSantis, the student chapters must be deactivated. These two student chapters may form another organization that complies with Florida state statutes and university policies. The two institutions should grant these two chapters a waiver for the fall deadlines, should reapplication take place."



Rodrigues says in the letter that he will continue working with DeSantis’ office "to ensure we are all using all tools at our disposal to crack down on campus demonstrations that delve beyond protected First Amendment speech into harmful support for terrorist groups."

"These measures could include necessary adverse employment actions and suspensions for school officials," the letter states, adding, "promoting excellent educational quality while providing a safe environment for all students is paramount."



DeSantis, a 2024 presidential candidate, has been a vocal proponent of cracking down on and condemning the Hamas terrorist attack in Israel on Oct. 7 that killed more than 1,400 Israelis. He [u]recently said[/u] he would cancel student visas and deport foreign nationals who celebrate Hamas if he is elected president.

DeSantis is also [u]planning to call[/u] for a special legislative session in Florida to increase state sanctions on Iran, the main financial supporter of Hamas.
Additionally, DeSantis allocated state resources to an evacuation operation that was responsible for chartering hundreds of stranded Americans in Israel on flights back to the United States in a [u]move he touted[/u] as being more efficient than efforts by the Biden administration.
"We were able to fill the void," DeSantis said. "There was no leadership. And so we stepped up, and we led."

Some of the left is waking up to reality. In this case, a staunch Liberal has gotten the "reality bites" awakening and is actually talking about it.

We didn't like the Messenger (Trump) so we Killed the Message

https://twitter.com/AmericanFWoman/statu...4874236150

Quote:”As a Democrat who has been left homeless, who is now definitely in the center but probably leaning increasingly right, I am left yet again with an appreciation, despite the messenger, of the message of the Trump administration because what those guys did was pretty incredible in hindsight.”

“So much of the work that happened in that [Trump] administration turns out to have been right. And that’s what is so frustrating for me. The work on the border wall? We didn’t like the messenger, so we killed the message. Turned out it was right. Issuing long-term debt to refinance when rates were at zero? We didn’t like the messenger, so we killed the message. A structural peace in the Middle East? We didn’t like the messenger, so we killed the message.”

“When are we gonna stop shooting ourselves in the foot? And when are we going to actually see and take the time to look past who is saying things and actually listen to them word for word?”

“If it’s clear that the last two weeks have been a wake-up call, the next question is: Why?”

“Part of the answer is the sheer depravity of Hamas’s terrorism. That depravity has made the justification and celebration of their acts by those who police pronouns that much starker. The contradictions and moral bankruptcy of a worldview that spends years worrying about microaggressions and tone policing, but can’t decide what side it is on after the beheading of babies, aren’t exactly difficult to spot.”

“To put it another way: when Black Lives Matter organizations are lionizing Islamist terrorists by posting a paraglider logo, you’d be a fool not to reassess things.”

“The events of the last week have shattered the illusion that wokeness is about protecting victims and standing up for persecuted minorities. This ideology is and has always been about the one thing many of us have told you it is about for years: power.

“And after the last two weeks, there can be no doubt about how these people will use any power they seize: they will seek to destroy, in any way they can, those who disagree.”

It is getting bad when mobs block the road, try to pull you from your car and run after you like freeking zombies when you get away.

Before the drone footage, they tried to frame this as “old white man drives through a pro-Palestinian protest”

Turns out, a mob blocked off the highway, surrounded his car, chased him, and then tried attacking him.

Here is the full drone footage:

https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/1...08/video/3

https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/1...08/video/1

https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/1...8568647859

Sometimes laughing at yourself is good comedy relief. Check out Babylon Bee's Patriot Stock Up List

#4 of course!

https://babylonbee.com/news/9-things-eve...iii-starts

Quote:As everyone can clearly see, the end of the world is right around the corner. As you take inventory of your life and possessions, you may want to start thinking about what you'll need when the inevitable downfall of American civilization arrives.

Thankfully, The Babylon Bee is here to provide a helpful list of everything a freedom-loving American should start hoarding before war engulfs the globe.

1. [b]Trump NFTs:[/b] There's a decent chance these will end up being treated as currency in the civilization to come.
   
2. [b]Axis & Allies Anniversary Edition:[/b] You're going to have a lot of time to play games in your underground bunker.
   
3. [b]Pre-censorship Dr. Seuss books:[/b] Remembering the way things once were will help you carry on.
   
4. [b]Copies of all your political rants from social media so you can tell everyone "I told you so!":[/b] Important.
   
5. [b]The Art of the Deal[/b][b]:[/b] It's important to save the foundational works of Western civilization so we can rebuild society from the ashes.
   
6. [b]Enough ammo to fend off billions of flesh-eating mutants: [/b]Just put it on your credit card.
   
7. [b]Pogs:[/b] All of the other pogs in the world will be destroyed — just think of the fortune you'll make having the only ones.
   
8. [b]COVID masks:[/b] To burn for warmth.
   
9. [b]Donald Trump's DNA:[/b] President Clone Trump will help us rebuild the biggest, most beautiful society anyone has ever seen, all protected by a big, beautiful Trump clone army.
   

Follow the list above, start gathering what you need, seal yourself up in your shelter, and you'll be totally fine!

What can you say, she is not wrong. But yes, he did send out mean tweets. 


https://www.newsweek.com/world-needs-pre...on-1836936

Quote:Shortly after Israel was savagely attacked by Hamas terrorists, a popular meme appeared showing former President Donald Trump in silhouette in a Batman-esque bat signal with the line: "The entire world right now." Under Trump, "peace through strength" wasn't just a suggestive mantra; it was a governing imperative. Trump understood that when the United States is weak or is perceived as weak, the good guys retreat, the bad guys advance, and the wheels come off the world.



Trump also knew that by putting America First, our allies and our adversaries would understand that he meant business: If the American people or interests were threatened, there would be an overwhelming U.S. retaliatory response. This kept the bad guys in check and allowed the world to enjoy relative peace, stability and prosperity.


Enter President Joe Biden, who, like most Leftists, put America Last. He rejected the moral and practical necessity of American strength and embraced feeble irresolution. He has projected constant weakness, equivocation, ineptitude and moral bankruptcy. The result has been an explosion of global instability, increased adventurism from existential threats like China and Iran, hot wars in Ukraine and Israel, and the advance of anti-American and anti-freedom forces around the world.


The globe is in absolute chaos because Biden has abdicated his role as Leader of the Free World.

The silver lining to this abject disaster is that it is becoming ever-clearer that Trump's robust, principled leadership is desperately needed back in the White House.

The silver lining to this abject disaster is that it is becoming ever-clearer that Trump's robust, principled leadership is desperately needed back in the White House.

No candidate has been able to successfully break through, despite two Trump-less debates. Voters aren't looking for worthless chatter or a rehash of tired, counterproductive policies. They want America First policies that improve their lives, keep them safe, and protect America's superpower status.

Only one candidate has a stellar record of delivering all of that as president. With tax cuts, regulatory relief, energy independence and fairer trade deals, Trump delivered a thriving economy with record-low unemployment, significant wage gains, little to no inflation, and a manufacturing boom. He essentially solved illegal immigration, enforced the border, delivered law and order, smashed ISIS, took on China, and ushered in a workable peace in the Middle East.


Despite constant pounding from the Left, Trump's historic policy successes made life significantly better for all Americans—a fresh memory that stands in stark contrast to Biden's many disasters. Most of the policies that the GOP candidates discuss as objectives, Trump has already done—and will do again. The other candidates are accomplished leaders, but America needs someone primed from presidential experience and ready on Day One.



Biden's radical policies have created staggering problems. Since he entered office, his inflationary spending has made the typical American family $7,300 poorer. Approximately 8 million illegal immigrants have crossed the wide-open southern border, bringing tsunamis of dangerous drugs and crime. Our once-great cities are in collapse. Three different American bases are under attack in the Middle East.

To be clear, President Trump's record doesn't just appeal to conservatives. A recent Bloomberg News poll found that the majority of all voters trust Trump over Biden to handle issues such as the economy, immigration, crime, the war in Ukraine, and U.S.-China relations.





It looks increasingly likely that we may be headed for a 2020 redux: two candidates, both of whom have been president but only one of whom has delivered a booming economy, enforced border and world peace.




A chaotic, barbarous world is calling out for strong American leadership. And for that, there's only one option: a restoration of the Trump presidency.

Quote:The Royal Navy is ending its century-old tradition of having Chinese servants on warships amid fears that they could be forced to spy for Beijing.

Hundreds of Chinese laundrymen have worked on Britain’s warships since the 1930s, with most hired from Hong Kong to wash and press sailor’s uniforms and officers’ white tablecloths.

Nepalese Gurkhas will replace them due to fears that Beijing could threaten the servants’ families in China to make those on board ships pass on Royal Navy secrets, The Sun has reported.

The Times

Quote:Chinese Laundry - What a Naval luxury

The Royal Navy had many traditions, procedures, routines, organisations, but none transcended the act of nightly communal dhobying and showering followed by a change of uniform into 'night clothing', affecting every member of the crew.

Recently, we have witnessed the passing of Mary, the Mary of the Hong Kong side-party. She became famous because she took on a task (with her mainly female workers) sailors didn't like doing, namely to keep the ships side at 1 deck and below looking smart, clean, rust free and well painted right down to the water line so including the boot topping. In the main, sailors maintained 01 deck upwards. To those of us who served in Hong Kong, Mary was not only a 'saving grace' work-wise (even mine, but in black instead of grey for I was a submariner there), but had a choggie (naval speak for Chinese people) smile which illuminated Hong Kong and Kowloon together. However, it has to be said that Mary was nothing but shrewd and became a rich person whilst most of her peers were markedly poor.

It is not absolutely certain when Mary started her service to Hong Kong's dockyard, and after its demise, to the ships moored in the environs of HMS Tamar, but it is believed to date from the 1950 period more or less five years after Hong Kong bounced back from the Japanese occupation of the area.

However, her services do pre date the more profound yet unsung services of the inestimable value of the Chinese Laundry, which just about every warship came to value irrespective of where, geographically, it served. If Mary provided a 'service' to the Royal Navy it was parochial, whereas the almost countless Hong Kong families afloat in HM Ships provided a service considered by many to be yet another branch, living, working and yes, fighting alongside the other more well known branches of seamen, engine room, electrical, S & S, communicators, aviators and Royal Marines. In short, the Chinese laundry in HM ships became indispensable.

Whilst doing one of my regular runs to the National Archives, I was able to get this BR, and because dhobying per se and laundry matters generally affect the whole of the crew, I thought it a fitting subject for a webpage.

In a moment, I am going to publish the content of the BR, but before I do just a quick note about the Laundry School in HMS Drake. The Laundry School was just one of several schools within the main RNB at Devonport. It became known as the ''NAVAL JOURNEY'', and throughout units in the Fleet (which had a laundry), a laundry man became known as 'Journeyman'. Now, the definition of a 'Journeyman' is a person who has finished an apprenticeship and is qualified, but works for a person other than for himself. Clearly, a laundry man was not so well qualified, and in any event, in the navy, that description fitted well to an artificer or a mechanician. The title, although coined to fit the nomenclature used in the naval laundry business was soon dropped, but for many years it meant that your dirty laundry would take a 'journey' through the cleaning processes and finish up all nice and clean the other end.

That will become apparent in the contents of BR 1277 below.

For many years, ships based on Hong Kong and Singapore used laundry features offered by the locals. This method ran in parallel with what was happening in the Fleet at large viz, RN Laundries. Some of the larger ships which had LAUNDRIES fitted, stood down the RN laundrymen and in their place came local Chinese men often interrelated. At first, when such a ship had completed its 2?? year commission and was due to return to the UK, the Chinese crew were landed and the RN 'dhoby Wallah's' resumed their task. However, as time passed, these Chinese crews would take passage to the UK and then transfer to a ship coming back to serve in the Far East. After a while, they became permanent in the RN, shifting ships when necessary as refits and long DED's occurred. Moreover, the permanency soon saw them serving in ships in waters around the world, and that was the point, albeit piecemeal, when the RN stopped servicing their own LAUNDRIES. Remembering the piecemeal bit, by the early to mid 1960's Chinese laundrymen were the norm onboard RN surface ships.

I was amazed about what was involved in the RN laundry service and the BR tells all. Different I agree, but worth a browse to recall names like Teepol, Bendix washing machines, detached stiff collars which I wore in the early 1960's with front and back stud, and the like. Some of it is really fascinating especially the Presses and Pressing section. Get your wife to have a look at it and check that she is doing it properly - the pukker and pusser way ! Enjoy.

Chinese Laundry - What a Naval luxury

Quote:I have constituents—sadly no longer working—who served on ships in the NAAFI. Service personnel on those ships will benefit from any review and are entitled to other benefits that are already available about which the Minister talked. Many civilians who served the three services are not being given the option of being included. Sadly, many of them have had a very swift brush off from the MoD.

What about the Chinese laundry men who worked on Her Majesty's ships who, with a cavalier sweep, have been dismissed? [Laughter.]

Mr. McWilliam

Quote:I hope that Opposition Members who are laughing have the opportunity to visit the war memorial at Fitzroy in the Falklands to see the names in Chinese of the Chinese laundry men who were killed unnecessarily in that place.

Mr. Hancock

Quote:I represent 40 of the 80 chinese laundry men who currently work for the Royal Navy—and I am proud to do so. Many of them wear three or four medals on their chests in honour of the service that they have given the nation. Many of them feel very bitter about the way in which, sadly, they have been dismissed as if they are no longer important since the MoD has taken on contractors who would rather employ retired Gurkha soldiers or others. If we are to care for our service personnel, we need to care for all the service family.

Hansard House of Commons: Defence Policy - Volume 299: debated on Tuesday 28 October 1997

Quote:A brand new store has just opened in New York City that sells husbands. When women go to choose a husband, they have to follow the instructions at the entrance: "You may visit this store ONLY ONCE! There are 6 floors and the value of the products increase as you ascend the flights. You may choose any item from a particular floor or may choose to go up to the next floor, but you CANNOT go back down except to exit the building!"


So, a woman goes to the Husband Store to find a husband. The 1st floor sign reads: Floor 1- These men have jobs. The 2nd floor sign reads: Floor 2- These men have jobs and love kids. The 3rd floor sign reads: Floor 3 - These men have jobs, love kids and are extremely good looking. 


"Wow," she thinks, but feels compelled to keep going. She goes to the 4th floor and the sign reads: Floor 4- These men have jobs, love kids, are drop-dead good looking and help with housework.


"Oh, mercy me!" she exclaims, "I can hardly stand it!" Still, she goes to the 5th floor and the sign reads: Floor 5- These men have jobs, love kids, are drop-dead gorgeous, help with housework and have a strong romantic streak. She is so tempted to stay. 


But she goes to the 6th floor and the sign reads: Floor 6- You are visitor 31,456,012 to this floor. There are no men on this floor. This floor exists solely as proof that women are impossible to please. Thank you for shopping at the Husband Store!! 


To avoid gender bias charges, the store's owner opens a New Wives Store across the street. The 1st floor has wives who love sex. The 2nd floor has wives who love sex and have money. The 3rd through 6th floors have never been visited.