Steve Conrad comments

Business operators that fail to meet the requirement will be advised or ordered to do so. The new law also has a provision for the imposition of fines for noncompliance.

*Eliminate the part about being Advised or Ordered to do so and skip straight to the Fines. Make them large fines that will get the companies attention and make it illegal to pass along the cost of the fines to the consumer

Japan made it mandatory for stores to charge for plastic bags from July 2020. While related marine pollution remains a serious issue, the country's plastic waste totaled about 8 million tons in that year.

*8 million tons too much. How about encouraging the use of cloth reusable bags. If you simply must use plastic make it easy to recycle them (same with paper bags).

In the convenience store industry, which uses a huge amount of plastic for bento boxed meal containers, some operators have already introduced wooden cutlery or have made holes in cutlery handles to reduce the amount of plastic.

So we cut a hole in the plastic to get around the law. Wow, just wow. Talk about missing the point entirely. Seems they just want to never get away from cheap plastic cutlery that will just be thrown away. How about recycling it instead or reusing it? Same with the wooden cutlery.

Hulu has it

Vudu has it to rent or buy (or, if you are lucky you got it free when you bought the DVD)

Funimation says they have it

Tubi has it (with ads)

Not sure if this is true but I heard Netflix has it

Billionaires all have their causes.

Before I list some of them I'll say who I like...the ones who take the Pledge to give away their wealth (Bill Gates, Warren Buffet and others I cannot recall right now). Just passing it to their kids is not something I agree with. Let the kids earn their own money.

Bill Gates (and Melinda as well as it is, last I heard, still the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation) help with research into Orphan Diseases (ones that get little to no research funding) as well as providing mosquito netting to places that need it.

Paul Allen restored WWII Aircraft (to how they would have been back when they were made which often meant hand tooling/machining parts) and searched for WWII Warships and other historically significant wrecks (an ongoing mission that has been put on hold due to COVID) via the R/V Petrel

Jay Leno has his garage

Oprah Winfrey funded a school in South Africa (does she fun it herself or just the majority of it now)

Some wealthy people buy yachts and planes and second or third homes. Some just accumulate wealth so they get ever richer.

Some wealthy (but not as wealthy as say a millionaire or a billionaire) band together to help groups like the homeless or specifically groups of homeless such as Veterans. Some help bring our WWII POW/MIA people home. Some help in the removal of landmines. Some help preserve Battlefields.

Some just do what I call building monuments to themselves (Arenas, Music Halls for Orchestras or Symphonies, Golf Clubs, other buildings or parks or they refurbish older buildings into apartments that start at $1000 and up a month for rent). NOTE: Where I live we need affordable housing and not places the average person cannot afford

A lot of online sites say you have to either create an account with them or they allow you to use Google or Facebook to log in (you link them to your FB or Google account).

A precious few 9ones I have encountered I can count on 1 hand and have fingers left over) allow you to use Twitter while some business oriented ones allow you to use LinkedIn.

And for the record I use Line with a game I play and to follow a few celebs as well as TIME Magazine.

AviBajaj: "US Europe Japan Aussie or India needs to make another social media asap I n most of my friends r using FB only there is no alternative to the biased FB"

I mentioned some in my last post that you can check out but I can add to that: Imgur, Reddit, Line, Pinterest, Discord, TikTok, Tuskee, Telegram, Tagged (also owns Hi5), YouTube

Short of creating an ID for every site you visit there are two ways to login....Facebook or Google. In fact this very site has the options of an ID you make or Facebook. You don't see sites saying you can use Twitter, Snapchat, Tumblr, LinkedIn (well except for a precious few), kik, or other social networking sites.

Also, Facebook saw how successful Instagram was and rather than compete with it on a level playing field they bought it. Same with WhatsApp. If they are not stopped who will be next?

How the hell did he get away with this before? Did no one notice his behavior? Was no one brave enough to come forward? And for therapy make him watch a series of pictures and make sure he gets an electric cattle prod to the genitals every time a picture of a female comes up.

How many times has he done this before?

They need a forensic computer specialist to scour his phone, computer and online accounts to track down how many times he has done this and then bring it up in court. The shame he brings upon himself, his family and his practice would likely be unbearable.

Why? Why were they not already in jail/prison for their past offenses?

By not being locked up they were emboldened to offend yet again.

Will they finally be locked up? Incarceration plus restitution is what we need here.

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3157678/lambda-mu-omicron-why-who-skipped-nu-and-xi-name-latest

Lambda, Mu ... Omicron? Why the WHO skipped ‘Nu’ and ‘Xi’ to name latest coronavirus variant

The health body says one is confusing and the other is a common last name

One critic says the decision reflects the WHO’s fear of the Communist Party

.....

But in a statement to Associated Press on Saturday, the WHO said: “‘Nu’ is too easily confounded with ‘new’, and ‘Xi’ was not used because it is a common last name.”

It said its “best practices for naming disease suggest avoiding causing offence to any cultural, social, national, regional, professional or ethnic groups”.

"This is what, the 4th or 5th recognized variant?"

No, there are many variants of Covid-19

From Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variants_of_SARS-CoV-2

Variants of concern (WHO)

Listed below are the Variants of Concern (VOC) recognised by the World Health Organization as of June 2021.[14] Other organisations such as the CDC in the United States have at times used a slightly different list. As of July 2021, their list matched that of the WHO.[15]

5 Variants of concern (WHO)

5.1 Alpha (lineage B.1.1.7)

5.1.1 B.1.1.7 with E484K

5.2 Beta (lineage B.1.351)

5.3 Gamma (lineage P.1)

5.4 Delta (lineage B.1.617.2)

5.5 Omicron (lineage B.1.1.529)

Variants of interest (WHO)

Listed below are the Variants of Interest (VOI) which are, as of August 2021, recognised by the World Health Organization.[14] Other organisations such as the CDC in the United States may at times use a slightly different list.[15]

6 Variants of interest (WHO)

6.1 Lambda (lineage C.37)

6.2 Mu (lineage B.1.621)

Former variants of interest

7 Former variants of interest

7.1 Epsilon (lineages B.1.429, B.1.427, CAL.20C)

7.2 Zeta (lineage P.2)

7.3 Eta (lineage B.1.525)

7.4 Theta (lineage P.3)

7.5 Iota (lineage B.1.526)

7.6 Kappa (lineage B.1.617.1)

Just to clear things up on the whole Age of Consent issue

In Japan the age of consent is low at 13, although some municipalities such as Tokyo prohibit sexual activity under 18 years old in most circumstances.

https://www.theweek.co.uk/92121/ages-of-consent-around-the-world

and

In 1907, the Penal Code of Japan set a minimum age of consent of 13. Since then, Japan's age of consent has not changed. In fact, it's the third-lowest in the world. The age of consent in the Philippines used to be 12, but following widespread outcry, a proposal was passed last year to raise the age of consent to 16.

https://historyofyesterday.com/why-is-the-age-of-consent-in-japan-only-13-year-old-e4363d0ea679

And just as an aside: The lowest Age of Consent in the world is 11, in Nigeria. 2nd lowest is 12 in Angola.

The highest Age of Consent in the world is 21 in Bahrain. The second-highest age of consent is 20 in South Korea.

https://www.ageofconsent.net/highest-and-lowest

kohakuebisuAug. 10  09:31 am JST

Japan continues to spend money on and burn lots of coal, but best not talk about that.

A few statistics on Japanese energy/electricity generation:

The country lacks significant domestic reserves of fossil fuel, except coal, and must import substantial amounts of crude oil, natural gas, and other energy resources, including uranium. Japan relied on oil imports to meet about 84 percent of its energy needs in 2010.[2] Japan was also the first coal importer in 2010, with 187 Mt (about 20% of total world coal import), and the first natural gas importer with 99 bcm (12.1% of world total gas import).[3]

While Japan had previously relied on nuclear power to meet about 30% of its electricity needs, after the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, all nuclear reactors were progressively shut down for safety concerns.[2] Since then, Ōi Nuclear Power Plant's reactors 3 and 4 were restarted on 14 March 2018, and 9 May 2018, respectively.[4] On 11 August 2015, and 1 November 2015, the two reactors at the Sendai Nuclear Power Plant restarted. Following the Fukushima disaster, the general public has opposed the use of nuclear energy.[5][6]

1) Oil demand is declining for power generation

2) Because domestic natural gas production is minimal, rising demand is met by greater imports. Japan want to switch to LNG and to a hub for it. Also, In 2017, Japan consumed 4.7 quadrillion Btu (1377 TWh) of imported methane.[13]

3) As of 2019, a third of the electricity in Japan was generated from coal. Government targets aimed to reduce that proportion to a quarter through closure of older, less efficient coal power plants. Twenty-two new coal plants were planned for the years 2020 to 2025.[24] In 2017, Japan consumed 4.738 quadrillion Btu (1,388 TWh) of imported coal.[13] On July 2020, the minister of Industry, Hiroshi Kajiyama, announced that around 100 coal plants would be shut down by 2030.[25] NOTE: I see some contradictions here.

4) Japan currently[when?] produces about 10% of its electricity from renewable sources. The Fourth Strategic Energy Plan set the renewable share goal to be 24% by 2030.

5) The country's main renewable energy source is hydroelectricity, with an installed capacity of about 27 GW and a production of 69.2 TWh of electricity in 2009.[39] As of September 2011, Japan had 1,198 small hydropower plants with a total capacity of 3,225 MW. The smaller plants accounted for 6.6 percent of Japan's total hydropower capacity. The remaining capacity was filled by large and medium hydropower stations, typically sited at large dams. Cost per kilowatt-hour for power from smaller plants was high at ¥15–100, hindering further development of the energy source.[40]

6) Japan has seen sustained growth of solar PV capacity after 2012, reaching a cumulative installed capacity of 34 GW by the end of 2015, generating 3.5% of the national electricity consumption in that year.

7) Japan had 1,807 wind turbines with a total capacity of 2440 MW as of September 2011. Lack of locations with constant wind, environmental restrictions, and emphasis by power utilities on fossil and nuclear power hinders the employment of more wind power in the country.[46] However, it has been estimated that Japan has the potential for 144 GW for onshore wind and 608 GW of offshore wind capacity.[47]

8) Geothermal power plays a minor role in the energy sector in the country: in 2013 it supplied 2596 GWh of electricity, representing about 0.25% of the country's total electricity supply.[3]

See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geothermal_power_in_Japan

9) As of September 2011, Japan had 190 generators attached to municipal waste units and 70 independent plants using biomass fuel to produce energy. In addition, 14 other generators were used to burn both coal and biomass fuel. In 2008, Japan produced 322 million tons of biomass fuel and converted 76% of it into energy.[51]

10) In 2012, the government announced plans to build experimental tidal power and wave power plants in coastal areas. Construction on the projects, the locations for which have not been determined, would begin in 2013.[52]

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_in_Japan

Generation

Fossil fuels accounted for an estimated 661 TWh of Japan's net electricity generation in 2019, which represented about 70% of the total generation, up from 61% in 2010 (Figure 6). ...

The power sector uses coal as a baseload source for power generation.

More items...•Nov 2, 2020

https://www.eia.gov/international/analysis/country/JPN

International - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

Here in the US we are currently in an era where any reminders of the CSA (Confederate States of America) are at risk. Statues of CSA leaders are being taken down due to their support of slavery. However, it seems certain leaders of our nation who had slaves are immune from this process (Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Jackson(gladly stabbed Native Americans in the back as well despite their help in winning some battles in the War of 1812), Van Buren, Harrison, Tyler, Polk, Taylor, Johnson and Ulysses S. Grant (he of Civil War fame) just to name the Presidents. The closest Jackson has come to being punished is a call to replace him on the $20 bill and to put Harriet Tubman there in his place. NO call to replace Grant on the $50 bill or Washington on the $1 bill plus various coins or Jefferson on the $2 bill.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_presidents_of_the_United_States_who_owned_slaves

DO you really want to trust the Amazon delivery driver to not steal anything or to not take photos for later use? He/she may even eat your food, drink any beverages you have and nap on your couch. No thank you Amazon.

Solar panels on as many buildings as possible. Geothermal energy as well.

More wind energy would help as would finding ways to use less energy

Japan can make use of Wave energy...

Researchers at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology in Japan have been generating electricity through currents, using special underwater turbines. On Sept. 20, they announced that their project—dubbed Sea Horse—was a success and ready for commercial application. Making waves work for us.Sep 25, 2017

Wave energy can be harnessed by underwater turbines ...

https://qz.com/1086430/wave-energy-can-be-harnessed-by-underwater-turbines-designed-in-japan/

as well as Tidal energy

Japan has entered the tidal power age with a pilot turbine installed in the waters of the Goto Islands archipelago having clocked up is first hours of generation following installation late last year by developer Kyuden Mirai Energy (MRE).Feb 15, 2021

https://www.rechargenews.com/innovation/japan-enters-tidal-energy-era-with-power-from-maiden-in-stream-tidal-turbine/2-1-963258

She really must be someone special to go to the lengths he did to copy her key, steal her underwear and make a personalized insurance webpage about her.

Rodents are also a reason many cities welcome birds of prey as they will readily kill the rodents (or bird species that become a nuisance). I have even heard of smaller country towns that have no issues with snakes (preferably non-poisonous) as they eat a lot of rodents.

Natural gas isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

They are always working on ways to better clean the gas and to capture and use the CO2.

Also, better to get the energy from that waste and reuse it rather than to ruin the land by over fertilizing it.

This idiotic moron needs to be found and thrown in a cell ASAP. Maybe some mental therapy will be of some benefit but most likely not.

I cannot think of a punishment that is good enough for him, and as a student of History that is saying a lot. He is a sick bastard who really needs to win himself a Darwin Award.

While hydro, wind and solar are well known there are other renewables out there.

We have geothermal (ground source heat pumps) and air source heat pumps.

https://dandelionenergy.com/geothermal-heat-pump-frequently-asking-questions

Tidal energy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tidal_power

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/tidal-energy/

Wave energy

https://openei.org/wiki/Wave_Energy

River Current energy (not using dams)

https://marinerenewables.ca/facts/river-current-energy/

You can get methane (biogas) from methane digesters which can use cattle, hog and poultry manure

https://extension.psu.edu/biogas-from-manure

https://www.wiscontext.org/what-manure-digesters-can-and-cant-do

https://www.biocycle.net/poultry-litter-digestion/

https://www.regenis.net/features/poultry-farm-digesters

https://www.dvoinc.com/poultry.php

A digester can process other farm wastes, such as milkroom waste water, straw, corn husks, grass, and leaves, with or instead of dairy cow manure. Beef, hog, and poultry manure are being used in digesters, although poultry manure digesters require further research.

As for storage batteries, there are a lot of options out there (Wikipedia has a whole page on battery types alone) and more are on the way as research continues.

We also need to find ways to lower our energy usage. Insulating buildings, using CFL or LED lightbulbs, buying more energy efficient appliances, etc. will all help but alone nothing is going to solve our energy reliance problem.

No matter the name you choose someone somewhere will be offended. I could find plenty of offensive names if I was of a desire to do so but not right now.

Want to help Native Americans? Support the fund that helps them attend college. Volunteer on a Reservation. Pressure Local/State/Federal Govt. employees to do more for them. Learn about their culture and learn how they treated each other and how they were treated by those whole stole their lands. Learn how the various Missionaries treated the Natives (Canada too).

One real good example from out West are the Missions in California. For too long the Padres were taught to us as benevolent benefactors when in fact they treated the various Tribes as chattel slave labor. They worked, as did various schools, to strip the Natives of their identity and their culture.

I always love to recall a quote around Thanksgiving that I heard in college....Thanksgiving, America's First Welfare Line.

Guess what crops won't be grow indoors (using huge amounts of resources btw): potatoes, corn, wheat, beans, pumpkins, peanuts, eggplants, blueberries, apples, pears, okra, bananas, peaches, mangoes, radishes, onions, carrots, melons, rice, you get the point. Pretty much everything else that requires the Sun.

You might want to educate yourself on container crops before making such a claim. A simple search online shows that plenty of crops can be container grown.

Also, all plants need light to grow and you can get that in greenhouses with special lighting.

Excluding what you have already listed as that which can be container grown lets see what else can be.

According to thespruce.com:

Potatoes, eggplant, peppers, peas, squash, cucumbers, radishes, arugula

balconygardenweb.com lists:

beans, chilies, Asian greens, spinach, carrots,

daviddomoney.com lists:

swiss chard, salad onions, herbs

diyncrafts.com lists:

basil, zucchini & summer squash, parsley (I am sure Dill & Mint are on the list too), strawberries, pineapple, cantaloupe, oregano, Rosemary, chives, bananas, thyme, sage, kale, quinoa, collard greens, watermelon, cauliflower (broccoflower is likely one you can grow too), pole beans, sugar snap peas, mushrooms, turnips, asparagus, artichokes, parsnips

familyhandyman.com lists:

banana peppers, leaf lettuce, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, microgreens

gardeners.com lists:

4-5": chives, lettuce, radishes, other salad greens, basil, coriander

6-7": bush beans, garlic, kohlrabi, onions, Asian greens, peas, mint, thyme

8-9": pole beans, carrots, chard, cucumber, eggplant, fennel, leeks, peppers, spinach, parsley, rosemary

10-12": beets, broccoli, okra, potatoes, sweet corn, summer squash, dill, lemongrass

gardenerspath.com lists: (now it is harder to not list what we already know)

The Best 11 Vegetable Varieties for Growing in Containers

Beans

Beets

Chard

Chili Peppers

Kale

Lettuce

Onions

Radishes

Spinach

Sweet Peppers

Tomatoes

Better Homes & Gardens (www.bhg.com):

Beets: Direct seed into a 2- to 5-gallon window box.

Broccoli: One transplant per 5-gallon container.

Cabbage: One transplant per 5-gallon container. Or with small varieties, one plant per gallon container.

Carrots: Direct seed into a 2- to 5-gallon deep container. Thin to 3 inches apart.

Cucumber: Two transplants per 5-gallon container. If using vining types, grow on trellis or cage.

Eggplant: One transplant per 5-gallon container.

Green Beans: Sow directly into a 5-gallon window box.

Kohlrabi: Direct seed into a 5-gallon container. Thin to three plants.

Lettuce: Direct seed or transplant into 1-gallon or larger container. Thin to 8 inches apart. Thin to 8 inches apart

Onion: Direct seed into 1-gallon or large container. Thin to 2 inches between green onions; for bulb onions, thin to 6 inches apart.

Peas: Direct seed into 5-gallon container. Grow taller varieties on a trellis. Thin to 5 inches apart.

Pepper: One transplant per 5-gallon container.

Radishes: Direct seed into 2-gallon or larger container. Thin to 3 inches apart.

Spinach: Direct seed into 1-gallon or larger container. Thin to 3 inches apart.

Summer Squash: Direct seed or transplant, two plants per 5-gallon container.

Swiss Chard: Transplant or direct seed four plants per 5-gallon container.

Tomatoes: Transplant one plant per 5-gallon container.

Winter Squash: Direct seed one plant per 5-gallon container.

Texas A&M University (agrilifeextension.tamu.edu):

Suggested Container Grown Vegetables

Name (Container Size, Number of Plants) – Varieties*

Broccoli (2 gallons, 1 plant) – Packman, Bonanza, others

Carrot (1 gallon, 2-3 plants. Use pots 2 inch deeper than the carrot length) – Scarlet Nantes, Gold Nugget, Little Finger, Baby Spike, Thumbelina

Cucumber (1 gallon, 1 plant) – Burpless, Liberty, Early Pik, Crispy, Salty

Eggplant (5 gallons, 1 plant) – Florida Market, Black Beauty, Long Tom

Green Bean (2 gallons minimum, space plants 3 inches apart) – Topcrop, Greencrop, Contender, (Pole) Blue Lake, Kentucky Wonder

Green Onion (1gallon, 3-5 plants) – Beltsville Bunching, Crysal Wax, Evergreen Bunching

Leaf Lettuce (1 gallon, 2 plants) – Buttercrunch, Salad Bowl, Romaine, Dark Green Boston, Ruby, Bibb

Parsley (1gallon, 3 plants) – Evergreen, Moss Curled

Pepper (5 gallons, 1-2 plants) – Yolo Wonder, Keystone Resistant Giant, Canape, Red Cherry (Hot), Jalapeno

Radish (1 gallon, 3 plants) – Cherry Belle, Scarlet Globe, (White) Icicle

Spinach (1 gallon, 2 plants) – Any cultivar

Squash (5 gallons, 1 plant) – Dixie, Gold Neck, Early Prolific Straightneck, Zucco (Green), Diplomat, Senator

Tomato (5 gallons, 1 plant) – Patio, Pixie, Tiny Tim, Saladette, Toy Boy, Spring Giant, Tumbling Tom, Small Fry

Turnip (2 gallons, 2 plants) – Any cultivar

View more Easy Vegetables to Grow (https://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/solutions/easy-vegetables-to-grow/)

All of these are issues that need to be regulated in a fashion that does not harm the common man yet does not adversely affect our security.

I have a friend who works in an Amazon warehouse and I cannot imagine how stressful it must be. Of course after reading many reviews on job sites about Amazon warehouses and after watching numerous videos from former Amazon warehouse employees I am so glad I do not have to work in one myself.

And still the PM drags his feet on climate change effects.

Remember, Australia has a big coal industry and you need to keep those workers happy and employed.

From Wikipedia: Mining occurs mainly in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. About 75% of coal mined in Australia is exported, mostly to eastern Asia, and of the balance most is used in electricity generation. Coal production in Australia increased 13.6% between 2005 and 2010 and 5.3% between 2009 and 2010.

and:

Australia's primary energy consumption is dominated by coal (around 40 per cent), oil (34 per cent) and gas (22 per cent). Coal accounts for about 75 per cent of Australia's electricity generation, followed by gas (16 per cent), hydro (5 per cent) and wind around (2 per cent).

https://www.ga.gov.au › scientific-topics › energy › basics

and:

Australia will export 67 billion Australian dollars ($47.8 billion) of coal in fiscal 2018, compared with AU$63.8 billion for iron ore, according to the "Resources and Energy Quarterly" report for December published by the country's Department of Industry, Innovation and Science. Jan 13, 2019

https://asia.nikkei.com › Business › Markets › Commodities › Coal-expected-...

and here is another problem

Coal burning is the main source of electricity in Australia. A particular problem is Victorian coal, while plentiful, is of low grade (brown coal) and is wetter than black coal, which causes extra pollution when burned.

https://www.coolaustralia.org › coal-secondary

The deal will eliminate or lower tariffs on $7.2 billion in U.S exports including beef and put American farmers on level ground with competitors from Australia and Canada, which along with Japan are part of the revised Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement.

Japan will immediately cut its 38.5 percent tariff on U.S. beef to 26.6 percent and make gradual reductions each year until it reaches 9 percent in 2033.

and

While dodging Trump's threat to impose a 25 percent tariff on automobiles and their parts based on national security concerns, Japan failed to secure the elimination of the existing 2.5 percent duty, something the United States had granted under the original TPP before abruptly pulling out in 2017 before its ratification.

The deal simply says auto tariffs are "subject to further negotiations."

So the Japanese gained nothing in this area while the U.S. gets to export more pork, cheese and wine to Japan and getting tariffs on U.S. goods eliminated or cut. Quite one-sided indeed.

For its part, the United States will also welcome more "wagyu" beef into the country by removing Japan's low-tariff quota of 200 tons a year and including it in a group of other countries sharing a quota of 65,000 tons.

Only 9 restaurants in the U.S. serve Kobe beef so I doubt there is room to import a whole lot more. This despite (one site says 8 though)

Today, enough reaches the U.S. to satisfy the average beef consumption of just 77 Americans. It's so scarce that Kobe's marketing board licenses individual restaurants, and real Kobe beef is available at just eight restaurants in the entire country (see the list), while none, ever, is sold at retail.

It is healthier for you than the crap we have in the U.S. (I say that as a guy who eats his fair share of beef but who is trying to eat healthier foods)

It has up to 300% more monounsaturated fat than normal beef due to the high marbling of the meat, as well as incredibly high omega 3 and 6 content. Wagyu beef has the lowest cholesterol levels of all meats, even lower than fish or chicken, and it contains oleic acid which is considered good for your heart. Jan 22, 2018

Imagine if he had to compete with all of the stores that we have in the states. They are literally everywhere.

Circle-K, Timewise, Chevron, Big Chief, Little Chief, Stop-N-Go, Stripes, Shell, Texaco , 24/7 Store, Raceway

Also Quick Trip, Phillips 66, In & Out, Break Time, Caseys, Kum & Go, Amoco, Fast Stop, Conoco, Gulf Express, etc.