My top trending post today is: The Disclosure of the CARET program at PACL .
An oldie but goodie.
Most of my posts only wee the light of day when they first come out, with some stragglers and hangers-on reading them for about a half a week or so. Then they fade.
Every now and again, one of my more controversial posts appear. Probably because being the small obscure guy, the Internet police bots have already segregated and isolated my writings.
Anyways, I am glad that some folks found it to be interesting.
Some of my guaranteed draw-in posts are my science fiction collections. Especially the Ray Bradbury stuff. My guess is that every now and then a teacher assigns a book to be read, and the student goes on line to find it for free and they come here They then read and scoot.
Very rarely does anyone stay.
Sigh.
Take care everyone.
Today…
How do historical conflicts with both France and China influence modern Vietnam’s diplomatic strategies and alliances?
This is totally off-topic, but I found it so interesting that I just had to write this answer.
Chen Geng—a founding member of the Chinese Communist Party—but completely different from other generals!
He was a legendary figure, and two of his most remarkable traits were: first, his incredible sense of humor, and second, that everyone liked him.
He graduated from the Whampoa Military Academy and was one of Chiang Kai-shek’s favorite students. During the First United Front, he once risked his life to save Chiang Kai-shek.
Later, when the Chinese Communist Party and the Kuomintang became mortal enemies, he went undercover in Shanghai using an alias and engaged in intelligence work.
Before long, he became good friends with officers in the Kuomintang intelligence department.
He was truly a fascinating person. For example, at one point, the CCP needed a base in Shanghai to hold meetings and coordinate operations. So Chen Geng set up a fake infectious disease hospital—spies wouldn’t dare inspect such a place.
In another case, the KMT agents told him, “There’s a highly dangerous Communist spy named Chen Geng. Since you have such great connections, can you help us catch him?” Chen cheerfully agreed and gained access to a great deal of top-secret information.
Once, during a raid on a high-level Communist meeting, Chen rushed in and said, “I’ll guard this passageway myself!”
You can guess what happened next—everyone at the meeting escaped safely through the very passageway “guarded” by him.
As I mentioned earlier, he had once saved Chiang Kai-shek’s life.
So when he was finally captured later, Chiang was in a real dilemma. He knew this student would never defect, but he also couldn’t bring himself to execute him—by traditional Chinese moral standards, that would’ve been political suicide.
In the end, all Chiang could do was visit him in prison and say: “Even though I want to wipe out the Communist Party, I also want you to walk out of here alive.”
The prison warden understood exactly what that meant.
During the Cultural Revolution, Red Guards denounced Chen Geng, shouting: “Why did you save Chiang Kai-shek?! You’re a counter-revolutionary!”
Chen replied, “At the time, he was still a revolutionary. If I hadn’t saved him then, he would’ve died a revolutionary, and always been remembered as one. Wouldn’t that have been a terrible mistake on my part?”
The Red Guards were completely speechless.
Now comes the heavyweight part—brace yourself, especially if you’re Chinese, because this might make you jump out of your seat!
During the Long March, it was very inconvenient for female comrades to relieve themselves, so they had to go some distance away from the group.
Chen Geng would sneak up behind them and give them a playful slap on the butt, then run away laughing while they were “indisposed.”
By Chinese cultural standards and Red Army discipline, this kind of behavior could’ve easily gotten someone executed on the spot—no joke.
But Chen Geng was the sole exception!
The women he “harassed” would just laugh and scold him, “Go to hell, you rascal!”—but no one ever took it seriously.
Isn’t that incredible?
In a way, even though he was a general, the female soldiers saw him more as a mischievous little boy.
So what does this have to do with China’s involvement in the war against France to support Vietnam?
Well, the general that China sent to command in Vietnam—was none other than Chen Geng.
His personal diary recorded many amusing events.
For example, when the French army launched three assaults with a full regiment and 20 bombers, but still failed to take a single Vietnamese stronghold, he wrote:
“This terrain is neither rugged nor defensible. The PLA could take it with a single company. The poor quality of French troops is truly astonishing.”
He also noted: “Vietnamese troops are hesitant in following orders, and sometimes even bargain with their commanders. There is a lack of discipline.”
As for the local help: “The three maids assigned to me by the Vietnamese side have unpronounceable names. I call the tall, slim, pretty one ‘Miss Lemon’; the short, chubby one ‘Pineapple Girl’; and the older, dark-skinned one ‘Big Sister Coffee.’”
One time, General Chen assigned the Vietnamese army to carry out an ambush.
But a sudden rainstorm hit, and the Vietnamese troops decided on their own to delay departure by an hour.
Chen was furious and scolded them for missing the window of opportunity.
But soon, reports came back—they had achieved a massive victory!
It turned out the French troops had also been delayed by the rain and departed an hour later as well. So neither side missed the timing, and the ambush went perfectly.
Chen Geng wrote in his diary: “The French and the Vietnamese truly are a perfect match for each other！”
Can I Have Your Attention Please
Written in response to: “Start your story with the lines: “The room is unfamiliar. I don’t know how I got here.”“
Jan Keifer
I manage to fall asleep. Suddenly, I’m falling. I fall five feet and come to a stop. I’m hovering in mid-air. There’s a glass wall with people pointing and gesturing at me. I wave at them and scream help. They laugh and wave back. I start falling again and scream. I land badly. I howl in pain and rise to my feet. This room has a door. I open it and rush out into the street. Trams are moving slowly enough to hop on and ride. I hop on and sit down closing my eyes.
Hearing a noise, I open my eyes, and looked around. The room is unfamiliar. I don’t know how I got here. I panic and look for an exit. I remember a few things, and don’t want to repeat them. I go to the spot where I had fell before. Using my pocket knife, I open the trapdoor. There is a ladder. I sit down and slide to the edge and put my foot on the top rung. I climb down the ladder. I pass the glass wall with people.watching me. They wave at me. Ignoring them I descend into the next room. This time there is second door. I decide to try it. I open the door and it leads to a forest. I go back inside the room and the other door has vanished. I go back to the forest door and step through. I hear a noise and look behind me to find the building gone.
Controlling my panic, I close my eyes and listen for a minute. There are no noises. Nothing but total silence. I open my eyes and look around.
The room is unfamiliar. I don’t know how I got here. Remembering my steps. I go down the ladder and now there are three doors at the bottom. I choose a door and walk through. I do not see any people and the buildings are all in a state of decay. I can’t hear any noise. I yell out, “CAN ANYONE HEAR ME?” I get no response. I pull my knees up to my chest and wrap my arms around them and lower my head. I close my eyes and moan.
I hear something and open my eyes. The room is unfamiliar. I don’t know how I got here. A man sits by the table. He stands and comes over, takes my hand and shakes it.
“I congratulate you on making it to level three. Most people make it to level three. We need to know if you are ready for the next phase.”
I look at him incredulously, “What do you mean by that?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Hold on just a second while I reverse the effects.” He pulls a box out and pushes a button and suddenly my memories return.
He pushes another button on the box and the wall opens, revealing an audience people. Spinning me around, he looks at the audience and says, “Can I have your attention, please.” All is quiet. “What do you say, Sam. Are you ready to go for level four? You have a hundred thousand now, do you want to risk all to continue. What do you say? Yes or No?”
I thought about how strange the last three levels were. I saw my parents in the front row nodding their heads. I hear myself say, “Yes!”
The room is unfamiliar. I don’t know how I got here. I don’t remember anything from my past. A bed, table, and chair sit in the middle of the room I sit down in the chair and the chair tilts down ejecting me through the a hole. I land about twenty feet down in another room. I look around and see four doors, one on each wall. I choose the first one I see. The area beyond the door is alive with sounds. It’s a rainforest and I am staring a crouching tiger, ready to pounce. I run. I jump a ravine and fall. I underestimated how far the other side was. I fall into a river at the bottom of the ravine.
I hurry, swimming towards the shoreline. I hear a splash behind me and turn, watching in horror, seeing the tiger swimming towards me. Reaching the shore I pull myself out of the water and take off. I don’t turn to look back. I grab a vine and swing over the next ravine and drop. I stop, panting hard and look back. There’s the tiger glaring at me. I wasn’t sure the tiger could cross the ravine so I run. I find a tree and climb up and look down. The tiger had given up and gone away. I lay my head back on the trunk of the tree and close my eyes.
I open my eyes and I’m back in the unfamiliar room. A man sits by the table. He gets up and holds out his hand.
“I would like to congratulate you on making it to level four. Only a few people have ever made it to level four.”
I push him away and yell, “Who are you? What’s happening to me?”
He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a box and pushes a button. “Sorry, I always forget to restore your memories.”
I am getting a sense that I should be remembering something. My brain is still trying to piece everything together when it suddenly freezes up on the scene of a tiger ready to pounce on me. I scream and push the man down and run. I hit the wall and bounce back falling to the floor.
“Sam? Sam, are you okay? The man says.
“Your name is Tom.” I say. My memory starts filling in the blanks.
“Yes it is. Sorry, it’s a side-effect of the process.” He takes my arm and pushes another button on the box. The wall disappears, revealing the audience. They all rise and applaud and I can hear chanting, “More, More.”
“Yes, folks, here his is. Now, will he continue? Sam will you walk away with your winnings or will you triple it by completing level five. A moment of silence ladies and gentlemen while he contemplates the decision. Sam you now have two hundred thousand and if you complete level five you will walk away with six hundred thousand. What will it be? You have fifteen seconds to decide.”
A large display on a screen behind my head started the countdown. You could hear the murmuring in the crowd as they whispered among themselves and placed side bets on my decision. I thought about the last level. It didn’t seem that scary now that I could look at it logically. There was an escape route and all I had to do was escape. I just needed to think, which I was very good at. I heard myself yell, “YES!” The audience roared. I closed my eyes relishing the attention.
The room is unfamiliar. I don’t know how I got here. There is a table, a chair, and a bed. I go over to the bed and sit down and fall through the frame. I continue falling through the floor and falling hard at the bottom of another room. My leg is twisted at a crazy angle and my head is swimming. I see a door. I stand and test my leg. It hurts but I’m able to walk. I walk through the door and fall.
I cradle my head and curl up into a fetal position to try and brace for the impact. I land in front of a herd of strange animals. They ignore me as I look around. I hear a noise. The animals stampede in my direction. I run also. I dive behind a rock and cover my head, coming out once they have passed.
There is a horrific beast staring at me. It growls and I run. I head for the trees. The creature chases me. I grab onto the nearest branch of the first tree and swing myself up on the limb and start climbing up. Hoping that the beast can’t climb trees. To my horror, I see it climbing up.
All the trees are somewhat interconnected and I start racing from tree to tree. I check the progress of my protagonist. It’s not as as fast in the trees. The ground is close now and I jump down.
I hear a thud as the creature jumps to the ground. I start looking for anything that I can use as a weapon. I will have to kill this thing before I can rest. A branch falls and I grab it up. It has a sharpened point where it split from the tree. It seems sturdy enough to use as a spear. I stop and brace myself. The creature runs onto the spear impaling itself, dying. I close my eyes.
I hear clapping and open my eyes. The room is unfamiliar. I don’t know how I got here. A man sits on a chair by the table. He stands up, takes my hand and shakes it.
“I congratulate you on making it to level five. Fewer people have ever made it this far. What you did with that branch was amazing.”
He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a box and pushes a button. “Okay Sam. How was your experience? Are you okay? You’re looking a little pale.”
I am getting a sense that I should be remembering something. I take a deep breath. My head is spinning and my leg is throbbing.
“Where am I?” I ask.
“Come with me, Sam. You will remember everything in just a moment.” He pushes another button and the wall disappears and a roar goes up from the audience.
My brain resets and I look down and see my parents looking up at me solemnly.
“Sam, are you going to make your parents proud and go to the next level. You have only one left. I will tell you now. Only two people have ever made it back from level six. One billion. Will you be the third in our game? I will put five minutes on the clock this time and you can go over and discuss it with whomever you choose this time. While you are deciding we will take a quick break to check in with our sponsors.” He cues the camera crews and then leads Sam over to his parents who are climbing up onto the stage.
“Mom, dad, I don’t know. It’s a lot of money. We could live in a better place.” I thought about what would happen if I didn’t survive the next level. They were holding me and crying.
I finally said, “I have to. I will survive. My survival instincts are good.”
Tom, cued the camera crews and everyone got back to their seats. I walked over and took my place beside Tom.
“Well folks, here he is with his decision. Sam, what will it be. Are you going to risk it all to complete level six the very last level worth one billion dollars? I need your answer, now.”
“Yes!” I say, closing my eyes.
I hear a grating noise and open my eyes. The room is unfamiliar. I don’t know how I got here. There is no furniture and the floors are smooth. I finally get tired of looking for a way out and sit down against a wall and close my eyes listening for a moment.
I open my eyes and flail my arms about to try and stop the fall. My body is plummeting rapidly to the room below. I cradle my head and roll up trying to protect myself from the impact. I hit the bottom and cry out. I didn’t break any bones, but I hurt. A ladder hangs over me. I am hurting too much to attempt climbing the ladder so my only option is the door in the wall.
I go to the door and open it slowly. It leads to a meadow. A river is flowing to the side and there are deer grazing. I walk out head towards the river. I squat down and put my hand in the water. The water is icy. I am trying to remember how I got here.
I hear a growl that stands my hair on ends. I turn and see a large wolf looking at me and snarling. I could never run without the wolf catching me. I do the only thing left I jump into the river. I see the wolf running towards me. I swim. The water is so cold that I am having trouble breathing. The wolf is running beside the river following me and waiting for me to come to shore. I swim faster, trying to get to the other side, but my body is cold and I am having more trouble moving my arms and legs. My teeth are chattering and I know I am not going to make it. I sink to the bottom and realize, I’m in waist-deep water, a hundred yards from where I jumped in. The wolf is there trying to decide if it is worth getting wet to come after me. I stand and struggle to make my legs carry me to the other side so I can pull myself out of the river. I stumble and fall and swim to the other side. The wolf sits down on the other side and howls. The sound hurts my ears and I cringe. I make myself crawl out of the water. I start scooching backwards and come to a stop against a tree. I look up and see my salvation. I pull myself up and grab the side of the tree and start climbing the tree. I get about twenty feet off the ground and look down. A pack of wolves have arrived. Braving the water, they now sit at the base of the tree. They try to climb the tree and fail. Finally they leave. I climb further and find a decent limb to spread out on. I close my eyes.
I hear a noise and open my eyes. The room is unfamiliar. I don’t know how I got here. A man is coming to me grinning.
“Welcome back. Sam you have done amazingly well. That was incredible how you jumped in the river. That was ingenious thinking on your part. That is the kind of thinking we need in our newest colony. You earned a seat on the next transport. You will have to sign a non disclosure agreement on everything that happened here. All you can say is that you won the money. Do you understand? We only have so many spots available in the new colony. This is how we choose the brightest minds.”
I could hear everything he said and I was reveling in my moment. I was going to the new colony that was all that mattered. Tom pushed a button on his box and the wall disappeared one last time. The audience surged the stage and his parents were up on the stage and grabbing him as he walked forward.
“I did it. Did you see? I made it.” I yelled above the crowd, as my parents joined me. I shook Tom’s hand and smiled for the camera then signed the non-disclosure agreement on the podium.
I hear a coughing noise and open my eyes. The room is unfamiliar. But I know how I got here. I am on the transport ship with my parents heading to our new lives.
Why are countries like Canada, China, India, and Japan moving away from trading with the U.S., and what does it mean for the future of U.S. trade dominance?
The why is simple… It’s Trump’s chaotic tariffs that have no plan, no reason and no predictability. The chaos and lack of lead time are what make exporters and importers hold off, more than the tariff itself.
As far as “US trade dominance”, no such thing! The US has a juicy middle class to sell to, but even that easy picking represents only just over 10% of world trade. Trump’s tariff will substantially reduce that 10% so although the US doesn’t have a trade dominance, its influence on trade and security will be even less after Trump imposes the tariffs (if ever).
Trump has a big mouth, an even bigger ego, and is unbelievably ignorant, but he’s not stupid. It is likely that after all the chaos subsides, the US will have a 10% to 15% universal tariff; everyone can live with that, so most of the trade the US is losing now will eventually return as Americans get used to the new 10% to 15% tax. The bit that won’t return is the trust and influence the USA has lost with its allies.
The only losers are the USA and the American citizen. The rest of the world is fine, even to the point that if Trump were to isolate America completely, the rest of the world would be fine with that and really couldn’t care less.
I am really, really puzzled by what Trump is actually trying to achieve…. He said he wants tariffs to make foreign goods less competitive so that manufacturing is brought back to America, but then he criticises Walmart, Amazon, and others for increasing prices on foreign goods, criticises Powell for being cautious while tariffs are sparking inflation and this “genious negotiator” reaches reciprical tariffs agreements of 15% with countries like Japan that originaly had an average tariff on US goods of just 1.35%. Also, if revenue is the ultimate purpose of tariffs, Trump could have introduced a 2% consumption tax, which would likely not have upset anyone and would hardly have been noticed, while still generating the $300 billion in revenue he aims for.
Did Trump buy his economics degree at a flea market, or did he really study economics?
Unhinged Wife Blamed Premenopause For Putting Me In The ER, Now She Deal With A Divorce!
What are some of the toughest challenges you faced during Indian Army training, and how did they change your mindset?
One of the toughest challenges during training is to stay awake.
In the first two months of training we used to get only 1–1.5 hrs of sleep per day. It was tiring as hell. Your body is completely broken and every muscle pains like hell.
Every cell of your body screams – “I need rest”.
But you don’t stop, you keep pushing and pushing. Eventually your body gets into auto mode and decides – “F*** this idiot, I’m going to take rest”.
And the it happens. Sleep takes over. You never know when you are sleeping. You mind sleeps while to body is moving.
I’ve seen my course mate sleep while running, he didn’t even know.
I’ve slept while climbing rope when I was made to stay there till the whole company has not climbed up.
I’ve slept while standing and watching a boxing match and fell directly on my back. Everyone started looking at what happened including the players. Then they realised one cadet dozed off and fell.
The most difficult part was to stay awake during lectures. If the instructor caught you sleeping he’ll make your life hell which would make you sleep even more. 😀
This is common across armies all over the world.
How has this changed me?
Now I think 4–5 hrs of sleep is a luxury and 6 hrs of sleep is more than enough for the body. I don’t face problems waking up at 4–5 in the morning.
My wife sleeps for 8–9 hours and I tell her that you’ve become lazy. She tells me that woman’s body requires 9–10 hrs of sleep, I tell her that it requires only what you tell it requires. The rest is just laziness. 😀
Southwest Chicken Lasagna
Ingredients
- 2 cups shredded deli-roasted chicken
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon Saigon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 (16 ounce) jar salsa
- 1 (15 ounce) can chili
- 1 (4.5 ounce) can chopped green chiles
- 9 (6 inch) flour tortillas
- 1 (8 ounce) package shredded Mexican four-cheese blend
Instructions
- Combine first 7 ingredients; let stand for five minutes. Set aside.
- Sauté onion and garlic in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes or until tender. Add salsa, chili and green chiles; reduce heat and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Line the bottom of an 11 x 7 inch baking dish with 3 tortillas; layer with one-half chili mixture, one half chicken mixture and 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat layers; top with remaining tortillas. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.
- Bake 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes; let stand for 5 to minutes before serving.
What is life in Hong Kong like for expats?
Very Tough
Things are becoming very expensive
Locals actually take a bus into Shenzhen to buy smartphones, groceries and a lot of stuff including a visit to a DENTIST!!!
Can you believe it?
A Dentist in Shenzhen instead of HK because Dentists are expensive in HK and booked up
On their day the MRTs work fine but on some days they get delayed by as much as 40–45 minutes
IBOs from India working for SBI HK once could save 3000–4000 HKD a month ($ 500) now can save no more than $ 100 a month
Indians can’t go to Shenzhen from HK like locals
So they buy groceries costing a lot more for a lot more money
Rents are higher now
You want to leave your Apartment and go for a new one ?
Good luck getting any Apartment bigger than 55 Sq meters
The Irony is HK still has a sign that says “Beware of Mainlanders entering HK to escape communism” put up in 1967 at Lo Wu near Tau Kok
Yet now it’s Hongkongers who are flooding into the Mainland
This is what an associate with SBI in HK tells me
I myself have no idea how life is there
This Soldier Says He’s A Time Traveler And This Photo Is His Proof
What is the secret of China’s progress?
The whole world is so obsessed with rights. It’s all coming from the United States and its lackies.
For example, India. People scream “rights, rights, rights”. If the whole country is screaming those words, there is no hope for development.
I once read a French philosopher. She is a woman. She says, “Rigts and duties are the two sides of the same coin. One cannot exist without the other. If a man has rights, then it necessarily implies that it is a duty of someone else to fulfill that man’s rights.”
I think the reason East Asia developed but South Asia didn’t is that South Asian countries became overly obessed with rights. East Asians were saved by their cultural focus on duty.
People say humans are born with innate rights. Yes, true. But it’s the wrong way to look at things. For a country to develop, its people should understand that humans are born with innate duties. Duty towards you family, towards your community, towards your nation, and towards humanity in totality. Human rights are naturally fulfilled if society focuses on duty.
Never fear people who talk about rights all the time. They will achieve nothing for others. But people of the world know that it is a duty, and not a right, to sacrifice one’s life for something. So, fear the people who focus on fulfilling their duties. (And that is exactly why so many people pee in their pants when confronted by a communist.)
Pictures
What is normal in your country but weird in the rest of the world?
🤨
Well，most things can only exist in China is because China real estate’s huge influence，so I can list some points：
1.You can’t visit your friend even if you know exactly where he lives
This is because in China’s city there’s no single house，only has high rise microdistricts，between you and your friend there’s 3 gates. The microdistrict’s total gate，the unit gate under the resident building，and your friend’s home door. Without the ID card you can’t open the microdistrict’s gate，and if you don’t know how to operate the unit gate’s visit calling mode you can neither open the unit gate. So in China if someone want visit his friend usually he need call his friend by WeChat in advance. Then the friend will go downstairs to lead you go in his microdistrict
2.If you decide to change the air conditioner in your room that will be a dangerous and expansive task
Because of most high rise microdistrict has 33 to 34 floors，the outdoor unit of the AC actually been put on a nearly 100 meters tall vertical wall，to drag it into the building is a dangerous task，and you need pay enough to your worker as their reward of do such a hard task
3.Every day you leave your home you need seek for your car for many minutes
There’s no personal garage. Your car will be store at underground parking lot that may have 2 or 3 floors，some supertall high rise microdistrict even has 4 to 6 floors. And try figure out where your car located in thousands of parking spots is a tough thing
4.There’s no personal gardener in China
Because of the garden in a microdistrict actually belongs to the property manager company，not anyone who buy a house in it. So there’s only big scale group gardeners，and in villages in China，because of the poor，there’s also no personal gardener
The future has no reason….
Written in response to: “Write an open-ended story in which your character’s fate is uncertain.“
Julie Grenness
The meagre supply of air was colder and much, much older. The fungi grew and multiplied a little, eking an existence in the cooling world, lit by an ageing sun, weighed down by its own mortality.
Once upon a fungus lifetime, there was born a mutant mushroom. Some eidetic influence in the genetic pool of fungi gave birth to a thinking mushroom, a prophet, an oracle.
The sage grew and grew. She finally emerged to the stunned fungi, there appeared a giant thinking mushroom, the self-declared Lady Bellepheron Isiaha-Elija. Lady Bellepheron had nominated her hyphenated surname, in the best middle-class tradition. If, indeed, fungi had ever had a middle-class.
Coincidentally, Lady Bellepheron Isiaha-Elija was known as Lady Bell to her new more able-brained fungi friends. Lady Bell was born to lead her newfound flock. Lady Bell could see visions of a brighter future ahead. Lady Bell proclaimed herself the religous leader of all life on Planet Earth. She could cast prophecies for the ultimate fate of all fungi on the vast globe. Lady Bell’s basic message was that, upon their demise, they were all returning to the great Fungus in the sky!
In contrast to the other mindless mushrooms and fungus, all tinted shades of orange, yellow and brown, Lady Bell was colored in purple hues. Her lid was lilac, her gills and stalk were dark purple, and she was adorned with a purple veil, spangled with orange mushroom spores. Lady Bell’s intuition told her that the time was right to proclaim her new faith for life on lonely Earth. Then she collected some materials, a pile of dead seaweed and ancient giant clam shell, with a gong fashioned from an obsidian rock, located on the deserted shoreline.
The prophet was satisfied, she had bells and smells for her new devout. Lady Bell stood on the cliff top. Fungi gathered, amazed. Lady Bell smote her clam shell, resonating.
“Thus spake Lady Bellepheron Isiaha-Elija, your sentient mushroom prophet. Heed my good news!”
The fungi were awakening from their timeless slumber of mindless meditation. Lady Bell pronounced her faith innovative, a new religion to her zealots one and all. “Our faith is called, “Happy Clappies!”
Lady Bell smote her simple drums, slightly deafening her congregation, increasing steadily, as fungi swarmed in the gloom.
“Heed my good news,
Blessed are the fungi, lichen and slime.
We have inherited the Earth, after all this time!
Fear not, little flock, we all ascend to the Great Fungus in the sky,
Might as well go forth and multiply,
So we all survive,
Enjoy being alive!”
Soon, the word of Lady Bell was spreading. Roused to sentience, rows and rows of line-dancing, boot-scooting mushrooms and toadstools went prancing to the same innovative tunes.
Lady Bell summoned her flock to daily morning revival meetings. As the sun arose each day, the “Happy Clappies” were convened in session. Lady Bell preached to her assorted followers, so long kept in the dark and fed BS. Lady Bell raised her lid, sounded her drum, and her adherents waved their dead seaweed, her voice loud.
“Now sing along, magic mushrooms, and toadstools! Sing and dance, let us pray!”
Lady Bell smote her drums, and sang, in her loud, clear voice. Her tune was the old relic of a once human song, slightly paraphrased, “The Spirit in the Sky’. She sang her tune, ending ‘You got to have a friend in fungus!”
Then she concluded, “Fear not, little flock Now go forth and breed more fungus. This planet is ours! Come early, tomorrow, Happy Clappies! This is our new religion. ”
Happily, the fungi cheered as one, and pranced off to their being . So began their novel existence. All now believed in their faith, they were all going up to the Fungus in the sky. Deafened by the drum, the mushrooms and toadstools began spontaneous hugs and dancing.
Unfortunately, sentience amid the fungi has also awoken revolutionary thoughts. One rebel fungus assembled like-minded insurgents to form a rabble of counter-sentients. They all wished to reform the fungi to their former state of mindless meditation, to destroy Lady Bell with her high ideals, religous philosophies, and middle class name. This would restore their lonely planet to ooze and slime, dwelling in its primeval origins.
The anti-sentients insurgents fashioned machetes for mushrooms from more of the obsidian rocks to found on the rocky shores of the sepia brown oceans, awash with dead kelp and seawood. These rebels wanted no more ‘bells and smells’, no more group hugs and line-dancing.
Hostilities broke out, patches of resistance to the new sentience of the faith innovative, “Happy Clappies’. Machete wielding mushrooms slashed sentient fungi’s stalks as they stood, celebrating in the dawn of each day, as the sun rose anyway.
Finally, the few remaining adherents huddled around Lady Bell. All seemed excremental to their encampment. The oncoming mindless mushrooms loomed in the gloom, waving their machetes so ferociously. Skirmishes between the insurgents and “Happy Clappies’ were evident. Mushroom stalks were being slashed at a steady rate.
“Lady Bell, what are we going to do?’ implored her zealots, losing their religion. The mob were hell bent on slaying the brotherhood, to end understanding. The great Prophet pondered, then spoke to her faithful fungi. This was her finest hour. Could she rescue her loyal mushrooms and toadstools from doom?
Lady Bell announced, “We shall deafen them into our own true faith Gather ye giant clam shells where they lay, while we may!”
The faithful Happy Clappies hastened to oblige. Led by Lady Bell, they sounded their drums. Meanwhile, the machete-wielding mushrooms kept on slashing noble Happy Clappies. Then:BOOM!
The rebels clutched their eardrums, and collapsed into a mangled heap, deafness. Resistance to Lady Bell was futile. But she forgave them. The thinking prophet spake again.
“Resistance to Lady Bells is useless. Lay down your weapons. We give you weapons of love. Now sound our drums!”
The Happy Clappies banged their drums, and waved their dead seaweed. Bells and smells filled the air.
“Repent all ye rebels. I declare this revolution over, finito!
Be blessed and have a great day, fungi!”
The sun rose and the world turned anyway.
“Don’t tell me what to do…” muttered one little fungus.
The future of Lady Bell and her zealots might happen for no reason…….
Can you share a time when you did something kind for someone while they were in the hospital?
I was actually waiting for a room to open up in the ER, and i was sitting in one of the three quick triage chairs that were only seperated by a curtain.
This area normally isnt used to hold someone waiting for a room, but I was in a ton of pain and they had given me morphine and needed to keep an eye on me.
A less than financially sound individual in the next chair over, and she was given a prescription for antibiotics. Long story short she had been sexually assaulted and the antibiotics were part of a regimen she was given for a “just in case” as well as an abortion pill.
She was panicking because she knew she couldnt afford the co pay, again because of her less than ideal insurance she had. Instead of minding my own business i asked my nurse to ask her if it was ok that i paid for her medication. My nurse initially protested saying that it wasn’t my job and that she could figure it out herself. I kept pushing and she finally asked her. The lady said no at first, which i understand completely. It’s embarrassing to not be able to afford something and its become an issue that is now in earshot of strangers.
But thankfully she relented. She was dischared and took her prescription to the hospital pharmacy, who of course called the ER to make sure she wasn’t just making up a story and wasting their time. The Dr confirmed i was sitting there with my wallet out ready to read them my card number.
So in the end, I ended up with an NG tube pumping out my stomach to try and dislodge an intestinal blockage, and some random young lady who i will never see again got the medication she needed to prevent any potential STDs.
Not a perfect ending but close enough.
Sir Whiskerton and the ‘No Outside Knowledge’ Loophole: A Kitten’s Gaokao Nightmare
Ah, dear reader, prepare for a tale of academic absurdity, political echoes, and the most unqualified test-taker in farm history. Today’s adventure stars Ditto the Kitten, facing the ultimate challenge: a kitten-sized Gaokao (or as Doris calls it, “fowl play”). So sharpen your pencils (or claws), and join me for Sir Whiskerton and the ‘No Outside Knowledge’ Loophole.
Act 1: The Test Heard ‘Round the Farm
A stern notice arrived, pinned to the barn door by a very official-looking squirrel:
- “ATTENTION: ALL KITTENS MUST PASS THE FARM GAOKAO TO QUALIFY FOR… WELL, ANYTHING.”
Ditto, clutching a tiny pencil, trembled. “But I only know how to repeat things!”
Sir Whiskerton, ever the mentor, patted his head. “Fear not. I shall… whisper the answers.”
Doris gasped. “This is cheating! And bad improv!”
Act 2: The Echo Chamber of Doom
As the test began, Whiskerton leaned in:
- “Question 1: What is 2 + 2?”
- Whiskerton whispers: “Four.”
- Ditto echoes: “I am not a crook!”
(The farmer’s radio had been blasting Nixon speeches all morning.)
Chaos ensued.
- Question 2: “Name one farm animal.”
- Ditto: “I am not a kitten!”
- Doris: “SCANDAL! HISSSSS!” (She’d never hissed before. It was unsettling.)
Porkchop, proctoring from a hay bale, shrugged. “At least he’s consistent.”
Act 3: The Loophole That Wasn’t
Sir Whiskerton, now sweating, tried hand signals.
- “Question 3: What does a cow say?”
- Whiskerton gestures: Moo.
- Ditto: “Quack-amelia!” (Ferdinand’s opera training had lingered.)
Doris exploded.
- “This is fowl play! And I mean that literally!”
- Whiskerton: “I was clearly quoting history.”
- Ditto: “I am not a crook!”
The Yodeling Fish, sensing drama, began a soap opera soundtrack.
The Moral of the Story
Sometimes, the only correct answer is “I have no idea what’s happening.”
Post-Credit Scene
Ditto receives his “diploma”—a napkin that says “Participated, Probably.” Doris demands a recount.
Best Lines
- “This isn’t cheating—it’s collaborative learning!” – Sir Whiskerton
- “I’ve seen better echoes in a cave.” – Porkchop
- “I am not a scandal! …Wait, am I?” – Ditto
Starring
- Ditto (Echoing Enigma)
- Sir Whiskerton (Whispering Menace)
- Doris (Fowl-Mouthed Activist)
Key Jokes
- Ditto’s Nixon phase (unexplained, unforgettable).
- Doris inventing new poultry-based puns.
- The Yodeling Fish providing dramatic stingers.
P.S.
A test without cheating is just a pop quiz for honesty… and boring.
Deli Rotisserie Chicken with Rice Stuffing
Ingredients
- 1 deli lemon pepper rotisserie chicken
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/4 cup matchstick carrots
- 1/4 cup dried cherry-flavored cranberries
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups home style herb stuffing mix
- 1 (8.8 ounce) package pre-cooked long grain and wild rice
Instructions
- Remove chicken from all packaging.
- Wrap in aluminum foil and place in baking pan.
- Place in 200 degrees F oven to keep warm.
- Heat large saucepan over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Combine butter, carrots, and cranberries in pan; cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until carrots are tender.
- Stir in water, stuffing, and rice; cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until hot.
- Remove from heat; cover and let stand for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Stir and serve.
Nutrition
Per complete recipe: Calories (per 1/4 recipe) 940kcal; Fat 51g; Chol 240mg; Sodium 1320mg; Carb 44g; Fiber 2g; Protein 64g; Vit A 35%; Vit C 8%; Calc 4%; Iron 30%
Per stuffing only: Calories (per 1/4 recipe) 270kcal; Fat 7g; Chol 10mg; Sodium 650mg; Carb 44g; Fiber 2g; Protein 5g; Vit A 30%; Vit C 2%; Calc 4%; Iron 10%
Attribution
Publix
What would be the impact if China and the United States ceased trading with each other, and which country would be most adversely affected?
History repeats itself. -MM
- China is the world’s largest manufacturing country and produces the most goods, 20% of which are consumer goods.
- The United States is the world’s largest financial power, printing the most US dollars in the world.
However, when currency cannot be used as an equivalent to purchase goods, it is just a piece of waste paper.
Once the dollars printed by the United States can no longer be used to purchase Chinese goods, the dollar loses its value. People will use the currency accepted by China to buy Chinese goods.
The same situation occurred during the Chinese Civil War.
The CPC launched a large-scale production campaign in its base areas and introduced various policies to incentivise factories and farms to actively produce.
The KMT issued a large amount of currency in the Nationalist-controlled areas, causing hyperinflation. Bundles of currency could not even buy a small piece of bread.
The CPC has food, and the KMT has currency.
The CPC’s ‘grain standard’ completely defeated the KMT’s ‘currency standard’.
I guess many overseas Chinese may still have the devalued currency issued by the KMT back then.
KRONOS (1957) Sci-fi Full Movie
Today’s classic gem of grade-B 1960’s science fiction pleasures.