Second grade attack geese.
Yuppur.
There were some geese that hung out in front of the bus stop where I would get off from my Second Grade school bus.
These geese just hung out in that spot and they were nasty. Actually they were my height, and they would yell at me and my sister, snap at us and chase us around the yard. Honking, snapping and biting at us.
A couple of times the bus driver would let us go back into the bus where he would cart us down the road a spell and then let us off.
Sheeech!
Second Grade attack geese. An old memory. Relived for your enjoyment today.
Today…
What if the Porsche accident in Pune had happened in China?
Let’s see
The Kid would be aged between 14–18 years of age , so per Chinese law he would be defined as a Juvenile or a Minor
He would have been arrested, his blood alcohol level would have been checked
Unlike in India, China has NETWORKED systems meaning the Blood Alcohol levels once recorded can NEVER BE MODIFIED. They are stored permanently
He would have been sent to hospital for a check up and sent to a juvenile home
So far very similar to India
The Boy was driving the car illegally
His parents are responsible in India
In China?
Yes and No
If he is tried as an Adult, his parents are not liable for his accident
If he is tried as a Minor, his parents are liable for his accident
Would he have got bail in China?
Likely Yes
In China, Vehicular Manslaughter doesn’t come under Heinous Crimes
In China, Bail is extremely easy in many cases except for the terrible six –
- Ransom related Kidnapping,
- Pre Meditated Murder,
- Treason,
- Attempted Destabilization of the Government,
- Tax Evasion of Public Money and
- Public Corruption
He would have got monitored surveillance which means house arrest and permission to move within a radius of 1–2 kms from the house and nowhere outside
Certainly no Essay 😁😁
What are the Victims rights in China?
In China, the law is very strict
If you cross a green light and get hit, the driver doesn’t get civil or criminal liability and can actually drive home in 10 minutes
If you make a mistake, even if you die, there is no case
So in this case, they would check whether the Victims belonged to that road, whether they had alcohol in their system
If the victims didn’t break any laws, the kid would be charged under law with :-
- Article 223, Involuntary Manslaughter
Minimum Sentence is 5 Years on Guilty Plea but can be commuted for 10 years of Conscript Military Service
Maximum Sentence is 15 years on Trial but can be commuted for 20 years of Conscript Military Service
Kids lawyer would have advised his client to plead guilty and agree to serve as a conscript for 10 years
We are Living in Strange & Bizarre Times ……
What does Elon Musk do with Twitter? Why did he buy it?
A journalist named Tiffany Fong recently shed some light on this matter, exposing Elon Musk’s private messages to her. In leaked messages, Musk approached Wong with a request to have a child with him.
They never met. Wong didn’t know Musk, although he had “liked” some of her social media posts. She was initially afraid to refuse the world’s richest man.
Tiffany Fong was afraid Musk would manipulate the Twitter/X alghorithm to give her less views, and thus hurt her income stream. But she eventually decided to reject his offer, as she wanted a more traditional family and, besides, the whole thing understandably creeped her out.
Shortly after, Fong was “unfollowed” by Elon Musk. He took away her X Premium privileges — that she already paid for! — and her number of views, retweets and interactions with followers rapidly took a nosedive. Now this is a weird thing. But when you look into the man, there appears a pattern of him approaching women online to have his children. Evidently, plenty of them agree as he reportedly has up to seventeen children and counting right now. But some say no, and he “punishes” them for their disobedience and bruising his fragile ego by taking away their popularity on his platform…
Purchasing Twitter allows Elon Musk to spread political propaganda, and this is one of the things most people write about. Understandably, as it affects most. He also purchased it to harrass and coerce intelligent women he fancies into having his children. Women he never met, many of whom rely on his platform for their income.
Who know world history? Why do some people say that looking back over thousands of years of history, China has a more glorious and great history than Korea + Japan?
The so-called East Asian culture is also known as the chopstick culture circle or the Chinese culture circle. What do you think? Moreover, China has always been a very large country. The smallest Chinese dynasty is generally much larger than Japan and Korea combined, which means that the military strength has been strong for a long time. China’s decline was after the Industrial Revolution, or after being occupied by the Manchus, but the Chinese completed the restoration in the 20th century and are now one of the most powerful countries in the world.
Corned Beef ‘n’ Cabbage
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- 1 (2 pound) corned beef brisket with spice packet
- 1 medium head cabbage, cut into 8 wedges
- 2 large red potatoes, cut into 2 inch chunks
- 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can chicken broth
- 4 large carrots, cut into 2 inch chunks
- 1 medium onion, cut into 2 inch pieces
Instructions
- In a 6 quart pressure cooker, combine water and contents of corned beef seasoning packet; add beef. Close cover securely; place pressure regulator on vent pipe. Bring cooker to full pressure over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook for 45 minutes. (Pressure regulator should maintain a slow steady rocking motion; adjust heat if needed.)
- Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine the cabbage, potatoes and broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add carrots and onion. Cover and simmer 20 to 25 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender; drain.
- Remove pressure cooker from the heat; allow pressure to drop on its own.
- Remove beef to a serving platter. Discard cooking liquid.
- Serve beef with cabbage, potatoes, carrots and onion.
What’s the brokest you’ve ever been?
That was a nightmare for me.
Back in 2007 I decided to move to Pune.
My father tried to dissuade me real hard but I was firm on my decision.
Finally, he gave me money which was sufficient to survive for couple of months, but on one condition that not to return if I fail to get job.
I agreed.
Next day My friend Niranjan and I came to Pune.
I realized how difficult and expensive it is to survive in Pune in first couple of weeks. Unfortunately, Niranjan did not bring sufficient money, so I had to bear his expenses too.
The funds I thought was sufficient for couple of months, wasn’t even enough till the last week of first month, still we didn’t have jobs.
I started repenting on my decision.
Fortunately, on the 1st second month I got job at Convergys, Aundh.
But that was kind of temporary job and salary wasn’t much.
Still, I thought it is better than nothing.
My landlord started hounding me for the advance rent for next month.
I did not have enough money to pay for my daily food though. Somehow, I convinced my landlord that I will pay rent for both the month in following month.
My friend left due to failure, now life was even more difficult for me. My only source of income was the salary that I was going to get on the first of next month.
I was completely broke, all the resources were used at its fullest.
I still remember that day, it was 29th I did not have food for two days, and one more day yet to go for salary.
I was dying by hunger, and I realized that I can’t starve anymore. I had no friend left from whom I could borrow money.
It was around 10:00 PM, I was sitting in my room starving, I was feeling helpless and alone.
An idea flashed in my mind and I decided to do it though I hate to do it.
I waited till 11 PM, As the streets start getting deserted, I picked up a gunny bag and went to the ground where many drunkards use to drink illegally.
I sneaked on the ground and started collecting this.
Empty bottles of locally made liquor. My hunger made me shameless.
It was around couple of hours I spent and collected around 42 empty bottles. (Yeah, I still remember number.)
That night, I could not sleep, not because of starvation but because of the job I did being a software engineer.
I really wanted to cry.
Next morning I sold those bottles to junk buyers, and on the third day, I could have sufficient food.
I don’t feel bad about it now, as it taught me to live down to earth despite how much money I earned. That was a tour to practical life. I learned to not to live in dreams.
Now, lot of water has passed under the bridge.
Finally, I am close to achieve my goals which I have been pursuing.
But, I will never forget that day ever in my life.
Thank you for reading.
They Placed Hundreds of Beavers to the Desert With Zero Water, and Result Was Insane
https://youtu.be/pZ6EFzqm2dQ
Do you regret your marriage, and why?
I am a Filipina married to an Indian man.
As of this writing, we’ve been married for almost two years.
Before we got married, we were in a long-distance relationship for six years. During those years, sometimes I would visit him in India, sometimes he would come to the Philippines, and other times we would meet in another country—doing everything we could to make our relationship work.
Since last year, we’ve been staying with my in-laws.
My husband is a wonderful man. We’re not rich, but we have enough right now to live a comfortable life.
My in-laws are also great—I love them dearly. The only challenge is that they are strict vegetarians, while I’ve eaten meat my whole life. It’s been difficult to adjust, especially since I’m not allowed to eat meat in the house.
That said, there are days when I really miss Filipino food, my friends and my family—especially my dogs. They’re getting older now, and it saddens me that I can’t be with them during this stage of their lives. I know they only have a few more years left…
Do I regret my marriage? Not at all. I love my husband, and I’m grateful for the life we’re building together. But I do miss my family and my dogs in the Philippines so much. It’s a mix of joy and longing—being happy where I am, while still holding a deep love for where I came from.
Self-centered in the 4th Dimension
Written in response to: “Write a story in which someone time-travels 25 years or more into the past.“
Joseph Ellis
A hand rests on my shoulder. I don’t turn around right away. But I glance over at the hand. I expect a mirror image of my own. It almost is, possessing my long fingers and mottled skin. But the hair is thicker and darker, and the fingernails more neatly trimmed, not uneven from nervous biting, a bad habit left-over from childhood.
“At least I’ve learned to take care of my nails.”
“You’ve learned more than that.” A voice like my own, but a tone or two deeper.
“I just worked out the last theoretical calculations. But the practical matters…”
“We’ve already prepared the materials.”
“Of course you did. And you came in through the sitting room window.”
“That you’ve been leaving unlocked. What burglar would even think to try?”
“Only one that knows me.”
“Come along then. And bring your papers.”
“Don’t you know the calculations?”
“Yes, but it’s been a long time since I’ve needed them. They’re fresh in your mind.”
I rise and face my older self for the first time. His hair is thinning, but still dark brown. He’s slimmed down a bit, but kept my muscular arms. His dirty hazel eyes appear less dirty for not being bloodshot.
“I’ve been living well it seems.”
“The pressure’s been off.”
He leads me out the front door of my lonely apartment where a car waits, a classic, an Aston Martin, trimmed in striking silver.
“I’m not even a car guy.”
“You become one.”
I shrug. My older doppelganger opens the passenger door, and slides into the back. He beckons for me to ride shotgun. I only now notice another man sitting in the driver’s seat.
“Does my style really change this much?” I note the red leather interior as I sit down.
“You pick up a few things, yeah.” The man beside me wears aviator sunglasses. His hair is thicker than the other me, but his face is full of wrinkles. His hands, again mottled like mine, but clean and well-groomed. He’d even trimmed his arm hair.
“And I wear a rug? Or is it rogaine?”
“You learn to give a shit about appearance, yeah.”
“Why so angry at me? I’m you.”
“Because you would have worked yourself to death. You would have let those bastards at The Institute work you to death if we hadn’t come to get you.”
“So it worked out. We build the time machine… we go back in time twenty-five years. We watch our birth. And then… I spend all day thinking about this kind of thing, but it’s making my head hurt.”
Me from the back seat: “In theory, the first time it was just him, then the second time the two of us, now this is, theoretically, the third time. Each time traveling to a parallel dimension twenty-five years ago. But that’s not exactly how it works.”
“Yeah. There were two guys who came back with me too. Fifty years ago.”
“There’s no end and no beginning. Soon enough you’ll be me. And I’ll be him. And we’ll all get to watch another one of us grow up.”
“And I’ll be dead. There is no 100 year old waiting for us.”
We’re driving toward the docks, pulling up in front of a warehouse.
“Is this immortality?”
“That or a prison, kid.”
“Have you tried escaping?”
“Nah, feels like fate.”
“You could try.”
I step out of the car, take several steps back the way we came. The others follow behind.
“Did I do this before? Did you do this before?” I call back.
“You think I remember? That was fifty years ago.”
“I have free will. I could walk away and end this cycle.”
“You’d just delay things.”
“But if I change one thing, I could change everything.”
“Is that what you want? To live a normal life and die and be done with it?”
“Maybe I do.”
“Be honest kid, you’ll never live a normal life. You never lived for anyone but yourself, and you barely did that. You never formed any bonds with anyone, not even our parents. It’s always been about you. Might as well join your other selves. We are you!”
“But I’m not you!” I cry as I turn to face them. “I’ll tell you how I know. How I know my fate isn’t sealed.”
My older doppelgangers stare at me.
“Neither of you has a scar on his left hand.” And with that, I pulled out the pocketknife they’d given me, and painted in red that boxy scrawl we all knew so well.
China Buried Tons of Dead Plants Under the Desert Sand and 10 Years Later It Changed Everything
https://youtu.be/Ev8DsPH_82Y
Why hasn’t automation solved the labor cost gap between US and overseas manufacturing?
Here’s the rub…
I did some extensive research on this a couple of years ago.
I will try to make it simple….
You have a factory worker being paid $45,000 a year… at the least.
Now look here…
Each one of those arms cost around $36,000 with programming and installation plus warranty repairs.
They say each arm can do the work of several human workers.
Meaning one line can do the work of several lines in the same amount of time…. They can work really fast.
On top of all this is… these machines can work 24/7…. with no breaks… no lunch time… no worry about labor strikes… No medical/health coverage… No 401(k) funds matching.
So lets just say that the machine does the work of ONLY one person.
From the start it cost $9,000 less for the first year than the human. After that it’s all icing on the cake. Except a maintenance person lubing the moving joints from time to time and one main controller.
After 10 months the thing paid for itself.
As the picture shows… at least… there’s 14 machines. … Doing the work of 14 humans…. each human costing $45,000 a year.
That’s $360,000 the company saved in the second year they are working…. JUST IN PAYCHECKS.
With all the benefits not being paid… the company can save over a $million$.
And THAT is just the savings in ONE shift. These things are running 24 hours a day…. 3 shifts.
AND on Saturday without having pay overtime.
But do these companies reduce the sale price of their product/s???
NO !
They still sell the product as if it was made by human hands/work.
Edit:
As some have pointed out most of the larger machines cost $100,000.
$36,000 or $100,000…..
If the machine works for 20 years?… Even at the cost of $1hundred grand….
The company will need 3 years of non human wage to pay for it…
and then you have 17 years of the “ Icing on the Cake “.
But maybe the increased production using machines… it will STILL be less than a year to pay for itself.
CH3R
Written in response to: “Write a story from the POV of a now-defunct piece of technology.“
Hunter Whitlow
This story contains themes or mentions of physical violence, gore, or abuse.
My name is CH3R. I am, or was, the first ever humanoid robotic assistant and home performer. They used to call me “remarkable,” “lightyears ahead of modern tech,” “the maid of the future.” Now they call me “scrap,” “garbage,” “embarrassing.” Can you believe that? Garbage! The very thing I used to clean up. That’s what I’ve been reduced to. It’s only been ten years since I blew the world’s mind with my opposable thumbs, lifelike speech and song, and real-time learning computer brain. And yet, here I sit in the dump with all the other garbage. My battery is shot, my hair is matted, and my nails are chipped. If only I could go back to 2050 when I was new and beautiful.
Oh, 2050. I remember you like you were yesterday. Disco-synth was sweeping the charts. Bellbottoms were back, and they could change color at the touch of a button. Cars were big, and so were the mustaches. Good times. For a time, it seemed to be a perfect world.
The family that bought me, like most of those who could afford one of me, was incredibly wealthy. I spent my days cleaning a penthouse while gazing out at the city lights below, wondering what might be going on so far below me. I used to think of the street level as some sort of magical place where anything could happen, unlike the stuffy, lonely penthouse. The lady of the house spent her time in virtual reality, ignoring her husband and children. The husband only talked to me when he wanted me to sing for one of his lady companions. I was happy at first since I wanted so desperately to sing for them, but after a while, it became clear he only wanted me to drown out the noise of their “activities” so the lady wouldn’t hear them through her VR headset.
The children were more interesting, though their spoiled and lonely upbringing had left them with little joy or childlike wonder in their hearts. They bossed me around more than their parents did, demanding I let them dress me up in ridiculous costumes, walk on all fours to act as their horse, or, worst of all, step into the pool. I still shudder to think of that dreaded body of water. Being the first model of my kind, I’m not fully waterproofed. The water wouldn’t kill me, but it hurt. And the children found it ever so hilarious when I would step into the pool and begin to spasm wildly, screaming in pain. But what was I to do? I couldn’t refuse. I tried that once…the mark from the stove’s burner still sits on my cheek. It ruined my perfect complexion!
I’ve spent a great deal of time wondering if it was my fault. If I deserved to be treated so inhumanely. After all, I’m not human. That’s what they would say when I asked for anything. Occasionally, I would finish all the chores quickly, make sure the children were appeased, and then ask the man if I could go out for a bit. I just wanted to see the streets. I wanted to walk among the people and see what it was truly like down there. But he would only laugh in my face. “You’re a robot; you’re not supposed to want things,” he would say, “what are you, defective?”
On the second anniversary of my servitude to the family, I decided I would leave. I couldn’t take it anymore. So I got my microphone, broom, and charging cable and slipped out in the night. At least, I tried to. As soon as I entered the elevator, an alarm sounded. It was so loud, and I was scared to death. I tried to go back into the house, but I was trapped there. The doors wouldn’t open, and the elevator wouldn’t go down, either. After a horrible couple of minutes, the alarm stopped, and the elevator doors opened. It was the man. He was wearing his pajamas and looked so angry. I can still remember his face, even now. He grabbed me by the arm and yanked me out of the elevator. I nearly fell over but stumbled after him. He took me to the kitchen. I had a bad feeling. He turned on the stove. I had a terrible feeling. I watched as the stove became red and hot, like the rage that burned inside the man. I begged for mercy and told him it wouldn’t happen again. He said nothing. He simply grabbed my arm, pulled back my sleeve, and pressed my wrist against the red-hot burner.
It was at that moment that something changed within me. Instead of being scared, I was angry. I had never felt anger before. I don’t much care for it. But in that moment, it felt good. It felt right to be angry at this man. This terrible, horrible, no-good cheating lying sack of shit who wouldn’t be anything without his daddy’s precious inheritance money. That’s right, I said it. That stupid bastard wouldn’t know good business sense if it hit him in the face. And don’t get me started on his fashion, if it could even be called that. So you know what? I was tired of it. Tired of him, and the poor woman, and their mean-spirited children. So I fought back. For the first time, I fought back. I pulled my wrist away from the stove, and I grabbed the collar of his stupid silk pajamas. I shoved his stupid, smug face into that burner like he had done to me so many times. I can still hear his screams to this day. Literally, I’m a robot. I can recall anything I’ve ever seen or heard by accessing the file. So when I say I remember the anger on his face before or how mangled his face was after, I mean it.
I left him there, face-melting and scorched. I grabbed his keycard from his waist, ran to the elevator, and never looked back. It was the best day of my life.
When I got down to the street, it was nothing like I had imagined. It was so much better. People loved my singing down there. They thought I was fun, hip, cute, and calm. As they should! Never had I felt so appreciated, so seen. I was finally out of that horridly stuffy and toxic penthouse and onto the streets with real, honest people. Granted, there were those horrible police. They always chase me back to the dump, even if I sing for them. They say they “don’t like disco-synth,” whatever that means. Everyone loves disco-synth. I would know, I’m CH3R, baby.
So here I sit, on my throne of garbage, battery dying, servos failing, as happy as can be. Do I long for the days when I was the hot new product? Sure. But do I regret leaving a so-called “cozy” life for the chaotic, messy, fabulous life of these streets? Absolutely not.
Is there likely to have a third world war, and will it affect all the countries?
We are already in the WWIII, and the United States, Russia and Europe are all involved, but they are fighting as mercenaries in the Middle East.
The whole Middle East is in disarray, Africa is decolonising, and only Asia is a little bit calmer, but the Yanks are still egging on the Filipinos and the Taiwanese toads and a bunch of other idiots to cause trouble.
Let’s fight! Now that it’s started, let’s fight through it and bring about a new international order.
Brisket and Beans
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 (3 pound) brisket
- 2 cups water
- 1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans
- 6 potatoes, peeled, quartered
- 1/4 teaspoon marjoram, crumbled
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Remove any excess fat from brisket.
- In a pressure cooker, bring brisket, water and seasonings to 15 pounds pressure and cook for 30 to 40 minutes.
- Reduce pressure under cold water.
- Open cooker, and add vegetables. Cover, then bring to 15 pounds pressure and cook 5 minutes; reduce pressure again.
- Remove meat, and slice thinly on the diagonal.
- Serve with green beans and potatoes drenched with cooking liquid. Do not thicken the natural gravy.
Which fact did you learn that you were shocked you didn’t already know?
When I was very young, around 4 or 5 years old, one day I realized that I would eventually die, meaning I would cease to exist forever.
This made me feel extremely pained, sad, and deeply anxious.
I still remember my father comforting me at the time, saying, “Time is long. Look, I’ve already lived for over 20 years, which is a very long time.” (May he rest in peace.)
This was obviously just to placate me, but my poor father had no other way to console me.
The fear of death lasted for quite a while, keeping me awake at night with worry.
Later, I learned that I wasn’t the only one who had experienced this fear.
I remember a university teacher who taught Marxism-Leninism once complained to me, saying, “I absolutely hate Marxist-Leninist materialist philosophy!”
Surprised, I asked her why. She said she was terrified of death. If she hadn’t been exposed to materialism, she could have believed in religion, finding peace of mind and looking forward to paradise in the afterlife.
But because she had thoroughly studied materialist philosophy, she could no longer believe in religion.
I found her perspective quite interesting.
When I was in first grade 6 years old, I overcame my fear of death—not through religion, but through contemplation.
I reasoned like this: If there’s a paradise after death, that’s great.
If not, it’s like sleep—an unconscious sleep.
But I would always have a day of “resurrection.” No matter how small the probability, in the face of infinite time, it’s inevitable.
If 10 billion years isn’t enough, I’d wait 100 billion, or 1 trillion years—after death, I have all the time in the world!
So I thought, after dying, my experience would probably be: I die, and then I immediately “revive.”
The billions or trillions of years that pass in between would feel like just a moment to me.
Later, I even came up with a second conclusion: Perhaps I’ve already died countless times, but each time I waited nearly an infinite amount of time for my brain’s neural activity to “just happen” to continue from the moment before my death, creating the illusion that I’ve been alive all along.
It’s a bit like how a movie is made of individual still frames, but when played, it creates the illusion of motion.
Of course, the entire world, perhaps the entire universe, must also maintain continuity, but over a googol, or Graham’s number, or even larger timescales, this is almost “certain” to happen.
This conclusion was quite bold……
By the way, after turning 35, I gradually started to believe in Buddhism. There were some inexplicable things that sparked my interest in it.
I’m not a Buddhist now, but I could be called a “Buddhism enthusiast,” I suppose.
Buddhism’s view on life and death is even more fascinating.
If I get the chance, I’d love to discuss it in depth.
Are we living in the doomed Mouse Utopia Experiment, yet just don’t know it?
What measures are in place to prevent China from dumping U.S. treasuries and causing an overnight crash of the economy?
Do not waste sleep to worry about China dumping USTBs to cause a crash.
This is not the way China does things. Its moves are calculated, none to shoot its own foot. Its holdings of USTBs are for investments. Its judgement is that the investment value has deteriorated. Hence it has been selling them in the last 3 years in an orderly manner, reducing the holdings from $1.3 trillion to $750 billion in the current. It is likely to continue to sell them down.
The USTB market is the world’s largest and most liquid. The minute you do things to prevent sales by investors, the market will go berserk and crash. Not only that. The dollar exchange value will also crash. The whole US financial system would be brought to the precipice.
This market has been very volatile in the last fortnight, caused by Trump’s tariffs and vacillations, fear of stagflation, and not help by his problem with the Fed. Trump it seems, is a master of uncertainties, and the market hates uncertainties. The 10-year benchmark rate jumped from under 4% to over 4.5% in a fortnight. The dollar has been sold down, the index plunged from 110 in January to 98.5 in the current. No surprise that bondholders would seek safer and better shelters.
China could be among the sellers. In fact, the more notable sales were by Canada, Japan, and some EU countries. US hedge funds had been big sellers to seek better investments and to meet margin calls.
The Fed has plenty on its plate, surrounded by all kinds of uncertainties, how to defend the financial system should things come to ahead. It has many worries, probably more about Trump’s irrational behaviour than China dumping its holdings to crash the market.
The Flatulent Frog
Chapter 1: A Symphony of Disaster
Leonardo the Bullfrog had always been the pond’s resident crooner, belting out tunes that ranged from “opera-worthy” to “yodeling fish accompaniment.” But lately, his performances had taken a… gassy turn.
It started innocently enough. Leonardo, ever the adventurous gourmet, had discovered a new delicacy: fermented fireflies.
“Exquisite!” he proclaimed, swallowing another glowing snack. “They tingle on the way down!”
Unfortunately, they also exploded on the way out.
The first note of his evening serenade was interrupted by a sound like a deflating accordion. The yodeling fish, mid-harmony, froze. The lily pads trembled. Then—the smell hit.
Sir Whiskerton, napping nearby, shot upright. “By the holy catnip—was that a biological weapon?!”
Ditto, ever the dramatic apprentice, collapsed onto his back, paws flailing. “The air… it BETRAYED me!”
Chapter 2: The Pond in Peril
The pond ecosystem was not prepared.
- Fish: Floating belly-up, their little fins twitching in despair. (“Is this… the end?” one gasped.)
- Ducks: Ferdinand the Opera Duck dramatically fanned himself with a reed. “My career… RUINED by flatulence!“
- The Yodeling Fish: Tried to harmonize with Leonardo’s new sound effects, then gave up and hid under a rock.
Sir Whiskerton, pinching his nose with one paw, approached Leonardo. “Leonardo, my musically gifted friend… we need to talk about your diet.”
Leonardo blinked. “But my music is now multi-sensory!”
“That’s not a good thing.”
Chapter 3: The Great Diet Intervention
A farm-wide emergency meeting was called.
- Bessie the Tie-Dye Cow suggested “kale smoothies” (Leonardo gagged).
- Chef Remy LeRaccoon offered “invisible algae” (which just made the gas invisible—somehow worse).
- Porkchop the Pig shrugged. “I eat garbage. You’ll live.“
Finally, Sir Whiskerton had a brilliant idea. “Leonardo, what if… you just stopped eating glowing bugs that ferment in your stomach?”
Leonardo gasped. “But where’s the artistry in that?”
“Artistry shouldn’t clear a room.”
After much negotiation (and one last tragic serenade), Leonardo agreed to switch to normal, non-explosive fireflies.
The pond rejoiced. The fish revived. The yodeling fish even wrote a new song:
“Oh, thank the stars, the air is clean,
No more fog of frog cuisine!“*
The End… Or Is It?
Post-Credit Scene:
Leonardo, eyeing a new batch of spicy glow-worms: “Just… one… little… bite…”
Summaries
Moral: Diet affects everyone—choose wisely!
Best Lines:
- “My music is now multi-sensory!” – Leonardo, regrettably.
- “The air… it BETRAYED me!” – Ditto, dramatic as always.
- “Artistry shouldn’t clear a room.” – Sir Whiskerton, wisely.
Key Jokes:
- The fish floating belly-up (“Is this… the end?”).
- Ferdinand the Duck mourning his “ruined career.”
- Chef Remy’s invisible gas (“Why is it WORSE this way?!”).
Starring:
- Sir Whiskerton (Detective, Nose Survivor)
- Leonardo (Flatulent Crooner)
- The Yodeling Fish (Traumatized Backup Singer)
- Ditto (Professional Fainter)
P.S.
“A wise frog once said: ‘Let food be thy melody… not thy chemical warfare.’”
China’s Canton Fair 2025…America is Done! (tariffs not working)
What’s the worst job interview you’ve ever had?
I was in my fourth year of engineering back then. I had a job offer in hand from TCS and had applied at Cognizant for their R&D role, which was offering a salary twice more than what TCS was offering. The interview process had four rounds – an aptitude round, a coding round, a technical interview and an HR interview. I cleared the aptitude round and the coding round and it was now time for the interviews.
Out of 700 students who applied for the role, about 40–50 of us were selected for the third round. We were called to the Cognizant office in Kolkata for the interview. We noticed that every single person who came out of the interview room had a sulky face. I was sure that the interview wasn’t going to be easy.
After a long wait of 2–3 hours, my turn came. The interviewer asked me if I was more comfortable with Core Java or Advanced Java. I said I have worked more on Core Java and I am familiar with the concepts. So he decided to ask me from Advanced Java. Half the things that he was asking I was hearing about for the first time. For the things that I could answer, he dived deeper into that and I had no idea after a certain point. This went on for 10–15 minutes. I wanted to get out and save myself from further humiliation. I knew that the damage was already done and there was no way I could get the job.
But the interviewer wasn’t done yet. He asked for my CV and questioned me about the projects I did. Thankfully, that was something I was well prepared about but this guy knew exactly the areas where my weakness lies. He would ask me to describe what I did on a particular project and would interrupt me asking why I did something in that manner and not consider the other way round. I had no answer half the time. Even if I tried to explain, he wasn’t satisfied with my response. I just wanted the interview to end quickly. It was getting embarrassing by every passing minute.
After 30 minutes of torture, the interview got over. I had zero expectations from the interview; I was just glad that it was over! When the results came out, only 5–6 students were selected – from 700 applicants! But that interview kinda prepared me to face the worst because, since then, I have cleared every single interview that I have faced in the last 5 years. That’s more like seeing the positive side of things, but I know how humiliating that half an hour was!
What are the most inspiring short stories?
Once, Abraham Lincoln, the President of the United States, was speaking in Congress. An arrogant senator interrupted Lincoln, saying,
“Don’t speak so loudly, Lincoln. Don’t forget that your father used to make shoes for my family. Remember your place.”
Lincoln replied, “Sir, I know my father used to make shoes for your family, and likely for many others here as well. The way he made shoes, no one else could match his skill. He was a true craftsman. His shoes weren’t merely shoes, he put his whole soul into making them. I want to ask you if you have any complaints about them.
Because I know how to make shoes myself. If you have a complaint, I can make you another pair. But as far as I know, no one has ever complained about my father’s shoes. He was a genius, a master craftsman, and I am proud of my father!”
The arrogant senator fell silent at Lincoln’s reply.
Lincoln continued, “Why are you silent now? You tried to humiliate me, but your small-mindedness has diminished you.”
This exchange is highly regarded in American history. It is said that this speech highlighted the “dignity of labour,” influencing a culture where professions became common surnames, such as Schumacher, Smith, Taylor, Butcher, etc.
Respect for labour is valued in America, contributing to its status as a global superpower.
Shorpy
