Back when I was 16 years old or so, we had a serious infestation (State wide) of “tent worms”. These were ugly critters. They would make large white nests of thousands of babies and were decimating the local trees and forests.
What Are Tent Caterpillars?
“Tent caterpillar” is a catch-all term that emcompasses the larvae of all types of moths in the Malacosoma genus. Worldwide, there are about 26 species, with six that live in the United States. A close up horizontal image of tent caterpillars in a nest on the branch of a tree pictured on a soft focus background.
One thing they all have in common is that the caterpillars create large communal nests made out of silken strands in trees during the spring. Some create a sort of “home base” that they leave and return to during the day, while others create tents continuously as they move throughout the tree. The most common tent caterpillars in the US are M. californicum, also known as the Western tent caterpillar, M. americana, the Eastern tent caterpillar, and M. disstria, or the forest tent caterpillar. M. californicum is found in the western US, southwestern Canada, and northern Mexico. There are several subspecies and they can all vary in appearance. Generally, they have dark blue or black heads, and their bodies are green, black, orange, blue, or a mixture of these colors, with fine hairs (setae) covering their bodies. They always have a line of dots down their backs. They grow up to two inches long. Host trees include aspens, willows, cottonwoods, and mahogany.
A close up horizontal image of tent caterpillars clustered on a tree stump pictured on a soft focus background. M. americana lives in the eastern US and southeastern Canada. The larvae are black with a white dorsal stripe and blue dots, and they are covered in fine reddish hairs. Individuals grow up to two inches long. These caterpillars tend to favor fruit trees like cherry, peach, and plum, and hardwoods like ash, birch, hawthorn, maple, oak, willow, and witch hazel. A close up horizontal image of an eastern tent caterpillar with a blue and brown body on bright green foliage. M. disstria is found throughout the continental US and southern Canada. These are brown with pale blue stripes and white keyhole-shaped splotches down their backs. They are covered in fine, light hairs.
This species prefers aspens, gums, and oaks, but they’ll make their home in just about any hardwood tree. Unlike the other two mentioned above, this species doesn’t form a home base tent that it stays near. Instead, groups rove throughout trees, forming smaller tents as they go. They might also roll up leaves with silk to form little protective pods.
Less common are the Sonoran tent caterpillar (M. tigris), which lives in the western US, and the Southwest tent caterpillar (M. incurva), found in New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah. All tent caterpillars are fuzzy, not smooth, and they lack the large tufts of hair at either end that some other caterpillars have. They also all have either a stripe, multiple stripes, or a broken line of splotches on their bodies. Because they all look different and there isn’t one defining physical characteristic to distinguish them from other caterpillars, it’s easiest to identify tent caterpillars in general by the characteristic tents they make, and the damage they do to trees. A close up horizontal image of western tent caterpillars in a nest. The nests they create are made out of silken strands that emerge from their heads, and they are usually formed in the crotches of tree branches. The nests start out small and compact in the spring. As the season progresses, the tents grow in size, and they become more loosely woven as they gradually deteriorate due to wind and rain exposure. A close up vertical image of a large eastern tent caterpillar nest on a tree. They also look creamy white in the beginning of the season, but they gradually take on a brown hue as they fill with excrement. By the way, in case you were picturing a tent made out of silk fabric, their nests are actually more similar in appearance to stacked layers of silken hammocks. A close up horizontal image of a silky nest of eastern tent caterpillars pictured on a soft focus background. These pests are voracious eaters, chewing up foliage as they crawl along the branches of the trees. You’ll notice leaves with ragged edges or defoliated branches at first, followed by the entire tree being defoliated in extreme cases. Interestingly, as the caterpillars crawl around the tree, they leave a silken strand behind them. If one finds a good branch full of big, juicy leaves, it will leave the thread intact so that its fellow larvae can follow the thread to a nice meal. But if it goes down a branch without much to eat on it, the caterpillar will sever the thread so that other caterpillars don’t waste their time looking for food there. A close up horizontal image of tent caterpillars on an apple tree pictured on a soft focus background. In other words, not only do they create communal housing, but they help each other to find food as well. They’re real team players! Sometime in the middle of summer, the caterpillars mature fully and leave the nests to pupate, at which point the silk nests fall apart. Some people group webworms (Hyphantria cunea) into the tent caterpillar category, but they’re different insects. Webworms create a loose nest in the ends of the branches of trees, rather than in the crotch of branches. A close up horizontal image of a webworm nest on foliage pictured on a soft focus background. Webworms are also active in the summer and fall rather than the spring.
Anyways…
All of the trees were dying and these borg-like critters were replicating faster than shit.
And we all were trying to kill them off by burning their nests.
And yuppur. I go that job.
So I got a long pole, and attached a gasoline soaked rag at the end, held with wire, and lit it, and started burning off all the nests. Of course, my mother and sisters didn’t want to have anything to do with this nasty task, and my brother always made himself scarce when the job needed to be done.
Such is life.
Don’t you know.
Well, I did the nasty job and forgot all about it. But I’ll tell youse guys one thing. Sometimes a man gotta do what a man’s gotta do.
Nothing that I “signed up for”, but an ugly task that needed to be done.
Today…
What was Joseph Stalin like as a person?
He was a monster. A computer, with very little empathy.
Stalin was known for his strong memory and intelligence, which he used in diabolical ways. Stalin never forgot an insult and remembered everything.
He had spies planted everywhere, and he always knew what was going on one way or other.
A typical day in his life consisted of getting a list of names of thousands of people, and meticulously spending hours deciding who lives and who dies. A strike through meant that they are too be spared. A small cross at the margin sent them to their deaths.
He even killed people right across the hallway of his Dacha.
Here is what his secretary told about Stalin
Stalin said -” I will dictate you my text. You don’t dare make a single mistake, not even a comma or a letter. If you make a spelling mistake or express things badly, then you will be fired immediately.”
Lenin wrote in his will –
Stalin is too coarse and this defect, although quite tolerable in our midst and in dealing among us Communists, becomes intolerable in a Secretary-General. That is why I suggest that the comrades think about a way of removing Stalin from that post.
Interestingly, he was very frugal by nature and didn’t want any riches or luxury. But there was 1 thing that he wanted completely, and that was Absolute power.
He had a two faced personality, and could appear warm as well. But people around him would disappear one by one.
Later Stalin’s wife saw the monster that he was.
And she left him forever.
Then, Stalin lost any humanity that was left in him.
Between July 1937, and November of 1938, he has had 800,000 Russians executed.
1,500 victims per day, one every 57 seconds.
He also kills away her family members one by one.
After the genocide, he put all the blame on the chief of the secret police, Nikolai Yezhov who carried out Stalin’s dirty work.
He calls him a rat, a bloodthirsty renegade. He accuses him of having murdered hundreds of innocent people behind his back,and of being a spy on payroll for the British, the Germans and the Japanese. He even charges him with being an alcoholic, a degenerate and a sodomite.
Finally he has Yezhov tortured and executed.
Also there’s this story.
After his wife’s death, he stayed almost completely isolated.
The only person who knew him closely was his maid- Valentina, an illiterate woman with no interest in politics, and who took care of him daily.
But as karma would have it, he had a fitting death, and suffered in a way that befit his actions.
On March 1st,1953, Stalin shut away in his office, did not appear for the entire day. He had had a major stroke, and there was no one to help him.
His agony lasted five days.
His entourage didn’t dare disturb him. When at last the Kremlin courier entered the office, he found Stalin unconscious, lying on the floor, drenched in urine.
Stalin died the same way that he governed, alone in his office.
China Full Retaliation Begins: US Imports Canceled, Severe Export Cuts, USD Asset Sell-Off Next
What are your views on China slapping 34% reciprocal tariffs on US products?
It was virtually instantaneous
This gives me the impression that the Chinese have made their decision that they won’t lie down and take anymore nonsense from the US
Our friend Shun Bot who seems to have Disappeared from Quora would be pleased
My belief is China has already mapped out a worst case scenario for their exporters and estimated 60% and even 100% Tariffs to the US and re calibrated their calculations
Why China hit the US immediately
I think China finally decided to challenge the mantle of the US, as the second largest economy and decided to respond as a show of force to Trump
The Public in China are absolutely firmly behind Xi and China and they want to defeat the US now.
The Chinese have had enough
Whether they win or lose in the end, they are going to fight and come hard after the US
Iphone expensive
The Chinese made Iphone would now cost $ 1,390 in the US against $ 1,120 while the Indian made Iphone would cost $ 1,376
Had India not had a 27% Tariff, Indian Iphones would have been $ 1,152 Or around $ 238 cheaper
A Vietnamese Made Ipad would cost $ 1,041 instead of $ 849
If the Ipad relocated to India, it would cost $ 1,139 because of the 27% Tariffs and $ 942 without Tariffs
Within China – the Iphone would cost 10,079 RMB instead of 9999 RMB due to a 80 Yuan tariff on a particular import from US that costs $ 32.50
US Beef & Poultry expensive
Chicken Breast from a US Importer would now cost 26.65 Yuan for 300 Grams retail against 18.42 Yuan from other importers
Pharmaceutical APIs and Drugs
US has exempted all Pharmaceutical Drugs from any tariffs until 31/5/2025 until further review
However China can impose an Export Duty of 34% on 5 Key APIs needed for Alzheimer’s Patients, Hunting patients, Parkinson’s Patients, Dementia Patients & BPD Patients
That could raise the cost of a drug from $ 126 a dose to $ 177 a dose or $ 204 extra per month
70% Immunotherapy drugs are sourced from Chinese material and their cost could rise from $ 1000 a dose to $ 1470 a dose which could mean $ 7,000 extra for a patient
Services
China is a net exporter of goods to the US but holds a $ 39.85 Billion deficit in SERVICES
This means US sells services worth $ 40 Billion more than China sells services to the US
If China imposes a 34% tax on US based services, then Iphone users could end up paying an average of 55 Yuan a month on Tariffs or 660 Yuan a year which they don’t have to pay with Harmony OS
Microsoft retail users could pay 454 Yuan a year in Tariffs and Corporate users can pay 1,970 Yuan a year per license
US Financial services could be forced to pay an optional 34% on profits
I think China has decided enough is enough
They are tired of being attacked all the time and their people expect action!!!
Yesterday the markets crashed by 1600 Points and there was a panicked $ 647 Billion sell off , highest daily sell off since Enron
Part of it was due to China’s salvo
Its Game on regardless of the final outcome
Michio Kaku: “What We Found Inside the UFO Drone Shot Down by a Man Is TERRIFYING”
Fiction, I believe.
How do you picture your future?
Like this?
Hope not.
Do British people understand that if they came to America to work and settle here they too could have nice things like three meals a day, gas, electricity, a nice car, a big house, and indoor plumbing?
My wife and I left New Zealand in ‘97 for her post-doc in Denver, Colorado. Very soon we were living the American Dream: her work was going well, I had started up my own business in Boulder, and we’d put money down on a place halfway between our respective places of work.
The future looked great, and we prepared to build a family.
Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold then happened to walk into their local high-school and kill a lot of Americans.
We knew the family of one of the youngest victims.
We waited for change. This, surely, wouldn’t be allowed to happen. Things would change.
Wouldn’t they?
We left in 2001 for Europe.
You can keep your freedom, your money-for-death healthcare system and your nice things like three meals a day, gas, electricity, a nice car, a big house, and indoor plumbing. We have all that here, plus ABSOLUTELY no fear that we’ll meet a FREEDOM LOVING nutter who exercises their 2nd amendment.
Bubble Up Skillet Dinner
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed
- 16 ounces seasoned pork or beef taco meat
- 1 (10 ounce) can red enchilada sauce
- 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
- 1 1/2 cups refrigerated prepared masa (dough) for tamales
Instructions
- Chop peppers and onion with Food Chopper; set aside.
- Place seasoned beef in Large (10 inch) Skillet. Cook beef mixture over medium-high heat 10-15 minutes or until meat crumbles and begins to brown. Remove skillet from heat; carefully drain fat.
- Add peppers, onion, corn and garlic pressed with Garlic Press to skillet. Stir in enchilada sauce; mix well using Mix ‘N Scraper(R). Gently drop 12 level scoops of prepared masa mixture using Medium Scoop on top of meat mixture. Cover skillet with lid.
- Return skillet to stove top. Simmer over medium-low heat 14 to 16 minutes or until masa is slightly puffed and begins to set. Remove skillet from heat; place on Silicone Hot Pad/Trivet.
- Serve immediately using Nylon Spoon.
Nutrition
Per serving: Calories 370, Total Fat 2g, Saturated Fat 8g, Cholesterol 65mg, Carbohydrates 65g, Protein 18g, Sodium 300mg, Fiber 4g
Attribution
Pampered Chef
“BE CAREFUL! United State Will Not Save You…” – Jeffrey Sachs’s Last WARNING
Speaking pure truth.
Nutri Inc.- 2183
Submitted into Contest #207 in response to: A journalist has been granted permission to visit the premises of a lab carrying out top-secret work. They could never have anticipated what they’d find…… view prompt
Cecilia Englishby
Lights flicked on brightly as a young man stepped into the room, smiling widely at them as he did so. Willforth caught sight of the Three Blooms of The Movement pinned to his lapel and suppressed his frustration, choosing to ignore their presence instead, as he had been for weeks.
“He certainly has the Ear of The People.” He chimed.
Willforth felt he loved all his children equally, other than Evelyn of course; a King’s love for his Heir exceeds all other forms of love. However, he had to admit that his youngest son Gregory inspired nothing but contempt from him.
“Now, thanks to some indiscriminate pictures, he’s going to bend that Ear to our lips.” Gregory sauntered over to the cart and poured himself a generous portion of rum into a waiting tumbler, topping it off with cola, ice and lemon. Willforth wondered just how much of their conversation his son had heard.
Gregory’s views and opinions had darkened the wool of his character within The Family’s social circle, yet he seemed to relish his post as the Black-Sheep.
“Evelyn is not wrong. I personally think your best move was giving him full journalistic access to the labs at Nutri Inc., exactly what he wanted from the beginning.” He strolled to a chair waiting in the back of the room and flopped into it nonchalantly.
Evelyn retaliated. “Exactly why Father’s move is so brilliant! We are giving The People exactly what they wanted, not knowing their Righteous Voice is nothing but a puppet tied with Our strings.”
Willforth continued. “Need I remind you Gregory; we confiscated every scrap of footage from his team that day? He left with our approved content only. The Censors were efficient.”
“Thank you, father.” Gregory replied through a chuckle. “But tell me; is that marionette really all that well strung?”
Willforth didn’t get a chance to respond; his Queen had entered, his remaining children filing in behind her. They were closely followed by the six highest ranking members of his Council; Finance, Energy, Tech, Food, Medicine and Entertainment. The servants reappeared to serve them all drinks as they caught up on how each other’s interests were fairing, only really caring as their own were inextricably linked to theirs. The Queen took her seat opposite her husband near the fire, once settled; the rest of the room found and took their allocated seats as well.
Willforth nodded at Evelyn, satisfied that The Family were present. She rose dutifully and looked at the servants. “Leave us, and close the door firmly on your way.”
She locked the door behind them and dimmed the lights; grabbing the remote from the side-table, leaving the door key in its place. Evelyn switched on the HoloScreen. An advert of Nutri Inc.’s latest beef flavored protein burgers materialized within the room. It was almost time.
The advert faded and Willforth found himself staring at the self-satisfied and smug face of Johnathan Jacob Rush. Willforth found joy in knowing it was just a facade. That perfect face wearing his forties with ease was nothing more than a shiny little arrow resting in a Royal quiver.
For fifty minutes, The Rush Report ran as scripted; officially approved reports followed officially approved interviews.
Then at last, the reason they had gathered at all this evening, finally dawned…
“I think we’ve all waited long enough”
Rush opened in honeyed tones.
“The curfew’s in force, and you my enlightened audience, have nowhere else to be. For the next ten minutes, you have nothing else you need to do… The kids don’t need to be in bed yet… the droids can deactivate themselves…”
Willforth felt himself leaning in a bit, hoping no one noticed.
“I promised you all that I would get into Nutri Inc.”
Rush leaned in towards the camera conspiratorially, as if in response to Willforth’s unwitting invitation.
“That, I would show you the Truth. Well, I have finally delivered!”
A hollow backing track followed Rush’s words. Willforth smiled as the effect cheapened the delivery.
“So, without further ado, I will take you on my journey!”
More canned applause rang through the sound-system.
“Before I begin, can I just say thank you to the lovely employees who made my time at Nutri Inc. so memorable.”
Sanctioned videos of staff blended over his words as he faded from the projection; smiling faces working productively at their stations, lab technicians loading petri dishes on official looking shelves.
“As we all know, Traditional farming has been impossible for over a century.”
Rush didn’t miss a line. Willforth felt captivated and wondered how Rush’s magic was working for his audience this evening.
“Resources that once sustained nations diminished as our population grew. Land that once maintained the relevant agriculture to feed us had to be sacrificed for essential infrastructure; schools, hospitals, entertainment complexes, roads, housing… you get the picture.”
The same ancient pictures children saw in the history books took shape before them. Satellite images of Earth showing the ever expanding industrial footprint of human activity, concrete and smoke gradually creeping outwards, spreading and choking the planet as the glorious greens and blues faded into obscurity.
“A new solution in maintaining the supply of nutrition was urgently needed. Nutri Inc. provided us with that solution.”
His words were perfectly complimented with a motivational crescendo of music.
“They have since been the leading supplier of all our nutritional needs.”
Controlled pictures of the most common supplements and food items solidified and faded through the display.
“I suppose we all know these, don’t we?”
The HoloScreen image had locked on a picture of Nutri Inc.’s most profitable product; a large bottle of Nutri-Tabs.
“Just one tablet contains all your dietary requirements for an entire day, and works best with plenty of water.”
The journalist droned on in the background about the technical specifics as more images approved by Royal Decree emerged before them. The details were rather tedious as Rush discussed everything from sifters, funnels and the rapid flow of the conveyors taking large quantities of chalk to be mixed with the very best nutritional additives that science had to offer. Pictures flowed harmoniously to support each statement of efficiency and consideration, just as designed.
He leaned back and sighed as Rush moved into the segment on meals. He listened as he enthusiastically discussed how the Government had ensured that everyone could eat at least one complete Nutri-Meal a week, and how it was perfect for the hasty pace of modern life.
“As you can tell, I had a very busy and informative day!”
Willforth made himself comfortable as he recognized Rush was nearing the end. His favorite part was coming up. The part he inserted on the page himself.
Rush was leaning back in his seat with a tired smile on his face. Willforth smiled in reply, eager for him to continue.
“For years now, I’ve been telling all of you that our Royal rulers have been lying to us.” Rush hesitated for several seconds, as if unwilling to continue, but then appeared to pull himself together awkwardly.
“Sorry folks…”
He chuckled, averting his eyes like a child who’s found he’s been caught short.
“It’s just… it’s not easy to admit when one has been fooled, you know?”
Willforth considered it a nice touch of recovery as Rush continued his recitation.
“For years, I have been laying accusations at Nutri Inc.’s door, at many doors if I am to be truthful. I told you they were drugging us, keeping us enslaved. That the most powerful industries weren’t actually operating separately, but together to keep us complicit and numb.”
Another pause, but much shorter this time… it added to the drama of the moment and Willforth felt a sense of victory swell in his chest as Rush’s delivery brought life to his dictation.
“I told you that Tech and Entertainment control what you see and do; that Medicine and Food work together to keep you locked in a cycle of dependency. I’ve mocked how Energy supports them all, and how Finance owns them all. And I’ve mocked you, my audience, by cautioning you that our addiction to this incestuous system would keep us under thumb….”
Another silence followed these words, Rush had averted his eyes, this time just as instructed.
“Yet, my fervent outcries of injustice only fanned the flames of chaos. I never wanted anyone to get hurt…”
Rush had looked up at the camera with sincerity. Willforth was impressed with the journalist’s performance.
“I promised that if I was wrong… I would admit as much, and that I would apologize; Live, to you all; begging forgiveness from my knees.”
Willforth waited, his heart fluttering.
“Did you know that our King still eats actual food? Like, from slaughtered animals and gardens?”
Rush had delivered a rather blunt broadside; the room roared with panicked outcries of disbelief. Willforth emptied the contents of his mouth, spraying whiskey through the HoloScreen’s projection.
“In fact, here is a picture of the Third Course he didn’t finish this evening!”
And there it was; that spiteful quail carcass, left pecked at on a bed of rice, was staring back at him.
“How is this bastard still on the air?!! Willforth roared at the room in general, his eyes locked on his dinner.
“I don’t know father.” Evelyn rushed to the door to unlock it. But the key was not where she’d left it.
She frantically tried to pull it open, yelling for the servants to come.
“Our Royal Rulers and the Ruling Class, the One percent with all the power, eat like this every day! Not a single member of the Royal family have ever once consumed a Nutri-Tab, nor have they had to endure a full spectrum of food that all pretty much kills you. Nor the constant pang of hunger for that matter… Then one has to consider the reason we endure them at all… We, as a species, agreed to stop abusing other living creatures.”
New and unapproved pictures materialized on the HoloScreen. Richly appointed farmlands filtered through the projection matrix, blending into gardens sprawling around palaces and the most affluent areas; all sectioned off and inaccessible to the general public. In the back of the room, Gregory was howling with laughter.
Rush continued to rage at the camera, passionately exclaiming how he had been right all along.
“I confess; I never expected there to be so many ingredients!”
Pictures of substances that had been banned for centuries appeared next to the smiling faces he had thanked earlier, none of them were smiling any more.
Cinnamyl Anthranilate – (Liver Cancer!);
Coumarin – (Liver Toxicity!);
Ethyl Acrylate – (Cancer);
Rush ranted and raved as financial records started emerging. The room grew still and Willforth felt himself sink into his chair, hoping it would swallow him. They were the actual records, connected with convenient emails directly from the Medical board; they would supply these substances for use in Nutri Inc.’s products, ensuring the majority of the public had repeat medical prescriptions by the age of forty.
“You may be wondering how it is that I am still on the air?” He waved a hand and cameras pivoted, showing the studio; the entire crew and security team wore Three Blooms pinned to their lapels. Members within the tiny control office waved at the camera panning over them with obvious delight.
Finally, it turned back to Rush, and he too wore Three Blooms.
“That is because the movement is much bigger than you realize Willforth.”
The room gasped into silence, Rush hadn’t even used a royal moniker.
“If only you had considered feeding more people, this would have been harder for us.”
Rush was smiling gently, his eyes looking weary as he shrugged casually for the camera.
“Your very servants who prepare and serve you those meals haven’t even been allowed to finish your discarded plates! They aren’t coming back Evelyn.”
She had resumed her efforts in opening the door, but stopped, stepping back cautiously.
“Oh! The pictures you have of me?”
As he spoke, those same pictures materialized on the HoloScreen. They blurred into a video of the two, seated on the bed. As their lips parted, the woman removed a blonde wig to release a cascade of rich auburn hair. She got up and proceeded to remove her makeup directly before the lens of the camera. A couple of prosthetics were peeled from her face, diminishing previously highlighted features. Mrs Rush waved for the camera.
Willforth’s heart rate increased as Gregory’s laughter rang through his ears from the back of the room.
“Father?!” It was Evelyn, Willforth turned his head to see her at the window; a red glow had flushed her face. “Father, I think I see…” She stared off into the distance, her mouth slightly agape.
Willforth wanted to feel concern, but he just watched with doe-eyed apathy as Gregory joined her at the window, leaning against the frame. He had his back to his father as he laughed once more, abrading Willforth’s eardrums further. “Well Shit!” He managed at last. “Evelyn sees torches father, lots and lots of torches.”
Homeless Crisis: Middle-Class Americans on the Brink of Homelessness
Shorpy
On CAM: 200 Ukrainian and NATO Soldiers Along With 30 Units of Equipment Were Destroyed In YUNAKIVKA
Macaroon Brownie Tart
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients
- 1 refrigerated pie crust (from 15 ounce package), softened as directed on package
- 1 (8 ounce) box fudge brownie mix
- 3 eggs, separated
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels
- 1 package (7 ounces) sweetened flaked coconut
- 1/2 cup Half-and-Half
- 1/4 cup sliced natural almonds
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Gently unfold crust onto lightly floured surface; roll to an 11 1/2 inch circle. Press into bottom and up sides of Tart Pan using Fluting Tool to create fluted edge. Prick bottom of crust; set aside.
- Combine brownie mix, egg yolks and water; mix until smooth and spread over crust using Small Spreader. Sprinkle chocolate morsels over brownie mixture.
- Combine egg whites, coconut and half and half; mix well. Spoon coconut mixture evenly over chocolate morsels. Sprinkle almonds around edge of coconut mixture.
- Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until edge of crust is deep golden brown and center is set.
- Remove from oven; cool 1 hour.
- Serve slightly warm.
- Slice using Nylon Slice ‘N Serve®.
Nutrition
Per serving: Calories 320, Total Fat 18g, Saturated Fat 10g, Cholesterol 60mg, Carbohydrate 36g, Protein 4g, Sodium 200mg, Fiber 2g
Attribution
Pampered Chef
Life of Eskimo – Women Allowed to Sleep with Guests Freely – Travel Documentary
Title: Sir Whiskerton and the Hog-Wild Hullabaloo
Ah, yes, dear reader! You’ve returned for yet another tale of my unmatched brilliance, haven’t you? I must admit, solving mysteries and restoring order to this farm is a full-time job, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Today’s story is one of squabbles, schemes, and a whirlwind of chaos that involved a stubborn pig, a sneaky raccoon, a meddlesome mouse, and, somehow, a donkey and a horse. It’s a tale of misunderstandings, mayhem, and, ultimately, reconciliation. Sit back and enjoy the uproarious account of The Hog-Wild Hullabaloo.
The Disagreement
It all began one sunny morning as I basked in the warmth of my favorite spot atop the barn roof. The farm was peaceful, the animals were content, and everything was perfectly in balance—until, of course, it wasn’t.
From the direction of the pigsty came the unmistakable sound of shouting. Well, it wasn’t quite shouting, but it was as close to shouting as a raccoon and a pig could manage.
- “I found it first!” Rufus’s voice echoed across the farmyard.
- “Found it? You were snooping in my mud pit!” Porkchop bellowed, his voice thick with outrage. “It’s MINE!”
- “It was just lying there!” Rufus retorted. “Finders, keepers!”
Curious—and mildly annoyed—I leapt down from the roof and padded toward the commotion. A small crowd of animals had already gathered, including the ever-nosy hens, who were whispering furiously to one another.
“What’s going on?” I asked, weaving through the crowd until I reached the center.
Porkchop stood in his mud pit, splattered from snout to tail, glaring at Rufus, who was perched on the fence with something shiny in his paw.
“This thief,” Porkchop growled, pointing a muddy hoof at Rufus, “stole my prize turnip!”
“It’s not a turnip,” Rufus said, holding up the object in question. “It’s a gold coin! And you can’t ‘own’ a coin if it was buried in the mud. That’s treasure!”
The hens gasped dramatically. “A GOLD coin?!” Harold the rooster crowed. “What’s a gold coin doing on the farm?”
“That’s what I’d like to know,” I muttered, my tail flicking thoughtfully.
Enter Sylvester
Before I could say another word, Sylvester the field mouse scurried onto the scene, looking as self-assured as ever. He climbed onto a nearby rock to address the crowd.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” he began, his high-pitched voice cutting through the chatter, “as an expert in shiny things, I’d be happy to examine the coin and determine its true ownership.”
“Who made you the judge?” Porkchop huffed.
“I did,” Sylvester said with a smug grin. “Because I’m the smartest one here.”
“I resent that,” I muttered, though no one seemed to hear me.
Rufus reluctantly handed the coin to Sylvester, who sniffed it, tapped it, and held it up to the sunlight. “Interesting,” he said, stroking his tiny whiskers. “This is indeed a gold coin, likely from an old stash buried here long ago. However, since it was found in the mud pit, I’d argue it technically belongs to Porkchop.”
“Yes!” Porkchop cheered, stomping his hooves triumphantly.
“BUT,” Sylvester added, holding up a paw, “Rufus technically ‘discovered’ it, which means he has a claim to it as well.”
“Ha!” Rufus said, sticking his tongue out at Porkchop.
The two began arguing again, and I rubbed my temples with a paw. “Enough!” I shouted, silencing them both. “It’s just a coin. Surely we can resolve this without—”
Before I could finish, Sylvester interrupted. “I have an idea! We’ll hold a contest to determine who deserves the coin. A test of skill, cunning, and… uh… mud-pit diving!”
“Wait, what?” I said, but it was too late. Sylvester had already scurried off to prepare the “contest,” leaving me to deal with the increasingly agitated crowd.
The Contest
By the time Sylvester returned, he had somehow roped Gerald the donkey and Buttercup the horse into his scheme. Gerald was carrying a bucket of apples, while Buttercup had a rope tied around her neck that Sylvester claimed would be used for “obstacle courses.” The hens, of course, had decided to act as referees, though their overly dramatic commentary was about as useful as a screen door on a submarine.
“All right!” Sylvester announced, climbing onto Gerald’s back. “The contest will consist of three challenges: apple bobbing, a rope pull, and—naturally—a mud-pit dive. The winner gets the gold coin and eternal bragging rights!”
“This is ridiculous,” I muttered, but no one was listening.
The Chaos Ensues
The first challenge, apple bobbing, was a complete disaster. Rufus tried to cheat by using his paws instead of his mouth, which led to Porkchop accusing him of foul play. Meanwhile, Gerald accidentally spilled the bucket of apples, sending them rolling across the farmyard. The hens chased after them, clucking furiously, which only added to the confusion.
The second challenge, the rope pull, was even worse. Buttercup accidentally stepped on the rope, causing Rufus and Porkchop to collide in a tangle of limbs, mud, and feathers. Gerald, trying to help, ended up tripping over his own hooves and landing in the mud pit himself.
By the time we got to the third challenge, the mud-pit dive, the farm was in complete chaos. Rufus belly-flopped into the mud with a dramatic splash, while Porkchop executed what he called a “perfect cannonball.” The hens, now covered in mud themselves, declared it a tie, which only reignited the argument.
The Resolution
As the chaos reached its peak, I decided enough was enough. I leapt onto the fence and let out a loud, commanding yowl that silenced the entire farm.
“Stop this nonsense right now!” I said, glaring at Rufus, Porkchop, and Sylvester in turn. “This coin isn’t worth tearing the farm apart. If you can’t settle this like civilized animals, then no one gets it.”
The three troublemakers looked at each other, then at me, and finally at the crowd of mud-splattered, exhausted animals around them. Slowly, their expressions softened.
“You know,” Rufus said, scratching his head, “it’s just a coin. I don’t even know what I’d do with it.”
“Me neither,” Porkchop admitted. “I just didn’t want him to have it.”
Sylvester sighed and waved his tiny paw. “Let’s just put it back where we found it. Maybe it’s better left as a mystery.”
With that, the three of them worked together to rebury the coin in the mud pit, and the farm slowly returned to normal. Buttercup and Gerald cleaned up the mess, the hens resumed their endless gossiping, and I finally got a well-deserved nap.
The Moral of the Story
Sometimes, the things we fight over aren’t worth the trouble. What truly matters is working together, finding common ground, and, above all, knowing when to let go—because friendship is far more valuable than any gold coin.
The End.
Are people exaggerating about the American health care system or is it that bad if you don’t have insurance?
Yes, it’s bad.
A few years back, my dad’s business had a fire. While busy dealing with the aftermath, he was 3 days late on his & mom’s health insurance.
Guess what, my mom had to be rushed to the hospital with a liver infection during those 3 days. The operation and the subsequent 1-week hospital stay cost $105,000. My sister, who was in charge of the ICU at that hospital, helped negotiated an installment payment plan to help ease the financial pain.
While my parents didn’t claim medical bankruptcy, medical bankruptcies are actually common enough in the U.S. Sometimes, even with insurance, many procedures are not covered, or not fully. Yes, and we claim to be the wealthiest country in the world. There’s something wrong with the system.
Cute Kittens AI art
My attempts at kittens and poker.
Recent Terror Attacks Have CIA Fingerprints All Over Them! w/ Whitney Webb
Don’t Blink or We’re All Gone
Submitted into Contest #207 in response to: A journalist has been granted permission to visit the premises of a lab carrying out top-secret work. They could never have anticipated what they’d find…… view prompt
John-Paul Cote
“I’ve invited you here to blow your mind,” he says.
Brandon waves off the escort and guides me through the doors. I am at a loss to describe what I see. As Brandon tells me, the glass corridor we are walking through is taking us through the middle of “The Machine”, which he says in a solemn and yet mocking tone. There are tubes, wires, lights, and who knows what else I can see. There is one tube that catches my eye. It contains a pulsing light that rushes along it. Brandon tells me it generates the field that protects us from the reality of our situation.
The reality of our situation? What does that even mean?
US Recession Shock: USD Crashes, US Retirement Savings Meltdown, Importers Eat The Tariffs
We blew past a “Recession” and now we are on a speed-boat towards a full-on Depression.
“I have invited you here to blow your mind.”
“It will all be clear in a few minutes,” he says. Despite the complexity of what they do down here, the explanation, he tells me, is simple enough but takes time to believe.
After an hour’s tour of the facility, Dr. Brandon and I reach the control room.
This is where it gets real.
Brandon introduces me to the research and technical team. They all look at me in awe, as if I am an extraterrestrial or perhaps a movie star. Out of the crowd, one woman approaches. Dr. Avery Moore.
“This is an incredible event, meeting you finally,” she says.
More and more, I feel this is not just a visit for me as more of the team members come forward and introduce themselves like they are meeting a rock star. I’m not sure how to take this.
This is when Brandon asks if I want a seat. They have something to tell me. I take the offered seat because it feels like I am about to be told God exists and here he is.
I wish that was what they tell me.
“Over thirty years ago, a group of researchers working at a lab in Los Alamos, New Mexico discovered a disturbing pattern,” Brandon started. “The world seemed to blink out of existence, then come back. No one was aware of this non-existence. And it happened regularly. The way they discovered it was with microscopic variables in their quantum measurements. Variables at the smallest levels they could observe at the time and, since then, observed even further down into the quantum realm.”
The crowd of scientists and technicians continues to stare at me in awe. I shift in the chair uncomfortably as the attention is beyond unnerving.
“What we have found since then is that the existence we believe in is a lie. Reality is a relative thing. It depends on one factor and one factor alone.”
Brandon stared into my eyes, telling me he was being honest and open about what was being said.
“That one factor is you.”
I don’t know how to respond. It sounds like the most ridiculous thing in the world.
“This planet, this galaxy, this universe, and everything in it did not exist until you were born.”
“This planet, this galaxy, this universe and everything in it did not exist until you were born.”
I check to see if I’m asleep or dreaming. I then check for exits. If everyone believes this, then they are the craziest group of people I have ever met. I have interviewed god-like dictators, world-ending cultists, and flat earthers. This beats them all.
“I know. It sounds insane. Beyond insane, but it is true. Before you, there was nothing. Before your first conscious moment, there was no existence. Now all of reality only exists when you are conscious. Every time you go to sleep, whether it’s grabbing a quick nap or a good night’s sleep, everything disappears. There is only you and a void until you wake up again and everything returns.”
Insanity, pure insanity.
“It’s all true. Our past, our present, every star, every planet, every particle exists because you do. Our work here is simple. We want to ensure that reality will continue to exist once you,” he pauses, looking for the right words, “pass on. Right now, once you are dead, we and everything for billions of light years in space and time will disappear forever.”
I blink. People seem to jump for a moment as if they believe what Brandon is telling me.
“Don’t worry, that pulsing light you saw when you came in, that’s a field that we have created that separates us from you. In here, we do not disappear when you lose consciousness for whatever reason. Our goal is to extend this field either indefinitely or collapse it around you. Until then, you could go out tonight, choke on a peanut, and it’s all over for everything from the quantum level on up to the universe.”
It’s then I notice the two large digital clocks running in the room. One is counting up and the other counting down.
“The one counting up is your current age. The one counting down is the estimated amount of time you have left in your life. That’s our deadline and we are so close to reaching our goal.”
How did this all happen? How can it be true? What about my mom? Didn’t she give birth to me? She must have existed before me.
“What we have unravelled so far is that you merely can into being. You were never born. That is, what we call, Permanent Transient Construct. At the moment of creation, your subconscious created a mother that gave you birth, a father that had sex with your mother, vocations or careers that they had, an extended family, people, nations, the world, the universe, and history to fill it all in. As you have grown older, your subconscious has created more of this PTC. The problem is that your conscious mind is maintaining this construct. Thus, when you go to sleep, it all stops because your conscious mind stops. We and everything else disappear and it creates a void. Not even nothing, an actual void where even nothing is not real. You wake up in the middle of the night and suddenly we are back. You fall back to sleep, and we are gone again. We do not notice this because your subconscious fills in the parts we need.”
If they have kept me in the dark this long, then why tell me about this now?
“Because the risk levels of your activities have increased significantly over the last year. The countdown clock has decreased. The meter we have measuring risk factors and the chances of you dying early has gone into the red. You have entered a kind of midlife crisis where you are questioning yourself and then challenging yourself to make you feel alive. We had little choice but to bring you here and tell you the truth.”
It was hours and maybe days that Brandon and his team show me the evidence. I refused to believe it until I finally did.
Everything exists because I do. Unlike what many people think, I am the centre of the universe. The centre of reality. Time, space, and the consciousness of trillions upon trillions of beings are all because of me. Every atom, every particle, all of it. It’s me.
This is a lot of pressure to put on someone who is only thirty-eight years old. It is taking time to adjust to my responsibility, but I am.
I don’t know how long I will be down here in Project Starlight. I have now agreed to stay safely confined so that you and everything else may be. Brandon and his team tell me they could be mere months away from finding the solution. Until then, I will stay here until the world is truly safe from me.
Women’s Boobs EXPLODE After COVID Vaccine, Many Women Report Vaccine Causes BOOB GROWTH
Ugh. Not fake news…
What is China’s current fighter jet production capacity across all facilities?
What is China’s current fighter jet production capacity across all facilities?
China has several dedicated aviation manufacturing plants, the most important of which are the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group and the Shenyang Aircraft Industry Group. These facilities are not only responsible for the production of fighter jets, but also involve related research and development and testing work.
As of mid-2024, China’s J-20 fighter production has exceeded 300 aircraft, indicating that China has already achieved considerable scale and capability in the production of fifth-generation fighter aircraft.
China’s fighter research and development has undergone a transformation from imitation to independent design, especially in the integration of stealth technology and avionics equipment. The J-20 is considered a fifth-generation fighter jet that meets international standards and has strong stealth capabilities and combat performance.
China is actively developing the next generation of fighter jets, which are expected to have more advanced technology and stronger combat capabilities. The development of these new fighter jets will further enhance China’s air combat capabilities and military projection capabilities.
China’s fighter production capabilities have shifted from the imitation stage of the past to independent research and development and production, and have strong technical strength and production scale.
Aromatic Chicken Curry (Vietnam)
Ingredients
- 2 medium-size potatoes, cut into chunks
- 4 tablespoons peanut oil
- 8 shallots, minced
- 4 stalks fresh lemon grass, minced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 fresh hot red chiles, minced
- 2 tablespoons best-quality curry powder
- 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, chopped into bite size pieces
- 1 teaspoon sea salt or 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
- 1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth
- Fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Fry the potato chunks in the oil until nicely browned, then drain them on paper towels.
- Add the shallots, lemon grass, and all of the spices to the pan, and stir-fry for a few minutes.
- Add the chicken and cook, stirring, until it is opaque.
- Add the potatoes, salt, coconut milk and chicken stock. Bring to a boil and then simmer gently for about 30 minutes.
- Garnish with basil leaves before serving in bowls with rice.