When we were growing up there was this toy that we used to play with. Darn dangerous thing too. But we didn’t care.

It was called click-clacks, and along with Jarts, possibly the most dangerous toys we had.

I would, we would, throw those “click-clacks” like a bolo at other kids to stop them. And gosh damn! we could of killed someone. Damn!

And those Jarts. How about giant sized darts capable of taking down an elephant? Gosh what the hell was the matter with out parents’ generation?

To Hell with that idea that no nation would dare attack the United States because there would be a gun behind every shrub or tree. Damn! Every kid was armed with bolo’s and darts that could take down an elephant.

I guess in hindsight, us kids were terrors.

No wonder our parents tended to drink alot.

Today…

What happens if there is a war between the Jews and the Chinese?

As Carl Anderson said, China also has Jews.

And China is the only amazing country in the world where Jews and Muslims have the opportunity to play basketball together instead of hating each other.

---

After the 1st century AD, Jews fled their homes and spread throughout the entire Eurasian continent, with the most concentrated being in Central Asia. By the 9th century, a large number of Jewish merchants had arrived in China through various channels. From the Han Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, the majority of Jews lived in Kaifeng, Henan.

After thousands of years, these Jews who immigrated to China in the early days have no much difference in appearance from the Chinese.

After the First Opium War, China was forced to open trading ports and cede semi colonies, and some Jews came to China under the protection of the British Empire. In the first half of the 20th century, some Jews came to the economic centers of Shanghai and British Hong Kong in China.

After the Russian Revolution in 1917, more Jews fled to China as refugees.

In the 1930s and 1940s, Jews flooded into China in large numbers to escape Nazi massacres in Western Europe, and many of these refugees were of European nationality. Among them, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Harbin are world-renowned for the number of Jewish refugees they have accepted.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s grandfather Joseph Olmert and his wife fled from Russia to Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China. In Harbin, Joseph first worked as a manager in China’s railway department and later started running tea and hotel businesses.

Mordechai Olmert – Wikipedia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Mordechai Olmert ( Hebrew : מרדכי אולמרט ; 16 January 1908 – 30 March 1998) was an Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset for Herut between 1955 and 1961. He was also the father of Ehud Olmert , who served as Prime Minister between 2006 and 2009. [ 1 ] Born in Buguruslan in the Russian Empire , Olmert’s family moved to Harbin in China in 1919. He studied at a local polytechnic, and was amongst the founders of the Jewish Students Organisation and the local branch of Betar . [ 2 ] During this time he met Bella Wagman, who he later married. Between 1931 and 1933 he taught Russian at a Chinese high school, before making aliyah to Mandatory Palestine in 1933. [ 2 ] He joined the Betar work group in Hadera , and worked as an agricultural labourer until 1939. He was amongst the founders of the Irgun , as well as the Jabotinsky neighbourhood in Binyamina in 1946. [ 2 ] He survived an attack on a bus by Arab militants in November 1947. [ 3 ] In 1949 he returned to China as an emissary for the Irgun fund. He returned to Israel to head Herut’s settlement department, where he remained until 1953. A member of the party’s central committee, he was elected to the Knesset on its list in 1955 , and was re-elected in 1959 . He lost his seat in the 1961 elections , and in 1965 left the party’s central committee. In 1969 he joined the Free Centre , and was a founder of La’am in 1976. [ 2 ] He died in 1998 at the age of 90.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mordechai_Olmert

In Harbin, Olmert’s father Mordechai Olmert was born. Under the guidance of his parents, Mordechai was admitted to Harbin Institute of Technology with high scores. After graduation, he stayed on as a language teacher, mainly teaching Russian and Chinese. At Harbin Institute of Technology, Mordechai met his later wife, who was a Jewish refugee who had fled from Europe.

In 1935, the Mordechai couple gave birth to their first child, Abraham Olmert.

In 1938, Mordechai heard that the Jewish people were about to regain their country, so they pooled their funds and traveled back to Israel. Before leaving, Mordechai strongly suggested that his parents could return to Israel with them.

But Joseph recognized that Harbin, China was his hometown, and he didn’t go anywhere, not even allowing the Mordechai couple to return to Israel. Helpless, the Mordechai couple and their family of three secretly went to Israel.

In 1941, Joseph passed away and, according to his wishes, his body was buried in the Jewish cemetery in Harbin. The inscription on the tombstone reads:

Thanks to the Chinese people for protecting our family’s past, and making people who used to be part of this Jewish community feel their dignity and respect. All this will forever remind us that there were many Jews living in this city – Harbin.

In Israel, their second child Ehud Olmert was born and became the future Prime Minister of Israel.

Ehud Olmert – Wikipedia

Prime Minister of Israel from 2006 to 2009 Ehud Olmert ( / ˈ oʊ l m ər t , – m ɛər t / ; [ 1 ] Hebrew : אֶהוּד אוֹלְמֶרְט , IPA: [eˈhud ˈolmeʁt] ⓘ ; born 30 September 1945) is an Israeli politician and lawyer who served as the prime minister of Israel from 2006 to 2009. The son of a former Herut politician, Olmert was first elected to the Knesset for Likud in 1973, at the age of 28. Olmert served as a minister without portfolio from 1988 to 1990, and as Minister of Health from 1990 until 1992. In 1993, he was elected Mayor of Jerusalem. He served two consecutive five-year terms before returning to national politics in 2003 to serve as Designated Acting Prime Minister , Minister of Trade and Minister of Communications . Olmert also served as acting Minister of Finance from 2005 to 2006, following the resignation of incumbent minister Benjamin Netanyahu . In late 2005, Olmert joined Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in leaving Likud and forming Kadima alongside fellow Likud and Labor Party politicians. In January 2006, Olmert became the acting Prime Minister after Sharon was permanently incapacitated by a stroke. Olmert went on to succeed Sharon as Kadima leader, and formed a government following elections held that March. During Olmert’s term, Israel fought the 2006 Lebanon War , which ended inconclusively. Olmert’s approval dropped following the war. He was harshly criticized for his handling of it by the Winograd Commission , whose findings prompted protests calling for his resignation. Olmert engaged in multiple rounds of peace talks with the Palestinians, including the 2007 Annapolis Conference , which ended following the breakout of the 2009 Gaza War . Olmert resigned as Prime Minister in 2008 due to low approval ratings and a then-ongoing corruption probe. He remained in office until March 2009 and was succeeded by Benjamin Netanyahu. After leaving office, he was sentenced to 6 years in prison in 2014 for accepting bribes and for obstruction of justice during his terms as mayor of Jerusalem and as trade minister. He was released on parole in July 2017. Biography Ehud Olmert was born in 1945 near Binyamina in the British Mandate of Palestine . According to Olmert, his parents, Bella Wagman and Mordechai Olmert , escaped persecution in Ukraine and Russia , and found sanctuary in Harbin , China. [ 2 ] Olmert’s paternal family settled in Harbin after fleeing Samara in 1919. His father Mordechai grew up in the city and was a member of its local Betar branch. He and Wagman immigrated to mandatory Palestine from Harbin in 1933. [ 3 ] Mordechai later became a politician and served as a member of the Knesset for Herut from 1955 to 1961. [ 4 ] In 2004, Olmert visited China and paid his respects at the tomb of his grandfather in Harbin. Olmert said that his father had never forgotten his Chinese hometown after moving to Palestine. “When he died at the age of 88, he spoke his last words in Mandarin Chinese “, he recalled. [ 5 ] Olmert graduated from the Hebre

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ehud_Olmert

In Abraham and Ehud’s memory, their parents often vividly told them Chinese mythological stories, Chinese paintings, and Chinese embroidered balls in Chinese.

Even in Ehud’s memory, the Chinese red lanterns can still be clearly seen, which makes them full of longing for ancient China in their childhood.

Their parents also proudly recounted their experiences of teaching students in university multiple times, and even on his deathbed, Ehud Olmert’s father blurted out Chinese.

Because Ehud Olmert did not grow up in China, he could not fully understand his father’s words. However, under the constant influence of his parents and Zhang Xun, he knew that his father always missed China and was always concerned about their hometown – Harbin.

In 2004, Ehud Olmert and his elder brother Abraham Olmert returned to the Harbin Jewish Cemetery in China to pay tribute to their grandfather, Joseph Olmert.

4

Marmalade Chicken

Ingredients

• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup orange marmalade
• 2 cups herbed seasoned stuffing
• 1/2 cup melted butter

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Spread chicken pieces with marmalade (the more you use, the sweeter it will be, so spread according to taste).
3. Coat with stuffing.
4. Place in a greased 2 quart casserole dish.
5. Drizzle top with butter.
6. Bake for 30 minutes until brown and crispy.

“The Illusion Has COLLAPSED, The Horror Is Coming..” – Richard Wolff Last Warning!

The Indian Government is one of the absolutely worst and most atrocious ones in the Planet

I don’t mean Modi or BJP alone

The entire Indian System of Government is an absolute CESSPIT of Corruption and other horrors

So for a person like me living in India , the Chinese Government looks like one of the greatest and best governments in the planet

To see people like Liang Wenfeng who created Deepseek and Ren Zhengfei of Huawei and Wang Chuangfu and founders of Tencent, Bytedance, Gamescience, Unitree come up from the Chinese system and being humble and modest

While in India we have Hair cutters becoming billionaires by delivering Chilli powder and Milk and cleaning your bathroom as well as a bunch of Thelawallahs and INDIA BOASTING ABOUT IT

It makes me have contempt and derision for the Indian system as well as a deep loathing

That makes me pray for a CPC like Government and wish to be born Chinese in my next birth

---

However that may not be how someone else thinks

You may have Danes, Norwegians, Scandinavians or people like our friend Karthik Bala who lives in the Mediterranean under a European system feel that China has too much surveillance, censorship

They may feel Chinese people have a way too much mechanical and even Robotic life

They may feel a One Party System is too oppressive

---

So I feel every Government must serve it’s people the best

China has such a Government today

So does Singapore, Norway, Denmark, Sweden and a select few countries

India and majority of the others DON’T HAVE SUCH a GOVERNMENT and Democracy in its present form is a NIGHTMARE HORROR FOR INDIA

Is the Chinese system the best?

For its People YES

For other countries, maybe not

However every country must strive for the best form of government that is people centric and is best for its people

The Awakening of Human Consciousness | Forbidden Fungus (STRIPPED)

Something extraordinary happened to the human brain 100,000 years ago. In just a few thousand generations, our brains nearly doubled in size – a change that should have taken millions of years. Scientists couldn’t explain it until Terence McKenna proposed a radical theory. He believed early humans transformed into conscious beings not through fire or tools, but through eating a forbidden fungus growing in animal dung across Africa.

United States Postal Service trucks don’t have air conditioning.

For those that live in the United States, I’m sure this looks familiar:

This wonderful contraption is something I find myself in 50+ hours a week: the LLV. Or “Long Life Vehicle.” The device that brings you all your junk mail, bills, debt collection letters, IPSY bags and Amazon packages. It is the largest fleet of vehicles in the country and I believe the world as well (don’t quote me).

They have been around for over 3 decades. The base is a Chevrolet. It’s actually insanely easy to drive, despite not being able to see out the back and driving on the right side. The front tires are set inward more than your typical vehicle to give it a greater and tighter turn radius. I can fit these bad boys into the tightest of spaces.

So what about this beauty blows my mind?

They manufactured them without an air conditioning feature.

Now I’ve never been one to care too much about air conditioning in the car. I usually just roll down the windows and make do because I don’t want to burn up the gas at a faster rate.

But inside my mailtruck? HOLY. BALLS. It gets hot in there without air conditioning. There’s almost zero ventilation, so whatever heat enters refuses to leave. When it’s 100+ out, I believe the mailtrucks start pushing 110–125 inside.

Oh sure, they all have these little fans equipped on the dash that are supposed to “help” cool you down when it’s the middle of summer and 100+ degrees outside. They look like this:

So why am I complaining? Well I want you to imagine with me a scene. It’s over 100 degrees outside, you go out for a run or a walk and work up a mean sweat. You see your life flash before your eyes and wonder about every single life choice you’ve made to this point. You need to cool down. So you grab a blow dryer, turn it on to the hot setting and…blow it in your face?

Ya that doesn’t sound like a remedy right? That’s what these fans feel like. I don’t even use them. I deal.

I just. Deal.

By the end of the day, my clothes are drenched in perspiration, all my energy is gone, and I don’t even want to know the situation in my work boots.

It honestly blows my mind just a little why, with their millions upon millions of dollars in revenue, the Post Office manufactured their delivery vehicles without air conditioning. The funny thing is, I live in Idaho. I can’t imagine what being a carrier in Arizona, or Texas, or Florida feels like.

Now the good news is the Post Office is going to begin phasing these vehicles out and bringing in a brand new fleet sometime in the next 5–10 years. They already released some photos of one prototype that is currently being tested in Detroit:

They also released some photos of the dash:

Wait.

CLOSER.

COULD IT BE?!

ARE THOSE AIR CONDITIONING VENTS?!

It hasn’t been confirmed but BOY OH BOY, if those are vents that lead to an air conditioning system then I most certainly can’t wait for these trucks to be released nationwide. I’ll use that dang air conditioning in the dead of winter just because I can.

In the meantime, do your mail guy or girl a favor. Freeze a bottle of water overnight, then in the morning, put it in your mailbox with the flag up. By the time they get to it, chances are it will be half melted and they will have nice ice cold water to drink. It’s happened to me countless times and it always warms my heart (ironic way to describe it).

It’s the right thing to do.

EDIT: An awesome and thoughtful gesture by Olivia Newan, who actually heeded my advice and did the frozen water bottle act:

I wasn’t honestly sure if anyone would do it, but she jumped right on it. I know for a fact her mail carrier will be thrilled. Thanks Olivia, you’ve earned my follow!

Shorpy Pictures

Why are there no peasants rebellion after 1949 in China?

of course we have.

• The Pilgrimage rebellion

Mr Lin wenyong,1981,took rebellion and established a Buddhism kingdom in his own village, selling “health-tickets” to scam money. Been arrested by local cops in the same year.

---

• The Holy Dynasty rebellion

Miss. Chao Zhengkun.

Took rebellion in 1986, Obtained 4 male-Imperial-favorites, named her Right and Left Ministers.

Arrested two years later and sentence to death in the name of “group licentiousness”.

---

• The Anonymous Kingdom rebellion

Mr.Zhu shiqiang

Took rebellion in 1980, name himself as King in his house, but don’t know how to name his kingdom.

He organized 50+ “citizens of King” to attack local hospital. Arrested in December, and sentence to death.

---

• The Great You rebellion

Assembled over a thousand ppl in his village in 1985.

Occupied the local hospital and burn all “One-Child policy” documents.

Raped two local nurses, and beat local doctors.

Arrested by local cops and been sentenced to jail.

---

• The center-imperial-Qing dynasty rebellion

Rebellion in 1982, Mr.Zhang Anqing, named himself as who got Mandate of Heaven, he bestow an official title to ChiangKaiShark in Taiwan (he didn’t know Chiang already die in 1970s).

He originated an imperial expedition led by the emperor of himself, hundreds villager followes him.

Been arrested by local cops on his expedition journey.

Title: Sir Whiskerton and the Forbidden Spreadsheet

Ah, dear reader, prepare yourself for a tale of bureaucratic horror, undead inefficiency, and the most haunted Excel file ever created. Today’s adventure stars Taxman Ted, whose love of order clashes violently with Count Catula’s disdain for daylight—and Ditto the Kitten, whose innocent echoing turns a simple spreadsheet into a financial nightmare. So grab your calculator (and maybe a wooden stake), and join us for The Forbidden Spreadsheet—where even vampires aren’t safe from the terror of data entry.

Act 1: The Vampire Audit

Taxman Ted had a problem.

• Ted: “Count Catula, as a non-living resident of this farm, you are not exempt from financial transparency!”
• Count Catula: [Dramatically clutching cape] “I am undead, not unpaid! My coffers are none of your concern!”

Undeterred, Ted created the “Vampire Hours Log”, a spreadsheet to track:

• Nocturnal Activity: (Mostly napping in the hayloft.)
• Blood Consumption: (Mostly stolen sips from Chef Remy’s “tomato juice.”)
• Dramatic Exits: (47% of which were just him tripping over his own cape.)
• Count Catula: “This is persecution! Where is my eternal rest?!”
• Ted: “Column F, Row 12: Eternal rest scheduled for never.”

Act 2: Ditto’s Digital Disaster

Enter Ditto the Kitten, who loved Ted’s spreadsheet.

• Ditto: “Formulas! Formulas!” (He began echoing every function Ted typed.)
• Result 1: The “Blood Expenditure” tab now read: “SNACKS OWED: ∞.”
• Result 2: Count Catula’s “Coffin Maintenance” budget became “REQUIRES 700% MORE CAPES.”
• Result 3: The entire file gained sentience and auto-filled: “THIS SPREADSHEET IS CURSED. -Management.”
• Ted: “Why does it keep adding emojis to the depreciation column?!”
• Ditto: “Emojis! Emojis!” (The spreadsheet now featured vampire bats next to “Taxable Undead Income.”)

Act 3: The Shadowy Exit

Count Catula, pushed to his limit, staged a protest.

• Count Catula: “Audits are for the living! I refuse to be micromanaged by pivot tables!”
• Ted: “But your transparency score—”
• Count Catula: “I TRANSPARENTLY VANISH!” (He melted into a shadow, leaving only his cape behind—which Ted immediately logged as a “charitable donation.”)

The Moral (and the Post-Credit Formula)

Moral: Even the undead deserve a little chaos. (And maybe a cape allowance.)

Post-Credit Scene:
Ditto finds the abandoned spreadsheet. It autofills: “FEED ME MORE NUMBERS, KITTEN.”

Best Lines:

• “Eternal rest scheduled for never.” – Ted, bureaucratic grim reaper
• “SNACKS OWED: ∞.” – The Spreadsheet, hungry demon
• “I TRANSPARENTLY VANISH!” – Count Catula, audit-phobic

Starring:

• Taxman Ted (Excel Exorcist)
• Count Catula (Overdramatic Tax Evader)
• Ditto the Kitten (Accidental Data Necromancer)

Why It’s Hilarious:

• Undead Red Tape: A vampire haunted by accounting.
• Kitten Chaos: Ditto corrupting formulas like a tiny, cute hacker.
• Haunted Tech: A spreadsheet with opinions.

Now, go forth—and may your formulas always balance (unlike Count Catula’s sleep schedule). 🧛‍♂️📊🐱

The one word answer?

Wassenaar.

The countries in green agreed under the arrangement not to sell military or dual-use technology to the countries in gray.

This is why India flies both the Apache and Rafale while China flies neither.

In fact, China has been under military embargo for most of its independent history. It has enjoyed only a few brief purchasing windows, the most recent which began only in 2015 with the slew of crimea-related sanctions on Russia.

Embargo and restrictions on “dual-use” technology is what forced China to pursue industrial and technological independence. China today has the most complete industrial supply chain in history, greater than US, Japan and Germany combined.

In next gen technology, China is pulling ahead in many fields.

Specifically, military aviation products are developed and manufactured by SOEs. The economics is rather simple, because the products have only one customer: the PLA. Cost is therefore mostly a question of R&D, testing and manufacturing, or manhours and materials.

As a priority state project, military aviation not only has the pick of talent, but also influence on talent development programs. This enabled not only competency and leadership, but also institutional memory and self renewal.

Chinese fighter jet programs are not only comprehensive in coverage, but also disciplined and grounded, especially in design validation and the stepwise introduction of features. In practice, this delivers constant iteration, with generational replacement in a jet series typically no more than 7 years. For example, the j-10 went from A to B to C models within 13 years, each a significant upgrade from predecessors.

Chinese fighter jets were not developed with export economics in mind, and their lack of combat or operational record beyond the mainland coupled with Western political pressure not to shop Chinese arms made them a hard sell. The Chinese offered comprehensive packages at attractive prices and financing to drum up interest, to undercut both the Russians and NATO, because every sale is an unbudgeted bonus.

The other reason is the absence of high inflation in china post-covid, further driving up the price difference with Western offerings.

In a new age of material restriction for military or dual-use by China, particularly rare earths, expect the supply shock in arms to force a repricing, elevating the Chinese to screaming “deals of the century”, not just in price but delivery timelines.

Entitled Killer Realizes She’s Never Going Home

This Video Is For Educational Purposes. It is meant to show the psychology behind how police interact with suspects to try and get their confession. In this jcs inspired true crime documentary, we take a look at the police interrogation of Devan Schreiner.

China is kind of unique, in that it is a socialist country.

What it means is that

1. Chinese money is not always directly comparable to capitalist money.

What that means is that you can do more with less money in China.

For example:

The Capitalist model says that you should always try to make more money out of the same stuff. For that they aim for monopoly by creating scarcity and division and impeding competition, using the government, lawmakers and the legal system as tools, and make a fortune by drawing people to overspend on luxury lifestyles.

China is different because it’s socialist. Only the state is allowed monopoly. Chinese entrepreneurs see something and think wow, that’s expensive, but I think I can make it cheaper and sell it to the masses. And there goes the typical story of hard-working Chinese working so much they flood the market and caviars are now sold online at $15 for 3 cans. They don’t understand the concept of keeping something artificially scarse to make the most profit, because the literally can’t. They only think about making the most money out of hard-working, under the “gain by labor” rule, and they kill the market in the process.

Remember how much a plasma TV used to cost when the Chinese didn’t make them? How much an EV cost when the Chinese didn’t make them?

Or how watermelon is still a slightly-fancy fruit in many countries other than China?

Countless products have gone down the China path, from luxury to cheap as dirt.

This makes $1000 monthly income in China actually worth a lot more than $2000 monthly income in the US.

So while Chinese GDP per capita may appear moderate at us$12000 on paper, befitting a high “developing” nation, Chinese people’s living standards are actually quite comparable with countries that have twice the GDP per capita or even more.

2. Being Socialist also means that the state has a much stronger control on the economy, and can better allocate resources to important projects. Thus China can develope and support space programs, cutting edge large scale infrastructure, sophisticated weapons and advanced scientific research that can match a country 5 times richer.

China’s blend of socialism and market pragmatism results in an economy that behaves unlike traditional capitalist models. Its impact on global pricing, production, and affordability is enormous.

More importantly, it challenges the assumption that GDP per capita is a direct measure of real living standards or national capability

Jupiter looked lovely this time of year. The perfect storm sat in the middle of it and I yearned for chaos like that in my life. As tempting as it was, I was told to never to leave the ship on my own accord.

I often spent my time confined to the space craft, while everyone else discovered something important. My people rode the space belts, trying to find habitable planets and profitable minerals. Earth was a dangerous place after the war. It was riddled with radiation. We were forced to leave. I have no memory of such a place.

We created a new democracy, a new start. Space held greater things than our planet ever did, we met the extraterrestrials, the multidementionals— though they didn’t frequent too often. Sometimes a person or two would boomerang here and there and it took some bartering with officials to clear things up. The extraterrestrials offered their help when they could. They saw our planet festered with hate and didn’t know how to stop it. They said it spread like a virus, of which was infectious. Greed fell upon my people until there was close to none left.

I was tasked with bartering with the multidementionals. It was grueling work. I often saw lives pan out perfectly, or sideways. It was up to us to manage the galaxy. I am from earth, when she was young and before the war snatched it all up. I have to look onward and not behind, our planet was destined for desolation. I pull through, though. This was never a gift. I was taken in the night by extraterrestrial officials. We were to live our lives dedicated to making sure things paved their path according to plan.

Our memories were often wiped. Things I didn’t want to remember slipped through the cracks. I didn’t tell people.

I stayed on the ship when I had time off, in the sector that managed time travel. I knew we were only supposed to go there when there was a bug in the time line. Sometimes people who were supposed to meet and create new ideas, don’t always meet. We have to intervene. Butterfly Effect up my ass. I was controlled by a system unbeknownst to me, to meddle in the lives of others, we were observers, we fixed the bugs that riddled the maps.

The sector I frequented was empty and not activated for use by others for space travel. It was off the route so I got as much time as I needed.

I found myself turning the dial while everyone else slumbered, trying to understand why I felt emotions I couldn’t explain. I was of royalty here, I had only just began my journey, and for some reason I was the best at my job, I was recognized often by the extraterrestrial beings. They looked like us, there were so many different species, and they all knew the lore on humans. I was a human who recognized the pattern and the sequences better than the rest of my kind. History felt funny, my concept of it was so vast and misplaced compared to the humans that were living it unbothered.

I debugged human lives, never told when I might be transitioning to the past or present, always told to keep my presence unknown.

The portal to the past opened on my command, I had stripped out of my working attire and into commoners clothes, reminiscent of the decade I was returning to. It was pretty easy to blend in. I didn’t like blending in, I felt like I wasn’t born to blend in.

I stepped through, the fractals of light pixilated around me. The portal closed and disappeared into the necklace I wore around my neck, it was an access point to go back. I knew my coordinates like the back of my hand. I took down my long curls and breathed in deep. It felt interesting wearing sneakers and jeans. The knitted sweater I wore was so thick, it warded off the cold. My necessities were a jacket, a high tech phone, and American currency. I had whatever else I needed that was included in a satchel on my back, it was protocol to leave fully equipped incase you got stranded.

The air felt moist on my skin, under my breath, something that I didn’t understand. I wasn’t familiar with the way water fell from the sky. It perplexed me.

I was left at a bus terminal. I had the coordinates on my device pulled up, so I hopped on a bus that took me into the city. The city seemed tired, and my stomach felt sick. I couldn’t pin point it. I knew I couldn’t stay long.

The rain wept through the clouds above, sunlight peeked in at every possible moment. The clouds were twisting and turning in on each other.  Rainbows arched high. I think I remember enough about rainbows, they looked so etherial. I felt an urge to run to the end of them. I recall something in the earthling lore— something known as YouTube. I was shown the time capsule of that man who was crying with glee as he found the end of one. It was intriguing enough for me, to wonder why rain falls and rainbows shine through tears. The colors were so vivid, compared to what I experienced day to day on my spacecraft. It was torture, to have to pull away every time, after each mission succeeded. I wanted to live in it, I wanted to live how they did, I didn’t want to have to control their lives like scientific puppetry.

The bus slowed, and I got off, near a bundle of food carts. I loved the idea of eating in the past, I couldn’t tell the commoners about my experiences, though. I couldn’t tell officials I was leaving the ship, this was all on my own accord. My secret to keep. I had to do it right.

Foods from different cultures wafted into my direction. I felt myself salivating instantly. How was I to chose? I knew I felt a connection deeper than I could explain, to this place, so could I trust my gut?

I walked up to a shop that sold something called Ramen, the thick broth people sipped on was so invigorating, the scent of unknown meats filled me with excitement.

“I’ll have whatever they’re having!” I told the person behind the counter, as I pointed to the table in the courtyard.

I had watched them collect their food and as they began eating, I knew it was what I needed.

“One Miso Tonkotsu for the lovely lady!” He hollered, as I payed and tipped a generous amount. That was a common thing here.

I stood around the food carts, seeing the families talking and playing in the court yard, as I wished for something different. I knew I was taken in the middle of the night, without my consent. I wish I could change it. I felt like my timeline was taken from me. I knew in another dimension she was probably shining through, doing something she loved, becoming unstoppable. They give you reasons but the reasons were never enough for me.

“We saved you from something that could have been your demise!”

It never sat right.

I nearly jumped with glee as they called my order.

“Aurora Jade, your order is ready!”

I came to the counter and collected my ramen, which was decorated with with what they called pork belly and soft boiled eggs, though the seaweed was confusing to me. It was green. They said they harvested it from the ocean. It boggled my mind, I had never been to the ocean before.

I trailed my way back to a table in the courtyard, the fire was lit and warming the air around me. The sun was low, but still there. Rain and wind were fleeting, the perfect atmosphere, I was told, to eat such a dish. I was lucky to try spirits, this ale was golden and foamy on top. I sat at my table and fell in love all over again. Why can’t I experience this every day? Where was the harm in that? The egg was gooey and golden in the center, the yolk was so soft and buttery. The noodles were chewy, they slurped up well and were freshly pulled.

The broth was thick, unlike other kinds of soups that I have tried prior. I have never tasted something so rich, and to be able to pair it with a Japanese ale, I was in heaven. Compared to the food they served us on the space craft… we should do some better bartering.

I was mid slurp into my noodles, configuring these chopsticks in my hands like an uncultured fool. I wasn’t from this timeline, I thought. People could give me grace.

“Excuse me,” A figure behind me said, and I jumped mid air out of my seat. I didn’t know how to react with the outsiders, unless I was told to do so. This was unscripted.

This wasn’t my world. I was to keep prim and proper.

“Um, yes?” I questioned mid chew, shaking like a leaf. What if the officials were here to collect me? No! They couldn’t have, I left no trace, I made sure of it.

“There’s no other seats, do you mind if I sit here?” The voice said. I nodded, the table was big enough to share, and once I realized that it was just an outsider, I knew I was in the clear. I just had to keep on good behavior.

The man sat down, and I shuddered in a way I didn’t understand. Something was taken from me. Somehow, I knew him.

This was the man I came to sit and watch. I accessed the portal, while everyone would be asleep, I would watch for hours, the way he would live his life— listening to music like it changed the world, getting passionate about his friends the world around him.

Oh shit. This is why I’m not meant to frequent this sector. I know I’m not meant to see him. I don’t understand. I began shaking nervously. Tears flooded my eyes. It was strange to happen in a world you didn’t know.

“Are you okay?” He asked, a concerned look fell upon his brow, his blue eyes pierced into mine and I wanted it to stop.

Don’t engage with the outside world.

You’re not supposed to engage with the outside world.

Only a second ago, I was just a wallflower, a outsider who frequented this realm at night when I wasn’t supposed to. I was supposed to be an observer, to see the algorithms and put things in place. I was known now. I had broken the moral code of my people.

His hand flew to my arm, trying to steady me. Electricity rushed through. Memories flashed back.

“Aurora?”

The question was weak on his lips. He was weary, as if he were trying to recall a dream from many moons ago.

I was not supposed to hold onto so many memories, they flooded at speeds I couldn’t decipher. They told me initially that I was fragile, and I was not to be meddling in places I wasn’t supposed to. It didn’t make sense to me, because my whole job was to meddle.

Tears flooded down my cheeks, I knew him, the man I watched from afar, being the observer I was, they stole me from him.

“Jed…”

“Where have you been?” He pondered, bringing his hand up to his chin, and then nervously into his hair. Lost in thought.

“I don’t understand, I thought you were dead. And for you to just turn up out of the blue at our favourite spot. What the hell are you playing at?” He paged through his thoughts, trying to piece it all together.

I accidentally touched a time capsule from the life that I left behind.

“They— they told you I was dead?” I frowned.

I didn’t understand, does that mean they have my name on a headstone? I remember who I was now, but what I was doing was inappropriate and out of line,

“I don’t remember, I don’t remember all of it, it was stolen from me,”

To explain to the boy that I loved as to why I left, I couldn’t. I was supposed to live on while he died in his time line. Thats why they didn’t want me to go back. That’s why I was to follow strict protocol.

My eyes narrowed. Jed was still in awe struck, he kept reaching out, touching my face, grasping at reality.

“You’re not going to believe me, I don’t understand fully myself. I don’t have all my memories.” I said, sternly.

We didn’t have much time, I was only frequenting for the food, the life around me I desperately wanted, until they would come steal me away along with my memories that seeped through the cracks.

I grabbed his hand and pulled him out of his seat. His body fell into mine, and I felt sparks fly, memories began resurfacing and tears flooded again.

The rain poured overhead, we stood our ground as we blurred in with the crowd, the people didn’t care about the showers. We didn’t either, it felt etherial. I felt his breath on my neck.

“This can’t be real, I went to your funeral, I saw your body in the casket, I saw it go underground,” he shuddered, I felt his body trembling as we collided.

My lips parted in shock as I heaved through each breath, trying to understand what they covered up. What did they do? Who did they put underground?

Who was I?

His hand trailed its way towards my waist, and soon I was as close as I could ever be. I felt like I was living in a dream. I could watch it from the portal, at night, while everyone was asleep.

I could dream of having a life— a family that wasn’t stranded on a space craft near Jupiter, being ordered around by beings who said you didn’t matter.

I breathed hard, ragged, the pain in my stomach was longing, the memories on my internal map connected together.

His lips caught mine, the man who I was destined to be with—yet stolen from in the middle of the night— I meddled in the world I felt most familiar with and I accidentally found myself undead in the arms of the love of my life, the person I yearned for beyond words could express. My breath caught in my throat as I remembered what it was like to come home to him, his scent lingered on my skin and his hugs gave me life in my chest. What it felt like to make love, it was distant, but still there. Our hearts beat as one, our minds found the world enticing and we often got lost in the music and beauty around us.

I remembered it. I didn’t want to. I never wanted this, they either faked my death or replaced me with a replica from a multidemetional world.

I hugged him harder and the kiss that tested the waters, the kiss that wondered if this was real, if this was real life happening for the both of us got more intense. It soon became a need. Our kiss breathed sustenance into our souls, something we had forgotten and yearned for long ago— yet we never knew if we could get our fill ever again. We held onto it for dear life, intertwined as one. I didn’t care that I had broken protocols, that I had followed a memory and ended up in the past. I was apart of it again, I was going to fight for him. I could take him with me, hide him from the officials and find a way to work him into the algorithm….

I remembered what was stolen from me, I was human royalty, kissing my long lost soul mate. I could change the path of history for him, I could face the damage.

I could see patterns, sequences that held us together.

I broke the kiss while both our minds went wild, raging with questions.

“I want you to come with me,” I said abruptly, my mind spiraled out of control.

“I don’t know how to explain everything to you, but your time line is almost out of life. It’s going to end soon.” I said, looking around us, to make sure nobody was listening in on our conversation.

His eyes looked tired, worried. Yet somehow he followed along, as if he understood what was to come.

“Jed, I’m not supposed to be here, I will have to go and never come back. If you leave with me now, I don’t know what will happen. I have my own space craft, my own rules, but I do not adhere to them. Come with me and you will leave the fate of this world.”

“I’ll come with you, but first off just let me finish this Gyro.” He said, solemnly.

Of all things to say in dire time, I laughed. Something I hadn’t done in a long time.

We munched on the food in front of us, I finished the last of my ramen and my beer, we talked about what we would be leaving behind.

We walked back, as the rain budged on, leaving us soaked and cold. I showed him the portal, and he didn’t waver.

We entered the portal, knowing that Jupiter looks mighty nice this time of year, the eye of the storm begging for attention. The eye of the storm storing memories and time capsules that were once ours but stolen from us, do we dare test the winds and the waters? Do we brave the storm?

What is the difference between a cruise missile and a ballistic missile, and why?

Hmm

Cruise Missiles typically fly at around 70–80 meters above the ground (Around 200 Feet) , which is hard to detect by radar or other means, which focus on key precision strikes on specific targets

Like the Tomahawk or the Scalp missiles

The Guidance system is the key here

They fly ideally at speeds of less than Mach 1 (Around 0.85 Mach) but sometimes have a supersonic phase where they can fly their last 20% of the distance at Supersonic speeds (> Mach 1.8–2.5)

They are typically AIR LAUNCHED and launched from Aircraft at Surface Targets

Almost 70% Cruise Missiles are Air Launched while 30% are Ship launched or Ground Launched such as the Russian Kalibr

Ballistic Missiles are called so because they are like Rockets

They fly high into the atmosphere and then move downwards at an angle at TREMENDOUS SPEEDS hitting surface targets

They are NOT precise like Cruise Missiles and cause MASSIVE DAMAGE

The speeds can exceed Mach 20 or even more

They are easier to track because they cannot maneuver themselves to avoid detection like Cruise Missiles but their SPEED is so fast that interception is tough in many cases

Chinas DF-41 is a Ballistic Missile

India has the Agni series

---

Ballistic Missiles are intercepted by ABMs such as Arrow 3 , Patriot, S-400, HQ-9B, HQ-19 etc

Cheese Packets

These little salami and cheese pies are the perfect picnic food to tuck into your cooler.

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon dried sage, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup warm water (115 degrees to 120 degrees F)
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 cup (about 1 ounce) freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 6 ounces salami, chopped
• 1 small tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon water

Instructions

1. In a large mixer bowl, combine 1 cup of the flour with the yeast, sage, and salt. Add the warm water and the oil. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can. Turn out onto a floured surface.
2. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (6 to 8 minutes total). Place the dough in a greased bowl; turn once. Cover and let rise in a warm place until the dough has doubled (45 to 55 minutes).
3. Meanwhile, make the filling. In a small mixing bowl, combine the cheeses, salami and tomatoes. Toss until well-combined; set aside.
4. Punch the dough down; divide into 6 pieces. Cover and let the dough rest for 20 minutes.
5. Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
6. Roll each piece of dough into a 7-inch circle. Spoon 1/2 cup of the filling onto half of each circle.
7. Combine the egg and water, and brush over the outer edges of the dough, to moisten. Fold the circle in half; use the tines of a fork to seal the edges. Place on a greased baking sheet. Prick the tops and brush with more of the egg mixture.
8. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden.
9. Remove from the baking sheet; cool on a wire rack.

To be absolutely frank, it was purely out of Interest that I started looking at China

I was very curious about the legal system in China and how the law works and is implemented. I had a few contacts with SBI Shanghai.

So gradually I began to find out more about China

My son moving there was a absolute Bonus

---

To be frank, I don’t really set much store by the HSR or fancy infrastructure or modern cities

I like the Law and Order

I like how China despite its communist history still has more people centric laws than India

I like the Unity of the Chinese people, the way they put Nationalism ahead of stupid pride and are not above criticizing or mocking their own products if they don’t cut it

For instance the Chinese celebrated Galwan because they knew it was a major plus for them and they celebrated the J10C downing the Indian Aircraft

However they also relentlessly mocked the CPC when Nancy Pelosi landed in Taiwan and criticized Xi for weeks, even mocking the drills near Taiwan

I get regular PDF updates of disposed cases in China and I see how well they handle their law and order

For instance on 3/25 – A Young 19 Year Old Idiot and his brother shouted Pro Taiwanese Slogans in Beijing.

They were booked for Public Nuisance and fined 15,000 Yuan a head and 52 Weekends public service

Not a SINGLE DAY IN JAIL

A Maniac drove his car through and killed 21 people

The Video evidence was authenticated and his case was judged in exactly 55 days and he was executed in less than 80 days

Two Live Streamers broadcast Pro Taiwanese Content regarding the fact that Taiwan is Independent for several videos.

They were investigated and sentenced to 130,000 Yuan fine and 34 months suspension from Internet ID

Not a second in Jail

Bail is almost assured within 24–48 hours for most cases barring HEINOUS ONES or ECONOMIC OFFENSES or PUBLIC CORRUPTION under Capa

This includes Narcotics (Distribution only) , Espionage against the State, Planned Murder, Rape of a Minor / Child, Direct or Indirect role in any act of terror against Mainland China or other territories, Intent to destabilize the State and Conspiracy and Separatism plus Tax Evasion and other financial crimes

These two idiots were exonerated from Separatism Charges within a day or two

In India, Idiots are jailed for 6–12 months before some HC Judge sees sense if they are very lucky

I loved such a system

The Idiots are given a second chance

The Law and it’s application is far better than India

---

How does my take resonate with People living there

I correspond with many of them

• Jerrys take on China
• Inside China Business
• Niranjan
• Swagata
• Tanmoy Biswas

I get regular answers on China from these guys without any problems

I also correspond with

• Andy Boreham
• Cyrus Jannsen
• Shaun Rein

I get much much rarer replies from these guys (I got only 1 mail from Shaun) but they do answer my queries sometimes

I subscribe to 13 Local news outlets and my young friend Satish s/O Santhirasegaran is on Weibo and regularly sends me updates on what Chinese Netizens think and say

My son lives in Hangzhou but he rarely focuses on politics and law and other topics. His work is too technical for me

However I get information on prices and a monster huawei charger that can charge a phone from 3% charge to 100% charge in 25 minutes

---

Of course I live in India

So I look at China from an Indian POV

I see the CPC as a great organization with terrific leaders and hail the fact that China doesn’t have elections

That’s because in my country, we have 70% voters who can’t clothe or feed themselves and depend on taxpayer money to defecate in a proper toilet – casting their votes for the future of a multi trillion dollar economy

We have the worst choice of leaders, dressed in Khadis and ridiculous caps who embezzle thousands of crores and the public stupidly look on and fight with each other and divide themselves even more

I deeply admire startups in China and the attempt to own core Technology in China because our Thelawallahs and Haircut paper billionaires are a National embarrassment.

So to me China is an absolute paradise

Many Mainlanders look at China from the perspective of Norway or Denmark or Australia (The US stopped being on this list since Biden came to power)

So they have a different perspective

My son Karthik Bala who lived in Europe and US, will definitely have a different take

He may find the concept of fining two Chinese just for shouting Pro Taiwanese slogans as OPPRESSIVE

Me, in whose country a 16 year old girl was jailed for 50 days with common criminals for shouting Pakistan Zindabad would regard it as NORWAY 2.0 to simply fine them

He may find CPC as GRANITE FACED and authoritarian

Me, in whose country an IAS officer can slap a guy around in broad daylight without consequences, regard it as DENMARK 2.0 when a Official follows the rules and laws

Some Mainlanders judge China from the lens of the West and criticize China

There are very few like Indians who blindly hail China as a super power

---

So you have to understand, my being INDIAN makes me see China in a very different way

Bill Chen or Satish s/O Santhirasegaran who live in Singapore might see China differently

Peter Kaye who lives in Australia might see China differently

Many in China World Leader who live in US or the West may see China differently

Sumanth who lives in UK, may see China differently

---

As an Indian, I am DEEPLY ASHAMED OF MY COUNTRY AND IT’S SYSTEM and regard Chinas system as a Paradise

I have very little respect for my fellow Indians minus a number of realists, especially those who defended the Stampedes. I mean even someone with a Bonobo brain wouldn’t do that.

I resonate this with many Indians settled in China

Even during the Canton fair, numerous Indians who went to China said absolutely the same thing

I meant the overall picture and they meant the infrastructure and modern city

---

However others who have seen other systems would have a different idea on China

Is it possible to build muscle mass in your 60s?

Yes, definitely, but with a big caveat: If you had already weight trained in your younger years and approached your genetic potential for muscle mass, then sarcopenia will likely prevail. As such, you’ll have to work very hard at your lifting routine to just stay even. Conversely, let’s say that you never lifted weights until you were close to reaching 60. In that case, you would be starting out with your muscle mass nowhere near your genetic potential. You could then expect to experience potentially some rather dramatic muscle growth. This has been my own personal experience. Notice how skinny I was at age 29. Then, by age 58, I had gained about 50 lbs of fat, but still not much muscle. But between age 58 and age 69, via changing my diet and doing hard gym workouts, I was able to change my body composition quite substantially. This series of photos depicts this transition. And now, at age 74, I’m still holding my own reasonably well.

Here I am at age 74:

Why No One Dares Challenge China’s Evacuation Operations | Iran-Israel Crisis 2025