Long story, but this guy from Mississippi assumed I didn’t speak English (I’m Hispanic), and started talking bad about my athletic abilities. Not that it excuses his behavior, but we were in Mexico, and surrounded by locals. He likely thought I was a local too. So I yelled to him “what did you say?” Ever since then, he’s been super nice to me. Like, always including me in conversations and even comforting me at one point when a guy rejected me.
Obviously, it just shows that he’s not a complete jerk, and it has nothing to do with Southern hospitality. But I’m wondering, is he being nicer because he legitimately feels bad? Or because I stood up for myself, so he knows he can’t behave the way he used to?

Tourist Areas in Alabama
Alabama, known as the "Heart of Dixie," offers a diverse range of tourist attractions, from historic landmarks to stunning natural wonders. Here are some of the most popular tourist areas in the state:
Introduction:
Alabama is a treasure trove of historical, cultural, and natural attractions that beckon travelers from far and wide. From the vibrant streets of Birmingham to the pristine beaches of Gulf Shores, the state offers an eclectic mix of experiences that cater to every taste and preference.
Presentation:
1. Birmingham:

• Visit the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute to learn about the city's pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement.
• Explore the McWane Science Center, a hands-on science museum that's perfect for families.
• Attend a performance at the Alabama Theatre, a historic venue that hosts Broadway shows and concerts.

2. Montgomery:

• Trace the footsteps of the Civil Rights Movement at the Rosa Parks Museum and the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church.
• Visit the Alabama State Capitol, a stunning example of Greek Revival architecture.
• Explore the Hank Williams Museum, dedicated to the legendary country music star.

3. Huntsville:

• Discover the wonders of space exploration at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center.
• Visit the Huntsville Botanical Garden, featuring over 112 acres of lush gardens and nature trails.
• Explore the Burritt on the Mountain, a historic mansion with panoramic views of the city.

4. Gulf Shores:

• Relax on the pristine white-sand beaches along the Gulf of Mexico.
• Visit the Gulf State Park, offering hiking, biking, and kayaking opportunities.
• Explore the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge, home to a variety of coastal wildlife.

5. Mobile:

• Immerse yourself in history at the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park.
• Visit the Mobile Carnival Museum to learn about the city's vibrant Mardi Gras traditions.
• Explore the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, dedicated to marine research and education.

Conclusion:
Alabama offers a wealth of tourist attractions that cater to diverse interests. Whether you're seeking historical landmarks, cultural experiences, or natural wonders, the state has something to offer every traveler.
Tips for Planning Your Trip:

• Book your flights, hotels, and rental cars through Expedia to save money and earn rewards.
• Use Expedia's destination

The one aspect of the Breaking Bad timeline I still have that I feel was never meaningfully resolved was what was going on with the Salamanca operation north of the border after the deaths of Lalo and Nacho and before Tuco's release from prison?
First off, who was in charge in the time before Tuco was released from prison? In S5 when Lalo visits Hector at the nursing home for the final time in May 2004, he tells him that Tuco will be out of prison in about 8 months and will continue leading their operation from there. Lalo dies in June 2004, meaning that there's still half a year without anyone in charge.
It's even more confusing because in BB when Skinny Pete meets Tuco, he asks him if its been a year since he got out of prison, implying that Tuco remained in prison until 2007, so unless Skinny was just completely wrong, then that's even MORE time where the Salamanca operation had no leader. Maybe the cartel got some other cartel capo from Mexico to take control of things like they did with Lalo, but given how long it took for Lalo to show up in the U.S. after Hector was incapacitated, I don't know how that would've worked.
Maybe Krazy-8 was in charge for a bit since he was promoted by Nacho? Then again, he would end up leaving the Salamancas to form his own business by the time BB starts, and I don't know how much the Cartel would trust some random street dealer who was friends with Nacho to run that business right after Nacho betrayed them. Which brings me to my other question:
How did the other dealers react to Nacho's betrayal and later death? At first I assumed that the Cartel would want to keep Nacho's betrayal a secret as to not damage morale, but given that everyone south of the border was looking for Nacho, not just the cartel but also the police, there's no way that the dealers up north wouldn't have heard about it. Maybe that's why Krazy-8 ended up leaving the Salamancas, but that would only give less credibility to the possibility that he was running things before Tuco came back.
It's not strictly a plot hole, there's just a lot of interpretation and assumptions that have to be made for all of it to make sense, and it wouldn't have hurt to have one scene in Season 6 that could've explained this issue.

Megapost: A list of statements, press releases, and other sources reporting and expressing concern and criticism about Israel's war in Gaza and related aspects of the war. (Part 5)

Notes: This is a work that is currently in progress; please check back for updates. Titles have been edited to provide details.
Part 1 is here: https://www.reddit.com/Social_Democracy/comments/1clx1uc/megapost_a_list_of_statements_press_releases_and/
Part 2 is here: https://www.reddit.com/Social_Democracy/comments/1cmjhpk/megapost_a_list_of_statements_press_releases_and/
Part 3 is here: https://www.reddit.com/Social_Democracy/comments/1coups2/megapost_a_list_of_statements_press_releases_and/
Part 4 is here: https://www.reddit.com/Social_Democracy/comments/1crvrde/megapost_a_list_of_statements_press_releases_and/
The Democratic National Committee's College Democrats of America Slams Biden On Gaza And Backs Campus Protesters (May 1, 2024): https://www.huffpost.com/entry/college-democrats-of-america-statement-biden-gaza-campus-protest_n_663278fce4b0849b2edded55
Tope Folarin, director of the Institute for Policy Studies: We Stand with the Students Protesting the Slaughter in Gaza (May 1, 2024): https://ips-dc.org/we-stand-with-the-students-protesting-the-slaughter-in-gaza/
'You are our hope': Palestinian students find strength in U.S. campus protests: “I feel proud that there is a group of students who feel what we feel now — and are helping and supporting us,” said Reem Musa Suleiman Abu Shinar, speaking to an NBC News crew in the city of Rafah in southern Gaza. (May 1, 2024): https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/palestinian-students-support-us-campus-protests-israel-war-rcna149296
Bernie Sanders in CNN interview: 'This may be Biden’s Vietnam' (May 2, 2024): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6rQmvko18M
Catholic Relief Services representative for Gaza fears possible Rafah invasion (May 2, 2024): https://www.ncronline.org/news/catholic-relief-services-rep-gaza-fears-possible-rafah-invasion
‘Disgrace to diplomacy’: Bosnia accuses Israeli diplomat of genocide denial: Envoy to Serbia draws intense criticism for telling Russian media that calling 1995 Srebrenica massacre a genocide ‘diminishes the importance of that term’ (May 2, 2024): https://www.timesofisrael.com/disgrace-to-diplomacy-bosnia-accuses-israeli-diplomat-of-genocide-denial/
Gazans thank US university protesters as Israel calls for students to be expelled (May 2, 2024): https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/01/middleeast/gaza-children-thank-us-protesters-intl-latam/index.html
Helen Benedict, professor of journalism at Columbia University: ‘US student protests seeking peace in Gaza are the new anti-Vietnam War movement’ (May 2, 2024): https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/us-student-protests-seeking-peace-in-gaza-are-the-new-anti-vietnam-war-movement/articleshow/109766893.cms
Hundreds of U.S. Catholic leaders and laity sign letter urging Permanent Gaza Ceasefire and End to Injustice in Israel and Palestine (May 2, 2024): https://cmep.salsalabs.org/ps-may22024 & https://docs.google.com/document/d/16K1RvL3YdSgSChwO_eWB9iSvIglNP59ahqtAQ1aZiGM/
PREPARED REMARKS: Senator Bernie Sanders on the Nationwide Student Protests and the Ongoing Humanitarian Disaster in Gaza (May 2, 2024): https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/prepared-remarks-sanders-on-the-nationwide-student-protests-and-the-ongoing-humanitarian-disaster-in-gaza/
Recalling Civil Rights Era Abuses, Legal Defense Fund of the NAACP Roundly Condemns Rising Violations Against Peaceful Protesters and Calls for Immediate Federal Intervention ["Today, the Legal Defense Fund (LDF) issued a statement roundly and unequivocally condemning the rising civil and human rights violations against peaceful protesters across the U.S. and issued a letter calling for the Department of Justice (DOJ) to conduct an immediate investigation into the treatment of peaceful protesters" (May 2, 2024): https://www.naacpldf.org/press-release/recalling-civil-rights-era-abuses-ldf-roundly-condemns-rising-violations-against-peaceful-protesters-and-calls-for-immediate-federal-intervention/
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) Workers for Palestinian Liberation: A Statement from SFMOMA Workers on Palestine and Censorship [300+ signatures] (Last updated on May 2, 2024): https://dearsfmoma.com
United Nations Development Programme: As war in Gaza enters seventh month, 1.74 million more Palestinians will be pushed into poverty across State of Palestine according to United Nations assessment: UNDP and ESCWA estimate more than two-decades reversal in human development— beyond earliest recorded levels of 2004. (May 2, 2024): https://www.undp.org/papp/press-releases/war-gaza-enters-seventh-month-174-million-more-palestinians-will-be-pushed-poverty-across-state-palestine-according-united
“Workers Have Power”: Thousands Rally in NYC for May Day, Call for Solidarity with Palestine (May 2, 2024): https://www.democracynow.org/2024/5/2/nyc_may_day_rally_palestine_solidarity
A Message to the Protesters From Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, Sr.: A call to keep raising the tempests on campus over the Gazan horror. (May 3, 2024): https://chicagomaroon.com/42811/viewpoints/op-ed/a-message-to-the-protesters-from-reverend-jesse-l-jackson-s
Association of Flight Attendants President Sara Nelson on Mass Arrest of Anti-War Protestors (May 3, 2024): https://www.afacwa.org/mass_arrest_right_to_protest
Bowdoin College faculty letter of support for the right to protest and dissent [80+ signatures] (May 3, 2024): https://bowdoinorient.com/2024/05/03/faculty-letter-of-support-for-the-right-to-protest-and-dissent/
Church World Service: TAKE ACTION: Urge U.S. Officials to Call for an Immediate Ceasefire in Gaza, Support Humanitarian Aid, and Protect Civilian Life (May 3, 2024): https://cwsglobal.org/action-alerts/take-action-urge-u-s-officials-to-call-for-an-immediate-ceasefire-in-gaza-support-humanitarian-aid-and-protect-civilian-life/
Rashid Khalidi, Professor of Arab Studies at Columbia University: Opposed to Genocide in Gaza, This Is the Conscience of a Nation Speaking Through Your Kids (May 3, 2024): https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/rashid-khalidi-columbia-gaza-speech
“This Militaristic Approach Has Been a Failure”: Meet Hala Rharrit, First U.S. Diplomat to Quit over Gaza (May 3, 2024): https://www.democracynow.org/2024/5/3/state_dept
Where pro-Palestinian university protests are happening around the world (May 3, 2024): https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/03/world/pro-palestinian-university-protests-worldwide-intl-hnk/index.html
100-year-old Jewish activist Jules Rabin is speaking up again — this time about Gaza [In a podcast on the nonprofit news site VT Digger, Rabin referred to the tragedy unfolding in Gaza as “a piecemeal Holocaust.”] (May 4, 2024): https://forward.com/culture/609442/jules-rabin-vermont-activism-gaza-ukraine-israel/
Israel will not agree to end the war with Hamas as part of any deal [“Israel will under no circumstances agree to the end of the war as part of an agreement to release our abductees," an Israeli official told ABC News on Saturday morning. "As the political echelon decided, the IDF will enter Rafah and destroy the remaining Hamas battalions there - whether or not there will be a temporary ceasefire for the release of our hostages."] (May 4, 2024): https://abcnews.go.com/International/live-updates/israel-hamas-cease-fire-talks/israel-will-not-agree-to-end-the-war-with-hamas-as-part-of-any-deal-109924741?id=109734705
Roseann "Chic" Canfora survived the 1970 Kent State shooting. Here's her message to student activists (May 4, 2024): https://www.npr.org/2024/05/04/1249023924/kent-state-shooting-activists-protests-survivor
‘They’re sending a message’: harsh police tactics questioned amid US campus protest crackdowns (May 4, 2024): https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/may/04/police-tactics-us-campus-protest-crackdowns
Anton Boonzaier: As a South African during apartheid, I admire pro-Palestine protesters’ tenacity (May 5, 2024): https://dailybruin.com/2024/05/05/op-ed-as-a-south-african-during-apartheid-i-admire-pro-palestine-protesters-tenacity
Committee to Protect Journalists condemns Israeli vote to shut down Al Jazeera; warns of alarming precedent (May 5, 2024): https://cpj.org/2024/05/cpj-condemns-israeli-vote-to-shut-down-al-jazeera-warns-of-alarming-precedent/
Letter: I supported Israel's initial response, but my position has now changed (May 5, 2024): https://dailyprogress.com/opinion/letters/letter-i-supported-israels-initial-response-but-my-position-has-now-changed/article_5d3f023a-0b03-11ef-9fec-5bf0c21a5d27.html
MSNBC's Ayman: The media's hypocritical hysteria over campus protests (May 5, 2024): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVOn7r5iXbI
Union workers join students in rallies Saturday calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza [More than 200 people attended the Maine Labor for Palestine and Maine Students for Palestine rally.] (May 5, 2024): https://www.mainepublic.org/news/2024-05-05/union-workers-join-students-in-rallies-saturday-to-free-gaza
Oxfam reaction to Rafah evacuation order (May 6, 2024): https://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/oxfam-reaction-rafah-evacuation-order
Patrick Gaspard, president of the Center for American Progress: American politicians forget: disruption and disorder are the point of protests: I have trespassed in peaceful protest. I have shut down government offices in civil disobedience. I have made the powerful uncomfortable. That’s the point (May 6, 2024): https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/may/06/campus-pro-palestinian-protests
Save the Children warns of deadly consequences for children following new relocation orders for families in Rafah (May 6, 2024): https://www.savethechildren.net/news/save-children-warns-deadly-consequences-children-following-new-relocation-orders-families-rafah
The campus protesters for Gaza are making America great again: Readers on the demonstrations sweeping colleges and their hopes for the next generation. (May 6, 2024): https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/05/06/campus-protests-gaza-palestine-vietnam/
United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF): There is ‘nowhere safe to go’ for the 600,000 children of Rafah, warns UNICEF: With hundreds of thousands of children in Rafah injured, sick, malnourished, traumatized or living with a disability, UNICEF calls for children to not be forcibly relocated, and the vital infrastructure on which children rely to be protected (May 6, 2024): https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/there-nowhere-safe-go-600000-children-rafah-warns-unicef
US campus protests of Israeli ‘genocide’ offer hope to students from Gaza (May 6, 2024): https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2024/5/6/us-student-protests-of-israeli-genocide-offer-hope-to-students-from-gaza
Brant Rosen: We Tried to Bring Food Into Gaza—but Israel Blocked and Arrested Us: As Israel continues to starve the people of Gaza, a delegation of rabbis marched toward the Erez Crossing during Passover carrying sacks of flour and demanding a cease-fire. (May 6, 2024): https://www.thenation.com/article/world/rabbis-arrested-for-bringing-food-gaza/
Catholic Workers Movement: After Arrests, Students Renew Call for Notre Dame to Follow Catholic Teaching on War, Investments (May 6, 2024): https://catholicworker.org/after-arrests-students-renew-call-for-notre-dame-to-follow-catholic-teaching-on-war-investments/
Hala Rharrit, former State Department official: Biden’s militaristic policy in Gaza is a failure — diplomacy is the solution (May 6, 2024): https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/4646237-biden-gaza-militaristic-policy-failure/
750+ Jewish Students Affirm Support for Pro-Palestine Campus Protests [In Response to Biden’s Speech, 750+ Jewish Students on 140+ Campuses Stand Against Israel's Rafah Invasion, Urge Jewish Institutional Action to Halt Gaza Assault] (May 7, 2024): https://www.commondreams.org/news/jewish-students-support-gaza & https://mailchi.mp/israelpalestinecomms/jstudents
American Friends Service Committee: T­h­e C­o­m­p­a­n­i­e­s P­r­o­f­i­t­i­n­g f­r­o­m I­s­r­a­e­l­’­s 2­0­2­3­-­2­0­2­4 A­t­t­a­c­k­s o­n G­a­z­a (Updated on May 7, 2024): https://afsc.org/gaza-genocide-companies
‘I am leaving for the unknown.’ Palestinians fleeing Rafah describe their fear and despair (May 7, 2024): https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/06/middleeast/palestinians-flee-rafah-gaza-fear-despair-intl-hnk/index.html
Kenneth Roth: Biden Should Not Stand in the Way of the ICC (May 7, 2024): https://foreignpolicy.com/2024/05/07/biden-israel-hamas-icc-gaza-netanyahu-arrest/
Labour Party of Ireland Eurocandidate for Ireland South, Niamh Hourigan: European Union leaders must push for ceasefire in Gaza (May 7, 2024): https://labour.ie/news/2024/05/07/eu-leaders-must-push-for-ceasefire-in-gaza/
Labour Party of Ireland Further and Higher Education Spokesperson Senator Annie Hoey: Solidarity with Trinity College Dublin and University College Cork Students protest for Gaza (May 7, 2024): https://labour.ie/news/2024/05/07/solidarity-with-trinity-and-ucc-students-protest-for-gaza/
Letter by Bill Deutsch on behalf of the Decorah Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers): Urge immediate ceasefire in Gaza (May 7, 2024): https://www.postbulletin.com/opinion/letters/letter-urge-immediate-ceasefire-in-gaza
Letter by Ch. Lt Col (Ret.) Stephen Tillett to the Editor: Veteran Calls for Ceasefire in Gaza (May 7, 2024): https://baltimorepostexaminer.com/letter-to-the-editor-veteran-calls-for-ceasefire-in-gaza/2024/05/07
OPEN LETTER OF LEGAL CONCERNS REGARDING GAZA FROM LEGAL PROFESSIONALS, DOMESTIC & ABROAD [Signed by "27 legal professionals in their personal capacities who work for the following departments: 1. U.S. Department of Justice, 2. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 3. U.S. Judiciary, 4. U.S. Department of Labor, 5. Social Security Administration, 6. U.S. Department of Energy, 7. Attorneys who did not list their agency; 156 legal professionals in their personal capacities from the 1. Private Sector, 2. Public Sector, 3. Legal Academia, 4. European Commission; And the following organizations: 1. Democracy for the Arab World Now, the brainchild of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi, is a non-profit focused on efforts to promote democracy and human rights in the Middle East and North Africa. 2. Association of Muslim American Lawyers, which provides essential programs and activities to help support American Muslim Lawyers. 3. Law for Palestine, a non-profit registered in the United Kingdom and Sweden that aims to create a global network of professionals interested in Palestine and International Law."] (May 7, 2024): https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSGlSvk3zHbzIsabUuh2EZxcrGvmbeP1u9U9leY-qWvCMA8fpVF1YV-0UnexNUd0VMXPUJeyMOitdRu/pub
Three Orange County medics describe wartime health care in Gaza: A once-modern string of hospitals has been reduced to desperate physicians and others relying on wits and luck. Most of their patients are children. (May 7, 2024): https://www.ocregister.com/2024/05/07/three-orange-county-medics-describe-wartime-health-care-in-gaza/
Vera Institute President Nicholas Turner: Police Violence on College Campuses is Unacceptable (May 7, 2024): https://www.vera.org/news/police-violence-on-college-campuses-is-unacceptable
ACLU’s national director of policy and government affairs Mike Zamore and ACLU senior policy counsel Kia Hamadanchy: A disturbing national security bill could silence nonprofits and college protests (May 8, 2024): https://thehill.com/opinion/national-security/4651053-a-disturbing-national-security-bill-could-silence-nonprofits-and-college-protests/
Al Jazeera shutdown in Israel spells 'dark day for democracy,' say media groups (May 8, 2024): https://www.voanews.com/a/al-jazeera-shutdown-in-israel-spells-dark-day-for-democracy-say-media-groups/7603956.html
Ann Wright, retired U.S. Army Colonel and former diplomat: If I had not resigned 21 years ago in opposition to Bush’s stupid war on Iraq, I certainly would have resigned long ago in opposition to US complicity in the Israeli genocide of Gaza (May 8, 2024): https://twitter.com/AnnWright46/status/1788257045973528838
Blinken Says Israeli Units Accused of Serious Violations Have Done Enough to Avoid Sanctions. Experts and Insiders Disagree. (May 8, 2024): https://www.propublica.org/article/blinken-israel-military-aid-human-rights-violations-leahy-law
Jeremy Brecher: Anti-Genocide Students Are Fulfilling Their Duty to Prevent War Crimes; Will You? (May 8, 2024): https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/students-prevent-war-crimes
Senator Bernie Sanders Statement on Biden’s Hold on Bomb Delivery to Netanyahu’s Government (May 8, 2024): https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-statement-on-bidens-hold-on-bomb-delivery-to-netanyahus-government/
The NYPD’s New Sizzle Reels Aren’t Just Dumb. They’re Dangerous. “This is copaganda, designed primarily to provide the mayor with political cover, but then also to show off the military might and alleged professionalism of the NYPD.” (May 8, 2024): https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2024/05/nypd-sizzle-reel-student-protests/
An open letter to Middlebury College from alumni in support of the Middlebury Gaza Solidarity Encampment [1000+ signatures] (May 9, 2024): https://www.middleburycampus.com/article/2024/05/an-open-letter-to-middlebury-college-from-alumni-in-support-of-the-middlebury-gaza-solidarity-encampment
Haim Bresheeth-Žabner deplores the rot in Israeli society: 'Israel has turned into a Nazi society': The son of Holocaust survivors, Haim Bresheeth-Žabner believes the majority of Israel has been taught to normalise the occupation of Palestine (May 9, 2024): https://www.newarab.com/features/son-shoah-survivors-israel-has-become-nazi-society
‘It’s not human’: What a French doctor saw in Gaza as Israel invaded Rafah: When asked about the conditions of the hospitals he worked in, Dr. Zouhair Lahna is pained by the memories of the sick, wounded and dying. (May 9, 2024): https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2024/5/9/its-not-human-what-a-french-doctor-saw-in-gaza-as-israel-invaded-rafah
Japanese American Citizens League Calls for Ceasefire in Gaza (May 9, 2024): https://jacl.org/statements/jacl-calls-for-ceasefire-in-gaza
Republicans Funded by Arms Industry Fume Over Biden Threat to Withhold Bombs From Israel (May 9, 2024): https://www.commondreams.org/news/republicans-israel-weapons
Senator Bernie Sanders Statement on Israel’s Threat to Attack Rafah (May 9, 2024): https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-statement-on-israels-threat-to-attack-rafah/
Students against genocide speak for themselves (May 9, 2024): https://newsandletters.org/students-against-genocide-speak-for-themselves/
Trapped in Rafah, I'm watching genocide unfold before my eyes: Gazan journalist Amjad Yaghi's eye-witness account in Rafah describes the horrors of Israel's ground invasion as Gazans desperately try to flee to safety. (May 9, 2024): https://www.newarab.com/opinion/trapped-rafah-im-witnessing-genocide-my-own-eyes
76 Universities in Spain Suspend Ties With Complicit Israeli Universities (May 10, 2024): https://bdsmovement.net/news/76-universities-spain-suspend-ties-with-complicit-israeli-universities
Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project: US Student Pro-Palestine Demonstrations Remain Overwhelmingly Peaceful (May 10, 2024): https://acleddata.com/2024/05/10/us-student-pro-palestine-demonstrations-remain-overwhelmingly-peaceful-acled-brief/
Biden’s arms threat to Israel ‘better than nothing’ but too late, say U.S. officials who resigned over Gaza policy (May 10, 2024): https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/bidens-arms-threat-israel-better-nothing-late-say-us-officials-resigne-rcna151454
'Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza must end' – Sinn Féin Chairperson Declan Kearney tells Global Anti-Apartheid Conference on Palestine (May 10, 2024): https://vote.sinnfein.ie/israels-genocidal-war-in-gaza-must-end-kearney-tells-global-anti-apartheid-conference-on-palestine/
Rick Salutin: I protested at Columbia in 1968 and today’s campus protests give me hope (May 10, 2024): https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/i-protested-at-columbia-in-1968-and-todays-campus-protests-give-me-hope/article_a505c180-0e32-11ef-9615-e3f88eb6e034.html
Right-wing media encourage invasion of Rafah, Biden impeachment: After the Israeli military seized a key border crossing for humanitarian aid into Gaza, Biden’s statement urging restraint from Israel was met with backlash from right-wing media figures (May 10, 2024): https://www.mediamatters.org/middle-east/right-wing-media-encourage-invasion-rafah-biden-impeachment
Senator Bernie Sanders Statement on Rafah (May 10, 2024): https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-statement-on-rafah/
Strapped down, blindfolded, held in diapers: Israeli whistleblowers detail abuse of Palestinians in shadowy detention center (May 10, 2024): https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/10/middleeast/israel-sde-teiman-detention-whistleblowers-intl-cmd/index.html
U.S. medical volunteers in Rafah hospital say they've never seen a worse health crisis (May 10, 2024): https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2024/05/10/1250490688/rafa-hospital-gaza-israel-war-middle-east
Pro-Israel website ramps up attacks on pro-Palestinian student protesters (May 11, 2024): https://www.reuters.com/world/name-shame-pro-israel-website-ramps-up-attacks-pro-palestinian-student-2024-05-11/
Sen. Lindsey Graham says Israel should do 'whatever' it has to while comparing the war in Gaza to Hiroshima and Nagasaki: The GOP senator compared Israel’s military operations to the U.S. dropping atomic bombs on Japan in World War II, saying, “Israel, do whatever you have to do.” (May 12, 2024): https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/sen-lindsey-graham-says-israel-whatever-comparing-war-gaza-hiroshima-n-rcna151828
Gazans strive to study as war shatters education system (May 13, 2024): https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/gazans-strive-study-war-shatters-education-system-2024-05-13/
‘Total outrage’: White House condemns Israeli settlers’ attack on Gaza aid trucks: Protesters block convoy, throw food into road and set fire to vehicles at Tarqumiya checkpoint near Hebron (May 13, 2024): https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/may/13/total-outrage-white-house-condemns-israeli-settlers-attack-on-gaza-aid-convoy
Trump Wants to Deport Pro-Palestine Protesters—and GOP Lawmakers Are Filing Bills to Make It Happen: Republicans continue their push to punish dissent. (May 13, 2024): https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2024/05/trump-protesters-gop-marco-rubio-palestine-college-deport/
U.S. Army Officer Resigns From Defense Intelligence Agency Over Gaza Policy: Maj. Harrison Mann's letter criticized the U.S. for still supporting Israel, "which has enabled and empowered the killing and starvation" of Palestinians. (May 13, 2024): https://www.huffpost.com/entry/army-officer-resigns-defense-intelligence-agency-military-gaza-israel_n_664281dde4b04540de6e8c69
University of California Santa Barbara Sociology Department Faculty Letter Concerning Student Protests (May 13, 2024): https://www.soc.ucsb.edu/news/announcement/577
Columbia-Affiliated Union Theological Seminary Votes to Divest from Israel’s War on Gaza (May 14, 2024): https://www.democracynow.org/2024/5/14/serene_jones_union_theological_seminary
Fares Abraham: A Palestinian Christian Plea for Compassion in Gaza (May 14, 2024): https://wordandway.org/2024/05/14/a-palestinian-christian-plea-for-compassion-in-gaza/
Palestinians mark 76 years of dispossession as a potentially even larger catastrophe unfolds in Gaza (May 14, 2024): https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-nakba-history-b5cea9556e516655c25598d5dbe54192
Amnesty International: Mass forced displacement in Gaza highlights urgent need for Israel to uphold Palestinians’ right to return (May 15, 2024): https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/05/mass-forced-displacement-in-gaza-highlights-urgent-need-for-israel-to-uphold-palestinians-right-to-return/
House Democrats Fume Over Unprecedented Israeli Rebuke Of Lawmakers: Congressional aides told HuffPost a May 8 letter from Israel's ambassador was “stunning,” “embarrassing” and “verging on offensive.” (May 15, 2024): https://www.huffpost.com/entry/israeli-ambassador-blasts-democrats-letter_n_6644fde3e4b00df0c6b6cba5
Lily Greenberg Call, Jewish staffer who quit Biden administration over Israel policy: ‘There are so many of us who feel this way’ (May 16, 2024): https://www.jta.org/2024/05/16/israel/lily-greenberg-call-jewish-staffer-who-quit-biden-administration-over-israel-policy-there-are-so-many-of-us-who-feel-this-way
The Unpunished: How Extremists Took Over Israel: After 50 years of failure to stop violence and terrorism against Palestinians by Jewish ultranationalists, lawlessness has become the law. (May 16, 2024): https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/16/magazine/israel-west-bank-settler-violence-impunity.html
University Professors Are Losing Their Jobs Over “New McCarthyism” on Gaza: As brutal police repression sweeps campus encampments, schools have been cutting ties with pro-Palestine faculty members without tenure. (May 16, 2024): https://theintercept.com/2024/05/16/university-college-professors-israel-palestine-firing/
With More Bombing And Less Aid, Gaza’s Humanitarians Are Feeling The Squeeze: Many Palestinian aid workers are facing an uphill battle trying to coordinate humanitarian assistance in Gaza while keeping their families safe. (May 16, 2024): https://www.huffpost.com/entry/more-bombing-less-aid-gaza-humanitarians-israel_n_6646934fe4b0dd63cd2bd6e5
Western nations (Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Korea, Sweden, the United Kingdom) urge Israel to comply with international law in Gaza (May 17, 2024): https://www.reuters.com/world/western-nations-urge-israel-comply-with-international-law-gaza-2024-05-17/
U.S. Scholars to University Presidents: Honor Peaceful Protesters Standing Up for Justice [1600+ signatures] (Last updated on May 19, 2024): https://static1.squarespace.com/static/656e69d1c90c203e4496ec8c/t/664b68d4991b9e5acfc7e6af/1716218068508/US+Scholars+to+University+Presidents+May+19+1%2C600%2B.pdf
French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs: International Criminal Court – Prosecutor applies to ICC for arrest warrants ["For many months now, France has been warning about the imperative of strict compliance with international humanitarian law and particularly the unacceptable nature of the civilian losses in the Gaza Strip, and insufficient humanitarian access. France supports the International Criminal Court, its independence and the fight against impunity in every situation."] (May 20, 2024): https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fen/french-foreign-policy/international-justice/news/article/international-criminal-court-prosecutor-applies-to-icc-for-arrest-warrants-20
Hadja Lahbib, Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs: "Crimes committed in Gaza must be prosecuted at the highest level, regardless of the perpetrators. The fight against impunity wherever crimes occur is a priority for Belgium. Belgium supports the work of the International Criminal Court. The Request submitted by the Court's prosecutor, Karim Khan, for arrest warrants against both Hamas and Israeli officials is an important step in the investigation of the situation in Palestine. Belgium will continue to support the essential work of international justice to ensure that those responsible for all crimes are held accountable." (May 20, 2024): https://x.com/hadjalahbib/status/1792527999784361999
Statement of ICC Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan KC: Applications for arrest warrants in the situation in the State of Palestine (May 20, 2024): https://www.icc-cpi.int/news/statement-icc-prosecutor-karim-aa-khan-kc-applications-arrest-warrants-situation-state
Amnesty International: ICC applications for arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Sinwar and other senior Israeli and Hamas officials crucial step towards justice (May 21, 2024): https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/05/israel-opt-icc-applications-for-arrest-warrants-for-netanyahu-sinwar-and-other-senior-israeli-and-hamas-officials-crucial-step-towards-justice/
Backing settlement, Ben Gvir says he’d be ‘very happy to live in Gaza’ after the war: If ‘hundreds of thousands’ of Palestinians leave the Strip, ‘we will be able to bring in more and more people,’ National Security minister says (May 21, 2024): https://www.timesofisrael.com/backing-settlement-ben-gvir-says-hed-be-very-happy-to-live-in-gaza-after-the-wa
Harvard Faculty Overwhelmingly Vote to Allow Seniors Disciplined Over Encampment to Graduate (May 21, 2024): https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2024/5/21/faculty-vote-allow-suspended-seniors-graduate/
Israeli historian Ilan Pappé: I was detained at a US airport and asked about Israel and Gaza for 2 hours. Why? Border agents asked whether I believe Israel is committing genocide and what I think of popular protest slogans shortly after I landed in Detroit (May 21, 2024): https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/may/21/ilan-pappe-israel-gaza-zionism
Nearly 500 Harvard Faculty, Staff Blast Sanctions Against Pro-Palestine Protesters in Open Letter (May 21, 2024): https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2024/5/21/harvard-faculty-staff-open-letter-ad-board/
The ICC Wants to Prosecute Israeli Leaders. The U.S.’s Rejection Threatens the Rules-Based Order (May 21, 2024): https://time.com/6980747/us-israel-gaza-icc-prosecution/
PREPARED REMARKS: Bernie Sanders on ICC Seeking Arrest Warrants for Hamas and Israeli Leaders Amidst the Ongoing Humanitarian Disaster in Gaza (May 22, 2024): https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/prepared-remarks-sanders-on-icc-seeking-arrest-warrants-for-hamas-and-israeli-leaders-amidst-the-ongoing-humanitarian-disaster-in-gaza/
Letter to President Biden Regarding Threats to the International Criminal Court [Signed by: Action Corps (US); Adehsur; The Advocates for Human Rights (US); The African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies (Sudan); African Francophone Coalitions for the ICC; Alliance for Peacebuilding; American Association for the International Commission of Jurists; American Friends Service Committee; Amnesty International USA; Aotearoa Lawyers for Peace (New Zealand); Arab Canadian Lawyers Association (Canada); Asociación Nacional de Centros de Investigación, promoción social y desarrollo (Peru); Asociación Pro Derechos Humanos (Peru); Association of Reintegration of Crimea (Ukraine and France); Atrocities Watch Africa; Australian Centre for International Justice (Australia); Ayus Network of Buddhists Volunteers on International Cooperation (Japan); Barah Aamen (Egypt); Basel Peace Office (Switzerland); BDS Tokyo (Japan); Brooklyn For Peace (US); Caminos de la Memoria (Peru); Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (Canada); Center for Civilians in Conflict; Center for Constitutional Rights (US); Center for Egyptian Women’s Legal Assistance (Egypt); Center for International Policy; Centro de Desarrollo Étnico (Peru); Centro de Investigación de Crímenes Atroces (Mexico); Centro de Investigación y Promoción de los Derechos Humanos (Honduras); Centro de Prevención Tratamiento y Rehabilitación de las Víctimas de la Tortura y sus Familiares (Honduras); Centro Investigación Capacitación Asesoría y Promoción (Peru); Chernobyl Hibakusha Support, Kansai (Japan); Citizens for Global Solutions (US); Colectivo por los Derechos de las Personas Adultas Mayores (Peru); Comisión de Derechos Humanos de El Salvador (El Salvador); Comisión de Justicia Social (Peru); Corporación Humanas Centro Regional de Derechos Humanos y Justicia de Género (Colombia); Darfur Women Action Group; Demand Progress Education Fund (US); Derechos Humanos y Medio Ambiente (Peru); Dominican Leadership Conference (US); Due Process of Law Foundation (US); Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms (Egypt); Egyptian Human Rights Forum (France); Egyptians Without Borders Foundation (Egypt); Eleanor Lives! (US); Ensaaf (US); Fundación Ecuménica Para el Desarollo y la Paz (Peru); Ganoubia Hora (Egypt); Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect; Global Justice Center; Grupo de Iniciativa Nacional por los Derechos del Niño; Historians for Peace and Democracy (US); Human Rights Center, UC Berkeley (US); Human Rights First (US); Human Rights Now (Japan); Human Rights Watch; iACT; Institute for Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention; Institute for the Study of Genocide; Instituto de Defensa Legal (Peru); Instituto de Democracia y Derechos Humanos de la Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú; International Criminal Court Alliance (US); International Federation for Human Rights; J Street (US); Japan Campaign to Ban Landmines (Japan); Japan International Volunteer Center; Just Foreign Policy (US); KYOTO AALA (Japan); Laboratorio de Paz (Venezuela); Law and Democracy Support Foundation (Germany); Lawyers Alert (Nigeria); Legal Pact for the Future; Media Initiative for Human Rights (Ukraine); Middle East Democracy Center; Minnesota Peace Project (US); Movement Medicine Japan; Movimiento Jatarishun (Peru); MPower Change Action Fund; National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd United States; Network Against Japan Arms Trade; Network for Peace in Syria (Japan); Never Again Coalition (US); No Business With Genocide (US); No Peace Without Justice; Parliamentarians for Global Action; Passionists International (US); Pax Christi (US); Paz y Esperanza (Peru); Peace Action (US); Peace Direct (US); Piece of Syria (Japan); Plataforma de Comercio Justo y Consumo Ético Perú (Peru); Plataforma por la Democracia (Peru); Presbyterian Church (USA); Programa Venezolano de Educación Acción en Derechos Humanos (Venezuela); Red para la Infancia y la Familia – Peru; REDRESS Trust; The Regional Coalition for Women Human Rights Defenders in Southwest Asia and North Africa; Réseau Equitas Côte d’Ivoire; Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights; The Sentry; Sinai Foundation for Human Rights (Egypt); Sisters of Mercy of the Americas – Justice Team; StoptheDrugWar.org (US); Sudan Human Rights Network; The United Church of Christ (US); Ukrainian Legal Aid Foundation (Ukraine); US Campaign for Palestinian Rights; Veterans For Peace (US); Win Without War (US); WITNESS; Women for Weapons Trade Transparency; Women’s Active Museum on War and Peace (Japan); Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice; World Federalist Movement – Institute for Global Policy; World Service Authority; World Without Genocide (US); YMCA of Japan; Zarga Organization for Rural Development (Sudan)] (May 22, 2024): https://www.coalitionfortheicc.org/sites/default/files/cicc_documents/Joint%20NGO%20Letter%20to%20President%20Biden%20on%20the%20International%20Criminal%20Court.pdf
‘Terrible idea’: Bernie Sanders on Netanyahu addressing Congress as ICC seeks his arrest (May 22, 2024): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88RCwqyEB4Q
Dr. Adam Hamawy Describes Desperate Conditions at Gaza Hospitals Amid Attacks & Lack of Supplies (May 23, 2024): https://www.democracynow.org/2024/5/23/gaza_hospitals
European Union staff sign letter expressing concerns over its handling of Gaza crisis: More than 200 signatories cite EU’s ‘continued apathy’ to plight of Palestinians and seek official call for ceasefire (May 24, 2024): https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/may/24/more-than-200-eu-staff-sign-letter-expressing-concerns-over-gaza-crisis
"Very abnormal": Expert worries pro-Israel megadonors trying to make Dems a "pro-Netanyahu party" (May 24, 2024): https://www.salon.com/2024/05/24/very-abnormal-expert-worries-pro-israel-megadonors-trying-to-make-dems-a-pro-netanyahu-party/

As Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage month draws to a close here in the United States, I wanted to share a collection of write-ups featuring the stories of Asians/Pacific Islanders who are currently missing or whose cases have not been resolved. This is an expansion of a piece I post annually and therefore may it sound similar. These are mostly my pieces as well as a few other cases that I have remembered reading about over the last year or two including some cases recommended by readers. Feel free to add other cases which have stuck with you down in the comment section. I hope to garner some exposure for these lesser known cases.
Khoi Dang Vu was a deaf American man who went missing from his family’s home in 2007 in Vancouver, Washington. He left on a rainy night without his coat, bike, or any belongings. His case is now considered a homicide and no trace of him has ever been found. True Crime Bullsh*t, an investigative podcast, has surmised that Vu may be a victim of serial killer Israel Keyes. The FBI considers the case a kidnapping. Khoi is of Vietnamese descent. My write up here- https://www.reddit.com/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/g89b2z/what_causes_someone_to_leave_their_home_in_the/
https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/kidnap/khoi-dang-vu
Slideshow made my Khoi's sister- www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IuTeb58vH0&t=0s
Wallace Guidroz went missing from Tacoma in 1983 when he was only two years old. His father took him to a park, went on a walk with a mysterious man, and then when he returned Wallace was gone. Wallace has never been seen again. He is of Korean and African American descent. HIs father is the prime suspect in his disappearance. https://www.reddit.com/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/mdtktl/2_%C2%BD_year_old_wallace_guidroz_disappeared_while/
https://charleyproject.org/case/wallace-guidroz
Helen Doe is an unidentified decedent who died in a semi-truck crash in Kalama, Washington in 1991. Although she is believed to be Native American, Asian, Hispanic, and mixed heritage cannot be ruled out. Her story can be found here. A new facial reconstruction can be see here. https://unidentified-awareness.fandom.com/wiki/Helen_Doe
full write up- https://www.reddit.com/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/lnv1b9/extensive_write_up_on_the_bizarre_case_of_helen/
https://www.koin.com/news/special-reports/the-mystery-of-helen-doe-kalama-crash-1991/
Grays Harbor Jane Doe was found in 1984 off of a logging road in Southern Washington state. She was middle aged and believed to be of Asian descent. The DNA Doe project is working on her case. You can read about her here. https://unidentified-awareness.fandom.com/wiki/Grays_Harbor_County_Jane_Doe
In 1963 the body of an unidentified man was found floating in the Spokane River in Spokane, Washington. The man had most likely drowned. He is believed to be of Asian descent but white and mixed descent could not be ruled out. His story, as well as the stories of 16 other unknown persons from Spokane can be found here. https://www.reddit.com/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/liqj98/extensive_write_up_on_17_of_spokane_countys/
https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/1670umwa.html
Gary Ridgway aka the Green River Killer terrorized the Pacific Northwest for decades. What many people do not know is that the Green River task force is still in operation. Ridgway confessed to 71 murders, but only around 49 bodies have been found meaning there are more victims waiting to be discovered or reported missing. Two of Gary Ridgway’s known victims were of Asian American or Pacific Islander backgrounds. Marie Malvar, who was of Filipino descent, and Kimi Kai Pitsor who was native Hawaiian, but there may be more. To read about the stories of these young girls as well as other victims of Ridgway you can start here. https://www.reddit.com/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/gpbcll/what_everyone_has_wrong_about_ridgway_extensive/ (please keep in mind that with the recent IDs of these does this write up is now out of date).
https://kingcounty.gov/depts/sheriff/about-us/enforcement/investigations/green-river.aspx
Diane Nguyen Robbins was only 13 in 1985 when she was last seen in King Co. Washington. She disappeared with her 21 year old friend, Molly Purdin, who was later found murdered. Both Diane and her friend were from Kennewick, Washington but Molly’s was found in northern King County. Molly had been assualted and died via blunt force trauma. Gary Ridgway is a suspect in both cases. An unknown serial killer is also a suspect in Molly amd Diane's case. Diane is of Vietnamese and white descent. https://charleyproject.org/case/diane-nguyen-robbins
Edward Ryan Makuahanai Aikau, usually known as Eddie Aikau, a famous lifeguard and surfer, was credited with saving over 500 people at Waimea bay on Oahu’s north shore during his tenure as lifeguard. In fact not one person was reported drowned during Eddie’s shifts at the beach. In 1978, 31 year old Aikau had decided to join the Polynesia Voyaging society, a group who planned to travel from Hawaii to Tahiti using only outrigger canoes. Shortly into their journey one canoe sprung a leak and eventually capsized 12 miles south of Molokai. Eddie paddled on his surfboard towards Lanai in a valiant effort to summon help, but soon disappeared. The US Coast Guard were able to save all the passengers and a huge search was launched but Eddie was never found and is presumed drowned. Eddie Aikau is a household name in Hawaii and in the surfing community. Competitions bearing his name and t-shirts, bumper stickers, and other items inscribed with “Eddie would go” are a constant reminder of his legacy and memory. Eddie was of Native Hawaiian and Caucasian, mostly Portuguese, descent. His story can be found here. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Aikau
Rachel Mellon, sometimes reported as Rachel Mellon Skemp was a 13 year old who disappeared from her Illinois home when she was home sick one day in 1996. Her step-father is the primary suspect in her disappearance and diary entries from several months earlier reported that her step dad had touched her inappropriately and tried to kiss her. Rachel is of Asian descent but her family reports she is often mistaken for Greek or Italian. Her case can be found here. https://charleyproject.org/case/rachel-marie-mellon
Hang Lee, a 17 year old girl, went missing from St Paul Minnesota on January 12th 1993. Hang was last seen with a friend Kia “Nikki” Lee. She left home with this friend between 6:00 and 7:00 p.m. but when Nikki returned home an hour later, Hang was not with her. Nikki initially told authorities Hang had left with some unidentified young men. She later changed her story and said Hang had gone to a job interview with Nikki's own employer, Mark Steven Wallace, at Wallace's small painting and carpentry business on Iroquois Avenue. Wallace told Nikki that he was looking to hire another employee and she suggested her friend Hang as Hang was looking for a new job. Nikki thought that this request from Wallace was odd as he did not have enough work to hire another employee at that time. Nikki eventually told authorities that she and Hang went to Wallace's place of work and drove around with him in a white truck before switching and driving around in a tan Chevy Cavalier. Wallace dropped Nikki off and then left with Hang in the car. Wallace also told Nikki to not report what happened to the police. After a few interviews with the police Nikki retained an attorney and is no longer cooperating. Wallace denied involvement but also retained an attorney. Wallace is the prime suspect in the disappearance of Hang Lee. He has a record which includes rape, kidnapping, stalking, and drug possession. Hang Lee has never been located and her mother and 13 siblings are still looking for her. Hang is described as a sweet and naïve teenager who is only 17 and 1993. She was 5 ft tall and weighed 90 lb. She was last seen wearing a lightweight black leather jacket, a black t-shirt with "Skid Row" written on the back, black jeans or slacks, sneakers and several pieces of jewelry, including two silver bracelets. She is described as an Asian female with black hair and brown eyes. Her parents moved from Lao (sometimes spelled Laos in the US), and she is Hmong descent. She speaks both English and Hmong. She left behind her purse, a paycheck, and all of her other belongings. Full article https://charleyproject.org/case/hang-lee
Deborah Palmer was only 7 years old in 1997 when she was last seen getting ready for school. Her mother said goodbye as Deborah left the home to walk a few blocks to her elementary school in Oak Harbor, Washington. When Deborah’s mother tried to drop off lunch a few hours later, she was shocked to learn that her daughter never arrived. Five days later, Deborah’s body was found on a beach a few miles away. She had been but not sexually assaulted. Her case is cold and unsolved 25 years later. Deborah is of African American and Filipino descent. https://www.q13fox.com/washingtons-most-wanted/little-girl-doesnt-show-up-for-school-but-shows-up-days-later-dead-on-a-beach
In September of 2019, Tampa native Paulino Norberto Del Mundo Japor Jr. decided she wanted to go on a 10 vacation to Cozumel, Mexico but during a layover in Dallas she called her sister and asked for help getting a ticket back to Florida as she had changed her mind about going to Mexico. Her family said on the phone she sounded “desperate” and “incoherent.” She never boarded a flight home or boarded her plane to Mexico. Her last known whereabouts were documented on security tapes from the Dallas airport. Her phone and bank account have not been used since that day and she was never seen again. Paulino is a transgender woman who went by the names Paula, Paulina, or Pauline. Although Paula had lived as a woman for years she had not medically transitioned and it appears she still used Paulino Norberto as her legal first and middle name. She is of Filipino descent and her family is still hoping for answers. https://charleyproject.org/case/paulino-norberto-del-mundo-japor-jr
In 1999, Xuan Cao, a 53-year-old man from China, was visiting the USA as part of a tour group. His tour group had just gotten to a hotel in North Bergen, NJ, when Xuan said he was going out to make a phone call. He disappeared and never came back. He left behind his passport and all of his luggage. It is not believed to be a voluntary disappearance. Some online slueths thinks that he may be this John Doe. (TW post mortem photo- https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/1507?nav It has been submitted as a match but not yet ruled out.
In 1990, Tu Thi-Cam Tran, a student at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, vanished one night on her way back to her car from the University Center. Tu, who was of Vietnamese descent, was 24 years old at the time, and in her senior year at UMBC. She went missing in the small window of time between leaving her classroom and getting into her car. Here's a write-up on her case with some more information. https://charleyproject.org/case/tu-thi-cam-tran
Ashok Kuman Narain was last seen in Eugene, Oregon in either 1987 or 1988 where he lived with his wife and young daughter after moving from Fiji several years earlier. In 1987 the dismembered body of a pregnant woman and the body of a toddler were found floating nearby in Washington and Oregon. 20 years later these bodies were identified as Raj Mati Narain and Kamnee Koushal, the wife and daughter of Ashok, after Raj’s brother read a story about the unidentified bodies online. He had not heard from his sister since 1987 when Raj’s letters back to her family in Fiji mysteriously stopped. Ashok is wanted for questioning but his whereabouts are unknown. Authorities are looking for a white 1980 Toyota Tercel with the Oregon license plate number KUV762, which disappeared with Ashok and may be connected to Raj and Kamnee's homicides. Both Oregon and Washington authorities are investigating his disappearance. Most sources say the family is of Indo Fijian descent, however, the Charley project now reports that Ashok is of native Fijian descent. You can read their tragic story here. https://charleyproject.org/case/ashok-kumar-narain
Queens Jane Doe was an unidentified woman who fell to her death accidentally after falling off an elevated train platform in Queens, New York in January, 2000. She is described as an 18 to 28 year old Asian or Pacific Islander woman who is 5 ft 1 in in height and weighed 113 lb. She had brown eyes and 7” straight dark brown hair. She was wearing a dark brown Albert Duke brand leather jacket, a blue and white plaid button-up shirt, a dark colored bra, blue jeans, white underwear, and black Euro sneakers or boots. She was also wearing earrings. Her identity is still a mystery to this day. You can find more information here, https://unidentified-awareness.fandom.com/wiki/Queens_Jane_Doe_(January_2000)) but please be careful as post-mortem photos are available of this woman.
In 2011, Mansoor Riaz, a Microsoft software engineer, vanished one night from his Bellevue, Washington apartment. Riaz is of Pakistani descent. His story can be found here.
https://www.reddit.com/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/msgolf/a_software_developer_at_mircosoft_vanished_from/
https://charleyproject.org/case/mansoor-riaz
Yuan Xia Wang went missing near Washington DC when she was headed for a doctor’s appointment. Yuan had been found at Dulles Airport when a man who was smuggling people into the country was detained and Yuan was one of his charges. Police became suspicious when Yuan who was supposedly a Thai citizen could not speak or understand Thai, but rather spoke Mandarin. Yuan told authorities her parents in Fuzhou, China had paid money for this man to get her into the country using a Thai passport. She was supposed to live with an aunt in the US, but she didn't know where or who this person was so she was placed in foster care for the time being. Other reports say that her smuggler was supposed to take her to a hotel in Alexandria, Virginia. Her foster parents hired a Mandarin speaking babysitter to stay with her until she was enrolled in at a local middle school. Yuan went missing only a few weeks later while on the way to a doctor's appointment. She reportedly got off the school bus and was supposed to take a cab to the doctors but vanished by the time the cab arrived. Although Yuan said she was 12, she was 5’ 6” in height and most people thought she was probably around 15 at the time of her disappearance. She is of Chinese descent and speaks Mandarin. Police believe she either ran away, was kidnapped by her family members or smugglers, or met with foul play. She may have been seen in Kansas city in 2008. Sadly her dentals, fingerprints, and DNA and not available. https://www.reddit.com/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/jbtixc/yuan_xia_wangmissing_from_lincolnia_virginia/
https://charleyproject.org/case/yuan-xia-wang
Su Cha Kim a 54 year old shop owner from Twin Falls, Idaho Was found murdered in her massage parlor in 1997. Her case is unsolved and cold. Unfortunately, little information is available online. https://www.reddit.com/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/njhce2/the_1997_murder_of_su_cha_kim_in_twin_falls_id/
https://magicvalley.com/news/local/twin-falls-police-hope-passing-years-will-help-solve-cold-cases/article_7c83fca5-9dfd-5fd6-915f-063719bc0117.html
Faloma Luhk, 10, and Maleina Luhk, 9, disappeared while waiting for their school bus in As Teo, Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, on May 25th, 2011. The girls were last seen sitting on a concrete slab at 6:10 a.m. across the road from their bus stop, only 300 feet from the home they shared with their grandparents. The bus arrived and left without them at 6:30 am but the girls were not reported missing until they didn’t come home after school that day. The 12 mile long island of Saipan was searched thoroughly by friends, family, locals, and the FBI but no trace of the girls or their things were ever found and their disappearance remains one of the most well known mysteries from the Northern Mariana Islands. Both girls are described as Pacific Islander females with brown hair and brown eyes. In 2011, Faloma had bronze colored highlights in her bangs, and Maleina had a large birthmark on her left cheek. She is reported as small and short for her age. A distant family member by marriage, who was later arrested for domestic violence, is the prime suspect in the case. He has never been named publicly. https://www.saipantribune.com/index.php/disappearance-of-luhk-sisters-marks-10-years/
https://www.guampdn.com/news/local/10-years-later-fbi-still-looking-for-luhk-sisters-who-went-missing-from-saipan-bus/article_f22e2472-cc38-50ac-a187-2ad5f3795155.html
Dong Chull Jung disappeared within minutes in Lakewood, Washington. The 78 year old was residing at the Golden Lion Motel on Tacoma Way in Lakewood, Washington. The establishment has long been a hotbed of criminal activity and violence since at least the 1990s. On average the police responded to incidents at the 24-room hotel over 100 times per year. November 22nd 2003 was one of those times. On that day witnesses called the police after hearing a “disturbance” in Dong’s room. When the authorities arrived, they found a giant pool of blood on the floor as well as Dong’s prescription eyeglasses, but Dong was nowhere to be found. According to the News Tribune, a paper out of Tacoma, one week before Dong’s disappearance he was granted a temporary domestic violence protection order from a Paul C. Jung, who might be Dong’s adult son. In June of 2003, someone named Hae Sung Jung, got a restraining order against Dong. Hae might be the estranged wife of Dong, but this isn’t known for sure. There are vague reports that Dong was having “marital issues'' at the time of his disappearance. Very little information is available in the case. The Golden Lion Inn was finally torn down in 2017 but the fate of the elderly man who resided within remains a mystery. Dong is described as an Asian (Korean) male, with brown eyes and thinning gray hair. He is 5’6'' and weighs 135 lbs. Dong wears prescription eyeglasses but they were left behind when he vanished. If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Dong Jung please call Pierce County Crime Stoppers 253-591-5959. https://charleyproject.org/case/dong-chull-jung
Gordon Kaipo Kealoha, 59, disappeared along with his dog Mahina in 2011. They were last seen fishing near Honolulu where they lived on July 8; Gordon cherished Mahina and brought her almost everywhere he went. After his disappearance, Gordon's white minivan was found abandoned, and his dinghy was found in the water, floating away from his home. Gordon is 6'1 and 250 pounds, and he is of Native Hawaiian descent.
https://charleyproject.org/case/gordon-kaipo-kealoha
Amber Aiaz and Melissa Fu were mother and daughter who went missing In November, 2019 from Irvine, California. The story of their disappearance and possible kidnapping is complicated. I would suggest reading the story here or here if you are interested in the details but the basic story is this. Amber's husband, Cheng Zhang, reported his wife and stepdaughter missing to the police about a week after they were last seen. He said that a Chinese man and woman came to his door, put something on his face and he passed out. He reported that when he woke up he found blood and evidence of a struggle in the apartment. He also found a note telling him not to report his wife and daughter missing to the police for at least several days and continued to get notes over the next week. He did what the notes instructed for the next several days. When he finally did report his wife and stepdaughter missing, police were skeptical of his story to say the least. Several months later police reported that they had found nothing to indicate that Cheng’s story was untrue, including over 40 hours of interviews with him and 44 days of around the clock surveillance. In the past Amber had told acquaintances that she was a very wealthy woman who had millions of dollars to her name. While this was not true, authorities speculated that Amber may have been kidnapped for ransom only for her captors to find out that her story of riches was nothing more than a farce. Amber's money has not been touched in either her Chinese or American bank accounts. Both mother and daughter left behind their passports and there's no indication that either of them have entered China.
Amber is described as a 34-year-old Chinese woman who is 5'9 and weighed 180 lb. She has black hair and brown eyes. When last seen she was wearing a black shirt, a black vest, black fitted pants with white writing on them, and light colored shoes. She may use the name Mei Yi Wu or Meiyi W. Wu.
Melissa is described as a 12 or 13 year old Chinese female with black hair and brown eyes. She was 5 '11” in height and weighed about 200 lb. She was last seen wearing a black tracksuit.
Cheng described the unidentified abductors as a Chinese couple in their 40s. Both had average builds. The woman was reported to be about 5’8” and had her black hair tied back in a bun. The man was of average build about 190 lb. and 5 '10”. He had short black hair. The couple may have been driving a black Cadillac and they may have been seen near the apartment complex that day by other neighbors.
Destiny Dee Sanith was last seen by her family on March 3rd, 2022 in Williamstown New Jersey. At about 2:30 in the afternoon on March 3rd, she asked her mom if she could borrow the car to go visit a friend in South Philadelphia. When Destiny did not return in the evening, her mother learned that she never made it to her friend's house that day. New Jersey police had contact with Destiny at about 5:20 a.m. on March 4th in Folsom New Jersey. Destiny and her car were near a strip mall at the time. What exactly happened is not clear but police reported they helped Destiny move her car into a parking spot and then gave her a ride to a Wawa convenience store about a mile up the road. Destiny's family has reported that they have surveillance video of Destiny entering and then later leaving the Wawa store after purchasing a drink. At about 9:00 a.m. she was seen leaving the store with a drink crossing the road, turning into another convenience store and then going behind the building and out of view. This is the last known sighting and location of Destiny Sanith. On March 5th when Destiny had still not returned home she was reported missing to the police and her family learned about her interaction with the police on the morning of March 4th. Destiny has not been seen or heard from since.
Destiny is described as an Asian female 27 years old, who is 5'6 and height and weighs about 170 lb. She reportedly has short wavy brown hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing black sweatpants, a black Nike sweatshirt, a backpack, white and red Air Jordan sneakers, wearing earrings and carrying a coffee. She has a tattoo of the Virgo symbol on her right hand. Her nickname is Dara. Her family has set up a GoFundMe to help find Destiny and hire a private investigator. Full article here.
Binyu Chin and his brother, Huaiyu Chin, disappeared from San Diego, California on January 12, 2019. They lived with their mother and stepfather at the time of their disappearance. They were abducted by their non-custodial father, Foong Lian Chin. Foong has lived in New York City, San Deigo, Baja California, Mexico. He immigratged from Signapore in the 1980s. The boys have not been seen since. https://charleyproject.org/case/binyu-chin
Kevin Nguyen, age 25, went missing on Decemeber 8th 2018. He was last seen at a bar in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He had been asked to leave after an altercation. You can read his story here- https://charleyproject.org/case/kevin-n-nguyen
Myong Keun Noah, who went by the nickname Mike, was seen by his family at around 7:00 p.m. on May 1st, 2007 in San Bruno, CA. Mike owned a private car company called E Limousine Services that he ran out of his home. That evening Mike told his son that he had to leave to pick up a 7:30 p.m fare. He did not tell his son where he was picking up the fare. Mike's wife was at an evening class at the time. Neither Mike or his black Lincoln town car was ever seen again. His car was new and didn't have permanent license plates, but had the transportation carrier permit number TCP 18525 printed on the back bumper. It had a transponder that registers when it enters San Francisco International Airport, but the transponder did not register a trip to the airport that evening. A search of parking areas at both the San Francisco Airport and the Oakland Airport did not locate Mike or his car. Mike's bank account and his phone have not been used since May 1st, 2007. Mike had no history of running away or dropping out of sight, he had no reported mental health issues, no personal problems, and no enemies. Police report that they are baffled by his disappearance. Mike was a US Army veteran and a naturalized American citizen. He had one teenaged son with his current wife and two adult children from a previous marriage however, no one in Mike's family has heard from him since May 1st, 2007. Mike is described as an Asian male, 60 years old in 2007, with brown eyes and black and gray hair. He is 5 ft 8 in in height and weighs about 165 lbs. He was last seen wearing a black suit with a white shirt. He may spell his last name “Noh.” He is of Korean descent.
https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/SAN-BRUNO-Wife-police-plead-for-help-finding-2559008.php
https://charleyproject.org/case/myoung-keun-noah
What happened to these people?

In a speech to a Democratic Party dinner in Cincinnati, Ohio, on October 6, 1960, John F. Kennedy blamed Fidel Castro's rise to power on Dwight D. Eisenhower's support for Fulgencio Batista:

The story of the transformation of Cuba from a friendly ally to a Communist base is - in large measure - the story of a government in Washington which lacked the imagination and compassion to understand the need of the Cuban People - which lacked the leadership and vigor to move forward to meet those needs - and which lacked the foresight and vision to see the inevitable results of its own failures.
And it is a tragic irony that even while these policies of failure here were being pursued our policy-makers received repeated and urgent warnings that International Communism was becoming a moving force behind Mr. Castro and the revolution - that our interest and the interests of freedom were in danger - that a new Soviet satellite was in the making.
Our Ambassador to Cuba in the early days of the revolution - Arthur Gardner -repeatedly warned the administration that Communism was a moving force in the Castro leadership. Testifying recently before a senate committee, he was asked if he had not reported, "That Castro talked and acted like a Communist and should not be supported by the United States." "That was absolutely correct", he replied, and he went on to say: "We all knew.... that Raul Castro was a Communist"; but his warnings, he testified, were ignored, overlooked or circumvented as the menace of Cuban Communism grew.
Our Ambassador to Cuba in the closing years of the revolution - Earl Smith - also warned us that Communism threatened Cuba. He, too, was asked by the same Senate Committee if he had been warning, "That Castro was a Marxist." "Yes, sir," he replied; but his warnings also had been consistently ignored.
And the State Department itself, in a paper issued little more than a month ago - belatedly admitted that "Communist influence existed in the early days of the revolution."
But if we are not to imitate the partisan irresponsibility of others, we must do more than charge that these storm signals were ignored. The real question is: what should we have done? What did we do wrong? How did we permit the Communists to establish this foothold 90 miles away?
The answer is Four-Fold.
First, we refused to help Cuba meet its desperate need for economic progress. In 1953 the average Cuban family had an income of $6.00 a week. Fifteen to twenty per cent of the labor force was chronically unemployed.
Only a third of the homes in the island even had running water, and in the years which preceded the Castro revolution this abysmal standard of living was driven till lower as population expansion our-distanced economic growth.
Only 90 miles away stood the United States - their good neighbor - the richest nation on earth - its radios and newspapers and movies spreading the story of America's material wealth and surplus crops.
But instead of holding out a helping hand of friendship to the desperate people of Cuba, nearly all our aid was in the form of weapons assistance - assistance, which merely strengthened the Batista dictatorship - assistance which completely failed to advance the economic welfare of the Cuban people - assistance, which enabled Castro and the Communists to encourage the growing belief that America was indifferent to Cuban aspirations for a decent life.
This year Mr. Nixon admitted that if we had formulated a program of Latin American economic development five years ago "It might have produced economic progress in Cuba which might have averted the Castro takeover." But what Mr. Nixon neglects to mention is the fact that he was in Cuba 5 years ago himself - gaining experience. He saw the conditions. He talked with the leaders. He knew what our aid program consisted of. But his only conclusion as stated in a Havana press conference, was his statement that he was "very much impressed with the competence and stability" of the Batista dictatorship.
Mr. Nixon could not see then what should have been obvious - and which should have been even more obvious when he made his ill-fated Latin American trip in 1958 - that unless the Cuban people, with our help, made substantial economic progress, trouble was on its way. If this is the kind of experience Mr. Nixon claims entitles him to be President then I would say that the American people cannot afford many more such experiences.
Secondly, in a manner certain to antagonize the Cuban people, we used the influence of our Government to advance the interests of and increase the profits of the private American companies, which dominated the island's economy. At the beginning of 1959 United States companies owned about 40 percent of the Cuban sugar lands - almost all the cattle ranches - 90 percent of the mines and mineral concessions - 80 percent of the utilities - and practically all the oil industry - and supplied two-thirds of Cuba's imports.
Of course our private investment did much to help Cuba. But our action too often have the impression that this country was more interested in taking money from the Cuban people than in helping them build a strong and diversified economy of their own.
The symbol of this shortsighted attitude is now on display in a Havana museum. It is a solid gold telephone presented to Batista by the American-owned Cuban telephone company. It is an expression of gratitude for the excessive telephone rate increase which the Cuban Dictator had granted at the urging of our Government. But visitors to the museum are reminded that America made no expression at all over the other events which occurred on the same day this burdensome rate increase was granted, when forty Cubans lost their lives in an assault on Batista's Palace.
The third, and perhaps most disastrous of our failures, was the decision to give stature and support to one of the most bloody and repressive dictatorships in the long history of Latin American repression. Fulgencio Batista murdered 20,000 Cubans in seven years - a greater proportion of the Cuban population than the proportion of Americans who died in both World Wars, and he turned Democratic Cuba into a complete police state - destroying every individual liberty.
Yet our aid to his regime, and the ineptness of our policies, enabled Batista to invoke the name of the United States in support of his reign of terror.
Administration spokesmen publicly praised Batista - hailed him as a staunch ally and a good friend - at a time when Batista was murdering thousands, destroying the last vestiges of freedom, and stealing hundreds of millions of dollars from the Cuban people, and we failed to press for free elections.
In October 1958 - just a few days before Batista held a rigged and fraudulent election - Secretary of State Dulles was the guest of honor at a reception held by the Batista Embassy in Washington. The reception made only the social pages in Washington; but it made the Havana [sic] - and it was used by Batista to show how America favored his rule.
We stepped up a constant stream of weapons and munitions to Batista - justified in the name of hemispheric defense, when in fact, their only real use was to crush the dictator's opposition, and even when the Cuban Civil War was raging - until March of 1958 - the Administration continued to send arms to Batista which were turned against the rebels - increasing Anti-American feeling and helping to strengthen the influence of the Communists. For example, in Santa Clara, Cuba today there is an exhibit commemorating the devastation of that city by Batista's planes in December of 1958. The star item in that exhibit is a collection of bomb fragments inscribed with a handshake and the words: "Mutual Defense - made in U.S.A."
Even when our government had finally stopped sending arms, our military missions stayed to train Batista's soldiers for the fight against the revolution - refusing to leave until Castro's forces were actually in the street of Havana.
Finally, while we were allowing Batista to place us on the side of Tyranny, we did nothing to persuade people of Cuba and Latin America that we wanted to be on the side of freedom in 1953 we eliminated all regular Spanish language broadcasts of the voice of America. Except for the six months of the Hungarian crisis we did not beam a single continuous program to South America at any time in the critical years between 1953 and 1960. And less than 500 students a year were brought here from all Latin America during these years when our prestige was so sharply dropping.
It is no wonder in short, that during these years of American indifference the Cuban people began to doubt the sincerity of our dedication to democracy. They began to feel that we were more interested in maintaining Batista than we were in maintaining freedom - that we were more interested in protecting our investments that we were in protecting their liberty - that we wanted to lead a Crusade against Communism abroad but not against tyranny at home. Thus it was our own policies - not Castro's - that first began to turn our former good neighbors against us. And Fidel Castro seized on this rising Anti-American feeling, and exploited it, to persuade the Cuban people that America was the enemy of democracy - until the slogan of the resolution became Cuba, Si, Yanqui, No - and the Soviet Imperialism had captured a movement which had originally sprung from the ideals of our own American Revolution.
The great tragedy today is that we are repeating many of the same mistakes throughout Latin America. The same grievances - the same poverty and discontent and distrust of America which Castro rode to power are smoldering in almost every Latin nation.
For we have not only supported a dictatorship in Cuba - we have propped up dictators in Venezuela, Argentina, Columbia, Paraguay and the Dominican Republic. We not only ignored poverty and distress in Cuba - we have failed in the past eight years to relieve poverty and distress throughout the hemisphere. For despite the bleak poverty that grips nearly all of Latin America -\- with an average income of less than $285 a year - with an exploding population that threatens even this meager standard of living. Yet our aid programs have continued to concentrate on wasteful military assistance until we made a sudden recognition of their needs for development capital practically at the point of Mr. Castro's gun.
Today time is running out in Latin America. Our once firm friends are drifting away. Our historic ties are straining under our failure to understand their aspirations. And although the cold war will not be won in Latin America, it could very well be lost there.
If we continue to repeat our past errors -if we continue to care more for the support of regimes that the friendship of people - if we continue to devote greater effort to the support of dictators than to the fight against poverty and hunger - then rising discontent will provide fertile ground for Castro and his Communist friends.
What can a new administration do to reverse these trends? For the present, Cuba is gone. Our policies of neglect and indifference have let it slip behind the iron curtain - and for the present no magic formula will bring it back. I have no basic disagreement with the President's policies of recent months - the time to save Cuba was some time ago
Hopefully events may once again bring us an opportunity to bring our influence strongly to bear on behalf of the cause of freedom in Cuba. But in the meantime we can constantly express our friendship for the Cuban people - our sympathy with their economic problems - our determination that they will again be free. At the same time we must firmly resist further Communist encroachment in this hemisphere - working through a strengthened organization of the American States - and encouraging those liberty-loving Cubans who are leading the resistance to Castro. And we must make it clear to Mr. Castro once and for all that we will defend our Naval Base at Guantanamo under all circumstances - and continue to seek reparation for his seizures of American property.
But whatever we do in Cuba itself, ultimately the road to freedom in Havana runs through Rio and Buenos Aires and Mexico City. For if we are to halt the advance of Latin Communism, we must create a Latin America where freedom can flourish - where long enduring people know, at last, that they are moving toward a better life for themselves and their children - where steady economic advance is framework for stable, democratic government - and where tyranny, isolated and despised, eventually withers on the vine.
These are difficult problems - problems requiring a program which I will soon discuss in a major address on Latin American policy. But only if we extend the hand of American friendship in a common effort to wipe out the poverty and discontent and hopelessness on which Communism feeds - only then will we drive back tyranny until it ultimately perishes in the streets of Havana.

Although Kennedy denounced Fidel Castro for breaking his promises to give the Cuban people back their democracy and instead installing a communist regime, he also knew that Fulgencio Batista ruled Cuba as a dictator from 1952-1959. However, when blaming Eisenhower for Castro's rise to power, he overlooked the fact Batista's return to power in 1952 occurred during Harry Truman's last year in office and that Batista had refused to accept polls showing him lagging behind other rivals for the planned 1952 Cuban presidential election (Harry Truman's government waited 14 days to grant Batista's new dictatorship diplomatic recognition in contrast to Eisenhower giving the Castro government diplomatic recognition seven days after Batista was ousted), in which case Batista's repressive behavior and not Eisenhower was the primary reason for Castro's rise to power.

Yesterday I made a mess trying to give my opinion but now that I have more free time and to see if the translation makes sense I will try it again
I think that the stage that Justice had on the WWW tour is superior to the one we have today on one night only (I have to assume that's what the tour is called)
I was able to see Justice in 2018 and this year in April, both times in Monterrey, Mexico. And I come back to the same thing, I think that the www stage had more personality. I feel that today is very s Over saturated with lots of lights and panels. The fact that they decided to remove the Marshalls that they had since 2008 is somewhat strange.
And I know it's too early to judge but both the colors and animations of the light show feel a bit rushed, it's difficult to explain very well but I mean that in WWW everything It was better built and animated (if you can call it that way)
Anyway, I hope that on this occasion I have been able to understand better what I wanted to say yesterday.

Johnny and Shannon neglected Robby in the show. Johnny abandoned him for over 16 years and Shannon left him in apartment by himself so she can go to Mexico with her boyfriend Rick. Plus, they are both alcoholics which gives them issues enabling them to be unfit to be a parent
So why was not CPS called for Robby? If a parent neglected their child especially if they are minors, CPS for sure would be called on them.

My fiancee and I are planing a trip to Mexico for July. We are leaning towards Riviera Maya area due to enjoying the more natural atmosphere. We are interested in an all inclusive resort that has a lot of activities (ie kayaking, snorkeling, dancing, volleyball, etc), preferably adults only. We also want a resort with a good nightlife- especially shows. We are not particular about our food being gourmet/fancy but would like places that have easy access to food poolside/beach. I've been considering Ocean Maya Royal, Bahia Principe Sian Kaan, Platinum Yucatan Princess, Paradisus La Perla. Also considered Excellence Riviera Cancun, TRS, or Valetin Imperial but those are top of our budget and I would rather have some remaining funds for excursions. Anyone have any suggestions? Thanks!!!!

Current Rankings: Extreme Girls, Sisters, Tennis Rivals, Ice Dancers, Father & Son, Goths, Police Cadets, Party Dudes, Fashion Bloggers, Villains, Jocks, Pranksters, Bulldogs, Rockers, Best Friends
Episode 10: New Beijinging
"Last time on The Ridonculous Race. We struck emotional gold in Dubai.”
“Carrie gave up on the game of love, the Bulldogs grinded each others’ rusty gears. And Kelly finally gave Taylor a timeout, which cost them the race. But hey, a healthy relationship with your daughter's worth a million bucks. Not! And last but not least, a new alliance was born.”
“Is it more than just an alliance? Your guess is as good as mine. But mine matters more because I'm on TV. This is the Ridonculous Race!"
(Roll the Credits)
Don was shown approaching the first team. "All right. It's time to say "bye-bye" to Dubai. Extreme Girls, you're up first. Ready? Go!"
The Extreme Girls ran to the Don Box, and received their tip. "Find your next tip at the world famous Bird's Nest Stadium,” France read the tip. “Never heard of it."
"Well it's right here in Beijing, China," Don said. "Home to twenty-five million people. Oddly enough, we'll see none of them."
Along with the Extreme Girls, the Sisters, Tennis Rivals, Ice Dancers, Father & Son, Goths, Police Cadets, Party Dudes, Fashion Bloggers, and Villains all got their tips and raced to the airport.
"The first eight teams grab their travel tips, taxis, and tickets, and get seats on the first flight to Beijing. The stragglers on flight two have an extra hour to talk strategy," Don narrated as the footage jumped to the second flight in the air.
Carrie sat beside Devin, who was asleep in the window seat. "Watching Devin sleep is so awesome. He sometimes mumbles the sweetest things," Carrie told the camera.
"Rainbow zebras took my wallet…" Devin mumbled.
Carrie chuckled awkwardly. "I said sometimes."
Rock was walking down the aisle, and caught sight of an opened bag of airplane peanuts on Carrie's tray.
"Hey Carrie," Rock asked Carrie in a hushed whisper, "since Dev's snoozing, I got to know. You going to make a move on that?" he pointed to the peanuts.
"What?" Carrie glanced at Devin, not noticing that Rock was actually talking about the peanuts before turning to Rock again. "Oh, well, Devin and I are friends."
"I know, but this opportunity isn't going to last forever," Rock said.
Carrie gasped, and grasped Rock's arm as he tried to reach for the peanuts. "That's what I keep thinking! The whole reason I entered this race was to show him we had a connection! Something special"
Outside Interview: Rock
Rock groaned. "I just wanted the peanuts."
Outside Interview: Carrie
Carrie sighed. "Oh, why didn't I just tell him I love him in Hawaii? But... when I force myself to face it, I'd rather let him have a life with Shelley than not be in my life at all."
Interviews End
Carrie watched Devin shift in his sleep, and he snapped awake.
"Oh, good. You're okay," Devin breathed in and out. "I had a dream that you and I lived in a treehouse and it caught fire and-"
"Just you and me? Living together?" Carrie questioned, a smile replacing her sad frown.
Devin smiled at her. "Yeah, well, uh, I was a three-headed tiger," Carrie quickly became confused, "and you were a monkey in a tuxedo, but it was you. Weird." He went back to sleep, not noticing her smile growing bigger.
"We… lived… together…" Carrie repeated before the plane slightly shook from Carrie squealing in delight.
A few seats back from the Best Friends, Spud sat listening to his headphones. Rock returned to his partner, and said, "I know our strategy was 'slow and steady', but-"
"Isn't our strategy to 'party on!'?" Spud questioned.
Rock imitated a game show's wrong answer buzzer and replied, "No, but we need a new strategy anyway so-"
"How about 'party on harder!'?" Spud offered.
"Spud, we gotta go faster, like- pshew!" Rock told him, mimicking a shooting bullet.
"Okay," Spud got out of his seat and approached the front of the plane, knocking Rock down on his butt in the process, "I'll tell the pilot."
"No, Spud! I meant- aw man!" Rock tried to stop him as he got back to his feet, eventually facepalming.
Outside Interview: Rockers
"I'm starting to think, like, maybe there's such thing as too easygoing," Rock thought out loud while Spud was listening to his headphones. "I got to find a way to motivate this guy."
Interview Ends
As Tom was reading a magazine, Jen sat on her knees and leaned over the back of her seat to see that Tammy was cleaning her ocarina while sitting next to a sleeping and snoring oxygen masked Max.
"So," Jen started to say, "great minds think alike?"
Tammy smiled as she glanced at her sleeping partner before looking back up at Jen. "I’m a heavy snorer myself, but Max is much worse than me, and I’m telling you because he can’t hear me."
The first flight landed in Beijing, and the teams boarded a bus that would take them to the Bird's Nest.
"Thanks for helping us with the windows yesterday," Kitty thanked the Extreme Girls.
"No problem," Paris smiled.
"Just don't expect us to cater to you. We have an alliance, but it's still a competition," Emma reminded them.
World Interview: Extreme Girls
"I guess we could allow the Sisters to take first this time around," France said with a smile.
"If it means getting them to trust us more in Kitty’s case and distrust us less in Emma’s, then sure," Paris agreed.
World Interview: Sisters
"Are you still upset about not winning the last challenge?" Kitty asked her sister.
"I am, but Paris and France helped us stay in the race," Emma responded.
"And Paris using her hair to wipe the windows was pretty unique," Kitty added. "I’d like to get to know more about them and their crazy stunts."
"You can be all buddy-buddy with them, but not me," Emma muttered. "Winning comes first."
Interviews End
The bus arrived at the stadium, and accidentally hit the Don Box while trying to stop, sending the tip holder flying a few feet away.
Jen was first to step off the bus. "There's the Don Box!" The Don Box laid on the sidewalk, half-broken and spewing out tips. She picked up one of the discarded tips and read from it, "It's an All-In!"
"'Fly over the Bird's Nest stadium and tandem jump through the donut hole to receive your next tip?'" Tom finished reading.
A cut from the sidewalk to a plane flying above Beijing showed the teams preparing to do the jump, and Max glanced out the window of their plane.
"That's the Doughnut? Highly unimpressive," Max remarked upon seeing where they had to land.
World Interview: Villains
"I wish we had an eating challenge today rather than tandem jumping,” Max grumbled.
“The last eating challenge was the one in Iceland where they served eyeballs and intestines!” Tammy grimaced. “Good thing we chose to pick out a fossil instead.”
“A valid point, sidekick," Max agreed.
“You know you can just call me by my name sometimes,” Tammy deadpanned.
Interview Ends
The Villains and Fashion Bloggers both wore tandem parachute packs. Tammy and Tom, the taller of the two, would be controlling their packs once they jumped.
"I don’t know why they didn’t provide us with helmets," Tom said.
World Interview: Fashion Bloggers
“I thought you weren’t a fan of them,” Jen wondered.
“Yeah, but this is skydiving of all things,” Tom explained. “I’d rather let a helmet ruin my hair than some strong winds.”
“Now that you say it, I want helmets as well,” Jen reconsidered.
Interview Ends
Josee kissed her lava rock, and started rubbing it all over herself. "I need all the luck this Hawaiian lava rock can bring me."
World Interview: Ice Dancers
"Yesterday, we came in fourth.” Josee rubbed her lava rock on Jacques, and Jacques giggled as the lava rock tickled his armpits. “We shouldn't be down in the dirt with the losers. We should tower above them like the goddesses we are!" Josee finished rubbing her rock on Jacques, and pulled her arm back after ruffling his face and hair. "Did that sound egotistical?"
Interview Ends
The door on the side of the plane opened as an alarm blared, signaling it was their time.
"Jump time! You ready?" Kitty asked the Pros.
"Hey, how hard could it be?" Paris quipped, and the two teams jumped out.
Both teams screamed for dear life, and Kitty and Paris eventually got out the parachutes. Doing their best to guide them into the Doughnut, they steered in its direction, but the teams were pushed away in a different direction.
France and Paris screamed as they crashed down onto a rickshaw. Emma and Kitty, on the other hand, slammed face first into a gong.
The other teams soon jumped out of the plane. Most of the teams landed inside the Doughnut, but a wayward drift caught some of the teams.
The Tennis Rivals landed in the stadium and smiled at each other, only to be crushed down by the Party Dudes.
"Yippee!" Brody cheered. Their joy lasted only briefly as Father & Son landed on top of them.
"Oh yeah!" Dwayne cheered, but was cut off by the Goths landing on them.
The Goths stared blankly as their parachute covered them like a blanket.
Still in the air, the Ice Dancers attempted to navigate into the stadium. "Over there! Over there!" Josee commanded.
"I know, Josee! It's just not-agh!" Jacques yelped as they crashed through a billboard with a donkey on it, Jacques having his head stuck out of where the donkey’s butt was supposed to be.
World Interview: Ice Dancers
"That's Jacques for you, always trailing behind," Josse commented with Jacques having part of the billboard around his neck. "But still, he's an asset to the team."
Interview Ends
The Extreme Girls and Sisters ran past the Bird's Nest. "Okay, this time, less screaming, more steering," Emma instructed her sister, both looking disheveled from their bad landing.
"I'll see what I can do, but no guarantees." Kitty replied.
The bus carrying the last five teams arrived, and they all hurried out.
"Come on!" Carrie shouted out.
"Hurry!" Bark added.
Spud had yet to exit the bus, forcing Rock to double back. "Spud, hey, Spud!" Rock called, pulling out a box and shaking it. "Want a choco oinkie?"
Spud got off the bus, took a sniff, and began to smile. Rock shook the box, and took off after the other teams, convincing Spud to chase him.
Outside Interview: Rockers
"New strategy. Spud loves choco oinkies. He'd do anything for one," Rock explained with a smile as he held the box of choco oinkies in one hand.
"Chocolate-covered pork-rindy goodness…" Spud stated, almost hypnotized.
"So I cleaned out the airport vending machine;" Rock took out a choco oinkie. "This will make him up the pace."
Spud eyed the snack, and immediately bit Rock's hand for it. Rock screamed in pain.
Interview Ends
The Party Dudes, Tennis Rivals, Goths, and Father & Son all ran to the Don Box placed in the stadium.
Slamming the button on top, Geoff snatched the tip from the machine. "It's another All-In," he told the others.
A cut to a local vendor out in Beijing showed Don approaching the shop. "An All-In with a twist," Don said. "To receive their next tip from this vendor, one team member must assemble and deep fry a skewer of Beijing street food. And their partner has to eat it. Who's gonna scarf it and who's gonna barf it? Find out when we return on... The Ridonculous Race!"
(Commercial Break)
The front-running teams ran to the shop, and Geoff and Brody stopped by the counter.
"So, what's good today, dude? Are the crickets fresh?" Brody asked the old lady in charge. The old lady held up a cricket, which chirped in response.
Crimson and Ennui ran straight for a crate, and Crimson immediately pulled the lid off, allowing a swarm of bats to fly out.
World Interview: Goths
"Bats are like the most beautiful creatures on Earth. I had to set them free," Crimson stated while the bats flew around.
Interview Ends
Jacques and Josee once more parachuted out of a plane, and were able to make a successful drop into the stadium. As they landed, Jacques bent his foot the wrong way.
"Ah! My ankle!" he cried out in pain.
Outside Interview: Josee
Jacques hopped on one foot in the background, cradling his injured ankle.
"Why is Jacques so clumsy today?!" Josee questioned, giving her partner the stink eye from the foreground. She turned her attention to the camera while crossing her arms. "Don't give him any sympathy. You'll just encourage him."
Interview Ends
Josee ran towards the Don Box, but stopped to turn to Jacques, who was hopping after her, still cradling his ankle. "Snap out of it! Our fans are watching! Eat the pain!" She snarled at him, and put on a smile. "And smile!" Keeping the smile on her face, she went to the Don Box.
Taking Josee's advice, Jacques put on a pained smile, let go of his foot, and followed her. “Okay!”
Behind them, Devin and Carrie landed in the stadium.
"That was incredible! Woo!" Carrie cheered, unbuckling her harness. Devin, frozen in terror from the drop, fell over.
World Interview: Best Friends
"I am not great with heights or falling from them, which I think is reasonable," Devin said nervously, but then relaxed and smiled at Carrie. "I'm just really glad Carrie was there to see me through it? Shelley? Pfft. She would've totally bailed."
"Hey, what's that?" Carrie pointed off-screen past Devin.
Devin turned to see what she was pointing at. "What's what?"
Behind his back, Carrie grinned wildly until Devin began to turn around again. She regained her composure, and shrugged. "Oh, uh, guess it was nothing."
Interview Ends
The Jocks and Pranksters went through their jump, and successfully made it inside the Doughnut.
"So, what’s your favorite sport outside of-" Val asked Usain as they began to land, but was cut off by her and Windsor flopping to the ground as their parachute covered them.
World Interview: Pranksters
"Don’t blame me for your conversation getting ruined. I was simply the one in front of you," Windsor immediately said.
"Well, now I’ll never know about Usain’s favorite sport," Val frowned.
"Usain is a jock, but football would be an obvious answer," Windsor replied.
"I'm just trying to get to know him so I can ask her out without looking so needy and desperate," Val said.
"What can I do to help?" Windsor asked.
Val thought for a moment. "Other than not embarrassing me in front of Usain, nothing. I don’t want you to chase him away with your pranks," she scowled at Windsor, causing the younger girl to cringe.
Interview Ends
The Bulldogs and the Rockers made it into the Doughnut as well.
"Nice going, Bite! You didn't suck out there," Bark mocked his teammate as they ran to the Don Box with a smile.
"And you weren't being a stool, Bark," Bite shot him an equally mocking smile.
"We did it! Oink me!" Spud told Rock, eager to get a snack.
Rock took off the parachute, and removed the box of choco oinkies from a compartment of the pack. "Not until we're out of last place."
“Aw, come on,” Spud complained.
“Fine. Go get it!” Rock chucked a choco oinkie across the stadium.
“I'll get it! I'll get it!” Spud chased after it.
World Interview: Rockers
“My mom says I'm a light eater,” Spud explained. “When the lights go on, I start eating.”
Interview Ends
The teams continued to prepare their skewers. The Goths already had theirs prepared, and Crimson was eating it, but she looked ready to barf. The Tennis Rivals were investigating a crate, and were caught off-guard when a large snake wrapped itself around Gerry's neck. Father & Son ran from the bats that Crimson had freed earlier, and Max accidentally let go of the skewer he was deep frying, causing him to start over.
As the Best Friends ran past them, the Fashion Bloggers didn’t look particularly ready to eat something so disgusting.
Jen looked at her partner concernedly. "Uh, I don't think I can-" She wasn't able to finish her sentence as her cheeks bulged.
Tom frowned. "It's okay. I'll eat it. You skewer up some worms, and-" Jen ran off-screen, and vomited. "I can't even say 'worms'?" Tom asked, and he got a reply in the form of Jen retching some more, making him cringe at the sound.
Outside Interview: Fashion Bloggers
Tom and a pale Jen stood off to the side of the shop, and Jen was holding a bucket.
"When we were kids, Jen tripped over a curb and swallowed," Tom covered Jen's ears and continued softly, "a worm. She barfed for six days straight afterwards." He let go of her ears.
"Were you talking about worms?" Jen asked.
"Yes?" Tom answered hesitantly, and Jen retched into her bucket. "Yeah, I walked into that one."
Interview Ends
Dwayne was shown trying to catch a scorpion with his skewer but failing. “Come on, stay still, will you?” he griped. “Sneaky little rascals. Yeah, maybe I'll just grab one.”
Dwayne reached in, only for the vendor to pull his arm and prevent him. “Don't you worry about me. I'll be quick as a panther. Just you-”
He put his arm in again, and he was rapidly stung by the scorpions, much to Junior's horror. When Dwayne took his hand out, he shook away all of the scorpions.
One of the scorpions landed on Jacques’ face, forcing him to scream. “Kill it, Josee!”
“Stand still!” Josee ordered before she punched all sides of his head in order to get the scorpion off.
Bite skewered up one last creature, a starfish, and held up the skewer. "Alright! Time to cook!" Running the skewer over to the deep fryer, Bite stuck it in as Bark watched.
"Make sure not to burn it!" Bark advised. "I don’t want my tongue getting burned."
Outside Interview: Bulldogs
"I did the eating challenge in Morocco, so it was only fair that Bark here ate the scorpions and worms," Bite explained, then frowned. “I am a wee bit jealous that he’ll get to eat them and not me.”
Interview Ends
“Are you okay, dad?” Junior asked Dwayne, who’s left hand was swollen and had a goofy expression on his face.
“Oh, of course I am, Mr. President. Did you?” Dwayne mumbled before falling back down.
“Perfect,” Junior deadpanned.
Outside Interview: Father & Son
“The medic says it'll wear off eventually, but we can't just wait around or we'll get eliminated!” Junior spoke, unaware of Dwayne starting to wander off. “Looks like I'm in charge. Again.” He soon realized that Dwayne had left. “Oh no! Come back here!”
Interview Ends
“How are you feeling?” Josee checked up on her Jacques, who was sitting on the ground and feeling dizzy.
“I can't feel my face,” Jacques answered.
“Good!” Josee smiled. She took out her skewer with the food already on it, grabbed Jacques's hair, and stuffed the food into his mouth. She even forced him to swallow them whole.
“Done!” Josee cheered once the job was done and Jacques went off to hurl. “We're in first place!”
The vendor gave Josee their next tip. "It's a Botch or Watch. Whoever didn't dive for rings in Hawaii…"
"…must pull their teammate by rickshaw all the way here to the Great Wall of China, using only this rudimentary map," Don explained, standing on the wall and holding a map identical to the ones the teams would be using. "Last team to find the Chill Zone hidden somewhere along the wall, and check in, could be checking out."
Jacques got in a rickshaw while Josee pulled it, and Jacques bid farewell to the other teams. "Au revoir!"
"Hustle!" MacArthur ordered while Sanders took the front.
Brody whooped as he took the front of the third rickshaw.
"Three teams have moved on. Jen, you need to start skewering if-" Tom told Jen, but was interrupted when she ran off to barf in her bucket some more.
Meanwhile, Max was assembling a skewer for Tammy in the background. The Villains had stopped what they were doing to watch the three teams advance to the next challenge, and turned their attention to the sound of Jen hurling. They cringed at the sight off-screen.
“Shouldn't we try and help them?” Tammy asked.
“And be penalized? We may be alliance mates, but that host man will certainly punish us,” Max replied.
“I guess you do have a point there,” Tammy considered.
The Pranksters and Jocks all finally arrived.
"I prep, you eat!" Usain told Lightning.
"Why does Lightning have to eat?" Lightning asked.
"Because you picked the spices for me," Usain took a skewer, and quickly assembled an assortment for his partner.
Having watched the Sisters, Val turned to Windsor. "I prep, you eat! Not a question!"
"Wow," Usain said in response to Val's assertiveness.
World Interview: Pranksters
"I figure," Val began to say, "if I act strong and assertive, he'll see that I'm the girl for him. I've got this all figured out," she smiled confidently.
Interview Ends
Usain gave Val a flat look. "You should be less hard on your partner. She is 13, you know." Val's smile towards her fell upon hearing his response.
World Interview: Pranksters
"How is this so hard?" Val facepalmed.
"Now do you want my help, Valentine?" Windsor teased.
Val raised an eyebrow. "How could you possibly help?"
"I know from your experience how to make Usain like you. Don't act like someone you're not, and don't act like a bumbling mess around him," Windsor lectured. “Both are embarrassing to watch.”
Val sent the camera an unamused gaze.
Interview Ends
Val assembled a skewer, and joined Usain in deep frying.
"So, uh…" Val chuckled awkwardly, "deep fry skewers often?"
"Not really, no," Usain responded with a flat look.
World Interview: Jocks
"Deep fry skewers often? Seriously? Is that the best she can do?" Usain asked.
"I'm sure she's just trying her best,” Lightning reasoned. “I never thought that a girl as beautiful as Val would have trouble flirting."
Interview Ends
Bark finished eating, and threw the skewer in the trash. "Done!" he said.
"Alright!" Bite cheered, and accepted the tip from the vendor. She glanced over at the rickshaws. "Looks like a Botch or Watch. You dived for the ring in Hawaii, so it's your turn."
"Okay, let's go," Bark agreed, and they went to get a rickshaw.
Carrie and Devin looked in a crate, and saw that a snake was curled up in the shape of a heart.
"Aw, look Devin," Carrie smiled at Devin, "It must be a sign."
Devin smiled back, and was randomly attacked by the snake biting at his face.
Meanwhile, Spud attempted to skewer a starfish. Rather than skewer it down the middle, he tried skewering one of the starfish's arms. "Whoa, if I had that many arms, I could play guitar, drums, and bass all at the same time."
"Man, hurry up," Rock urged his partner.
Outside Interview: Rockers
"I think a choco oink would really help me pick it up, you know?" Spud prompted.
Rock raised a challenging eyebrow, and took out a choco oink. "Yeah, one of these? Sure hope there's some left when we aren't in last place." He curled the snack up in his fist.
"You can't do-" Spud gasped.
"Can't what?" Rock prodded, crushing the choco oink in his fist into crumbs.
Spud screamed in horror, and bent down to the sidewalk to eat the crumbs.
Interview Ends
"There!" Jacques pointed at the approaching Great Wall. "First place, here we come! Yes!"
Unbeknownst to the Ice Dancers, a banana peel was lying in their path. They were so focused on reaching the wall that Josee stepped on the peel, and slipped, propelling the rickshaw forward without her. Jacques screamed as the transport spiraled out of control, and got stuck on a rock, launching him into the air and onto the wall. "My ankle!"
Val and Usain's skewers were finally ready, and they handed them to their respective partners.
While Windsor took modest bites of her skewer, Lightning opened his mouth, and stuck the whole skewer in, pulling it out clean. After a couple chews, he swallowed. "Done!"
"Are you serious?" Windsor asked after swallowing a bit.
Lightning pointed to Windsor's skewer. "You gonna finish that?"
Bite pulled Bark along, and the latter looked a little worse for wear. Bite noticed this as well.
"Um, are you okay?" she questioned.
Bark put on his best smile. "Never better. Just a little full from the skewer-" Bark was interrupted by his cheeks bulging mid-answer, and he hurled on the side of the road.
Outside Interview: Bite
Bark was hunched over on the side of the road, puking into the grass. Bite stood in the foreground near the camera.
"Yeah, that could've been me blowing chunks if he ate the stew and I had to eat the fried food," Bite admitted.
Interview Ends
The Party Dudes and Police Cadets arrived at the Great Wall, and were stuck with two different directions.
"Which way?" Sanders pondered.
"Should we split up?" Geoff asked.
Brody smiled, and slung an arm around MacArthur. "Good idea. I'll go with MacArthur!"
"Dude, I meant one team goes right and the other team goes left," Geoff explained.
World Interview: Police Cadets
"It's not Brody's fault he's crushing on me,” MacArthur smirked. “Doctors say my pheromones are stronger than a jet engine built by grizzly bears."
"What?" Sanders raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't even make sense."
MacArthur snorted. "Oh, right. ‘Cause you're a bear expert."
Interview Ends
(Commercial Break)
Josee and Jacques stopped running along the Great Wall's path, and looked both ways the wall went, not sure which way they're supposed to go.
"Which way?" Josee panted.
Jacques growled as he held up the map to observe it. "This map is useless!"
Josee snatched the map out of his hand, took out her lava rock and gave it a kiss, and then rubbed the rock on the map. "I'll let luck decide." She pocketed her charm, and tossed the map up in the air, letting it get caught by the wind. "Chill Zone, here we come!" The Ice Dancers ran off, pursuing their map.
"Five more teams have finished the eating challenge, leaving our last two skewered up teams," Don narrated as the Goths, Tennis Rivals, Father & Son, Best Friends, Sisters, and Extreme Girls got their tips. Tammy struggled to eat her skewer, while Spud and Jen had yet to deep fry theirs.
Jen came back from another round of vomiting, and Tom took the skewer. "Stand aside. I'm cooking," he said, skewering some worms in the crate.
"But I can't do the eating…" Jen groaned as Tom went over to the fryer.
Outside Interview: Fashion Bloggers
"But it's not chicken," Jen protested, holding her bucket in front of her.
"Doesn't matter. Say it like you mean it over and over. Make your mind believe it's chicken," Tom encouraged her.
"Okay… it's chicken. It's chicken. It's chicken. It's chicken!" Jen started to believe it every time she recited the mantra, and eventually dropped the bucket to the ground.
Interview Ends
Tom finished deep frying, and handed it over to Jen.
"It's chicken… it's chicken… it's chicken…" Jen bit into the skewer.
"That's it! Now taste the chicken!" Tom cheered her on.
Spud ran over to Rock with a skewer ready to eat. "I can has choco oink?" he asked as Rock took the skewer.
"No, dude, we're still in last," Rock stated. He took a glance at the skewer, and his cheeks bulged.
World Interview: Rockers
"Once, I ate deep fried tofu. I was like blegh, and this was all like krkrkrkrkrk," Rock explained, imitating a twitch while Spud watched on.
Interview Ends
Tammy swallowed, and winced. "Done!" She and Max took their tip, and ran off to the next part of the challenge.
Lightning flexed his muscles as Usain pulled their cart along. "So why are you shooting Val down?"
"It's a competition. Relationships can mess it up and we need the money," Usain responded as he ran.
"Lightning hasn't forgotten about that man," Lightning responded. “All I'm sayin’ is-”
"Get it over with so that you and me can beat them? No can do. You can't rush love," Usain replied, ending the discussion.
As they went along the road, their wheel hit a large rock, and wobbled off the cart, unbalancing the Jocks and they screamed while they crashed. Usain saw their wheel rolling away. "Our wheel!"
Moments later, Val and Windsor came around, Windsor accidentally running over the wheel and crushing it. "It's destroyed! We're going to be eliminated," Lightning began to panic when the Pranksters stopped next to them.
"Hey, you guys need a hand?" Windsor inquired.
Val got out of the rickshaw, and walked over to the Jocks. "Hi, Usain. Act normal." Val closed her eyes, and they shot open in realization. "That part wasn't supposed to be out loud. I was talking to myself."
"Just stop," Usain pleaded.
"Okay!" Val quickly shut up.
Bark and Bite stopped in the middle of the Great Wall, looking both ways.
"Which way should we go?" Bite asked.
Holding his stomach, Bark replied, "You decide. I'm still recovering from that vomiting episode."
Bite looked around to see if anything could be a clue. Eventually, she found nothing, and just pointed off to her right. "We're going this way."
On another part of the Great Wall, the Party Dudes and the Police Cadets were still running to their left.
"This has got to be wrong. We should turn around," Sanders spoke up.
"180! Let's do it!" Geoff agreed enthusiastically. Both teams quickly did a U-Turn, and started going back the way they came. "Oh yeah!" he whooped.
Usain and Windsor ran side by side, pulling their rickshaws at the same speed.
Usain glanced back for a second. "Is this too fast, Val?"
"Nope," Val denied. "It's good." She was standing on the seat of her and Windsor's rickshaw, hunched over the side and holding the part of Usain and Lightning's rickshaw that once held their missing wheel.
"Doesn't that hurt?" Lightning asked as he watched her.
"Oh yeah. I'm in pain, but Usain's very hot," Val answered, causing both Jocks to smile. "That was out loud again, wasn't it?"
At the Chill Zone, Don smiled upon seeing the first team to arrive.
"Bulldogs, first time arriving at the Chill Zone first! Congrats!" Don congratulated the team.
"Alright! We did it, laddie!" Bite cheered.
Bark groaned while straining to smile. "Cheers. I think I need to use the restroom or something." He walked away from the Carpet of Completion, still holding his stomach. Bite, who was frowning in concern, followed after him.
The Jocks and Pranksters reached the Great Wall, and walked to their right, the camera's left.
Glancing at Val, Usain asked, "How's your hand?"
Smiling at her crush, Val answered, "It's fine," she held up her left hand while frowning. "This one, not so much." Her left hand was red and swollen.
"I'm good at massaging. Give me your hand." Taking hold of Val's hand in both of his, Usain held it and massaged it to get the swelling down. "What you did was really cool. Does this feel better?"
"It's actually really painful," Val began to say, prompting Usain to stop, "but don't stop. Oh no, was that out loud?"
Lightning smiled. "You didn't say anything." Beside him, Windsor smiled as well.
"Oh, good."
Jacques and Josee continued to run down the Great Wall's path, and gasped when they saw the Police Cadets and Party Dudes coming their way.
"If they're coming towards us," Jacques realized as he turned to Josee, "then we're going the wrong way!" He and Josee panicked, and immediately turned around, running just a few feet ahead of the other two teams.
Outside Interview: Junior
Dwayne was in the background standing in front of the rickshaw, though his pants were down.
“My dad has to pull the rickshaw?” Junior moaned in the foreground.
“No problem, Santa! I'll pull your sleigh,” Dwayne said until he noticed that his boxers were showing. “Where are my legs?!” he yelled.
Interview Ends
France grunted as she pulled Paris in the rickshaw.
"Just imagine that you're being chased by the pack of dogs from Mr. Yank's house," Paris encouraged.
"Too bad they aren't here!" France said.
Just a few feet behind them, Emma was pulling Kitty.
"I feel so-!" Kitty almost retched. "Are we almost at the Great Wall?"
Emma continued to stare ahead, but answered her partner. "I think so. I think I can see it up ahead."
Rock finished putting a wheel that had fallen off back on the rickshaw. "There. That should hold it until-" Rock stopped as he turned around to see Spud eating the choco oinks. "Seriously? Did you just down all the choco oinks?"
"Maybe," Spud answered.
"I needed those to motivate you!" Rock complained.
"To eat them all? Done!" Spud threw the empty box over his shoulder.
"It's not like it matters anyway. You're not the one pulling the rickshaw," Rock told him.
World Interview: Rockers
"A few years ago, Spud ate a whole box of chocolate covered coffee beans," Rock recalled.
"Yeah, I did over three thousand consecutive power slides," Spud added.
"Yeah man," Rock agreed. "It was all whzow, wah, and pshoom!"
Interview Ends
Tom began to run, towing the rickshaw behind him.
“Are you sure you're going to be fine Jen?” Tom checked on his partner, who was beginning to recover.
"Ask me later Tom. Keep pulling the rickshaw," Jen said.
At the Chill Zone, the Pranksters and Jocks were debating who should step on it first.
"Only one team can come in second," Don reminded them.
"You two can go," Val gestured for the Jocks to go ahead of her and Windsor.
Lightning began to step onto the Carpet of Completion, but was stopped by Usain holding out his arm.
"I would accept, but you girls should take this one. You did swell up your hand for us," Usain reasoned, smiling at Val meaningfully.
"I like you," Val told him with a smile back.
"Do you want me to change my mind?" Usain laughed.
World Interview: Pranksters
"You know you're on good terms with a team of competitive jocks when they allow you to win," Windsor joked while Val watched her with a smile.
Interview Ends
“We almost done delivering the presents?” Dwayne wondered while pulling Junior.
“Presents?” Junior asked in surprise. “Oh, right. Ho, ho, ho!”
"Go, Max! You can do it!" Tammy cheered as Max pulled her before the Rockers and Fashion Bloggers passed them.
Josee found herself twitching as she screeched "Fourth again?!" Beside her, Jacques glared at Don.
"Yes, fourth always comes after third,” Don said. “The numbers are sequential."
World Interview: Ice Dancers
Josee could be heard raging, and breaking stuff off-screen. Jacques sat in front of the camera, smiling hesitantly while giving thumbs-up, carefully dodging objects flying past him.
Interview Ends
"Fifth!" Police Cadets. "Sixth!" Party Dudes. "Seventh!" Goths. "Eighth!" Tennis Rivals. "Ninth!" Best Friends. "Tenth!" Sisters. "Eleventh!" Extreme Girls. "Twelfth!" Father & Son.
"There's the Chill Zone!" Tom cheered and ran for it.
Behind him, Jen started to feel woozy. "Ohhh… that was not chicken…" she moaned and then threw up on the back of Tom’s head, forcing him to scream and trip on his feet, preventing them from moving forward and allowing the Rockers and Villains to run past them.
"Thirteenth!" Don awarded to the Rockers. "Fourteenth!" he said to the Villains.
The Fashion Bloggers got on the Carpet of Completion, Jen wiping her vomit off of Tom with a tissue.
"Fashion Bloggers," Don informed Jen and Tom, "I'm afraid you're the last team to arrive."
"Aw… we were so close," Jen moaned.
It was then that the Villains came onto the Carpet. “So it would appear that you two will be departing,” Max said.
“Afraid so,” Tom nodded.
“Sorry we can't continue our partnership,” Jen said, “but hopefully we can see each other after the race.”
“That would be nice,” Tammy smiled. “I've never told Max this, but I've watched your blog, and I'm a huge fan.”
“Why did you not tell me, sidekick?” Max shot a look her way. “You should know that-”
“We'll promote jumpsuits on our blog when we get home,” Jen assured him.
“As a way of making both of you happy,” Tom added. “They're really appealing.”
Max's anger evaporated after hearing that. “In that case, I'm letting this slide, Tammy,” he smiled and walked away with Tammy. “Until we meet again.”
“Bye guys,” Jen waved at them while she and Tom smiled.
“I wouldn't call this a failure in any way,” Tom said as their montage played. “We so kicked butt.”
“We nearly died so many times on that skywalk, in that geyser field, oh, on that vine,” Jen recalled. “But we totally did it.”
“Yay us,” Tom cheered.
“Doing this race is a huge test of how strong your friendship is. And I think we did great,” Jen said.
“Greater than great,” Tom agreed.
“Sorry about puking on you earlier,” Jen added as they were walking home. “I'll use some of my money to get you a new shirt.”
“That's generous, but I think it can be spent on my dime instead,” Tom refused politely.
(Roll the Credits)
Stepbrothers - Chet & Lorenzo - 21st
Geniuses - Ellody & Mary - 20th
Vegans - Laurie & Miles - 19th
Adversity Twins - Jay & Mickey - 18th
Daters - Ryan & Stephanie - 17th
Mother & Daughter - Kelly & Taylor - 16th
Fashion Bloggers - Jen & Tom - 15th
Current Rankings: Bulldogs, Pranksters, Jocks, Ice Dancers, Police Cadets, Party Dudes, Goths, Tennis Rivals, Best Friends, Sisters, Extreme Girls, Father & Son, Rockers, Villains

Current Rankings: Ice Dancers, Bulldogs, Pranksters, Sisters, Extreme Girls, Jocks, Mother & Daughter, Father & Son, Tennis Rivals, Police Cadets, Party Dudes, Rockers, Best Friends, Villains, Goths, Fashion Bloggers
Episode 8: Hawaiian Honeyruin
"Last time on the Ridonculous Race. Our teams paid a visit to Count Dracula's creepy crib, and it terrified everyone. Almost."
"Oh yes, the Goths cracked their first smiles, but other teams cracked under the pressure. The Ice Dancers grabbed first place, and Lightning caught wind of Val's crush on Usain."
"Sadly, Ryan had difficulty doing the challenge and Stephanie had difficulty being supportive, and by the time they were done, it was too late."
"Who's paradise will become troubled? Hold on to your hats. It's time for the Ridonculous Race."
(Theme Song)
"We're back in Transylvania, where yesterday's first place team is about to get today's first travel tip," Don said as the Ice Dancers approached the Don Box.
Jacques pressed the button and grabbed the tip. "Take a donkey cart to Bucharest and fly to…" they both became starstruck. "Hawaii!"
"Hawaii, home of beautiful sunshine, ukuleles, and shirts that should only be worn ironically," Don educated.
"When the teams land, they'll need to find this Don Box," Don looked down at the Don Box, and it was wearing an orange Hawaiian shirt. "Very funny. Was that you, wardrobe?" he asked his earpiece in annoyance, and he got laughter in response.
The teams were now on donkey carts. Each one had three teams, though the last place team had to travel by themselves.
The Ice Dancers, Bulldogs, and Pranksters were on the first cart. The Ice Dancers were controlling the cart, and the Bulldogs and Pranksters were having a conversation.
"And so we rigged the water fountains at our schools so that it'll spray soda at whoever's unfortunate to get a drink," Val said.
"The teachers and students should be thanking us," Windsor continued. "Most of the time, the water is dry and not refreshing."
"We have something better than that one," Bite grinned. "We once let loose a family of rats in the school hallways."
"It took five days for the rats to be tracked down, and we did get a month of detention, but those five days of no school were worth it!" Bark boasted before high-fiving Bite.
While the Pranksters looked at each other in surprise, the Ice Dancers were just shown to be bored.
World Interview: Ice Dancers
"Playing is for children," Josee said. "We stay focused on our goals at all times."
"I'm so focused, I haven't washed my boxers since the race started," Jacques added.
Josee covered her nose in disgust. "That's not focused. That's gross."
Jacques got mad. "Well, maybe some people think your lucky rabbit's foot is gross."
Josee took out her rabbit's foot. "Don't listen to him, Bun Bun," she kissed it.
World Interview: Pranksters
"We like bubble wrapping school chairs and putting hot sauce into people's meals for laughs," Val said.
"But obviously, we don't go too far to the point where someone is seriously injured or badly affected by our pranks," Windsor stated.
Interviews End
The first cart ran over some rocks, and it shook the entire transportation. Josee's lucky rabbit's foot jumped out of her pocket and fell to the ground as a result, but she was unaware of it and the cart continued.
The second cart was shown. The Jocks have control of the donkey. As for the Extreme Girls and Sisters, they were playing a game of charades. Kitty had her hands shaped like a camera, and the Extreme Girls were trying to guess what it was.
"Is it a box?" Paris asked. "Or better yet, a sponge?"
"Click," Kitty gave the clue.
"I got it," France smiled. "It's a camera."
"Correct," Kitty nodded. "You two are really good at charades."
"And you're really good at reading our minds," France responded. "We hate boredom."
"Tell me about it," Kitty put her hand on France's shoulder. "Donkey carts are super slow."
"Sorry to interrupt, but I need to talk to Kitty," Emma pulled Kitty away.
"What's going on?" Kitty asked in an annoyed tone of voice.
‘What happened to our "no alliance" agreement?” Emma asked.
“I didn't form an alliance. And I never agreed to your agreement,” Kitty responded.
Outside Interview: Extreme Girls
"Kitty's really fun to hang with," France said, "but we need to make sure that we don't distract each other. You know how competitive her sister is."
"Yeah, definitely," Paris agreed. "Emma reminds us of a lot of strict people in our neighborhood."
Interview Ends
The scene cut to the teams on the third cart. Father & Son, Mother & Daughter, and Tennis Rivals were in it.
"I must say, this donkey reeks!" Gerry complained.
"I've seen your dirty underwear and socks," Pete said, "and they smell like air freshener compared to this.
"Luckily, my clothes are clean, or we would've died from a bad stench," Gerry quipped, and the old men chuckled.
In the front of the cart, Father and Son were in charge of holding the donkey. "How old are those two?" Junior asked.
"Never mind them," Dwayne said. "Some people just love to tease, but they love each other with their hearts." He wrapped his arm around his son. "Right, sporto?"
"Yeah, sure Dad," Junior replied, uncomfortable with the hug.
"You're so lucky you got to bring your dad," Taylor said.
"Oh, I'm the lucky one." Dwayne told her. "I bet doing this trip with your mom is pretty awesome too though, right?"
"Taylor's more of a daddy's girl," Kelly explained.
"Daddy and I have loads in common. Like, we both love being successful. And we both hate avocado," Taylor said.
The Police Cadets, Rockers, and Party Dudes were on the fourth cart. The donkey let out a fart, and MacArthur, the Party Dudes, and the Rockers laughed. The only one who didn't was a disgusted Sanders.
"From Transylvania to Hawaii. Man, this race is epic!" Brody said.
"Donkey, if I ate something beforehand, I'd send one right back at you!" MacArthur told the donkey.
Outside Interview: Police Cadets
"I can't back down from a good fart down. Personal pride," MacArthur said.
"This is so unprofessional," Sanders sighed in disappointment.
Interview Ends
On cart number five, the Villains and Best Friends were all asleep. The only ones who were awake were the Goths in front of the cart, and they both sighed.
World Interview: Goths
"Leaving Romania is tough," Ennui said. "But leaving Romania to go to a tropical paradise full of sunshine and happiness?"
He and Crimson sighed.
Interview Ends
The Fashion Bloggers were in the last cart. "It's bad enough that we have to travel in our own cart," Jen started, "but we have to be up close to a donkey that really reeks."
"Tell me about it," Tom sighed, "but we need to focus on how we're gonna advance in the game. We almost got eliminated because of an argument that was really childish."
"Lesson learned. We should never let our blog drift us apart," Jen said.
"It's a co-op effort from the day it begins and the day it ends," Tom said.
Outside Interview: Fashion Bloggers
"We usually fly by the race without working with anybody," Tom brought up, "but we need to have an alliance with one team if we want to promote our blog."
Interview Ends
The plane landed on the runway of Hawaii with all the teams inside.
"As is the custom in Hawaii, teams are greeted with a lovely necklace made of local flowers," Don narrated as the Villains and Fashion Bloggers walked up to a Hawaiian woman holding up a lei.
"Orchids?!" Max spat in disdain. "I am allergic to these rotten things."
"He's right," Tammy told the woman. "He'll sneeze profusely around them, so we'll pass."
The Villains went to the right, and the Fashion Bloggers walked up to the woman. "We'll take two of these," Jen told her. "Leis are so on trend in Hawaii."
Outside Interview: Fashion Bloggers
"Should we team up with the Villains?" Jen asked Tom. "They are a little cranky."
"Only Max is. Tammy is more tame than him," Tom said. "And they're one of the teams that aren't occupied with anyone or anything else."
"True. We'll form an alliance with them," Jen agreed, "and their outfits are really bold."
"The gray color definitely helps," Tom smiled.
Interview Ends
The Extreme Girls exited the airport and reached the Don Box. They were about to press it, but they got pushed away by Emma.
"This one's ours. You might as well give up now," Emma told them.
"What's your deal?!" Paris snapped at her. "All we were doing was getting a tip."
"And it wouldn't even affect your own placement," France added.
"Sorry about Emma. She can be rough sometimes," Kitty apologized and helped them up. "Let's go," she grabbed Emma's hand while glaring at her and went ahead.
France went to press the button and she retrieved the tip. "It's a Botch or Watch. Whoever didn't do gymnastics in Romania has to go diving for wedding rings," she read off. "It's your turn, Paris."
"In this challenge, botchers must dive into Hawaii's most popular wedding bay and retrieve one of the rings from the bottom," Don explained at the dock.
"Then swim to the beach at the tip of the bay to meet your partner," Kitty read the tip. "Come on!" she urged before she, Emma, and the Extreme Girls ran off.
The Ice Dancers ran out of the airport and Josee came to a halt. "Something doesn't feel right," she said to herself and gasped. "Oh no! Bun Bun? Where's Bun Bun?!"
Jacques came over to calm her down. "It's okay. We don't need a rabbit's foot. Like you said about my underpants, it's just a silly superstition."
"Okay, take off your lucky gitch then," Josee dared.
Jacques looked down at his gitch area, and after looking at the camera, he ran off.
"That's what I thought!" Josee shouted at him before following.
Spud plugged his nose and cannonballed in the water, Paris backflipped after him, and Jacques dived in with a spin mid-air.
The scene panned to the Sisters. "You can do it, Kit," Emma encouraged her sister.
"It looks pretty deep," Kitty commented.
"Pretend it's the pool at Nana's condo, only with less old people floating around. Ready? Go!" Emma pushed her sister in.
Kitty resurfaced and got furious at Emma. "You shoved me just like you did to the Extreme Girls! What the heck?!"
"It was a push of encouragement, and you're fine. Now go get a ring!" Emma ordered.
The camera panned left to the Best Friends, and Carrie gave Devin a quick hug.
"For luck," Carrie explained before she jumped.
"You're gonna rock this!" Devin called out.
Carrie smiled admirably as she dove towards the water, but hit a rock at the bay.
The Police Cadets and Party Dudes arrived at the dock, and MacArthur looked at Geoff. "Cannonball?"
"YES!" Geoff cheered and they both cannonballed into the water.
"MacArthur, you kick so much butt!" Brody congratulated her.
Sanders looked at him. "You know she's my partner, right?"
Brody focused on Geoff. "You did good too, bro!"
Down below, the botchers swam around looking for rings. Currently, Spud, Kitty, MacArthur, Geoff, Paris, Carrie, and Jacques were underwater. Jacques found a mini-squid, and it squirted him down with ink.
The watchers were on the dock waiting for someone to come up, and Jacques surfaced with a ring in hand. "I got one!"
"See you on the beach!" Josee shouted to her partner and ran past Mother & Daughter.
"Uh, sweetie, maybe this is the part where you should be in the water already," Kelly told her daughter, who was doing arm stretches.
"Chill, mamacita," Taylor stopped stretching. "How many swim medals do I have on my wall? Like a billion."
World Interview: Mother & Daughter
"Daddy had to reinforce the walls so I could hold them all up. And my swim coach told mom I was the best student he'd ever seen," Taylor bragged.
"Actually, sweetie…" Kelly tried to tell her.
"Evah!" Taylor emphasized.
Interview Ends
Taylor dove into the water, but ended up doing a belly flop. She sunk into the water, and Kelly gave an awkward smile to the camera. "I might have exaggerated what her swim coach said just a tad."
The Jocks arrived at the dock. "I'm better at swimming than you are, but just remember to follow my techniques and you'll be fine," Usain advised his partner.
"Lightning's eyesight is great, and he'll get that ring faster than you can say SHA-BAM!!" Lightning assured before he jumped into the bay.
The Tennis Rivals arrived. "Alright, Gerry, it's time to get into the water," Pete said.
"I already put lotion in my body in case something like this were to happen, Pete," Gerry grinned.
"I'm giving you thirty minutes until your skin gets wrinkly," Pete challenged.
Josee ran across the beach. "First place! Even without Bun-Bun! Maybe Jacques' right! I don't need a good luck charm anymore."
She suddenly stopped when she saw a black rock shaped like a trophy in the sand. "What?" She picked it up and looked at it. "It's so light. And warm! The energy! It's beautiful. Come on, Rock Rock! We've got a race to win!"
Josee began to run again, but was yanked back by a fishing line. "Wait! You can't take a lava rock as a souvenir," an elderly local man, the one with the fishing line, told her.
Josee took the line away from her jacket and glared at the man. "You have a whole volcano of them! Just chill out, grandpa!" she said and ran off.
"As the Ice Dancers extend their first place lead," Don narrated, "the rest of the teams are still searching for rings and coming up short," he said over Bark finding an eel attached to his arm, causing him to scream as Lightning swam past him.
Kitty and Jen swam to get a ring, and when they reached for it at the same time, they both got into a fight over it. "Some of them may even come up dead." As Jen and Kitty struggled, they noticed they were being circled around by a shark, and they held onto each other in panic. "Find out for sure when we return on the Ridonculous Race."
(Commercial Break)
The episode returned to Jen and Kitty, who were still holding onto each other fearfully and screaming. Just when it seemed the shark was going to attack them, it surprisingly moved over them and continued ahead.
The girls let go of each other, and when Jen took the opportunity to sigh, she saw Kitty mockingly waving at her and swam up with the ring, leaving Jen to groan and swim away.
"Ka-bling!" Kitty announced as she surfaced.
"Got one!" Carrie came after with a ring.
"Yes!" Emma cheered.
"Carrie, you're amazing!" Devin praised his partner.
Carrie squealed, but she got Kitty's attention by doing so.
"Did you just squeal?" Kitty asked.
"No! I think it was a… a dolphin?" Carrie denied and swam away.
Kitty gasped. "You're in love with him!"
World Interview: Sisters
"When love is in the air, I know it. I have a super sensitive love detector, and the alarm's been going off a lot lately," Kitty said.
Interview Ends
"But we've been friends for so long, and he has a girlfriend that'll kill me if I tell him I love him," Carrie talked to Kitty, "so please don't say anything. Please!"
"I promise I won't," Kitty promised, "but someone should be more aware of the people around him," she added and swam ahead of Carrie, who stopped to think.
"As more teams continue to find rings, our first place Ice Dancers say aloha to challenge number one and aloha to challenge number two," Don stated as Jacques got out of the bay to meet up with Josee at the Don Box.
"We're still in first place, and check it out," Josee held up the lava rock. "New good luck charm! It's a lava rock!"
"Nothing can stop us now!" Jacques cheered.
Josee took the tip. "It's an All-In. In this Hawaiian wedding ritual, teams must walk on-"
"Fire!" Don interrupted them, walking across a path of hot coals barefoot while holding a lei of maile leaves and a grass skirt.
"Technically coals. In this challenge, brides wear a grass skirt and grooms wear a wreath of maile lei as they carry their brides across this path of hot coals." Don started to feel the pain. "It's a test of strength. And honor! And if any part of them catches on fire," the skirt and leaves got caught on fire and he was hopping on the coals, "grass skirt included, it's back to the start!"
Don screamed and ran across the coals, coming to a stop in front of the Ice Dancers as the objects he was holding got burnt and disintegrated. "Once they reach the end untoasted, it's a race to the Chill Zone." Don held his burnt foot in his hands and scowled. "Great, now I gotta take foot modeling off my resume."
The scene cut to the botchers still underwater looking for rings.
Gerry lifted both a seashell conch and a rock up and couldn't find a ring.
Tammy stuck her hand into a hole hoping to find a ring. She pulled out an electric eel, and she got electrocuted for her mistake.
Val found two rings, and when she was sure nobody was looking, she scooped them up and headed to the surface.
Windsor, Tom, and Max were waiting for their partners to come up.
Tammy was the first to surface. "I couldn't find any rings!"
"Neither did I!" Jen added after surfacing.
Val surfaced, and held up two of her fingers to show two rings. "I've got two!"
"Yeah!" Windsor cheered as she ran away from the watchers while Val swam away from the botchers.
"We'll keep looking!" Tammy informed Max and Tom before she and Jen dived back in.
Tom and Max continued to wait until Tom cleared his throat. "While they're botching, can I talk to you?"
"You have my permission, tall and lanky boy," Max agreed.
"You see, me and Jen have been thinking that you and Tammy can team up with us," Tom started.
"And why would we join forces with two shallow beings like yourselves?" Max raised an eyebrow.
"Because you two are unique, and from watching Pahkitew Island, you can be smart and strategic," Tom offered.
"And that is why I say yes to the team up," Max grinned. "You know greatness when you see it!"
Outside Interview: Tom
"Max calls me and Jen shallow, and he's pretty egotistical himself," Tom rolled his eyes coolly, "but we've got an alliance."
Outside Interview: Max
"Those Fashion Bloggers have the courage to offer an alliance with Max Mayhem and his sidekick, Tammy!" Max announced boldly. "Maybe there's more to them than shopping?"
Interviews End
Kelly observed as Taylor popped out of the water with a ring. "Attagirl! Now swim to the beach as fast as you can, okay?" Kelly said.
"Don't sweat it, mom. I'm serving up this challenge with a side order of chipotle!" Taylor announced and prepared to swim… only to do doggy paddles in the water pathetically.
Kelly looked at the camera and chuckled nervously.
The scene flashed to Val swimming in the water in order to meet up with her partner, only to find Gerry swimming up to her.
"You found two rings?" Gerry said in astonishment. "How did that happen? I only found one."
"I just got lucky. Don't sweat it," Val gloated and swam off.
World Interview: Pranksters
"What are you going to do with that extra ring?" Windsor asked her partner.
"I'm going to sell it for cash," Val answered. "Think of the stuff I can buy with the money."
"Don't forget about the million dollars when we win," Windsor added.
Interview Ends
The Ice Dancers started the second challenge. Jacques was walking across the coals while he held Josee above him.
"That's it, Jacques. Moving ahead," Josee encouraged Jacques. "Just like the Olympics, this is one ginormous mind game."
"This challenge is pretty easy," Jacques said confidently.
"You're right. You're just walking. There are no coals," Josee added.
After she said that, Jacques stopped immediately, and his grass skirt caught fire.
"I forgot about the coals!" Jacques screamed. He dropped Josee at the side of the coal walk and ran for the water.
He passed by the Party Dudes, Geoff putting on a skirt and Brody a lei. Jacques jumped into the water, and he sighed in relief.
The Party Dudes got to the coals, Brody being the one carrying Geoff.
"Remember that time we were paddle-boarding off Tofino and we forgot our wetsuits? Ah, so cold, dude!" Geoff mentioned to Brody.
"Yeah. Yeah, keep it coming," Brody urged.
"And, and that day your tongue froze to the flagpole. Or when I dumped that cherry slush down your shorts. Oh, that was gnar-gnar, dude," Geoff continued.
They had reached the end of the coals safely. "We did it!" Brody cheered.
"First place, bro! Let's motor to the chill zone!" Geoff ran for the Carpet of Completion.
Brody followed him slowly. "Oh, man. I'd love to stick my feet in a tub full of ice cubes right now."
The Jocks, Best Friends, and Sisters have reached the second challenge. Lightning, Devin, and Kitty had leis on while their partners had skirts.
"Hey, Kit, could you help tie this?" Carrie turned around so Kitty could tie up her skirt. "You really think I should say something to Devin?"
"Life's short. He could feel the same way for you," Kitty advised her and walked off, leaving Carrie to think.
Usain had finished tying up his skirt when Lightning came over to him. "Are you ready for this, Lightning?" Usain asked.
"I've got my lei on, so yes," Lightning answered. "You'd be a pretty great groom."
"Groom?" Usain got stumped. "I'm not getting married to anyone."
"I know, Usain, but I do know that you'll be the best one in your possible wedding," Lightning winked playfully at him.
Outside Interview: Usain
"What was that all about with Lightning?" Usain asked. "I'm not focusing on love in the race, and I don't want to get married. Yet," he added.
Interview Ends
(Commercial Break)
The episode returned to both Jen and Tammy surfacing with rings on them.
"It took a while, but we both got rings!" Tammy called out.
"Finally," Max said. "We are now an alliance, so we must stick together!"
"As our last place teams finish finding rings," Don said over Tammy and Jen swimming to meet with their partners, "all the other teams work on the second challenge. Well, nearly all." Don added as Taylor was still swimming slowly.
"She's a titch faster with a flutterboard," Kelly explained in a close-up.
"I can't wear the skirt!" Junior reasoned as Dwaybe held the skirt. "Every kid at school's gonna see this!"
"Yeah, but if I wear it, pal, you're gonna have to carry me over hot coals. I'm sure the kids at school won't make a big deal out of it," Dwayne responded.
"My classmate, Larry Finkle, spent all last year getting shoved into the girl's change room because his name rhymes with tinkle!" Junior explained before putting the maile lei on him and marching forward. "Let's do this!
Dwayne laughed at the name. "Tinkle."
Meanwhile, the Bulldogs were looking at the skirt below them.
"Thumb war for who gets to not wear the skirt?" Bark asked.
"I'd dominate that. You're wearing it," Bite shot back.
"Hey, I'm not a sissy," Bark scoffed.
"Just use one of your spray cans to color the skirt black," Bite said.
The Best Friends were at the start of the coal walk.
"We are so gonna win this and- oh!" Carrie yelped as Devin lifted her into his arms. "Wow! Heh, yep, us, so winning."
"Time to walk the walk!" Devin stepped forward.
At the Chill Zone, Don was sipping from a coconut cup, and he heard the Party Dudes cheering and running onto the Carpet of Completion.
"Geoff, Brody, congratulations. You're today's winners!" Don declared.
“Awesome!” Geoff cheered.
“Yes!” Brody cheered as well and they shared a hug.
“I love you man.”
“I'd marry you all over again.”
"I love weddings," Don said.
The Ice Dancers returned to the coals, but Josee was the one carrying Jacques. Josee rushed forward and passed the Best Friends… and rushed back since Jacques' skirt was on fire. Josee threw her partner in the bay, and Jacques sighed in relief.
Rock stood with a grass skirt on top of his head like a wig. Spud, who was wearing a lei, gave him a thumbs-up.
Mother & Daughter made it to the Don Box and Taylor got the tip. "No way am I walking on hot coals."
World Interview: Mother & Daughter
"Do you have any idea how much my gel pedi cost?" Taylor spoke rhetorically.
Kelly grew annoyed. "Uh, yes. Because I paid for it!"
"Just listen to the leader," Taylor said with an arm raised.
Kelly scoffed and held her arm. "And why do you think you're the leader?"
Taylor yanked her arm away. "I'm the one with Leader in Training certification. You're welcome," she smirked.
Interview Ends
The Best Friends cheered as they got off the coals, and Devin put Carrie back down.
"Hey, Best Friends," Josee called from behind them, showing Jacques carrying Josee, "move it or lose it!"
"Run!" Carrie exclaimed, and they ran towards the Chill Zone.
The Ice Dancers ran after the Best Friends, and Josee held her good luck charm. "Believe in the lava rock, and we'll own the podium!"
The Ice Dancers soon overtook the Best Friends, but Jacques tripped on a small rock, sending them to the ground. The Best Friends ran past them and reached the carpet.
"Carrie, Devin, congrats! You're in second place!" Don told the team. The Ice Dancers, upset, showed up on the carpet. "Jacques, Josee. You've come in... third!"
World Interview: Ice Dancers
"No! Not again! Bronze. It's the worst medal. The road to shame is paved with bronze!" Josee cried out as Jacques sobbed into his hands.
Outside Interview: Goths
Crimson scribbled on a grass skirt with a black magic marker.
"She only wears black," Ennui explained. "Even if it's grass, it must be black grass."
Interviews End
MacArthur carried Sanders over her shoulder with no issue and the scene panned to the team behind them.
"Doing great!" France told Paris, the latter carrying her. "Do not think about the pain."
"Easy peasy," Paris smirked.
Behind them, Junior had no issue holding Dwayne, and Pete yawned as he walked through the coals with Gerry on his shoulder.
World Interview: Tennis Rivals
"I took the liberty of carrying my partner," Pete said.
"We both had to pull our weight around to ensure that we don't lose our future sponsorships," Gerry said.
Interview Ends
Lightning ran towards the Chill Zone with Usain over his shoulder. Kitty ran behind him carrying Emma, and they reached the carpet.
"Fourth and fifth place!" Don told the Jocks and Sisters respectively.
"Sixth!" Extreme Girls. "Seventh!" The Pranksters, Val being the one to carry Windsor, arrived. "Eighth!" Father & Son.
Mother & Daughter were finally at the second challenge. Kelly was carrying Taylor across the coals, and Taylor's skirt caught fire.
"Fire!" Taylor screamed, and Kelly immediately ran back. Kelly put Taylor down and rapidly threw sand onto the flame. "Mom, my extensions!"
The Police Cadets were at the Carpet. "I'd worry more about the burns than the hair. But, uh, I'm funny like that," MacArthur said.
"Ninth!" Don announced.
The Tennis Rivals made it to the Chill Zone safely. "Tenth!"
"Eleventh!" Bulldogs. "Twelfth!" Goths. "Thirteenth!" Rockers.
Mother & Daughter came to the Carpet next. "Fourteenth place!"
Kelly set Taylor down. "Well, honey, it wasn't pretty, but-"
"You need to step your game up, mother! For serious!" Taylor shot back.
"We're a team Taylor," Kelly tried to reason.
"I know you aren't used to winning, like me," Taylor ranted, and Kelly grew frustrated. "But maybe you need to follow my example more, because-"
"You've never won anything in your life, Taylor! Never!" Kelly snapped. "Not one race, not one medal! Nothing!"
"Wait, what?" Taylor responded. "My room is full of trophies and medals."
"Because your dad bought a trophy store!" Kelly explained. "What kind of trophies come in the mail? And guess who paid your coaches to lie?" she continued. "Yep, daddy."
Taylor grew desperate. "Beauty pageants. I won beauty pageants! You can't fake those!"
"Oh, honey. When you have enough cash, you can fake anything!" Kelly dropped a bombshell on a shocked Taylor.
Don stepped in. "The coals were hot, but that was cold."
As the sun was setting down, the scene focused on the Villains and Fashion Bloggers on the hot coals, Tammy carrying Max and Tom carrying Jen.
"We're clearly the last two teams standing, so that means our alliance will come to an end since one of us is leaving," Tammy told the Fashion Bloggers.
"Let's just hope it's a non-elimination round," Jen said.
The shot flashed to Devin sitting on a large boulder and relaxing. "Hawaii is such a nice place to visit."
He was oblivious to Kitty walking over to him until she sat down and tapped his shoulder, causing him to look back. "Kitty? Oh, hi," Devin greeted her.
"Hey Devin," Kitty smiled at him. "Can I talk to you for a second?"
"Go on ahead," Devin nodded.
"So you're in a relationship with Shelley, right?" Kitty got to the point.
"Of course. We've been going out for at least three years," Devin explained. "We would've been here together, but she suddenly told me she was busy for some reason. I don't know what came up."
"Has she ever opened up to you?" Kitty wondered.
"She has, but only to tell me if I made a mistake or suddenly announce when we have a date, even if we haven't planned it," Devin answered.
Kitty was surprised by this. "So she's never taken your feelings into account and she drags you to places? That's not a healthy relationship!"
"I've known her longer than you have, and I know she cares for me. She just expresses tough love," Devin ignored her obliviously and stood up. "Well, I'm gonna crash. Good night."
As Devin walked away whistling, Kitty facepalmed to herself. "He's cute, but he is extremely oblivious."
Soon, the last two teams got on the Carpet of Completion, the Villains arriving before the Fashion Bloggers.
"Villains, you're fifteenth! Fashion Bloggers, you're sixteenth, which means last place," Don addressed them.
"Sorry it has to be like this," Tammy comforted the last place team.
"But luckily, it's a non-elimination round!" Don finished. "No one's leaving today!"
"Yes!" Tom cheered.
"That means we can still have our alliance!" Jen squealed as she, Tom, and Tammy got off the Chill Zone.
"I didn't see the non-elimination coming," Max said begrudgingly, "but a good day's a good day," he shrugged and followed his alliance.
Don focused on the camera. "Come back next time for more shocking action here on the Ridonculous Race!"
(Roll the Credits)
Stepbrothers - Chet & Lorenzo - 21st
Geniuses - Ellody & Mary - 20th
Vegans - Laurie & Miles - 19th
Adversity Twins - Jay & Mickey - 18th
Daters - Ryan & Stephanie - 17th
Current Rankings: Party Dudes, Best Friends, Ice Dancers, Jocks, Sisters, Extreme Girls, Pranksters, Father & Son, Police Cadets, Tennis Rivals, Bulldogs, Goths, Rockers, Mother & Daughter, Villains, Fashion Bloggers

So far for me The Bear is the best serie that I have ever seen in my entire life, Game of Thrones just dropped to second place for the bear. I watched it alone, since I lived in Canada and my family is in Mexico. I found myself pausing episodes just to breath because it was so stressful and exciting, I found each character’s acting so real, the excitement, the anger, the sadness everything was WOW. Then, 7 dishes came. I know this episode is not ranked as the best one although I think it is a masterpiece. Donna hit me so hard it reminds me of my mom and sugar standing there just wishing to disappear was something I have to managed in order to finish the whole episode. I have never had those feeling for a serie nor a single episode. My sister watched it too, she felt the same as me, exhausted and anxious.
However my boyfriend started watching, he was like “oh but I don’t understand what happened like mmm no” I can’t blame him, he is not very good at reading people feeling and faces, so for him “7 dishes” wasn’t the masterpiece. Still I was thinking, could that be because he hasn’t experienced something like that? And then I have to talk about my mom which I loved of course.
When my sister and I were young my parents where chaotic, literally they operated in a high level. My mom was happy and then sad, screaming at us for minimal things. Saying that we didn’t help her at all but each time we try she just sent us away. I learned how to turn on an over when I was 18 because she didn’t want to show me how to do it.
My sister lives with her, they started to watch “The Bear”. When it was the chance of “7 dishes” we watched together. When Donna crashed the car my sister and I were waiting for my mom’s reaction, she was like watching the most boring scene of all times. When it finished my sister asked to my mom what did she think about.
She said “it is okay, that’s normal. One time I hit your dad in my car and he hit me with his car too” “yes so normal, she doing everything fast and feeling like no one appreciates her, nothing great about it”
That’s why I came here, my sister and I were thinking like maybe it hit because we feel the pain in our own flesh, we know how it feels to be Carmy, Sugar or Mickey. Besides my mom, my boyfriend was like “nothing so special about it” his family is still together and they parents have a good relationship
Dear Berzattos what do you thing?
I am not denying, “The Bear” is the best serie of all time just wondering if it just hit hard to the people who has lived something similar.
So sorry if I have grammar mistakes, English is not my first language but I don’t give up 👍

Hello everyone! I’ve been studying Spanish for about 8 years now. I’ve traveled to Mexico multiple times, I have a lot of native friends I talk to with no issues, I currently work at a moonshine store and explain how moonshine is made to Spanish speaking customers haha
So, my biggest fear with going into not just medical interpreting but any kind of interpreting/translating job is that I’m going to be looked at as less than because I’m not a native Spanish speaker. Does this actually happen or am I paranoid?
I have my bachelors in Spanish with a focus in translation (not interpreting but ya know, I think that kinda helps with interpreting too as it shows I know how to change the language into how it needs to be), minor in linguistics and language acquisition, I’m officially sealed biliterate by my state in Spanish, but will all of that even matter because I’m not native??
Im currently working on studying medical terminology. I know all of the basics of course, but there are words I didn’t even know in English that I’m learning in Spanish now (really technical jargon like seborrhea).

Hi everyone,I recently came saw some intriguing pictures that appeared to be from Google Maps satellite view, showing an extraordinarily long snake in Mexico estimated to be around 10 miles long.
Despite my efforts to locate this myself, I haven’t had any luck, as Mexico is quite large.I'm really fascinated by this and would love to learn more about it.
Does anyone know where this might be located?
Any leads or insights would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance for your help!

-too much wealth and reach (political lobbying, labor law lobbying, sells products globally, ties to financial giants how back them or colluding i.e one big fucking club, etc..)
-ability to make or break products overnight
-ability to drive prices up or down whichever one helps them long-term
-will price product cheaper to kill competition
Theyre all tied together Walmart, Big Finance, Tech industry, Military, Real estate and Development, Private Equity firms, 3 letter agencies, control in other nations (Venezuela , Brazil, Columbia, Mexico, Israel, etc.), hollywood, media,etc. I believe someone is controlling the faucet upstream and they have control or say over these organizations or are apart of some shadow government. by using private entities we cannot access FOIA on any of these companies this why or Lockheed or Boeing exist. why is when these organizations get caught with their pants down nothing ever comes out of it. We live in a fake society all setup by a select few that seem to run the show and control each and everything. If if you have to pay for justice such as paying for a better lawyer then, your freedom was never equal/fair to begin with. Slave planet seems more and more real. We are more productive than ever but we are all broke. first world countries are becoming 3rd world nations and its all planned. they want us to hate each other. summers are getting hotter and hotter weather is linked to violence. somethings in the air i think we can feel it. something big is about to happen

I know I posted about situations with this friend. With this I don’t know what to do. I feel bad for my friend and I’m worried about her. But I don’t know what else to do with her compulsive lying.
My friend has a tendency of telling stories and I just assumed she is dramatic. But I noticed her lies started to get bigger. Her lies seem to range from she was suppose to get a dog and that she took all the steps to get a dog just for it not to happen. Another time she claimed she had a miscarriage and then said a few days later “it was just my period”. She also always tells me that guys come into her work just to flirt with her and that men always approach her, ask for her number, and try to ask her out. She has also said that she feels like she’s the one that got away for most men. I mean that’s a big claim to make. There’s a lot of interesting lies or stories she has told me over the cost of our friendship.
She’s in a toxic on and off again relationship. They are a match made in hell. She has told me her boyfriend was cheating on her with a lesbian and she made these claims for a while. Regarding cheating she has said he was going to cheat on her during her birthday. With all “the cheating” they always seem to get back together.
My friend has a very traumatic and sad upbringing. Her parents are in the U.S. undocumented, her uncle sexually abused her as a child up unfit she was a teenager, and her family always had a money problems. The majority of money my friend makes has to go to her parents. She’s even dropped out of college semesters to help her parents out financially. But with all these money problems she buys her boyfriend everything plus more. She’s even spent around $2,000 on his Christmas and birthday gift. When I told her that’s not a good idea she would tell me that I need to understand that’s how she shows her love. She spends so much money on him just for him to be horrible to her in return.
We have another friend that we also hang out with. She’s mostly my friend since I’ve known her longer and I introduced them. My other friend (I’ll refer to as P) told me that my friend (I’ll refer to as J) told her that she’s no longer with the boyfriend. I was surprised because not once has she told me that they broke up. In shock I told P they are still together and she said that J also told her they are just friends and she only joins the boyfriend and the family to go to church with them. J’s dad stepped out on his family back in January and to moved back to Mexico. It’s been really hard on her which is understandable. J told P that her mom, brother, and herself are moving to South Carolina if the dad doesn’t come back. Umm she never told me this??
My brother once joined us for a hang out and I expressed to him my concerns with J’s lying about her relationship. He said he’s going to find a good way to put her on the spot. During the hangout my brother asked her in front of P “how’s it going with you and your boyfriend?” things turned awkward fast when she said that they are broken up. I asked J a little while later of why did she lie to my brother and P? She said that she felt like the relationship isn’t going to last that long so there’s no need to say anything. I told her that’s bullshit because no matter what this guy does they never break up.
The other night J told me that she’s upset with her aunt. J said that her aunt knows how much she loves kpop and kdramas so she told her daughter to get a Korean boyfriend. I think that’s sooo weird my fiancé he’s Korean and I tried telling J that I doubt that’s the case and told her. J then told me that her aunt is totally doing this to spite her. That she’s happy with her boyfriend and she doesn’t want a Korean man. I told her that I really don’t believe this plus she’s making it sound like Korean men are accessories but she followed it up by saying that she had every opportunity to be with a Korean man and chose not to.
I am completely shocked to hear the extent she’s going to lie. Anytime she tells me anything I can’t seem to believe anything she says and that’s a horrible feeling. Everything that comes out her mouth feels like a lie. Either she’s lying to me about the relationship and they are just friends or she’s lying to P and they are still together. I don’t know is she a compulsive liar?