Might overcomes truth every time, even Mao knew that as most tyrants throughout history exercised this fact when needed or to sit a tone.

Truck stop.

Now, we've all been to truck stops before, truck drivers or not.  To eat, or just to stop for a bite to eat and get fuel.  My story here is about real 'trucker' truck stops.

The place was known as the "Outlaw", and it lived up to its name.  Barely bigger than four phone booths glued together. Maximum seating was about (12). Every 'outlaw' trucker on planet Earth stopped there.  It was situated along Interstate 80 in SW Wyoming (my home town).  The "Outlaw" was a rough place; it only opened up at midnight and stayed open until 7am.  All carryover fights from the bar were sent to the parking lot to settle the score outside. This was a usual occurrence.  

Inside, the Outlaw served breakfast (generally); anythng you wanted.  But they also had one other specialty...Egg Foo Yong and Chicken Chow Mein (the resident cook was Chinese).  The egg foo yong was to die for...it was beyond excellent.  AND, it was worth even staying up late to go get EFY from the Outlaw even if you weren't hungry!  It was THAT good!.

Anyway, at the time, I was working as a truck driver...oilfield truck driver.  We carried stuff out into the oilfields whenever the companies needed it.  Our days usually started at 2am and we went to the Outlaw for "breakfast" (or dinner, whatever).  We would see all these fights start with the roughnecks looking to one up each other, but most of us were driving for Halliburton or Texaco, so we stayed out of this.  

Our trips would take us 100 miles out into the high Wyoming desert, out east of Rock Springs, Wyoming.  The area was remote (understatement of the week).  You ate at the cafe, or you didn't eat for maybe two days.  We always ate at the Outlaw, before driving out of town.

My most memorable thing was "why" we went there so early in the mornings.  Simply put, we wanted to park our trucks next to other running trucks, to warm them up.  It was -35F below zero on many of those days, and even though we had tank heaters, those old diesels were just begging to stall at a moment's notice.  If they ever did, you'd spend two entire days trying to get one started again!~!

I'll never forget the Egg Foo Yong at the Outlaw!  Must have been loaded with 5-6 eggs, just to mix in with all the veggies and chicken in those omelet-pancake like things!  Saved my 'bacon' more than once!  That ol' Chinese chef knew us, and he did us right every time!

76 year old woman in Texas completely loses her shit when she hears bagpipes in a park, freaks out, and stomps bagpiper in an unhinged rage.

Don't...like...bagpipes!

This gal didn't just dislike bagpipes, she just flat-out wasn't gonna' tolerate that crap, AND she was gonna' DO something about it!!  "I told you, I don't...(thump)...like (thump!)...BAGPIPES (thump!)...DAMMIT!!"

edit - Lady's husband is a federal judge too! And he even joined in on the beatdown! Bagpiper dude must have been pretty bad!

LOL!

New windowless prototype aircraft, the Otto Aviation Phantom 3500, eliminates windows to increase performance and efficiency.  Passengers will still be able to 'see' outside though with the aid of streamed real-time images from outside projected onto the walls and ceiling of the aircraft.  

Windoless Jet - Phantom 3500

Otto Aviation website

Kind of interesting. Would you fly on one?  

And in other (more sarcastic) news, there's this...

Rumor has it that airlines are really stoked about this new technology.  United has ordered (50) of the new aircraft.  In a cost savings measure they have requested all of the outside cameras be removed, and they will instead display looping images from the inside of Joliet State Prison.  Spirit and American have also placed orders.  These two airlines have initiated cost savings measure by requesting that the pilot windows also be removed along with most of the instruments.  And Southwest has placed conditional orders for some aircraft, contingent on the manufacturer being able to deliver (100) standing room only configurations with (500) passenger capacity...by next week (that last part is a joke for anyone who works with SWA on a regular basis like I do).  All four airlines have requested the capability to just airdrop passengers at their destination by shoving them out, without parachutes, onto the tarmac during low flybys.  The manufacturer is said to also be working on airline requests for a new automated loading system for their airplanes with a slingshot mechanism and a ramrod (similar to that of a garbage compactor) to load paying passengers.  Galleys have been eliminated on the new aircraft to make room for shackle and chain storage.  Passenger baggage and carry-on luggage has been eliminated...entirely (plenty of room to cram a few hundred people in down there also).

That is all.

I can't wait for this movie to come out.  I loved John Madden, one of the greatest coaches and sports personalities to ever walk this Earth.  Nicholas Gage stars as Madden, and he definitely looks the part.  I also saw this morning that Christian Bale will star as Al Davis (former owner of the Raiders).  

Madden (and Davis)

Davis also was an interesting cat...in a jackass kind of way.  I met him once...well sort of.  It's actually kind of a funny story.  

We built a building for Davis, in Wyoming.  Davis, as many will know, rose to prominence not as a football figure but as an oil man.  He owned Davis Oil.  Anyway, we (my parent's construction company) were contracted to build a large metal building for him in Wyoming.  Davis was notorious for not paying, and our experience was no different.  We finished the building early and under budget, but he kept finding reasons not to pay us.  We satisfied his every whim to where he had exactly zero grounds to refuse to make final payment...and, he finally agreed to pay.

Rather than send us a check, he decided to deliver the final payment in person.  So, I was going to get to meet the famed Al Davis.  Davis would be flying in on his private jet.  The old man sent me (as usual) to go out to the airport and meet with him to get the check.  This was one 'go'fer' task this construction general foreman (at the time) didn't mind.  (Note - I got to do every shitty job in the company, the shittier the better).  But again, this task I was actually kind of happy about.  Davis was in his heyday with the Raiders at this point.  So, I headed out to the small Wyoming airport.

I get out to the airport (and we had another project at the airport during this time, so I could drive right out onto the ramp...which I thought would make Davis feel all 'special'.)  I figured the guy might want to get something to eat so I'd planned to drive him and his pilots over to a nearby cafe for a bite of lunch.  I waited.  And waited...and waited!  Was this dude even going to show up??  I had just about resigned myself to calling up the old man and telling him Davis had stiffed us once again when low and behold this Gulfstream jet landed.  The aircraft then taxied up to the general aviation hangar where I was parked.  Honestly, I was pretty excited to meet this guy.  

For the longest time nothing happened.  The jet just sat there, one engine running.  I mean like for a really long time, it just sat there.  By this point I was like...WTF, over???  Finally, after what seemed like 30 minutes, the door pops open and the stairs unfold.  "Finally!"...I said to myself.  Then more nothing happened.  Nobody got off, heck, nobody even looked out; they just sat there.  After another long wait (won't bore you...more...here), this tiny elderly looking woman crept down the stairway.  She stood on the tarmac and was looking around like she'd just set foot on the Moon.  I got out of the car and raised my hand, as if to say..."I'm the one you're here to meet with".

No idea who this woman was, but she was walking toward me.  I had prepared this short welcome speech, but it was intended for Davis, not some random old woman.  She walked up to me and before I could say a word she said "HERE!" and smacked an envelope down into my outstretched hand.  My hand was intended to greet her with, but she just slapped this envelope into my hand, and just as fast as she'd walked up she turned right back around and headed for the plane.  I said something to the effect of..."I thought you folks might want to have lunch".  She stopped, glanced at me, and without a word continued walking to the jet.  Ice cold.  The second she got up the stairs of that jet the stairs retracted, the door shut, and the other engine spooled up.  My "goodbye" acknowledgement from Davis and crew was seeing the shutter only the only unshuttered window of the jet slam shut.  Even the pilot was a dick.  He went to breakaway thrust and turned immediately, showering me with dust and gravel as they pulled back out onto the taxiway.  "Nice meeting you, Al!"..."you fucker!"...I said to no one in particular as I got back in the car.  

The final invoice was for something like $98,547.97.  Accountants will do stuff like that sometimes, make an invoice for some weird amount, rather than round up or down to the nearest dollar.  I looked at the check.  It was made out for $98,547.92...five cents less.  Five stinking cents!  They had actually thought about that amount, it was no accident.  Our invoice was dumb enough with .97 at the end, but his check was even worse with .05 deducted off the amount, cheap bastard!  My Dad and I joked for years afterwards about how we should have sent a letter to Davis Oil demanding the five cents and threatening legal action if they didn't pay!!

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Quote:And few terms lend themselves to the fear-mongering market quite like AI, both because of its real game-changing potential, but also because of how it’s long been presented in pop culture. When most people hear “artificial intelligence,” they conjure images of the Terminator wiping out humanity, or the machines in the Matrix using human beings as batteries… but as we’ve discussed in past videos, that’s not what current state AI is. And if you ask me... that leaves a much scarier alternative to worry about.

IMO it really is an act of War but is it from an individual(s) or is it actually state sponsored  ?

Nasa's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured images of the sun looking somewhat shocked or perplexed , who can blame it.

The Sun in 193 Ångstroms, a wavelength of extreme ultraviolet light.
 
The Sun as it appeared on June 4 in the three ultraviolet wavelengths of 171, 193, and 211 Ångstroms. 

Quote:A giant mouth-like hole in the Sun about as wide as five Jupiters is blasting hot Sun breath in Earth's general direction.
It's not an actual hole in the Sun, but what is known as a coronal hole: a region where the Sun's magnetic field opens up, allowing the wind of solar particles constantly blowing from our Sun to escape more readily, sending a gust of material blasting through the Solar System.
If you look at the Sun in optical wavelengths (we  don't recommend doing this without special equipment), you won't notice anything; but, because these regions are cooler and less dense than the surrounding plasma, if you look at them in ultraviolet light, they appear as large, void-like patches of darkness.
https://www.sciencealert.com/a-giant-mou...-surprised

LOL the joke of the week is out!

White House xPress Spox KJP is dumping her Democrat Reg and goin' "Independent" LOL

Don't fall for this BS.

She's involved in the new Democrat strategy to reshape the Historic fail.

This professionally trained (trained but she failed) Democrat PR LIAR is a horrible failure.

Other (D)s giving the illusions of being xDemocrats or at least changing too. Part of some new strategy setup.

NO WAY. If they ever get power back, look out.

Oh and she's also got a book coming out too! How sweet. Bet she didn't write any of it 

Karine Jean-Pierre Announces She’s Leaving the Democratic Party in New Book Promising Look Into ‘Broken White House’

Some news vids have her explaining, and it's so obvious she's a bigger liar and cheater than ever!!

Quote:[b]Karine Jean-Pierre[/b], who served as White House press secretary in the back half of the Biden administration, has left the Democratic Party.

On Wednesday, Jean-Pierre revealed that she is the author of a book — [i]Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines[/i] — set to be released this October.

“Until January 20, I was responsible for speaking on behalf of the President of the United States,” said Jean-Pierre in a statement. “At noon on that day, I became a private citizen who, like all Americans and many of our allies around the world, had to contend with what was to come next for our country. I determined that the danger we face as a country requires freeing ourselves of boxes. We need to be willing to exercise the ability to think creatively and plan strategically.”

Used to enjoy this when I was younger.

Fry up a pan of corned beef hash, top it with two eggs sunny side up, and add a ration of toast generously buttered.  Washed down just fine with cups of black coffee.

Advisory:  I have been unable to locate cans of corned beef hash in the European Union.  Confounded uncivilized nations