While I was in university, my father bought a house in Erie, Pennsylvania with his wife (my step mother). It was a nice small middle-class home. Maybe made around the 1950’s. Pretty quaint, actually.

Maybe looking a little bit like this, only on a big lawn with a lot of old shady trees…

It was on the “West Side” of Erie, which was a very nice area of shady suburban streets and quiet neighborhoods.

Now, sometime around the 1990’s, they (whomever thought it was a good idea) decided to knock down some of the homes, and put up a strip mall. Not a large one. maybe five or so stores.

And it was ok.

You would walk down the shady quiet streets and then come upon a strip mall.

Well, this brought in more “foot traffic”.

So the road was enlarged.

The quiet residential street became a highway. And you had to carefully cross the street to get to the strip mall.

Then another strip mall opened up across from it.

And then another one a block further down.

And thus the cross road needed to be enlarged into a highway.

Well, a branch of the local library was opened up right across the street, and also came a Wendy’s restaurant. It was nice to have a Wendy’s there. I always thought that their hamburgers were world class.

And so we would go and get a hamburger with dad when we visited.

Wendy’s had these really nice and greasy burgers. Quite tasty, actually.

And they always had this great chili too.

During the 1980s and into the 1990s they also had a very great salad bar. I don’t know if they still maintain them or not today.

From the Internet, I read that they have been phased out and replaced with pre-packaged salad “platform meals” sort of like this…

Ah. maybe they are good. But there is something very special about going to a salad bar when you are dirt poor and hungry and eating your fill.

Ah that was good eatin’ you all.

Later on they opened up a Pizza Hut.

That was good too.

I’m an American.

I love pizza.

And when it came to Pizza Hut, our favorite was always a thin-crust pepperoni pizza.

But, guys …

Guys…

Guys…

Guys!

Nothing beats the quiet residential shady neighborhood, no matter how many fast-food joints surround it.

Trust me on this.

Shade has value.

But is often under-rated and forgotten.

Quiet streets.

Misty mornings.

Rain soaked days.

Sunny Summer Afternoons.

Fresh mowed grass.

Dawn.

A shady paradise.

It’s got value.

Today…

What screams “I can fight”?

I don’t go to bars much, but one of the few times I did, I was at a table near the bar trying to be invisible because a crowd of gang members came in, loud and rude. A guy in glasses, average height, slight build but moved with uncommon grace was bringing his beer from the bar past my table. One of the rowdy guys bumped him, and probably didn’t notice his drink hadn’t spilled. The guy acted all offended and had that look that violence would follow. The graceful gent held his glass out and offered the guy his drink. It threw the guy off and he actually stepped in to take it.

“Let give you some advice,” he said quietly. “Notice when someone isn’t remotely scared. Push this any further and you’re going to be severely embarrassed in front of your friends.”

The guy stepped back and surveyed the cool character, rearranged his face and loudly thanked him for the drink and went back to the bar.

The fellow nodded and left the place, me quickly following so as not be the next victim.

Outside I called, “Bluff or fact?”

He turned and smiled, then kept walking.

What do you think of China’s 6th generation fighter test flight?

There were two leaked test flights on Chairman Mao’s birthday: one by Shenyang aircraft corp, another by Chengdu aircraft corp.

The double landing gear implies that it is massive, likely larger than its escort fighter jets.

Firstly, nobody knows whether it is an actual generational leap forward, especially when the parameters for 6th generation aircraft are not defined yet. Even now, there are plenty of controverisal 5th generation look-alikes by South Korea and Turkiye, for example. No one even knows whether there is a “bulb” for a human pilot on either aircraft.

Similar cockpit bulb exists for the American NGAD program.

Secondly, the design is very unique and frankly unprecedented. Three engines is very rare on planes that are not civilian liners, and could be to compensate for weakness of its engine. (Given the huge size of the aircraft, its engine could be Guizhou WS-13, the J-20’s powerplant.) The large area delta wing design in addition to the power of 3 engines is also fuelling rumors that it can access near space altitudes.

There have been some theories about its elastic skin finally being applied widely. This would likely provide stealth and more seamless fuselage.

Thirdly, they could be the first application of China’s loyal wingman program: smart lethal drones that complement fighter jets. If true, this would break the stereotype of drones being small, buzzing and slow things. The Americans don’t think they are drones though.

Fourth: a big salute to Chinese aviation professionals, for their hardwork and sacrifice. China went from lacking in air combat to now a global leader. All this within a century! In 1924, China was still an agricultural nation split between different warlords!

Top: 2nd gen fighter accompanying prototype 4th gen

Middle: 4th gen fighter accompanying prototype 5th gen

Bottom: 5th gen fighter accompanying the mystery prototype advanced aircraft.

And of course, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHAIRMAN!

UNLOCKED FOR GENERAL PUBLIC — EXTREMELY SENSITIVE

Hal Turner World March 25, 2025 

This content was previously LOCKED for Subscribers Only — but is now UNLOCKED in the public interest.

On Monday, I was made aware that the United States had deployed three (3) B-2 Stealth Bombers to Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.  That puts them within range of both Yemen and Iran.

Even though this was also rumored over social media, I chose not to report it because I don’t want to endanger our troops or a mission.

Some relevant facts: As of 2024, the US Air Force has nineteen (19) B-2 stealth bombers in service, after one was destroyed in a 2008 crash and another damaged in a 2022 crash was retired due to the high cost of repair.

Given we have only 19 of these super-high-tech bombers, putting three of them somewhere is a big deal.

TUESDAY . . . . I found out that FOUR (4) MORE B-2 Stealth Bombers left for Diego Garcia overnight.   Folks, that’s a total of SEVEN (7) B-2 Stealth bombers . . . . . . . out of only 19 in the world . . . . . all gathered on Diego Garcia.

My gut tells me this is big.  Bigger than big.   Something HUGE is about to take place and I don’t think it’s bombing the Houthis in Yemen.

My personal view, based upon nothing more than my gut, is that we are going to attack Iran.  Soon.   VERY soon.   Maybe even tonight.

If this takes place, it is already a known fact that Iran will try to close the Strait of Hormuz, which will send oil prices skyrocketing, and gasoline prices at the pump heading toward $10 maybe $12 per gallon.   More for diesel fuel.

The impact on our economy will be staggering.

If you have gas cans, I strongly suggest you fill them up.   TODAY.

If you don’t have any gas cans, I suggest you get some.  TODAY.

The United States of America does not position seven of its most expensive, most high-tech bombers, halfway around the world, to “posture.”   They put those planes out when they’re going to be used.

This is way serious.

MORE:

Iran is a military ally of Russia, and a BRICS economic ally of both Russia and China.

Both Russia and China have openly, publicly, stated they will “not stand-by and allow Iran to be attacked.”

If the US and/or Israel goes ahead with an attack upon Iran, the reaction by both Russia and China could be to put an end to the United States and our shenanigans.

Top-off your food, water, and medicine preps. TODAY.

More if I get it.

UPDATE 7:32 PM EDT —

I can now CONFIRM that the four additional B-2 Stealth were heard over shortwave radio with confirmed destination of Diego Garcia:

1450z: Call signs “ABBA 11” flt ?x4? USAF B-2/A Spirit’s Wkg San Francisco (SFO) HF 11282 khz Cleared to Destination NSF Diego Garcia FJDG from Whiteman AFB KSZL

I can now also confirm that one of the original aircraft, which departed Whiteman AFB in Missouri Sunday-into-Monday, suffered an In-Flight EMERGENCY and had to land at Hickam Field in Hawaii.

I have received an Image showing that aircraft, Call Sign “PITCH 13”, on the ground in Hawaii, with a Fire Rescue Truck deployed to it.   There was no external sign of any fire and the nature of the in-flight emergency is not (yet) known:

UPDATE 7:55 PM EDT —

Additional B-2 Stealth Bomber(s) seen taking off from Whiteman AFB in Missouri – TUESDAY NIGHT:

MORE:

At least 18 US Air Force refueling tankers are being staged in the Pacific with several each at Travis AFB in CA, Daniel K. Inouye IAP in HI, and Andersen AFB in Guam. This suggests some kind of large movement of air assets into the Pacific theater – or the Indian Ocean – will take place this week.

 

UPDATE 8:25 PM EDT —

In addition to the B-2 Stealth Bombers and eighteen (18) Refueling tankers reported above, I can now also report the following:

7 C-17A Globemaster IIIs have arrived over the last 3 days, or are currently en-route to the island.

C-17 flights into Diego Garcia:

3 originated at Whiteman AFB, MO (B-2 Support)

2 originated at Dover AFB, DE (Unk purpose)

1 originated at Fairchild AFB, WA (KC-135 Support)

1 originated at JB McGuire, NJ (Unk purpose)

UPDATE 10:18 PM EDT (Tuesday night) —

More ancillary information has been obtained which now reveals an explicit time frame for military action.

The military base at Diego Garcia has very limited space and, believe it or not, there have to be “Reservations” for aircraft parking spaces at that base!

The United States has secured aircraft parking spaces for the B2 Stealth “until May 1.”

Soooooo . . . .  whatever is going to be done with those Stealth Bombers, must necessarily take place between right now and May 1.    That’s 5 weeks.

The base at Diego Garcia is in the Indian Ocean.   The aircraft at that base – especially the Stealth Bombers – are now “in-range” for Yemen and . . . . . . . . . . .  Iran.  Look:

 

History records that when NATO attacked Yugoslavia in March of the year 1999, the United States sent three (3) B-2 Stealth Bombers during the 78 days of bombing that ultimately crushed that country and broke it apart.

Three Bombers for Yugoslavia.

Why then are SIX now massed at Diego Garcia with more such jets having taken off tonight out of Missouri?  The red dotted line on the map above seems to indicate what’s coming.

Iran.

Here’s the rub:  Iran has a military defense Treaty with Russia, and China has publicly declared they “will not allow our fellow BRICS member, and ally, Iran, to be attacked and destroyed.”

So if the US (and likely Israel) have any ideas about attacking Iran and destroying it, we could see world war 3 break-out so fast none of us would have time to even think.

Prepare.

Emergency food, water, medicines you need to live on. A generator. Fuel for that generator.  First-Aid Kits. Transistor Radio as well as a CB or HAM radio for local communications and to be able to get news from around the world via shortwave.

Remember, the aircraft parking reservation is good until May 1, but the action would have to take place BEFORE that date.   So there is not much time to prepare – at all.

Take advantage of the time we may have, act deliberately to prepare, and pray.

This is not a joke.  This is more serious than a heart attack.

UPDATE 10:20 PM EDT (WEDNESDAY)

This morning, Russian President Vladimir Putin sent the Russia-Iran Strategic Agreement to the Russian Stated Duma (Legislature) for ratification into law.

The Agreement “comes into effect in Mid-April.”

If the agreement comes into effect in “Mid-April” taken to mean April 15, then the time frame for potential US Action against Iran seems to be now COMPRESSED to “before April 15” if the US wants to strike before the Russian Strategic Agreement comes into effect.

So we may have less time than I thought to prepare.

This is why 5% of men get 95% of women

Why do Russian fighter jet engines have a reputation for poor longevity compared to Western-built contemporaries?

You tell me one thing where Russia or China have a reputation for better longevity compared to Western built contemporaries

It’s always the same thing

Western made products are high quality, superior while Russian and Chinese made products are inferior and have lower quality

Its just perception according to me

Russia has access to refined materials, applied materials and engineers and physicists

They have the money needed to develop advanced aircraft engines

So logically there is no reason why Russian engines should have any reputation for poor longevity

Russia is capitalist today so even the State Inefficiency excuse can no longer be used

---

There are no parameters to claim Russian engines are inferior and low quality

No evidence of Russian made engine failures

Flights of Russian made aircraft in Airshows have been exemplary

No Peer to Peer comparison

So i just don’t buy that anymore

Not unless you tell me the Westerners are Aliens

China Now Has Zero Fear; Major Warning For G7 Economies – What’s Coming In 2025

What are smart unique hiding places you figure are safe from theft and robbery other than a bank safe?

I used to be a drug addict. I hid stuff all over the place.

One place I successfully hid items was in my body pillow. The pillow had a pillowcase, and the pillow itself had a cover with a zipper. It was stuffed with goose down. I would unzip the zipper and stash things in there, then put the pillowcase back on so that the zipper was on the closed end of the case. Nobody ever looked there, and my place was thoroughly searched.

Another place I used to hide things was in my dresser. But not in a drawer. I would take the bottom drawer out, then put the items under there and to the side a bit. The drawer can be pulled out and dumped, but nobody would think to look under the dresser after they took the drawer out.

I also used to hide small things, like money or dope in little container. I would tape the container, or depending on where it was, I would use velcro with a sticky back, into out of sight places. For instance, I opened my top dresser drawer and used velcro to hold a little plastic box to the underside of the top of the dresser. You open the drawer, but don’t see anything. Because it is hidden out of sight behind the front of the dresser. I also used to tape containers to the wall behind my headboard. Nobody ever looked there.

Another place I hid stuff was in the hollow legs of my ironing board. There were little plastic caps on the ends, and I would just remove them, place my items inside, and put the caps back on and put the ironing board away like normal.

Another place to hide stuff is in the hem of drapes. Find an inconspicuous place, and cut a tiny slit on the inside, or better yet, on the fold of the hem. Then stick your money in there and forget it.

I had a little wicker bowl that I kept seashells in. I stuffed little dope baggies in the shells. Nobody was any the wiser.

I once made a false bottom for a drawer. I cut a piece of plywood (I don’t know what kind it was, but it was thin, like paneling) and glued four little “legs on it” (I used some old pull knobs off a dresser I redid) and placed it in the drawer, “legs” down. That made a little space about 2 inches high under the board. I used an old thin metal spatula to lift the false bottom out when I wanted to get to the hiding place.

Put small items in an old pill container, or some water-tight container. Dig a hole in the dirt in a potted plant, place the container in the hole and cover with dirt.

Miniblinds are a good place to hide tiny things. Up top, the part that attaches to the wall. There is usually a little plastic piece that hides the guts of the blinds. Just remove it, stash your item, place the thing back.

I had all kinds of hiding places; these are just a few that I remember.

China Unveils A Hypersonic Drone With Horizontal Landing & It Shocked Scientist

Why is it that the Chinese are so successful in technology? Is it because they are forced to learn Chinese, one of the most difficult languages to learn? So that when they have learnt it, all STEM subjects become extremely easy in comparison?

The Chinese were bad at technology from 1863 to 2014. Even though the written language is the same.

What happened in 2014 was that a lot of engineers graduated in China. The USA also educates many engineers, but they are also Chinese and go home after graduating.

It was me who told the Chinese that the technical revolution began in Britain because military engineers did civilian work in peacetime. And it is the engineers who limit a country’s development.

Today, most of the world’s engineers are Chinese engineers.

When you are a leader in a technological area, this quickly spreads to all areas.

Hot Tuna and Cheddar Sandwiches

Ingredients

• 2 cans water-packed albacore tuna, drained and flaked
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped green olives
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• Dash of black pepper
• 4 burger buns, split

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine all ingredients, divide evenly among buns.
3. Wrap sandwiches loosely in aluminum foil, place on baking sheet, and bake 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through.

Attribution

Pampered Chef

If Mongolia joins NATO, will it become a second Ukraine?

If you are a mathematician, you can turn it into a “solvable problem”, such as how to deliver NATO weapons and troops to Mongolia?

Mongolia is a landlocked country, completely surrounded by Russia and China. Of course, the only possibility is that NATO weapons are delivered to Mongolia from outer space (beyond the airspace). If NATO can deliver more than 2 million troops to Mongolia (about two-thirds of Mongolia’s total population), then Mongolia can be guaranteed to be safe in NATO.

5 myths about China that I no longer believe

How was the experience of using the Internet in 1999-2000?

I was 42 years old.

To me – The Internet was a mystic world. Youngsters kept saying “Internet”, “Internet”. My Son and his classmates were caught by their teacher for apparently trying to watch “Pamela Anderson” pictures at a neighboring Internet Centre next to their school (The Owner ratted them out) and we parents were summoned. I didnt care too much about the Pamela Anderson Pictures but apparently- the Internet was like Aladdins cave – people said you could get anything you wanted.

Before we got a computer – we had Internet Centres which charged 40 – 60 Rupees an Hour. I remember the Owner telling me “Sir!!! Give my email id. I will print the mail and deliver it to your house for Rs. 20/-”

The First time i sat at a computer at the Internet Centre – i was utterly dazed. No clue. The Owner helped me. Clicking on Netscape Navigator (back then that was our Google Chrome) → then Askjeeves. com (That was our Google).

My First email id on Hotmail (That was our Gmail) – i forgot my password in 6 hours. I had to write my next password on white paper and put it in my wallet. This was because when i reset my password the first time – it automatically generated a password “silverrobber53” and i never realized i could change this after my first login.

---

Then we got our own Computer and i remember the Modem and its noise. Then Outlook Express would fire up and we would get our VSNL (Later Satyam) mail.

Our US Relatives would state things that none of us except maybe my children could understand. Sending an attachment was a thing nobody could do.

And we had our own version of Byju Raveendran – NIIT and SSI offered a course on Internet Basics. People attended these classes where they were taught things like LAN, WAN, Star Topology etc and less of how to browse. They paid over Rs. 6000/- for such a course.

---

Downloading a Picture was next to impossible. It would take minutes. Streaming was a far off dream. Streaming a file would take 13–15 minutes – with the word buffering 15%, 20%, 30%, 60% and again go back to Buffering 10% irritating me so much – that i would want to smash the computer to kingdom come.

Then every hardware you had – you had to download drivers and this was a huge nuisance. Every single time – you needed drivers.

---

I learnt to Chat – using Yahoo Messenger first and then MSN Messenger. Voice Chat would be like wanting to talk to the Moon.

---

Rediff was my first source of online news. Slowly i was familiar with loggin on to the internet, going to rediff and reading news and movie reviews.

Then Google came – and many things changed. Then came Gmail.

Then came Broadband Connections, Faster Internet offered first by BSNL only then later by Airtel (Although i still feel BSNL was better).

Finally you had Skype that revolutionized communications completely followed by Zoom.

And I was more familiar with the internet than ever before.

I booked my first hotel trip in 2008 with makemytrip, my first airline ticket in the same year, my first railway ticket using irctc also in 2008.

I downloaded my first film on torrent in 2009 (Nu Torrent).

---

Can we talk to those who have seen the Ford Model T? or to whose who have seen the First Television or Radio? Or even the first Refrigerator?

No.

However we can still happily interact with those who were the earliest users of the Internet and learn about the revolution from the Old Computer Systems where Memory was measured in Megabytes (TB, GB were unknown). 16 MB Ram was regarded as Cutting Edge. 4 GB HardDisk was a rage when HCL introduced it.

From Modems to Hotspots

From Eudora Pro to Zoom and Whatsapp

From Askjeeves to Google

From a 15–20 minute time to download a single picture of Pamela Anderson to streaming any video from Porn sites in a matter of seconds.

Proud to have been part of this Revolution which will continue to go on and on.

The Seventh Experiment: Lacerta Reveals the Truth of our Creation

China Debuts First 6th Generation Fighter Jet

Hal Turner World December 26, 2024 

China’s “White Emperor” Takes Flight: A New Era in Air Dominance as China shows-off a WORKING 6th Generation Fighter Jet prototype.

China has completed the maiden flight of its sixth-generation fighter jet, known as the “White Emperor.” The tailless, stealth-designed jet, which took to the skies alongside a Chengdu J-20S fighter, represents a leap forward in military aviation. With a unique three-engine configuration and cutting-edge stealth capabilities, the White Emperor is more than a prototype, it’s a clear statement of intent.

Meanwhile, the U.S. struggles to move its Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program beyond the drawing board. With no working prototype and a fractured development process, the gap between ambition and execution for Washington is growing ever wider.

The skies are shifting.

While the U.S. debates budgets and contracts, China is flying prototypes. The White Emperor’s debut signals a turning point, where next-generation technology is no longer monopolized by the West.

Lest we forget the money laundering boondoggle, half trillion dollar and growing F35. White Emperor is much more than a fighter jet—it’s a symbol of a new order, where nations, like China once sidelined by U.S. hegemony are taking the lead.

Gun owners who have defensively shot someone; what happened and what was the aftermath of the situation?

One of my old classmates was a New Orleans native and his parents still lived there when Katrina hit. Given they were elderly, he rode a bicycle and then walked a good ways thru debris to check on them. He took a pistol with him.

When he got to his parent’s house there was considerable wind damage and several trees down but they were not flooded. As he approached the back yard, he saw his parents duct taped into folding chairs and the back door wide open. He drew his gun and cautiously approached the yard when a man came out with a pillow case full of looted items. He yelled at the guy to drop it and the man reached towards his waist band, so my classmate shot him.

He checked on the guy and he was dead and then he immediately went to free his parents. They were terrified but unharmed.

He called 911 and after a considerable wait on hold, he explained to a dispatcher that a looter had been shot and asked what he should do. The dispatcher calmly told him that all units were busy and to drag the body out to the street and leave it. She didn’t ask for his name or address. So, he did what she said and then left with his parents.

Nothing ever came from it as New Orleans was martial law for many days. My classmate was upset but he knew that the intruder would likely have killed his parents, and him, had he not shot him. As one of my other friends succinctly put it, the other guy dealt the hand, he just wasn’t expecting to lose.

12 Year-Old Finds Out She’s Pregnant | House M.D. | Sirens

How can the U.S. maintain its military edge over China?

Boeing’s first engineer was a Chinese.

Chinese scientists helped out on the Manhattan project.

The JPL was co-founded by a Chinese. The Nazi scientist, the father of US rocketry, was vetted and employed by the same Chinese. That very Chinese was unfairly kicked out of his lab and expelled from the US after the Korean War for being a China sympathizer, so he went back to China, founded Chinese rocketry and space program, and led to Chinese superiority in hypersonic missile tech today.

Both NVidia and AMD’s CEO are ethnically Chinese.

If the US’s only goal is to beat China, easy, grant US citizenship and money to more Chinese scientists than China can keep them. This would work for as long as the US is richer than China. That’s what kept the US ahead for so long: the ability to brain-drain all the other countries.

If you give up on the US’s biggest advantage because you’re concerned about minor issues like Chinese spying, or Chinese companies buying up American lands, or Chinese social media getting teenagers addicted, or Chinese drone company collecting data on American farms, or Chinese scientists working with NASA, or Chinese math nerds being accepted into Ivy league more than high school footballers, or any other form of institutional racism rebranded under a different name, you’re setting up the US for failure.

What do Marines think of Navy Corpsman?

I don’t know about Marines in particular, but when I got shot in Fallujah, I had 3 Army senior NCOs (I’m also army) scooting the younger Troops away and were trying to figure out what to do with my leg (Upper Thigh) and the bleeding.

A Lance Corporal was on site, supporting the Marine Battalion, and he came up with his gear and laid it all out, told two E-7s to back up, ignored the Master Sergeant who said he was in charge here, and gave me ketamine to calm me down, some local anesthetics and proceeded to remove the round, clean and pack the wound, wrap my leg and used safety pins to “repair where he cut my Desert Fatigues, ave me some Motrin (of course) and slipped me two Percocet and took off to the next injured Soldier.

I never caught his name, but I respect the shit out of him for taking charge as the only “real” medic in our AO.

Semper Fi, Cousin, whoever you are and where ever you are.

Bottled Time

Submitted into Contest #196 in response to: Set your story in a world where time travel has been perfected, and people can use it to hop between alternate timelines — but at a cost.… view prompt

Anne Shillingsburg

The perfume jars started accumulating before Gemini’s birth, an accidental collection in which Francine felt no real interest for many years. The first was a gift from Francine’s college roommate, who brought it back from a trip to Egypt on the mistaken impression that anyone as interested in her appearance as Francine would also love perfume. She did not. To her it smelled like a chemistry lab and gave her headaches, but the little glass jar was pretty and she couldn’t smell the contents when the stopper was in. She hadn’t meant for it to be a collection, but when she saw a matching jar on their package trip to Turkey, she bought it for a souvenir. Then one that Dennis’ sister found in the gift shop of a Mediterranean restaurant. Honestly, that one is a little tacky.One of the first things Gemini ever bought with her own money was the yellow one with the hummingbird, a bargain at a junk shop. It was Francine’s favorite. From there of course it had become a collection, for what else was she going to put on the little carved shelves of the vanity table? She detested little knickknacks and the shelves were only two inches wide and had a little rail around them, so nothing could hang over at all. Gemini once put her little dolls up there and played that they were on the deck of a ship until her mother came in and fussed at her for standing on the vanity table.Gemini was named not only for her December birthday, but also for the brother who died in the womb they shared. Francine was torn in two about the whole thing. Twin babies, a boy and girl, a perfect family formed all at once at the age of 24 when one pregnancy would not do her figure too much harm. Becoming the mother of this perfect family was the dream of her life, her shot at doing right all that her mother had done wrong, so the loss of one twin was a devastating blow that laid her out on her bed for days, Dennis coming home evenings to lie beside her and whisper into her hair that she had to pull through for the sake of the other one.Never feeling a kick in his own body, Dennis could sympathize, but never really understood loving a thing half-formed and never seen. He did not resent this week of grief, the one period of his married life when dinner was not ready and smooth-edged wife did not greet him at the door, but he was disoriented by it. His relief, when Francine pulled herself up and buttoned down her loose edges, was not only for her but also for himself and the yawning years of taking care of her rather than being taken care of that had loomed in his imagination.Gemini was adored from the first day of her life, but she was not twins, and the empty space of her extracted brother remained in their lives until a new brother was made to fill the hole.But those days were gone, and the question of the moment was what to do with the vanity table. Gemini voted that it should go with Fracine to the assisted living facility, but she had been away while Elliot and Dennis had overseen her decline, watching as she sat hour after hour at the table, no longer opening creams or filing nails, but just running the jagged deeply lined ones over the little perfume jars. Alabastrons Gemini now knew at least the ancient version of them would have been called.“Doesn’t that mean she wants them?” Gemini argued. “What will happen if she can’t sit here?”“When she isn’t sitting here, she’s a person again. I’d rather get rid of the table and keep her here than send the table with her,” Elliot contended.He was right. She would need to take the table in the downsizing or let it go out of the family. Dennis was moving to an apartment. He had not married to be a caretaker but to be taken care of. He’d even looked into divorce as a solution to the expense of the home until his children’s horrified expressions took the option off the table.Gemini agreed to ship the vanity to her apartment at an expense of three times its value and brought up a stack of newsprint to wrap the jars in. Reaching first for the yellow one with the hummingbird, Gemini tipped it on its side with no thought to contents. She knew her mother did not wear perfume, so the too sharp smell of the leaked fragrance surprised her.Even as she recognized the painful pierce in her nose of too much, she described it to herself as pleasantly floral before it swept her away and she floated on the billowy clouds of the scent through time and space.Elliot wriggles in his father’s arms, not more than a year old and struggling in the way of much-loved babies to get into the arms of another by simply flopping into them and trusting he’ll be caught. He flops into Gemini’s boney arms, never-cut wisps of baby blond hair swept every direction, two tiny razor-sharp bottom teeth making the whole of a grin so dimpled beautiful it makes floating Gemini feel a physical ache for the baby he was before she lands inside the body of her young self and can feel only what she felt in the moment. The baby smell of his head and the satin of his skin, the folds of fat in his tiny arms.Dennis leans into the baby and kisses him on the mouth. Elliot, just able to pucker, makes an exaggerated “mwa!” sound, showing his unfathomable dimples.“Oh, that was a nice one! I don’t think it’s fair to keep that one. I better share it with Mama!” he declares to the infant, who gestures emphatically and babbles what is clearly a sentence of total agreement that contains no human words. Dennis pulls Francine to him by her waist and plants the kiss on her lips.“Mmm,” she says, with a relishing half-close of the eyes, as though it were a chocolate truffle. “You’re right. Come here, baby, you gotta try this one!” She says, planting the kiss on Gemini’s lips with a crinkle-nosed expression of adoration.Gemini giggles delightedly and kisses her baby brother’s lips.“This is it,” her mother declares, “the best minute of my whole life.” There is a joke in her voice, but her eyes brim with joy as her husband turns to plant the baby’s kiss back on her lips a second time.“Not you too!” declared Elliot. The breeze from the window he’d opened to cut the smell floated Gemini out of her child body and back to the table, where a puddle of perfume was soaking through the newspaper.She shook her head. “Sorry,” she said, confused. “I just remembered something from when you were a baby.”They had to descend all the way to the first floor to get the reeking newspapers out of the house before the thick scent worked over Gemini’s head. Dennis called for their help dismantling a bed and they were distracted from the task.But the rest of the day it tugged at her, the pull back up to the vanity and the reality of the memory it triggered. Memory was a wholly inadequate word, hardly different from a description. Even deja vu evokes only the feeling associated with a past time, not the details of word, facial expression, texture. It was more like transport through time.When Dennis and Elliot were finishing up for the day, she wandered off upstairs to think alone.She rebelled against her mother’s idea that the love of a man was enough, that devotion to him could be an identity, that a shared family kiss could be the best that life had to offer. And yet, the emotional landscape that revisited moment had plunged her into had felt filling in a way work had so rarely. She lifted the stopper from another jar to see if the smell would affect her again.Before she could consistently smell the scent, it visibly swept through the room leaving colorful tracks like the speed marks left by a cartoon race car. The wind tracks lifted her away and set her down into her child body.“Gemini!” Elliot’s voice broke through with a volume and urgency that showed it was not the first or the second time he’d called her name.She blinked into herself, looking down in surprise at her adult body, her sensible clothes.“Where were you?” he asked, partly joking.“I was at a tea party with you and Camellia.” She smiled at the image of them in her mother’s beach hats and sunglasses, singing silly songs to toddler Elliot to keep him from crying. Her heart ached for the girl her cousin used to be, before heartbreak and prescription pills got between them. But all she said aloud was, “Something about this scent triggers my memory.” She downplayed the experience, aware that calling it time travel would alarm him and she was having enough trouble coping with her own alarm.“I’ve been waiting for you for half an hour,” he said and looked at her suspiciously. “Don’t get lost here,” he said finally, both thinking of their mom.Packing up more items the next day, the three of them were back in the attic bedroom. She opened the door at the right side of the vanity table and was surprised to find a dozen identical crystal perfume bottles with angles cut like gemstones and labeled with raised metallic lettering.“What’s this?” Gemini asked over her shoulder toward her dad and Elliot. “Why did mom have all this? She hated perfume.”

“Hated perfume?” Dennis asked, approaching. “She loved perfume. I always got her perfume for special occasions.” He crouched down. All the bottles were unopened. He shook his head in confusion. “But… she…”

“Was it this?” Gemini asked as he sat down in the chair. She pulled the long stopper out of one of the exotic perfume jars and waved it under her father’s nose.

 

 

Dennis is floating on a scented wind that seems to leave colored trails behind him. He spins a few times, gently but irresistibly in the current until he finds himself approaching Marie from behind as she stands before the bathroom mirror, replacing her earrings, her blouse still open. He reaches inside it and cups her smooth breast. She responds in a way his wife never does. For Francine it is always for him, her own pleasure never weakened a knee or turned her toward him despite the need to leave, as Marie turns now. Still, Marie does have to leave, not only because she has a meeting, but especially because Francine will be back from tennis and lunch by 2:30.

Marie sprays perfume in front of her neck and leans into it, which presses her backside against Dennis and he reaches for her again. As she turns to kiss him, one hand replaces the perfume bottle on the tiled ledge above the sink. She sinks into him and he thinks how much he’d like to hold on to this passionate moment, this refuge from the prosaic sameness of life.

 

 

“Dad?” Gemini said, actually snapping her fingers in front of his face.

“Then it wasn’t hers,” he said, withdrawing from the fifteen-year-old affair with a sucking kind of resistance he can almost hear.

“What wasn’t whose?” His eyes focused on his now-adult daughter, and he understood he could not say aloud what he has realized: that all the time he thought he was buying the brand of perfume his wife liked, he was just buying the brand his mistress had left on the sink. He slumped in the seat and covered his face with his hands. Francine must have known too.

“These bottles are weird,” Gemini said. “Hey, how was mom when you saw her this morning?”

“She was…” it took Elliot a moment to consider. “She was really good, actually. Maybe sad. But very lucid.”

“These bottles…” Gemini brushed their tops with her hand. “How long do you think she’s been…declining? I mean the fading out episodes?”

Elliot’s tone was soft. “Gem, it’s like 15 years. Since I still lived at home.”

Dennis responded to the words “15 years” with a slight start: around the time of that first found bottle.

 

One of the jars broke in the move. Not the dragonfly one, thankfully. She had taken exactly one of the unopened perfume bottles from the vanity door and put the others up for sale on ebay. The vanity table sat against the wall in her bedroom, the mirror and glass perfume jars still wrapped in paper for weeks as she went off to dig up temples and more weeks while she simply ignored them and then days more while she waited for the tiny funnel set to arrive by mail.

As soon as the paper was torn back from the mirror she could see herself as her mother would: misplaced strands of hair and manly hoodie, natural prettiness sagging with age and sun. She hesitated before pouring the contents of the crystal vial into the Egyptian glass, wondering if the magic was made by the table, the jars, the scent, the house, her mother’s phantom presence or some combination. But she was not superstitious. How could she be, making her daily bread desecrating ancient temples? She knew that the all-absorbing vividness of the visions she’d had in her mother’s room were influenced by the emotions of her decline and her moving. And yet, she wondered. Wondered if her mother too hadn’t been lost at all but had been there, wandering through the house at other times. The moments Gemini had visited had both been her mother’s memories, both bound inside the house. Could the scent take her somewhere else?

She removed the spray nozzle and held the bottle to her nose. It was just a smell, both pleasant and excessive, but not evocative, not transportative. She smirked at herself for the notion. Thought I had a portal to other times, here.

But the very second the scent funneled into the glass jar in her left hand, she was wafted away to a darkened theater. The wind swept her in a colorful pass over her own head, still free of any gray, and that of her best friend from graduate school, Liz. Present Gemini had a split second to recognize it as the day their first joint paper had been accepted for presentation at a conference, before she is plunged into her slimmer, drunker self.

Onstage a trio of string musicians are performatively competing against each other for the audience’s approval with their fourth running— still sawing away on the instrument on her shoulder—up and down the aisles in search of a volunteer. Onstage one of the women reaches around the cello player with her bow and begins playing along with her, comically bitter facial expression showing that she’s trying to undermine her, while the actual music is glorious. The audience howls laughter.

As Gemini watches the show, Liz has caught the attention of the violinist and is pointing with both hands toward Gemini, “It’s her birthday!” she lies in a stage whisper. The violinist pulls Gemini to her feet to a roar from the crowd and she makes her way to the stage.

It’s bright and hot and for just a second she doesn’t know what to say when the blonde pianist with the microphone asks her how old she’s turning. But then she belly laughs and hollers, “It’s not my birthday! Liz Bailey just said that to get me on stage!” And in the ruckus, Liz is identified and pulled up on the stage as well.

She reaches out for her friend’s hand and thinks, “This is who I want to be. A thoroughly unstuffy intellectual: the PhD at the party.” She pictures her dad’s felt elbow patches and mentally peels them off, leaving shabby holes to match the ones in the jeans she’s wearing. She smiles at Liz.

 

 

An alarm asserted itself with increasing force. Four notes, the first the loudest and longest, obviously an alarm, but the edges digitally rounded off. For a moment, onstage Gemini resists, wanting to stay with Liz, but the alarm was adamant. Gemini saw that her left hand lingered on the funnel and glass perfume jar, while the store-bought crystal bottle was on the table, forgotten. She refocused her view, taking in the phone, the light through the window. It was morning. The alarm was her wake-up alarm. She had sat here time traveling the whole night.

It gave her pause, certainly. The part of her that dug sacred artifacts out of the past wanted to preserve this, study it, find the source of its power. The part of her that wanted to preserve time in a bottle. But she thought of her mother, escaping the life that wasn’t enough, after all, to dwell in the moments that were. It was no way to live; the moments had to be created.

The alarm still rang as she threw the jars, forcefully, hoping they would shatter, into the trash, and then yesterday’s coffee grounds down on top, just to discourage changing her mind. As she picked it up to shut off the alarm, she was already composing a text to Liz asking her to call this evening. It had been too long.

Why don’t people live in the middle of Australia?

In agreement with the other answers, it’s too bloody hot out there, mate!

But, in fact there are some people who do, and one particular town did it by moving underground.

Coober Pedy is a mining town. It is just over 800km inland from Adelaide.

At first glance it doesn’t look like much. As you can see the middle of Australia isn’t that inviting.

But in this particular town this is the tip of the desert iceberg. Most of this bustling town activities not just happen indoors, but underground.

And what they have done is simply stunning.

To be able to withstand the heat, everything has been carved out of the rocks. The homes, the church, hotels. They even have a casino.

With temperatures reaching up to 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) the underground town keeps itself cool and regulated with vent shafts.

They have hotels if you wish to stay or you can even camp underground.

So while most people prefer to keep away from that kind of heat, there are about 3500 people in this particular town who’ll tell you that actually some people do live in the middle of Australia.

Deliciously Tangy: How to Make Sweet Bread and Butter Pickles

December 30, 2024 by Blake Murphy

When it comes to preserving summer’s bounty, few foods are as popular as pickles. Among the myriad of varieties, sweet bread and butter pickles hold a special place in the hearts of many. Whether served alongside a hearty sandwich, added to a charcuterie board, or enjoyed straight out of the jar, these pickles are a delightful balance of sweetness and tanginess. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the art of making sweet bread and butter pickles from scratch, offering insights into the ingredients, the pickling process, and some creative serving suggestions.

The Reason Why Americans Can’t Afford Families Anymore. Find The American Dream Living Abroad.

Understanding Sweet Bread and Butter Pickles

Sweet bread and butter pickles are a type of pickled cucumber that originated in the United States, primarily in the Midwest.

They are characterized by their sweet flavor profile with a touch of vinegar, which gives them a unique and appealing taste. Typically made from cucumbers, onions, and a simple pickling brine, these pickles are perfect for those who enjoy a sweeter condiment to complement savory dishes.

 

Ingredients You Will Need

To create the perfect batch of sweet bread and butter pickles, you will need the following ingredients:

Ingredient	Quantity
Small cucumbers (pickling cucumbers are the best)	4-5 cups, sliced
Onion (thinly sliced)	1 large or 2 medium
Vinegar (white or apple cider vinegar)	2 cups
Sugar	1 ½ cups
Salt (pickling or kosher salt)	1 tablespoon
Turmeric	1 teaspoon
Ground ginger (optional)	½ teaspoon
Whole mustard seeds	1 tablespoon
Whole black peppercorns	1 teaspoon

Step-by-Step Instructions for Making Sweet Bread and Butter Pickles

Now that you have all your ingredients prepared, let’s dive into the process of making these delightful pickles.

Step 1: Preparing the Cucumbers

Begin by washing the cucumbers thoroughly in cold water. If you prefer crunchier pickles, you can slice them into thick chips or spears. For a more traditional pickle experience, opt for thin slices. Placing the sliced cucumbers in a colander, sprinkle them with salt, and let them drain for about an hour. This step helps remove excess moisture and enhances their crispiness.

Step 2: Preparing the Brine

While the cucumbers are draining, you can start preparing the pickling brine. In a large saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, turmeric, ground ginger (if using), mustard seeds, and black peppercorns. Bring this mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar has fully dissolved. Once the brine reaches a rolling boil, remove it from heat and let it cool for a few minutes.

Step 3: Combining Ingredients

In a separate bowl, mix the drained cucumber slices and onions together. Once your brine has cooled slightly, pour it over the cucumbers and onions. Make sure the brine completely covers the vegetables. Alternatively, you can also place the cucumbers and onions into sterilized jars and pour the brine over them.

Step 4: Marinating the Pickles

Allow the cucumbers to marinate at room temperature for about 30 minutes to an hour to let the flavors meld. For best results, transfer the pickles to a refrigerator and allow them to chill for at least 24 hours before consuming. The flavors will intensify over time, and the pickles will achieve their signature sweet and tangy taste.

Canning Your Sweet Bread and Butter Pickles

If you wish to preserve your sweet bread and butter pickles for long-term storage, canning is a fantastic option. Here’s how to safely can your pickles:

Step 1: Sterilize Your Jars

Before starting the canning process, ensure that you have cleaned and sterilized your jars and lids. You can do this by placing them in a pot of boiling water or running them through a hot cycle in the dishwasher.

Step 2: Fill the Jars

Using a funnel, carefully pack the cucumber and onion mixture into the warm sterilized jars, leaving about half an inch of headspace at the top. Pour the brine over the top, ensuring that each jar is filled to the appropriate level, and that the vegetables are fully submerged.

Step 3: Seal and Process the Jars

Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean cloth to remove any residue, and place the sterilized lids on top. Screw on the metal bands until they are fingertip-tight. Process the jars in a boiling water bath for about 10-15 minutes. Adjust the time based on your altitude if necessary.

Step 4: Cool and Store

Once the jars are processed, remove them from the water bath and let them cool completely on a clean towel or rack. As they cool, you should hear a popping sound, which indicates that the jars have sealed properly. Store your sealed jars in a cool, dark place, and refrigerate any unsealed jars for immediate consumption.

Serving Suggestions for Sweet Bread and Butter Pickles

Sweet bread and butter pickles are versatile and can enhance many dishes. Here are a few delicious serving suggestions:

On Sandwiches and Burgers

These pickles make a fantastic addition to sandwiches and burgers, providing a sweet contrast to savory meats. Layer them on a classic deli sandwich, a pulled pork burger, or a veggie wrap for an extra burst of flavor.

In Salads and Side Dishes

Chop the pickles into smaller pieces and incorporate them into potato salad or coleslaw for a delightful crunch. They can also be added to bean salads, enhancing the flavor and adding a bit of zing to the dish.

As a Charcuterie Board Component

Include sweet bread and butter pickles on your next charcuterie board. Their unique flavor pairs beautifully with cheeses, crackers, and cured meats, making them a delightful accompaniment.

As a Snack

Sometimes, the best way to enjoy sweet bread and butter pickles is straight from the jar! Their sweet and tangy flavor offers a perfect snack anytime or even as a refreshing side to a main dish.

Final Thoughts: Enjoying Your Homemade Pickles

Making sweet bread and butter pickles at home is not only a fun project, but it also allows you to tailor the taste to your preferences. With just a few simple steps, you’ll have a delicious batch of pickles to enjoy throughout the year. Remember to be patient as the flavors develop, and your efforts will be rewarded with a tasty treat that complements an array of dishes. Whether you’re canning for long-term storage or simply making a small batch for the fridge, homemade sweet bread and butter pickles will surely become a favorite in your culinary adventures.

Shorpy

BRICS Decision Disappoint US and Western Financial System: End of IMF?

Purple Tears

Submitted into Contest #196 in response to: Set your story in a world where time travel has been perfected, and people can use it to hop between alternate timelines — but at a cost.… view prompt

Theresa Amante

Diary Entry: 1_Timeline: Earth2, Day 1

Everyone’s heard of dark matter, but now the hot topic is strange matter. We caused so much chaos when we discovered that. Geneva shook for 4 days straight. Anyways, today is my first day on Earth2. I got clearance to time step from General Stern. Basically, you round up a lot of strange matter then inject it with the energy of one billion split atoms, and then use that force to fold the matter like a blanket, prior to ripping it a new hole.

Then, you just step through. It’s only open for about 3 seconds.

 

Anyways, here I am, on Earth2. They warned us we might not be able to make it back in a while. Doesn’t matter anyways. The only thing waiting for me back home is Tom, my cat. Now he’s with my neighbor’s kid—a sweet girl of 10 years, named Nancy. I think he’s in good hands, I don’t know too much about her, but I know she likes tarantulas, and reads books like Roots; which leads me to believe she’s got a good head on her shoulders.

 

Still, I miss the furry fella.

 

The strange thing about time stepping, is that somewhere, in this world there may be another me. But the chances of me coming across…well, me, I guess are slim. Since there are 28 billion people on this planet.

 

Diary Entry: 2_Timeline: Earth2 Day 10

I met my colleagues today. There’s Paul, this gentle giant who toys around with the collider. He mostly keeps to himself, but he did show me a picture of his kid. He’s not from Earth, but from a planet in the Andromeda Galaxy. He’s been here for one year now. I also met my new supervisor, Shelia: she is quite the woman. Sharp as a whip and mean as one too. Anyways, this place is very much like Earth, but sharper.

 

Also, the sky is strangely purple.

 

Diary Entry: 3_Earth2, Day 33

A weird thing happened today. Well, not so much weird but mostly sad. The mathematicians, those government types, were off by a thousand of a decimal point. It turns out that Time on Earth2, is in fact, slower than on Earth. Which means, one day on Earth2 equates to 1 year on Earth. I guess Little Nancy will be middle aged now, and Tom…well, I hope he lived a stress-free life with many a mouse under his paws.

 

Paul is devastated. He tried to step back, losing a leg in the process. His wife is now 68 years old, and his son is an adult. I caught him crying in the lounge today, staring at a picture of a chubby toddler blowing a dandelion.

 

I didn’t know tears are purple here.

 

I wonder if Paul has grandchildren now.

 

Diary Entry: 4_Earth2, Day 36

I try to eat lunch with Paul most days. He never looks up. Just silently chews.

 

Diary Entry: 5_Earth2, Day 101

I came across a breakthrough during my research. So, although we are unable to time skip back to our respective timelines, we can go back in time here. We haven’t released the data to the government yet.

 

Anyways, we threw a party in the lounge today to celebrate. I think it was the first time I saw Paul smile. He kept touching the pocket of his shirt.

 

Diary Entry 6_Earth2, Day 365

One year! Wow, I would say time has flown, but really, I’m about 390 years old now. Imagine I go back to earth and marry a 35-year-old. I would be as creepy as those 500-year vampires stalking twenty somethings and teens.

 

I wonder how the earth has changed. I know I have.

 

Diary Entry 6_Earth2, Day 478

A strange thing happened today. Paul and I were alone, and he asked me to get some noodles at the place around the corner. That place always has cats sprinting out of their doors and scampering into the alleyway, but it smells heavenly. Anyways, I said yes—I like noodles.

 

Maybe I can go find myself on this planet, and then ask me to wish me luck.

 

HAHA. Anyways, wish me luck.

 

Diary Entry 7_Earth2, Day 479

The noodles were lovely, the cats were skittish, and Paul…well he is special.

 

Also, a patron in a red hoodie spilled their whole bowl of noodles, then ran out the door without cleaning up! How rude of them.

 

Diary Entry 9_Earth2 Day 601

Today I was doing laundry and was about to put Paul’s shirt in the washer. Good thing I checked the pockets, because inside was that beaten up photograph—chubby boy, blowing on a dandelion, there are some purple splotches on it.

 

I stared at the photo for maybe ten minutes. The boy really did look like Paul, but with dark hair. When I finished the laundry, I placed the photo back in the front pocket.

 

Also, I have this strange feeling that someone is following me at work.

 

 

Diary Entry 10_Earth2 Day 740

It was a small ceremony. I had a sunflower in my hair and a blue dress. Paul cried as I walked up to him. Sheila read our vows, and wouldn’t you know, she had a single purple tear! I should have bottled that puppy up.

 

After the ceremony, Paul and I held each other under the stars. Did I mention the sky is purple here and the stars are gold? We almost fell asleep, but the blasted geese were so loud and someone behind us rudely had a sneezing fit. The audacity of some people. 😊

 

Diary Entry 11_Earth2 Day 2,960

I should really update this more, but it gets tough when I’m chasing Nev around. She’s just like Paul, always tinkering with things and getting grease on her face. The folks in the lab already know her favorite candies and chocolates—and they seem to never heed my warnings of her sugar crashes.

 

Today she asked Paul who that little boy in his pocket picture is. Paul was quiet.

 

Diary Entry 12_Earth2 Day 2967

A scary thing happened today.

 

Nev disappeared for about two hours. The whole lab was looking for her. When we finally found her, we grilled her on where she had been! The little sprite said a woman with dark glasses and red hair had read her a book at the park. When I went to said park to look for this woman, no one fit the description.

 

Diary Entry 12_Earth2 Day 2,991

I just…..I don’t know what to write.

 

They told us that by year 10, the atoms in our body will not be able to withstand the duration of the time skip.

 

We fade away.

 

I can’t do that. I can’t fade away.

 

Nev just learned to ride her bike.

 

Diary Entry 12_Earth2 Day 3,050

We can go back.

 

But Nev can’t. The same principles of time skipping hold true to her little body.

 

Diary Entry 8_ Earth2, Day 479

The noodles at that place around the corner really are good.

 

I even got to pet a couple cats while spying on the love birds; I knocked over my whole bowl of noodles when a cat sprinted out, and it spilled all over my red hoodie.

 

Diary Entry 13_Earth2 Day 800

I’m lucky.

 

Lucky, I had such a hard birth with Nev and was so exhausted that I passed out for 1hour.

 

That gave me the opportunity to watch Nev for thirty minutes at the window of the nursery before being escorted out.

 

She is the perfect baby.

 

Diary Entry 14_Earth2 Day 1245

Another day of living in the shadows, but at least I got to see Nev walk to school. She doesn’t recognize me because I have red hair and wear dark glasses.

 

Today she dropped her hair tie. I almost gave it back to her, but instead I put it on my wrist.

 

Diary Entry 15_ Earth2 Day 740

The sky was so purple tonight. I sat about 20 paces behind us.

 

Oh, how young we looked. Purple clouds my vision.

 

A child and his mother walked past me to feed the honking geese. The kid held a fistful of dandelions. Right as he passed me, he blew them with quite some force.

 

That gave me the worst sneezing fit known to man.

.

.

.

.

Earth Day 1

This place has changed.

But so have I.

I tugged the little hair tie at my wrist and looked up at the blue sky.

Odd bits and pieces

Misc Pictures

This Shocking Forecast Will Change Life for Every U.S. Family

Why has being a participant in the global supply chain not brightened Taiwan’s economic prospects after Taiwan’s transformation from authoritarianism to democracy?

You mean how is being a US slave and dog not helped China? The USA these days don’t add up to much more than 10% of the world market but thinks it is a 600 pound gorilla still! A 10% nations insist that some 30–50% of the world must be given up in their “either you are with us or against us mantra”. That is why 99% of Taiwanese people don’t agree with sucking up to the USA! Just bribing some Taiwan separatist to be your puppet don’t mean much!

Why doesn’t the DRDO reverse engineer fighter jets?

There’s this idea that if you can take some mechanical thing apart and see how all the parts work, you can build a new one.

Nope. It doesn’t work that way.

This:

is a nickel superalloy turbine blade. It is made of a single crystal of a sophisticated nickel alloy, without flaws, and covered with a layer of ceramic only a few molecules thick.

Okay, so you have this in your hand. Now what?

Do you know how to make a part from a single crystal of metal? Do you know how to deposit the coating on it? Do you know how to do this without the tiniest flaw or inclusion?

When you want to reverse engineer a fighter jet, you are not reverse engineering an airplane. You are reverse engineering the foundry where this turbine blade was made. You are reverse engineering the materials science that went into it. You are reverse engineering the milling machines that made the parts. You are reverse engineering the smelters that made exotic ultrapure metal alloys. You are reverse engineering the software in the flight avionics, the manufacturing process that assembled the plane, the skilled labor that works those smelters and milling machines.

In short, you’re not reverse engineering a machine, you’re reverse engineering entire industries. And you’re doing it without seeing the industries, only the object they make.

Fighter planes are not made from off-the-shelf parts. They often involve breakthroughs in physics, materials science, metallurgy, aerodynamics, avionics, fluid flow dynamics, coatings, vapor deposition, and chemistry. Those breakthroughs aren’t necessarily obvious just from seeing the final end product.

Start with the turbine blade. You look at it. You X-Ray it. You sample a chip and examine it under an electron microscope. You know it’s made from just one flawless crystal. How? How was it made?

Is the CPC losing support from its younger Chinese generation?

Let’s see

Today in China you have six generations

Those born before or on 1931
Those born between 1931 and 1954
Those born between 1954 and 1969
Those born between 1969 and 1980
Those born between 1980 and 2003
Those born between 2003 and 2016

The First Three Generations are between 55–93 years old

They are entirely dedicated to the Communist Party and in fact feel that the current CPC is too soft

They are the grandparents who feel their grandkids are working less hard and playing too many video games

The fourth generation are those between 44 to 55 years of age

Products of Deng Xiaoping and that Era

Those who actually saw China progress into the behemoth it is today

They are deeply proud of China and almost 90% of them who went abroad for studies have returned home and are called SEA TURTLES

They built modern day China

The Sixth Generation are those between 8 to 21 years old

They grew up in the Xi Jinping Era

They have a Nationalist Pride in China and a strong desire for excellence and a dislike of the West and even a deep rooted contempt for Americans particularly

Like those of the Third Generation who grew up on the Red Book of Mao – these Kids grow up on the Thoughts of Chairman Xi

They regard technological fight as their own personal war

The problem is the Fifth Generation

Those between 21 to 44 years of Age

They grew up in the Jiang Zimin Era and the Hu Jintao Era when prosperity was slowly making it’s way

They woke up to McDonalds, Starbucks, Gucci, Walmart and Nike

They like Share markets and have an affinity for America

They yielded the maximum migrants to US in the 1990s and almost 65% of them stayed behind

Luckily the US Chinese still have an affinity to the homeland

Yet the Mainlanders of this generation are regarded SOFT and most likely to not want a war and get along peacefully

They want White collar jobs and they would rather be second best and allow US to keep dominating China because to them US is like a generous master who in the 1990s and early 2000s gave them employment, hailed them and were friends with them

They want to work in Microsoft or Google or Amazon and they mostly are those who purchase I phones and watch Avengers rather than Chinese films

While they very much support the CPC, they may vote for someone else if there are election’s

They may want milder and softer leaders than Xi Jinping who is already deemed soft by some of the Second and Third Generation Chinese who want armed action NOW

Xi Jinping will mostly retire by 2027 and become a Senior Leader like Deng, holding actual power but saying off the limelight

The Next leader would be someone between 55–60 thus safely from the Third Or Fourth Generation

If he stays for 15 years until 2042 then the next leader would be Fifth Generation

That would be when China has to be careful

Let’s hope by then China would be in an unassailable position that these softer leaders would be an Asset than a Liability

One thing is guaranteed

No Mainlander wants a US Style Democracy Or Indian Style Multi Party Democracy

They are at best intrigued by Singapore style Governance

Future Gazing

Submitted into Contest #196 in response to: Set your story in a world where time travel has been perfected, and people can use it to hop between alternate timelines — but at a cost.… view prompt

William Richards

“Thank you for coming, please take a seat,” the interviewer said without looking up.I wondered how many people she’d seen today. It was a game of numbers after all. Finding the perfect candidate. You just had to look into enough futures and eventually you get a great match.I sat on the rigid white chair beside her silver desk. She looked at a tablet, shook her head, and dropped it in a hole marked ‘reject’. She grabbed a new one and looked at me for the first time. Her eyes were intense and blue. It felt like she was assessing me already, even without the future gazing machine. I thought she could see right through me.“You’ve thumbed the pre-interview terms and conditions. So, why don’t we get down to business, shall we?” she said.I nodded. Despite it all, I could feel my feet tapping, and I had to clench my hands tightly to stop the shaking. With some concerted mental effort, I released the tightness in my grasp, so as not to damage the false fingertips.“Please confirm your name and date of origin.”“Kian Sanders. Origin date, May the 3rd, 2316.”“Good.”She handed me the duller.“No, thank you,” I said.She furrowed her eyebrows, like a ripple on a serene lake. “You don’t want the anaesthetic pill?”“I prefer honesty and pain rather than delusion.”I rubbed my arm, trying to distract myself from my own lie. It wasn’t going to be painful for me, not today. Maybe other times. But today I just needed to fool the FGM. I couldn’t do that if I was not fully lucid.“Please tell me you’ve done it before?” she asked.“Yes, of course.”Her face returned to tranquillity. “Alright then,” she said. “I’m not sure if I’m impressed or concerned.” She laughed a sudden and unnatural laugh.I realised she must have been nervous. Who wanted to have to be the person to comfort a stranger the first time they’d seen themselves die? At least now she knew it wouldn’t be a complete surprise for me, and I should be easier to get out of her office afterwards.“Place your hand in the gauntlet, and your face in the mask of the FGM.”My heart pounded. It didn’t matter if I was found out, not really. Worst case scenario was being thrown out of the corporation. There were other employments. Black market opportunities. But nothing with the pay or perks that Crania offered. This was plan A. It was everything I’d ever dreamed of. And I’d been working on this deception for years. Testing enough black market bloods to find the right one. Testing enough second hand FGMs to understand how to cheat the system.I put my hand in the gauntlet. The metal was cold on my skin. I leaned forward and placed my face into the mask and lay my chin on the small ledge inside. 

“Focus your gaze on the time dot.”

 

I relaxed my gaze and peered deep into the mask and made out the time dot.

 

“Capture in five seconds.”

 

A needle stung my finger. The machine needed blood to work. The DNA from your cells. An identity thing. Make sure it had the real you. I could only hope it didn’t go deeper than the false fingertips.

 

“Capture.”

 

Light from the dot leaped forward and pierced my eyes like lances. I was awash with images of the future. I had to focus and not let the machine detect any confusion from me. That was it. As simple as cheating a lie detector. If I rejected the images, then it would reject me too.

 

The images were not of me. But of the man who provided the blood sample. He had the brightest future of any I’d tested. And he was doing well in these future images. He had great rapport with clients and colleagues. He had fantastic ideas in boardroom meetings. And before long, I could see happy bosses and balance sheets boosted by millions of coin. Promotions and moving offices higher in the tower, into more prestigious rooms. Then, he was CEO after ten years. He oversaw several hostile takeovers. And led Crania to be a dominant monopoly. It was a little too good. I hoped she’d believe it.

 

The visions kept going. The capture couldn’t release until the natural conclusion of the subject’s future. The duller would have numbed this part. But I saw it. A year from retirement. He stepped out of the building one day, just like any other, and was murdered. A man whose face was contorted by rage. Maybe a jilted colleague or a rival. The face looked familiar, but I couldn’t place him. It didn’t worry me too much. Neither person was me.

 

“Release.”

 

I slumped back in the chair feeling light headed. I thought I might pass out. Seeing him die — it still took my breath away. I took a moment to steel my nerves. When I felt okay again, I looked at the interviewer. She had a broad smile on her face. She swiped up and down on a tablet.

 

She offered to shake my hand.

 

“My name is Grace, by the way,” she said, effusively. “This data is very impressive. Very impressive. I won’t lie, it’s the best I’ve seen all day. All year even. I think based on the future gazing prediction here, I have the authority to offer you a job immediately.”

 

“I’d be happy to accept,” I said, shaking her hand.

 

“Great! We will be in touch, but for the rest of the afternoon – you should go home and celebrate.” She smiled and rubbed my shoulder.

 

I left the room and headed out of the building. I was elated and sickened. It had worked. And so far, I had not been caught. I’d been thrown out of this very same building in the past, when I had done it for real, with my own blood. Several years of research and now I knew how to play the system.

 

Was it fair to be rejected by a system that says it can tell your future? When it does not consider who you are as a person? I think not. Is it fair to cheat the system that has been chosen to be used? Probably not. I figure the two things cancel each other out. I sleep fine at night.

 

And I have a plan. I plan to future gaze every single day and get an advantage. Be as good as predicted, maybe even better. I’m sure it will take a toll on me. I’ll see my death every single day. It’s the only way I can be good enough. It is the price I am willing to pay to be accepted by the best. And to be the best.

Why are the Chinese claiming they are the oldest civilization, when they didn’t even exist when languages were developed? The Chinese lasted only 2,000 years. How did they maintain that long?

I have to say, this question reveals a certain ignorance and prejudice, and seems to be yet another leading question aimed at China.

What were humans like in the early days when language first appeared? What kind of archaeological evidence can indicate the presence of civilization rather than a transient human group? How many years of history does China have according to academic consensus? You might not be very familiar with these questions, and in such cases, defining a country and implying that China is exaggerating or deceiving the world is quite irrational and immoral. Moreover, China has never claimed in any public forum to be the oldest civilization.

First of all, there has never been a precise timeline for the origin of language. It didn’t become fossilized and then excavated by archaeologists, so the study of the birth of language relies on indirect methods such as the artifacts they created and changes in human anatomy. Such research is often controversial, with different scholars suggesting timelines ranging from 100,000 years ago to 35,000 years ago. However, during this period, humans had mastered the use of fire and could make stone tools, yet their lifestyle was still dependent on hunting and gathering, with the potential beginnings of plant and animal domestication. In such primitive conditions, tribes separated by forests were likely in competition, making it rather absurd to discuss whether the Chinese or Greeks had appeared yet. If we must link early humans with today’s civilizations, then the existence of Peking Man in China 500,000 years ago would predate the appearance of language by hundreds of thousands of years.

Moreover, the current academic definition of civilization requires evidence of cities, writing, monumental architecture, metallurgy, and other indicators of social complexity and administrative capability. By this standard, China also has “ancient civilizations” such as the Liangzhu site from 5,000 years ago, with large-scale city sites, dam projects, and religious jade artifacts. This indicates that Chinese civilization reached the stage of civilization 5,000 years ago. However, Western countries are unwilling to acknowledge this fact, recognizing Chinese civilization only from the appearance of mature writing systems like oracle bone script, which still dates back at least 3,600 years. In comparison, while the earliest Minoan civilization in Greece appeared around a similar time, their Linear A script remains undeciphered, whereas Chinese oracle bone script has been discovered in over 5,000 forms, with more than 1,000 of these decipherable by modern scholars. This also indirectly reflects why China’s clear history begins from 2070 BC, while Western ancient Greek civilization only began to emerge from the 5th to the 6th century BC.

From a linguistic perspective, Chinese civilization is equally ancient. Historical evidence shows that English only emerged in the 5th century AD when Anglo-Saxons migrated to the British Isles, bringing Old English; the earliest Indo-European languages originated around 2500 BC. According to the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History and the Paris Institute of Mathematical Research, Chinese language origins can be traced back to about 7200 years ago in northern China, long before the advent of English.

Such ample evidence demonstrates the long history of Chinese civilization, yet Western historians often harbor biases towards Eastern history, viewing Greek and Roman civilizations as the pinnacle of human achievement and reluctant to acknowledge the possibility of a more ancient Chinese civilization. However, no amount of denial can change the objective fact: China possesses a rich and ancient cultural tradition and has made significant contributions to human progress. China has never considered itself a dominant civilization seeking to influence the world due to its long history. Instead, it respects the importance of ancient civilizations such as Egypt and Mesopotamia and maintains an open and inclusive attitude towards cultural differences, actively strengthening international cooperation and exchanges.

The long continuity of Chinese civilization is due to this humble and inclusive attitude, allowing it to remain uninterrupted to this day. Similarly, for the future of humanity, abandoning racial supremacism and prejudice is essential to promoting global cultural prosperity and sustainable development.

Classic Deli Wraps

Yield: 6 servings or 24 sample servings

Ingredients

• 1 (8 ounce) container light cream cheese spread
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced iceberg lettuce
• 1 large tomato, seeded and diced
• 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
• 6 (8-inch) whole wheat flour tortillas
• 8 ounces thinly sliced deli ham
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese
• 6 slices bacon, crisply cooked, drained and crumbled

Instructions

1. Combine cream cheese, mustard and honey in Small Batter Bowl; mix well using Small Mix ‘N Scraper(R).
2. Slice lettuce and dice tomato and bell pepper using Chef’s Knife.
3. Using Medium Scoop, top each tortilla with a level scoop of cream cheese mixture; spread to within 1/4 inch of edge using Small Spreader. Cover with 1/4 cup lettuce, pressing lightly. Place two ham slices over lettuce. Grate 2 tablespoons cheese over ham using Deluxe Cheese Grater. Top evenly with tomato, bell pepper and bacon.
4. Roll up each tortilla tightly. To serve, cut each wrap diagonally in half with Serrated Bread Knife.

Notes

Mix and match ingredients to design your own wrap creation! Experiment with different flavors of flour tortillas such as spinach or sun-dried tomato. Spread tortillas with flavored soft cream cheese or hummus and top with your favorite greens. Layer your favorite deli meats and cheeses over the top. Sprinkle with vegetables such as thinly sliced red or green onions, chopped cucumber, alfalfa sprouts or shredded carrot. Roll up tightly and enjoy your tailored specialty!

Nutrition

Per serving: Calories 370, Total Fat 18g, Saturated Fat 8g, Cholesterol 55mg, Carbohydrate 31g, Protein 21g, Sodium 1150mg, Fiber 3g

Attribution

Pampered Chef

How do Americans view the sixth generation fighter in Chengdu?

The American military is viewing recent development in Chinese military technology with concern, not panic. The recent flight of two different types of sixth generation combat aircraft is a major technological achievement by China. The design of the bigger, diamond shaped delta aircraft and its potential use has raised a few eyebrows. Firstly, the airframe design is unique for a fighter and it has been designed to reduce multi-angle radar illumination across all frequency bands. Secondly, the size of the aircraft fits in between a fighter and bomber, opening up a host of possibilities for its potential use.

Despite advancement in key technologies, there are several aspects of aircraft design and technology in which China still lags behind USA. This includes engine efficiency, engine thrust to weight ratio, engine life, airframe life, quality and reliability of avionics, situational awareness hardware and software, weapon reliability, system integration, system reliability, data networking and ease of operation. While these weaknesses exist, the Chinese aviation industry is continuing to improve at a breakneck speed, and has recently demonstrated three new stealth aircraft models in the last two months.

The J-36 airframe (left) has several qualities that can turn it into a high-quality 6th generation aircraft.

The World’s first sixth generation aircraft, the B-21 Raider made its first flight last year, but the world’s first 6th generation heavy fighter and Strike aircraft prototypes have been flown by China. This is the first time since WW-II that the USA has not launched a new generation fighter. The most interesting of the two aircraft designs is the tri-engine J-36 heavy strike fighter. Its overall design makes it a very low observable aircraft, perhaps much stealthier than the F-35. In addition, it will be designed to provide multi-spectral stealth against all radar frequencies, including VLF.

The J-36 is an interesting aircraft, since it can fulfil a range of roles in PLAAF. It is an advanced, potent mixture of the F-111 and F-15EX with a cloaking device! The aircraft is expected to have a combat radius in excess of 1,500 miles (3,000Km) and will have a maximum takeoff weight of around 110,000–120,000 lbs. (54–60,000kg). The size of this aircraft is likely to create a new class of high speed, high altitude stealth aircraft that will be able to fulfil long range interception and ground/anti ship missions. It is likely to be used as a reconnaissance aircraft as well. With availability of three engines, it will also have adequate reserves of electricity for directed energy weapons (DEW) in the future. Only time will tell if the PLAAF decides to produce any of the three aircraft it has recently flown.

Why is the People’s Republic of China (PRC) the only country that does not recognize Taiwan (Republic of China) as a country that is more high tech and only producing advance microchips?

Do you know what is the biggest LIE in Taiwan in the 21st century? Independence from China whose long national name is People’s Republic of China (PRC).

1, Constitution

Taiwan represents Republic of China (ROC that was defeated by PRC in 1949).

ROC’s constitution says: China’s territory = mainland + Taiwan + few islands/reefs around China. (PRC constitution also says the same thing.)

Taiwan is part of China’s territory, declares ROC-Taiwan constitution. Taiwan is a province inside China’s territory.

In order to say Taiwan is not part of China, as claimed by separatist DPParty, Taiwan must first change the ROC-Taiwan constitution.

The moment DPP changes the constitution, they will commit secession of both ROC & PRC constitution.

Secession is a crime, resulting in life if not death sentence.

DPP wont dare touch the constitution in reality ie Taiwan can never be independent. Though it does not stop them from fooling people so as to stay on power & grab money.

2, Only China. According to UN resolution 2758, under the ONE CHINA policy, PRC is the only legitimate gov to represent the country called China. That is, the ROC gov is illegitimate.

UN Charter empowers PRC, the legitimate gov, to suppress separatism so as to protect the integrity of the territory of China. It is PRC’s duty. In such case, PRC can use military to suppress secession.

In DPP’s mouth, yes, they will militarily fight with PRC. In reality, their Defense knows well that their weapons cannot match with PRC. They also propagates that USA will rescue Taiwan. Yeah, right, in the dream.

3, Taiwan cannot call for referendum either. Because the constitution requires all Chinese to vote. That is 1.4 billion mainlanders vs 23 million Taiwanese.

This is Taiwan’s unsolvable dilemma. You have been fooled by DPP who never told you that they are bound by its own constitution. They only sell you the “aggression” of PRC, don’t they?

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