As you get older you see that things come and things go. Good times come, then bad times come. It’s all about coming and going.
And you know, the faces change, and the issues change, but deep down inside… it’s all the same thing.
I’ve learned this by [1] getting older, and [2] living in China.
The Chinese have seen nations come, and then watched the nations go. They have seen wars fire up, rage on, and get extinguished. Cycles. Everything is in cycles.
So you all don’t get too upset over all the hype regarding change. One nation needs oil, another oil is building solar panels. One nation has cheap groceries, another has large expensive groceries.
Change is the constant.
So guys, how are you adapting to change? Are you sheltering in place, and shivering in fear? Are you losing sleep with scary nightmares? Are you hearing secret silent whispers at your workplace?
Don’t worry.
The reality is REALITY.
You control it by your thoughts. Do not allow the media to control how and what you think about.
Today…
What potential effects would a one-year ban on Chinese imports and exports have?
A ban is a ban. There is no such thing as a one-year ban. Every ban will be taken as permanent. All the institutional and operational matters will adjust to the ban.
If the ban is phased, the adjustments will be phased, as will the disruptions. If the ban is sudden, there will be no time for adjustments, and the disruptions will be sudden and disorderly.
This description of adjustments and disruptions also apply to the supply and demand of goods.
On the US side.
In the phased situation, importers will find alternative sources. Likelihood is, it will not be to replace China by another source, but the replacement will be by many sources, which will mean quantity and logistic issues, besides higher prices.
In the sudden situation, there will be many empty shelves in the stores, and idleness on the factory floors and offices, for lack of materials, office supplies, and equipment.
On China’s side.
In a phased situation it would have time to find alternative overseas buyers, not necessarily of the same goods, but goods that utilize the same or similar capacity. It did this during Trump’s tariffs in its first term, and did not encounter any serious demand problems.
In a sudden situation, the disruptions are not avoidable. It will have to work harder to replace the demand. One aspect is that US imports from China have been falling. Another one is that China sells to the world, and with time it would be able to replace the loss of demand by the US across the markets.
The above are the “potential effects”. If you are thinking in terms of who will be hurt more, the descriptions could clue you the answer.
FIRST TIME Hearing BOSTON More Than A Feeling (REACTION)
What is the longest prison sentence you have received? What was it for?
This occurred when I was 14, before I managed to turn my life around
I “borrowed” a Ford Transit van my dad was working on and took a few friends up Essex/Herts way around Epping, Broxbourne and Theydon Bois looking for farmhouses and rural homes to target
We were caught by a farmer trying to siphon diesel from some of his agricultural machinery and he called 999
I led Essex and Met Police on a police chase around the rural roads before making a dash for home, but the Met Police made tactical contact on the M11 around Woodford, pinning the van to the armco barrier, ending the chase
Welsh police stop Transit van
I was charged with:
- Conspiracy to commit robbery
- Going equipped – Being caught with tools/equipment used to commit robbery
- TWOC (Taking Without Owners Consent) – Taking a car you have legal access to, but dont have permission to take
- Assault on police (x3)
- Failing to stop for police
- Dangerous driving
- Driving without insurance
- Driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence
/
I pled guilty to:
- Conspiracy to commit robbery
- Going equipped
- TWOC
- Assault on police (x3)
In exchange, the lesser driving charges were dismissed
I received a sentence of 2 years youth detention
- 13 months in custody
- 11 months on licence
I later breached the terms of my release and was returned to custody for a further 3 months
Later that year, at the age of 15, after another run-in with the law, a rather progressive Magistrate took pity on me, and in lieu of more time in youth detention, I was ordered to attend anger management classes with a court appointed social worker – Ms. Wong
Ms. Wong was originally from Fújiàn Province, China and as part of my anger management classes, she introduced me to Dàoist philosophy as a way to control my anger and change my thought processes
She was able show me that my anger was just a shield that I used to protect myself from feeling vulnerable
Within just a few months of sessions with Ms Wong, I had totally turned my life around
My grades were improving, I had left the street/gang life, and I was opening up to family and friends about my fears and worries
By the time I left school, my grades had improved so well I was able to get into University
I’ve never looked back, and now volunteer with various youth charities helping get teens out of gang life and away from crime
Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Skillet
Quinoa skillet recipe with chicken, celery and buffalo wing sauce tossed with quinoa and topped with creamy blue cheese dressing.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups white quinoa, uncooked
- 2 tablespoons Pure Wesson® Canola Oil
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 (10 ounce) can Ro*Tel® Original Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, undrained
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1/3 cup buffalo wing sauce or cayenne pepper sauce
- 1/3 cup reduced fat chunky blue cheese dressing
Instructions
- Cook quinoa according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat.
- Add chicken; sprinkle with garlic salt.
- Cook chicken for 3 to 5 minutes or until lightly browned and no longer pink.
- Add undrained tomatoes and celery; cook for 2 to 3 minutes more, stirring ocasionally.
- Add buffalo wing sauce; stir to combine.
- Add cooked quinoa to chicken mixture; stir to combine.
- Top each serving with blue cheese dressing.
Generated by QWen 2.5 on Saturday 6FEB25
Reportedly better than DeepSeek.
Shorpy
My First Night in China… This is Crazy!!
[REDACTED]
Submitted into Contest #210 in response to: Make a mysterious message an important part of your story.… view prompt
C. J. Peters
THE [REDACTED] REPORT
LOCATION: [REDACTED], OREGON
TIMELINE: OCTOBER 19XX – MAY 19XX
KEY FIGURES:
James SXXXX, AGE 14
Marie VXXXXXX, AGE 13
Austin LXXXX, AGE 14
Xander [REDACTED]
FIELD AGENTS:
AGENT B. XXXXXXX (Level D7)
AGENT G. XXXXXX (Level F1)
DOCUMENT 1A (SUPPLEMENTAL)
SOURCE: Journal belonging to James
August 20 – Today we found out that me, Austin, and Marie all ended up in Mr. Mahoney’s class!! Sucks that Austin’s gonna be moving at the end of next summer but at least we all get one last school year together. We’re already making plans to go the arcade every weekend and we’re gonna have a sleepover at my house next Saturday. I’m so pumped!
It’s gonna be weird when he’s gone. We basically grew up together. We gotta make this year really awesome. Do something none of us will ever forget! (And maybe he’ll finally make a move on Marie – if I have to watch them not-so-secretly make googly eyes at each other for another year I’m gonna barf)
DOCUMENT 1B (SUPPLEMENTAL)
SOURCE: Excerpt from The PXXXX Post, local newspaper
STRANGE LIGHTS SEEN OVER [REDACTED] FOREST
By Steven JXXXX
August 27, 19XX
A curious array of lights was seen hovering over [REDACTED] Forest by at least seven locals the evening of Saturday 24. While accounts vary, there seem to have been at least five white lights spinning in a concentric circle nearly 25 feet over the treetops. One local, who wished to remain anonymous, had this to say:
“I’ve never seen anything quite like it. I mean, sometimes, the kids, they like to throw parties out there, you know, especially in the summer, with bonfires and flashlights and those sorts of things. But that, that I’ve never seen before. And they were gone as quick as they showed up! Just, a blink, and it was just the stars again. Whole thing couldn’t have lasted more than two minutes. But, yeah, it was certainly odd.”
The forest has long been a place for the teenagers of [REDACTED] to blow off steam, but it’s not the first time something peculiar has occurred near those woods. Older residents of [REDACTED] might recall the summer of…
DOCUMENT 1C
SOURCE: Journal belonging to James
October 21 – We still haven’t decided on our Halloween costumes. Austin and Marie want to go as Star Wars characters, but I only want to do it if I get to be Luke, but Austin wants to be Luke and Marie wants to be Leia (which ew gross it’s like they don’t remember Return of the Jedi at all!) and Austin is refusing to be Hans Solo. I wanted to go as the Ghostbusters, but Marie says they’re lame and super old (like Star Wars isn’t basically a decade older!) and Austin says we’d be short one and it’d look weird.
Whatever.
Anyway. There was a new kid in class today. Weird time for her to start. Her name’s Xander. Weird name for a girl. I guess everything about her was pretty weird. She was quiet and kept making like really intense eye contact whenever anyone talked to her and was constantly writing in this super thick binder.
At the start of lunch no one was talking to her anymore. She was sitting alone and still scribbling in that binder, glancing around at everyone. I felt kinda bad for her. It’s hard being the new kid, especially if you’re the weird new kid.
Austin didn’t want me to at first, but I asked Xander if she wanted to join us and Marie for lunch. She slammed her binder closed as soon as I got near her table and then stared at me the whole time I spoke. Her eyes are very green and very pretty. She just stared and stared, and I was starting to blush and I was about to just leave when she suddenly stood up and walked over to our table and sat in the empty spot beside Marie. She definitely spooked Marie (because she was busy staring at Austin – gag) who yelped and that made Austin laugh, but they both smiled at her.
I sat beside Xander, and we had a chill lunch. Marie complimented her binder and offered to give her some of her star stickers to decorate it, and that made Xander smile, probably for the first time that whole day. She has a very cute smile. She kept making Austin laugh with her weird questions, but he always answered them nicely. Like, she had never heard of Oreos before, but he still gave her one to try. She shoved the whole thing in her mouth and just absolutely could not chew through it, and that made Austin laugh until he cried. Then we started debating the best way to eat an Oreo (Austin splits them to eat the cream first, I dip them in milk, and Marie eats them dry ‘cause she’s nuts). I’m gonna bring a whole box tomorrow so Xander can try them each way and break the tie.
Xander’s for sure a little strange, but no one in our group is really all that popular. I think she fits right in with us.
DOCUMENT 1D
SOURCE: Journal belonging to James
November 2 – Halloween was AWESOME!
Me and Austin argued about Luke and Hans until like three days before Halloween, and I was gonna freak ‘cause we were running out of time, but then Marie suggested the Ghostbusters again and said we should invite Xander! We were both down ‘cause I really like we all really like her, so we asked her the next day at school. She didn’t get what we were talking about ‘cause they apparently don’t have Halloween in her old town, (which, bummer) but when we explained how it works and she got super excited! (I mean, about as excited as Xander ever gets which kinda just means she nods, like, a LOT).
Marie’s mom made all the costumes for us super last minute and they looked AWESOME (Mrs. VXXXXXX, you rule!) but since we took so long to decide we couldn’t make proton packs BUT we wore our backpacks instead, and that ended up being way better because we were able to fill them up with so much more candy! We hit every house on our streets, AND the nice streets on the other side of the town! Xander didn’t get as much as us, though, ‘cause she left her binder in her bag, but whatever. Still a killer haul!
After, we went to the forest to trade like we do every year and we brought Xander. Austin and Marie sat on one side of our clearing (probably, like, giggling or whatever) so me and Xander sat together on a big rock on the other end so they could have some “privacy” (barfbarfbarf). She was quiet like she always is, but she was also staring up at the stars. It was a pretty night. The leaves had fallen off a lot of the trees, so the ground was crispy and orange, and we got a super clear view of the night sky. It was a full moon, too. Kinda made me wish I’d gone as a werewolf.
I told her I like the stars too, and she smiled at me in a way that made my heart feel like it was gonna barf. We talked about space and stuff, and she pointed out her favourite star, and said it was probably her favourite spot in the whole universe.
And then, I don’t know why, but I told her I was glad I met her. I almost sprinted home. But she said she was glad, too. I said cool, then she said cool. I couldn’t look her in the face, but it was cool.
I gave her all my single packs of Oreos, and she gave me all her gummy bears.
DOCUMENTS 1E-F REQUIRE MINIMUM LEVEL C3 CLEARANCE
DOCUMENT 1G
SOURCE: Journal belonging to James
December 20 – Christmas break is coming up. Marie’s going to visit her family up in [REDACTED] for a few days like always, but Austin’ll be staying the whole time this year. We promised Marie we wouldn’t go skating on the lake till she got back, but Austin and I are still gonna go sledding and build a snowman! Last year, we had to get his dad had to help us, and the snowman ended up taller than him, but we’re gonna try to go even bigger this year!
I don’t know if Xander has plans. I didn’t ask ‘cause I thought it might be weird, but I still wanted to get her something for Christmas. I almost psyched myself out of doing it when I saw her at school this morning. She seemed nervous about something. Like, she kept fidgeting with her binder and looking out the window into the parking lot.
She must’ve been really nervous ‘cause when I tapped her shoulder, she almost hit the ceiling, but when she saw it was me, she laughed. I immediately forgot all of what I’d planned to say and just shoved the Christmas card at her. She read it, and then took out the polaroid my mom took of the four of us in our costumes on Halloween.
Xander’s face can be so unreadable sometimes. She just stared at it for a while, and I thought I fuc screwed up and pissed her off or something. I was gonna apologize, but then she hugged me. Really hard (she’s like, freakishly strong). It lasted a really long time, and I got the heart-barf feeling again and I didn’t really want to let go but I hugged her back.
I felt like I could fly all the way to space.
I did glance at the parking lot to see if there was anything weird out there but all I saw were cars. I mean, there was one really nice, expensive-looking black car that sorta stood out against all the old trucks and soccer-mom vans. But, whatever. Maybe it’s a rental.
DOCUMENT 1H REQUIRES MINIMUM LEVEL D1 CLEARANCE
DOCUMENT 1I
SOURCE: Art assignment for [REDACTED] School, completed by Austin
The class assignment was to draw a scene of a happy memory with at least two figures and full scenery. The drawing above depicts a daytime winter scene of a frozen, outdoor lake rendered in graphite and coloured pencils. Four figures are skating together. Figure A (presumed to be Austin) holds hands with Figure B (Marie), while Figures C (James) and Figure D (Xander) skate behind, also holding hands. Each figure has a happy expression and wears well-detailed winter attire.
Final Grade: A-
DOCUMENT 1J
SOURCE: A birthday card
The image above is of a birthday card with a pale pink background and a white unicorn coated in iridescent glitter taking up three-quarters the space. The words “Happy Birthday” are written in flourishing cursive in the upper left-hand corner.
The interior of the card is blank except for a handwritten message done in cursive. The message reads as follows:
Thank you for inviting me to your birthday party. I hope the 100-pack of variety sparkle stickers and 3-piece Lisa Frank notebook collection are satisfying and enjoyable gifts.
Marie, I value our connection cherish our friendship more than words can say.
I wish you nothing but the happiest birthday!
Xander
DOCUMENT 1K
SOURCE: Note written by Xander
Austin, Marie, James
I’ve got to go. I would like to say goodbye in person, but I’m not supposed to.
I’d like to always remember the night we captured spectral entities and bartered sucrose Ursidae together. I wish I could be with you all under the light of a lunar cycle which had reached its fullness one last time.
My time here with you guys is something I’ll never forget. You made it special. You made it important. I’ll miss you all.
X
DOCUMENTS 1L-N REQUIRE MINIMUM LEVEL F3 CLEARANCE
DOCUMENT 1O
SOURCE: Journal belonging to James
May 14 – I haven’t seen Xander in two weeks. She just stopped showing up to school. I don’t know what happened. None of us know where she lives, I don’t know what I might’ve done, we have no way of finding her. I’m really starting to freak out.
She was getting really anxious about… something, right up until she disappeared. She was always watching the parking lot at school and at the diner. Maybe it’s got something to do with that weird car?
I just hope she’s okay.
The following entry is presumed to have been added later in the same day.
I’m definitely freaking out now. I found a note folded in the front cover of my journal and it’s from Xander!! I don’t know how long it’s been in there, and I didn’t get most of what she said. I just thought she was saying goodbye, but Marie thinks it’s a secret message. It took us a while, but now we think Xander was talking about when we were in the forest on Halloween, and the whole “lunar cycle” thing is about the full moon, and Marie checked – there’s one tomorrow night!!
We’re all gonna go. I’m not missing a chance to see Xander one last time, if it really is gonna be the very last time.
DOCUMENT 1P
SOURCE: Journal belonging to James
UNDATED. It is presumed this entry follows the events of May 15, 19XX.
We found her. Xander explained everything. Guess I’ve got no choice but to believe her after what we saw. She left her binder behind. She said I could have it. I promised to keep it safe. It’s covered in Marie’s stickers, and she slid a bunch of Austin’s sketches under the plastic. A copy of the polaroid of us on Halloween, too.
We planned to meet up at the diner on Saturday. I’ve started looking inside and there’s some wild stuff in here. More notes for me, for Austin and Marie. Some notes and writing I don’t totally understand, either…
Maybe if we figure it out, we can see her again. Maybe it’ll all mean absolutely nothing. I don’t know.
But we’ve gotta try. There’s gotta be some reason why she left it for me.
I promised. I’ll keep it safe. I’ll figure it out. I will see her again.
DOCUMENT 1Q
SOURCE: Confidential field report from Agents B. and G.
FIELD REPORT FROM THE OBSERVATION AND DEPARTURE OF SPECIMEN X4ND3R, CASE XXXXX
NOTE: Agent G. has made the executive decision as highest-ranking agent on case to henceforth refer to [REDACTED], self-named “Xander,” as SPECIMEN X4ND3R for the purpose of record keeping.
PURPOSE OF FIELD MISSION
With the evidence of [REDACTED] craft likely to land in [REDACTED], OREGON again, Agents B. and G. were sent out to location to observe at distance and with minimal interference the possible reason for recurrent contact. Once in location, Agents B. and G. determine purpose of contact to be for retrieval of SPECIMEN X4ND3R.
The following report details the event of contact, noting time, place, and interactions and behaviours between figures present. Figures include SPECIMEN X4ND3R, and locals of [REDACTED] recognized as James SXXXX, Marie VXXXXXX, and Austin LXXXX.
DETAILS OF EVENT
Agents B. and G. arrive at location with [REDACTED] craft already present and camouflaged as expected. SPECIMEN X4ND3R arrives at location at approximately 22:36HRS on MAY 15, 19XX. Agents remain unseen.
At approx. 22:58HRS, James, Marie, and Austin arrive. All run to and embrace SPECIMEN X4ND3R. All begin talking rapidly at once.
NOTE: [REDACTED] equipment malfunctioned when Agent B. attempted to use. Agents B. and G. were unable to record or hear conversations without breaking distance protocol.
SPECIMEN X4ND3R takes control of conversation, speaking for approx. 2 MINUTES 13 SECONDS. Austin and Marie share shocked expressions, James shakes head in dismissal. SPECIMEN X4ND3R turns away from group to face [REDACTED] craft. After approx. 3.4 SECONDS of silence, [REDACTED] craft comes out of camouflage. All members of group wear expressions of disbelief. SPECIMEN X4ND3R turns back to group. James speaks for approx. 57 SECONDS. All members of group, including SPECIMEN X4ND3R, now teary-eyed or crying.
All members join in embrace with SPECIMEN X4ND3R in center. Group contact lasts approx. 23 SECONDS. Marie and Austin break away from group. James and SPECIMEN X4ND3R continue contact for approx. 13 SECONDS.
SPECIMEN X4ND3R exits contact and enters [REDACTED] craft. Remaining members run approx. 10 YARDS from [REDACTED] craft and observe ignition, liftoff, [REDACTED], and exit, waving during entire process.
CONCLUSION
Agent B. concludes integration between [REDACTED] species and humans possible and likely. Despite limited time on Earth, SPECIMEN X4ND3R exhibited and experienced camaraderie, sentimentality, empathy, kindness, and generosity.
Agent G. determines results of event may be skewed due to age and location of participants. Further experimentation required.
Fully detailed report to follow in three days with photographs enclosed within.
Following signatures from,
Agents B. XXXXXXX and G. XXXXXX
ADDENDUM INCLUDED MAY 19, 19XX 11:29HRS BY AGENT G.
During clear-out procedures Agents B. and G. witnessed James, Marie, and Austin in possession of thick binder, with James reading sections quietly to group in local diner, [REDACTED]. Agent G. believes binder previously belonged to X4ND3R and must be retrieved with urgency. Clear-out procedures halted as Agents B. and G. determine how to retrieve documents with minimal damage.
END OF DOSSIER ONE OF X
American Tiktok Refugees Angry After Realizing China Is Far Better Than Their Country On Rednote
How does China use so much coal and keep pollution under control? Do their power plants have some sort of advanced technology that keeps harmful emissions to the atmosphere in check?
China has classified Coal Plants as Ordinary and Regulated
Regulated Means :-
- Advanced Emission Control Technology
- Hybrid Systems
- Carbon Capture Technology
- Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle
- Fluidized Bed Combustion
- Low NOX Burners
- Coal Washing Wet Scrubbers
- Fabric Filters
- Selective Catalytic Reduction
In 2017, China allocated 242 Billion Yuan ($ 39.77 Billion) to convert all Ordinary Coal Plants into Regulated Advanced Emission controlled plants by 2035 and also that every new plant would be Regulated and have Advanced Emission Control
Today 506 out of 1037 Coal Fired Plants have been converted into Regulated Plants with Advanced Emission Control
607 out of 1104 GW are generated by Regulated Plants with Advanced Emission Control which is almost 55%
Remember Chinas Electricity Shortage in 2022 and 2023?
That was because they had converted 140 Plants to regulated from ordinary and that took 8 months during which power supply fluctuates
Only the US (67.80%) has more Coal Plants with Advanced Emission Control than China
Russia (24.45%) and India (10.10%) are way behind
Why I’m Staying In China and WON’T Move Back to the USA
《猫香颂》
A Chinese variations of my original English poem. -MM
轻抚猫儿毛，
暖香入心怀。
似春草初露，
如秋月静开。
鼻尖触柔暖，
心随呼噜安。
不似花香艳，
却胜百花繁。
家中有此味，
心安如止水。
猫香伴我眠，
梦里亦相随。
Explanation of the Poem:
- 轻抚猫儿毛 (Qīng fǔ māo er máo): “Gently stroking the cat’s fur” – This line sets the scene with a tender, intimate gesture, evoking the closeness between the speaker and the cat.
- 暖香入心怀 (Nuǎn xiāng rù xīn huái): “Warm fragrance enters the heart” – The scent of the cat is described as a comforting, almost spiritual presence that brings peace.
- 似春草初露 (Sì chūn cǎo chū lù): “Like dew on spring grass” – The scent is compared to the fresh, natural aroma of dew-kissed grass, symbolizing purity and renewal.
- 如秋月静开 (Rú qiū yuè jìng kāi): “Like the quiet rise of the autumn moon” – The scent is also likened to the serene beauty of the moon, suggesting tranquility and timelessness.
- 鼻尖触柔暖 (Bí jiān chù róu nuǎn): “The tip of my nose touches soft warmth” – This line emphasizes the physical closeness and the sensory joy of being near the cat.
- 心随呼噜安 (Xīn suí hū lū ān): “My heart finds peace with the purring” – The cat’s purring is portrayed as a soothing rhythm that calms the speaker’s soul.
- 不似花香艳 (Bù sì huā xiāng yàn): “Not like the showy fragrance of flowers” – The cat’s scent is humble yet profound, contrasting with the fleeting beauty of flowers.
- 却胜百花繁 (Què shèng bǎi huā fán): “Yet it surpasses the splendor of a hundred blooms” – The cat’s scent is more meaningful and enduring than the most extravagant floral aromas.
- 家中有此味 (Jiā zhōng yǒu cǐ wèi): “At home, this scent is present” – The scent becomes a symbol of home and belonging.
- 心安如止水 (Xīn ān rú zhǐ shuǐ): “My heart is as calm as still water” – The scent brings a deep, unshakable sense of peace.
- 猫香伴我眠 (Māo xiāng bàn wǒ mián): “The cat’s fragrance accompanies my sleep” – The scent is a constant, comforting presence, even in dreams.
- 梦里亦相随 (Mèng lǐ yì xiāng suí): “In my dreams, it follows me still” – The bond between the speaker and the cat transcends the waking world, symbolizing eternal connection.
This poem uses traditional Chinese poetic techniques, such as natural imagery (dew, moon, grass) and emotional restraint, to convey deep affection and tranquility. It avoids direct Western-style sentimentality, instead relying on symbolism and understated beauty to express the profound comfort and joy your cat’s scent brings you.
As a non-Chinese, do you see China as a friend or a foe?
In am an Indian
We NEED CHINA badly
I don’t say China is a friend
Yet on an economic scale, India can’t do without China if India wants to advance or grow realistically
Presently Indias Manufacturing represents around 3% of the Global Manufacturing of which 68% is Low Grade & 32% is Medium Grade
This means India represents 0.96% of all Medium Grade Manufacturing in the world
Less than Vietnam (1.7%) , Mexico (2.4%) or even Bangladesh (1.0%)
China’s Manufacturing represents 36.3% of Global Manufacturing of which 14% is Low Grade, 71% is Medium Grade and 11% is High Grade and 4% is Advanced
This means China represents 24% of all the Medium Grade Manufacturing in the world
So to increase our manufacturing base, train our people and increase our output – we need Chinese Equipment and Chinese Investments
Without them we can’t genuinely progress forward
I can’t endorse hitting ourselves on the feet with an axe just for 50 paise nationalism!!
Sir Whiskerton and the Beatnik Barnyard: A Groovy Tale of Poetry and Peace
Ah, dear reader, prepare yourself for a tale so far out, so utterly groovy, that even Sir Whiskerton’s monocle nearly popped off in disbelief. Today’s adventure takes us to the heart of the farm, where Jazzpurr the Beatnik Cat has decided to unleash his inner poet upon the unsuspecting barnyard. What follows is a story filled with puns, gags, and enough beatnik flair to make even the most stoic cow say, “Far out, man!”
So grab your bongos, don your beret, and let’s dive into The Beatnik Barnyard.
The Arrival of Jazzpurr
It was a quiet afternoon on the farm, the kind of day where the sun lazily stretched its rays across the fields, and the animals were content to doze in the shade. Sir Whiskerton was perched on his favorite hay bale, contemplating the mysteries of the universe (and whether the farmer would remember to refill his food bowl), when a strange sound interrupted his thoughts.
Boom-ba-doom-boom. Boom-ba-doom-boom.
The rhythmic thumping grew louder, accompanied by the jingling of bells and the faint smell of patchouli. Sir Whiskerton’s ears twitched as he turned to see Jazzpurr, the farm’s resident beatnik cat, striding toward the barn with a bongo drum slung over his shoulder. His fur was unkempt, his eyes half-closed, and he wore a tiny beret tilted at a jaunty angle.
“Jazzpurr,” Sir Whiskerton said, raising an eyebrow. “What in the name of whiskers are you doing?”
“I’m here to blow your minds, man,” Jazzpurr replied, his voice dripping with poetic gravitas. “I’ve composed a masterpiece. A symphony of words. A Howl for the barnyard.”
“A howl?” Rufus the dog barked, wagging his tail. “I can howl! Want to hear?”
“Not that kind of howl, Rufus,” Sir Whiskerton said, rolling his eyes. “But by all means, Jazzpurr, enlighten us with your… art.”
The Beatnik Performance
Jazzpurr climbed onto an overturned bucket, his bongo drum at the ready. The farm animals gathered around, some curious, others confused. Bessie the tie-dye cow lounged nearby, her psychedelic spots shimmering in the sunlight. Doris the hen and her entourage clucked nervously, while Porkchop the pig munched on a carrot, utterly unfazed.
“Alright, cats and chicks,” Jazzpurr began, his voice low and dramatic. “This is for all the lost souls of the barnyard. For the cows who moo in the night. For the chickens who cluck in the void. For the pigs who dream of mud and freedom. This… is The Barnyard Howl.”
He cleared his throat, adjusted his beret, and began to recite:
“I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked,
Dragging themselves through the hay at dawn looking for an angry farmer,
Who passed out in the barn with a bottle of moonshine,
Who cut themselves shaving with rusty pitchforks,
Who ate moldy oats in the desperate loneliness of the feed bin,
Who mooed and quacked and clucked and honked in the madness of the midnight barnyard,
Who bared their udders to the moon and howled for the dawn of a new day…”
The Farm Animals React
As Jazzpurr’s words echoed through the barnyard, the animals began to react in their own unique—and hilarious—ways.
- Bessie the Tie-Dye Cow swayed her head back and forth, her bell jingling with each movement. “Groovy, man. Like, totally far out. I feel this in my soul.”
- Doris the Hen clucked nervously, her feathers ruffled. “What is he saying? Is this about feed? Is he criticizing my feed?!”
- Harriet the Hen squawked, “I think it’s about existential dread. Or maybe worms. I can’t tell.”
- Lillian the Hen fainted dramatically into a pile of hay. “Oh, I can’t bear it! It’s too… too… artistic!”
- Porkchop the Pig stopped chewing his carrot for a moment, tilted his head, and said, “I don’t get it, but I like the beat. Can I eat the bongos?”
- Ferdinand the Duck flapped his wings and quacked, “This is art! I must perform it at the next barnyard talent show!”
- Rufus the Dog tilted his head and howled along, completely missing the point but having the time of his life.
Sir Whiskerton’s Verdict
As Jazzpurr finished his poem, the barnyard erupted into a cacophony of clucks, moos, quacks, and howls. Sir Whiskerton, ever the voice of reason, stepped forward, his monocle glinting in the sunlight.
“Well, Jazzpurr,” he said, “that was certainly… something. I’m not sure if it was poetry, a cry for help, or just the result of too much catnip. But I must admit, it was entertaining.”
Jazzpurr grinned, his beret slipping slightly. “That’s the beauty of art, man. It’s whatever you want it to be.”
A Happy Ending
In the end, Jazzpurr’s beatnik performance brought the farm animals together in a way no one could have predicted. Bessie organized a “groovy” tie-dye workshop, Ferdinand started a barnyard poetry club, and even Doris the hen admitted that the poem made her “feel things.”
The moral of the story, dear reader, is this: Art has the power to unite, to inspire, and to make even the most mundane barnyard feel like a stage for greatness. And as for Sir Whiskerton? He returned to his hay bale, content in the knowledge that even in the chaos of the farm, there’s always room for a little creativity—and a lot of laughs.
Until next time, my friends. Stay groovy.
The End.
How does Deepseek compare to ChatGPT? Why might someone prefer Deepseek over ChatGPT?
Here are seven problems which I’ve pieced together from reading tech business publications on this topic:
- For the average user, they don’t care how “efficient” the money spent is, what they care about is the quality of the answer. Don’t use market news to change your technology product. That’s absurd.
- We are still locked in the hype cycle. I wouldn’t be surprised if when the dust settles on this hype cycle we will know the holes in the DeepSeek system. For instance, I heard it’s real strength is quantitative, which makes sense because it was a Quant firm that built it.
- The hacking risk seems highest with DeepSeek based on evidence from it’s launch.
- There is also a risk of government censorship and/or getting a Chinese-based worldview from DeepSeek answers.
- DeepSeek could very well track you and give your data to the Chinese government.
- DeepSeek is just a copycat of Open AI. It’s absurd to make comparisons when one copied the other. Apparently when you ask DeepSeek it says its “a version of ChatGPT.”
- This isn’t the last word in this exchange. Chat GPT will have another product roll out. This will go dozens and dozens of more rounds in all likelihood. Don’t declare the match in the first round.
All seven of these are significant and each independently is a reason to reject DeepSeek.
We have a significant problem with the hype cycle in both tech and economic news and seeing beyond it’s constraints and limits is critical if you are going to make the best decisions about the apps you use.
Finally, if you still want to use DeepSeek, you can use Perplexity which hosts another version of DeepSeek, but theoretically without the Chinese government getting your precious data.
What was the most memorable case of “instant karma” you saw when an impatient driver was laying on the horn?
I was stuck in an 8 mile backup on the NY Thruway. We moved a few yards every 5 minutes. Since I was driving a stick, I would wait until traffic moved a lot before driving forward. No use burning out the clutch.
This made the moron behind me go apeshit in his new BMW. Riding my bumper, giving me the finger, cursing at me thru his open window. I took some pics and made a video of his behavior just in case he actually hit me.
After a half hour of his immature behavior, he decides he is going to drive down the center grassy, probably littered with broken glass middle. About an hour later, I catch up to him and the 2 state troopers that are ticketing him.
But the best was that he had 4 flat tires on his brand new car…it didn’t even have real tags on it, just the paper ones. When I got along side one of the troopers, I called him over to my car. I showed him the pics & vdeo I that I had taken. Moron got more tickets from the trooper.
BTW, I blew the moron a kiss as I passed him….lol
Americans Can’t Believe China’s Grocery Prices—Why Are We Paying So Much?!
”Flying Saucers?”
Submitted into Contest #210 in response to: Make a mysterious message an important part of your story.… view prompt
Kendall Defoe
At first, no one believed it. No one who paid attention to the signals caught by scientists believed it. No one who heard rumours about those signals believed it. And when the press finally took the men and women in lab coats seriously, they still did not believe it. But it was true. Earth had received a signal and it was a message they could all understand: the planet had made first contact with life in outer space.
The celebrations began almost immediately everywhere the news traveled. Some religious leaders worried that they would no longer be able to keep their adherents in churches, temples, and mosques, but they were a very weak minority of voices. Many governments made plans for greeting the visitors; there were endless meetings about protocol, gifts, and possible exchanges of information (military leaders in many nations demanded this last condition). Ordinary citizens celebrated by imagining what the aliens would look like, what they would wear, how they would communicate, etc. School children and graduate students at the best schools wrote papers about all of this. Science-fiction fans had long and noisy debates about the alien’s possible friendliness or hostility (military official also paid attention to these debates). And everyone looked up at the sky, often through tears, and imagined what would happen next.
And then they waited.
The scientists who first tracked the signal believed that the aliens would land or make further contact in at least one or two months. That was how various teams interpreted the message after it was translated. The shock of discovering the vehicles already in orbit after only two weeks made many governments, military leaders, and scientists worry about having enough time to prepare for their visitors. There was also the other question about how the aliens had arrived in their galaxy. With the best equipment available, no one could track the trajectory of the alien’s possible flight path. The ships simply appeared in their telescopes as they did their daily observations. This was seen as an example of how advanced the aliens were and no more was said in public about this, although many scientists wanted to have answers about this as soon as the ships landed (the military if the ships could travel undetected because of possibly unknown speeds of travel). The rest of the world just reveled in the news.
And then they waited…again.
The ships landed. At first, only one ship landed, in northern Russia; another traveled to northern Canada. And then they waited. Scientists tried to communicate using radio signals of every kind. Military leaders sent in tanks and soldiers, demanding the aliens appear and speak to them. But there was no response to either group, not until the last ship appeared over Australia and landed in the Outback. The aliens finally had something to say:
“Hi, hello!
We’re here!”
This was translated into many languages – all corresponding to where the now fifteen ships had landed. Soon, various governments replied and extended greetings to their extra-terrestrial visitors.
Again, they waited.
And this is what they finally heard after all the replies were sent in:
“So, thanks for that.
Bye.”
And that was it. The ships, small silver cylinders that revealed no doors or propulsive sections that could be used for travelling across the galaxy, did not leave. They just stood there, revealing nothing. Nothing but silence.
*
Many questions were asked. Citizens wanted to know if there were any ways by which they could continue the conversation. Some demanded to have the ships cut open and examined, an idea that the military supported. But this was a view that no one wanted to try. Since there was no detectable threat from the aliens, or their ships, most people thought it best to just leave them alone. Several government papers were written, and debates were held about the cost of monitoring the ships. But, once again, this was a concern that very few worried about in public. In private, many were quite disappointed. If the aliens wanted to be left alone, why did they travel to their planet and leave themselves onboard their ships. Still, it was their choice. Disappointing, but a choice they were comfortable with; what could they do?
A few months passed. Soldiers who were assigned to monitor the ships were at first pleased to have such an easy assignment. However, they soon complained about how boring things were. And not every country monitored the ships quite so closely. TV networks, after the first jump in ratings during the landings, realized that they would lose viewers if they continued to report on the ships in prime time (even satellite channels got bored with the ships). Graffiti began to appear on the bodies of the unguarded ships. Most of it was not obscene; some of it was actually clever or quite polite (“Knock, knock?”, “What’s the Deal?”, “Are You Shy? Then call…”, “Nanoo! Nanoo!”, “Live Long and Prosper”, “Was it something I said?”, and so on). Usually, other citizens would come along and clean up the mess (the metal was remarkably easy to clean). But not a single word was heard from the inside of the ships. Not one sound could be detected.
Some people were quite happy with the way things were, specifically philosophers, artists, and the same religious leaders who had been worried that the presence of aliens would draw away congregants and believers. Far from it. The number of people attending churches, temples and mosques grew along all denominations. Priests, monks, imams, rabbis, all had to deal with believers who thought the presence of the ships was a sign, or some sort of great test of faith. The Pope felt compelled to broadcast a sermon warning his church not to settle for some idol worship “over the promise of a greater reward in the hereafter”. And some of those religious leaders, in their private moments, even wondered if having so many people attending their services was a good idea. But once again, no one said anything too loudly against the visitors.
And what about those philosophers and artists? They were having the time of their lives. Every major news organization, pundit, journalist and the like wanted to have them on the air and in print. Philosophers with remaindered or unpublished books discovered that they now had best sellers and demands for more writing. Opinions were needed; debts were forgotten. Universities and colleges had extra courses added to their schedules, often hiring the same philosophers whose work was now popular. Many other people simply read the books themselves (editions of the work of the pre-Socratics up to Nietzsche all sold very well; no noticeable sales fluctuation took place with 20th century thinkers). And the artists began to write music, books, poetry, plays; they choreographed dances; there were even puppet shows that ran in several theaters in Eastern Europe and Asia (the title of one play translated into English as “They Don’t Really Like Us, Do They?”). Everyone had something say, do or think about the aliens.
And then the pods disappeared.
*
As noted, some countries kept a very close watch on the ships, but most of them had grown so accustomed to their presence, they often had no one monitoring them. At first, the various armies thought they had simply forgotten to keep the cameras running when they saw the footage and noted that the ships just disappeared. But there were no technical problems. There were no time jumps or other problems gone unnoticed. The pods had just disappeared. It was seen that they left the various continents at the exact same moment, meaning that the aliens did not mind departing when they could be observed doing so; when they could be seen attempting to get away from the planet they had inhabited for almost three years.
Again, the responses varied. Scientists and the military were the most disappointed. Philosophers and artists were next, but many of them had already become tired of having to debate or discuss the late visitors (some even did their best work after the ships departed). The average person on the street felt annoyed, disappointed, indifferent and even relieved with the change. There were demands that scientists attempt to contact the aliens, but all the messages sent into deep space were met with silence. The visitors were really gone.
It did not take long for conspiracy theories to grow and explain the absence of the ships. There had always been theories about why they landed: garbage disposal; hostile takeover; deep observation; harvesting of minerals and species, etc. The idea was that the ships had never landed; there was instead an international conspiracy to distract people from other problems. At first, once again, it was only an opinion held by a very small group of loners. But the voices supporting the theory grew louder and angrier. Visitors to the sites once monitored by the various armies noted that there were no real signs of “spaceships” apart from indentations in the soil and rock. Also, why had the ships chosen to land in areas with a very small population (mainly in the northern hemisphere) instead of contacting us through the world’s capitals? Some pointed out that maybe the aliens had not wanted to cause a panic, or knew the importance of the capitals but wanted to wait. But the theorists would not change their minds, and they began to appear on the same programs that had once featured artists and philosophers who had debated the reasons why the aliens appeared at all. Many nations that had formed peace treaties now had to deal with old hostilities (the threat of war had never been closer). Again, a distraction against dealing with problems that were long ignored was needed. Negotiations for peace were often very loud and full of the threat of violence; rooms filled with grown men and women threatening each other in the same place where they had once negotiated reductions in arms and soldiers. The UN held extra-long sessions for peace treaties, but they often ended in stalemates and even more threats.
And just when it seemed as though war was inevitable throughout the planet, the aliens returned. At least, that was what the scientists observing them believed. Many government and military officials were at first doubtful…again. And citizens around the globe, already used to the first visit, thought these were new visitors. They had every right to believe so. The ships were quite different. Instead of the silver cylinders of before, these ships were designed like something seen in a bad 1950s sci-fi movie: round black discs rotating with a steady central section that bulged on top with a clear glass dome.
Now, many thought this was a joke, until they began to land in the exact same locations as the earlier ships. Once again, the military was called out; pundits, artists, philosophers and religious leaders gave their predictions. But the scientists observing these new ships were more concerned about how they arrived. They tried, as before, to trace the flight paths of the ships. They had just suddenly appeared around the planet once more.
It was as if they had always been there.
And then they spoke for one last time. This was broadcast into every language through every computer, radio, television, cellphone and other electronic devices. This is what they said:
“Hello, um…it’s us.
“We have returned with new ships because they seemed to be forms that would make you more comfortable with our presence. Those first ships were just observers. And we did observe.
“All we wanted to do was to observe and learn. You have been cut off from the rest of the universe for such a long time because we were not sure that you could handle the knowledge.
“And it seems you can’t.
“Seriously, graffiti? We know what that stuff is. It’s not some tribute to us or even very nice work. We have studied your history through your satellites and signals, so we know what you mean with that painting.
“Don’t bother trying to solve the great mystery of how we got here. We teleported our ships here centuries ago and paid attention. We have seen you develop yourselves, your tools, civilizations, all your discoveries, wars, crimes, moments of glory. And we saw you finally making it into outer space with all that equipment (you should really try to clean up after yourselves, by the way). And you still behave like bad children. Why?
“So sad.
“Oh, and don’t worry about what we look like. You couldn’t handle it.
“Now, here is what we are going to do…”
It was a long list. The aliens spoke for almost an hour in all the languages of the planet. Most listeners grew bored after the first ten minutes. Some decided to record the message. What was clear was that the visitors, the aliens that had lived among them for many years, were very angry. And they were done with the Earth.
In the newspapers, magazines, news reports broadcast over the next few weeks, most of the headlines covered the decisions made by the aliens with the exact same tone. Some of the headlines and title segments were the following:
Alien Life Rejects Earth
Earth: No Go Zone
The Final Frontier (No, Really)
The Hate from Outer Space
Again, scientists tried to trace the aliens; find some sort of way of communicating, but this just led to frustration and dead air. Artists, politicians, philosophers, writers and religious leaders tried to provide comfort to the public, but too many people found it too difficult to accept that the first real contact with alien life led to their collective shunning by the rest of the universe. Attendance at religious ceremonies plummeted; philosophers went back into obscurity; many writers found former bestsellers now in remainder bins. But people continued to look at the sky. They wanted to see the flying saucers again.
With China offering to buy the VW plants that are closing, should Germany just give in and let China control their car industry and economy as they have given everything to China for 40 years?
I think this is a great question, but it is late and I am ready for bed.
So I shall put this one thought up there and come back to it in the morning.
Germany has been thoroughly crushed by the West over its refusal to back Ukraine in the American adventure in that country. Germany has a visceral hatred of Nazi’s. They also remember who kicked their ass in WWII. Also the German car industry has been playing fast and loose with our money and rules over the past 15 years, including writing software to void pollution standards, cars that barely last the lease period and care that are getting more and more expensive by the hour.
Germany has two choices, Join the Chinese in building cars on German soil with German workers. Or go broke.
If I were to choose a friend, ally and business partner for the 21st century, I think it would be China. At some point we need to re-industrialise the west, and with China’s help Germany could be leading the way.
Mexico folded under threat of tariffs, giving into Trump’s request that they secure their border with 10,000 military troops. Why didn’t any of the super-genius economists predict this?
Mexico “folded”? Hahaha estás pendejo, amigo.
Let’s see what happened:
Trump announced his tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China (partners #1, 2, and 3, so well over half of all imports and exports and impacting almost all of the US economy) over the weekend, when the markets were closed.
I guess he thought he was being clever.
He wasn’t.
Exactly as the economists predicted, this immediately caused a flash crash (which was well on its way to continue and turn into a “Black Monday” event) in the overwhelming majority of US stocks upon market open (and the Mexican Peso dropped 2% against the USD).
Here, can you guess when the phone calls to Mexico and Canada were made? It’s dead easy to see.
So while Trump was in the phone call and everyone was watching the US economy crash (after they all told him over the weekend it would and he didn’t listen because of course he didn’t), Mexico committed to placing 10,000 Mexican troops at the border.
“Undoing everything Biden did” (some of which was quite good, like lowering drug prices, and yet got rescinded by executive order) meant he didn’t really read things closely. If he had read closely he would have seen that under Biden, they had 15,000.
Panicked that he broke something (which he did), and in a tremendous hurry (which he was), Trump agreed.
So now Mexico can dedicate 5,000 less troops.
But that’s not the coolest part.
The coolest part is that the call did something huge for Mexico.
Because on this same phone call, Mexico also got a commitment from Trump to stop the flow of guns fueling crime in order for Mexico not to retaliate with tariffs of her own immediately.
Now of course, since stopping the gun flow South is as hard-to-impossible as stopping the drug flow North (we all know that all these all-or-nothing requests are fantasies and it’s a bit like trying to trade a unicorn for a griffin, right?), neither will get fully done, ever.
Except now, the US is completely and singularly on the hook and to blame in the exact same way they put Mexico singularly on the hook and was blamed for all drug trafficking and migration issues for all these years.
And now, just like Trump does, Mexico has a tit-for-tat pressing political reason to add tariffs – reason to which Trump agreed. And since Trump just opened the door for forcing countries to change policy for political reasons… Expect the 11 countries in Latin America that are coordinating response with Mexico to start doing the same (get rid of the Honduras base! Do this! Do that! or we’ll impose tariffs on US products all over LatAm!). Not all will work out, but it will be a constant headache and a constant multi country economic threat – against US product exports – for at least as long as he’s around wrecking the place.
And of course, Trump agreeing this is a huge problem that is killing people and agreeing to help fix it on a phone call in the first place bolsters Mexico’s huge lawsuits in US courts against US gun manufacturers.
Heck, they could call the stable genius to testify directly, in the knowledge he’s probably on tape admitting it.
From Courthouse News Service – Mexico Opens two front war on US Guns:
“For the first time, the U.S. government will work jointly to avoid the entry of guns to Mexico,” Sheinbaum said during a news conference Monday.
According to the article, part of the legal argument is a claim that Colt is marketing the guns to drug traffickers, in full knowledge that they will end up in Mexico, where they are illegal. Colt’s special-edition handguns like the Super “El Jefe” pistol or the “Emiliano Zapata 1911” pistol are recent proofs of that.
If this sounds like the same (successful) argument as Joe Camel illegally marketing to kids even if they claim they did cartoons “because adults also like cartoons of camels”, it’s because it is.
You were always a jackass, Joe. And so is the Emiliano Zapata revolver.
Face it, thrall, with the US economy in a complete free-fall, Sheinbaum calmly and matter-of-factly took Trump onto the mat, grabbed him by the short-hairs and forced him to sing like a canary so she’d let go.
And she didn’t even have to get angry and take off her chancla.
Trump walked out with less than what the US had under Biden (but rescinded with his own orders out of spite, like he did all of Biden’s work), got the tariffs delayed a month so Mexico’s “Plan B” on massive retaliatory tariffs (which she only partially revealed, while hinting at further economic and also political measures) can get even more advanced, and then gave some more concessions of US clamping down on the Gun Lobby and “oppressing” US gun owners (to investigate and stop the over 200,000 illegal weapons that are smuggled a year using US citizen straw purchasers) across the entire set of US border states: Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas. Basically the same impossible task as asking Mexico to stop the flow of migrants and drugs over 4 states.
And a Republican president will have to try to convince his rabid 2nd amendment base to restrict something (background checks and some of the sensible Democrat plans on gun control may be fairly effective, for example, but they hate that).
This is a first. No US president had ever acknowledged the damage US guns do to Mexico (or any other country including the US, really, because plenty of terrible conflict has come about through the wrong people heavily armed; ask anyone who’s ever survived a school shooting) because they knew they’d be held legally and monetarily responsible along with the gun industry if they did anything more than offer “thoughts and prayers” (sound familiar?).
Not Clinton, Not Bush, Certainly not Obama (especially during the Fast & Furious operation where the government illegally aided in smuggling them themselves and caused deaths), Not Trump 45, Not Biden. Nobody said “yes, it is on us, yes we will fix it”. They all gave platitudes with no plan.
But Trump just committed to it, under a Mexican threat of counter tariffs that he had been told about since Sheinbaum’s November letter (he was told even the guns part), but somehow still did not see coming on that call, which was urgent to Trump, but Sheinbaum had all day (never negotiate under time pressure – I wonder if that’s in his dumb book).
And did we mention he has a month to do it, as per his own tariff timeline?
And now he’ll never be able to talk about the Southern border on immigration or drugs again without Sheinbaum blasting him for his failure to stopping the gun flow south as he had agreed on the February 3rd, 2025 famous and very public phone call.
Mexico’s peso is now doing slightly (0.65%) better against the USD than as it was doing a week ago, but the Dow hasn’t fully recovered from the weekend’s idiocy, it’s down 0.74% for the week.
Not only that, Mexico’s lawsuit seeking injunctions and compensatory monetary damages from US gun manufacturers for the cartel murders in Mexico is looking way better, now that the top official in the nation agreed with her position.
And that’s even without counting his other panicked call, with the guy that threatened to cut electricity to the US East Coast and stopped all US booze sales in the Great White in a weekend, and within mere hours.
“El arte de la negociación”/ “L’art de la négociation”
In only 45 panicked minutes with the Dow tanking because he shot himself in the foot, he lost to two countries in simple phone calls.
Do you think he used a “Colt Emiliano Zapata 1911″?
And the end result, at least on the Mexico call, was.. less than ideal for him.
You do know how these… work, right?
ETA: As of early Februrary 2025, Egg prices are sky high and continue to climb all across the US. In the SF Bay Area they are hovering around $10–13 a dozen. In Canada, they’re a little over $6.80. In Mexico they’re $1.84.
The administration will say it’s the bird flu outbreak. And while it could be, the bottom line is today we really don’t know how that is going, because the Federal Government no longer gives infection data as per Trump’s gag order on all agencies. But that the price is going up rather than down, and that there’s panic purchases, is undeniable.
But even if that was the case, in times when you are not picking fights with all your neighbors and partners, the US would be able to purchase eggs from either one – or both – of its partners (and the UK, and other places) to resolve the crisis. Instead, egg orders are being exported from Mexico to Spain, Colombia, Italy and Morocco, and Canada is exporting to Brazil and France instead. Nobody knows if there will be tariffed or if it will become more trouble than it’s worth, so they just.. go sell somewhere else. Yes, already. Even the threat of a tariff is inflationary.
It gives a good snapshot of what happens when rather than remaining friendly so your farms are part of an economic ecosystem, you choose protectionism and to pick fights with your friends because you see everything as a zero-sum for the owners of the companies instead of trying to lower prices for the people using free markets.
So yes, this egg thing, much as he’d like to continue blaming everything on Biden forever, is part of Trump’s economy now. He’s keeping you in the dark about the details of why things are so much more expensive, and making sure you don’t get relief. These things are on purpose.
But he won’t tell you. Trump, as we say in Mexico, “lacks eggs” (this time literally and figuratively). And he especially lacks eggs to tell his partners (and his supporters) that he lacks eggs.
What were the most surprising discoveries made by test pilots who flew captured enemy aircraft in WW2?
One of the most famous incidents of enemy aircraft being captured and flown by opposing forces during World War II was the capture and use of American P-51 Mustangs and B-17 Flying Fortresses by Nazi Germany. The Germans had a specialized unit for this purpose called the Zirkus Rosarius (Rosarius Circus), that was tasked with evaluating captured Allied aircraft. In the UK the Air Fighting Development Unit, and the Allied Technical Air Intelligence Unit were used for evaluating Axis aircraft during the war.
The Soviet Union was able to capture several B-29’s and reverse engineer them into the Tu-4 Bomber.
The capture of a Focke-Wulf Fw-190 by the Allies was a significant intelligence victory during World War II. In June 1942, Oberleutnant Armin Faber, a German pilot, accidentally landed an Fw-190A-3 at RAF Pembrey in Wales. This mistake handed the British a fully operational aircraft to study. Testing revealed the Fw-190’s excellent roll rate and powerful engine but also exposed its weaknesses, such as poor high-altitude performance in early variants. This allowed Allied pilots to adjust their tactics, avoiding horizontal maneuvers and forcing engagements at higher altitudes, where Allied planes like the Spitfire Mk IX had the edge.
A representation of Fw-190 A3.
The Fw-190’s design influenced improvements in Allied aircraft. The exceptional roll rate of the Fw-190 inspired modifications to Allied fighter designs to improve agility. The Fw-190’s radial engine performance was analyzed, leading to insights that benefited Allied aircraft like the Grumman F6F Hellcat and the P-47 Thunderbolt, Allied pilots were also impressed by the speed, maneuverability, and climb rate of the Bf-109 and Fw-190. The Fw-190, in particular, surprised test pilots with its excellent roll rate and rugged construction. The testing led to changes in Allied fighter tactics to counter these aircraft effectively.
Messerschmitt Me 262
After the war ended, the Allies tested the Me 262, the world’s first operational jet fighter, in great detail. Its speed and power were unmatched at the time, but test flights revealed considerable operational challenges, such as unreliable engines, long takeoff runs, and poor low-speed handling. The study of German jets also helped accelerate postwar jet technology, influencing aircraft like the Gloster Meteor and later Cold War designs. During World War II, numerous test pilots from the Allies flew captured enemy aircraft to uncover their performance characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses. These flights provided invaluable insights and occasionally led to surprising discoveries about enemy technology and tactics.
The Zero stunned Allied pilots with its extraordinary maneuverability, range, and climb rate, which were achieved through extremely light construction and lack of armor. The Zero’s innovative use of combat flaps enhanced its maneuverability at low speeds, a feature that intrigued Allied engineers. Its exceptional range (due to fuel-efficient engines and drop tanks) was a revelation. The deliberate design choices explained how the Japanese were able to project airpower over such vast distances early in the war. Before testing the Zero, there was an overestimation of its durability and firepower. Once test pilots flew it, they realized it was much more vulnerable than previously thought, which altered Allied tactics and helped save the lives of countless number of Allied pilots.
Mitsubishi A6M3 Zero Model 22
The Arado Ar-234 was the world’s first jet powered bomber and it too surprised Allied test pilots. It introduced innovations such as pressurized cockpits, advanced autopilots, and ejection seats, which were far ahead of their time. After the war ended, two aircraft were shipped to the USA. One of the them was reassembled by the United States Navy at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, for testing, but was found to be in unflyable condition and scrapped. The second aircraft was transferred to Wright Field in Ohio and delivered to the Accelerated Service Test Maintenance Squadron of the Flight Test Division in 1946. Flight testing was completed in 1946 though the aircraft remained at Wright Field until 1947.
Arado Ar-234
The Horten Ho-229 flying wing was perhaps the most enigmatic aircraft of the World War II era. Its radical design, advanced technology, and potential continue to fascinate and inspire generations of aviation enthusiasts. While the true story of the Horten Ho 229 remains buried in mystery, its pioneering achievement in aviation design is undeniable. The Ho-229 was a precursor to modern stealth aircraft. Test pilots and engineers who examined it after the war were impressed by its design, which reduced radar signature. Although it was not flown in combat, its concepts still influence aviation to this day. In February 1945 the only surviving V2 test aircraft was destroyed in a crash, killing its test pilot.
Artist’s concept of the aircraft. The nearly complete H.IX V3 prototype was captured by the American military and shipped to the United States under Operation Paperclip.
The Italian Macchi C.202 and C.205 were highly maneuverable, beautifully designed aircraft with excellent high-altitude performance. However, captured aircraft revealed that many Italian planes suffered from weak armament compared to Allied and German counterparts, limiting their effectiveness.
Allied test pilots examined Soviet Yakovlev Yak-3 and Lavochkin La-5 Soviet planes in considerable detail. These aircraft were often provided via Lend-Lease evaluations or through captured examples. The Allied pilots found them to be quite rugged, simple designs that possessed the ability to perform well in harsh environments.
The Soviet Yak-3 was s successful combat aircraft. Many of these were captured by Germany.
The P-51, one of the most advanced fighter aircraft of the war, was captured on multiple occasions. These Mustangs were repaired and test-flown by the Germans, providing valuable insights into Allied technology. The Germans painted these planes with distinctive markings to avoid friendly fire. The Germans captured and repurposed several B-17 bombers, nicknamed “Dornier Do 200” by the Luftwaffe. They used these to infiltrate Allied bomber formations and gather intelligence or spread confusion. Pilots sometimes flew these captured bombers to get close enough to Allied formations for attacks.
On the Pacific front, Japan captured several Allied aircraft, including the P-40 Warhawk and B-17 Flying Fortress. These were also studied and occasionally flown for evaluation. Several crashed B-29’s were also examined in detail by Japanese engineers, but none of these was captured in a flyable condition.
One of the most well-documented episodes was Operation Frantic in June 1944, during which German forces captured several Allied aircraft that landed in Soviet-controlled Ukraine after bombing raids. The Luftwaffe used these to improve their tactics against Allied airpower. These captured aircraft provided crucial intelligence and training opportunities for both sides, but their use was relatively limited due to the logistical challenges of maintaining foreign planes
Brandied Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
- 4 boned and skinned chicken breasts
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Ground pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon tarragon leaves
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/3 cup apricot brandy
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup sour cream
Instructions
- Mix flour, salt, pepper, tarragon, dredge chicken in flour mixture.
- Melt butter, and fry chicken until browned.
- Add brandy, then flame.
- Add broth, and simmer covered 10 minutes or until done.
- Add sour cream, warm through and serve.
Aha, Metallicman’s also a poet, in addition to his many other areas of expertise, I’m sure. Coincidentally, poetry is something I’ve been thinking a lot about myself, recently, after re-reading Yeats’ A Vision for the umpteenth time. (Tackle Per Amica Silentia Lunae first, for anyone who’s interested, in which Yeats lays out his theory of poetry, alongside a great many other opinions, too– A Vison followed up on these ideas later, and then some– but certainly not for the faint of heart). For Yeats, the Great Poet is a man at Peace with the World, but at War with Himself – an adept of donning The Mask – and well acquainted with his anti-self; of uniting the Shadow with the Light. I’ve always been a dabbler in prose, myself– of which Yeats is a master, too– but the older I get I must admit a draw back to poetry again. Way back in school, sappy Shakespearean Sonnets and Wordsworthian reveries always interested me, but the poet is also a master of other realms, too, I’m discovering– definitely not for sharing with innocent schoolboys for the most part, it seems in hindsight– and some of them work in their own flesh and blood, not just with paper and parchment. I suspect Metallicman’s of the latter type, who turned from admiring himself in The Mirror years ago, and took up a Meditation on his Mask instead– a much worthier occupation, if I do say so myself. And Yeats would agree, because there, the Dragons also be.