~ CHARLIE SUE ~

Charlie Sue was aggravated. Having been ordered to drop everything, put her life on hold and just go, she was heading to see Lilith Primus. A founding member of the Majestic 12 and since Lucy Lange’s disappearance, the new Director. Her supervisor Dale was just the opposite, ecstatic. Are you kidding? Going to Dougway Proving Grounds in Utah. The oldest, most advanced alien research center in the world. In all of his 35 years of back engineering alien tech for the government, he had never even left the facility. He was excited for his prodigy, impressing on her what an honor and opportunity this was. Charlie Sue was whisked away from her Lockheed plant in Marietta Georgia in a private luxury jet. Spent the night at the lavish Hyatt Regency in Salt Lake City, Utah. And now rode through the small town of Dougway in a 1990 Rolls Royce Silver Spur II Stretch Limo. It was a big deal. Still, it stuck in her craw. She didn’t like being summoned.

As they passed the heavily armored gate, she became more impressed as the Limo headed underground. It was common knowledge that the complex was moved fully below the surface after the deadly nerve gas debacle in the 1960’s.

Her chaperone for the trip, a quietly intense Air Force Colonel that she guessed was in his 50’s, took her to an enormous dining hall for lunch. While he avoided her gaze, they ate silently. He had not spoken 10 words to her during the trip and ignored every question she asked him. Curiosity got the best of her and she asked him directly, “Why won’t you talk to me?”

He looked up at her and sighed with irritation. “I am a highly decorated full bird Colonel with two wars under my belt. It’s bad enough that I have to be your babysitter. I have no desire to be your new little friend.”

Charlie Sue’s first reaction was, “Well fuck you too.” He shrugged and went back to eating his cafeteria mystery meat. Then after a moment of consideration she said, “I get it actually, I’m not happy about being here either.”

Soon enough she found herself deliberating in a spacious waiting room with concrete walls. The heated rumblings of an argument reverberated through a heavy hardwood door to the inner office. Then there was silence. A few minutes later, two creatures exited in disarray. A Blue Elbrine from the constellation Vulpecula appeared in distress. Well over 6”5’, he had blue skin, long thin fingers and a smooth, shiny skull. Almost unheard-of to see one alone. She was told that Blues always traveled in herds. Helping him was something rarely seen outside of the Bloworld. A female Drachonian. He pushed her away when he noticed Charlie Sue watching them. The She-Drach spied Charlie Sue and her visage instantly became a voluptuous blonde wearing a tight dress, just barely in the realm of being workplace attire. The Blue’s face was flushed red. He was visibly upset and possibly injured. The She-Drach placed a circular patch containing an assortment of computer chips onto the back of his hand and a studly, middle aged businessman appeared. Charlie Sue’s eidetic memory identified him at once. Lexington Singleton, billionaire industrialist and rumored to be the new Director of the Men In Black. They left in a rush and a smokey voice beckoned Charlie Sue to enter.

Across the office stood a tall woman wearing a form fitting Houndstooth dress to the ankles. At about 5”11’, 4 inch black heels put her well over 6 feet. Bright white hair halfway down her back was trimmed straight across. Her back to the door, she was fiddling with a bangled lampshade atop a bygone Victorian lamp.

The office would have been spacious if not cluttered with classy art and antiques, juxtaposed with oodles of brick-a-brack. Curtesy of a minor in art history, Charlie Sue was floored by several pieces of particular interest. Poppy Flowers by Van Gough, Harlequin’s Head by Picasso, Rembrandt’s The Storm on the Sea of Galilee and Dutch Doll of Finedon. All priceless paintings by the masters…and missing for years. A sculpture, The Golden Calf of Gozo, thought to be lost since the middle ages. The Statue of Marduk, supposedly destroyed in 484 BC by the ruler Xerxes. A hanging Daisho of a katana and wakizashi that looked suspiciously like coveted Muramasa blades from the 16th century. From working with Grey Aliens and their technology she didn’t think she could be surprised anymore. But this room was almost surreal to Charlie Sue’s grounded sensibilities.

The striking desk in the center was also impressive. A Parnian Executive model, they were rumored to be over $200,000. In contrast, the desk top contained only four items. A functional banker’s lamp, laptop, manilla folder, and a nameplate that read Lillith Primus. In spite of her authority and name recognition in the industry, Charlie Sue researched the hell out of Lillith Primus and came up with almost nothing. No bio, no social media exposure, no documentation. The last name was the Latin word for first; that was it. “Miss Primus I presume.”

The woman said, “Call me Lillith,” and turned to face her.

Charlie Sue was struck by her beauty. Emerald green eyes that were ever so slanted. Flawless caramel skin. Full lips and a sharp jawline. Her long neck accentuated by a simple black velvet choker. Charlie Sue was not attracted to woman at all but Lillith was super-hot.

Wanting to get on with it, Charlie Sue shifted with annoyance, while Lillith looked her up and down saying nothing. Finally Lillith opened the folder and said, “So. Charlotte Suzanne Swenson.”

The long trip gave her reply some edge. “My friends call me Charlie Sue, we’ll have to see if you qualify.”

Ignoring the remark Lillith continued talking, as if to herself. “You have a photographic memory.”

“It’s actually an eidetic memory, but that’s a common mistake.”

Lillith glanced up but kept going. “Okay, 5’ tall. 103 pounds. Your blonde hair is definitely long enough to be pigtailed. And your just pretty enough to be ingenueishly vulnerable. I think you’ll do.”

“I’ll do for what exactly?”

Lillith scrutinized her and snapped, “Stop interrupting me.” Charlie Sue sighed heavily, her patience was wearing thin. “You’re a high level gamer and an electrical engineer. A rare combination for a woman in her twenties.”

Charlie Sue was officially bored with it all of it. “Hey, stop for a minute. I saw Lex Singleton barely walk out of here. What did you do to him?”

“You’re awfully fast and loose with your superiors Charlie Sue. This can be easy or this can be hard.”

Defiantly, Charlie Sue demanded, “What in the hell is that supposed to mean?”

Lillith smiled for the first time. “Good, I prefer hard.” She pressed her neck and said, “Gerard, here! Now!” Lillith laid down the folder, made a fist with her right hand and slowly began to twist it. Charlie Sue clutched her chest with alarm. A painful knot seemed to be forming behind her sternum. It grew quickly and the pain spread out, enveloping her entire body. She dropped to her knees, gasping and grunting. As the agony consumed every cell of her being, she curled up into a ball on the floor expecting to die. Lillith came around the desk and prodded Charlie Sue’s shoulder with her pointed toe Jimmy Choos. “You’re going under cover for the Majestic 12. You’re going to work directly for me.”

Lillith opened her fist and Charlie Sue’s body released with a loud, slow groan. As she regained her senses, she wiped the spittle and snot smeared on her cheek and tried in vain to halt the release of her urine and feces. “Look at me Charlie Sue.” With great difficulty she looked up at Lillith and felt an emotion foreign to her. Fear. Lillith smiled. “I think we understand each other now, don’t we? DON’T WE YOUNG LADY?” Charlie Sue could barely nod then put her head back down.

The door opened and a frail looking elderly gentleman with gray hair, entered wearing a tuxedo. “Ah Gerard, Charlie Sue and I have been chatting. Please help her get cleaned up and provide fresh clothes. We have much to do in preparation for her new life.”

Gerard took Charlie Sue by the ankles and struggled awkwardly as he dragged her from the office, leaving a puddle of pee and a trail of waste on the hardwood floor. Lillith called after him, “Send the janitor Gerard. I don’t want this white oak floor to stain.

“Yes Mum,” came the reply.

**********

Feeling warm and safe Charlie Sue came around, but kept her eyes closed and shook out the cobwebs in her mind. The excruciatingly painful episode with Lillith seemed like a dream now. Feeling hands on her, she sat up startled and sent soapy water over the edge of an old style freestanding claw foot tub. Gerard was cleaning her with a washcloth, his voice was soothing. “Relax Miss, you’re fine. Are you thirsty?”

“Yes, please. My mouth is so dry.”

“Water perhaps?”

Charlie Sue nodded. Gerard walked to a small refrigerator next to a high end vessel sink made of marble. In fact, the entire oversized bathroom was marble. Floors, walls, vanity, even the toilet. He returned with a glass and Rokko No Mizu. The Kobe beef of bottled water. Charlie Sue immediately recognized the cartoon tiger on the label. She took a long drink and handed the unusual whiskey glass back. “This is hand-blown Boshi, isn’t it?” Gerard nodded, looking impressed. “The water, this bathroom, the rare art work in her office. Lillith Primus is what my Daddy would have called a rich bitch.”

Gerard replied, “Yes Miss, you’re quite cultured I take it?”

“No Mr. Butler. I have an eidetic memory, so I remember everything I’ve seen or heard.”

“A useful talent I would wager. Call me Gerard, please.”

“Why are you being so nice to me Gerard?”

“You are a good person. I can tell if people are good or bad, it’s a gift. I like you and we will be spending much time together.”

“Oh Lord, you’re not some kind of pervert are you?”

“No Miss, I’m here to help you. If you need anything, just ask.”

Without hesitation she looked back and forth then whispered, “Help me get out of here.”

“Sorry Miss, anything but that.”

“Well, then call me Charlie Sue I guess.” She rubbed the residual soreness in her chest. “What did she do to me in there?”

“Let me just say Charlie Sue, that Mum has many exceptional and unusual skills. Some innate, many acquired over her extensive lifetime. But none of them do you want to experience firsthand.”

“That’s odd you say that. I researched Lillith Primus and came up with almost nothing.”

“You were using the wrong name. Any of these would have been more suitable, Ilith, Abitu, Hakash, Hikpodu, Ayalu, Matrota. These are her true names, the ones that matter. Lillith is assumed to be from a Mesopotamian word for Night Demon, but it’s actually a direct translation of the Erran word for eternal.”

“So she’s definitely not American.”

“I realize that was a jest, but Mum has no demarcation in terms of ancestry. She is truly…unique.”

“She has to be from somewhere.”

“No Charlie Sue. Mum is the Alpha, the Genesis.” Charlie Sue looked at him perplexed. “Lillith Primus was the first human ever created.”

“Sorry Gerard. I can tell you’re serious but I’m not buying it. That would make her uh…I can’t even guess how old. Over a hundred thousand years?”

“ You have of course, heard of the great treaty among the ancient gods.” She nodded yes. “The new masters of Earth needed workers. The Errans, you know them?”

“Do you mean the Nordics from the Pleiades constellation?”

“Yes. As per a ratified contract with the treaty committee, the Errans took their own DNA and cells from a primitive indigenous population and created my Mum. It was their initial attempt. She was the first woman and the original human prototype.”

“That would explain the green eyes and white hair but it’s hard to swallow. Easy to confirm, though. If true then everyone on earth would have traces of her DNA.”

“No. I didn’t say she was a successful prototype. The Elders, a committee of four representatives of the senior races…”

“Senior races?”

“The Nephilim, the Mantis, The Greys, and the Annunaki. They had the final say on any actions that were treaty related. The Elders rejected her. Unable to agree on who should try again, all the different races decided to create their own breeds of workers. Hence the diversity we enjoy in the world today. Then Mum’s throat was slit, and they disposed of her.”

“Then why is she still here?”

“Ah!” His finger went up. “The Errans had done too good a job. No one yet realized that Mum could not die. The extraordinarily long life span of Errans combined with the primates ability to heal, merged into a physiology that was unprecedented. To put it simply, she is immortal.”

A skeptical snicker escaped Charlie Sue. “Why do you call her Mum?”

“She’s my mother. Would you like to hear her story? It is as you Americans say, a doozy.”

“Sure. But are you supposed to be telling me all of this?”

“It’s of no consequence. You won’t remember any of it anyway.”

“Wanna bet?”

From the doorway Lilith said, “I’ll take that bet. And trust me, you wouldn’t want to remember it anyway.” As Lilith walked away, her voice wafted. “Tell her all about me, Gerard. Then bring her to the Ice Box.”

“Yes Mum,” he replied. “Charlie Sue, would you care for a cup of tea?”

“Why, yes Gerard. Under the circumstances that would be lovely.”

She saw in her mind as her teeth ground finer and finer even as she listened; the bone sifted away like delicate sand by her Mulling Masseter. Her blood boiled like flowing veins of liquid rock and molten metal as she could see the faint layer of the deepest eyes she’d ever looked into.

“And?” The man finally spoke with a big and empty voice that you could feel in your soul and that would make your heart drop into your knees.

“And, I’ve wanted you for so long! I’ve wanted you for nearly 10 years! Every time my parents fought when I was a kid and I could hear their screams down the hall, the clattering of plates on the floor. Then in college, when I couldn’t find reason to be a part of the land of the living anymore; I’d cry in my bed at night, praying for the moment I could embrace you, you’d take me in and cradle me in your cloak of everlasting twilight so that nothing could ever hurt me again…and now, today, today you take my sister who still had so much life ahead of her when you were supposed to take me!”

“Your sister was very sick, it was time for her to rest.”

“My sister needed a chance, a chance to make something of herself like I never got to. I never wanted this marriage…”

“What do you want?” The man queried.

“I want you…I’m in love with you!”

Their eyes met and for one brief moment Blaise could feel a warmth in those empty eye sockets that she had never felt staring into the soul of any other. One chased kiss as cold as ice was placed between the angel of death and this beacon of life. He caressed her cheek ever so gently, his cold hand reminding me of the frigid February night when they’d met. She looked again deeply into his eyes and saw there a look of passion, of regret and of restraint.

“Take me with you, I was already there and I can be again. Bring her back, we shared so many happy moments inspite of everything and you’ve showed me so much. I love you, please take me, not her!

“What is done has not been undone. You have brought me so much joy, you truly blaze, just as your namesake. You blaze with fire and passion and for the time we’ve spent together, you have been the Persephone to my Hades and you’ve shown me the most of life I’ve ever known. You made me find new love for the living that I had long forgotten, you make, you love, you fight, you hope and in time, you die.”

“Please…”She whimpered.

There was a subtle glow that suddenly emanated from deep within the skull of this lovely death that began to shine ever brighter, illuminating the crypt and basking Blaze in the frantic, fluttering glow that stuttered now like her heart. As the flame crept ever higher, lighting up darkened beams of stone that cradled the roof of the mausoleum and brought a slight smile to Blaise’s tear-stained face. She had seen this light only 3 other times. As her breath startled and caught in her marvel of the flames; she saw him now the night she’d crashed her mother’s car her junior year of college…The first time she ever saw his face (I’ll be it, she saw but a glimpse of fleshless face and the soft glow of something lit up like a jack-o-lantern through the she sheen of blood and the haze of the concussion that should have killed her…and should have killed her, he had came to her, meant to take her, but at the final moment, he could not bring himself to end something so gentle.

“Not now, it is because I love you that-,” whispered the man resolutely when he could again breath, “You must live, for yourself and your sister. You must find meaning.” and with that the figure was gone…

Well, that’s a GOOD question.

I see that some points have already been raised in previous answers, like how the socialist system emphasizes “concentrating resources to accomplish big tasks” and so on. I’ll try to offer my perspective, from the viewpoint of an ordinary Chinese person.

First, a basic requirement is that China is large enough, with enough people.

When I was a kid, I read a book about Peter the Great, which described how he revitalized Russia. There was a line in it that left a deep impression: “Russia may be poor, but it is big enough.” While that statement in the book was about how he solved the issue of a lack of funding, the principle is the same.

Take China’s nuclear weapons research as an example.

The country was extremely poor at the time, and many things were unimaginable.

For example, they didn’t even have machines to level the ground, so they had groups of four people pounding the earth with stones—just like how our ancestors built cities 3,000 years ago.

They didn’t have computers, so countless people worked in groups, using abacuses to do calculations—an ancient mechanical tool that our ancestors used 1,500 years ago.

One day, I was reading the science fiction novel The Three-Body Problem, and in the fictional world of the Three-Body system, the author imagines Qin Shi Huang using countless people to create a “human computer”:

Computer Name: Qin No. 1
Operating System: Qin 1.0
CPU: The five most elite military legions of Qin Shi Huang
Memory: Unknown, but optimized for twenty times the original efficiency (using over twenty different flags)
Hard Drive: 3 million highly educated individuals
Bus: Cavalry legions (responsible for transmitting information across the system)
Display Array: At least equipped with red and green pixel units (dual-color display array)
Maintenance Components: A group of cavalry
Maintenance Method: Replace malfunctioning components (decapitate the faulty individuals)
Power Consumption: The entire productivity of the Qin Empire.

I suddenly felt a lump in my throat, because our fathers used people + abacuses to calculate the atomic bomb.

But the point is, a large territory and population are necessary conditions.

For example, with aircraft carriers, there may not be many workers—let’s say only 30,000.

But to ensure their welfare, logistics, steel production, etc., you need a vast nation. Otherwise, the cost-effectiveness would be low.

The same goes for high-speed rail.

The rapid progress of China’s high-speed rail is partly because there are enough people, which helps spread out the development and construction costs.

Another important reason is tradition. In China, intellectuals have always been highly respected.

For example, years ago, a friend of mine was wrongly thrown into prison due to a legal dispute.

Back then, China’s legal system wasn’t as well-established, and prisons were dark and lawless places, ruled by violence.

He was an ordinary person, terrified. The prison chief usually makes an example out of new inmates, but after hearing my friend’s stammered explanation, he immediately became friendly. Why? Because my friend graduated from one of China’s best universities.

The prison chief assessed the situation, told him, “This will probably get cleared up soon, at most a few weeks, and you’ll be free again.” Then he addressed the other inmates, saying, “This man graduated from XX University. He’s not like the rest of us. If any of you mess with him, you’ll regret it.”

So, my friend spent a few weeks in prison—unpleasant, but relatively safe and dignified—and eventually, he was freed.

(Here’s a little off-the-record story. One day, an 80-something-year-old man was caught by the police for soliciting prostitution. He was calm and collected, and told them, “Get your chief here.” The police, noticing his demeanor, didn’t dare dismiss him and brought in the chief. After a brief conversation, the chief was taken aback, immediately apologized, and respectfully escorted him out of the station. The old man was a leading figure in China’s scientific community. While prostitution is obviously wrong, my reaction when hearing this story was, “How nice! At 80, this old man still finds time to 关爱失足少女（The literal meaning is that he cares about the young girls who have made mistakes and is willing to support them by money. However, the hidden meaning, as everyone knows, is something else.）He must be in great health! waht a good news, it’s a blessing for the country!” He lived to 100+ before passing.)

Sometimes I think Americans do this part poorly (just from my perspective).

I really enjoy the TV show The Big Bang Theory, and I’ve watched it more than ten times. It seems like the four main characters wouldn’t be that well-liked in the U.S. If it were China, they’d be very respectable, and certainly wouldn’t have trouble getting girlfriends.

(I’ve asked a few Chinese girls who their favorite characters are. Sheldon Cooper isn’t very popular—at least not someone they’d want to marry. Well, I wouldn’t want to marry him either, haha, he’s too… unique. But Leonard Hofstadter is very, very popular. Raj and Howard Wolowitz are also quite liked.)

Of course, this is just a TV show. I don’t have experience living in the U.S., and maybe it’s exaggerated for comedic effect. Maybe people like them are actually very respected and easily win the hearts of girls in America.

In my hometown, there’s a saying that roughly translates to: “If you have a child but don’t let them get an education, why not just raise a stupid pig?”

So even in extremely poor areas, parents eat plain food, tighten their belts, and still send their children to school. This mentality is reflected at the national level too. In China, if you’re smart and willing to learn, there’s no such thing as being unable to afford an education. Tuition fees? Waived! Textbook fees? Waived! Financial aid? Deposited directly into your account!

When I was in university, I didn’t fully grasp the extent of this, but looking back, the country really went all in. The dorms I stayed in weren’t comfortable, but considering that they were in the busiest district in Beijing, the dorm fees were basically free.

The efforts to help poor students are now at an extreme level.

For instance, the AI system automatically tracks students who use their meal cards frequently.

If a student eats a certain amount in the cafeteria every month, and their average meal cost is below a certain threshold (indicating they’re eating the cheapest food available—already subsidized by the state), starting the next month, an anonymous amount will be added to their meal card.

There’s no human intervention in the process, and except for the student receiving the aid, no one else knows their privacy.

I haven’t mentioned that I’ve personally supported underprivileged students, but given my personality, it’s highly likely. 🙂

Every year, my class donates to support poor students at our alma mater.

What I mean is, this kind of cultural atmosphere is nationwide, not just something that a few wealthy individuals do.

Now, I want to talk about IQ.

No, don’t misunderstand me. I’m not talking about racism.

Generally speaking, people might assume East Asians are smarter. This could be true. It’s not that East Asians are inherently superior, but rather that East Asian history has been extremely harsh.

The “involution” has been crazy.

This has led to generations of people competing fiercely for the ability to pass on their genes.

This Darwinian arms race might have made smarter genes more likely to be passed on.

Take South Koreans, for example.

Many people think they’re very smart. I can’t find the paper right now, but from what I remember, the gist was that modern Koreans, going back 300 years, are almost all descendants of the “two classes” (literary officials and military officers, the aristocracy)! But the nobility made up a very small proportion of the population. This means the vast majority of ordinary people—farmers, fishermen, craftsmen—didn’t pass on their genes.

I’m not saying that farmers, fishermen, or craftsmen are stupid, not at all. But in certain specific intellectual areas, the nobility might have had an advantage.

China’s history was similar, if not even more brutal.

I want to emphasize, even if the average IQ of Chinese people seems a little higher, the cost of achieving this is unbearable. It’s the blood and tears of countless ancestors.

Finally, let’s talk about patriotism.

My hometown is a very poor area. One of my senior classmates, who is 10 years older than me, faced much greater poverty while he was studying. His family was even poorer than mine. The hardest thing for him was not having enough food. He often recalls how he had to survive on just one meal a day, and passing out from hunger while studying was a regular occurrence.

What kept him going was a famous line from the Prime Minister: “Study for the rise of China.”

He is now the chief engineer of a major national project in China.

Another senior of mine, who was in my university but over a decade older, passed away recently.

Just before he died, he completed a groundbreaking national project.

After the project was finished, he passed away. His body had already been exhausted, and it was only his willpower that kept him alive until the project succeeded.

There are many such heroes.

We call them 国士 (National Heroes)

Qian Xuesen, Deng Jiaxian, Yu Min, Huang Xuhua, Yuan Longping…

The list is long, and our people will remember them for generations and honor them.

Recently, we lost Huang Xuhua, the father of China’s nuclear submarines.

He passed away at the age of 99.

When Mao Zedong wanted to develop China’s nuclear submarines, Khrushchev thought it was impossible, saying it was too difficult and that China couldn’t do it.

Mao, angered, wrote a personal inscription: “We will make nuclear submarines, even if it takes ten thousand years!”

And eventually, China had its own nuclear submarines.

Mr.Huang Xuhua dedicated his entire life to China’s nuclear submarines. He went into hiding, left his family for decades, and severed all contact…

(Were his actions too cautious? Perhaps, but think about the list of assassinated scientists in Iran.)

The public spontaneously paid their respects to Huang Xuhua. The sea of flowers and people showed that we will never forget our heroes.

>>>The above are some thoughts from my personal perspective. Thank you for patiently reading this far<<<

Rory Gallagher | Off the Handle | (First Time Hearing) Live Montreux 1979 Reaction

What’s a book that changed how you think?

“Stranger in a Strange Land” by Robert Heinlein.

I was the new kid at a new school in 7th grade: smart, nerdy, not athletic, used to being bullied. And to my delight I found a bunch of kids just like me.

I quickly found out that if I wanted to fit in with this new group, I had to read what they were reading. And one of the things they were reading was Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein.

So naturally, I read it. I didn’t have much experience with science fiction. I read comic books but that was about it. So I was in no way prepared for what I was about to read.

I’ll try to sum up the book briefly. The first manned mission to Mars consists of three couples. There’s some adultery, a lot of jealousy, some murders, and to make it brief there’s only one survivor: a baby, named Valentine Michael Smith, who is raised by Martians.

Twenty years later, the second manned mission to Mars finds Mike, a young man now, and brings him back to earth. He’s a complete outsider, he knows nothing about earth culture, and he sees everything from the ultimate outsider’s perspective.

Furthermore he’s rich. Because of some absolutely absurd earth law, he’s the sole proprietor of Mars and everything on it. He’s also the heir to all six of the crew members of the first expedition, some of whom were wealthy in their own right, some of whom had patents that are worth millions, etc. He’s the richest man in the world, he owns Mars, and he’s a complete naif. Naturally, he’s immediately made a ward of the government, who are keeping him incommunicado in Bethesda Hospital until they can figure out what to do with him.

By sheer accident he’s discovered there by a nurse, Jill Boardman, who befriends him and realizes that once the government finds a way to seize all his money they’re going to kill him. So she sneaks him out of the hospital and suddenly, she becomes the most wanted woman in the world.

And I’m going to stop right there and make two observations. If this reminds you an awful lot of a certain rich man who wants to go to Mars, you’re right. Elon Musk read Stranger in a Strange Land as a young man and it clearly had a pronounced influence on him as well. Look at the word “Grok” on the cover. It’s a Martian word meaning “to drink water” but also “to understand something deeply and profoundly.” Elon named his artificial intelligence program after the word. He should have paid Heinlein’s estate royalties.

The second observation is that I’ve so far described less than a fourth of the book and already I’ve gotten two of the largest lessons the book has to offer: First, the law can be very, very stupid sometimes, creating absurdities that no reasonable person would arrive at but which we have to deal with as part of the basic structure of our society; and

Second, that the policeman is not your friend. Government is sometimes useful and occasionally benign, but it can also be the worst enemy anyone can have. These were important lessons for a naive twelve-year-old.

To continue the story: In a panic and with no one else to turn to, Jill shows up at the estate of her favorite author. (As one does, of course.) Jubal Harshaw is an elderly, grumpy recluse, who at one time in his life had practiced both law and medicine and gave up both careers because it was far easier and more lucrative to make a living writing trashy romance novels. Jubal, who knows practically everyone on the planet, manages to get through to the Secretary-General of the United Nations through a mutual acquaintance (the Sec-Gen’s wife’s astrologer. Dr. Harshaw had saved the life of Madame Vesant’s husband once, and Madame Vesant — “Becky” to her friends, she’s adorable — owes him a favor.)

So Jubal and the Sec-Gen cut a deal, and now Jubal has to raise this young man who knows nothing about earth and its ways.

By the way, the book predated Nancy Reagan and the influence of her astrologer on the White House and government policy by more than two decades. The book was prescient in many weird ways.

So the boy learns human customs. He learns about sex, with many eager teachers including Jill. Jubal teaches him about art. There’s discussions of cannibalism, which is an accepted custom among Martians. In each case, Mike brings a literally other-worldly perspective to each topic. What’s wrong with group sex? Answer: Nothing, but that’s not the way we do it in Kansas. What’s wrong with cannibalism? Answer: it might get you shunned in polite company. But in each case, it made twelve-year-old me question everything I’d ever been taught.

Take religion. Jubal isn’t religious, but when Mike gets curious, they end up attending a large, politically influential megachurch in California. Again, the book was prescient, predicting the rise of the megachurch movement, of the politically involved religious right, and of certain boisterous expressions of religion that later manifested in the Jesus Movement, the charismatic movement, and the Toronto Blessing.

While Mike is being shown around the church with no less than a United States Senator as his tour guide, the services struck me as sounding downright fun, even if Jubal was appalled by them for lacking dignity. So again, I went into my middle school years thinking deeply about the nature of God and religion and the human elements that try to control it.

And I’m going to stop right there. There’s no way that I can continue to describe this book other than to say that it made me question EVERYTHING from politics to sex to religion to sculpture to science to astrology to the mass media to capitalism to cannibalism. And I wasn’t alone; several members of my junior high school peer group and I sat in a circle in someone’s basement and passed around a glass of water — the ancient Martian ceremony by which we formed what could only be described as a family, a promiscuous group marriage. Somehow I don’t think we grasped all the implications of that when we were twelve and thirteen, but a few of us still regard ourselves as “water brethren” to this day.

Old-Fashioned Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce

Yield: 6 servings

Equipment

• Pressure Cooker

Ingredients

• 4 slices day-old white bread
• 4 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon brandy
• 1 1/2 cups Half-and-Half
• 2 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups water

Instructions

1. Butter the bread with 2 tablespoons of the butter, then cut into cubes.
2. Put the brown sugar in an even layer in the bottom of a 6 cup baking dish that fits comfortably inside the pressure cooker. Press any lumps from the sugar with the back of spoon.
3. Cut the remaining 2 tablespoons butter into small pieces and dot over the sugar, then sprinkle with brandy. Add the cubed bread, but do not stir.
4. Whisk the Half-and-Half with the eggs, egg yolks and vanilla extract. Pour over the bread, again without stirring.
5. Cover the baking dish with foil so that no water can get inside. Pour 2 cups water into the bottom of the pressure cooker. Place the baking dish on a grid or in a steamer basket (whichever your cooker has) to get baking dish off bottom of cooker. Cover pressure cooker and bring up to medium pressure (10 pounds). Reduce heat to stabilize pressure and cook for 25 minutes. Release pressure and remove baking dish. Pour off any water that has accumulated on top of foil, then remove foil.
6. Run a knife around the edges of baking dish to loosen pudding from the sides. Invert a serving plate over the top of the baking dish and quickly turn the two pieces over. Remove the baking pan. Serve bread pudding warm or at room temperature.
7. When the pudding is inverted, you will see that the brown sugar butter and brandy have made a delicious caramel sauce. As there is no sugar in the pudding, be sure each serving gets a generous helping of the sauce.

Is the US’s import rate higher than its export rate due to tariffs?

No, it’s because the U.S. has a high standard of living that drives up its labor costs. So do most developed nations. But it’s also falling behind in the education level you need to produce a lot of things without a lot of human labor, so much of that sector in the economy goes to high value durable goods, like aircraft, and not consumer goods, like televisions.

And, like many countries with resources, the United States devotes a lot of capital to resource extraction.

As such, professional business services (which require you to have a massive amount of education), account for the biggest share of U.S. economic activity. U.S. manufacturing is still huge though

But as you can see, if all Americans had to rely on manufacturing jobs, the economy would be tiny – the rest is services, resource extraction (including agriculture) and a tiny bit is government.

And part of the good news is that most of the goods made and resources extracted by the United States are consumed in the United States. Still, the U.S. was the #2 exporter in the world.

That means U.S. trade in goods has consistently run a deficit for years, and this deficit is also the largest in the world.

But, as we’ve seen, goods aren’t the only source of economic activity, and the United States gets money from foreign nations in other ways, for example:

• Most of the world’s entertainment products come from the United States. As production costs are similar no matter where you are, the huge U.S. market allows film and television shows to be sold to foreign markets at bargain prices.
• The United States is the world’s most visited country, a lot of it coming from its neighbour Canada, but also from Europe and Asia. Tourists spend a ton of money in the United States with zero net trade. Conversely, Americans are not terribly likely to travel outside their own country.
• Because the U.S. has no capital controls, a lot of investment money winds up in the United States coming through capital markets in New York, Boston, San Francisco and Philadelphia. That also includes foreigners buying U.S. treasury debt.

Factory jobs are, and always have been, dangerous (although less so now). Nowadays, those jobs require at least a 3-year post-secondary diploma, largely to run the equipment used. More education is better. Although manufacturing income generally has always trended up, manufacturers can make more stuff with fewer people. Don’t be surprised – 1% of Americans grows enough food to feed the entire population several times over and only 20% of the population lives in a rural area. In 1900, 60% of Americans lived in a rural area.

So, if you look at U.S. exports, you won’t see many iPhones or television sets, but you will see medical instruments, nuclear reactors, pharmaceuticals, vehicles and precious stones & metals.

As one Minnesota small businessperson was asked about manufacturing in the United States, to do that, you would need to import the machinery, the skilled workers to operate it, and most of the raw materials. It has nothing to do with tariffs.

Tariffs really don’t have anything to do with it. Manufacturing was already moving outside the United States before free trade took hold in the 1990s. But still, as noted, one sixth of all manufactured goods are already made in the United States. It’s just not stuff that you’re likely to find in local stores, unless it’s a car.

And because not everything is made or even exists in the United States (the U.S. doesn’t have a lot of nickel, for example) means that U.S. manufacturers have always had to import raw materials or finished assemblies. There is exactly zero chance the touch screen in your car will ever be made in the United States.

Sir Whiskerton and the Bellyache Rebellion: A Tale of Rogue Rations, Yodeling Fish, and a Very Soothing Tea Party

Ah, dear reader, prepare your stomachs—and your eardrums—for a tale of culinary mutiny, synchronized suffering, and the most questionable fish chorus this side of the Alps. When Chef Remy’s latest “experimental feed” turned the farm into a groaning, gurgling battlefield, only one detective could broker peace… with a kettle and a lot of peppermint. So clutch your aching bellies and join us for Sir Whiskerton and the Bellyache Rebellion: A Tale of Rogue Rations, Yodeling Fish, and a Very Soothing Tea Party.

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The Gastrointestinal Uprising

It started, as all disasters do, with Chef Remy LeRaccoon’s latest “culinary breakthrough.”

• “Behold!” he crowed, unveiling a vat of shimmering, suspiciously bubbling feed. “Ze ultimate nutrition! Enhanced with probiotics, electrolytes, and ze essence of innovation!”

• “It’s moving,” Porkchop the Pig noted.

• “Oui! Ze bacteria are lively!”

The animals, too hungry (or too foolish) to refuse, dug in.

Big. Mistake.

Within minutes, the farm erupted into a symphony of suffering.

• Doris the Hen clutched her belly and waddled in frantic circles. “I demand a refund! And a doctor! And—OH NO, NOT AGAIN—”

• Bessie the Tie-Dye Cow groaned, her stomach gurgling like a tie-dye lava lamp.

• Ditto the Kitten, ever the mimic, clutched his tiny belly and let out a whimper so pitiful even the scarecrow winced.

Then—the fish started yodeling.

From the pond, three synchronized fish launched into a mournful chorus:

“YODEL-AY-HEE—URP—HOOOOO!”

The effect was instant. The farm animals, already queasy, now swayed in hypnotized unison, marching in a wobbly conga line of misery.

• “Make it stop,” Sir Whiskerton begged, his monocle fogging from the sheer aura of regret.

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The Investigation: A Culinary Crime Scene

Sir Whiskerton, dodging low-flying yodel-ducks and a very nauseous gnome, stormed into Chef Remy’s lab.

• “Your feed is criminal,” he accused.

• “Non! It is culinary!” Remy protested, stirring a cauldron of something that winked.

• “The fish are yodeling, Remy.”

• “Ah! Side effect.”

Outside, the rebellion escalated.

• Porkchop led a protest with a sign: “DOWN WITH DIGESTIVE TYRANNY!”

• The yodeling fish, now joined by a hypnotized frog choir, harmonized in stomach-turning thirds.

• Ditto, still clutching his belly, tried to mimic the fish’s yodel—and spat up a hairball mid-note.

Sir Whiskerton sighed. “We need a neutral beverage.”

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The Peppermint Peace Treaty

With the farm on the brink of both revolution and regurgitation, Sir Whiskerton did what any genius would do: He made tea.

• “Peppermint,” he declared, pouring cups with the gravitas of a UN negotiator. “Soothes the stomach. Calms the soul. Silences yodeling fish.”

One sip later…

• The fish hiccuped and sank into drowsy silence.

• The animals sighed in relief, their synchronized marching dissolving into blissful napping.

• Chef Remy, still defiant, sipped his tea… then gasped. “Mon dieu! Zis is… not terrible.”

Peace, at last.

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The Moral of the Story

Think before you eat—and cook responsibly. Especially if your resume includes “accidental yodeling aquaculture.”

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Post-Credit Scene

Chef Remy, undeterred, unveils his next creation: Self-Churning Butter. The animals immediately form a union.

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Best Lines

• “DOWN WITH DIGESTIVE TYRANNY!” – Porkchop, leading the revolt.

• “It’s moving.” “Oui! Ze bacteria are lively!” – Porkchop & Chef Remy, regrettable optimism.

• “The fish are yodeling, Remy.” – Sir Whiskerton, done with science.

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Starring

• Sir Whiskerton (Tea-Master & Diplomat of Digestion)

• Chef Remy LeRaccoon (Mad Scientist of Meal-Time Misery)

• The Yodeling Fish (Unwitting Chorus of Chaos)

• Ditto (Dramatic Digestive Method Actor)

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P.S.

Next time your fish start yodeling? Check the feed. And maybe invest in a good kettle.

Rick Waiting * Relaxing Blade Runner Blues Vibes