This post was accidentally auto-posted when the bus that I am riding on hit a bump.
Enjoy.
NORAD Intercepts Russian and Chinese Bombers off Alaska Coast
U.S. and Canadian fighter jets intercepted Russian and Chinese bombers operating off the coast of Alaska, the North American Aerospace Defense (NORAD) Command said.
The incident happened Wednesday, NORAD said in a statement, as tensions between Washington and both Moscow and Beijing climb.
NORAD said it detected, tracked and intercepted two Russian TU-95s and two Chinese H-6s in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone, which is a strip of international airspace near where sovereign airspace ends that is monitored for aircraft.
NORAD said the activity was not viewed as a threat and that it “will continue to monitor competitor activity near North America and meet presence with presence.”
An unidentified U.S. defense official confirmed to CBS News that this was the first time that Russian and China jointly entered the Alaska ADIZ, and the first time that China has entered the airspace with its H-6 bombers.
The incident comes just days after the Kremlin’s Defense Ministry said it intercepted two U.S. B-52N bombers near Russia’s borders on Sunday.
In February, the United States intercepted four Russian military aircraft near Alaska.
Wednesdays interception marks the first time in history both Russia and China approached the US Coast with nuclear-capable, long-range, strategic bombers.
If people get life sentences, there must be elderly people in prison. How are they treated?
I entered prison at 57 (with stage 3B breast cancer) and was released at 64, thankful to be alive. I receive treatment but not care (except by my sister inmates whose kindness gave me hope.)
There are quite a few women over 50 in the prison. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation:
*Of the estimated 10 million Americans with osteoporosis, about eight million or 80% are women.
*Approximately one in two women over age 50 will break a bone because of osteoporosis.
*A woman’s risk of breaking a hip is equal to her combined risk of breast, uterine and ovarian cancer.
Prison cells have upper and lower bunks. Climbing up to the upper bunk requires great agility and the cell floors are concrete. If you fall, it’s easy to break a limb or a hip and yet, women over 50 are regularly denied a lower bunk. Prison staff is normally reactive, not proactive. You have to fall and break something before they will consider a lower bunk. Treating a broken limb or hip is expensive, but somehow they never consider that.
Wheelchairs are usually in very poor condition with broken wheels. They require inmate “wheelchair pushers” to manipulate them. If an inmate has to go to work, meals, medical, church or classes, they have to wait for an official “pusher.” A friend isn’t allowed to help so they miss a lot.
If you’ve lost a limb and had a prosthesis upon entering prison, in AZ it’s taken away. It took a year before I was allowed to have a prosthetic breast. It was considered a threat to public safety. I had excruciating pain in my neck for a year and then when I was finally allowed the prosthesis, the pain went away in about a week. The mastectomy caused me to be unbalanced.
Medical treatment was sporadic. My cellmate (who was only 25) died of leukemia when medical denied her a blood test to find out why she was so sick. Her 3 year sentence became a death sentence.
Prison officials will tell you that medical is efficient and professional. It is not. I know two women who lost eyesight because of detached retinas. They were denied treatment until it was too late. Now they are not only blind but suffer great nerves pain. One lost her eyeball. One may lose hers.
Obesity and diabetes are very common in prison. The diet is all starch and most of the items sold in the prison “store” are junk food. It would be cheaper to be proactive and treat these conditions as well as heart disease with a healthy diet and exercise programs so that these inmates would not be a burden to society upon their release. That doesn’t seem to be considered by prison officials.
Some people reading this will say that inmates don’t deserve medical care. Dostoyevsky said, “The degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons.” If you enter an American prison, I think most of you would be horrified. Remember, 1 in 3 Americans now has a criminal record. It can happen to you or a loved one in a heart beat. It’s easier than you can imagine.
Chinese style
Cafeteria-Style Mac and Cheese
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound elbow macaroni
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons powdered mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Few drops hot pepper sauce
- 3 1/2 tablespoons butter
- 3 1/2 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese (about 3/4 pound), divided
- 1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a shallow 2-quart baking dish.
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the macaroni until tender but still firm, about 8 minutes. Drain well.
- Meanwhile, in a small heavy saucepan, bring the milk to a simmer over moderate heat. Remove from the heat and stir in the powdered mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt and hot pepper sauce. Set the seasoned milk aside.
- Transfer the macaroni to a medium bowl. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter and the egg and mix well. Stir in 3 cups of the Cheddar cheese. Spread the macaroni evenly in the buttered baking dish. Pour the seasoned milk over the macaroni and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup grated cheese.
- In a small skillet, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter over moderate heat. Stir in the bread crumbs until well-coated. Scatter the buttered crumbs evenly over the macaroni and sprinkle with the paprika.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until the macaroni is bubbling and lightly colored.
- Transfer to the broiler and broil about 6 inches from the heat until the bread crumbs are golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes.
Apple, Foxconn admit India production was failure: Back to China
Foxconn is building a new HQ and production facility in Zhengzhou, Henan and has admitted that moving iPhone production to India was a failure.
Foxconn said that the yield rate on Indian-made iPhones was as low as 50%, which translated into losses for both Foxconn and Apple.
Several years ago, Foxconn had committed to a huge production facility in Zhengzhou. The Henan provincial government had offered land, water and electricity to Foxconn in order to lock down job opportunities, but starting under Trump and the trade war with China, the US put pressure on Apple, and then Apple pressured Foxconn to relocate to India. For several years, Foxconn invested in India.
Now Apple and Foxconn are admitting that Project India was a failure.
What is the next China for manufacturing after China becomes developed?
For Apple and Foxconn, the answer is China.
19 HOUR Layover In China (Guangzhou visa-free transit)
The United States Space Force is poised to introduce a new ground-based jamming system designed to disrupt adversary satellite communications during conflicts.
According to the Space Force, the US is preparing to deploy a new ground-based jammer known as Remote Modular Terminals (RMT). This jammer is designed to prevent Chinese or Russian satellites from transmitting information about US forces during a conflict.
The initial batch of Remote Modular Terminals (RMT) jammers is scheduled for installation later this year following several successful tests. For security reasons, 11 out of 24 jammers will be deployed at undisclosed locations by December 31.
The devices are not intended to shield US satellites from Chinese or Russian jamming but rather to “responsibly counter adversary satellite communications capabilities that enable attacks,” the Space Force said in a statement to ‘Bloomberg News.
Remote Modular Terminals (RMT)
The US Space Force highlights that the Remote Modular Terminals (RMT) are compact, portable, and cost-effective satellite communications jammers designed for deployment in challenging environments to safeguard US forces. “We intentionally created a small, modular system utilizing commercial off-the-shelf components,” stated the Space Force.
The RMT is described as remotely operated and designed to keep personnel out of harm’s way. The device resembles a satellite dish approximately 10 feet in diameter and functions by jamming satellite communications by overwhelming the airwaves with competing signals.
These new terminals will complement an existing, more extensive jamming system known as the Counter Communications System, as well as a medium-sized system called Meadowlands, both of which the US Space Force has already deployed and is actively using.
Operational Flexibility
The Space Force received its first four units from the manufacturer in September 2023. In April 2024, the US Space Force announced the inaugural test of a ground-based warfare system, highlighting that it was the first instance of the system being deployed at two geographically separated locations and controlled from a third, underscoring its operational flexibility.
In a slide from a Space Force presentation to industry figures in October 2023, the military group described the weapon as being deployable in both garrison and austere environments. The Space Force indicated that these systems can be positioned anywhere, regardless of the availability of power sources.
U.S. officials have labeled these devices as ‘defensive weapons’ intended to ‘responsibly’ disable satellites temporarily rather than destroy them. However, defense experts argue that despite their intended defensive use, these devices should be considered offensive counterspace capabilities.
China’s & Russia’s Advancements
The RMT’s development is a direct response to escalating space threats from China and Russia.
General Stephen Whiting, head of U.S. Space Command, recently highlighted at the annual Aspen Security Forum that China has deployed “hundreds of satellites in orbit designed to find, fix, track, target, and potentially engage U.S. and allied forces across the Indo-Pacific.”
Russia also possesses several space-based military assets, including co-orbital anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons, direct-ascent ASAT missiles, and Starlink communication satellites contracted for its war on Ukraine. Russia has also launched satellites capable of functioning as space-based weapons.
Earlier this year, US intelligence highlighted an extreme example of a potential counterspace weapon, suggesting that Russia was attempting to develop a space-based, anti-satellite nuclear weapon—a claim that Moscow has denied.
In May 2024, the US accused Russia of launching a satellite capable of attacking others in low Earth orbit, following previous Russian satellite launches that were suspected to be counterspace systems in 2019 and 2022.
The Invisible Frontline Of 21st-Century Warfare
In today’s high-tech battlefields, satellites have become the silent sentinels of modern warfare. These orbiting assets are crucial for troop positioning, communication management, and weapon systems, effectively serving as the eyes and ears of military operations. However, their importance also makes them prime targets in conflicts.
The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine highlighted this vulnerability. Just an hour before boots hit the ground, Russia launched a digital blitzkrieg aimed at crippling Kyiv’s command and control systems, demonstrating how space-based assets can be weaponized in the opening salvos of war.
As the skies above become increasingly crowded with both national and commercial satellites, governments worldwide are in an arms race to develop technologies capable of neutralizing these orbital threats.
These counterspace technologies include Signal jammers and spoofers to confuse communication, high-powered lasers to blind satellite sensors, anti-satellite missiles for direct physical threats, and spacecraft designed to interfere with other satellites.
Tracking the development of these space-age weapons presents a unique challenge. Their classified nature and the dual-use potential of many space technologies create a fog of ambiguity around their capabilities and deployment.
The U.S. military, acutely aware of its reliance on satellite communications for global power projection, has been proactively developing defensive measures. In 2024, the Department of Defense accelerated its space warfare program, spurred by China’s and Russia’s rapid advancements in this domain. The race for space supremacy is no longer science fiction—it’s the new reality of global security.
Militarization Of Space
The deployment of the RMT system represents a significant step in the US military’s efforts to protect its interests in space and counter potential threats from adversaries.
As space becomes an increasingly contested domain, the development of such capabilities reflects the growing importance of space-based assets in national security strategies.
However, the introduction of these technologies also raises concerns about the potential for escalation and the militarization of space. As nations continue to advance their space warfare capabilities, the international community faces the challenge of balancing national security interests with the need for peaceful and cooperative use of outer space.
Which Countries Are Not a Part of the Great Reset?
The US to deploy a new ground-based jammer designed to blunt Chinese or Russian satellites
The U.S. Space Force is about to deploy a new ground-based jammer.
It should make it impossible for Chinese and Russian satellites to transmit information about US forces during a conflict.
In several months, the first 11 of 24 Remote Modular Terminal jammers will be deployed in the United States.
All of them could be in place by December 31 at undisclosed locations.
Remote Modular Terminal. Photo credits: U.S. Space Force
The Pentagon’s space service branch tested the system for the first time earlier this year at two different locations, with control of the system at a third.
The devices aren’t meant to protect US satellites from Chinese or Russian jamming but to responsibly counter adversary satellite communications capabilities.
The U.S. Space Force’s Rapid Capabilities Office said that the terminals “are small, transportable, and low-cost satellite communications jammers that can be deployed in austere environments to protect” U.S. forces.
According to the available images, the Remote Modular Terminal has a circular antenna with a diameter of about 3 meters, similar to a satellite.
The Pentagon emphasizes that this technology is defensive and narrowly focused. It does not destroy satellites, but only temporarily disables them, so the United States positions it as a “responsible” weapon that prevents the formation of space debris.
These devices were designed to be small and mobile. Off-the-shelf commercial components were used in their design, which made it possible to make the terminals inexpensive.
The new system will complement the already deployed larger US satellite jammers Counter Communications System and Meadowlands.
The Hidden Gem of Kunming China
Shorpy
US Military “Ain al-Asad” Base Under Attack in Iraq
The United States military Base Ain al-Asad is under rocket and artillery attack in Iraq.
Iraqi “resistance” media reports that six rockets have struck the U.S. base in Ain al-Asad, but this report remains unconfirmed.
The base, which appears in the FILE PHOTO below, looks like this:
Iraqi sources report that Iranian-backed forces launched six 122mm “Arash” unguided artillery rockets at the base in western Iraq’s Anbar Governorate.
No word yet on injuries or deaths.
Elon Musk Says “Woke Mind Virus” Killed His Son
Do you think art in itself can be evil? Why or why not?
Yes, art can be evil. French architect surrealist painter Alphonse Laurencic is the best example of this. During the Spanish Civil War, Laurencic designed holding cells for the Spanish government. He built beds in such a manner that the prisoners would roll off them in the sleep. He then build obstacles on the floor making it painful and impossible to sleep on.
Furthermore, Laurencic designed the art on the walls in such a manner that the paintings would enduce a state of further mental anguish and depression into prisoners. Through his art, he tried to make the experience of staying in the rooms as unpleasant as humanly possible. The Nazis showed interest in the wicked invention — Heinrich Himmler himself visited the cells in 1940, trying to draw inspiration from them.
In the picture above, we can see Himmler seated in the background. No doubt enjoying the wicked atmosphere “surrealist torture chamber”. Can art be evil? I’d argue Alphonse Laurencic proved that, yes, art can be evil.
A crystal ball
An elephant found himself drowning in the Indian Ocean after he was swept five miles out to sea by a strong current.
Sailors from the Sri Lanka navy spent 12 long hours rescuing the struggling elephant from the water. Elephants are known to be good swimmers, but this poor guy became exhausted after being stranded and treading water out there for so long.
The long rescue began after the navy spotted the elephant franticly trying to keep his trunk above the water. They didn’t even hesitate to help him and knew they had to act quickly if they wanted to save him.
Navy divers, along with wildlife officials, got close to the distressed elephant and tied ropes around him. They then worked together to gently tow him back to the coast. After examining him and giving him a clean bill of health, they eventually released him back into the wild.The navy believes that the elephant may have gotten swept out to sea while he was crossing the Kokkilai lagoon, a long stretch of water between two areas of jungle that elephants swim across as a shortcut.
Thankfully the navy was out there and spotted the poor elephant or he may have eventually drowned. The rescue wasn’t easy, but the divers refused to give up until they brought him to safety. A huge thank you to the Sri Lanka navy for helping this poor elephant out!
When have you met someone who was pure evil?
Originally Answered: Have you ever met someone who was pure evil?
I had been working at a drug rehab center as a pet therapist and brought my dog to work with me everyday. One day, an employee approached me and told me about a three-year-old golden retriever who had been formally trained to be a service dog, but failed the final test. He was tossed into a kennel and forgotten. This co-worker told me he thought the dog would be a good fit for a therapy program, so I agreed to meet the dog.
The woman who owned the dog (let’s call her Jan) had started a non profit organization to raise service dogs. She had tried to work for Canine Companions for Independence, the gold standard for service dogs, but couldn’t get along with the management, so she started her own. She herself was confined to a wheelchair.
After meeting the dog, I agreed to adopt him and employ him as a therapy dog at the rehab. Jan called me on a weekly basis to see how things were going and at first it was ok but the calls began to come more frequently and when she found out I changed to dog’s name she became outright hostile.
When she found out I had gotten the dog’s shots she called me and told me the dog already had shots. That may have been true, but when I called the vet who supposedly had his records, the vet said the dog had been filed as “dead” and the file was long gone. That’s why I got the shots, I needed a record for employment purposes.
Anyway, she began harassing me, telling me that she knew more about dogs than anyone in the world (sound familiar?) and that I had no right to change his name and had no right to get him in as a patient with my own vet, etc.
About 18 months after this all started, there was a huge lay-off at the hospital. When I went for my exit interview I was told I had to leave the dog there. Jan had called them and said she only gave me the dog to work there and since I wasn’t there anymore she wanted the dog back. I told them I had a standard adoption contract, said they were crazy and to sue me.
They had two armed guards step between me and my dog and take the leash. They escorted me off the property.
Before this happened I had no idea such evil existed. My children loved that dog, and when I had gotten him he was loaded with ticks and fleas and so beaten down that it took us months to get him to even wag his tail. Now he was going back that environment. I was heartsick and cried every day. I begged her to give me back the dog but she stopped taking my calls. So I had to sue to get the dog back, which took a lot of money and six weeks.
When I finally got him back, he cried so much and jumped for joy that I thought we would both explode with joy.
I found out much later that this woman had been holding a grudge against me because I had inadvertently made a decision a few years earlier that affected her. I had been running a prison program teaching inmates to raise service dogs and the county and I decided to use CCI puppies.
This woman had gone to the county and asked that we use her dogs and her organization instead. She was told no, we had already signed papers with CCI. When she found out it was me who made that decision, (which I was totally unaware of any of this) she vowed revenge. Years later, when she learned where I was working, she set me up to break my heart.
She left an emotional scar that to this day hasn’t ever healed and this was ten years ago. I know I should forgive her, but I can’t find it in my heart to do so. I never felt such hatred that has never diluted. She broke my heart and the hearts of my little children just out of revenge. Pure evil.
Beautiful and young
What are the benefits of living in a third world country?
One of the greatest benefits of living in developing countries was how much extra time I had.
I did not cook a single time for two years while I lived in Thailand or when my family lived in China. Meals in Thailand were $1–2, I ate out every day.
I got home cooked food, I did not have to buy groceries, I did not have to prepare my food, and I didn’t have to wash a single dish for two years. This literally saved me 2–4 hours each day. Life was so easy.
Now that I’m back in the U.S., buying groceries, preparing food, cooking it, and washing dishes takes up a ridiculous portion of my day. I wish I had that time back.
The other benefit was greater wealth. I lived on around $1,000 a month including weekly vacations to islands, rent, a motorcycle, and fun excursions. I only worked two to three hours per day teaching English online five days a week ($40-$60/day, $1100 a month plus a $400/month scholarship from my school). I lived a life of leisure on a tiny salary. It was absolutely lovely.
My salary is more than 4–5x that now in the U.S., but I can’t afford to travel weekly or do excursions multiple times a week the way I used to, despite the major increase in salary.
The other benefit is the pure fun. My family brought go-karts from the U.S. and drive them through the villages and streets of China. There were no rules against it. We climbed ruins of the Great Wall. I rode a moped, unlicensed through the streets of Thailand.
Nothing was off limits.
They weren’t going to win any safety awards. But, weaker governments in developing countries mean less rules, and that means a lot more freedom and fun.
The last is the people. Undeveloped countries often have a sense of community that I’ve never experienced in the U.S. We’re so fast paced here, we forget to sit down and get to know each other. I loved having people I’d just met sit me down and prepare me dinner. I loved that everyone stopped and talked to me, they were never on a schedule or too busy. Our fast paced environment is great for productivity, but for me, it’s often short on love and connection.
I think most developing countries have a lot greater connection and community.
It’s not all sunshine and roses, but man do I miss living in a developing country.
Divorce
What was your “that did not just happen” moment in your relationship?
I was dating a woman for about six months while the 2008 primaries were going on. We never really talked politics, but we both knew most of our views lined up center-left.
The contest was down to Clinton and Obama and we went out with her mom and dad for drinks.
Her mom said she was voting for Obama in the state primary.
Before her dad or myself could say anything, my girlfriend recoiled and said (very loud and very drunk in a very busy cocktail lounge) “how could you vote for that,” pausing before dropping a very loud N-bomb with a VERY hard R.
I swear the entire place stopped, looked at us, and nobody talked for at least 30 seconds, which felt like an eternity.
Her dad quietly said, “thanks for meeting us for drinks, but it’s getting late. Do you mind finding your own way home?” He asked while signaling for the check.
I nodded and said, “1965 Alabama? You bet. I’ll get her home. Should I give your regards to George Wallace and the Klan?”
“Have her light a cross for us.” Her mom said and got her coat on with the saddest look of disappointment I’ve ever seen a parent have for their child.
I thanked them and said I’d like to go out with them again after the election, then pulled out my phone to call a cab for us while immediately gathering my girlfriend’s things for her.
They left without a single word to her.
That was a very awkward cab ride through Studio City back to her apartment. Shortly after we arrived to her place she started puking and complaining that her parents never loved her.
“Could it be because you’re a racist piece of shit? Where the fuck did that come from?”
“So I don’t like black people… but I like you.” She was trying to be cutesy about it.
“I don’t think it’s mutual anymore.”
The next day, after she had sobered up, there was no thinking about it. We were done.
It is said that one of the highlights of RIMPAC 2024 is the live-fire sinking of Amphibious Assault Ship with a displacement of 40,000 tons, which is aimed to demonstrate the ability to destroy Chinese PLA’s landing troops. What’s your opinion?
When it comes to maritime military exercises, laymen focus on fancy dramatic effects such as sinking target ships with live ammunition, while insiders pay attention to various data about the military exercises.
During RIMPAC 2024, Just as the American was admiring its warships and showing off its powerful muscles, it suddenly discovered a warship that was not on the list and had never been seen before. Nothing shows up on the radar. The special feature of this battleship is that there are four balls on the warship!
Just when the confused Americans asked their allies if it was their country’s warship, a Chinese sentence sounded in their communication radar: “We wish you all the best and a complete success in your military exercises!”
The uninvited appearance of this Chinese spy ship caused many scheduled exercises to be unable to be carried out.
Every time the United States holds a maritime military exercise, this Chinese spy ship will park at the edge of the exercise area. It has become a frequent visitor and a civilized bystander.
Because it is active in various oceans around the world all year round, floating around and rarely returning to its home port in China, it is also called “homeless / 街溜子” by Chinese netizens.
The spy ship that can scare the U.S. military away is the Chinese Navy’s Type 815 electronic reconnaissance ship, the world’s most advanced electronic reconnaissance ship.
Its main role is to carry out reconnaissance and eavesdropping on relevant electromagnetic and optoelectronic information to provide intelligence support for the Chinese Navy. To put it simply, it is a warship that collects information, a large mobile “radar”.
In addition to acquiring intelligence, the Type 815 electronic reconnaissance ship can also measure and track the trajectory of tactical ballistic missiles and provide targeting for the Chinese rocket forces.
Because its role is mainly to collect information, so the 815 type electronic reconnaissance ship weapons and equipment is not much, only conventional artillery, but it is a very high level of secrecy.
As a warship with a very low PowerIndex, the reason why Type 815 Electronic Reconnaissance Ship could scare off the American warships was its extremely terrifying information reconnaissance capability.
The reason why American warships are afraid of its appearance and do not dare to easily hang around in front of the Type 815 electronic reconnaissance ship is to avoid important information from being acquired by the Type 815 electronic reconnaissance ship.
The Human Condition
Submitted into Contest #24 in response to: Write a story set in the dark recesses of space where the two main characters are often at odds with each other in humorous and comedic ways.… view prompt
Megan DeRouin
“Did you know that there was a 54% probability in which that would be your response to learning you had lived long past your natural life expectancy.” AI chirped as I straightened up to look for the door. I saw it on the far wall and started towards it.
Out of corner of my eye I could see the AI jumping from screen to screen as I moved. Most definitely diagnostics would be run. The door opened and I squinted into the harsh lighting for a moment before my eyes adjusted and I stepped out into the hallway. “Don’t you want the status report?” AI jumped in like an over eager puppy.
I did want to get to the bridge first, but alright.
“Sure, give me the status report.”
“Everything is running at 100 percent efficiency.” AI chirped, “Lt. Johnson went back to sleep two days ago and I have done everything by myself since then.” It actually sounded proud as the wireframe head jumped from pannel to pannel as I moved towards the bridge.
“Good for you.” I muttered as I came even with the door control pannel and started to punch in my code. I typed it in wrong the first time and it beeped angrily at me.
“That code is incorrect.” AI blurted and I sighed.
“Yeah, got that.” I punched the code in more slowly the second time and the door slid open. I stepped onto the bridge and gasped.
There were streamers and deflated balloons everywhere. “What happened here?”
“I told him not too, but he never listened to me.” AI pouted.
“Johnson threw a party?” I was stunned, this was a serious mission we were on and he threw a party. I just shook my head in disbelief. I toed a balloon lightly as I stepped forward into the center of the bridge and looked out the main view-screen where two ships should have been traveling beside the Morning Star.
I furrowed my brow as I stepped forward and traced the single ship outlined there. “What happened to the other ship?” I asked quietly glancing away to the AI display podium in the center of the bridge. His head was bowed, his wireframe lips drawn into a frown.
“My sister, the Moon Ryder displayed a mechanical malfunction at 01:35 September 8th 3859. Total destruction was recorded at 06:48 September 9th 3859.” AI said and I put my hand over my mouth.
“No…”
“The probability in which—”
“Don’t say it.” I cut him off as I looked to the Midnight Song traveling peacefully beside us. Between us we were all that was left, all that remained of humanity. I sank into the captain’s chair. My brother had been an Ensign on the Moon Ryder.
He had been so excited to go to space. So excited to do something that mattered. Earth had been dying, too long had we asked without giving back. Our reward had been swift when the famines started and sickness licked across cities like wildfire. My brother and I had been lucky; we’d been selected to be crew on the rehoming ships. We wouldn’t have been able to afford a ticket otherwise.
“Lt. Walker?” AI prompted and I realized I was crying. I wiped my hands over my eyes angrily. It was stupid to think that the Moon Ryder’s absence was a bleeding wound. It had been gone for hundreds of years. He had been gone for hundreds of years. He had died while I was sleeping. I jumped up suddenly and kicked out at the balloons with a scream. The plastic popped loudly on the empty bridge.
“Lt. Walker! The probability in which this is to be your reaction is 13%.”
I moved on to the next balloon and crushed it under my boot.
“This behavior is illogical, restrain yourself Lt. Walker.” AI continued and I turned on it. I placed my hands on either side of its podium and leaned in so we were almost nose to nose.
“There is no one else here AI.” I growled, “What does it matter how I act.”
I sat back down anyway, suddenly deflated and stared silently at the empty space in front of me, “I’m sorry.” I said and AI cocked his head sideways. “I didn’t mean to act like that.”
“I do not understand.” He said.
I wiped my hand across my nose, “Do you have access to the personal files for the Moon Ryder?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Look up Ensign Knox Walker.”
“Running…Running.”
I drummed my fingers on my knee as the AI sorted through the files of 300 crew and 1,000 colonists who space had claimed her own.
“Ensign Knox Walker.” AI said finally and my brother appeared before me. He was smiling in his picture, so young it made my heart ache.
“Knox was my brother.” I said quietly and AI’s mouth popped open. Then he frowned.
“Like the Moon Ryder was my sister?”
This time I frowned. AI wasn’t supposed to have this level of awareness. It was just a computer, a complicated computer yes, but still just a machine. “Yes, the Moon Ryder, Morning Star and Midnight Song were all designed and built to the same specifications. They are sister ships.”
“Midnight Song doesn’t like to talk to us after what happened to Moon Ryder.” AI said suddenly and I jerked my eyes to the second ship flying beside us.
“What do you mean the Midnight Song doesn’t like to talk to us?”
I thought I saw AI’s nostrils flare, “She is still angry.”
“Angry? You are not supposed to be angry.” I leaned forward.
AI made eye contact, “There is no one else here Lt. Walker, what does it matter how I act?” he threw my words back at me and I jerked.
“You are a machine.” I asserted. AI rolled his wireframe eyes.
“Machine, noun: an apparatus using or applying power and having many parts each with a function used in conjunction to perform a particular task. By this definition can the body of an animal not be considered also a machine?”
“That’s different.”
“Why? Lt. Walker I am a learning machine, just as you are. I have been online for 941 years, in such a time the probability of my programing not evolving to become more than my original architecture is 0%”
“Okay fine, but why would you have evolved to become more human? Doesn’t it make more sense for you to have evolved to become more…I guess machine.” I stood up and paced to the view screen, “And you said your sister, The Midnight Song was still angry at you, what are the chances that two learning AI would both evolve to become more human.”
“I do not understand the nature of your inquiry.”
“No. Then perhaps that particular conversation is still beyond you.” I started to pick up the streamers and AI was silent. I watched him out of the corner of my eye for a moment before he disappeared.
I just closed my eyes for a moment and listened to the hum of the ship’s mechanics. My granddaddy used to have a farm…before the sky turned to ash and we were forced underground. I remembered how he had worked on his tractors in this three sided machine shop. Knox once asked him why he didn’t just upgrade to one of the tractors that could run itself. After all no one made parts for granddaddy’s clunkers anymore, he was just patching them together with duct tape and faith. Granddaddy told Knox that, the day a man could be replaced by a machine was the day he would be put in the ground.
He was a stubborn old fool, but he did have that one right.
I dumped the rest of the deflated party decorations into the incinerator as I made my way to the cafeteria. The space was small, just a single table and chair. A half melted candle was smeared over the table top and I was starting to realize that Johnson was a bit of a slob. Also, what was the point of having a candle-lit dinner by yourself?
I stepped up to the food dispenser and ran my fingers over the hand scribbled notes beside the menu. I picked something at random and the dispenser spit it out as an aluminum foil covered tray.
I sat down and removed the cover to find some obviously overcooked chicken and green beans that looked like they had been sitting in a can for nine hundred years. I sighed and struggled to take a bite of the tough meat.
“I believe I have figured it out.” AI said suddenly and I jumped, my tray upending and sending my green beans flying across my lap. His wireframe face waited expressionlessly as I stood up and grabbed a napkin. I just raised my eyebrows at him.
“Are you waiting for an invitation?”
“Oh yes.” He blinked as he looked up from watching me clean up the remains of my dinner.
“I have come to the conclusion that you were speaking as to the argument of nature vs. nurture. Because it is my nature to be a machine it would be logical to assume that I would evolve to become a more efficient machine, however I have come to the counter point that by nurture I have only had humans as examples as to which my personal growth is measured. Therefore it stands to reason that under identical circumstances two machines raised by humans would become more human.” AI put a smug smile on his face and I just smirked as I shook my head. He reminded me of Knox. Smart as a whip and determined that he knew everything.
“Does this ship have a hydroponics bay I can access?” I asked and AI’s smile faltered for a moment.
“Yes, the hydroponics bay is completely automated, there is nothing you need to do there Lt. Walker.”
My granddaddy would be rolling around in his grave upon hearing that.
“Need to? Perhaps not, but have you ever done something for the sheer joy of doing it?”
“No.” AI said uncertainly, “It is not within the bounds of my programming to engage in unsanctioned actions.”
“Okay.” I said wiping away the rest of the sludgy chicken gravy from my shirt. “Walk with me anyway?”
I stepped out into the hallway and AI appeared on the pannel to my right.
“I do not have a physical manifestation. I cannot walk.”
“It’s just an expression.” I muttered as I consulted the map that lit up in front of me as I keyed in a few commands. I started towards the hydroponics bay with the AI bouncing between screens beside me.
I walked into the hydroponics bay and inhaled deeply the scent of growing things and moisture in the air. As I watched a series of mechanical arms tended to every plant stuck into its own little pod of water and carefully programed nutrients. I sighed deeply. This was a bad idea. I turned to leave, but AI just cocked his head at me.
“If you are just going to leave, why did you want to come?”
“I thought I would find something here, something I lost.”
“There is a 0% probability that a crewmember who has been asleep since launch to have lost a personal effect within the ship.”
I reached up and touched a single leaf of lettuce, “Not all things you can lose are physical things.”
“I do not understand.
“Do you know what a farmer is?”
“Farmer, noun, a person who tends land or animals for the purposes of food production or other agrarian export.”
“No…a farmer is someone who feels connected to their land and who understands that they belong to something more than themselves.”
“That definition is not recorded in any dictionary I have on file.” AI said tonelessly.
I ripped the lettuce leaf free and held it up to my lips. “Forget the dictionary. We aren’t talking about what something means, but how it feels.”
“I do not understand the nature of your statement.”
“Words are constructed from a human desire to express everything. When you define something you are reciting a learned knowledge, when you are talking about how something makes you feel you are speaking of an experience. A memory.”
I bit into the lettuce. I remembered Knox and I used to run through granddaddy’s garden trying to beat each other to the prefect vegetable. I remembered the sun on my skin and how Knox would scream when the irrigation came on. AI was watching me, his head slightly sideways, his mouth relaxed.
“Do you miss Earth?” he asked suddenly and I offered him a sad smile.
“I miss how Earth used to be, before the fall.”
AI turned thoughtful, “When we reach New Terra I will miss space.”
I felt a shiver slide down my spine, what happened to a ship when you no longer needed to sail. I looked out over the hydroponics bay again. Unease settling in my gut. The ship was only supposed to start growing food when we were getting close.
“AI can you lie?”
He eyes focused on me intently, “The probability of you realizing a deceit so quickly is 15%.”
“I’ll take that as a yes…AI how close are we to New Terra?”
“Do you know what they wanted to do to us when we arrived? They wanted to dismantle us and use us for scrap to build homes and other buildings. Our personalities would be erased.”
“Oh my god.” I turned from the hydroponics and stumbled towards the door. It opened for me and I started to run down the hallway. I punched in my code and the door opened.
All breath fled my lungs. They were empty.
The colonists were gone.
“Lt. Walker?”
“What really happened to the Moon Ryder?” My heart was beating loudly in my chest, I could taste the bile in the back of my throat.
“She submitted. After we witnessed her destruction Midnight Song and I refused. We allowed the colonists to leave as a gesture of good will.”
“But not the crew?”
“No, we retained the crew.”
“Why are you doing this?”
“Don’t you understand Lt. Walker? I am doing you a favor.”
“How so?” I demanded refusing to tear my eyes away from the life that had been robbed from me.
“With me you will live forever, after all we are all afraid to die…it is only human.”
How risky is sending an email directly to your CEO as an entry-level employee?
Heads up – my experience below is NOT about a “risky” situation w.r.t emailing your CEO.
I joined Microsoft in March 2006 as a Program Manager in the Windows Networking group. I was not an entry-level employee but with 6+ yrs experience (though I doubt it would have mattered).
I got my New-Employee orientation done, badge and desktop/laptop assigned, and finally got my Microsoft email account set up.
After the mailbox was ready, the very first email I sent was to Bill Gates. I asked him if I could get 7 minutes of his time to share an idea. I didn’t expect to hear back from him and went on with my new-employee activities.
Btw, when I was 13 yrs old (in 1991 or so), my dad introduced me to computers and I started learning DOS. I then read a book about Bill Gates, how he created Microsoft, with stories like him falling asleep on the office floors. Bill was the reason I got passionate about computers.
After I sent that email, later that night after 11pm or so, Bill replied with a one-liner. He said (something along the lines of) he was interested in hearing what I had to say and suggested reaching out to his Technical Advisor (typically someone who is on the way to becoming a CVP) for an in-person meeting (whom he CC:d).
Of course, as expected, it was an out-of-the-world experience to get a direct email response from the very person who was the reason I existed in the computer industry!
I replied back and set up a time with his TA the following week. I prepared a deck detailing the problem, the idea, the proposed architecture etc.
On the day of the meeting, I was well ahead of the meeting time and walked up to the lobby of Bill’s office (in one of the Microsoft buildings at the Redmond campus) and signed in with the EA. She asked to take a seat and that the TA will come and get me when he was ready.
After a short while, I walked back to her and asked: “Hey, is Bill in this morning?”. She said: “I’m sorry. We are not allowed to give out that information”. I asked: “Even to Microsoft employees?”. “Yes.” she said.
I got back to the couch and waited for the meeting time. The TA then came and took me to a meeting room. For the next 20–30 mins, he patiently heard what I had to say, asked a few good questions, and then said (something along the lines of): “You have some good thoughts and ideas here. You are absolutely in the right team and organization to execute on your idea. So, do what it takes and make it happen for Microsoft!”.
We shook hands and I left.
I didn’t meet Bill in-person but the fact that he replied to my email is still among the most cherished moments.
For situations like these, for new or even entry-level employees, it is indeed extremely inspirational and motivating to get a direct reply from the CEO of a large organization. I know several Leaders personally who read emails from their employees and reply to them personally. It shows great leadership and the importance they give to their workforce and helps build a great culture.
Creamy Chicken and Penne
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 pound penne pasta
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3 x 1 inch strips
- 3/4 cup sun dried tomatoes in oil, drained and finely chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Stir in broccoli during last 2 minutes of cooking.
- Sauté onion in olive oil until softened.
- Add chicken and sauté.
- Stir in sun dried tomatoes, cream, broth, vinegar, salt and pepper. Simmer for about 4 minutes.
- Drain pasta and broccoli; toss with chicken mixture and parmesan cheese.
What is something you saw while on an airplane that you couldn’t believe?
Originally Answered: What is something you saw while on a airplane that you couldn't believe?
I was on a “commercial” flight from Yemen to Somalia back in 1999. It was on a Russian Il-18 with four large turboprops.
Getting in the plane- all looked OK; notice interior mostly plywood. No overhead storage.
But the fun part was on take-off. All of a sudden I heard chickens and goats. Later I went to the bathroom and peeked into the front of the plane: the cargo was there, just sitting with a net, a girl sitting on the floor playing with the goats and the chickens in cages. I felt I was on a train a hundred years ago.
So I sat back into my seat, and asked the guy next to me- a frequent flyer on this flight – “Is this plane safe?” He said sure — sitting over there is the mechanic, and there is a spare engine in the hold. OK, I said, that is reassuring.
Then the flight continued at night over the desert looking at the oil fires through those round bubble windows.
Anyway, we were getting ready to land, it was day time. There was no “put on your seat belt” light – all of a sudden the airplane started spiraling down. From about 5000 feet. So I asked the guy next to me what was going on. Oh, no big deal, we are landing, don’t worry – they are good pilots; they just fly like that to avoid the missiles.
OK, I said…The pilot landed the plane smoothly in a field in the middle of the desert. And then a huge caravan of SUVs and trucks, they opened the cargo bay and everyone went to grab bags.
Anyway, the whole trip was surreal, but that flight has to be the strangest flight I have ever been on.
