I know, but for the insides to hold up that long for that price nowadays is decent. In older days, shoes were made to last longer, and specifically fitted at the heel and toe.

China is socialist.

It won’t in socialism. China is doing rather well, overall.

https://www.okoone.com/spark/marketing-growth/high-value-vs-high-volume-customers-where-should-your-focus-be/

I just paid about $200 (including taxes and shipping) for a pair of leather work sneakers that should last about a year, if I take good care of them, but sketchers usually break down inside about 3 months of wear. I didn’t want to spend it, because gestures at everything, but I had to make the hard decision.

“Low end margin, high volume” markets.

https://www.okoone.com/spark/marketing-growth/high-value-vs-high-volume-customers-where-should-your-focus-be/

Cell phones should last a decade, and could.

Thanks for the book rec.

The media was always racist, they just hid it better… Sometimes.

I think so.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2026-03-16/VHJhbnNjcmlwdDg5NjM5/index.html

I use a freezer and keep canned goods. I should learn canning.

Deep freeze and blackouts?

When my neighbor was dying at the nursing home, he frequently was urine soaked. They won’t let visitors help either, “liability reasons.”

The parent company will dump a bunch of money on sign on bonuses, over work and under pay, firing any for violations that are actually caught, and see who is desperate or compassionate enough to stay and throw then when the inevitable violation is caught, throw them under the bus, too. This also results in the revocation of the employees’ credentialing, and they are blacklisted from ever working in their field, again. So yeah, that’s why care homes call the fire departments to lift a fallen resident.

Salient.

Thank you for this. When I think of the real circumstances on the ground that these states faced, how little they had to do with, and how constricted their ability to make any real changes, I’m really amazed that they had any success at all, and… I kind of see why vassal states are afraid to make a break for it. It’s like being tethered with a slipknot around the neck. The only solution is sever the tether, risk breaking your neck, or be strangled slowly with any movement made, or have the captor tighten or loosen the noose to whatever degree and how slowly or quickly as dictated by their caprices.

Thank you. I return your good wishes, with love and gratitude. 🙏❤️

I’m sorry. My nephew and his granddad have had this. Both are currently in remission. My nephew could only eat thin yogurt.

then dry needling which is acupuncture plus electricity.

I stopped counting at 13 needles. Told my neighbor I feel like a human poppet.

I need to manually add some entries but have been lax af, to be candid.