We will start with what this fella has to say on Quora…
What are some habits that are good to get into?
Mostly health habits I guess.
Two months ago, after many years of smoking cigars and pipes, I have quit. I smoked either one cigar a day or a cigar and one pipe a day. Didn’t inhale. Don’t miss it.
For a long time, I’ve had one drink a day, a double. Love scotch. But, I was worried that I might start drinking more. So I cut down to one drink a week. Still a double. That one bothers me a bit. I liked my one drink a day but I’m sticking with my change.
I have totally cut out sodas, Coke etc. why? Because of the glucose/fructose. I’ve stopped eating anything that has corn syrup. I read labels. It drives my wife crazy. But I read how bad fructose is for you. I could get bottles Coke made with cane sugar but a case of 4 bottles of Coke costs $8 up here. Nope. I never drank that much soda or pop anyway.
I’m careful what kind of chocolate bars I have now. I’ll have a Snickers bar once in a while because it is very low in lead or cadmium. Lots of bars have lead and cadmium, some more than others. Look at this:
- Lead and cadmium are present in all cacao: The cacao bean absorbs lead and cadmium from the soil it’s grown in, and lead can also get on the beans after harvest.
- Milk chocolate vs. dark chocolate: Dark chocolate typically has higher levels because it contains more cocoa solids. Ah, who said dark chocolate is healthy?
I have stopped using Keurig K cups that are plastic. I drink a lot of coffee. In fact, I stopped buying K cups. The price for these stupid things is getting ridiculous. So I still use my Keurig, actually a Hamilton Beach coffee maker which is much better and use roasted coffee that I put into a reusable K cup. It’s much cheaper and the landfill has less plastic K cups with me making that change. Now it says these cups are recycleable. Have you ever tried to get these things clean so they will be accepted? Near impossible.
I am an avid recycler. Every scrap of paper, and plastic go into my recycle bin.
I don’t like fruit very much but I’m eating more of it and I have my three dates a day and a probiotic yogurt every day. And I’m drinking much more water than I ever did.
I always use Becel Olive Oil margarine instead of butter. My wife uses butter.
Butter 26% saturated fat per 2 teaspoons.
Becel- 5% saturated fat per 2 teaspoons.
And Becel tastes great.
I exercise for 40 minutes a day to my George Forman exercise DVD which I have been doing for years.
So why am I putting myself through all this at my age? I did enjoy smoking and having my daily drink. I figure maybe I have around 10 years left in this world and that’s really all I want, no more. I don’t want to live to be 90 or 100 and be alone in life and be carried from room to room with soiled pants. No, I’m pretty much ready for a nice long eternal rest. I’m tired, and I ache. So why quit smoking and drink less? No idea. It’s just something I felt like doing.
My son says I’m crazy, that I should just do the things I like and not worry about it. Maybe he’s right, but still, I’m going to try it for awhile. I do feel better by not smoking. Sometimes I just suck on an empty corn cob while I read a book.
So that’s it in a nutshell.
Night folks.
…
And, now I want to put in “my two cents” into the mix.
I have made a lot of dietary changes. Because what you put into your body directly results in how long your body “engine” will last.
- I drink bottled water. Never any tap water.
- Little to zero fast food.
- Little to zero fried food.
- Cut down all rice, breads, noodles, potatoes. All are starches. Starches metabolize into sugars. Sugars become fat.
- Beer is replaced with 53% white wine. And at that, I only drink one or two times a week. As needed.
- Coffee… black. (With one exception; special “moments” with people who I care about for blended coffees and the coffee experience.)
My rule is…
- I palm-full of meat, fish or protein.
- Two hand-fulls of green, leafy, or other similar vegetables. I can eat all I want.
- Small amounts of everything else is ok. My body needs carbohydrates, and sugars, and other things, it’s just that it doesn’t need that much.
And…
- No more smoking.
- Exercise 2kg jog every morning.
- Weight lift 3 times a week.
So I took my BMI at the gym with this special machine. It determined that I was skin, sinewy muscles and bone. EXCEPT around my heart. I had 11 times the amount of fat that should be there.
That is why that I look like a frog (LOL). Spindly and muscular limbs, big chest.
The fat around my heart does bad things…
- High blood pressure. CHECK.
- Chance of diabetes.
- Heart attack risk. CHECK.
So, yeah.
I am taking care of this engine. You betya.
Today…
Since your military service, what is the most notable shift in how nations view the legality of cross-border military interventions?
In the 2000s, the US establishment was feeling the rush of being the world’s last superpower, and the holder of a monopoly on violence. This meant that not only could NATO invade, destroy and genocide whoever they wanted, they alone could do this.
The presumption was that anyone who launched a war without explicit permission from Washington would face defeat and ruin like Saddam. Furthermore, it was believed that an army simply possessing American weapons made them invincible, and able to defeat any enemy.
Ask any American older than 50 about this. He will, without a hint of irony, say that an M1 Abrams tank can destroy a hundred T-72s, and a squad with “NATO standard” training can kill a thousand, or ten thousand, enemies. One squadron of A-10s could annihilate the entire Russian and Chinese ground forces combined. It sounds silly now in hindsight, but this was completely the norm to believe until a few years ago.
I know some people in the comments will try to claim no one said that, but just look at old commentaries from 2022. There were dozens if not hundreds of online articles saying the Russian army should be destroyed by the NATO air squadrons stationed in Romania.
But since the start of the 21st century, some thing have gone wrong. First, the US and its NATO vassals lost their technological edge. Even by 2001 the system was in steep decline and running on pure inertia from Cold War technological revolution. But this was still more than enough to steamroll tinpot third rate militaries using Soviet export weapons from the 1970s. However, NATO forces struggled to win against Arabs using smart light infantry tactics. The cope here was that guerrillas are magically super hard to defeat, even though almost no one except NATO struggles against insurgents.
The second and bigger crack in the NATO facade of invincibility came in 2008, when Russia steamrolled Georgia’s “NATO standard” army, and the western officers flooded the Tbilisi Hilton out of fear that the Ruskies would kill them for sport. That hairline fracture exploded into a crevice in 2014-15 when ISIS steamrolled the Iraqi “NATO standard” army, leaving billions of dollars in space age technology strewn across the battlefield for the insurgents to commandeer.
Every conflict since then has further proven that the US arms industry is a paper tiger, and have nothing to offer except extremely overpriced legacy weapons from 50 years ago. Every American weapon has a Russian analogue that is one tenth the price and equal, or actually superior in quality. The Abrams is matched by the T-80, the Javelin is definitively inferior to the Kornet, and so on.
In 2005, it was widely believed that the US could defeat Russia, China and its own allies all at once. Now it is unclear if the US could even defeat Iran or Venezuela.
Police Save Kid After Escape From Her EXTREMELY Terrifying Mother
Initial DNA analysis of Paracas elongated skull released – with incredible results
Paracas is a desert peninsula located within the Pisco Province in the Inca Region, on the south coast of Peru. It is here were Peruvian archaeologist, Julio Tello, made an amazing discovery in 1928 – a massive and elaborate graveyard containing tombs filled with the remains of individuals with the largest elongated skulls found anywhere in the world. These have come to be known as the ‘Paracas skulls’. In total, Tello found more than 300 of these elongated skulls, which are believed to date back around 3,000 years. A DNA analysis has now been conducted on one of the skulls and expert Brien Foerster has released preliminary information regarding these enigmatic skulls.
It is well-known that most cases of skull elongation are the result of cranial deformation, head flattening, or head binding, in which the skull is intentionally deformed by applying force over a long period of time. It is usually achieved by binding the head between two pieces of wood, or binding in cloth. However, while cranial deformation changes the shape of the skull, it does not alter its volume, weight, or other features that are characteristic of a regular human skull.
The Paracas skulls, however, are different. The cranial volume is up to 25 percent larger and 60 percent heavier than conventional human skulls, meaning they could not have been intentionally deformed through head binding/flattening. They also contain only one parietal plate, rather than two. The fact that the skulls’ features are not the result of cranial deformation means that the cause of the elongation is a mystery, and has been for decades.
An artist’s impression based on a Paracas skull. Photo credit: Marcia Moore / Ciamar Studio
Mr. Juan Navarro, owner and director of the local museum, called the Paracas History Museum, which houses a collection of 35 of the Paracas skulls, allowed the taking of samples from 5 of the skulls. The samples consisted of hair, including roots, a tooth, skull bone and skin, and this process was carefully documented via photos and video. Samples from three skulls were sent to the geneticist, although the geneticist was not given any information about what they came from until after the genetic testing, so as not to create any preconceived ideas.
The results of a DNA analysis of one of the skulls are now back, and Brien Foerster, author of more than ten books and an authority on the ancient elongated headed people of South America, has just revealed the preliminary results of the analysis. He reports on the geneticist’s findings:
It had mtDNA (mitochondrial DNA) with mutations unknown in any human, primate, or animal known so far. But a few fragments I was able to sequence from this sample indicate that if these mutations will hold we are dealing with a new human-like creature, very distant from Homo sapiens, Neanderthals and Denisovans.
The implications are of course huge. “I am not sure it will even fit into the known evolutionary tree,” the geneticist wrote. He added that if the Paracas individuals were so biologically different, they would not have been able to interbreed with humans.
The result of this analysis is only phase one of many phases of analysis due to take place. The next tests will involve having the initial test replicated, and conducted on other skulls, so that the results can be compared to see if there are any specific Paracas characteristics. We will update when more details emerge.
When has science amazed you?
The last governor of Spanish California was Pío Pico.
He was in office from 1845 until 1846, after which California became an American state and was lost forever to the Spanish. Pico was an unusual man — described as “grotesque” by his contemporaries, he had an unusually large, bulbous head, nose, hands and feet.
In 2010, scientists released a scientific article about why they believed Pío Pico’s unique appearance was caused by a late-in-life case of acromegaly. This hormonal disorder typically affects people in childhood, and makes them grow to gigantic heights. When it hits in adulthood, however, the sufferer will remain his normal height but his bone structure and extremities will grow to enormous sizes due to an excess in growth hormone, caused by a brain tumor.
The scientists argue that Pío Pico’s tumor appeared in his thirties or forties, then mysteriously disappeared by the time he was in his fifties. As a result, his appearance in old age was more normal, and while he remained a heavily built man, he no longer appeared bloated. With the grand beard he grew in his later years, he looked normal, even distinguished.
People with acromegaly rarely live to advanced old age without surgery to remove the tumors that overproduce growth hormone — their organs and heart keep enlarging and they tend to die fairly young. Pío Pico’s tumor disappeared on its own, scientists speculate, and he died at 93, in fine health.
The Night of the Red Falling
Written in response to: “People have gathered to witness a once-in-a-lifetime natural phenomenon, but what happens next is not what they expected.“
Anna Vyush
The night before, she went with her peers into the woods to get the firefly plant. Her best buddy Cai was with her. Both of them were quite nervous because on the Night of the Red Falling, they would have to engage in sexual relations with each other since it was a tradition that, the Yalas believed, made the connection with the spirit world so much stronger. Cala and Cai could have chosen anybody to mate with, but this connection made sense since they were best friends, and this decision was made for them anyways. The only issue was that they were friends and not exactly lovers. These two young Yalas knew that it could ruin their friendship and make everything awkward and wrong between them, but it was expected of them and there was nothing they could do to change that.
“I see a glow there,” said Cala, “must be the firefly plant. Should we tell others?”
“No, why? It’s right over there, let’s just check it out ourselves.” Responded Cai. They looked at each other, Cala hesitated for a moment and went on to explore the glow. Cai gazed at her long black hair that glimmered in the light of the moon. He wanted to touch it but collected himself and followed her into the bushes.
“That amount should be enough to paint at least 10 bodies,” pondered Cala, “let’s gather it and join the others, they must’ve gone further away, I don’t see them anymore.”
“Yeah, that should be plenty of firefly. Don’t worry though, I can still hear them, so they must be nearby.” Cai reached for Cala’s hand. “I know you’re anxious about tomorrow. But you do know that I would never do anything to hurt you, right?”
Cala trembled slightly, “Yes, of course. Come on Cai, don’t be so dramatic, my mind is preoccupied with my offering and not the stupid orgy.” She tried to say it as casually as she could. “I mean, how and why am I supposed give up my father’s ring?” She paused. “I am fine the way I am. I am happy and I don’t need anything from the Red Fall.”
“You don’t mean that.”
“I do. The only thing I would actually wish for is something I can never have again.” The girl was tearing up.
“Cala…,” Cai looked dearly at his friend, took her other hand in his and stuck out his pinkie, “I know, but something else, something great will happen to you, I promise.”
Cala unwillingly intertwined her pinkie with his.
“But is it worth it though? This is the only thing I have left of him, the only reminder of him…” She said lowering her voice.
Friends harvested the plants and hurried off to find others. When they reached the rest of the scavenging group the Sun has already almost completely vanished from the horizon.
“Hey, you’ve found some!” shrieked a thin looking girl with red hair. Cai elbowed Cala for she was not paying attention, and everyone was staring at her.
“Ah, yeah, we found some, should suffice for 10 people or so.” Cala replied quickly.
The redhead watched Cala with curiosity. “Is something on your mind?” She asked with condescension without the intent of really wanting to find out the answer. “Are you afraid of tomorrow?” The girl asked amused.
“No,” replied Cala uneasily, “I just… I’m not sure if I want to give up my dad’s ring. I mean, it’s the only -” and there was laughter. Everybody laughed. Cala felt her cheeks getting hot and crimson, she looked at Cai but then averted her gaze downwards because she saw a curiosity on his face as well. “You don’t understand it, you’ve never lost something… You’ve never lost somebody you loved. I feel empty half of the time and if I lose the ring, I will never forgive myself, I will tarnish his memory.”
Everyone stared quietly at Cala. She gulped loudly and showed an intent on keeping on moving in hopes of changing the subject but was stopped and pulled back by somebody. She looked back. It was Cai. He had a weird smile on his face that made Cala’s stomach turn.
“You will throw the ring Cala, won’t you?” Cai looked at her intensely.
“Oh, I get it,” yelled some girl in the back, “you don’t want to throw the ring into the fire because you don’t want to find your love this year, do you?”. “Because you love your daddy,” she giggled. “Oh fuck, she wants to fuck her daddy!” shouted a fat boy with a full-on pimpled face and laughed hysterically.
Cala looked around, her insides twisting, it was hard to make out faces, since the Sun has completely set and the moonlight was ever so slightly touching the silhouettes of every boy and girl around her, who were pointing fingers, ridiculing, and laughing. She put a hand to her face in attempt to calm herself down, but somebody grabbed it and shoved it into her mouth while making a perverted comment about an incest. She let out cry and watched in disbelief as her friends were mocking her. Cala searched for a particular face in the cackling crowd and saw what she never hoped to see – Cai, taunting her at the expense of her dead father. Cala wiped her tears and stormed off into the darkness.
By the dusk on the Night of the Red Falling everyone was ready and marching to the holy waterfall. Cala had put her father’s ring on her thumb so that it doesn’t fall off. She tried to seem unaffected by the remarks and bullying from her peers from last night. And however uneasy and troubled she may have appeared, no one really gave it a second thought as they were all preoccupied with their soon to be fulfilled wishes or some of them were thrilled simply because of the prospect of an orgy.
There were gasps. “Ah, how beautiful and holy!” Exclaimed one old looking Yala staring at the waterfall and red ice and red snow around it. The tribe ran to the Blood Fall to kneel before it. “Oh, welcome us, You Holy Spirit! Accept our offerings and grant us something in return, whatever it might be, we are forever grateful!”
Women and men started taking off their clothes, heavy breathing could be heard all around. Enthusiasm, willingness and eagerness were palpable, be it because of horniness or anticipation of the wishes or the mere hype of the night.
“Ahhhh! Is it…?” A scream echoed through the mountains. Everyone as if coming out of a trance looked around to catch the disturber only to find a redheaded skinnish girl looking sickly holding a pinkie. The girl from yesterday wanted to come up with something and express her distress but the only thing that came up was food. The head of the Yalas tribe pulled out and walked up to the girl. He stepped around the vomit and examined the finger that the girl dropped. Then he looked at the red on the snow. Slowly it sank in. He grabbed his coat, took a deep breath, and shouted at the top of his lungs: “There has been a murder!”
Sweaty naked bodies stood up and started putting on their clothes, gasping and panting in disbelief. Their fear was evident. Cala could smell it. Taking out her tainted with blood dagger she jumped on people and started cutting them up. Those who could, fled in awe and cries, those who couldn’t, simply died.
She spared the head of the tribe – Caannie. “You know, it’s all because of you,” Cala whispered not looking directly at him as if she didn’t care enough to do so, “of how you have led this tribe to believe that we can get more than we can give.”
“Cala, why –”
“I, for one, could not get what I wanted,” she continued more loudly and more paced, “I was dragged into your insanity and forced to give up something that I cherish the most,” tears streaming down her face, she was gulping for air, “I was stripped of the opportunity to receive something I deserve because of you. But now –” Cala stuttered and spit out blood. She looked down and saw an end of a sparrow sticking out of her gut. Then fell on the ground and saw her father.
CHlLD Pred Gets Caught in The Act
Parents are a safe haven for c*ildren but not in this case. It was 4 in the morning when si*teen-y*ar-o*ds Gracie and Sofie were sitting in their friend’s living room after a get-together. By that time, everyone else in the house was asleep except for their friend’s mom. Everything seemed fine until she started asking them weird questions and doing something they never expected. Something so disturbing, it scared them enough to lock themselves in the bathroom and call their parents.
https://youtu.be/m6wmupB5a3Q
What are the most insane things that American tourists do abroad?
I still laugh about this true tale. While travelling with my ex-wife on the eastern side of Italy, in a small non-touristy town, I forget the name, we stopped for dinner and a glass of vino or three. Sitting beside us, was Big fat Bob and Betty from Wisconsin, I’m guessing. They spoke English in that pretty cliche, heavy Mid-west accent and obviously spoke/ read no Italiano. They were trying to order stuff that was not on the menu and/ or written in Italian. They kept getting louder and louder and the waiter was getting pissed off and muttering “Bu Fungoo, etc”, to himself, which means fuck off in Italiano. I chuckled. This kept going on and on for about half an hour. They were annoying the hell out of us with this display of stupidity and their ever- increasing volume. I eventually tapped the fat guy on his shoulder and said in an almost Monty-Python imitation of his own accent. “Would y’all like may to owda for y’all?” He replied- “Yoo kin doooo that?” I replied, ” Yes, I kin”. So I did, in my amateur Italiano. The waiter calmed down, nodded at me, and later delivered their food and ours, and after dinner didn’t charge us for any of the wine we had consumed that evening. “Molto Grazi, Senore!” Lesson: Canadian tourists who can speak Italiano (even poorly) are treated very well there, because we make the effort. As we were leaving, he asked, ” Senore? Americano?” I replied: “No, no Senore, Vancouver, Canada” He responded “Ah, va bene!” Kinda speaks for itself.
The Fading Light
Written in response to: “People have gathered to witness a once-in-a-lifetime natural phenomenon, but what happens next is not what they expected.“
James Moore
{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}
Dates and times had been discussed and agreed upon, and Dylan was set to pick them all up from the train station, or more accurately meet them at the train station where they would all get a taxi. Patrick and Jessika had elected to book two nights at a motel in the town a few miles out from his shack, and Alex had agreed to stay with Dylan, for a ‘taste of the hermit lifestyle’ as he put it. Dylan would have much preferred to spend the night with Patrick or Jessika, but he didn’t quibble, he was excited to see each of them again.
Dylan spent the day before their arrival eagerly packing provisions for their hike, he found his dad’s old welding visor to view the eclipse with, made sandwiches and filled water bottles. Made up a cot in front of the fire for Alex to sleep in the kitchen.
The next day Dylan stood at the train station, pacing back and forth in anticipation of seeing the faces of his friends that were etched into his misty memory. Anxiously he checked his father’s timepiece again and again, scanning up the tracks for any sign of a train.
The first to step off the train was Patrick wearing a thick overcoat that made him look 3 times bigger, or maybe he’d gained weight. Dylan rushed at him with unexpected tears in his eyes forming.
“You’re looking well,” Dylan said with a beaming smile.
“Don’t lie, I look like crap” Patrick responded “You look… thin!?”
Next Jessika sauntered down the platform with the grace of a swan imperceptibly powering herself through water.
“DYLAN!” She screamed
Just as Dylan was about to break his embrace with Patrick to swap it to Jessika, Alex grabbed him from behind and lifted him into the air with a bear hug that startled Dylan as he writhed to escape it.
“You smell awful” Alex proclaimed with a grin on his face. “And you weigh nothing, what are you eating!? Or are you eating?”
The group all got into the taxi and made their way back to the outskirts of their home town, along the way pointing out landmarks and discussing memories of lost summer days in the park, they talked about their parents and what had become of them. Patrick spoke of how he had wanted to move back here to raise his kids, but his partner had work commitments in the city and it never would have worked. Alex talked at length about his plans to buy up a few properties around his parent’s old place and turn them into hiking lodges, but he never found the time. Jessika just looked out of the window, lost in her own memories of childhood, and occasionally looking across to Dylan with a concerned look in her eyes.
Disembarking the taxi they all agreed to meet back at Dylan’s early, 8 AM to have coffee and prepare.
“We’ll need to set off by at least 11 Am, which leaves us 5 hours to get there I know it’s only 10-11 miles, but it’s a hard 10-11 miles, It’s not all a well-trodden path and it is all uphill,” Dylan said, trying to prepare them.
“Yes, Hike Leader!” They all jokingly chanted back at him in unison with a mock solute.
“I’m not joking I barely made it up there myself the other day and I know every rock on these hills”
Dylan showed Alex to his shack and waved goodbye to Patrick and Jessika.
Alex burst into his quiet shack like a hurricane blowing open the door.
“Nice place you got here Dylly” Alex said snooping around, kicking the makeshift cot Dylan had set up. “How much did it cost ya” Dylan didn’t know whether Alex was joking so just ignored him.
They sat up into the night chatting about old times and joking.
{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}
They all convened at Dylan’s shack at 8:30 Am, Alex was already awake and doing press-ups on the lawn outside the shack.
“Sleep well?” Said Patrick in a mocking tone.
“Sure, if you don’t mind bugs crawling over you all night, smelling of fire smoke or the sound of Dylan’s snoring and deranged sleep muttering like a 90-year-old”
Dylan came out of the shack carrying 3 premade satchels, 1 for each of them, containing sandwiches and water.
“Ready!?” Dylan said excitedly
“I thought we weren’t going until 11?” protested Jessika
“Yeah, me and Alex discussed it last night and we thought it would be better to get a head start on it, in case there were any hold-ups” They all looked at Patrick.
They set off in high spirits, trudging up the long and arduous track through the woods, Dylan led for a few miles but steadily dropped back to walk with Patrick at the back. Alex would call back encouraging yet mocking remarks at them whilst also asking Dylan for directions. At which point Dylan would storm up the hill to join him, pause and look around for a while with a look of confusion, and gesture in a direction without much confidence.
“How’re you holding up?” Dylan asked Patrick at around the halfway mark.
“I’m ok, just need to have a sit down in a bit I think” Patrick wheezed, his face drenched in sweat.
“Yeah, I think I need to stop for a while too.”
They both sat on a fallen tree.
“Jessikas worried about you, you know.” Patrick said “She said she’s seen signs that you’re struggling with symptoms of early onset dementia”
“Does she say so!? It’s hard out here Patrick I haven’t got a family like you, and there’s no one checking on me or anything like that, so I don’t know, would a person even know if they’re struggling”
“How’re you guys doing?” Jessika called down to them.
Dylan and Patrick got up, patted each other on the back and continued up the hill.
Alex made it to the lookout point first and was already sitting eating a sandwich when the rest caught up.
“What time do you call this!?” Alex said jokingly as they all squeezed to sit side by side on the rock.
“2:45 pm.” Said Dylan looking at his father’s timepiece, “Still plenty of time”
The four of them sat enjoying sandwiches chatting and looking out across the view.
“What time is the eclipse going to happen?” Jessika asked
“Oh, wait there I’ve got it written down somewhere” Dylan rummaged through his satchel and pulled out a tattered piece of scrap paper “4:15 or 45, here Alex you read it your eyes are better than mine”
Alex took the piece of paper and looked at it for a few minutes “I don’t care how good my eyes are, no one can read this Dylan it looks like you wrote it during an earthquake. That might be a 4 or a 6 but the rest is just scribbles”
“It’s ok we’ll just wait, we’ll see it when it happens”
Hours passed and apart from a scare from what Patrick insisted was a bobcat that he saw down in the woods, and an eagle flying over. The group just sat and waited, Alex walked back down the hill a way to see if he could get a signal on his cellular phone but walked back up disappointed, stopping only to do a few pull-ups on a reachable branch. Jessika wandered off for a while to inspect some plants that she thought had medicinal qualities and Patrick ate another sandwich.
“Hey everyone, this is it, do you see that, the skies turning darker!” Dylan shouted in excitement
Clouds had started to come over by this point and the sun was no longer visible
“Are you sure?” Alex asked, “What time is it?”
Dylan looked down at his father’s timepiece
“7:30 pm…. Did we miss it?” Dylan looked solemnly at the timepiece
“So it’s just getting dark because it’s night?” Patrick said in annoyance
Jessika walked over and squatted down near Dylan and held both his hands in hers, she looked into his eyes.
“Are you sure the eclipse was today?” she asked Dylan softly.
{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}
They all made it back down the hill in the dark, slowly and silently. Apart from a couple of stumbles from Patrick and a few curse words from Alex.
By the time they all made it back to Dylan’s shack, there was only time to light a fire and drag out enough bedding for them all to sleep on the floor, which they did, soundly despite the uncomfortable conditions.
The next morning Dylan woke up early to make them all coffee, they sat outside to watch the sunrise and discuss the hike, they talked about how their feet were hurting, the scratches and bumps they’d suffered, the length of the hike and their collective reluctance to do it again. But no one mentioned the eclipse.
By 3 pm they had all got their belongings together and were in the taxi heading to the train station, Dylan didn’t join them, he wasn’t sure he could take the walk home.
In the taxi Alex handed a letter to Jessica, “I found this on Dylan’s floor it’d been kicked under the cupboard, says it’s from a Dr Herman, what do you make of it?” Jessika read through the letter several times with an increasing frown across her brow.
“It doesn’t sound good Alex.” She said morosely.
As the three of them sat on the train looking out the window in silence contemplating what had happened, the light started to dim and the sun on the horizon started to look like a slice was missing.
What good is a first class plane ticket if you sleep the entire flight?
That is one of the key aspects of a first class plane ticket.
To be able to sleep in peace on a comfortable bed while you are struggling to stretch your legs in the 28 inch seat pitch in Economy Class.
First Class passengers get access to the First Class lounge while you are trying to find a seat at the waiting area near the gate and most first class lounges have chefs making food on demand.
And you have priority boarding and your bags get checked in priority so they will be the first ones out on the conveyor belt. And the baggage allowance. While you are trying to offload stuff to bring your luggage to 23 kg, a few extra kgs in two or three bags you check in for First class will hardly get a peep.
First Class passengers get their choice of food they can pick from along with premium champagne and liquor and they also get food on demand.
First class passengers also get picked up from their hotel in a Mercedes or other comfortable cars and taken to the First Class lounge and have special gates to board them especially on the A380 where you don’t see most other passengers.
And yes, while you are stuck in economy with a crying baby or a toddler who keeps kicking your seat while you are trying to sleep uncomfortably, the first class passenger is sleeping like a baby in a comfortable bed made for them by the dedicated steward or stewardess.
This is you in the Emirates Economy Class
This is the first class passenger in a A380 suite.
For someone who has to attend business right after they get off the plane and be in a meeting, First class makes a lot of difference.
We are not there yet to spring for First class every time gunless we can cash in our FF miles or get upgraded but we buy business class seats on transcontinental flights during international travel and it makes a world of difference.
And speaking of FF miles, you get a great deal and if you keep crediting them, you will earn other free first class tickets. Airlines have moved away from awarding FF miles for the actual miles flown and instead, give out FF miles on your spend amount on the tickets so both Business and First class have pretty good deals there as well if you know how to squeeze the most out of FF rewards for free travel in business or first class.
Added: On second thoughts, what exactly were you expecting to do out of First Class? Snort cocaine off a sex worker’s bum like the “ Wolf of Wall Street “? Sorry, they don’t offer that in commercial airlines and the only guy I know who possibly offered it hung himself to death If you buy a First Class ticket on the Etihad or Singapore private residence, you can join the “ Mile High Club”.
DNA CONFIRMS Jack the Ripper’s Identity After 137 Years — And It’s NOT Who You Think
The Jack the Ripper case is officially closed. That’s not clickbait, it’s a scientific fact. After one hundred thirty-seven years, DNA evidence has confirmed his identity. We are going to reveal the name, the science, and the story. But what nobody tells you is how this man, a known and violent individual, was allowed to roam free, and how the police knew about him. The evidence points to one person, and it’s not who you think. This changes the entire legend.
The Most Charitable People on Earth Are Done Being Blamed
I disagree with this video. But I find it interesting as an indicator of what is going on in the USA today… it is possible that the USA is starting to fracture into a civil war, and along all sorts of fault lines. The cracks start appearing like this post and video.
*** RACIST ALERT ***
What led someone you know to become homeless?
It wasn’t ‘someone I know’, it was me.
In 1973 I was going to school full time and working nights as a grill cook in a drive-in restaurant. I rented a one bedroom furnished apartment and with monthly payments from a student aid loan and my paycheck from the restaurant, I managed to make ends meet.
Then one day on the way to school on my motorcycle, I crashed avoiding a car and among other minor injuries, my right leg was broken. So, of course, I could not work. No work? I was late with the rent.
I was living in New Mexico at the time and state law there at that time was if you are three or more days late with the rent, you can be locked out. The landlord let me in to get my personal belongings and I loaded them in my car. I parked in a nearby parking lot next to where I worked. The owner of the drive-in could not pay me for not working but did give me one meal a day and let me use the employee break room to shower.
I lived in my car for a week or so and some classmates at school let me ‘couch surf’ at their place for a while.
Finally, one of my classmate’s father let me rent a room in their home. I graduated from school shortly there after, my leg healed and a want back to work at the drive-in full time until I got back on my feet financially and could support myself again.
So, it was not long term ‘homelessness’, only about eighteen months, and thanks to a network of friends and an understanding employer, I recovered.
I always remember how living in my car for a while made me feel and years later when I was married with a family of my own my wife and I did take in three ‘unhoused’ teens at different times so they could stay in school and have a safe place to live until they got on their feet again.
One high school girl the same age as one of my daughters lived with us for almost three years. for years afterwards we kept in touch and she always said, “No, you were not my Father. You were my Dad.”
Pictures
Why does India still export food to China when its food production is less than half that of China (3.01/6.69 in 2020)? Aren’t Indians hungry?
The Golden Rule of Deng Xiaoping was People with Full Bellies tend to be less revolutionary and more reasonable
The Sign of any Prosperous Country is that They eat very well
China is one such Country. The Sign of their Prosperity is such that their Per Capita Consumption of Food has risen by 85% from 1976 to Present while the Population has risen by just 17%.
Likewise their Per Capita Wasted Food has risen from 39.02 Kg in 1976 to 81 Kg in 2020 indicating further prosperity.
This means China has to import more food than it produces especially given that the Land under Cultivation is just 15%.
China exports Soybeans from Brazil and Australia, Corn from Australia, Wheat from Australia, Butter, Cheese, Cream , Chevon and Cut Meats from New Zealand, Cured Meats, Cheese etc from Europe and Rice from Bangladesh.
Normally Chinese Imports of Food from India are minimal but in 2020 – China lost 21% Production due to Floods which meant they had to import more food. Thus they placed orders with India for Rice and a few other products.
China has lesser arable land and a richer population – which means they will tend to eat better and thus China will need more Imports of food which is why they are spending more than $ 41 Billion in Farms across the world to produce Soybeans (Kenya, Ethiopia), Tea (Ethiopia), Pork & Beef (Argentina, Canada)
The Echoing Enigma
It was the peak of Late Fall on the farm, a season usually marked by the stately departure of migrating geese and the comforting smell of woodsmoke. Today, however, the air was thick with the scent of manufactured panic and something vaguely artificial—the smell of cheap raspberry-flavored wish fulfillment.
The chaos began with a territorial squabble. Ditto the Echoing Kitten was innocently observing Lady Quacka, the farm’s resident avian diva, as she argued with an invisible rival over the perfect acoustic spot for her annual Farewell to Fall concert.
Lady Quacka, in her feathered cape, shrieked, “The pond’s edge, you little fiend! The acoustics are divine!”
Ditto, doing what he does best, echoed perfectly: “…acoustics are divine!”
But this time, the sound had a new, terrifying weight. Next to the original Lady Quacka, an identical Duplicate Lady Quacka popped into existence, wearing the exact same cape, but slightly ruffled. The two birds immediately locked eyes and shrieked in unison, their identical voices doubling the noise, arguing over the same concert spot. Ditto’s echo power had become literally, devastatingly, duplicative.
The chaos accelerated with the velocity of a duck on roller skates.
In the kitchen, Chef Remy, the perpetually stressed rat chef, was tasting his experimental “Pickle-Peanut Butter Quiche,” which was, as expected, a culinary disaster. He groaned, self-critically: “This is the worst quiche I’ve ever made.”
“…worst quiche I’ve ever made…” Ditto repeated innocently, now terrified and unable to control his power.
Fwoomp! An identical, inedible Pickle-Peanut Butter Quiche materialized on the counter. Remy, blinded by a flash of terrible greed, started shouting his most damning self-criticism, creating a horrifying, self-replicating mountain of his worst recipe.
Meanwhile, the lava lamp was a nightmare. Zephyr the Genie was trying to grant a simple wish to a very patient Porkchop the Pig. “I wish for one new bale of hay, but I must concentrate,” Zephyr muttered.
Ditto, scampering past, inadvertently broadcast the crucial phrase: “…one new bale of hay…”
Poof! Poof! Poof! Multiple Duplicate Zephyrs appeared, all glowing different shades. The originals and the duplicates immediately fell into conflict. One Zephyr shouted, “Hay for Porkchop!” The next insisted, “No, Porkchop wished for a giant beanbag chair!” A third screamed, “No, he wished for an all-pig jazz band!” The multiples argued and granted conflicting wishes, scattering hay, beanbag chairs, and out-of-tune trumpets across the terrified swine.
The peak of the crisis arrived with the humans, threatening to unravel the tender beginnings of the farm’s newest romance. The Farmer, hoping for a repeat of the previous night’s magic, saw Martha approaching. Nervous, he whispered his deepest hope: “I wish I could be brave.”
Ditto, hiding under a bucket, still couldn’t stop. “…I could be brave…”
A second Farmer appeared, then a third, and a fourth—all identical, all whispering about being brave in nervous, synchronized voices. Martha stopped, baffled, facing a quartet of identical men in overalls, all looking equally terrified. The four Farmers stammered, “Martha, I—” in unnerving, four-part unison.
The visual absurdity reached its zenith when the Three Blind Mice, confused by the four identical Farmers, accidentally bumped into Ditto. Startled, the mice echoed Ditto’s recent “Triple Barrel Spit” lesson. The mice duplicated, forming a massive Duplicate Dance Troupe of six blind mice, who immediately started performing the complicated, synchronized, and highly gross spit routine right at Martha’s feet.
Sir Whiskerton, who had been dealing with two separate, duplicated Nazari the Whisperer genies arguing over whose version of the “Heirloom of Deceit” was canonically accurate, knew the time for deduction was over. It was time for a lesson.
He located Ditto, who was hiding in a barrel, still echoing in fear: “…monocle… monocle…” which was causing his optical device to flicker in and out of existence on the floor.
“Stop, Ditto!” Sir Whiskerton commanded, his voice cutting through the duplicity. “Look around! Does four Farmers make Martha four times happier? No! They just confuse her! Do a thousand inedible quiches make one good one? No! They just make the mess a thousand times worse!”
Ditto looked at the horrifying pile of inedible quiches, the wish-granting chaos, and the terrified Martha.
“You have been listening to everything,” Sir Whiskerton continued, gently nudging a new monocle with his nose. “But you must learn selective echoing. Not everything deserves to be heard, and certainly not everything deserves to be duplicated. The trick is to echo only the truth.”
Ditto took a deep breath. He focused on the single, gentle, truthful sound of the migrating geese overhead, a natural sound of the season, and whispered the simple, undeniable fact: “…The farm is one…”
Fwoosh! The duplicated chaos—the Farmers, the Zephyrs, the six mice, the quiches, and the second Lady Quacka—vanished in a gentle puff of air, leaving behind only the originals, blinking in the crisp Fall air.
Ditto had learned a crucial lesson: More isn’t always better—sometimes one of the right thing is worth a thousand copies.
Later, as the farm returned to its singular, blissful chaos, Jazzpurr, the soulful poet, perched on the silo, delivered the day’s lesson with a mournful pluck of his invisible string:
“Echoes doubling, world gone mad
Two of everything, good and bad
One true voice in all the noise
That’s the sound that brings us joys.”
The End.
Moral:
More isn’t always better—sometimes one of the right thing is worth a thousand copies. Learning to listen to the right thing is more important than hearing everything.
Best Lines:
- “The two birds immediately locked eyes and shrieked in unison, their identical voices doubling the noise.”
- “The Farmer’s world stopped. He became a hay bale statue of pure, silent joy.”
- “He managed only a single, tiny, highly dignified droplet, which he immediately labeled ‘The Controlled Drizzle of Moderate Disapproval.'”
- “The mice duplicated, forming a massive Duplicate Dance Troupe of six blind mice, who immediately started performing the complicated, synchronized, and highly gross spit routine.”
- “Sir Whiskerton sighed, rubbing his temples. ‘Perhaps… very selective echoing. The trick is to echo only the truth.'”
Post-Credit Scene:
Chef Remy tries to recreate the magic, whispering, “This quiche is the most delicious thing I’ve ever made!” Ditto, having learned his lesson, deliberately clears his throat and only echoes the word “delicious.” A single, perfect, actually delicious quiche materializes, stunning Remy into silence. He immediately starts researching the philosophical implications of selective goodness.
Key Jokes:
- Ditto’s echo becoming literal, duplicating anything he repeats.
- The Duplicate Lady Quacka immediately arguing with the original over the concert spot.
- Chef Remy duplicating his worst recipe—the “Pickle-Peanut Butter Quiche”—because he keeps criticizing it.
- The Multiple Zephyrs granting conflicting, chaotic wishes (beanbag chairs, jazz bands).
- The Duplicate Farmers confusing Martha by all whispering about being brave in unnerving unison.
- The Three Blind Mice duplicating into a Duplicate Dance Troupe performing a synchronized spit take.
Starring:
Sir Whiskerton as The Chief Deductive Officer of Temporal and Physical Duplication
Ditto the Echoing Kitten as The Literal Sound Engineer of Chaos
Zephyr the Genie as The Victim of His Own Uncontrolled Multiplicity
Chef Remy as The Entrepreneur of Inedible Goodness
The Farmer and Martha as The Victims of Multiplexed Romance
P.S.
If you have a voice that can duplicate reality, use it to say something kind. If you can’t, maybe just keep it to yourself.
If Moore’s Law isn’t surprising, what tech advancements today would truly shock a veteran software developer?
What tech advancements today would truly shock a veteran software developer?
Funny enough, the longer I write code, the more I’m amazed by the old systems, how they were able to run efficiently on so few resources.
This is Windows 95, a full-fledged OS, made 30 years ago:
Its files are about 50 MB in total on a disk, and it was running on 4–8 MB of RAM. And it’s an OS with drivers, utilities, multimedia, CPU, threads, and process management, etc. All fits in 50 MB and runs in 8 MB!
Now, according to Chrome, the webpage I’m typing this text, requires 1.2 GB of RAM. This is more than on a Silicon Graphics workstation, on which Pixar artists made films like Toy Story in 1995:
And nowadays, 50 MB of libraries may be required only to create a “Hello World” app in Python after activating venv.
So, yes, I’m shocked by modern software but not in a positive way 🙂 And I am sure, every computer engineer from the 80s, who had a full-fledged multiuser Unix environment on a PDP machine with 2 MB of RAM and 20 MB HDD, will be shocked by how we waste the computing resources today.
On these computers, C++ language was created, this PDP machine had about 2MB of RAM
And I would not even tell these engineers about Bitcoin calculations and consuming megawatts of power for nothing:)
Why doesn’t the United States do world fairs anymore?
*The Fairs were big.
(Crystal Palace)-London, 1851 – Paris got its tower from one, 1889.
St. Louis. They showed off electricity. And ice cream cones.
It was the future, served on a platter.
A national boast – a good culture.
A bit off question though.
The US does take part.
It doesn’t host the big ones though – (World Expos).
The money is the problem.
A simple mean thing, always, the cost is insane.
Cities go broke building palaces that rot-Places like New Orleans financial sinkhole in the early 80s, hard time. The only fair to declare bankruptcy during its run. It was the last one on U.S. soil-Nobody forgot.
We don’t need these events anymore-The internet killed them. Ate them.
Why travel the world to see a new phone?
You see it in your hand.
The magic is gone.
The US left the main group, the (BIE). This happened for years over dues. It did comeback, but the national will is dead, no one really cares – too much money for an old show.
5K views
Moon Eyes
Written in response to: “People have gathered to witness a once-in-a-lifetime natural phenomenon, but what happens next is not what they expected.“
Patrick Druid
Moon Eyes
Mark gathered his equipment excitedly into.his leather bag, while his partner, Andrea, grabbed the laptops, the telescope and other equipment and loaded the van.
Both Mark and Andrea were grad students who had apparently stumbled upon something significant during their tracking duties at the observatory. Unfortunately, when they reported the data to their supervisor, their conclusions were dismissed and they were reassigned to another project. Mark was ready to let it go, but Andrea was far more headstrong and enlisted his help
The TV was still on and and the news anchor was still talking with picture of the sun in the background and a countdown was showing below it.
“We are now 7 hours away from this once in a lifetime, remarkable, celestial event and people are already gathering outside to watch with the special glasses. Some have been having parties for this event. Joining me from the Sears tower, is our correspondent, Amy Kieffer. Amy, how is it going over there?’
The blonde girl flashed a wide grin for the camera and waved her hand behind her. “We are doing great over here, Tom, Thanx! As you can see behind me, there is live rave music, there is dancing here on the roof and below is the dancing continues in the streets! All of this is in anticipation of what’s being called the ‘Moon Eyes’ event happening tonight in the sky!”.
The news anchor came back and brought in an astronomer from Berkeley to explain to the public what was happening. The professor explained that the eclipse would happen in approximately 7 hours or less and during the event, we would also see not just one but two comets that were passing close to the Earth and that the trajectories of the comets would make it appear as if they were coming from opposite directions from each other. It was predicted that at the height of the event,.the moon would look like it has eyes.
Mark finally turned off the TV and then headed to the van with Andrea who was waiting for him.
They backed out of the driveway and headed down the road. Andrea nervously watched the screen of her laptop while trying to ignore the motion of the van and tree line whizzing by her.
Mark tried to make conversation with her while driving down the dirt road to meet with other stargazers
“What’s the latest?”
“So far, no change in trajectories” she replied staring intently on the screen.
“Hmmmm… Okay… maybe….”, Mark trailed off.
“Yeah we can hope, ” she countered. “But, I know what I saw when I read those charts. You saw them.”
Mark sighed…”yeah I saw them and I agree. There’s just no way this is natural, not even by a long shot.”. He shook his head and switched on the radio.
The two of them continued in silence while the radio continued to blare out the latest regarding the “Moon Eyes” phenomenon.
“We now go to our correspondent Phil on the street reporting on the activity there. Phil, how’s it going?’
‘Thank you Tom. We’re here with a group of people who have a different take on Moon Eyes. This group here calls.themselves The Astrologers Consortium and they have a lot to say about it. I’m speaking with Lisa Nielson from the group right now. Lisa, what can you tell us?.”
Lisa spoke up with a crackling voice. “Well, as you know, an eclipse usually signifies a time of great change for everyone. When it happens, many things are revealed.that were previously hidden. Depending upon the sign you were born in, it could mean that your business life would change, your health could change or your relationships could change.
Now the “eyes” is give this a more intense meaning. It’s more like a warning, or an alert, gives us a since.of urgency to our actions.”
“So”, Phil responded. “Whatever changes are coming,.the eyes are saying that it’s time to change right now and we’d better be ready?”
“Yes, that’s exactly right. The stars and the planets all speak to us and the Moon Eyes, is clearly a sign that we need to be paying more attention”
“Very good, Ms. Nielson. Thank you for speaking with us today”
“Thank you,” she replied.
Some hours later, Andrea spoke up. “Mark, the trajectories changed!”
“Uh oh”
A few minutes later, the news anchor reported again on the issue
“This just in! The two comets that were set to pass over the moon and form “Moon eyes” have changed their trajectories. We have called in our astronomy correspondent in Berkeley again for further information. Doctor, what can you tell us?”
The professor leaned into his webcam and coughed a bit.
“The comets’ trajectories changing is nothing that’s new. As an object in space gets closer to a planetary body, it gets caught by the gravity of that body and since the comets are coming in between the Earth and the moon, they are being pulled by both bodies.causing a slight change in the pathways they take.”
“So, you’re saying that this is completely natural and nothing to be too concerned about “
The professor coughed again..”Well, I am saying that the change is caused by gravity interaction rather than by some artificial design. I wouldn’t say that it’s not concerning in other ways.”
Andrea snorted in derision while the radio kept the interview going. “No, no no,.you dopes! Don’t you know? Didn’t you see the data?”. She groaned.
“Andrea, you know how it is. They say ‘dont cause a panic’
“Yeah but you can’t put your head in the sand or cover up something of this magnitude with a bag of kitty litter! You know that these two comets did not change trajectories through some gravimetric interaction. Not like that and certainly not over a period of 4 or 5 years. These “comets” had to be piloted or controlled in some way and that change proves it”
The truck came to a stop in a local park where many people were gathered for the event with telescopes and laptops.
Mark and Andrea gathered their gear and found a spot for themselves. They were greeted by the other skywatchers who were just as excited as those on the Sears tower.
Andrea held her tongue and continued her set up process, aligning the telescope to meet with the moon’s position.
It was only 30 minutes before the eclipse and the moon eyes would appear. Mark and Andrea and everyone else on the hill kept a close watch on the sky.
While this was happening, a news anchor reported that the two comets were changing trajectories again. As soon as Andrea heard this , she muttered “hah! I knew it!”. She was ready. Her laptop was set to record everything as it happened.
Soon, the moon came into full view as it passed directly in between the sun and the Earth. The stargazers on the hill all.held their collective breaths while the news anchor continued to provide commentary.
“The comets are approaching a point where they will be directly in front of the moon in ,just moments everyone! Standby as keep monitoring…. 5….. 4……”
The crowd made a sharp inhale…
“3 …… 2……. wait…what happened?
“I knew it!”
Just at the last moment, the two comments disappeared from the screen…
“Where did they go? What happened?”.
Suddenly there was a blinding flashlight of light in the sky and then the earth rocked and shook as the moon itself exploded sending debris everywhere and a cloud of dust that envelopes the entire planet.
There were no words spoken by the news anchor, the revelers on the Sears tower or Mark and Andrea. To their credit, Mark and Andrea were correct. Sadly, their fate was sealed as was the rest of humanity.
In terms of global warfare with no restrictions, how does the power of the USA compare to that of Russia?
The United States military has basically two major advantages over the Russians. One is an expeditionary force that can go anywhere, anytime within 24-48 hours notice.
Not an aircraft carrier it’s a capable of sending 1600+ marines on combat missions.
If they are already in the area then they can deploy within the hour. The second advantage is having military bases everywhere.
Slight outdated map with Afghanistan and Finland etc…that need to be updated. The United States can mass up soldiers in any of these Locations for conflicts immediately and they can enter the fight immediately. I left out the aircraft carriers because they could take up to a week to get somewhere.
Typically they are sent ahead of time to specific locations of potential threats.
These birds are sorta dependent on weather for its missions. The point is the Russians can’t do what the United States is capable of. It’s not even close…
A Tale of Two Realities
Written in response to: “People have gathered to witness a once-in-a-lifetime natural phenomenon, but what happens next is not what they expected.“
Scott Taylor
But the awe of the spectacle twisted into confusion, then horror, as the host witnessed his guests being swept away. They vanished into a vortex of luminescent specks, swirling like a swarm of lightning bugs caught in a devil’s waltz, leaving behind the echo of his country estate, once filled with life, now silent under the cosmic ballet.
Three minutes into the eclipse, the last of the guests vanished.
***
Months before the event, Clyde was tinkering with his satellite dish when he suddenly picked up an eerie, otherworldly signal from beyond Jupiter. Surprised and delighted, the signal stood out among the other bursts of interstellar radio signals with its intensity.
However, this particular one seemed to repeat in a never-ending cycle. Decoding the signal was a lengthy process that spanned several months. He tirelessly applied numerous algorithms, experimenting daily, until one fateful day, he let AI take a shot at it.
The signal revealed itself as a cautionary message and a beckoning call to those clever enough to unravel its meaning. Humanity found itself on the brink of a looming precipice. The Xylars, with their advanced technology, traveled through time to protect endangered species from extinction.
Rushing across the galaxy, their focus was on humankind, with their radar locked onto a world in trouble.
Once Clyde understood the language, he crafted a return message to the overlords using his ham radio equipment. He knew the types of individuals who truly embodied humanity. They were not the ones from DC or the vapid narcissists who lived in gated communities and dared to tell those who struggled to pay for food how to live their lives.
Like moths irresistibly drawn to a flame, the Xylars had perceived the destiny of this little blue rock from another galaxy. The bright flashes they witnessed were blindingly intense, far brighter than anything their sun could produce.
As the director of a league of writers, Clyde knew each of them by their words. He insisted that they come to his home in the country to witness a once-in-a-lifetime event, and he had a plan.
They came from the best of the group, unaware that this day would be their last day on planet Earth.
The morning of the event went about as you might expect. Clyde’s secret twisted his stomach into knots. If he told them what he was planning, would they come? Could they keep the secret, or would they spoil mankind’s last chance to survive the apocalyptic pursuits of the greedy, insane power brokers who thought of themselves as gods?
In a few brief hours, many, if not all, of his friends would vanish.
They arrived on cue, bringing food, drinks, and materials to craft their stories.
The promise of the Xylars was as straightforward as it was enticing.
After ensuring the planet’s safety, they promised to carefully transport the humans back to their world. They emphasized their commitment to preserving the gene pool by prohibiting individuals with a penchant for weapon creation from tainting it. Those who possessed the art of skillful communication and could craft documents that would guide future generations were in high demand.
As the moon gradually moved away from obstructing the sun, the devil comet, which was revealed to be a spaceship, vanished into the vivid indigo sky.
When the birds sang again, their melodies echoed through an empty estate.
Clyde conducted an inspection of his home and observed the automobiles owned by his guests sitting in the driveway. Upon entering the house, he discovered that his guests had left the food and drinks untouched. The computers and other writing tools were patiently waiting, their screens glowing softly in the dimly lit room.
He stood alone, the last person remaining. They entrusted him with the mission to seek out like-minded individuals worldwide, and the Xylars set off on their journey.
Much like Noah, the Xylars began taking aboard different species of creatures. At the same time, Clyde went on his task to proselytize the writers of the world.
The words formed an invitation that only the cleverest could decipher, all while the rotund local sheriff stole time away from the confectioners from the town square to investigate the missing person’s claim.
Explaining that they vanished during the eclipse didn’t satisfy the local police. Guilty until proven innocent was the new mantra of the DOJ, FBI, and other law enforcement folks.
Even the CIA became involved when they heard similar stories from different countries.
Clyde sat in the local jail, attempting to digest bologna and eggs. At the same time, even the criminals in the other cells thought he was guilty.
How could one man do away with so many in four minutes and twenty seconds with zero trace of blood on his hands? Could he have accomplished his task more subtly, perhaps with a pencil? The written word is much more lethal than the sharpest weapon, but is that how it happened?
Pictures of the event went viral as the most prominent mystery in this part of the country unfolded into one of the most prolific missing persons cases ever published.
They allowed Clyde a tablet and pencil to write the story as they dragged the lake for bodies. Much like Paul writing his letters in prison, Clyde felt as if a prophecy was unfolding.
They employed cadaver dogs to find bones from existing cold cases. They walked for miles, finding even more missing persons from crimes of passion from years past. Nothing explained the missing writers. It was almost as if they were never there.
Months went by with no proof that he did anything wrong. When the author’s family members also disappeared, a judge who understood the rule of law was innocent until proven guilty ordered them to release him.
Even the CIA agreed as they were tracking other missing persons who only had one thing in common, they were all authors.
Clyde returned to his home. He cautiously passed through the yellow and black striped tape, immediately hit by the pungent smell of moldy cheese and stale crackers.
Oddly enough, someone had consumed all the special eclipse donuts that arrived that fateful day, as well as the cupcakes and brownies the team had made for the special event. Much like the writers, the sweet treats were gone.
The missing persons story continued to make headlines, causing tensions between the nuclear powers. As more cases littered the tabloids, world leaders accused the other world leaders of having the secret weapon of all weapons.
Companies that make money off wars have created newer, faster, and more deadly weapons of mass destruction. Instructing the tabloids to continue the fear-mongering raised the stock prices of those companies.
The news of various events led people to believe that Jesus was coming back, causing them to flock to the newsstands and purchase newspapers like never before.
Every country wanted to acquire the latest hypersonic super-duper weapon, just as it craved the newest smartphone.
In anticipation of the release of the latest and greatest Grandmother of All Bombs, they organized a fire sale with discounted prices on last year’s models. TV advertisements glorified the latest weapons, featuring women in provocative clothing to entice those seeking greater destructive power.
The newest weapons, sourced from different manufacturers, had been purchased by each country, showcasing their commitment to military advancement. They proudly bragged about their possessions’ size, superiority, and deadliness, each trying to outdo the others for respect. Their egos were on the line, and they knew it.
While their country’s citizens suffered from malnourishment, the Xylars observed the wasteful allocation of resources toward developing more efficient methods of warfare.
Almost unnoticed, writers, livestock, and endangered animals were taken captive during the buildup to the perfect doomsday scenario.
At the same time, deadly viruses created by mankind ravaged the very foundations of society. There was nothing kind about them, nor was it man’s shining moment on the hill. Evil was casting its shadow on the land, not unlike the shadow from the moon on Earth.
Tension peaked when the most immature world leader questioned the purpose of having such costly new weapons if they were only going to gather dust. Ignored by the other nuclear powers, his desperate need to affirm his god-like status overshadowed his grip on reality.
In an attempt to compensate for his lack of bedroom skills, he constantly sought opportunities to showcase his masculinity by brandishing larger weapons, revealing the raw reality to the world.
Like a dog marking its territory, a foolish dictator seeking attention invading his neighbors and killing tens of thousands set him front and center on the world stage.
Not to be outdone, more minor, more sinister actors killed hundreds in tortuous ways to call attention to their foolish grievances.
“Look at me!” they cried, voices drowned out by the thunderous roar of missiles launching from their bases.
Little did they know, the rockets launched unknowingly fueled the profits of weapons manufacturers, pushing global tensions dangerously closer to Armageddon.
Politicians bribed by those who make the weapons profited by taking sides, convincing the people to send billions of dollars in weapons to fend off the invaders who also spent billions to counter the influx of technology provided by the elite gods of DC. With politicians as the middlemen, it was no wonder they would never write a law limiting their time in office.
Citizens of each country became free-range humans on government tax farms.
Since they were oblivious to their history, they foolishly raised flags for those countries or causes they believed in.
Propaganda heralded by the bought and paid-for media spread lies written by those with the gold. Almost always, emotional triggers kept people distracted as the magicians pulled evil rabbits from their hats.
Actors with zero honor were rewarded handsomely for knowingly preaching falshoods to keep the people distracted. Herding the masses through lies became a worldwide phenomenon.
Those who felt the worst pain were told the reason for their pain was caused by those who knew the history and were actively attempting to right the ship. The morally upright of the planet were suddenly the enemy and on the radar of the Xylars.
The battle between light and darkness juxtaposed the story of the Prince of Darkness and God.
The Xylars could feel the weight of time slipping away, leaving the humans at a disadvantage. Satan was winning.
When the devil comet returned near Earth from behind the sun, more people mysteriously vanished without a trace. Prompt acknowledgment awaited whoever engaged with the Xylars’ emissary in response to his thought-provoking short story.
Unlike any other piece of writing, the short story enthralled its readers as they uncovered its prophetic meaning.
The guests of the Xylars willingly set off on a celestial voyage, exploring the wonders of the universe and venturing into the unknown.
Meanwhile, the rest carelessly conspired their demise, falling prey to the tabloids’ deceit and surrendering their time to the social media puppeteers. Their actions were fueled by a dangerous combination of hate and ignorance.
As a subtle indication of the Xylars’ involvement, they left a fragrant flower behind, replacing the tagging device. No matter how hard they tried, neither the FBI nor Scotland Yard could unravel why a solitary petunia had replaced a human.
The Xylars came from a place rich with fragrant vegetation. They visited humanity in the sixties after witnessing the bright flashes from WWII, setting off a wave of hippies and flower power; they hoped that was enough. It wasn’t.
Today’s visit was to rescue the few who could embrace love, not war.
Clyde was aware. He also knew the Xylars’ guest would have their own story based on lived experiences instead of retelling someone else’s story.
As the last day the Earth would be habitable approached, Clyde brewed his coffee. He stepped outside to savor the melodic symphony of birdsong accompanying the sun’s ascent from the murky depths of the horizon. Clyde marveled at the vibrant green grass, towering trees, and a gentle breeze rustling through the leaves. He knew this memory would need to last him as those global elite with their fingers on the big red buttons were entering a pissing contest that would have zero winners.
While the weapon manufacturers counted their profits, they would perish in blinding white flashes, vaporized by the very weapons that they sold to foolish children while adding zeros to their net worth.
Clyde’s previous communication through his ham radio would be the final signal to leave the Earth, which was meant for peace.
He knew petunias decorated the world’s landscape in the exact places where writers had once been. The Xylars left them as a message to the humans, and nobody but Clyde figured it out.
He was delighted to see a new cluster of petunias right before him.
The boiling point was reached when a moronic dictator bragged to his people that the lone survivors would be the first to push the button. Then, much like Jim Jones, he drank the purple Kool-Aid by pushing his red button.
In a final act of disdain towards humanity, the other nations retaliated, bringing an abrupt conclusion to the foolish race. Just minutes remained until the first of many super duper highly radioactive mega-powerful detonations, reminiscent of the Heaven’s Gate cult, would trigger a catastrophic event, rendering Venus more habitable than the Earth.
As missiles from all over the globe launched in perfect synchronicity, Clyde heard that familiar humming sound as the colors of his home world faded.
Images of his fellow writers and those from around the globe came into focus as a small sun from beneath them took its place in the heavens.
While sad that mankind was so stupid, he was glad to see faces he recognized.
“Man, do we have a story to tell you!” They said.
Clyde had his own story to relate to the writers who had already seen parts of the solar system mankind had only dreamt about. His tale was the mother of all stories.
The conclusion of humanity seemed insignificant compared to the preceding chapter, where an immense amount of foolishness erased centuries of progress and the lives of billions who had overcome many challenges.
A society led by egotistical fools would inevitably experience a rapid and devastating collapse. History, which mankind had erased, contained examples meant as lessons for those that followed.
The Romans lived it, their legacy fading amidst rewritten or ignored historical records. If technology hadn’t made history so interchangeable, humans could have increased their chances by immersing themselves in the library, where the books penned by historians lay untouched like ancient relics.
The end of the world was not caused by climate change, the use of fossil fuels, or even flatulent cows but by the hubris of the intellectually deficient, focused on power and greed.
Mental illness in the form of extreme narcissism would be the final straw that killed the camel.
Touring the galaxies allowed the writers to witness much in what seemed like years while the Earth transformed into a new planet.
The matrix of time and space was part of the writers’ toolbox as they clearly understood that time was relative and not linear.
The beings they encountered came from various races, but what struck them the most was the shared absence of power and greed.
With this opportunity, the remaining intellectual giants from humanity could begin a fresh, uncharted chapter.
While exploring the galaxies, billions of years passed on Earth.
Approaching the pale blue dot from the solar system’s edge, those who left it years before didn’t recognize any land mass.
Clyde searched for the right words as the blue dot grew more prominent in the viewscreen.
While opposed to rephrasing the work of those who came before him, Clyde sat down with his pencil and paper. To summarize, the first chapter went something like this.
Chapter One sets the tone for the entire book, portraying a time of intense contrasts, where moments of pure happiness are intertwined with moments of profound sadness. The narrative plays out in two worlds, blurring the line between fact and fiction. It is a time of extremes, where the highest highs collide with the lowest lows.
What usually happens when a recruit with serious martial arts skills challenges an officer or drill sergeant in the military?
They get a dishonorable discharge and possible prison time if they actually do it. You know, there are actually anecdotes from officers and enlisted guys fighting. It’s usually in a Tier 1 unit. Tim Kennedy was special forces and from what I understand,his platoon took turns fighting him, including the Captain. Apparently Tim is a huge shit talker and i heard they whipped his ass.
This was a story told by John McPhee, who was a Sgt Major in the Green Berets and Delta force. Also known as “ The Sheriff of Baghdad”
There was also another story where a few Rangers broke their hands fighting out of boredom while waiting to go into Mogadishu Somalia .They ended up going into battle wearing various casts. That’s actually true and cast into the movie ‘Blackhawk Down’. One of the guys that broke his hand is a police officer now in Florida somewhere, or was.
Serious martial arts don’t guarantee you a win and you might pick the wrong guy. A DI is going to most likely stomp the recruit into the ground. I think it’s highly dependent on what martial art you know and how proficient you are with it.
How do you know the guy you choose isn’t seriously better at martial arts than you? 🤣 This isn’t the civilian world you’re going to start shit in. This is a world where it’s pretty common people have advanced fighting skills under their belt. Get the badassery out of your system before you enter the military. You might meet your match.
These guys don’t look like they can just throw hands. It looks like they could kick some ass.
“Get Some”
Have you ever accidentally found out that you were about to be fired?
I was told my new boss had all the skills to manage the team, but no experience doing my position. He hired an outside consultant to do some reporting for us – something I normally did. I was overstretched and I should have been on top of the reports. He positioned he consultants as a way of helping me out and we would both learn from them. In a team meeting, he asked my thoughts on something the consultants were developing and I explained I hadn’t seen anything on that topic. He instructed the consulting team to share the folder with me.
There were multiple files within the folder, including an overview Powerpoint my boss had put together introducing the team to the consultants. Next to two of the positions were the words, “Replace. One person had already been reassigned and the other position was mine! Normally, I would have moved on but my goal was to retire after 2 years there. I had seven months to go. It was hell not knowing when this would happen.
Meanwhile, I endured 1 on 1 meetings with him sabotaging my position by not approving the usual successful programs. Meanwhile, his consultant team produced inaccurate reports. Neither him or they were listening to the database issues we had (which I was actively cleaning.)
I lasted eight months from seeing that Powerpoint presentation, before he let me go. I made it one month past my retirement goal and I got unemployment! They brought on another consultant and asked me to stay on two more weeks to hand things off and train them. Of course zi agreed to, I loved the company. Meanwhile, the other consultants and him were getting ready to present their inaccurate reports.
I met with a coworker whose team would be impacted by the bad data. I showed him the issues with the reports, provided him key questions to ask to disprove the data presented. Two months later, my boss was let go as well. He poisoned my well, I poisoned his. Now, I am enjoying my retirement.
Standing Swords Among Many Viking Treasures Found in Sweden
Archaeological excavations along the E18 motorway in Västmanland, Sweden, have revealed extraordinary Viking Age treasures and burial sites that are rewriting our understanding of Iron Age and Viking society in central Sweden. Between 2021 and 2022, Arkeologerna (The Swedish National Historical Museums’ archaeological division) investigated nine locations, uncovering everything from cremation platforms visible across the landscape to rare warrior burials marked by standing swords thrust into the earth.
“The sites are exciting, but the overall picture is most interesting,” explains Fredrik Larsson, archaeologist and project leader at Arkeologerna. “We have a long cross-section through several districts simultaneously, which gives us the opportunity to understand how society and the landscape changed over generations.” The findings, now detailed in a new book titled Människor, möten och minnen – arkeologi längs E18 i Västmanland (People, meetings and memories – archaeology along E18 in Västmanland), exceeded all expectations.
Ongoing excavations at the site. (Arkeologerna)
Cremation Platforms That Commanded the Horizon
Among the most spectacular discoveries was a Viking Age cremation site at Rallsta near Hallstahammar. Here, ancient communities reshaped a small mountain to create two massive pyre platforms where the dead were cremated during the Viking Age. “This was a place designed to be seen from far away,” Larsson emphasizes. The monumental nature of the site suggests the cremations were public spectacles, possibly reserved for chieftains or other elite members of society whose passing needed to be witnessed across the landscape.
The discovery aligns with what archaeologists know about Viking funeral practices, which often involved elaborate ceremonies designed to honor the deceased and mark their passage to the afterlife. The location’s prominent position suggests these weren’t merely functional cremation sites but ceremonial monuments that reinforced social hierarchies and community identity.
Among the cremation remains, archaeologists discovered beautiful glass bead necklaces, gold sheet metal with waffle patterns that once adorned garnet inlays, and game pieces crafted from whale bone and fired clay – objects that speak to both the wealth and leisure activities of Viking Age Västmanland.
Beautiful bead necklace and gold sheet recovered at the site. (Arkeologerna)
Warriors Marked by Standing Swords
Moving westward to Viby/Norrtuna in Munktorp parish, excavators encountered something even rarer: Viking Age stone settings built into an older Vendel Period burial mound, creating a composite monument. Within these graves lay two swords, thrust vertically into the ground with such force that the blades had snapped. “There are only a handful of such sites in Sweden, so it’s very unusual,” notes Larsson.
Two standing swords found in graves at the extensive E18 motorway excavation site in Västmanland, Sweden. (Arkeologerna)
One grave contained both a man and a woman, though their relationship remains unclear. Were they both members of a specialized armed group? Did one die in service to the other, perhaps as a sacrifice accompanying the burial?
“It’s probably a specific armed group in society buried here,” Larsson suggests. “It could also be about kinship, that it’s part of a dynasty we’re seeing.”
The practice of placing swords upright in graves represents a powerful symbolic gesture. Unlike the more common Viking Age practice of ritually breaking or bending weapons before burial, these standing blades may have served as grave markers, visible reminders of the warrior status of those interred beneath.
Horses, Bells, and the Viking Elite
At Sylta, outside Köping, archaeologists excavated a Viking Age cemetery spanning from the 800s to around 1200 AD – some of the latest cremation burials discovered in Sweden. Nearly 30 graves from the 1000s contained horses cremated alongside their owners, complete with spectacular equestrian equipment.
“They are found in both men’s and women’s graves and are very rich and well-preserved,” Larsson explains. “You can wonder if the horse equipment functioned as a kind of local costume, because even the horses had their trappings.” The finds include decorative hanging fittings in various shapes and numerous bells, ensuring that horses and riders would be both seen and heard – a display of wealth and status that continued even in death.
Some of the equestrian equipment found in the burials of horses and owners. (Arkeologerna)
The presence of horse burials in both male and female graves challenges simplistic interpretations of Viking Age gender roles. These elaborate equestrian burials suggest that horsemanship and the wealth to maintain such animals were markers of elite status regardless of gender.
Viking-Inspired Wooden Jewelry Box from the Ancient Origins Store.
A Window Into Generations of Change
The E18 project’s true significance lies in its breadth. By cutting across multiple districts simultaneously, it provides archaeologists with what amounts to a time-lapse view of societal transformation. The sites document the shift from pagan cremation practices to Christian inhumation burials, the evolution of settlement patterns, and the daily life of communities engaged in farming, bread-making, and iron production.
One particularly evocative site included a farm adjacent to Västmanland’s largest rock carving in Häljesta, connecting domestic life directly to ancient ritual landscapes. Together, these discoveries paint a picture of Viking Age Västmanland as a dynamic region where tradition and innovation, ritual and daily life, intersected in complex ways.
The findings are now accessible to the public through a downloadable book funded by Trafikverket (the Swedish Transport Administration), with physical copies available at Västmanlands läns museum and Köpings stads museer och utställningshall.
Top image: Horse equipment bit discovered in Viking Age grave at Sylta. Source: Arkeologerna
By Gary Manners
Why does China still continue to build those “ghost cities” despite clear failure?
China has a lot of money. They had a lot of money 10–15 years ago as well.
However 10–15 years ago, they did not have the impetus to.invest in high tech manufacture and the technological gap was much larger with the US and the West
So China had money and a huge liquidity surge, so they had to mobilize the liquidity and make it work and prevent stagnation. Infrastructure was the way.
They built and built and built and built. They developed their own grading materials, paving materials, 0.7 Steel etc and built cities for millions purely to spend their excess Liquidity , create jobs and transfer the liquidity to the workers, manufacturers who would in turn become consumers and stimulate the economy.
The Supercities were thus born. Cities – 46 of them built exclusively for economic stimulation.
They were built for millions but in reality they were built for nothing more than stimulus
Its like you have 3 men, pay 3 men to move a cement bag. The first man from A to B , the second man from B to C and the third man from C to A. Ultimately the bags go back to point A and 3 men get paid and money flows through them.
Today the Supercities are history and western propaganda
The original supercities were last finished in 2012.
Today the excess money is poured into Research and High end technology and WSPs (Wealth funds) so the money is flowing beautifully and stimulus is excellent so the Infrastructure Machine created has been exported for use in “Influence” spreading and economic motility in other nations.
The Ghost Cities were the sole reason why China did not become like Japan.
Today they are mainly used for classified projects and high tech hacking related work
Others have been abandoned for now but will be useful for any future migrations of new talents
It was a Genius Plan