When I was a young boy, a 1960s kid, we ate a lot of candy. My parents would give us a dollar and we would go to the local candy store, or general merchants store and buy up a bag of candy. And it was often a lot of candy.
Something that I would NEVER do today with my kids.
But it was a different time; a different culture, and a different attitude. And back in those days, candy was a treat to get the “kids out of your hair” so you can be left alone to think. Don’t you know.
There were all sorts of candy that we would eat. Maybe some of you remember these things, from chewing gum cigarettes, to wax lips, to malted milk balls. If it was sweet we devoured it. No kidding.
Do you all remember any of these?
Now you know why marijuana cigarettes were referred to as “Mary Jane’s”. Ah because that is where they were hidden, in a Mary Jane box.
Today…
DEFENDING Men Who Don’t Want Promiscuous Women – HOT DEBATE
No Hard Feelings
Submitted into Contest #62 in response to: Write about a character preparing to go into stasis for decades (or centuries).… view prompt
A.Dot Ram
But that was part of the preparation, wasn’t it? Winston thought. They had to disentangle themselves, somehow undoing seven years’ worth of life that had knotted them together. Let it all unravel, or else how could she possibly leave? If she had shown some remorse, some regret about leaving him, Winston may never have let her enter that freezing chamber. He might never have let go of her hand.
“Would you like some time alone, Mr. Solis?”
Winston looked up from the blur of words to find Caroline watching him, concern subduing her features into a soothing stillness. She was Hazia’s agent—the one who had arranged it all, to whom Hazia had entrusted this final letter, and who was now contractually designated as her case manager. She was young, he noted. Maybe even younger than Hazia. It was very plausible she would be here in another thirty years. Winston took some comfort in the logical detour that Caroline’s presence afforded.
“No, that’s not necessary,” Winston said, and found that he was able to face those words on the page as Caroline spun in her chair to face her computer screen. He could hear Hazia’s voice, more measured now than it had been in their arguments. He could almost see her shoulders shudder in a sigh as she sat down to write, pouring all of her feelings into fast strokes of her wrist across a page.
I haven’t been able to make you understand so far. I know I failed in person. I saw that mixture of disdain and regret clouding your face when you’d ask every day, “Why on earth would you want to go through with this scam?”
I’ll give it one more shot, here in writing. I promise I’ve given this serious thought. Here, without further ado, are the reasons I’m freezing myself:
Because I’ve always been a fan of cryonic freezing plots. Think about it: Futurama, Idiocracy, Austin Powers—all of our favorites. There’s the comedy element, yes. A person bumping up awkwardly against the conventions of a new world they don’t understand yet. Imagine me, stepping out onto the street, my eyes nearly blinded by seeing the sun for the first time in decades, and I walk out in my thirty-year-old jeans that are probably cool again, but maybe my color palette is off—I’m wearing muted whites and grays and it turns out the 2050s are all about saturated azure and salmon. I look like a faded old photograph as I walk out into a world that resembles some postmodern adobe mission. Almost immediately I walk in front of a golden hover bus that has to make an abrupt lurch upward to avoid crushing my head. It’s pure slapstick. But that’s all surface treatment. Think deeper. Has it ever not worked out for the heroes of these plots? Never. They absorb, in a short span, the great advances that would have seeped slowly and thus invisibly into their lives over the years. But to me they’re not invisible. All of the innovations and absurdities stand out as my mind stretches to absorb them. These time travelers see the world clearly for what it’s become. What a vantage point for an artist! I plan to leverage it into my breakout achievements. I plan to have breakout achievements! Maybe all I need is a different perspective.
Because the world is falling to pieces and I don’t care to be around when it hits the ground and shatters. Sign me up for the aftermath. I’m an optimist. I believe that in a few decades, humanity will have put the world back together. The order of things will be a little jumbled. Maybe so jumbled I can’t tell if it’s a utopia or a dystopia, and maybe the cracks from the broken places will still be visible. Maybe they’ll be filled with gold. You know that Japanese art where they emphasize scars by highlighting them in gold? I’m Googling it right now. Kintsugi. Maybe that’s how the world will turn out thirty years from now—museums dedicated to antiquated things like racism and poverty and wage slavery, honoring the things that grandparents suffered and overcame. They’re these architectural wonders, all swooping lines and skylights and marble and travertine. Maybe you’ve helped design one! And maybe I can be a docent there. Maybe they’ll invite me to give talks in the gallery on Saturday mornings—the woman who waited tables back in the days when people cooked and ate dead food, together in these things called restaurants.
3D-printed food. Need I say more? Right now they’re 3D printing guns and human capillaries. I believe in a few decades we’ll have 3D printers that cough out sustainable, environmentally responsible steak right onto our biodegradable bamboo plates. Or maybe our plates are made from pieces of the floating Pacific garbage island; we’ve found a productive way to clean it up. Like I said, I’m an optimist. I believe that either we won’t have to cook food and do dishes, or else the robots will do it for us, and I am here for it. It’s the great equalizer.
Because I never thought I’d win. I was one of a thousand writers who applied for the honor of being frozen, and writing and publishing their story upon reanimation. You certainly never thought I had a chance. But no hard feelings. That’s what I ultimately wanted to say. I know we both said some heartfelt things before I left. Can we put that behind us?
Winston, you’ll be nearly 65 when I thaw out if everything goes according to plan. That would give us enough time for a sweet dystopian romance, especially with future medical advances. I’m not looking forward to my bathroom mirror telling me how long to brush my teeth, but if all this stuff keeps you in good shape while I’m gone, I suppose I’ll tolerate the chiding, almost-human voice that encourages me to “go another thirty seconds and don’t forget to floss…”
But our dystopian romance—that’s an under-exploited sub genre that I’m open to exploring with you. Maybe you’ll meet me at the DMV when I go to reactivate my license (there’s a place I foresee withstanding the ravages of time!) and we fall in love all over again as the musty vinyl smell of bureaucracy hangs in our hair. Is that dystopian enough? But this room with its tile floors and black stanchions and a dozen bored people sitting around in plastic chairs, sniffing from the decades of dust collected in the upholstered privacy dividers and the now-unfamiliar smell of paper—this microcosm of staunch gloom is our utopia.
I trace my still-nimble finger over the wrinkles that these thirty years have carved into your face, and marvel that I can still see you in your teeth and the lips that curl over them, thinner than before, but still yours. The sparkle in your eyes is a little duller, but you’re still looking at me like you used to—not lately so much, but before, early on, when I was still a magical creature to you—that look rekindled by all those years of absence. Maybe that’s enough to make it all worthwhile.
So those twelve bored people—at least those who aren’t lost in their VR goggles (I wonder if that leaves anyone?) get a show until the person at the counter clears her throat and calls number 19 a little louder, and I become a legal person again and we step hand-in-hand into the gray sky outside.
“The sun is getting brighter every year,” you tell me. “We’ve really made a lot of progress on the greenhouse layer. Some days you can see some blue.”
And we get inside your electric hover car and glide the familiar-but-wow-the-retail-signs-are-all-so-different and wow-look-at-all-the-trees-they-planted route to our home.
Or maybe not. Maybe the DMV is full of strangers, and I check into a hotel room and look up the thing that’s replaced the thing that’s replaced Facebook—some new window for gazing at other people like creatures in a terrarium, and I hope it’s immersive and lets you smell what they’re cooking for dinner—and I find pictures of your kid graduating college. There’s a hologram of a girl throwing her cap in the air, and she has your teeth and your eyes.
You’ve moved on and found something to make your last thirty years meaningful. Why wouldn’t you? I was frozen, and we’d been basically frozen for a long time before that. So you’ve moved on, but had the decency to maintain a tastefully informative public profile. I look at the date on your latest hologram and notice that it was posted this morning. I wonder if you were thinking of me, of this letter, of this date. But of course it’s about 31 years too late for us.
I figure out the new equivalent of a “like” and leave a tiny digital fingerprint on your life. I’m here, I announce. I see. No hard feelings. And that’s the end of us.
I don’t know which way it will go. That’s entirely up to you now. Probably none of the above. Now that I’ve written it down it’s become fiction, and truth is always stranger anyway.
I’m sure I’ll be wondering about it as the liquid nitrogen wafts in a fog around me and the glycerin joins the blood in my veins. And that’s probably the final reason I’m freezing myself: the wondering. I have not felt wonder in our world for a long time. It was all so predictable—I could just look at a customer and tell you what they were going to order or how well they would tip. You were predictable, with your 9-5 and bedtime and endless, infectious cynicism.
I could have taken a different risk—gotten pregnant or chopped my hair off. There were other ways to avoid the slow suffocation of my creative spirit. But this opportunity came along and stirred me in a way that felt important. I have the chance to be important, my voice amplified by thirty years of silence.
Be happy for me, darling Winston, and let me write my story.
Love Always,
Best-Selling Author Hazia Adam
Winston sat blinking as he took in the last of her message. He took a deep breath and looked up.
“It must be such a shock. Let me know if there’s anything I can do,” Caroline assured him.
He did.
***
For Hazia, thirty years went by in the space of a good night’s sleep. Winston didn’t know whether it was cold and still like an icy planet orbiting the outer ring of its solar system, or whether strange dreams floated through her head—a thirty-year-long fall, an ocean chasing her thirty feet up a steep cliff, a library with 30,000 volumes she had to sort through in the surrounding quiet. But he wondered.
He wondered when he and Caroline hiked to the top of the mountain and they had that perfect view of the forest below, a cool mist rolling over the dense treetops in a way that sent a chill down his spine. He wondered when their daughter was born. Not in that initial moment when his arms received her for the first time and he marveled at her tiny, flat nose, so impossibly tiny and perfect, but later on, when he held her in the dark and quiet, and the slideshow of her potential life rolled through his mind—first steps, a red tricycle, unicorn birthday cakes, a mouth with gaping holes that grown-up teeth would grow to fill, soccer games and talent shows, building tiny model cities together, and then watching her walk away down an aisle in a cap and gown with Caroline’s eyes and his teeth. In that moment he felt like Hazia had written this perfect creature into existence, a final gift to him.
He wondered about Hazia when he went to the DMV to register his new electric car, even though it was not a hover car. He wondered about her while he watched a gray squirrel digging ferociously in the leaf-strewn ground. Wasn’t it also preparing for a long sleep, hiding seeds to fuel its torpor? Only, Hazia was not the squirrel. That was the publishing company, spreading its investments across hundreds of hiding places to hedge an uncertain future. No, Hazia was the nut, stashed away in the frozen soil, waiting for the chance to sprout.
He wondered about her when he bought his first iPhone-compatible smart toilet, and when pieces of their world fell away. It didn’t happen as Hazia had imagined, as the sudden shattering of a precious vase. It was more like the slow decay of grout crumbling between tiles. The world was, at most times, completely recognizable. There were no travertine gems memorializing poverty. Winston wondered how her optimism would fare as she took the dirty white bus that still drove on the ground.
It was this thought that almost convinced Winston to accompany Caroline to the cryo storage facility on the date where the gold hologram star had hovered for years and years, always out of reach until now. It would be a big adjustment. She would need a friend.
Winston read his yellowing letter for the ninth time as he thought and thought about it. She was coming back in search of a story. What if he was the character that would drag her new story down?
She would have Caroline, after all. Caroline would be warm and kind as she set Hazia up with her new computer and a temporary lease. And Hazia would, of course, still be herself—the very same 32-year-old, waking up with her zeal and optimism and untamable black curls that he didn’t fully trust himself not to reach out and touch.
He skimmed one thick finger over the faded cursive, and it struck Winston that perhaps he was the only one left to remember that Hazia always began drafting her thoughts on paper. Even thirty years ago, it was a bit eccentric to do one’s writing with their hand, not their fingers.
Winston didn’t need to be her tour guide in the new world, but he could give her a compass.
“No,” he told Caroline that morning as she sipped her coffee across from him at the table. “I’m staying home. Let me know how it goes.” He paused as the food printer dripped hot coffee into his own cup, then slid a large manila envelope toward his wife. “Will you give this to her?”
Winston pictured Hazia tearing into the envelope, pulling out the spiral bound notebook, feeling its pages travel between her fingers, rustling like tiny wings. She would find her paperback novel, the curled grocery receipt saving the same spot it had marked since the nightstand. And his letter. With a familiar ache in his ribs, Winston imagined her thawing for the second time that day as she read his three words: No hard feelings.
What happens if you have a heart attack and don’t go to the hospital?
After riding a roller coaster with my dad in 1997 he said “I think I had a heart attack.” We laughed it off, and he was fine that day. Four years later he was having neck pain after working outside in the evening. My mom called 911, they did and EKG, it was normal and left. A few minutes later he starts to feel worse. My mom calls 911 again and paramedics from a different fire station show up (they lived between 2). They did the EKG, it was normal, but said nope we should take him in. When my mom arrived at the hospital (she did not follow the ambulance) they took her into the DOA room. Thankfully he was not DOA, but he almost was. They had to stop the ambulance on the way there in order to shock him as his heart had stopped. Testing performed after that showed that he had, in fact, had a “silent” heart attack during the past 5 years. I don’t know that going to the hospital the first time would have mattered, but he would be dead if he had not gone the second time. He is still alive today, battling cancer, but having lived longer than any of his immediate family members.
Chili Bowls
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 16 ounces frozen bread dough
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 3 cups favorite chili
- 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, grated
- 1/4 cup onions, chopped
- Garlic powder and Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Thaw the bread dough until it is pliable. Cut the dough crosswise into 4 pieces. With lightly floured hands, shape each dough piece into a ball. Place balls 3 inches apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Brush balls with melted butter. Let bowls rise in a warm place until tripled in size.
- Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.
- Remove from cookie sheet immediately and allow to cool on rack.
- To make chili bowls, slice off tops of loaves and hollow by pinching bread out with fingers. Brush cut side of tops with melted butter and sprinkle with garlic powder and Parmesan cheese.
- Toast bowls and tops by placing in the oven or under the broiler.
- Fill with hot chili and top with grated cheese and onions.
Notes
For smaller bowls, cut dough into 6 pieces.
The Pacific – MG Basilone
Is This The Secret Reason Why Long-Range Missiles Have Been Fired Deep Into Russian Territory?
by Michael
When it comes to the world of geopolitics, there is always far more going on than meets the eye. The long-range missiles that Ukraine is now firing deep into Russian territory are not going to change the course of the war. But the Russian response to those long-range missiles might. Hopefully the Russians will show restraint, because they may not even realize that they are being led into a trap.
Just two days after Joe Biden gave the green light, Ukraine fired six ATACMS missiles deep into Russian territory on Tuesday…
Ukraine hit a Russian weapons arsenal with US-made ATACMS missiles that it fired across the border for the first time, according to two US officials, in a major escalation on the 1,000th day of war.
The attack comes just two days after the Biden administration gave Kyiv the green light to use the longer-range American weapons against targets inside Russia.
The Russians possess the most sophisticated anti-missile systems on the entire planet by a wide margin, and they were able to shoot down five of the missiles and damage the sixth before it reached the target…
At 3:25 a.m. local time (7:25 p.m. ET) Tuesday, Ukraine fired six ballistic missiles at a facility in Bryansk, Russia’s Defense Ministry said. It said that American-made ATACMS missiles had been used in the attack.
Russian air defenses said they shot down five of the missiles and another was damaged. Fragments from the damaged missile fell on the territory of a military facility, causing a fire that has since been extinguished. There were no casualties or damage.
Since there were no casualties and no damage, the Russians will hopefully not feel a need to respond to this particular strike.
But what is going to happen next time?
And how will they respond when Russian cities start getting targeted?
Following the attack, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov pointed out that the Ukrainians cannot operate these high-tech missile systems without U.S. assistance…
Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, responded to the attack, accusing the West of wanting to escalate the conflict.
“The fact that ATACMS were used repeatedly tonight in the Bryansk region is, of course, a signal that they [in the West] want escalation. And without the Americans, it is impossible to use these high-tech missiles,” Lavrov said at a news conference at the G20 summit, according to comments reported by Tass and translated by Google.
To the Russians, when ATACMS missiles are fired into their territory it is a joint attack by Ukraine and the United States.
And we are being warned that the Russians could use nuclear weapons in response.
On Tuesday, Vladimir Putin signed a document which updates Russia’s official nuclear doctrine…
The Kremlin has repeatedly warned the West against allowing Ukraine to use its long-range weapons to attack Russia directly. Moscow upped the ante Tuesday as Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree approving its updated nuclear doctrine, shifting the parameters on when Russia can use nuclear weapons.
The timing of this signing was meant to be a signal.
According to this document, Russia reserves the right to use nuclear weapons if there is a missile attack “by any non-nuclear state with the participation or support of a nuclear state”…
“You will be able to read the paragraphs yourself, but in general it also states that the Russian Federation reserves the right to use nuclear weapons in the event of aggression with the use of conventional weapons against it or the Republic of Belarus, which creates a critical threat to sovereignty or territorial integrity,” Peskov told reporters.
“Aggression against the Russian Federation by any non-nuclear state with the participation or support of a nuclear state is considered a joint attack.”
That is clearly directed at us.
The Russians are trying to warn us that we are dangerously close to starting a nuclear war.
One Russian military official is even suggesting that the UK could be the first target…
Andrey Gurulev, reservist Russian army general, MP and pro-Putin TV propagandist, warned of a full-scale nuclear strike on Britain.
“There are individual targets that can be hit with….demonstrative warning strikes,” he said.
“The first candidate to get a nuclear bludgeon….is the UK.”
I disagree.
If the Russians decide to use nuclear weapons, Ukraine will likely be the first target.
If Russians cities get hit by long-range missiles, the Russians would be very tempted to respond by hitting Ukraine with a tactical nuke.
Of course the Biden administration has already strongly hinted that if the Russians use tactical nukes in Ukraine we will respond by using tactical nukes in Ukraine too.
That would mean a full-blown war between the United States and Russia, and that is precisely what the Ukrainians want, because that gives them the best chance of actually winning the conflict.
And could that be exactly what the global elite are wishing for too?
When he heard that Ukraine had been given the green light to launch long-range missiles into Russia, Alex Soros was absolutely thrilled…
The Economist has just published their outlook for 2025, and they appear to think that the war in Ukraine will be a major theme during the coming year.
What screams “I can fight”?
I was sitting in a bar, with a kind of bad rep, having a beer with a couple of guys from work. Across the room are 3 guys standing at the bar. One them is big, about 6′4″ & 260/270. They’re a little boisterous.
Guy comes out of the men’s room in the back. He’s wearing work clothes & looks like he used them hard that day. He’s kind of “chunky.” I don’t mean he’s fat, though there’s a bit there. He looks like he’s put together with chunks & blocks & slabs. He’s about 5′ 9or10″ & 180. (Probably more, this guy works hard.) He has a little shuffle in his walk it’s been a hard day. He heads for the door.
Big guy steps back & bumps into smaller guy. Smaller guy steps aside & excuses himself & tries to continue. Big guy grabs his shoulder & spins him around.
There’s no hesitation. Little guy steps inside, grabs big guy’s lapels & slams their faces together twice. HARD!
Blood flows. Little guy turns, grabs a handful of napkins off the bar & goes out the door. Nobody follows him.
Could he fight? Oh hell yeah! How did I know it wasn’t his first rodeo? That handful of napkins.
What is the significance of Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni’s visit to China after Italy withdrew from the Belt and Road Initiative?
The Italian economy was sinking. She came to China to seek help from Xi.
China agreed to invest in Italy only if she is honest about working with China. China made plans with local Italian to build factories.
However, Meloni has supported the high tariff EU imposed in Oct.. on Chinese EVs. China suspended all investment plans not only in Italy but all EU countries. A total of over 50 billions in investments , have been suspended.
This is the SAD life in a US colony.
When Biden ordered Meloni to cancel the BRI project. Meloni had to listen (against the best interest of Italy). When Biden ordered Meloni to impose high tariff on Chinese EVs .. Meloni had to obey.
China fully understand the predicament of Meloni. She is not really the leader of Italy.. but in reality she is a lowly slave in a US colony.
What is the reason for US importers paying tariffs to China?
Frankly, only Americans do not know such a basic fact! Everyone on earth knows such an ABC of tariffs. Everywhere on earth the importer of the product is responsible to pay for the tariffs and the importer of Chinese products are almost always American nationals or American companies. They don’t pay to China they pay to the US customs!
So your government took this money and they can decide what to do with it. You suckers pay for it through higher prices! So it is like a tax or it is like your government stealing your money. In economics it is called inflation.
Importers pay the same price before the tariffs were put in place they don’t pay one cent more or one cent less. So China do not lose anything, it only lose if US importers buys from some where else! If not there is no effect on the Chinese. Since most of the things China does it is very very competitive and nowhere on earth can it be done at the price and the quality. Chances is almost everything still has to come from China!
So in effect the US government is punishing Americans! Not China or Chinese!
Now That Warheads Are Raining Down, Does Anyone Still Think The Russians Are “Bluffing”?
by Michael
This didn’t have to happen. Years of catastrophically bad decisions by the western elite have brought us to the brink of nuclear war. For more than two years, our leaders have assured us that the Russians were bluffing and that they would never actually risk nuclear war. But now that Russian warheads are raining from the sky, is there anyone out there that still believes such nonsense?
Last night, the Russians sent a very clear message to the entire world by pummeling Ukraine’s fourth-largest city of Dnipro with warheads from a ballistic missile…
Kyiv Air Force said today that Russia had launched an ICBM at the city of Dnipro in the early hours of the morning.
If firmed up, it marks the first time the nuclear-capable missile has ever been used as part of an ongoing conflict.
Unverified footage appeared to show warheads from the ferocious R-26 Rubezh raining down on Dnipro overnight, lighting up the sky with explosions.
In a video that I just posted on my YouTube channel, I shared footage of these warheads raining down on the city…
Originally, it was being reported that these warheads came from an intercontinental ballistic missile, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called this “reckless and escalatory behaviour”…
And UK PM Keir Starmer blasted depot Putin for his “reckless and escalatory behaviour” after the suspected ICBM strike.
He warned that such a move would take the war to another level, calling claims of their use “deeply concerning”.
But shortly thereafter U.S. officials determined that it was a new intermediate-range ballistic missile and not an intercontinental ballistic missile…
Ukraine’s earlier claim that its territory had been struck by an intercontinental ballistic missile fired by Russia is being hotly disputed, hours after widespread reports first appeared. US officials are saying it appears to be a new intermediate-range ballistic missile and not an ICBM which targeted the central city of Dnipro
The NY Times has reported in follow-up of the attack that “several Western officials said that the weapon was not an ICBM and instead was likely an intermediate-range missile that flies shorter distances.”
Zelensky himself had claimed Russia used a new class of missile. “All the parameters — speed, altitude — match those of an intercontinental ballistic missile,” he said. “All expert evaluations are underway.”
During a surprise television address to his nation, Vladimir Putin confirmed that it was a new hypersonic ballistic missile that they have been working on…
According to Putin, Russia retaliated on Nov. 21 with a combined strike against a Ukrainian defense industry facility. In addition, “a field test was conducted in combat conditions” for one of Russia’s newest medium-range weapon systems: a nuclear-free hypersonic ballistic missile. “Our engineers named it ‘Oreshnik’ [‘Hazel’],” Putin declared with a smile.
Putin said Russia is within its rights to use ballistic missiles against “Ukraine’s military targets” and to use weapons against military facilities of those countries that have authorized the use of their weapons against Russia.
Of course the range of this particular missile is not really important.
What is important is the message that the Russians are sending.
They are clearly trying to warn us that next time it could be nuclear warheads that are raining down.
I guess they figured that their words weren’t getting through to our leaders, and so they better do something so over the top that nobody could misinterpret it.
Putin also warned that the Russians are “entitled” to hit the military targets of any nations that are supplying long-range missiles to Ukraine…
Putin also warned Russia was “entitled” to strike military targets of countries whose weapons are used by Ukraine to strike Russian territory in a thinly-veiled threat to the US and Britain.
Ukraine used British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles to strike inside Russia for the first time, a day after using US-made ATACMs to hit a military facility in Bryansk.
“In the event of an escalation of aggressive actions, we will respond just as decisively,” Putin added.
Do you understand what he is telling us?
He is trying to get us to understand that if Ukraine keeps firing long-range missiles into Russia, they could strike U.S. military targets.
In fact, the Russians have already publicly identified a new U.S. base in Poland as a potential target…
Russia has threatened to attack a new US defense base in Poland with “advanced weapons” — just hours after reportedly launching an intercontinental ballistic missile at Ukraine on Thursday.
Moscow leveled the warning after saying the opening of the ballistic missile defense base, located in the town of Redzikowo near the Baltic coast, would lead to an increase in overall nuclear danger.
“Given the nature and level of threats posed by such Western military facilities, the missile defense base in Poland has long been added to the list of priority targets for potential destruction, which, if necessary, can be executed with a wide range of advanced weapons,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said.
This is serious.
Sadly, most Americans have absolutely no idea that we are literally on the verge of all-out war with Russia.
The Russians have also declared that the UK is now “directly involved” in the war in Ukraine…
Britain is now “directly involved” in the Ukraine war after its Storm Shadow missiles were used to strike targets inside Russia, according to Moscow’s ambassador.
Speaking to Sky News’ Mark Austin, ambassador to the UK Andrei Kelin also said Ukraine was using “plenty of mercenaries from different countries” in the war.
Here in the western world, we have convinced ourselves that we are not at war with Russia.
But the Russians see things very differently.
The good news is that the Russians see Donald Trump as the last best hope to avoid the sort of all-out war that I have been warning about for years.
So we have a window of opportunity right now.
If we can just get to January 20th, the Russians are very eager to talk to Trump in order to see if something can be worked out.
But if they ultimately determine that they can’t work out something with Trump, all bets are off.
Let us pray that a peace agreement can eventually be reached, because if a full-blown nuclear war erupts most of the U.S. population will die.
Is it real that many countries take China as an enemy? Why?
No, it is false.
The majority of nations around the world side with China. This is due to several reasons:
- China is the largest trading partner to over 120 countries.
- China is helping over 150 countries through the Belt and Road Initiative.
- China is a peaceful nation having fought no wars since 1979.
- China is unifying the world in peace and common prosperity through the BRICS alliance. More than 40 countries have lined up to join.
- When the West hoarded their vaccines during the pandemic, it was China who stepped forward to help dozens of countries vaccinate.
- China brokered an historic peace deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia. It’s trying to do the same in the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hama conflicts.
They don’t side with America because:
- The USA sanctions dozens of countries.
- The USA wages endless wars.
- The USA interferes in other nations’ internal politics.
- The USA invites World War III over the proxy war in Ukraine.
- The USA supports the genocide in Gaza.
- The USA is trying to provoke war with China.
Only the USA and its allies regard China as an adversary. They are a small minority.
What would happen to Canada if Trump slaps tariffs on the auto industry?
They’re screwed.
First, since the first Canada-US-Mexico trade agreement, auto companies only make each model of car in one country, exporting them to all the others. For example, every single Chevy Silverado is manufactured in Canada. If you’re an American and want one, no problem, there’s no tariff on them.
Second, Canada is the #1 source of auto parts in North America, and most American factories source most or all of their parts from Canada. That’s because to manufacture parts you need skilled workers, and they unionize. When they unionize, they demand health benefits. In the United States, those are expensive because of private insurance. In Canada, that’s cheap because we have universal healthcare. It’s cheaper for American companies to outsource to Canada because the net cost of skilled workers is lower. Don’t worry about skilled American workers, they all have jobs too, just not in auto parts – they tend to work on things that require a lot more precision.
Third, the United States has a lot of used cars. Until the first free trade agreements, you couldn’t export used cars to Canada or Mexico, now you can and there’s a good market (Cars from the U.S. south tend not to be rustbuckets). Canada might just decide to shut the door again, eliminating the market.
Mississippi Burning – “Do You Like Baseball?”
If tariffs, according to Democrats, are so bad, then why did the Biden administration expand tariffs on China?
Treasury secy Yellen wanted to cancel the tariff of Trump 1.0, because tariff causes inflation.
It was Trade Rep K. Tai who opposed cancellation. Because of her votes. Tai was very fierce when she opposed cancellation. She said something like “as long as I am here, the tariff will not be cancelled.”
Go find out who are Tai’s election donor. We may get the answer.
Do Americans realize that other countries will stop buying American products including cars and airplanes, due to retaliatory counter tariffs that they will place on US products, in response to Trump’s tariffs once he is in office again?
Already doing so today
The Sale of US Cars outside North America fell by 18% in the past 4 years
Boeing Sales have plummeted 47% in the past decade in terms of new orders
None of the US Arms buyers are paying hard cash now that the Arabs are spending lesser money on weapons and more on AI & Quantum Computing & Infrastructure
The only buyers of US Weapons are Nations that never pay or are on charity or pay very late
John Deere lost 32% Sales in the last decade outside North America & South America
IBM sales have plummeted
GE has seen overseas sales fall by 7% in the past decade
US Pharmaceuticals were always beaten by Generic Rivals in Poorer markets & now they are either forced to sell for fair price in foreign markets or not allowed to be sold at all
Demand for US Products are in decline anyway
Its why Trump is trying the last ditch attempt to do whatever he possibly can
Is the U.S. losing its grip on the world order? If so, why is this happening and can it be reversed?
Yes, the USA is losing its grip on the world order.
The USA is an empire in decline. It faces innumerable domestic problems, including deep division and political turmoil. It carries a crushing national debt and is at risk of financial collapse. It’s embroiled in wars all around the world. The USA knows no peace.
The world is de-dollarizing. The US Dollar will eventually lose its primacy as the global reserve currency.
What is the root cause of all this? Political corruption.
The USA today is effectively an oligarchy or plutocracy. The American people have no democratic power whatsoever. The country is essentially ruled by the wealthy capitalist elite, particularly the military-industrial complex.
In theory, it can be reversed. In practice, it is extremely unlikely. We’d have better luck with an asteroid slamming into the earth and causing human extinction.
Fargo – Connected – I’m cooperating – darn tooting
Talk Of A Pre-Emptive Attack On Russia Is Going To Make Russia Even More Likely To Conduct A Pre-emptive Attack Against Us
by Michael
If some lunatic shows up at your front door in the middle of the night and threatens to shoot you, does that make it more likely or less likely that you will shoot first? Any talk of NATO conducting a pre-emptive attack against Russia is extremely dangerous, because the Russians are paranoid enough already. If they become convinced that we are planning to hit them before they can hit us, that could motivate them to do something really, really stupid. We are closer to nuclear war than we have ever been before, and we definitely do not need western leaders making provocative statements that are only going to make things even worse.
For example, during a conference in Brussels NATO’s top military official said something that is now making headlines all over the globe. The following comes from an article posted on MSN News entitled “NATO considers preemptive strikes amid rising tensions with Russia”…
NATO Military Committee Chairman Admiral Rob Bauer stated during a conference in Brussels that NATO leadership is contemplating the possibility of conducting precise preemptive strikes on Russian territory in the event of an armed conflict between Moscow and the Alliance.
It is now being claimed that Bauer was not actually talking about a pre-emptive strike on Russia.
But if you look at his actual words, it certainly seems like that was precisely what he was talking about…
During a question-and-answer session after his address at the European Policy Center in Brussels, Bauer said, “The idea was we are a defensive alliance, so we will only sit and wait until we are attacked, and then when we are attacked, we will be able to shoot down the ‘arrows’ that come to us,” referring to a Russian strike.
He also said that when responding to any attack, it would be “smarter” to “attack the archer, that is…Russia—if Russia attacks us. So you need to have a combination of deep precision (strikes) with which you can take out the weapons systems that are used to attack us.”
Needless to say, the Russians were not amused.
In fact, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov believes that Bauer was essentially announcing NATO’s “real plans”…
The North Atlantic Alliance has ignored all diplomatic protocol, allowing itself to make statements about the possibility of preemptive strikes on Russia, top Russian diplomat Sergey Lavrov said.
“Just the other day, Mr. Bauer, NATO Military Committee Chair, explicitly stated that it’s no longer enough, and ensuring the defense of the North Atlantic Alliance member states requires strikes on targets in Russia that NATO believes may pose a threat to the bloc. I think there’s nothing to comment on here; it’s just that they have forgotten all etiquette, publicly announcing their real plans,” he noted at the 20th meeting of the heads of security and intelligence agencies of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries.
If the Russians become convinced that we are going to hit them first, that will make it much more likely that they will hit us first.
We really need to get the Russians to understand that we have no plans to do that.
Meanwhile, a French news source is reporting that European leaders continue to discuss “sending Western troops and private defense companies to Ukraine”…
As the conflict in Ukraine enters a new phase of escalation, discussions over sending Western troops and private defense companies to Ukraine have been revived, Le Monde has learned from corroborating sources. These are sensitive discussions, most of which are classified – relaunched in light of a potential American withdrawal of support for Kyiv once Donald Trump takes office on January 20, 2025.
That is insane!
What in the world are they thinking?
No matter what Donald Trump does when he gets into the White House, our European allies fully intend to continue to escalate this war.
It is madness.
On top of everything else, this week the New York Times has reported that the Biden administration has actually discussed the possibility of arming Ukraine with nuclear weapons.
When Dmitry Medvedev heard about this, he went ballistic…
Moscow will consider any threat of nuclear arms being supplied to Ukraine by the US as preparation for a direct war with Russia, former president Dmitry Medvedev has warned. The actual transfer of nuclear weapons would be tantamount to an attack on the country under Russia’s new nuclear doctrine, he added.
On Tuesday, Medvedev posted a message on Telegram that was quite ominous…
“Give nuclear weapons to a country at war with the largest nuclear power? The idea is so absurd that it raises suspicions about a paranoid psychosis in Joe The Walking Dead and all those who would advise such a move.”
He continued, “Yet I must comment on the nonsense: 1) The very threat of transferring nuclear weapons to the Kyiv regime can be considered preparation for nuclear conflict with Russia;
2) The actual transfer of such weapons can be equated to an act of attack on our country under article 19 of the Fundamentals of State Policy in the Field of Nuclear Deterrence.
The consequences are obvious.”
I don’t think that the Biden administration has any intention of giving Ukraine nuclear weapons right now.
But the fact that they are talking about it is really freaking out the Russians.
I really wish that cooler heads would prevail, but instead both sides just continue to escalate matters.
Over the past few days, Ukraine has launched more long-range missiles provided by NATO into Russian territory, and now the Russians have announced that they are preparing another “response”…
Russia is preparing a response to Ukrainian ATACMS attacks on Kursk Region, the Russian Defense Ministry announced on Tuesday. Last week, US President Joe Biden authorized Kiev to use US-supplied long-range missiles against targets deep inside Russia’s internationally recognized borders.
In an official statement on Telegram, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that over the past three days, Ukraine’s forces had conducted two long-range strikes on Kursk Region using Western weaponry.
As I discuss in this video, many are anticipating that the Russian “response” will be even larger than last time.
Let us hope that the Russians only use conventional weapons, and let us hope that they limit their targets to Ukraine.
Because the Russians have previously identified a U.S. base in Poland as a potential target, and the Biden administration is making it clear that such a strike would trigger NATO’s Article 5…
White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby said Monday that the U.S. has a ‘rock-solid’ commitment to NATO’s Article 5, should Russia strike the new U.S. anti-missile base in Poland. Article 5 is NATO’s principle of collective defense, that if one NATO member is attacked, all other NATO members go to war with the attacker, a world war-style response.
“We take our Article 5 commitments to our NATO Allies incredibly seriously. It’s rock-solid, and that’s not going to change,” Kirby said on Monday, according to Remix News.
Kirby was responding to Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, who on Thursday said that Russia is considering attacking a new U.S. anti-missile base in Poland.
We are dangerously close to a point of no return.
Once nuclear missiles start flying, there will be no going back.
The Russians have been working extremely hard to prepare for a nuclear war, and meanwhile the U.S. is still relying on hopelessly outdated systems from the 1970s and 1980s.
We must change course while it is still possible to do so.
Unfortunately, it appears that we are about to witness another series of escalations which will push us even closer to the unthinkable.
An Officer and a Gentleman – Up Where We Belong
https://youtu.be/1IRTMHoRlzk
Can Taiwan actually resist an invasion from China in 90 days or less?
No.
If China invades Taiwan, Taiwan will fall to China in a matter of days or weeks.
Taiwan’s military is completely outmatched by China’s military. China has the world’s largest army. China has the world’s largest navy.
China has advanced stealth aircraft. China has advanced hypersonic missiles. China has a very advanced air force.
Taiwan’s military gear is essentially hand-me-downs from the United States. It’s total junk compared to what China has.
Moreover, the United States will NOT come to Taiwan’s defense. The United States will NOT fight for Taiwan. Why?
Because the United States cannot risk all-out war with China. It would result in total devastation to the entire planet. This is the same reason the United States did not directly engage with the Russians in Ukraine.
The Taiwanese may be insane, but the Americans are not.
I looked at the other answers here. Many of them foolishly believe that China will try to occupy Taiwan with boots on the ground.
This is unnecessary. China can cause Taiwan to surrender by doing three things:
- Blockade the island. Prevent resupply from the outside world. Nobody will dare to challenge the blockade.
- Wipe out Taiwan’s critical infrastructure. Without electricity, communication, fresh drinking water, etc., the island will readily capitulate.
- Destroy Taiwan’s ports and airfields with bombs and missiles.
China can take its time with an amphibious assault. Wait for the Taiwanese to be tired, hungry, thirsty, in the dark, without communication, and full of fear. Resistance will be futile.
Eric Schmidt DROPS BOMBSHELL: China DOMINATES AI!
Fun pictures
Col Doug Macgregor: Russia’s NEW Oreshnik Missile & Threats Going Forward
The Insanity of Neocons
29 November 2024, by Eric Zuesse. (All of my recent articles can be seen here.)
Stephen Bryen, who’s now retired from a stellar career at the very highest levels both in the U.S. Military-Industrial Complex and in the Executive and also the Legislative branches of the U.S. Government, and whose predictions about the war in Ukraine war thus far have consistently turned out to be true, is, for whatever reason, nonetheless a neocon (advocate for increasing yet further the U.S. empire) in the case of China; and, so, while he’s realistic about the need for the U.S. Government to withdraw from Ukraine, he is nonetheless a normal neocon in regards to China.
On November 29th, he headlined “China Alarmed As US Marine Prepare HIMARS and ATACMS for Yonaguni”, and argued that it’s a good move by Biden now, that he’ll be placing in Japan U.S. missiles that can hit Taiwan for the purpose of “stopping a Taiwan invasion,” by which stupid phrase he intends to mean that we’ll be stopping “an invasion of Taiwan,” by — you guess whom, which is, of course, according to the neocons’ plan, to be done by — China, as soon as Taiwan will announce that it is NOT a part of China, and for which purpose the U.S. Government has been arming Taiwan so that Taiwan can then (with American weapons and maybe direct Military involvement) resist the invasion by China that will be China’s inevitable response to this U.S.-planned breakaway from China by Taiwan. And THAT will then give the U.S. Government the ‘right’ to invade and conquer China — which is the real objective of all of this scheming and war-planning by Breyen and ogther neocons.
So, I posted a reader-comment to that article:
Here is why your article is shocking:
You have cited the Taiwan Relations Act as a ‘justification’ for your position regarding China.
The Taiwan Relations Act was merely concerning the U.S. Government and NOT America’s relations with China and with its province of Taiwan. It is logically SUBORDINATE TO the Shanghai Communique, which is an agreement BETWEEN China and U.S. Anything in the Taiwan Relations Act that contradicts the Shanghai Communique of 1972 is null and void automatically.
The Shanghai Communique, in 1972, committed the U.S. Government to — and agreed with China’s Government that — “Taiwan is a part of China.” Consistently since the 1972 Shanghai Communique, the official policy of the U.S. Government is and has been “Taiwan is a part of China.”
Your article logically implied, instead of overtly said, that Taiwan can declare independence from China — DESPITE BEING “a part of China.” Here is the (il)logic of your position:
Your article alleges that Taiwan should be able to declare independence from China despite America’s Government having formally committed itself that Taiwan is a part of China, and that U.S. taxpayers should fund this U.S. aggression against China.
Furthermore, you are assuming (likewise falsely) that Taiwan is of such vital national-security interest to the safety of America (protecting the safety of the residents in the USA), so that America, which is legally committed to Taiwan’s being a Chinese province, ought to arm Taiwan so that Taiwan can declare itself to be NOT a part of China, so that China can then be defeated by LOSING that “part of China.” That’s what you want. You want U.S. taxpayers to fund this U.S. aggression against China. It is crazy. It is loaded with false assumptions. And the very IDEA that U.S. taxpayers should fund U.S. aggression isn’t merely crazy, it is evil; and I, as a U.S. taxpayer, recognize this.
Bryen’s false assumptions here have been advocated in the greatest detail by an article from A. Wess Mitchell, who had been the successor to Victoria Nuland as the Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs during 2017-2019 in the Trump Administration; and Mitchell, like his predecessor, Nuland, was/is a total neocon; but, unlike her, he didn’t believe that America should be trying simultaneously to conquer BOTH Russia and China; he believed that we should instead aim for a temporary negotiated-with-Russia stalemate and abeyance of the war in Ukraine, so that we can then (temporarily) devote all of our resources to conquering China first (in order to attack Russia afterwards).
Mitchell headlined in the so-called National Interest magazine, on 21 August, 2021, his influential article, “A Strategy for Avoiding Two-Front War”, and he opened:
The greatest risk facing the twenty-first-century United States, short of an outright nuclear attack, is a two-front war involving its strongest military rivals, China and Russia. Such a conflict would entail a scale of national effort and risk unseen in generations, effectively pitting America against the resources of nearly half of the Eurasian landmass.
It would stretch and likely exceed the current capabilities of the U.S. military, requiring great sacrifices of the American people with far-reaching consequences for U.S. influence, alliances, and prosperity. Should it escalate into a nuclear confrontation, it could possibly even imperil the country’s very existence.
Given these high stakes, avoiding a two-front war with China and Russia must rank among the foremost objectives of contemporary U.S. grand strategy. Yet the United States has been slow to comprehend this danger, let alone the implications it holds for U.S. policy. So far, Washington’s efforts to grapple with the “simultaneity” problem (as it’s called in Pentagon circles) have been overwhelmingly focused on the military side of the problem. The 2018 National Defense Strategy (NDS) replaced the two-war standard with a laser focus on fighting one major war with America’s most capable adversary — China. In its wake, a debate has erupted among defense intellectuals about how to handle a second-front contingency.
By comparison, there has been much less discussion of how, if at all, U.S. diplomacy should evolve to avert two-front war and, more broadly, alleviate the pressures of strategic simultaneity. While the Trump administration rightly inaugurated a more confrontational approach toward China, this was not accompanied by a rebalancing of diplomatic priorities and resources in other regions to complement the NDS’ justified focus on the Indo-Pacific. Nor does the Biden administration appear to be contemplating a redistribution of strategic focus and resources among regions. This misalignment in the objects of U.S. military and diplomatic power is neither desirable nor sustainable. America will have to limit the number of active rivalries requiring major U.S. military attention, improve the functionality of its existing alliances for offsetting the pressures of simultaneity, or significantly grow defense budgets—or some combination of the three. …
Unlike Dr. Bryen, Dr. Mitchell believes that the U.S. Government should target Russia first, China second. In Foreign Policy magazine, on 6 September 2024, he headlined explicitly “U.S. Strategy Should Be Europe First, Then Asia: Without a secure Europe, the United States risks becoming a hemispheric potentate on the margins of the world.” To him, Asia is “on the margins of the world” — Mitchell wants America to conquer all of The West, first — then take the rest. He says, “While it is true that there are serious and pressing national security problems in Asia and the Middle East, these can only be dealt with effectively once the Atlantic foundation of Washington’s global strength is secure.” However, whereas (because of the U.S. Governmen’s ever-expansionist imperialism) both Russia and China do, actually, face “serious and pressing national security problems,” America doesn’t — we’re more than 3,000 miles of ocean away from any potential invader — the real threat to the American people is the American Government itself (since 1945), which is sometimes called the “Deep State,” which rules us, and which the scientific studies in political science show to be America’s richest 1% of America’s richest 1% — the individuals who have purchased and are actually served by our (aristocratically) s‘elected’ Government.
Basically, the U.S. Government — in BOTH of its Parties — is set upon conquering both Russia and China, but is not yet exactly clear about whether to do both of them simultaneously, or instead one-after-another (in accord wth the “forever-war” tradition of the United States Government, which President Truman instituted right at the end of World War Two (WW2), on 25 July 1945.
Both of these plans — aggression against Russia, and aggression against China — both using as excuses that ‘we’ are ‘democracies’ whereas ‘they’ are ‘autocracies’, and ignoring that the ONLY country that has been scientifically analyzed to determine whether it is a “democracy,” is the U.S., and all of those studies have found that it definitely is NOT at all a democracy, but instead an aristocracy, rule-by-only-the-richest — both of these plans are plain evil. But what keeps them going is the insanity of neocons, and it is bleeding dry the U.S. itself, hollowing-out the middle class to serve the super-rich who profit from all these wars, and it is at the same time turning the U.S. into a blood-sucker against its colonies (‘allies’), which are required to pitch in even more, year after year, in order to do the master-nation’s bidding, and, like Trump keeps saying, “pay their fair share”, by buying more of our weapons.
Of course, the reality is that if EITHER of these wars starts, the war will end up going nuclear and so being WW3, for the simple reason that neither Russians NOR Chinese will accept coming under the U.S. yoke; BOTH nations — Russia and China — would rather have a WW3 than become a part of such a supremely evil empire as the U.S. empire — and ALL of its supporters, or “neocons” — undoubtedly is.
The U.S.-and-allied side would lose because the aggressor is CLEARLY the U.S., and because both Russia and China have the means to annihilate the aggressors and would do that even if it will mean annihilating the entire world in a nuclear war.
The least damaging outcome that still remains possible for the American people — after the latest “Tweedle-dum versus Tweedle-dee” ‘election’ — is a Second American Revolution, this one not to get rid of the British imperialists, but to get rid of the American-and-British imperialists. Though this would, tragically, be a war, what other option would be available to us in order to prevent WW3, a global war, which would be vastly worse than any such merely domestic war would be.
The insane people who rule in Washington DC are enemies of the entire world, including of the American people, and CAN be dealt with BY the American people. It would be a service not only to ourselves, but to the entire world. It would be a noble thing to do. And it’s the best of the bad (and both of the options ARE bad) options that are still available to us.
Or, to put this another way: How much longer will the U.S. Government’s war against the world continue? Will it NEVER stop, until it destroys the entire world?
PS: If you like this article, please email it to all your friends or otherwise let others know about it. None of the U.S.-and-allied ‘news’-media will likely publish it (nor link to it, since doing that might also hurt them with Google or etc.). I am not asking for money, but I am asking my readers to spread my articles far and wide, because I specialize in documenting what the Deep State is constantly hiding. This is, in fact, today’s samizdat.
Date-Nut Bread (Pan de Datil Molege)
Ingredients
- 6 eggs, separated
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 cups dates, cut-up
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- Confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.
- Beat egg whites in large bowl on high speed until soft peaks form.
- Gradually beat sugar into egg yolks in medium-size bowl; beat on high speed until thick and lemon colored, about 3 minutes.
- Beat in butter on medium speed until well blended.
- Fold egg yolk mixture into egg whites.
- Gently stir in flour, cinnamon and nutmeg just until moistened; stir in dates and pecans.
- Pour into pan.
- Bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes.
- Cool for 5 minutes; remove from pan.
- Cool completely; sprinkle top with confectioners’ sugar.
The ATLAS Program
Submitted into Contest #62 in response to: Write about a character preparing to go into stasis for decades (or centuries).… view prompt
Akshat .
Ryan was inside the top-secret underground laboratory of ATLAS. ATLAS was an extremely confidential program, started by the government.
Ryan was one of the few test subjects of the ATLAS program, and was risking his life for the improvement of the world!
“Welcome,” a man said with a British accent, walking towards him. He was wearing a stainless white lab coat, and his face bore a very well trimmed brown mustache. He resembled Ryan, although he was older, “Mr, uh-”
“Ryan,” Ryan replied, “Ryan Nero.”
“Yes, well, my name is Doctor Alexander Algorithm — yes, my parents were mathematicians, one of the best in the world. And I see we look alike!” He added with a chuckle.
“Yup,” Ryan said, a grin rippling over his face. He wasn’t sure what else to say, so he just kept quiet.
“Back to business. Now, do you know why you are here?”
“Yes,” Ryan assured him. He was here to have his body frozen and to hopefully last hundreds of years in “hibernation.” He had chosen this because he didn’t see the point of living in the present world. He had lost his parents to a fatal car crash, and his brother was shot dead in battle. Ryan didn’t have kids, or a wife, or anything. Just a small flat, and a small platinum watch, to remind him of his father.
He could also escape his dark past, full of death and darkness, betrayals, and corruption. He gave a slight shiver even as he thought about it. It was all a secret now anyways. All the monsters of the underworld were gone, and he could escape his present life.
“Let me walk you through the procedures then,” Alexander told him with a small smile on his face, and lead Ryan towards one of the many pods inside the room. Another scientist was near the pod, clipboard in hand, with glasses. He was looking into it and writing on his board. Probably checking it for defections.
He looked up and found us walking towards him. He gave a slight nod and walked away towards the computer setup.
“This is the pod in which you shall be in during the freezing of your body,” Alexander said, “When you wake up — which will be in approximately 500 years — you shall be fit and fine. Now, once you wake up, the entire world might be extremely different from what it is right now.”
“I understand,” Ryan said.
“And there is also the possibility of you dying in the process of freezing your body. Many have faced this fate. We keep their bodies inside the pods, and dispose of them.”
“But … why? Couldn’t have you just reused the pods?”
“Once a human perishes inside one of those, it contaminates the entire thing. We cannot afford to keep the entire lab in danger, and that is why we do what we —”
Alexander suddenly wheezed and coughed, his face turning purple. Some of the other scientists cast pitying looks at him but didn’t come to his help.
“Doctor,” Ryan said, concerned, “Are you okay?”
Alexander shook his left hand at him while his right hand dove into his pocket. He pulled out an inhaler and kept the nozzle inside his mouth, and took deep breaths.
After he was done, he explained what had just happened. “Asthma,” he said, “The usual. Got it because of the air pollution you know? Dreadful stuff, dreadful indeed. And I take it that it is one of the reasons you decided to undertake this precarious job?”
“Yes,” Ryan said. It was a reason, but not as big of a one as his parents and brother. But it still was one. Plus, it was already harming the Earth and humans, so it’s better to be one of the safe ones, right?
“Anyways,” Alexander started, “I shall run you through the procedures now.”
He signaled to one of the scientists and waited. The scientist whom Alexander signaled to pulled a lever next to a number: 63.
Immediately, the bluish substance Ryan had seen inside the pod vanished. “That was to protect our body from the freezing cold inside,” Alexander explained, “That way, the lab does not get affected, and we stay safe. Win-win!
“Now, once you’re inside the pod, one of the scientists shall close the hatch. It can be opened from the inside, in case you suddenly wake up. Don’t worry,” he added at the look of horror on Ryan’s face, “We haven’t had any cases like that. But better to be safe than sorry.
“And once the hatch closes, you might feel a bit claustrophobic, but it will all be gone. Me or another staff member shall start the freezing. The temperatures inside the pod shall go subzero, up to -150 degrees Celsius. After that, your body shall go numb, and you’ll go off into cryogenic sleep. Then, by God’s grace, you shall survive for the next five hundred years. So, any questions?”
“Nope,” Ryan said.
“Great! I shall just show you how to get in now, and also close the hatch! But do not do anything! Stay right here.”
And Alexander heaved himself into the pod and shut the hatch.
Little did he and Ryan know, a junior assistant was present at the computer setup. He saw Alexander jump into the pod. But he thought that Alexander was Ryan. So, for reasons including “I have to impress the staff so that they’ll take me seriously,” he pressed the button next to the label numbered 63.
In doing so, he did not know that he had just doomed Alexander’s life for good, he just thought he was helping out. But when Ryan turned around, with a look of terror etched all over his face, did he know what had just happened.