Today, I am using AI to research an event that happened a few decades ago that has some great morals and lessons. I think that it is a good way to learn “life lessons”… that is to say to relate what used to be contemporaneous POP events, in view of an older person though experience.

So instead of personal events, we will delve into shared pop events that I vaguely remember from the 1980’s. I think that we can learn something from these events.

I addressed various events, using AI, to answer and fill out details. To me, well, I find the events fascinating. Sure as heck better than a Google search. It is targeted and exact. great responses. I’ll tell you what.

Let’s start…

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Let’s talk about  Fab Morvan or Rob Pilatus , the two members of the pop duo Milli Vanilli . They were a short-lived singing act in the late 1980s and early 1990s who were exposed for lip-syncing and not actually singing on their recordings.

Here’s a quick breakdown of what happened:

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Milli Vanilli: The Rise and Fall

• Who They Were : Milli Vanilli was a German R&B/pop duo consisting of Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus. They were created and produced by German music producer Frank Farian, who was also behind other successful acts like Boney M.
• Their Success : In 1988, they released their debut album Girl You Know It’s True , which became a massive hit worldwide. Their singles, including “Girl You Know It’s True,” “Blame It on the Rain,” and “Baby Don’t Forget My Number,” topped charts in multiple countries. They even won a Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1990.
• The Scandal : In 1990, during a live performance, the backing track skipped, exposing the fact that Morvan and Pilatus were not actually singing. This incident sparked widespread scrutiny, and it was eventually revealed that they had been lip-syncing to vocals recorded by other singers. Frank Farian admitted that he had chosen them solely for their looks and charisma, not their musical talent.
• Aftermath : The backlash was immense. Their Grammy Award was revoked (a rare occurrence), and their career effectively ended overnight. The scandal became one of the most infamous in pop music history, and the term “Milli Vanilli” became synonymous with fraud or inauthenticity in the music industry.

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What Happened to Them Afterward?

• Fab Morvan : After the scandal, Morvan attempted to rebuild his career as a solo artist and released some music, but he never reached the same level of success. He has since spoken openly about the experience and expressed regret over the deception.
• Rob Pilatus : Pilatus struggled more after the scandal, dealing with substance abuse and legal issues. His life took a tragic turn, and he passed away in 1998 at the age of 32 due to an accidental drug overdose.

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Legacy

The Milli Vanilli scandal remains a cautionary tale about the dangers of prioritizing image over authenticity in the music industry. While they were initially vilified, there has been some reevaluation of their legacy in recent years, with some arguing that they were victims of a system that valued marketability over genuine artistry.

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So many lessons in the pop culture.

Perhaps it is beneficial to review some of them. Eh?

Let’s talk about the Coke-cola fiasco of the 1980’s….

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Ah, yes! You’re referring to one of the most infamous blunders in corporate history: the introduction of “New Coke” in 1985 . This decision was spearheaded by Roberto Goizueta , the Cuban-born CEO of Coca-Cola, and it became a textbook example of how even the most data-driven decisions can backfire when they fail to account for emotional consumer loyalty.

Let’s break down what happened:

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The Backstory: Coca-Cola’s Market Struggles

• In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Coca-Cola was facing stiff competition from PepsiCo , particularly with Pepsi’s aggressive marketing campaigns like the “Pepsi Challenge” taste tests. These blind taste tests suggested that consumers preferred the sweeter taste of Pepsi over Coca-Cola.
• Coca-Cola conducted its own research and found similar results: in blind taste tests, a significant portion of consumers preferred the taste of Pepsi over Coke. This led Coca-Cola executives to believe that their flagship product’s formula needed an update to stay competitive.

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Enter Roberto Goizueta

• Roberto Goizueta became Coca-Cola’s CEO in 1981 and was determined to modernize the company. He was known for his bold leadership style and willingness to take risks. Under his leadership, Coca-Cola introduced successful products like Diet Coke in 1982, which became a major hit.
• However, Goizueta and his team also believed that Coca-Cola’s classic formula was outdated and needed a refresh to appeal to changing consumer tastes, especially younger audiences who seemed to favor Pepsi.

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The Launch of “New Coke”

• After years of development and testing, Coca-Cola unveiled “New Coke” on April 23, 1985 . The new formula was slightly sweeter, designed to mimic the taste profile of Pepsi, which had been winning in blind taste tests.
• Coca-Cola announced that New Coke would completely replace the original formula, effectively discontinuing the drink that had been around since 1886.

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The Backlash

• The reaction from consumers was swift and overwhelmingly negative. Loyal Coca-Cola drinkers were outraged, viewing the change as an assault on a beloved American icon. Protest groups formed, petitions circulated, and angry calls flooded Coca-Cola’s customer service lines.
• Many consumers felt a deep emotional attachment to the original Coca-Cola, which transcended mere taste preferences. For many, it was tied to nostalgia, tradition, and cultural identity.
• Competitors like Pepsi capitalized on the backlash, running ads that mocked Coca-Cola’s decision. One famous Pepsi ad proclaimed, “We’ve got so much to be thankful for this Fourth of July. After 99 years, Coke finally put out a product that tastes better than Pepsi.”

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The Fallout

• Just 79 days after the launch of New Coke, Coca-Cola reversed course and reintroduced the original formula under the name “Coca-Cola Classic.” This move was met with widespread celebration from loyal customers.
• New Coke remained on the market for several years but never gained significant traction. It was eventually phased out entirely, though it made brief comebacks in niche markets (e.g., as a limited-edition throwback product).

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Why Did This Happen?

There are several reasons why the New Coke debacle occurred:

1. Overreliance on Data : Coca-Cola based its decision almost entirely on blind taste test results, failing to account for the emotional and cultural significance of the original formula.
2. Underestimating Brand Loyalty : Consumers didn’t just see Coca-Cola as a beverage—they saw it as part of their identity. Changing the formula felt like a betrayal.
3. Miscommunication : The announcement that New Coke would completely replace the original formula shocked and alienated fans. A softer rollout or a coexistence strategy might have mitigated the backlash.

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Legacy of the New Coke Fiasco

• Despite the initial disaster, some historians argue that the New Coke incident ultimately strengthened Coca-Cola’s brand. The return of the original formula rekindled consumer loyalty and reinforced its status as an American classic.
• The story has become a cautionary tale in business schools about the dangers of ignoring consumer sentiment and the importance of understanding the intangible value of brand identity.

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Roberto Goizueta’s Career Afterward

• Interestingly, Roberto Goizueta’s career did not suffer long-term damage from the New Coke fiasco. In fact, he is widely regarded as one of Coca-Cola’s most successful CEOs. Under his leadership, Coca-Cola rebounded strongly, and the company expanded globally during the 1980s and 1990s.
• Goizueta served as CEO until his death in 1997 and is credited with transforming Coca-Cola into a global powerhouse. However, the New Coke incident remains a blemish on an otherwise stellar legacy.

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So many crazy things happened in the 1980’s and yet so many of us have forgotten those things. Maybe we shouldn’t.

Here’s another….

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You’re referring to a dark and controversial chapter in American history during the 1980s and early 1990s: the day care sexual abuse hysteria . This period was marked by a wave of moral panic, where numerous day care centers and preschools were accused of engaging in ritualistic or satanic sexual abuse of children. These cases often involved sensationalized allegations, questionable investigative practices, and highly publicized trials. Many people were arrested, convicted, and jailed—only for most of these convictions to later be overturned or discredited as false.

This phenomenon is now widely regarded as a miscarriage of justice, driven by societal fears, flawed investigative techniques, and a lack of understanding of child psychology. Below is an overview of what happened:

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The Context: Moral Panic and Societal Fears

• The 1980s saw a growing number of women entering the workforce, leading to increased reliance on daycare centers and preschools for childcare. This shift created anxieties about leaving children in the care of strangers.
• At the same time, there was a heightened awareness of child sexual abuse, fueled by high-profile cases and advocacy groups. While this awareness was important for addressing real issues of abuse, it also created fertile ground for overreaction and unfounded accusations.
• The rise of conspiracy theories about Satanic ritual abuse (often tied to fringe interpretations of heavy metal music, horror movies, and urban legends) further amplified fears that secret cults were abusing children.

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The McMartin Preschool Case: Ground Zero

The most infamous case of this era was the McMartin Preschool trial , which began in 1983 in Manhattan Beach, California. It became the longest and most expensive criminal trial in U.S. history at the time, but ultimately ended without a single conviction. Here’s how it unfolded:

1. The Accusations :
   • A mother claimed her 2½-year-old son had been molested by staff at the McMartin Preschool. She alleged that teachers took children to underground tunnels, sacrificed animals, and forced them to participate in bizarre rituals.
   • The accusations quickly spiraled out of control, with investigators interviewing hundreds of children and extracting increasingly outlandish claims, such as flying witches and orgies involving celebrities.
2. Flawed Investigation :
   • Child interviews were conducted using highly suggestive and coercive techniques, such as asking leading questions, offering rewards for certain answers, and pressuring children to “remember” events that may not have occurred.
   • No physical evidence supported the allegations, and many of the claims defied logic (e.g., fantastical stories about hot air balloons and underground tunnels).
3. The Trial :
   • Seven employees of the McMartin Preschool were charged with 115 counts of child abuse involving 48 children. The trial lasted seven years and cost taxpayers over $15 million.
   • In 1990, all defendants were acquitted, with jurors finding the evidence unreliable and the prosecution’s case deeply flawed.

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Other Notable Cases

While the McMartin case is the most famous, similar hysteria spread across the country, leading to dozens of other high-profile cases. Some examples include:

1. The Little Rascals Day Care Case (North Carolina) :
   • In 1989, staff at a small daycare center were accused of sexually abusing children and forcing them to participate in satanic rituals. Again, no physical evidence supported the claims, and the investigation relied heavily on suggestive interviews with children. Several convictions were eventually overturned.
2. The Kern County Child Abuse Cases (California) :
   • Starting in 1982, a series of cases emerged in Kern County involving allegations of child abuse, including claims of satanic rituals and intergenerational abuse rings. Dozens of people were arrested, but many convictions were later overturned due to improper interrogation methods and lack of credible evidence.
3. The Fells Acres Day School Case (Massachusetts) :
   • Teachers at Fells Acres were accused of molesting children and engaging in bizarre rituals. The case collapsed under scrutiny, with critics pointing to unreliable testimony from children and prosecutorial misconduct.

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Why Did This Happen?

Several factors contributed to the widespread hysteria and miscarriages of justice:

1. Misunderstanding of Child Psychology :
   • Investigators and therapists used outdated or discredited methods to interview children, assuming that children would always tell the truth if pressured enough. However, research shows that children are highly suggestible and can inadvertently create false memories when repeatedly questioned.
2. Media Sensationalism :
   • The media played a significant role in amplifying these cases, often presenting unproven allegations as fact. Headlines about satanic rituals and child abuse sold papers and captured public attention, creating a feedback loop of fear.
3. Cultural Anxieties :
   • The rise of dual-income households meant more children were being cared for outside the home, fueling parental guilt and distrust of caregivers. Combine this with broader societal fears about drugs, crime, and moral decay, and you have a recipe for paranoia.
4. Confirmation Bias :
   • Once authorities believed a particular daycare was involved in abuse, they interpreted every new accusation through that lens, ignoring inconsistencies and contradictions.

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The Aftermath

By the mid-1990s, the hysteria began to subside as experts raised concerns about the reliability of the evidence and the fairness of the trials. Key developments included:

1. Reversal of Convictions :
   • Many convictions from this era were overturned on appeal after courts recognized the flaws in the investigations and testimonies.
2. Legal Reforms :
   • The cases led to reforms in how child witnesses are interviewed and how allegations of abuse are investigated. Professionals began adopting more scientifically grounded methods to avoid implanting false memories.
3. Public Awareness :
   • Books like Satanic Panic: The Creation of a Contemporary Legend by Jeffrey S. Victor helped expose the baselessness of many satanic ritual abuse claims. Documentaries and retrospectives also shed light on the injustices committed during this period.
4. Damaged Lives :
   • For those wrongfully accused, the damage was often irreparable. Careers were destroyed, families were torn apart, and some individuals spent years in prison before being exonerated.

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Lessons Learned

The day care abuse hysteria serves as a sobering reminder of the dangers of moral panic and the importance of basing legal proceedings on reliable evidence. It highlights the need for:

• Proper training for investigators and therapists working with children.
• Skepticism toward unsubstantiated claims, especially when they involve conspiracy theories.
• Recognition of the profound impact that wrongful accusations can have on individuals and communities.

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And another. I’m on a roll. Please forgive me….

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Dana Plato: The Rise and Fall

• Her Role on Diff’rent Strokes :
  • Dana Plato starred as Kimberly Drummond , the adopted daughter of wealthy widower Mr. Drummond (played by Conrad Bain) and the “sister” to Arnold Jackson (played by Gary Coleman) and Willis Jackson (played by Todd Bridges). The show aired from 1978 to 1986 and became iconic for its focus on race, class, and family dynamics.
• Post-Show Struggles :
  • After Diff’rent Strokes ended, Dana Plato struggled to find consistent acting work. Like many child stars, she faced difficulties transitioning into adult roles.
  • In the late 1980s and early 1990s, her life began spiraling out of control. She developed a dependency on prescription drugs and later turned to illegal substances. Her personal struggles were compounded by financial difficulties and a series of poor decisions.
• Legal Troubles :
  • In 1991, Plato was arrested for robbing a video store at gunpoint in Las Vegas. She claimed she was desperate for money and staged the robbery with the help of a friend. This incident severely damaged her public image.
• Attempts at Redemption :
  • Despite her struggles, Plato made efforts to turn her life around. She appeared on talk shows, including The Howard Stern Show , to discuss her addiction and seek support. She also worked as a columnist for a bodybuilding magazine and tried to rebuild her career.
• Tragic Death :
  • On May 8, 1999 , Dana Plato died at the age of 34 in an RV parked outside her mother’s home in Moore, Oklahoma. The cause of death was a drug overdose involving a combination of painkillers (Lortab and Lorcet) and muscle relaxants. The coroner ruled her death an accident, though some have speculated it may have been a suicide due to her ongoing struggles.

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The Bigger Picture: The Diff’rent Strokes Curse

Dana Plato’s tragic story is often cited as part of the so-called “Diff’rent Strokes curse,” referring to the hardships faced by several cast members after the show ended:

• Gary Coleman (Arnold Jackson): Coleman faced financial ruin, health problems, and legal troubles. He died in 2010 at the age of 42 after suffering a brain hemorrhage.
• Todd Bridges (Willis Jackson): Bridges battled drug addiction and was even charged with attempted murder (he was acquitted). However, he managed to overcome his struggles and has since rebuilt his life.
• Conrad Bain (Mr. Drummond): Bain, the father figure on the show, lived a quieter life after retiring from acting. He passed away in 2013 at the age of 89 from natural causes.

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Legacy

Dana Plato’s life serves as a sobering reminder of the challenges faced by child stars in Hollywood, particularly during an era when there were fewer resources and support systems to help them navigate adulthood. Her struggles with addiction and her untimely death highlight the importance of mental health care, addiction treatment, and compassionate support for those in need.

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More…

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Today…

Louis Vuitton Stores EMPTY After Chinese Manufacturers Speak Out

MM AI Pictures

Will there ever be a time when China’s military power and influence cannot be surpassed? If so, what would that scenario be like?

I am Chinese. This question is really hard to answer, but I will respond honestly.

In my view, China is already the world’s leading military power.

The essence of military strength boils down to a weighted sum of factors like population, land area, population quality, industrial capacity, resources, and leadership.

Excluding nuclear weapons, China’s military capabilities are extremely strong.

Take drones, the star of the recent Russia-Ukraine war, for example—China’s drone production capacity is simply overwhelming.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/7PZWxm1MlvM

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/7PZWxm1MlvM

And it’s not just that. Naval construction? Air force development? Industrial capacity? Human resources? Patriotism? All are exceptionally strong.

Yet, Chinese people are still afraid.

The so-called prisoner’s dilemma. A century of national humiliation—100 years of being massacred, enslaved, and bullied—has left China with severe PTSD.

If any capability, especially military power, doesn’t account for 50% of the world’s total, we feel scared, constantly worried about being massacred, enslaved, or bullied again.

（As a Chinese person, I don’t want to talk about it or bring it up. It’s extremely painful. When I was a child, I visited the site of a Japanese massacre of Chinese civilians, and I fell ill afterward. But I forced myself to remember. I must remember. I can tell you Westerners: your imaginations have been too well protected by the soft Nazi Germany gentelmen!It’s true. You can’t imagine the suffering the Chinese people endured during the Japanese invasion—it was beyond human comprehension. Nazi Germany? They seem as pure as kindergarten teachers by comparison.I don’t want to talk about specific details. It’s too painful for me, or for any human.）

Among Chinese netizens, there’s a consensus called the “50%+ strategy.” It means that in any domain, China must account for over 50% of the world’s share, or we feel insecure.

People often say we must keep chanting the “six-word mantra” (originally a Buddhist chant of six Chinese characters, now meaning an unmatched spell).

But the “six words”(扩核增飞造舰) people refer to are meaning “scale up nuclear weapons, produce more fighter jets, and build more fleets.”

We are afraid. We are terrified to the extreme, desperate to avoid another century of humiliation.

Fear pushed to its limit becomes anger.

In fact, since the founding of New China in 1949, the national strategy has been to “prepare for all the world’s other major powers to simultaneously invade us again!”

When I was in school, the defense strategy was still based on “preparing for large-scale foreign invasion, especially massive foreign invasion, and fighting a global nuclear war.”

The textbooks had three full chapters: one on defending against nuclear attacks, one on biological weapons, and one on chemical weapons.

In a declassified division-level nuclear attack command center I visited, an entire mountain was hollowed out, and inside, there was even a library and a ping-pong table.

Now, Chinese residential complexes must prioritize defensive fortifications.

(For example, those designed to withstand nuclear attacks.)

A form of PTSD?

That makes some sense. But considering China’s 100 years of bloody and humiliating history, you should understand, right?

I’m not a Communist Party member, just an ordinary person, but I, too, worry about preparing for the world’s major powers to simultaneously invade China again.

For example, I’ve imagined scenarios: since China’s nuclear delivery capabilities were once limited, could we leverage our manpower and infrastructure advantages to bury massive amounts of radioactive nuclear waste under the Taklamakan Desert? If China were to fall, we could detonate this waste into the stratosphere, spreading it evenly across the world.

(Taklamakan Desert, China’s largest and the world’s second-largest desert, nicknamed the Sea of Death. Roughly the size of Germany. Rich in oil and minerals. Now crossed by three highways, each with water stations every 4 kilometers, making it possible to bike across the 500+ km desert with ease. Highly recommended for cycling enthusiasts (though you need to be very heat-tolerant—desert temperatures are extremely high, and humidity is very low).

Or, deploy tens of thousands of suicide attackers to lie low in Europe and America. If China suffers an irreversible nuclear strike, they could quietly retrieve syringes from hidden compartments in their refrigerators, inject themselves, and then frantically travel and cough, spreading a virus capable of wiping out humanity.

Malicious? I admit it.

But the premise for launching such deranged retaliatory measures is that China’s 1.4 billion people have already been slaughtered.

Still, is it necessary to escalate tit-for-tat, reaching the level of the U.S.-Soviet confrontation at the height of the Cold War?

I don’t think so.

China has been militarily dominant before—at least five times.

Take the Han and Tang Dynasties, for example. The Han Dynasty, in particular, was a militaristic empire. Even when civil wars reduced its population by 70%, any warlord could still crush neighboring smaller states.

And what happened? So what? Didn’t it still collapse?

Relying on brute strength and big fists to bully others always leads to downfall. The Han Dynasty did it, the Soviet Union did it, and the United States will, too.

I don’t believe China, at the peak of its military power, would be so foolish.

This is my honest opinion.

(By the way, the Chinese government has always been extremely low-key about its nuclear forces and has never announced how many it possesses. I can only rely on claims from the U.S. or Russia, which say around 400 nuclear warheads. But that’s highly unlikely. Based on publicly available information from the government, the number of nuclear delivery vehicles already exceeds 1,000. So, 400 warheads is simply not credible. I don’t know why the Chinese government is so secretive, but I believe U.S. or Russian intelligence agencies must have more accurate figures.

And don’t I know the Chinese mentality? Absolute worst-case thinking. In the 1950s to 1970s, when the country was so poor that people were starving, they still prioritized developing nuclear weapons to ensure survival. Now that they’re wealthy, wouldn’t they be frantically expanding their nuclear forces? Putting other things aside, China’s cement production over three years surpasses the U.S.’s total output over a century, and its steel production has been the world’s highest for about 20 years, consistently accounting for over 50% of global output. That’s more than enough to build plenty of land-based launch silos.)

Why does Beijing make increasingly loud calls on Chinese exporters to find local buyers as an alternative to the US market?

China’s exports to the US in 2024 were worth about $450 billion, 2.3% of GDP. US tariffs of 145% would cause a sharp fall of exports, perhaps by 40% to below $300 billion.

Bear in mind that Trump has exempted 125% of 145% tariff on smartphones, laptops, and other electronic products, which altogether were worth over $100 billion. Secondly, take note that about 60% of the exports from China are by US companies in China. Most of them have no manufacturing, but contract-manufacture them to Chinese companies. Apple is a good example.

Chinese companies would have to find new markets to make up the $150 billion short-fall.

China’s exports are diversified. Chinese companies that have a high concentration to the US would face the most difficulties. The most readily available market is the home market. 80% of the “export” companies have domestic distributions. Naturally, they will adjust their products and try to expand domestic sales.

“Beijing makes increasingly loud calls” is an exaggeration. China has targeted the domestic market a growth driver long before the current tariff war. It has put in place many programs to encourage domestic consumption, such as the trade-in program.

Nevertheless, it is correct to say that the tempo has risen. But not so much by the Beijing government, more the initiatives of the e-commerce and platform companies. The following are based on the report by The Economist.

The concept of “export-turned-internal-consumption” is becoming a national effort. Note that Chinese households are not short of cash. Indeed, they have too much savings, holding trillions of yuan in bank deposits.

Manufacturers of luxury goods have revealed who they manufacture for, together with details of types and sources of materials, and their detailed costing. Chinese buyers could buy these exact same goods through e-commerce firms at a fraction of the prices, but minus the brands.

E-com JD.com announced it will buy 200 billion yuan worth of goods made for exports, and resell them at home. Pinduoduo announced it will invest 100 billion yuan to help suppliers adjust to the removal of the de minimis rule by Trump. Alibaba will launch an “export channel” where firms can sell their products locally. Baidu will help 1 million firms do so with AI-sales avatars. Douyin and Kuaishou, 2 video apps, will host live-streaming sessions to sell exports products. Meituan, a delivery app, will extend its network to thousands of new counties across China.

Yonghui, a supermarket chain has begun selling products sourced from the Chinese suppliers of Costco and Sam’s Club, 2 American retailers.

Beijing has not yet stepped in with fiscal and monetary help. The government has low debt and ample fiscal space. China has no inflation. PBOC has the full play for an expansive monetary policy.

Time Travelers Photography – open from 11am to 4pm

Written in response to: “Start or end your story with a character making a cup of tea for themself or someone else.“

Euan Brennan

Trigger warning: historical accuracy may not be the best, and certain historical figures are not treated with proper care. Everything is used in a non-serious manner.Arthur placed the cup of tea on the table. It was the porcelain cup with the floral pattern which we usually stored in the glass cabinet to spruce up the place for whenever unbearable guests visited. Now it was here filled with hot water, milk, one sugar, and ground tea leaves.“This isn’t happening,” I groaned.“Do you not love my tea?” Arthur displayed theatrics equivalent to a wounded and dying thespian.I flicked the cup (but only lightly because it was damn expensive). “What is it you’re after this time?”The last – shall we say, under the table? – business request, five months ago, came from an anonymous source. It turned out to be Barry from the bank the next street over, but that’s side-tracking a bit. Barry had asked our business – Arthur, in particular – if we could acquire for him a paintbrush used on the Mona Lisa. A job of that caliber requires skill, precision, and finesse. It had been fine at first, until Arthur said “Hey, nice beard, Leonardo” like they were best friends. Stealth, it seemed, was not Arthur’s forte when it came to someone having magnificent facial hair.Nothing had changed in present day, except maybe there were more Italians with beards. The results could have been severe. Luck favored our business that day, and it wasn’t one I was going to repeat, even for a million dollars. No way. Never.“Barry is offering two million dollars,” said Arthur.I drank the tea. “What’s the job?”Arthur pulled out a notepad. “Battle of Hastings. Anglo-Saxon shield. And he wants us to take a couple pictures of the thing. Specifically, the charge down the hill when they, er, you know.”“Lost?”“Yeah. And he wants a spear or two, and a Norman shield. Sounds like a cinch.”There was no cinch to time travel. Oh, sure, you had the ability to hurl yourself to a specific date and location. But what good was that when you were having a heart attack after every twig you stepped on? Nuts to it, I say. Nuts, nuts, and money.Two million dollars cascaded itself over my mind; when I was in the shower, the money was the water. When I was bleeding out, the money was my blood. It wasn’t my fault I could time travel, and nor was it my fault that we were using it in a surreptitious manner for financial gain. We were doing what anyone would do, or at least what someone would do, and that made it righteous and, dare I say, just.“Grab the camera,” I said. “I’ll grab the cloaks.”No matter the century, fashion never stayed the same. Why couldn’t everyone wear the same thing for all eternity? We had discovered a grey cloth covering our person acted as the best cover for our work, as it made us look like poor old mendicants (and it saved on money buying the correct clothes for each era, yadda, yadda, yadda).“Kathleen,” Arthur’s voice called from across the hall. He trotted up to me. “I think the camera’s broken.”He showed me the blank screen. I popped the cap off the lens and the screen captured our floor.

“Wonderful,” he said. “You should stop putting that on. It makes me look like a big idiot.”

I rolled my eyes and laughed. Our usual business was photography. Historical photography. Time Travelers Photography was a respectable business, there couldn’t be any doubt. We went back to landmarks in time, in secret, to obtain the perfect pictures our clients asked for. They always played the “Wow, how did you get this?” card when we handed them the photos. That’s how I liked it.

However, there was always the odd customer who saw through our clever and cunning ruse. Barry the banker being one of them. They asked for a little more than just pictures. We knew they couldn’t snitch on us to the authorities, because then they’d lose their only source of historical artifacts. People always saw money above everything else. The fools.

“Let’s hit the road,” I said. “Or the, um, time.”

I flipped the cloak around my shoulders and wrapped my belly with the fraying fabric. I held out my hand. Arthur took it, and we counted to three.

On three, we were in England. Northwest of the town of Hastings in the year 1066, to be more accurate. A place filled with Anglo-Saxon sweat, and Norman perspiration. We had chosen a place close to the action: Senlac Hill. Perhaps too close, as we watched the Anglo-Saxon army a few feet in front of us tower the Normans below. At our side, a horse brayed. It was a shame it wasn’t a horse without a rider, because the rider stared at us with deep, penetrating eyes.

We smiled. He didn’t. My knowledge of history was decent (it had to be in this line of work, and I realized we should have done a bit more research before diving in), and I had seen many artworks depicting certain historical figures. King Harold Godwinson, the leader of the Anglo-Saxons, was a big man. Bigger on a horse than, say, on the ground.

“Say ‘cheese’,” said Arthur, snapping a not-so-furtive photo of Harold II.

“Normans?!” said Harold in disgusted surprise. His accent wasn’t like any of the modern-day English accents.

“No,” said Arthur, pointing to himself and me. “Americans.”

I dragged him back, sending my knee somewhere deep into a carrot and two sprouts.

I cleared my throat, recalled all the acting classes I had taken (none), and harnessed my latent acting ability (non-existent).

“Please, my lord,” I cried. “We are humble peasants thrown at your mercy. We lost ourselves on the long trek after our home was raided by Norman brigands. We have nothing, but we’ll fight for you. With a shield and spear, we’ll die for you.”

Harold grunted. He yelled for weapons and shields. My superb acting had worked, not to anyone’s surprise.

“Now we just need a Norman shield,” I whispered to Arthur as we lined up towards the back of the nearest platoon. The rounded shields were umbrellas in front of us; the mud a disgrace to our shoes.

“And the pictures,” Arthur pointed out.

“You took a picture of the leader of the Anglo-Saxons and told him to say cheese. I think that’s good enough. Unless you want to take one when the arrow goes through his head, but I’ll leave that up to you.”

We decided to separate ourselves from the inevitable battle and hide somewhere safe in the encampment before the army charged down the hill and lost their advantage. Why they had made that decision, I’ll never know. It had to be a stupid leader to order his army to charge in and die.

“Hey, you know,” Arthur’s voice caught the wind. He was no longer at my side, but beside Harold’s horse. “I think you could take them. The Normans. If you charged down there, they’d be caught by surprise and flail about the place. It would be like shooting fish in a barrel.”

I slapped my face. They had barrels, sure, and they had fish. But the guns would be missing for a while yet. But that was beside the point. He had just initiated a horrible sequence of events which would unfold into hundreds upon hundreds dying. This was so much worse than time he acted like a college professor and rejected that poor boy’s artwork in Austria. I could only hope nothing would change in our present day.

Harold must have lost his senses after talking to Arthur (I don’t blame him), as he ordered his soldiers to charge and meet the Normans head on. I was left covered in dirt kicked up by the advancing army. I coughed and sat down at the top of the hill. I couldn’t watch the bloodshed. I waved in the direction of the fight. “You go down and pick up a shield when you can,” I said.

“Why me?” said Arthur.

“Because you’re so damn annoying.”

“Fair enough. I’ll be back in a bit. I’ll snap a few pictures, too. Barry loves his pictures.”

With his cape fluttering like he was a hero about to stop the war, Arthur tripped and rolled part way down the hill.

It took a while for him to return. Unless my sense of time was off. It wouldn’t surprise me. I think I had stopped aging since I had discovered this power. Forever twenty-two. Forever worried what might happen when word of our business reached certain ears.

“Hey!” Arthur waved the elongated, pointed shield. “I got one. And I think Harold’s dead.”

“Good thing we got a picture of his wonderful smile,” I said, dusting off my butt. “Let’s go back home and give Barry his expensive crap.”

Another day, another job done. Arthur had gone to visit Barry and hand over the merchandise. I sat back, stretching, relaxing, breathing in the scent of the money soon to be in my hands. Two freaking million! While the risks worried me endlessly, sometimes you got to be a little crazy. History would sort itself out, regardless of what we did and how much money we earned. The Anglo-Saxons were going to lose, anyway. We just picked up a couple things after they didn’t need them anymore. There wasn’t a law against grave robbing (not in that period, anyway… I think).

The door swung into the bell with a jingle and clicked shut. My relaxation had hit its peak with a broad smile and closed eyes after Arthur placed the case on the table. I didn’t even need to open it. I could sense every note inside. It must have been another ability I had.

But the smell changed from rich paper to a beverage seldom brewed in our home of business when it was just the two of us. My eyes opened and struck the cup of tea on the table beside the case.

Arthur had used another one from the fancy, ostentatious glass cabinet. One with an ornate avian design and a golden curved handle.

“Oh, no,” I cried. “We just got back! What is it now?”

“Barry wants a cigar fresh from Fidel Castro’s mouth. And one of the lovable communist leader’s beard hairs.”

“Fan-freaking-tastic. How much?”

“Three million.”

I drank the tea.

Wife Caught Cheating

U.S. Banking Giant Just Warned To Sell Off USD As Global Revenues Crash From Major Dollar Fall

One Sip Trip

Written in response to: “Set your story in a café, garden, or restaurant.“

Patrick Druid

One Sip Trip.I stepped off the bus in the middle of town, and got totally soaked by the rain. I tried to shelter myself with the magazine I was reading, but it didn’t help much, so I rushed across the busy, 5 line street to find an awning.The cars honked at me as I sprinted.”Yeah, I know you don’t like me!, I said to them.  I doubt that they could here me in this downpour and I really didn’t care if they did.I had a really hard day at the office today as they say. The boss pulled a bunch of us into a conference and started the usual drone about “making the numbers” and that we would be all out of job, if we didn’t make the numbers.I could feel all of the eyes of the room settling on me as if I had something to do with it. Somebody had to be blamed, I guess and I was it….again! I could never catch a break no matter how hard I tried. The rain really topped of my bad day like the cherry on a banana split. Perfect.I shook my head as I continued to shiver from the rain under the awning of a cafe.”Hey, why don’t you come on in and get warm?” , a voice said.I turned around and saw a blonde woman in her thirties or so, giving me a smile that could light up a room, and her voice had all the home style charm of a freshly baked cookie.I followed her into her cafe. As soon as I walked through the door, I felt the rush of warm air and a smell of cinnamon. I saw two comfortable chairs and small table in front of a fireplace, so I made a beeline for the closest one and sat down.  The chair felt so good, it almost felt like it hugged me.I looked around for a little bit and then I looked back towards the counter where the barista was making a hot drink. I suddenly felt embarrassed that I had sat down on this chair while still being wet and my face fell”I’m so sorry. I got this chair all wet!”Again, she smiled at me. “Don’t you worry about it, hun! You’re all cold and wet and you need something warm in you. Here’s a cuppa my finest for ya on the house!”She placed the cup and saucer on the little side table. I saw the steam rising from the hot reddish liquid inside. As much as I tried to resist the urge to wait to take a sip, I felt strangely drawn to this drink as the scent of apples filled my head.”Ya had a hard day, huh?””Yeah,” I said to her, then I looked up. “How can you tell?”She laughed. “I’m psychic!””Pfft!”

She laughed again..”okay I’m not psychic. You came in wet and you were looking down at the ground most of the time.”.

“It’s just body language, that’s all. Nuthin special”

I nodded my head and took a sip of the drink and it reminded me of a mincemeat pie on Christmas night. I closed my eyes for a bit and just let gravity take me.

“It’s good, huh?”, she said to me softly almost in a barely perceptible whisper. “I made it just for you, hun!”

“Mmmmmmm..hmmmmm” I managed to say before the ambience finally lulled me into a much needed sleep. “Perhaps a few minutes shut eye here won’t hurt”, I said as I reached for the saucer and the cup.

Clouds

I saw clouds

I was sitting in a dusty field overlooking the Grand Canyon. It was dusk and the last rays were disappearing over the horizon. The air was crisp and dry.

I sighed and yawned deeply as I took in the view. I remember thinking that I should take a little trip here one day.

“Beautiful isn’t it?”

“Yeah”, I said then frowned. Who was talking to me? I looked around and I didn’t see anyone.

“Wait , wait wait. Ssshh.” the female voice intoned softly. “It’s totally okay. ”

I continued to look around a bit but saw no one. “Who are you? Where are you?”

“Sorry to bother you but I have news and you’re not going to like it.”

I looked around again and shook my head. “You have news? I don’t even know who you are!”

The voice sighed for a moment and spoke again more quietly. “Who I am isn’t important. I am here to rescue you”

“What?!?”

“Let’s take a good look at your situation and you’ll see why you need me. For starters, you work in the sales department and your department is not meeting the designated numbers, right?”

I slowly nodded.

“Well most corporations by this time have discovered ways to sort of “trim” the ranks without causing too much fuss and attention.”

“Okay….” I said wondering where this was going.

“So..when the corporation decides to find a ‘sacrificial lamb’they make contact with her and set up a ‘meeting’. This way the avoid the termination papers, severance pay, etc

“Her?”

“That barista in the cafe.”

I shook my head at this. “Okay, so they send me to a barista or they send her to me. Weird but so what?” I shrugged my shoulders, or at least I thought I did. I suddenly felt a little cramped.

“Did you notice her name?”

“I think it was Latte or something”

“Starting to feel a little cramped? That means she is got you and we don’t have much time to get you out.”

“What? Get me out of what?”

“Do you trust us?”

“Do I have a choice?”

“What we’re about to do has never been tried before. We are going to try matter transference to get you out of there before your whole consciousness disappears but we have to wait until she has completely wrapped you for storage.”

My eyes went wide……

The voice continued its explanation. “ That tea gave you has a strong sedative and a narcotic, giving you that euphoria you felt.

“Then she wraps you up for safe keeping for awhile, to keep you fresh. Unfortunately, this process does cause the victim to suffocate… slowly.”

“Mmmmmmpppphhghhhhh!”

“Ooooh . Hang on…you’re almost totally wrapped up. When she leaves, we’ll transport your body out.”

I tried to speak but found that could barely get a sound out. I suddenly felt vibrations below me as if I was on a hammock or a rope bridge or.…….a web?

“Mmmmmmpppphhghhhhh!Mmmmmmpppphhghhhhh!!”

Then, I remembered glancing at the sign before I even walked in but it just didn’t register in my mind until now. It read

Lata’s Parlor. Latrodectus. The black widow spider.

“Okay”, the voice said again softly. “We’re almost ready to transport now. You might feel a tingling sensation for a moment.”

I screamed and screamed and screamed the muffled screams of a condemned man about to be taken to his doom. Then I did feel a slight tingling sensation across my chest. Could I be saved?

************

Epilogue

Morning shined down on the town as the businesses opened up for the day. The barista of Lata’s Parlor was sitting at an outside tables, reading a newspaper and sipping a cup of tea. She sighed. “Just the right blend of despair and hope!”

The sign outside read

“Come into Lata’s Parlor! I have just what you need!”

Does China refer to itself as a “Super Power” like the United States did before Donald Trump became president?

No.

In the Chinese context, terms like “列强” (great powers) and “超级大国” (superpower) carry negative connotations, especially “列强.”

This is because, from a very young age, we are taught that China was once poor and weak, humiliated and massacred by these “great powers.”

（100 years ago, the oppressed, massacred, and enslaved Chinese people, in their grief and anger, drew the “Situation Map,” with each animal representing a great power.
In 1900, the Eight-Nation Alliance that invaded China consisted of Britain, the United States, France, Germany, Russia, Japan, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. These are also the “great powers” typically mentioned in history textbooks.

Some joke that over the past 100 years, the list of great powers seems to remain the same？ except that China’s current national strength has allowed it to join the ranks, replacing Austria-Hungary）

Thus, in Chinese, “great powers” has a strong negative connotation, and “superpower” does too, specifically referring to the U.S. and the Soviet Union.

However, in recent years, as China’s national strength has grown, some netizens have jokingly said, “We’re also a ‘great power’ now!”

“垂死梦中惊坐起，列强竟是我自己？” (“Waking up in a dying dream, and suddenly to find that I am one of great power now?”)

（China is developing rapidly, so many Chinese are still not quite used to it. On Chinese video websites, there is a ton of content like this: In the eyes of foreigners, are we now a great power too? It’s a bit surprising and feels somewhat unreal.）

（I have a particularly vivid memory. Around 2009, I was chatting with a friend who had been doing business in Southeast Asia for a long time, and I mentioned how Southeast Asian countries viewed China.

He said those countries were very afraid of China.

I was utterly shocked and said, how could that be? How could they possibly fear China?

He explained that in the eyes of Southeast Asian countries, China was already very powerful, akin to a great power.

I still can’t forget how astonished I was at the time—could it really be that in the eyes of Southeast Asian countries, China was considered a great power?）

There’s also a view, which I think is very bad but fortunately held by only a minority, that says, “Actually, we don’t hate imperialism that much; we just hate that we’re not the empire…”

But this view is not mainstream and is often condemned.

“If you become strong and bully others, how are you any different from those oppressors?”

Most people still believe in the concept of a shared future for humanity, global unity, and that China should contribute more to the world.

China has developed into an economic giant, but its stock market has not performed as strongly as some might expect given the country’s economic rise. Why?

Even today most of Chinese Companies and businesses raise money through Debt rather than Equity or Capital financing

Corporates in China owe almost 45% of their financing to Commercial Paper, Commercial Debt and another 25% to Banks and only 7% to their Investors

As a result, most corporates which list their stocks in China, do so less to raise funds and more to follow the global norms and reputation

Most of their equities are acquired by the State Funds and now some of the larger pension funds

In laymans language, Chinese public are not encouraged to invest into stocks and rather are encouraged to save money in Bank Deposits, Pension Funds, Mutual Funds and Gold

This reduces the risk of major losses to them like for instance Evergrande where foreigners lost 65% whereas Locals lost only 4.6% of investments because Evergrande was forced to pay back it’s Debtors first but not it’s investors

Compare this to the US, where 62% of funds and financing is raised from Capital and Equity markets

Since companies raise funds from the markets, their share prices are crucial and they encourage and offer the Americans to invest in equities

Japan is another example where 45% of the financing of major corporations is from Equities and Capital financing

---

The odd man out is of course INDIA

A Whopping 55% of financing of corporates is still done by Banks and only 17% financing is done by equities and capital markets

So the growth of the stock market is an anomaly and hence why I call it a ponzi scheme for people to bring in offshore loot stashed away, book profits and make killings through market manipulations

Sir Whiskerton and the Great Farm Vomit Chase: A Tale of Glowing Pickles, Rainbow Regurgitation, and a Very Questionable Chef

Ah, dear reader, steel your stomachs and clutch your buckets, for today’s tale is one of spectacular digestive distress. It begins with a wave of nausea, a chorus of retching, and a farmyard full of animals who suddenly regretted their life choices. So grab a mint (or three), brace yourself, and join us for Sir Whiskerton and the Great Farm Vomit Chase: A Tale of Glowing Pickles, Rainbow Regurgitation, and a Very Questionable Chef.

---

The Barf Begins

It was a peaceful afternoon on the farm—until it wasn’t.

• “BLEHHHHK—”
  Doris the Hen projectile-vomited directly onto Harriet’s head.

• “AGH! MY FEATHERS!” Harriet shrieked.

• “I told you the feed tasted funny,” Lillian whimpered before fainting into her own sick.

Sir Whiskerton, mid-nap on the hay bale, cracked one eye open just in time to see Porkchop the Pig vomit into his own feed trough… and then immediately eat it again.

• “Huh,” Porkchop mused. “Tastes better the second time.”

• “That’s disgusting,” Sir Whiskerton said.

• “Yeah, but efficient,” Porkchop shrugged before gagging once more.

Then, like a grotesque symphony, the farm erupted in upchucks.

• Ferdinand the Duck yarked into his own opera hat.

• Rufus the Dog barfed mid-chase of his own tail, creating a vortex of vomit.

• Bessie the Tie-Dye Cow heaved… and out came a full rainbow splatter.

• “Whoa,” Agnes the Artist gasped. “That’s abstract expressionism.”

Sir Whiskerton, now standing atop the least-soiled fencepost, adjusted his monocle. “This is no ordinary stomach bug. This is sabotage.”

---

The Investigation: A Trail of Terror (and Half-Digested Corn)

Following the scent (oh, the horrible scent), Sir Whiskerton tracked the chaos to Chef Remy LeRaccoon’s Gourmet Laboratory—a place where “food science” often meant “will this kill us?”

Inside, the mad raccoon was cackling over a bubbling vat of glow-in-the-dark pickles.

• “Ah, magnifique!” Chef Remy cheered. “Zey glow! Zey fizz! Zey—”

• “They make everyone vomit,” Sir Whiskerton deadpanned.

• “Ah, but oui!” Remy waved a paw. “Zat is ze secondary effect!”

Ditto the Kitten, ever the mimic, wobbled in, gagged dramatically, and then spat out a single hairball.

• “Bleh,” Ditto said proudly.

• “That’s not even your own vomit,” Sir Whiskerton sighed.

Meanwhile, outside:

• Bessie was now painting the barn with her technicolor puke.

• Rufus had become a self-propelled vomit sprinkler.

• Porkchop was auctioning his regurgitated lunch to the squirrels (“Rare! Vintage! Partially digested!”).

---

The Resolution: A Culinary Crime Solved

Sir Whiskerton, resisting the urge to also vomit (mostly out of dignity), confronted Chef Remy.

• “Your pickles are toxic.”

• “Non, non!” Remy insisted. “Zey are innovative! Glow-in-ze-dark! Très chic!”

• “That’s not glow-in-the-dark—that’s throw-up-in-the-dark!”

A hush fell over the farm (partly because everyone was too nauseous to speak).

Finally, Chef Remy sighed. “…Perhaps I skipped ze safety testing.”

---

The Moral of the Story

Always check what you’re eating—and who’s cooking it. Especially if that chef is a raccoon who thinks “sterile” means “licking the spoon.”

---

Post-Credit Scene

Chef Remy unveils his next creation: Invisible Oatmeal. The animals immediately flee the county.

---

Best Lines

• “Tastes better the second time.” – Porkchop, regretting nothing.

• “That’s not glow-in-the-dark—that’s throw-up-in-the-dark!” – Sir Whiskerton, done with science.

• “I told you the feed tasted funny.” – Lillian, before fainting into her own sick.

---

Starring

• Sir Whiskerton (Detective & Reluctant Vomit Analyst)

• Chef Remy LeRaccoon (Mad Scientist of Regurgitation)

• Bessie the Tie-Dye Cow (Rainbow Barf Artist)

• Ditto (Hairball Method Actor)

---

P.S.

Next time you see a glowing pickle? Run.

Captain Traore’s Insane new SECURITY GUARDS after COUP Plot Makes Him Untouchable…