Not me but a friend. He and his wife were in the market for a farm tractor. They went to a store that sold a well known, national brand. Outside was the perfect tractor for their needs on display. It had a bucket loader attachment which normally is priced separately. The wife noticed the bucket attachment was noted as included in the tractor price. Neither said a word. They decided to buy the tractor which was about 75K and said they wanted the bucket attachment too. The salesman said sure. That will be an additional 20K. The wife excused herself, went outside and pulled the tag off the display. The salesman tried to explain it’s a separate price so sorry about your luck. The wife is a lawyer. They got a free bucket loader attachment.

They developed an AI assistant using their V3 model, which quickly become the top-rated free app on the iOS App Store in the U.S., even surpassing ChatGPT. What’s really grabbing attention is that their model performs on par with other leading chatbots but was trained using significantly fewer resources, about 2,000 Nvidia H800 chips over 55 days, costing around $5.58 million.

This is the formula used by Deepseek to disrupt the current AI market. It is an adaptation of Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO), but it integrates a KL divergence regularization term, which helps reduce the computational cost.

Translation in English:-

You’re training a dog to fetch a ball, but you don’t want to waste too many treats, and you also don’t want the dog to completely change its style every time it learns something new.

How DeepSeek’s AI Training Works:-

1. Start with a Trained Dog (AI Model): DeepSeek already has a basic AI model, like a dog that knows how to fetch but isn’t perfect. Instead of retraining it from scratch (which takes a lot of food, or in AI terms, a lot of computing power), they tweak it just a little to make it better.

2. Two Fetch Attempts, Pick the Better One (Ranking System): Instead of asking “How good was that fetch on a scale of 1 to 10?” (which is how OpenAI does it), DeepSeek just compares two fetch attempts and picks the better one. This saves time and computing resources because ranking is easier than scoring everything.

3. Limit the Learning So It Doesn’t Go Crazy (Controlled Updates): If you give the dog too many treats for every little improvement, it might start doing backflips instead of fetching. DeepSeek limits how much the AI can change at a time so it stays stable and doesn’t become unpredictable.

4. Keep It Close to an Old Reference Model (Not Too Wild): The AI isn’t allowed to stray too far from its previous knowledge, kind of like keeping the dog on a leash so it doesn’t run off. This prevents the AI from making weird, drastic changes, keeping it efficient.

—

Why This Saves Computing Power:

No need to score every answer – just compare two and pick the better one.

No need to retrain from scratch – just small updates.

No crazy jumps in learning – it’s controlled and smooth.

.

This explains why they managed to get ChatGPT-level results with only 2,000 Nvidia H800 GPUs while OpenAI needed tens of thousands.

.

This efficiency led to a massive sell-off in U.S. tech stocks, wiping out nearly $1 trillion in value. Nvidia, for instance, saw its market cap drop by about $593 billion in a single day. Other tech giants like Microsoft, Alphabet (Google’s parent company), and Broadcom also took significant hits.

So probably, Deepseek was DDOSed hard previous day, Obviously Investors who lost their money must’ve paid some network of hackers to do it to vent off their steam. 😂

Now, the public is starting to question whether the hype around large language models (LLMs) is justified. DeepSeek’s success suggests that you don’t necessarily need massive investments to achieve impressive AI capabilities. This could mean that the perceived barriers to entry in the AI field are lower than previously thought, potentially leading to a more competitive market.

Historically, new innovations could enjoy monopoly pricing for a few years typically 5 to 10 years before competitors catch up and drive prices down. In the tech industry, this period is even shorter due to rapid advancements and the emergence of generic or more efficient versions that level the playing field. Just look at DeepSeek’s approach.

Looking ahead, areas like Quantum Computing are currently underfunded, but it’s only a matter of time before some startup disrupts the field with new algorithms or applications. When that happens, everyone will be scrambling to catch up. However, it’s the pioneers who enjoy the monopoly pricing and set the standards, while the followers who are simply creating wrappers on existing technologies like GPT models will always keep running with the hype.

So, DeepSeek’s emergence is a wake-up call, highlighting that innovation can come from unexpected places and that the tech landscape can shift rapidly. It’s also a reminder that staying ahead requires investment, agility and a willingness to rethink established approaches.

Hope to see Quantum Computing applications soon.

Let’s see who will become pioneer in the field of Quantum supremacy.

Peace Out. ✌️

What other jobs have we got?

Becoming a doctor is expensive as hell , unless you manage to crack an excellent rank

Becoming a Military officer is not everyones cup of tea

Migrating to the US or Europe also needs a combination of money and academic weight, which are again not everyone’s cup of tea

Becoming a CA is also not everyone’s cup of tea

Becoming a PHD after a Masters Degree is not everyones cup of tea because Research isn’t valued too much in India

What other job can you get where you feel settled and comfortable?

Either IT Services Or Government Or Banking

Lets take IT Services

First the job has no security

Next , barring maybe 10%,the rest are essentially Coolies, typing code and talking to “Clients” with a lot of “Sir Sir” or “Jack and Mack”

It is a mundane job with no fixed working hours

You are always tense about a pink slip when there is recession in the US

You talk of Package, Package, Package and still shiver like a Dengue fever patient whenever the word “Layoff” is mentioned

You are regarded as a drone by the rest of the world

Next let’s take Banking

It is also a mundane job but HAS FIXED WORKING HOURS

It is a mundane job but has job security, salary, pension, benefits

Next take Government of India

Again a Mundane Job

However Job Security, Good Salary, Pension, Benefits

Plus the chance to associate with powerful people and a chance to make a lot of money “in a different way”

So you obviously value the Government Job the most!!!

Simple process of elimination

ASML has confirmed, that none of their expensive EUV lithography machines have been sold to China. How else is China getting the technology it needs to produce chips?

China is not a technology desert. It has the largest single talent pool in the world. It graduates about 1/2 the global total, several multiples over the US. It has been estimated that over 1/2 these graduates stay in technology pursuits. DeepSeek shows what this means. The players are mostly young graduates from Chinese universities.

China has been making chips for many years. It is market leader on both the supply and demand side in the legacy segment and is strongly building up on the high-end side. Huawei’s AI chips is pushing towards Nvidia’s chips.

China’s chip industry is across the supply chain, from machines, equipment, production, packaging, through the chain to R&D.

There are tens of companies making machines and equipment, and scores of innovations and new inventions are announced regularly, including breaking new grounds outside the scope of western heritage. Neither ASML nor all-America has the monopoly of knowledge.

American VS Chinese: Cultures Clash on RedNote! (MUST SEE)

Why didn’t Kamala Harris obtain her work history from Social Security to prove she did in fact work at McDonalds?

Let me see proof of employment where you worked 40 years ago.

I worked at Sears and 711. They only archive records for five years.

I have a pension now with my former employer. 27 years there. They gave me notice when I was retiring that they destroyed the work records after 30 days. The organization handling my pension didnt need it.

Social Security has my pay amounts but not who the employer was.

They don’t know and they don’t care. The only exception was my three years military. They calculate those earnings differently.

Why do you even care?

Is it important?

She was born same as everyone else. Grew up. Went to school. No doubt worked somewhere.

Who cares?

Look at our current president. Rich daddy. Silver spoon. Large inheritance.

Somehow you’re ok withball that. He never worked anywhere except his family business. Never had a boss. Never filled out a job application. That’s not any kind of normal employment.

A bit pricy?

A customer asked me how much it would cost to do this job, and I told him it was $1500. He responded, “Isn’t that a bit pricey for this job?” So I asked him, “What do you think it should cost?” He said, “I think $800 at most… It’s a pretty simple job, right?”

I told him, “For $800, why don’t you try doing it yourself?” He replied, “But I don’t know how to do it.” I said, “For $800, I can teach you how. You’ll save $700 and learn something for next time.” He thought that sounded good and agreed.

But I reminded him, “To get started, you’ll need some tools: a welder, grinder, chop saw, drill press, welding hood, gloves, and more.” He replied, “I don’t have all that equipment, and I can’t buy it just for one job.” I offered, “For another $300, I can rent my tools to you so you can do it.”

He agreed, and I said, “Great! I’ll be waiting for you on Tuesday to start the work.” He said, “I can’t do Tuesday; I only have time today.” I explained, “I’m only available on Tuesday to teach you and lend you my tools. I’m busy with other customers on other days.”

He sighed, “Okay! So I guess I’ll have to give up my Tuesday and skip my tasks.” I reminded him, “Don’t forget, when you do the job yourself, you also have to pay for the nonproductive factors.” He asked, “What’s that?” I explained, “Bureaucratic stuff, taxes, VAT, security, insurance, fuel, and so on.”

He reacted, “Oh no! That means I’ll spend more money and waste a lot of time!” I asked, “Do you have time to do it before?” He said, “Sure!”

I told him, “I’ll prepare all the materials you need. We can load the truck Monday evening or Tuesday morning, but you’ll need to come by at 6. Don’t be late to avoid traffic!” He complained, “6? That’s too early for me! I’m used to waking up later.”

Then he thought for a moment and said, “You know what? I’d rather just pay you the $1500. If I tried to do it myself, it wouldn’t turn out right and would end up costing me more.” I explained, “When you pay for a job, especially a handcrafted one, you’re covering not just the materials but also:

• – Knowledge
• – Experience
• – Study
• – Tools
• – Services
• – Time
• – Punctuality
• – Accountability
• – Professionalism
• – Accuracy
• – Guarantees
• – Patents
• – Sacrifices
• – Safety and security
• – Taxes

Critiquing others’ work based on pricing isn’t fair.

My fees for a similar task would be much higher, but the point is more about the principle than the exact amount. Only when you understand all the elements involved in producing a job can you really estimate the actual cost.”

Why has Trump started a trade war?

I’ll try to put this a bit more plainly than is my quirky custom. Trump and his partners realize that the era of U.S.-dominated globalization is rapidly coming to an end, under near-crisis conditions. Without adequate regulation and keen future-focused investment stateside — which would mean curbed immediate profit potential and reduced competitiveness for the people who matter, so who gives the first sh*t about that? — free trade can no longer support the extant domestic standard of living.

It is a state of affairs which, in all honesty, both American political parties have largely tried to ignore for at least a couple decades now.

The Trumpists are instead embracing it. This reads as “authentic” to their supporters. They are grasping at something like a protectionist command economy plastered with red, white, and blue and carrying an upside-down Bible.

The thing is that they intend to be the commanders, with maximum possible financial benefit and security to themselves and their allies and f*ckall to everyone else, including the millions of distraught, dissociated cheeseheads who voted them in. There may be a low-paying, benefit-free job for you in a Musk plant someday. If you’re lucky.

In order to do this, they must first dismantle the federal government. The parts and pieces will be sold off to loyalists in the private sector. This has already begun. The resulting turmoil is likely to create emergency socioeconomic conditions which Trump could, in the present situation, easily and swiftly leverage to end any semblance of democratic government which might otherwise disrupt his plans. Once violence breaks out, Phase II would begin: an authoritarian, state-capitalist regime.

Some sort of transformation is inevitable. The outright looting while the building burns down is not, but, again, seventy-something million people voted for this particular vision of “America First.”

If carried through, it will look an awful lot like Russia in the 1990s. That is pretty much the playbook.

Have you ever been ignored by the staff in a store because you didn’t look wealthy enough?

I’m embarrassed to say I almost did this to someone else…and I knew better. At least I thought I did.

I used to work for high end game room furniture company. We sold expensive pool tables, bar stools, poker tables, juke boxes, shuffle boards…everything for your home game room. One particular weekend we had a huge booth at a convention hall for a big recreation expo. There were boats, swimming pool companies, golf equipment and other similar vendors. This thing had been heavily advertised on t.v. and radio and a big turnout was expected. Our booth happened to be right by the main entrance, and the first day people were stacked up waiting for the doors to open.

As soon as they opened the doors, people came flooding in. We had decided to do a rotation system to help people, and I was first up. The first ones into our booth were a young couple, early 20’s, and not our typical clientele. It had nothing to do with how they dressed or anything like that, but I thought it would be a waste of time because most young couples don’t have a home big enough for a pool table or money to spend on one. I was nice to them and answered their questions and was engaging, but I had already decided they weren’t there to buy a pool table…they were just “window shopping”. So when they told me “we’ll take this one”, I was not only shocked, but disappointed in myself that I had judged this couple.

My ex-wife worked at a bank, and a new employee once asked her “how do you know who to be nice to?” It’s hard to imagine anyone would think like that. I slipped that day, and was humbled, and I have never forgotten that. The couple never knew, but I did and will always remember it.

Sound and Fury, Signifying Nothing

Submitted into Contest #210 in response to: Make a mysterious message an important part of your story.… view prompt

The notes which make up the song of history are played on the instruments of prejudice and fear.  Lois knew this, had lived it as a brown-skinned woman in snow-white Idaho, but her situation had become impossible. She knew what no one else did, but to say it would give her secret away, so she stayed silent. She touched her Grand Mothers necklace, an intricate gold medallion with jade stones, and hoped for an answer.

The noise, along with the stink, a smell of rotting flesh combined with ammonia, flowed in with each new customer, reminding everyone of the presence of the most recent and significant visitor ever to their city, Idaho Falls.

The alien spaceship, arriving just a week ago had changed everything. Two miles north of town, this extraterrestrial immigrant, a huge ship with hundreds of small and large protrusions, like some complicated industrial boiler, had destroyed miles and miles of farmland along Snake River in its rough landing.

Blackened and charred from entry through the atmosphere, the ship was a physical sign post exclaiming, ‘we are not alone in the universe.’  That message was easy to read. The other, sonic message seemed unknowable. Obviously some type of communication, the loud tones broadcast from the ship repeated on a loop, filled with jarring, ‘che’, and ‘kik’ sounds. Translators analyzing the message were getting nowhere, while the dissonant, blaring sounds had everyone on edge.

But Lois knew the meaning, and couldn’t tell anyone or would never get what she desperately needed, acceptance as just a regular person.

The sole waitress of Joe’s Diner, Lois had to be everywhere at once.  Several customers called out, and Lois efficiently refilled a coffee cup, delivered two plated meals, and returned the exact change from three different checks.  Handing out napkins like candy to children, she did all she could to keep the place running.

Lois had taken to just switching between her two waitress uniforms each day, as she didn’t have time to get it washed.  The spots of coffee, pie and other spills were turning the dark green to a greasy black.   She had just taken the order from table 10 and added a strawberry jelly stain to her uniform when Joe appeared in front of her, his protruding greasy apron stopping her short.

“Lois- I need to speak with you.”  Joe held an opened envelope in his hand, an ominous sign of trouble, even if she didn’t know exactly what it meant.

She turned away, looking out into the Diner. She did not want to talk to Joe. Every table was full, with customers waving at her, and even more people waiting at the front.  She remembered before, when just the regulars came in, the old farmers in the back booth, or Ms. Betty and the church ladies, recruiting her to their Protestant faith.  Chaos ruled the Diner now, constant demand for breakfast, lunch, or just a place to sit inside, away from the noise and smell. The media, and the military officials have been the real invaders of the town, destroying the peace.

At first the government had assumed the alien ship landed in Idaho to target the Idaho National Laboratory, the huge nuclear testing site only 50 miles away. That fear had brought the military, with huge tanks and equipment to surround the spaceship and wait.  But other than the constant blaring message,  nothing had happened. Local residents, excited at first at the attention, lost all enthusiasm, many having left town entirely, renting out their homes to the visitors.

“Is it important Joe?  I mean-”  Lois gestured broadly to the Diner.

“Later is fine. But I’m going to need to talk today, I have to submit payroll and I don’t understand this letter.”  Joe waved it once more, then dropped his hands as he cleared his throat.  Lois grabbed her order book in both hands and waited, resigned to listen.  Joe called the staff ‘his family’ and tried to show it through his long monologues.

“I’m sorry I have to ask you to work again tomorrow Lois, but you know how it is. I couldn’t get anyone to answer the Help Wanted ad before this mess started, and now…”  Joe gave a sorrowful smile.

“The kids today just want to sit behind computers, not do real work. And now with everyone out at the alien site-”

“-I’ve been working 14 hour days Joe.” Standing still, Lois’ feet throbbed with a dull ache. “I haven’t had a day off since before this started.”

Joe’s sweaty palm reached out and rested on her shoulder, his grip holding her in her place.

“I hear you.  As soon as I can find somebody to hire, I’ll get you a break. Did I already ask if you know anyone-  family, or friends?  I blame the millennials.  No one wants to work anymore.” Joe shook his head.

Despite his protests, Lois knew Joe loved the attention, and the money coming in, even if the staff were stressed, and the supplies of food almost gone.  Lois pushed past Joe to submit her order, and pour more coffee.

A stern man in a dark brown uniform walked into the Diner, out of place amongst the customers in tee-shirts and jeans.  He stopped short, looking through the crowd until his eyes caught Lois’.  He smiled.

Lois’s hand slipped, coffee spilled in a woman’s lap.

“So sorry!”  She wiped the table with her waiter’s cloth, and then stood up, her hand raised high  to the man to follow her.  Lois pulled an industrial-sized box of paper cups off the last chair at the counter.

“I saved this for you, General Smith.”

Nodding, the man gingerly took the chair, then slowly his whole body slumped, elbows on the counter.

“I needed a chance to sit.”  He rubbed his eyes with both hands, and yawned.  “You know what I like,“ he said, “with the green sauce.”  He pulled out a phone and concentrated on typing.

Lois put in the order and then moved to other customers. Once ready, she collected General Smith’s order and placed it in front of him.

“Enchiladas verde con pollo.” She said with a smile. “I taught the cooks the recipe.”

He stopped typing,  and looked down, a grin forming on his face.

“This.” He looked up at Lois, his eyes bloodshot, “This is what we are trying to protect, America, our culture, our traditions.” He gestured to the room, his square jaw lifted up like the front of a tank.

“These- monsters- have come here to destroy it.”  His clenched fist slammed on the counter rattling the dishes. Customers turned toward them, eyes following the noise. Lois’s smile and gentle wave eased  them back to their plates.

Lois leaned in, “You should be quiet, not to scare people.”  She leaned sideways on the counter, blocking the rest of the Diner’s view of General Smith. Her necklace fell out of her uniform.

“What is that?” General Smith pointed at the medallion. “That’s strange, the ship has markings just like that-”

“Have they translated the message?” She hid the necklace back in her uniform, holding her breath, hoping.

“No.” General Smith shook his head.  “Now they are saying it is based on a human language, being repeated back. The translators think they are close, but they have been saying that for days, and nothing.” Lois breathed out. They could solve this without her!

“But what does it matter when, if they learn it says, ‘Surrender earthlings, or die?’ And today there was movement on the ship!  Several of the projecting arms are starting to turn, looking a lot like gun barrels preparing to fire.” His face twisted into a sneer. “I don’t trust it.”   General Smith kept speaking even as he shoveled the enchilada into his mouth, splattering salsa stains added to Lois’ uniform.

“Some of the President’s men are finally starting to listen to me though.” General Smith mumbled. “The scientists have identified several parts of the ship as potential weapons. Weapons that are far more advanced than anything we have.”  He twisted his nose. “And god they smell.  Do we really want anything to do with a species that stinks that bad?”

General Smith scraped his fork along the plate getting every last bite.  “It might take some time, but we need to nuke ‘em. This situation has asymmetric risk. Maybe they are friendly, if so, what do we get, a new friend?  But if they are our enemy, and I think they are, they will replace us- wipe us out.  We need to solve this problem before it gets worse.”

Lois nodded along, but her stomach had fallen.   She could stop this right now, explain what she knew and why. But could she trust this man?  General Smith’s crystal blue eyes stopped her heart when he looked at her. She had never even been near someone so powerful, and with movie star looks.

Joe looked over to her, and jerked his head, signifying her to get back to work.  Lois nodded, but only moved closer to General Smith.  Joe wouldn’t say anything more as long as she kept the General happy.   All the military men were on an expense account which Joe inflated with double and triple orders.

“The ship looks broken, with pieces off.” She repeated comments she had heard others say. She still had not seen it.  “Do you think they crashed here?”

General Smith looked up sharply, his index finger stopping her.

“Looks broken?” How do we know what it is supposed to look like?” He leaned in and she felt his rage rise off him in waves.

“That ship is just waiting for our leaders to get close, or for us to show a sign of weakness- then Ka- boom!”  He raised both his hands, waving his salsa verde covered fingers.

Lois carefully handed him a napkin.

“We can’t trust them!”  He turned toward his phone as it rang.  “I have to go. On the tab? Add in a good tip.”  He stepped away, wiping his fingers, then tossing the napkin on the floor.

“Lois.” Joe called out, gesturing for her to follow him.  She looked around for a plate to be cleared, a customer who needed her, anything to delay.  But a lull had come over the Diner and no place for her to go.

She followed Joe through a maze of narrow hallways to his tiny office behind the store room.  She wiped her hands on her uniform over and over again, the damp feeling in her palms would not go away.

“Lois- I have this letter, maybe you can help me understand it. It is from the state employment office. Your social security number doesn’t exist.”

Lois stared at the letter, as if it alone was her problem.  “Maybe you put in the wrong number-”

“That is what I thought too-” Joe’s fat fingers pulled a paper from his desk and pointed to a line- the numbers she wrote just over a year ago on the employment application.

“Can you explain this?” Joe crossed his arms.

Lois looked down at the chipped paint on her nails, in green, verde.

“I do not have a social security number, that is the one I use, for taxes.”  Lois felt herself shrinking, falling into the familiar hole of not being wanted, not being allowed.

“You don’t have one- you’re illegal?”  Joe said, abruptly pulling away from Lois.  “But you went to high school here, you speak English?”

“I was born in Guatemala.” Lois said, her accent growing stronger. “My parents-” She touched the medallion around her neck for strength.

“My parents passed when I was six.   And after, I got on a bus with my cousin, and we traveled, forever, until we ended up at a tent camp.  My aunt and uncle picked me up to wait out the immigration hearing, and then, we ended up here in Idaho. We were headed to Texas, but got off track and just crash landed here. We have been here ever since.” Lois

“We can make it work, right Joe-” Lois blinked away tears.

-I can’t believe you lied to me!” Joe’s face flushed red, his crossed arms squeezed himself even tighter.

“You stole this job. There are Americans who need work, and you stole it!”

Joe’s lips quivered.  “Your kind is driving this country down the drain.”

Joe’s forearms flexed, veins popping out.  “I believe in helping those who need it,  but you have to follow the law!  You have been cheating, stealing from God-fearing Americans.”

Joe’s arms were out now, raised above his head like the preacher at the church Ms. Betty took her to.  And Lois felt the same fear now as she did then.

“Is your name even Lois?”

“Lourdes, my name is Lourdes.”

“Well Lord-es,  get the hell out of my restaurant- you’re fired.” Joe’s face glowed red, spittle collected at the corner of his mouth.

Lourdes stood up, then turned back.

“Joe, what about my paycheck, you owe me for this last week.”

“You are illegal- don’t you get it? I don’t have to pay you anything. Get out of here before I have you arrested.”

Lois grabbed her purse and walked out, her head down as she ignored the cooks, and other customers. She stepped outside and began walking, scared to think of how she she would live. Her worst fear had come true, she was found out as undocumented.  She was worthless, and without a job, soon to be homeless as she was country-less.

“Hey, waitress!” General Smith’s voice interrupted her thoughts.  He leaned out of the front seat of a military jeep, the engine running.  “You need a ride?” He smiled from ear to ear. “It’s going to be quite a show!”

His bright blue eyes and smile lifted her spirits. She decided to trust this man, and she had nothing else to lose.  She ran up to the jeep, the door cold and hard. “General Smith, I know what the message is saying!  It is in the language of the ancient Mayans.”

The words poured out of Lois, released finally.

“These aliens have visited the earth before, hundreds of years ago-” The General’s face turned from a smile into a grimace. She started again, speaking faster to get him to listen, to understand.

“-I know because I’m from Guatemala, my first language is K’iche, it’s very similar. At first it was hard to understand but now I have it,  I know what they are saying-”

General Smith turned away.

“They followed a signal to come here, in Idaho, some important icon, I don’t know what…”

The jeep’s window began to close. “Tell the translators-”

Lourdes hit the window with her hand.  “Wait!  The message says…”

The tires spun before they caught, and Lourdes had to jump back as the jeep tore off down the road, pebbles flying around her.

Lourdes kept walking, her eyes not leaving her feet on the pavement.  She kicked at a stone in front of her. She could only trust herself. She held the medallion in her hand, giving her strength.  All she had of her Grand Mother and her true heritage, the heirloom had been in her family since since before memory.

She has to fight for herself, as no one else will.  She will work with her Aunt and Uncle to start her own restaurant, making her Mexican and Guatemalan recipes.  The General might fear her, but he likes her food.  She will start the process to apply for citizenship.

Sometime later, a tremendous boom echoed through the streets, rattling the windows on the building near her.  She looked north and saw a cloud of black smoke trailing up through the atmosphere.

“They did it- they blew up the aliens!”  Someone shouted. “We’re safe!”

“God bless America!” Another voice cried out.

A new scent of dark and acrid smoke filled the air.

The sudden silence almost had its own sound, thick and menacing.  Lourdes heard in it the drumbeat of fear and prejudice.

She repeated the message to herself, in K’iche;

“Friends, we have returned. We come in peace, we have the answers you seek…” 

Now the US unmanned system is no longer “low cost” but “high cost”.

If China bans the sale of small lithium batteries to the United States, all U.S. unmanned systems will be paralyzed.

The US Defense Department announced it would spend $1 billion on a program called “Replicator” to build swarms of unmanned surface ships and aerial drones for interface with China’s reunification.

In June 2024, Admiral Samuel Paparo, commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, called for the deployment of thousands of drones in Taiwan island to “turn the Taiwan Strait into an unmanned hellscape”.

That same month, AeroVironment’s Switchblade 300 suicide drones received the first orders under the Replicator program, China immediately announced sanctions against the company in July.

Consequently, these drones, once praised for their low cost, become extraordinarily expensive.

In 2022, NBC reported the Switchblade-300 cost just $6,000 per unit when supplied to Ukraine.

However, The Taipei Times reported in October 2024 that Taiwan purchased 685 Switchblade-300 drones at a staggering $78,000 per unit—12 times the original price.

On the other hand, on December 5, China imposed a new round of sanctions on 13 U.S. defence companies, 10 of which are related to drones.

According to a Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) report on December 16, U.S. drone export capacity has been severely affected without access to China’s supply chains, even hindering Ukraine’s negotiation leverage.

This is because China dominates the market for key drone components like small lithium batteries.

While other countries can produce small lithium batteries, only China’s vast drone industry can keep the prices of these essential components affordable.

Have you ever come back to your vehicle only to find something quite unexpected?

Yes! This was back in the late 80s. I had parked my gray 86 Honda Accord hatchback, with louvers on the back window, in front of the local post office. It was a Saturday and the parking lot was full, but I was able to find a spot right in front.

When I came out, about 20 minutes later, I was not paying too much attention. I walked over to the gray Honda Accord hatchback with louvers that was parked in front of the P.O. and went to the driver’s side door and opened it (we did not usually lock our car doors in this little town; it was a different time and a different place then!). As I opened the door, I heard a male voice say ‘Hey!’ and I looked down and saw a guy sitting in the driver’s seat!

I stopped and thought, ‘What are you doing in my car?!’ and then said those very words! He said right back, ‘Lady, this is MY car!’ I stood there, dumbfounded and just stared at him for a couple of beats. Whaaaaat?

I then looked around and saw MY gray Honda hatchback with louvers on the hatch window RIGHT NEXT TO THIS CAR! We had the exact same model, color with the same louvers on the back window! I laughed and pointed over to my car, right next to his, and said, ‘you have great taste in cars!’ We both laughed and went on with our day.

THAT was a surprise!

By gutting USAID, is the U.S. handing power over to Russia and China?

Do you know what USAID does in other countries?

Let us listen to what a former USAID worker said about her job. After Trump freezes funds to USAID, $40 bn a year, an Australian Strategic Policy Initiative ASPI strategist Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian has become unemployed overnight, along with 10,000 other oversea think tanks.

She openly told Trump that her job is important to USA because it was her who spread fake news & demonised China eg Xinjiang, Taiwan & Hongkong, in name of democracy, human rights & freedom.

She also interfered Australian politics re China. … see, she openly told the world about the Satanic job of USAID.

In name of charity/non-profit, USAID does the work of CIA which is to fund locals to spread fake news & to rebel the local gov thru protests, riots, coups & even war. Whichever gov who does not bow to USA.

NED does so in name of democracy. USAID, in name of charity. Human Right Watch, in name of human right. … at the end of the day, they are all CIA’s but with different name/slogan.

USAID has given $430 million to Hongkong rebels for the 2019 democracy movement. It stopped payment when HK Security Law is in effect in 2020. … the so-called AID in HK was to create unrest & color revolution. HK is not alone. The entire world too.

Back to the question. China does not create unrest to overthrow other governments. So, the question asking if USA is handing the USAID power to China is not correct at all.

Bpeek Kai Yat Sai Koong
(Stuffed Chicken Wings)

This recipe was a popular one at the restaurant that my wife was working in, located in Merrimack, New Hampshire (now I believe no longer in business – at least not under the same management). The original was available in two strengths quot;normal’ and ‘five flames’ – so you can suit yourself as the heat by simply increasing and decreasing the amount of chiles and curry paste that is added to the stuffing mixture.

As for the question ‘how many does it make’ the answer is that it depends on how well you stuff the wings.

The original was known as ‘mini drum sticks’ incidentally, and the ingredients added to the stuffing were the plain chiles, ginger and garlic, not the marinated variants that my wife includes in this version.

These little morsels can be eaten as a starter, or as a snack on their own. They are also served as a side dish with a larger Thai dinner.

If you choose to make some wings hotter than others, then you can dip the hot ones in a little red food coloring diluted in water to turn them red… as a warning to the unwary!

Ingredients

Marinade

• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• 1/4 cup takhrai (lemon grass), very finely sliced
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground prikthai (black pepper)
• 1/4 cup chopped pak chi (coriander/cilantro plant)

Stuffing

• Drained nam jim wan (see method)
• Drained khing dong (see method)
• 1 cup shrimp, pureed or finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon prik ki nu daeng (red birdseye chiles), finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon prik nam pao (chili paste in oil)
• 1 tablespoon red curry paste

Wings

• 12 chicken wings

Instructions

1. Chop the chicken wings in half.
2. Combine the marinade ingredients and marinade the wings overnight.
3. Now you must separate the meat from the bones by gripping one end of each piece and jerking the meat and skin from the other end back to your hold (alternatively you can insert the stuffing using a cake icing bag).
4. Drain about 1 tablespoon of the ginger from a bottle of khing dong.
5. Similarly drain a tablespoon of the chili/garlic mixture for a bottle of nam jim wan.
6. Combine all the ingredients of the stuffing to form a fine paste, making sure that the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated to avoid ‘hot spots’ in the mixture. and then stuff the wing portions with it.
7. The mini drumsticks can now be barbecued or deep fried until golden brown.
8. Serve with khing dong and nam jim wan.

How badly will American manufacturers be hurt by retaliatory tariffs by Canada against American goods? How will all this economic warfare likely play out, in the long run?

Okay, we don’t know how this is going to play out in the long run because Trump and Musk are fucking lunatics and there are a lot of other things going on because of that lunacy. Trump’s numbers are heading for the dumpster right now, but he hasn’t dropped the 51st state bullshit and Musk is openly backing Pierre Poilievre in Canada, contributing to the huge drop in Poilievre’s polling numbers.

You have Russia, the EU, Asia, China and India, domestic concerns, and so on. Given the mess Trump is making, the highly questionable legality of what he’s doing, and the speed he’s doing it at, he could end up out of office by X-mas, or maybe he’s named himself dictator for life or started a war (international or civil) by then. The man is a fucking menace. We just don’t know what will happen because we don’t know what this fucking loon is going to do.

How badly will it hurt American manufacturers? Well, it will fuck the car industry and hurt any manufacturers who depend on Canadian materials or components for their products. It would take years, and billions of dollars, for US business to replace everything they get from Canada. You simply do not have the capacity to build it.

It will certainly lead to inflation. This is a simplification because I’m not writing a whole book, but: Manufacturing and the sales of the goods produced run on margins. So the manufacturer pays 25% more for their raw materials. they add a ten percent margin to that. The wholesaler adds a 20% margin to that new, higher price. The retailer adds a 50% margin to that. So the price for the final product doesn’t go up 25%, it goes up a lot more.

Meanwhile competitors who get their raw materials without a tariff see that they can increase their profits and still undersell their competition, so they raise their prices. So the price of untariffed goods rises too.

While all of that is going on, your export markets are shrinking. There are counter-tariffs, boycotts, people who just don’t want to deal with you because you are known to be unstable and unreliable, and the normalization of trade with countries other than the US. The world just moves on without you, basically. You have less competition domestically, so your products stagnate and become less desirable internationally…think of the North American auto industry in the 1970’s and 1980’s getting its ass kicked by better Japanese cars, but with pretty much everything.

So you become an island. The US can probably do that and, since Americans don’t travel much and don’t pay much attention to what is going on in the rest of the world, you might think you are doing okay. You really aren’t though. Your tech is stagnating, the quality of your products is dropping, your wages are dropping. Your standard of living is getting even lower.

And other things are already happening. Other countries are moving away from the US dollar as an international currency. There’s the Euro and the Chinese Yuan (sp?) starting to compete with the US dollar as an international currency. You are losing international influence everywhere. That all hurts you too. The world is already moving on, and that will accelerate.

Then there’s the fractiousness all this is causing. How long do you think California and your manufacturing centres and banksters in the east are going to put up with losing money before they start talking about secession? Those are really the economic engine of your economy, and they fund most of your Red States and your war machine.

So how badly will your manufacturers be hurt? Have a look at other failed states and see how much manufacturing they have. The answer is, “Not very much.” In both the short term and the long term, you are screwing yourselves.

As a maintenance tech have you ever spent prolonged time on something extremely stupid?

Not me, but a great story told to me by one of the senior mechanics at a large country dealership.

Note the use of the word mechanic – that makes this a story from the days of carburettors and points ignition, when mechanics worked on cars.

Customer rang the dealership rather angry, because her very expensive car had failed to proceed. Service Manager sends out the shop tow truck and brings the car to the workshop, where a mechanic has a go at it, and fails to get it to start.

Next the Service Manager ( because back then, you didn’t become Service Manager unless you were a top notch mechanic) has a go at it, and still no joy.

Phone call to Head Office and speak with a guru who offers advice on what to try next – no joy.

The following day, a couple of Factory Guru’s drive 200 miles from Head Office, to the dealership and set to work to show up the yokels and bring this car back to life. After a couple of hours, there was still no joy.

At this time, a scruffy second year apprentice walks past and asks “Has it got any petrol in it ?”

Stunned silence, followed by a check of the fuel gauge. After quickly pouring a couple of gallons in the right hole and cranking it for a bit – BRRRUM ! it fired right up !

Red faces all round !

Holy Sh*T! Trump and Musk are BURNING it all down and the deep state is in FULL PANIC MODE