Here’s a story that I never tire about relating.
My maternal grandmother had a stroke and was “not all together there”. But she lived alone and was living in her house. My aunties lived down the street from her, and would constantly check up on her a few times a day.
Now, this story occurred when a factory was closing down. There used to be a big factory that made spaghetti noodles in Pittsburgh that was closing down. And they were offering their warehouse of noodles at unbelievably low prices, and my aunties and my mother went to that factory and bought a “shit load” of spaghetti noodles.
Well, what they did was take all the cases of spaghetti noodles and drop them off at my grandmothers house in the living room to store. Then they went to get something to eat. Fully figuring, of course, to return and take the noodles home when they left the city.
So they went and got a nice meal and then after that returned to my grandmother’s house to pick up the spaghetti noodles.
And when they went inside they had the shock of their lives.
My grandmother had cooked up all the cases of spaghetti.
She had used every pot and pan in the house and had cooked spaghetti noodles everywhere. The kitchen, hallways were overflowing. Pots of noodles were on the steps, in the bathtub, and on plates on the couch. Even the bed had plates of spaghetti.
Needless to say…
…yeah no one was happy about that event.
And my mother really didn’t like to talk about it. And it must have been a very bad memory for her, but to me it was the funniest thing that I have ever heard.
Anyways, on to today…
Mexico President WARNS United States Against Military Action
Mexico President Sheinbaum declares any US attack on ‘drug cartels’ will be considered an Act of War!
[HT REMARK: Translation: “I work for the Cartels”]“Mexico is a free, independent and sovereign country, and no foreign government would dare to violate our sovereignty,” Sheinbaum declared.
Friday morning, Sheinbaum clear “As I’ve said: any attempt, we have the national anthem, [el cielo] un soldado en cada hijo te dio,” she said.
The English translation of that line of the (bellicose) Mexican national anthem is “heaven gave you a soldier in every son.”
Have you ever had a neighbor who believed they had free reign of your property?
When I grew up, I had the best neighbors. They owned miles and miles of great land for a kid to explore, and they treated me like their own kids. I know what an impression that made on me.
Now I have great land, and some of the worlds best neighbors. I have told them all that they should feel free to enjoy my land like it was their own. I just asked them not to hunt, not because of any moral convictions, but just because I don’t want anyone, especially my wife or I accidentally shot.
My neighbors treat my property better than I do.
In return, I have access to their property.
So my neighbors feel that they have free reign of my property, because I told them that they can.
I want to point out that this only holds true for family and friends. Strangers are not welcome.
Women want you as their sl@ve but men are waking up to it and walking off the plantation.
Can India potentially produce its own semiconductors like China has done?
Just to make chips? Sure. Even Singapore can do that.
But making chips the way China is pursuing? No.
Why?
If we think about it, there are 3 main bottlenecks in chipmaking, especially advanced chipmaking.
One. Specialized tools. These are mostly monopolized by the west today. There are several hundred processes that are run through separate machines to tap out a chip design made on specialized software. Throw in a sophisticated HVAC system for better than OR levels of hygiene.
Two. Very pure chemicals and raw materials. Chip-grade materials are next-level in terms of spec. Merely finding the equipment and expertise to certify the levels of purity demanded is a challenge.
Three. Engineering talent. A chip fab probably contains more post-graduates per capita than any other factory. Quite a number are phds with decades of experience. The machines and processes they operate are so complex that skills are not easily transferable along the same production line.
At this point, no country has all three pieces of the puzzle. For example, taiwan has the talent, but depends on Japan for chemicals and the US and Europe for tools.
China will in the 2030s build a sufficiently complete and independent chip fabrication eco-system that is immune to sanction and blockade. It will be the first nation in the 21st century to own the tools, materials and talent necessary for domestic chip production from mature to cutting edge.
At this point, I don’t think even the US at 30t gdp is capable of reaching china’s goal.
Louie the Lame
Submitted into Contest #279 in response to: Write a story about someone confronting their worst nightmare.… view prompt
Michael Jefferson
“You have been modest about your accomplishments during the war, General Vauban.”
“I do not consider it an accomplishment to have conducted mass slaughter, your grace.”
“But you did it in Arbanon’s name. You are a hero.”
“I do not feel heroic. There is a pit several miles from your father’s castle containing a hundred dead rebel peasants. We shot them, the old, children, and women, and they were buried immediately. Some of them were still alive.”
“You saved Arbanon. You defeated Prince Rudolph’s army and drove his followers out. You restored the monarchy and saved my castle…”
“It could not have been done without collateral damage, Nicholas,” Pendre says.
The carriage comes to a halt in Castle Cerdan’s courtyard. Exiting the carriage, King Louis sighs at the sight of the collapsed walls, shell holes, and scattered debris.
“Home again.”
“Do not lament, sire. Castle Cerdan’s restoration is well on its way,” Latorche says. “You have the important task of restoring law and order.”
***
King Louis looks up at cannons stationed on the cliffs near Castle Cerdan. The guns are pointed at Captain Hans Jodl’s ship, the Terror.
King Louis and his generals gather on the Terror’s deck. King Louis can barely contain his joy, smiling broadly as Jodl picks up the pen. Jodl’s hand remains poised over the surrender document as he reads it for the third time.
His skin tanned and creased from years at sea, the bulky, bearded Captain is the highest-ranking remaining member of the Naxon military.
“Fitting that the man who killed my father and damaged Castle Cerdan is now at our mercy,” King Louis says to Nicholas. “It is a shame the terms of surrender include allowing him to live.”
Jodl grimaces as he signs the document. He moves to shake the General’s hands. Eugene Latorche gives Jodl a limp handshake, then looks at his hand as if it were covered in dung. Andre Pendre stiffens, refusing to shake Yodl’s hand. Nicholas shakes Jodl’s hand, and the two men salute each other.
Jodl gives King Louis a disrespectful smirk, refusing to bow.
“Insolence, even in defeat, Jodl,” King Louis says.
“My greatest regret is that the shell that tore your father apart spared you.”
***
“You would think he had won the war,” King Louis sneers as they watch the Terror leave the dock.
“Captain Jodl is a proud and brave man,” Nicholas comments.
“Then why is he still a Captain?” King Louis asks.
“Jodl offered our men a chance to surrender and abandon their ships before he sank them. He took prisoners. His fellow officers refused to.”
“He’s going to regret insulting me and killing my father.”
King Louis waves his scepter.
The cannons fire in unison. Dozens of shells hit the Terror, turning the ship into an inferno.
Two of the Terror’s cannons fire back in defiance. The shells obliterate the tower containing the King’s chambers.
“My poor castle!” Louis laments.
An explosion rips the Terror apart. When the thick grey smoke clears, all that remains of the Terror is splintered wood and a few scorched flags.
“That was a risky move, Your Majesty,” Nicholas says. “We are still sorting out which peasants were loyal to the crown during the war and who supported Prince Rudolph. If the Terror had escaped, Jodl would have spread the word that you had reneged on the peace agreement. He could have started a rebellion.”
“It would have taken a miracle for Jodl to elude sixty cannons,” King Louis replies. “Besides, Admiral Pottier has six frigates stationed at the mouth of the river. Now, we will deal with the traitor who plunged us into war.”
***
King Louis squirms uneasily on the throne, surveying the concerned crowd of generals, knights, and noblemen.
Nicholas stands by his side.
Nicholas studies the short, red-haired, freckled, reed-thin fifteen-year-old monarch, noting that Louis’ hands are shaking and his feet, which don’t reach the floor, are swaying haphazardly back and forth.
“May I offer some advice on governing, Your Majesty?”
“I welcome it.”
“Move forward, plant your feet firmly on the ground, and wrap your hands around the arms of the throne for support. Then clear your throat and speak with authority. Shall we begin?”
A nearby guard blows a trumpet. Vexor, the court’s former mage, is brought into the throne room in chains.
No one has seen Vexor since the war between Arbanon and Naxon ended three months ago. Vexor’s dark beard now has flecks of grey, and his once sturdy frame is threadlike, but his coal-black, hypnotic stare has lost none of its intimidating luster.
Vexor betrayed Arbanon by backing Prince Rudolph of Naxon’s attempt to conquer neighboring Arbanon. Rudolph promised Vexor that he could rule Arbanon once Naxon took control of the country. Vexor railed groups of peasants chaffing under King Wallace’s tight-fisted rule to join in a war against their own people. The mage then created a potion that made Rudolph’s smaller army invincible for ten hours. The Naxon’s conquered most of the countryside, their army and Arbanon sympathizers trapping King Wallace in his castle. But Nicholas’s soldiers held off Rudolph’s men at the castle gates long enough for the potion to wear off. Joined by Generals Pendre and Latorche and their soldiers, the Arbanon troops routed the Naxon invaders. On his deathbed, King Wallace made Louis promise that no harm would come to the mage who had served him faithfully for thirty years and made the mistake of lusting for power.
Louis looks away from Vexor’s malevolent stare.
“That crown does not fit you, boy.”
“My father made me promise to spare you, and I will, so long as you tell me where Prince Rudolph is hiding.”
“Your father’s soft heart was always his greatest fault, even more than your soft head,” Vexor returns. “That is why your people call you Louie the Lame.”
“Keep a civil tongue, wizard, or I will have it cut out,” King Louis says.
Vexor huffs. “Put a crown on a boy’s head, and he thinks he’s a man.”
Nicholas grabs Vexor by the throat. “Where is he?”
“Perhaps he lies in an unmarked mass grave with his soldiers and his Arbanon supporters. Maybe I cast him into the ether to protect him. Perhaps he has fled to the far reaches of the world to gather more troops to overthrow you.”
“You will need leverage against Vexor to make him speak,” Pendre advises.
“He has a little girl,” Latorche adds.
“I do not wish to involve a child.”
“You were a child, too, until a few months ago,” Latorche replies. “Today, you are a man, a king, and you must rule like one.”
Louis looks into Vexor’s mocking stare. “If you do not tell me where Prince Rudolph is, your daughter will burn alongside you tomorrow at dawn.”
***
The sun begins to rise over the horizon. King Louis looks grimly at Vexor and his eight-year-old daughter, Delphine, who are firmly tied to stakes in the courtyard. In addition to the King’s court, hundreds of curious villagers watch as Louis says, “Tell me where Prince Rudolph is hiding. Tell me, for Delphine’s sake.”
“Say nothing, Papa,” Delphine says defiantly.
“You cannot burn a child, your grace,” Nicholas says.
“Watch me.”
Pendre strokes his beard. “Today’s innocent child is tomorrow’s full-grown enemy,”
“Burn them!” Latorche yells, and the crowd chants in condemnation with him.
King Louis waves his hand, looking away.
Two guards holding torches touch off the piles of straw beneath the stakes.
Delphine screams as the flames begin to lick at her legs.
“Be brave, girl. Remember, a mage never truly dies…,” Vexor says. “I curse you, King Louie the Lame… I curse your court, your generals, and their families… Let the river deliver my vengeance!”
Delphine screams wretchedly as her burnt flesh slides off her bones.
A dense fog engulfs the courtyard. When it dissipates, Vexor is gone.
***
A week later, Nicholas and his attaché, Captain Claude Provost, watch King Louis and the court’s new mage, Lara, conduct an animated conversation on the parapet.
Claude may be ten years younger than Nicholas, but the strain of the Naxon War has turned his hair grey and stooped his short stature.
Lara flips back her waist-length hair, laughing giddily.
“Is she flirting with him?” Claude wonders.
“It’s never too early to get on the line to be Queen,” Nicholas replies.
Claude groans. “If she gains his favor, we will be under the command of children.”
“I think Lara will be an asset,” Nicholas replies. “She is more cunning than her seventeen years suggests.”
King Louis turns toward them, yelling, “Something strange is happening to the river!”
An enormous ball of fog moves up the river.
A sailing ship shrouded in black emerges, drifting close to the shoreline. A crew of men, their clothes as pitch black as the ship, stand on the deck, their bottomless eyes focused on the parapet.
King Louis’ skinny frame shivers. “I do not like the look of those men.”
“The ship flies the colors of the House of Latorche,” Claude notes.
“Is General Latorche still in the castle?” Nicholas asks.
“He’s having breakfast with his staff.”
“Tell him to report to the King immediately and bring a spyglass!”
As Claude dashes off, King Louis asks, “Do you think Latorche is rebelling against me?”
“If he is, he will be the first prisoner we take.”
King Louis gasps. “That man in the beard and cap is staring at me!”
“You are wearing a rather conspicuous crown, Your Majesty,” Lara points out.
King Louis yanks the crown off his head, tossing it to a bewildered Lara.
A breathless Latorche reaches the parapet, followed by Claude.
He salutes King Louis with his remaining arm.
“What manner of treason is this, General?” King Louis demands.
“I do not understand, Your Majesty…”
“That ship! Do you intend to fire upon my castle to get me to abdicate?”
“No! I have nothing to do with that ship!”
“It flies your family’s flag.”
“A calculated move to get you to lose favor in me, Your Majesty.”
“It is working, Latorche.”
Claude hands King Louis a spyglass. Louis looks at the ship, shivering.
“It is the Terror! And Jodl is standing on the deck! He is alive! Vexor’s curse has come true!”
Nicholas looks through the spyglass. “There is movement on board.”
The crewmen lift several objects covered in canvas onto the deck.
They unravel the canvases, revealing the severely burned bodies of a woman and two children.
Nicholas hands Latorche the spyglass. His remaining arm shakes as he looks at the bodies.
“That is my wife! My children! I left them at home only hours ago! Permission to be excused, Your Majesty!”
Without waiting for a response, Latorche bolts toward the exit.
“I think Latorche plotted with Vexor to kill me,” Louis says. “But once a traitor, always a traitor. It appears Vexor has double-crossed the General and kidnapped his family. Murderers do not tell the truth.”
“Your Majesty is learning quickly,” Nicholas returns. Turning to Claude, he says, “Get a detail of men and follow Latorche, but do it discreetly.”
A dense fog rolls in, obscuring their view of the Terror.
“If those men are here to overthrow me. I want to see them. Can you lift the fog, Lara?”
Closing her eyes, Lara chants, “Flare, Ventus!”
A strong gust of wind blows the fog away. When the sky clears, the Terror is gone.
***
Spotting smoke above the trees, Claude and the soldiers push their horses, speeding to General Latorche’s house. The two-story villa is engulfed in flames.
Coughing, his uniform and face smudged, Latorche stumbles out of the blaze carrying his son. Laying his son’s lifeless body in the grass next to his daughter, he staggers back toward the house.
Claude steps in front of him. “You cannot go back in there! It is an inferno! You will be killed!”
Latorche gags, coughing out, “My wife is still in there!”
“Then let me send some of my men in.”
“No. It is my responsibility.”
“…Please, General…”
“I have to answer for what I have done.”
Latorche disappears behind a veil of fire and smoke.
Moments later, the house collapses.
***
The following day, Nicholas and Claude watch the sunrise.
“Eugene Latorche burned hundreds of helpless partitioners to death and died in a fire…”
“Some would call that justice,” Claude replies.
“True. Unfortunately, we are not in a position to advocate such an ironic point of view. If Latorche’s family was not actually on board the Terror, then what we saw was an omen.”
“Do you think the Terror will return?” Claude asks.
“We will know very soon.”
King Louis and Lara rush onto the parapet.
Louis shivers. “Please tell me it is not happening again.”
A ball of fog forms over the river.
The swirling mist takes on the form of the Terror.
“They are flying white flags with a gold cross,” Claude says.
“That is a crucifix, and it is part of General Pendre’s coat of arms,” Nicholas notes.
Captain Jodl points to the hold. Two crewmen open it.
A heavyset woman, her face a mask of tears, emerges.
The crewmen guide her to the Terror’s mainmast.
A crewman holding a rope climbs the mast. He ties the rope to the mast and throws it down to Jodl, who fashions a noose.
Pleading for mercy, the woman is placed on a tall crate.
“Who is that woman?” Louis asks.
“Pendre’s wife, Josette. Claude, you and I are riding to the General’s villa.”
The quartet winces as Captain Jodl kicks the crate away. King Louis covers his eyes as Josette’s body dances wildly, her eyes bulging and her face turning pale.
The Terror disappears behind a wall of fog when Josette takes her last breath.
***
Nicholas and Claude find the door to General Pendre’s home open. His aide, Maurice, is pacing back and forth, crying, and muttering to himself.
Seeing Nicholas and Claude, he shrieks, “Thank God you are here! We came back from fox hunting, laughing, expecting to have lunch with Josette. We found her in the greenhouse… She was… hanging from a rafter, her neck broken, her face a ghostly shade of white… I sent the maid to fetch her family… When I went back to the greenhouse…”
Maurice sways, fainting.
Nicholas and Claude carry Maurice to a couch.
Nicholas calls out General Pendre’s name as they head to the greenhouse.
They freeze in the doorway.
Pendre’s body hangs next to Josette’s.
***
King Louis looks down from the parapet at the cannons lined along the river’s edge. “A volley of shells from sixty cannons should send that ghost ship back to the netherworld.”
Nicholas and Lara pass concerned looks.
Claude surveys the horizon. “Almost dawn. Any second now.”
A ball of fog envelops the river.
The Terror emerges farther away from shore than before, making it harder to discern Captain Jodl and his crew’s actions.
King Louis looks at the ship through a spyglass. He clutches at his throat, so frightened he can scarcely utter, “…The flags… The Terror is flying my family’s coat of arms…”
Louis shakes as he signals for the cannons to fire. Dozens of shells hit the Terror but are absorbed into its shadowy hull. They tear through the sails, which instantly knit themselves together again.
The cannons continue to fire until they are shrouded in smoke, and the smell of gunpowder fills the air.
Claude receives a message from the riverfront. “Captain Moreau says our guns are running out of ammunition.”
“Have the men fall back to the castle,” Nicholas orders.
“And leave their artillery behind?”
“We will need them to protect the King.”
Nicholas points at the river.
The Terror’s rowboats are heading toward the shore.
How to Make Homemade Hostess Pies
Kitchen tools, gourmet foods, baking mixes, and hard-to-find baking ingredients mentioned in this article are available at The Prepared Pantry.
by Dennis Weaver
When I was a kid, after school my friends and I would trek over to the little neighborhood grocery and stock up on goodies before catching the bus. I only remember buying two things: Ice cream sandwiches and little Hostess fruit pies. They’re simple. You can make a batch of six little pies faster than you can make your favorite pie recipe. I still like the little pies but I like homemade better.
How to create your own little cream pies
It’s fun to experiment with these little pies. You can use fresh fruit or a pastry filling. Pastry fillings are quick, easy, and economical.
For a long time, we made little pies like lemon, apple, and blueberry—straight-up fruit pies. Then we discovered Bavarian cream and cream cheese fillings and started making fruit and cream pies. Now they are our favorites. We’ve made blueberry cream cheese, blueberry lemon, mixed berries and cream, banana cream, and peaches and cream pies.
You can add Bavarian cream or cream cheese fillings to fresh fruit too. A peaches and cream little pie is scrumptious. So is fresh or frozen raspberries and cream. So is cherries and cream cheese.
We make our pies in batches of six. We use a just-add-water pie crust mix because it makes a great pie crust simply and quickly. Two cups of mix and 1/3 cup + one tablespoon cold water is perfect for six little pies. Add the water and beat with paddle attachment in your stand-type mixer for about a minute. You pie crust will be as good as any bakeshop.
Since each pie requires 1/3 cup filling, we made 2 cups of filling. Our basic ratio of fruit to cream filling was one cup of each — so one cup of raspberries to one cup of Bavarian cream and one cup of blueberries to one cup of cream cheese filling.
Our peaches and cream pie was an exception. Because there is such a high moisture content in peaches, we used 1 1/2 cups of peaches to only 1/2 cup Bavarian cream. We didn’t have any fresh strawberries but we would use the same ratio with strawberries as with peaches.
We used both fresh fruit and individually frozen berries. We thawed the berries in the microwave before using them. The pies worked best with room temperature pastry filling.
• Step 1: Mix and roll out the pie crust.
• Step 2: Use a dough press to cut out six circles for the little pies.
• Step 3: Mix your filling—usually a combination of fruit and Bavarian cream or a packaged pie filling mix.
• Step 4: Place the circles in the press one at a time. Press about 1/3 cup filling into the center. Brush the edges with water and fold and crimp with press. Place them on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 16 minutes.
• Step 5: Mix up your icing using powdered sugar, a little water, and flavor. If you would like a hard shell on the frosting, add a couple tablespoons of meringue powder. Once you have moved the little pies from the pan to a rack to cool, frost them.
Do you have to use a dough press to make your little pies?
No, you can trace your circles with plate or a lid and then seal the edges with a fork but a press is handier, easier, and will create a surer seal. Here are the keys to using a press for your pies:
Keys to Using Your Dough Press
1. Just as your dough sticks to your counter, it will stick to the surface of your dough press. Dust your dough press with a little flour just as you dust the counter and your little pie will slip right out.
2. Don’t overfill your dough press. One-third cup filling will give you a nice, plump little pie. The concave surface of your dough press will cradle the filling so that it won’t spill as you close the lid.
3. Brush the edges of the dough with water with a pastry brush. You need wet surfaces so that the layers of dough will bind and seal.
4. Use a fork to poke three or four sets of venting holes in the crust. The filling will expand with steam as it bakes. Without venting holes, your little pie will split open.
5. Press firmly to seal the two edges together.
We used a quarter cup, spring loaded, ice cream scoop and filled it above the rim to approximate 1/3 cup of filling. That way, we could scoop and plop to load our pie shells quickly. Pretty nifty.
Raspberry and Cream Little Pies
You can make raspberry and cream little pies with either fresh or frozen raspberries or with raspberry pastry filling. This recipe uses pastry filling and makes very scrumptious pies.
With only two ingredients in the filling, this is super easy and quick.
Ingredients
- 2 cups just-add-water pie crust mix for six turnovers
- 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoons cold water
- 1 cup raspberry pastry filling
- 1 cup Bavarian cream at room temperature
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Mix the pie crust mix and water. Roll out the pie crust until it is just less than 1/4-inch thick.
- Use a dough press to cut out six circles for the little pies.
- Mix the raspberry filling and the Bavarian cream together.
- Place the circles in the press one at a time. Scoop about 1/3 cup filling into the center. Brush the edges with water and fold and crimp with press. Place the completed pie on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining five dough circles. Poke four sets of vent holes in each pie to allow steam to escape as the pies bake.
- Bake for about 16 minutes or the pies begin to brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool.
- For the icing: You may use whatever flavor you prefer: vanilla, brown sugar, caramel, orange, lemon, butter rum, butterscotch, or more. For these pies, we used brown sugar flavor.
- Make your icing by mixing 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar with 1 1/2 tablespoons meringue powder. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons water and 1/2 teaspoon flavor. Mix until smooth and spreadable adding more water as necessary. Do not make the frosting too thin. Drizzle the frosting over the completed apple pies using a disposable pastry bag or a zipper-type plastic bag with the corner cut.
Blueberries and Cream Cheese Little Pies
This recipe uses cream cheese filling instead of Bavarian cream but it is good with either. Again, with only two ingredients in the filling, this is super easy and quick.
Ingredients
- 2 cups just-add-water pie crust mix for six turnovers
- 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon cold water
- 1 cup individually frozen blueberries thawed in the microwave
- 1 cup cream cheese filling at room temperature
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Mix the pie crust mix and water. Roll out the pie crust until it is just less than 1/4-inch thick.
- Use a dough press to cut out six circles for the little pies.
- Mix the blueberries and the cream cheese filling together just until combined.
- Place the circles in the press one at a time. Scoop about 1/3 cup filling into the center. Brush the edges with water and fold and crimp with press. Place the completed pie on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining five dough circles. Poke four sets of vent holes in each pie to allow steam to escape as the pies bake.
- Bake for about 16 minutes or the pies begin to brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool.
- For the icing: You may use whatever flavor you prefer: vanilla, brown sugar caramel, orange, lemon, butter rum, butterscotch, or more. For these pies, we used lemon flavor.
- Make your icing by mixing 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar with 1 1/2 tablespoons meringue powder. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons water and 1/2 teaspoon flavor. Mix until smooth and spreadable adding more water as necessary. Do not make the frosting too thin. Drizzle the frosting over the completed apple pies using a disposable pastry bag or a zipper-type plastic bag with the corner cut.
Blueberries and Lemon Little Pies
We’ve always been partial to blueberries and lemon together. This recipe uses lemon filling with the blueberries. Again, with only two ingredients in the filling, this is super easy and quick.
Ingredients
- 2 cups just-add-water pie crust mix for six turnovers
- 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon cold water
- 1 cup individually frozen blueberries thawed in the microwave
- 1 cup lemon pastry filling at room temperature
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Mix the pie crust mix and water. Roll out the pie crust until it is just less than 1/4-inch thick.
- Use a dough press to cut out six circles for the little pies.
- Mix the lemon filling and blueberries together.
- Place the circles in the press one at a time. Scoop about 1/3 cup filling into the center. Brush the edges with water and fold and crimp with press. Place the completed pie on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining five dough circles. Poke four sets of vent holes in each pie to allow steam to escape as the pies bake.
- Bake for about 16 minutes or the pies begin to brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool.
- For the icing: You may use whatever flavor you prefer: vanilla, brown sugar caramel, orange, lemon, butter rum, butterscotch, or more. For these pies, we used lemon flavor.
- Make your icing by mixing 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar with 1 1/2 tablespoons meringue powder. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons water and 1/2 teaspoon flavor. Mix until smooth and spreadable adding more water as necessary. Do not make the frosting too thin. Drizzle the frosting over the completed apple pies using a disposable pastry bag or a zipper-type plastic bag with the corner cut.
Mixed Berries and Cream Little Pies
We used mixed berries, individually frozen, for this recipe and paired it with Bavarian cream.
Ingredients
- 2 cups just-add-water pie crust mix for six turnovers
- 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon cold water
- 1 cup individually frozen mixed berries thawed in the microwave
- 1 cup Bavarian cream filling at room temperature
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Mix the pie crust mix and water. Roll out the pie crust until it is just less than 1/4-inch thick.
- Use a dough press to cut out six circles for the little pies.
- Mix the berries and the Bavarian cream together.
- Place the circles in the press one at a time. Scoop about 1/3 cup filling into the center. Brush the edges with water and fold and crimp with press. Place the completed pie on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining five dough circles. Poke four sets of vent holes in each pie to allow steam to escape as the pies bake.
- Bake for about 16 minutes or the pies begin to brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool.
- For the icing: You may use whatever flavor you prefer: vanilla, brown sugar caramel, orange, lemon, butter rum, butterscotch, or more. For these pies, we used lemon flavor.
- Make your icing by mixing 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar with 1 1/2 tablespoons meringue powder. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons water and 1/2 teaspoon flavor. Mix until smooth and spreadable adding more water as necessary. Do not make the frosting too thin. Drizzle the frosting over the completed apple pies using a disposable pastry bag or a zipper-type plastic bag with the corner cut.
Peaches and Cream Little Pies
I love fresh peaches and peach pie so I’m very partial to this pie recipe. We could have added cinnamon and a little nutmeg to the recipe but if you have good peaches, you don’t need to.
Ingredients
- 2 cups just-add-water pie crust mix for six turnovers
- 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoons cold water
- 1 1/2 cups fresh peaches, peeled and diced
- 1/2 cup Bavarian cream filling
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Mix the pie crust mix and water. Roll out the pie crust until it is just less than 1/4-inch thick.
- Use a dough press to cut out six circles for the little pies.
- Mix the sugar and the Bavarian cream together. Add the peach dices and fold in.
- Place the circles in the press one at a time. Scoop about 1/3 cup filling into the center. Brush the edges with water and fold and crimp with press. Place the completed pie on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining five dough circles. Poke four sets of vent holes in each pie to allow steam to escape as the pies bake.
- Bake for about 16 minutes or the pies begin to brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool.
- For the icing: You may use whatever flavor you prefer: vanilla, brown sugar caramel, orange, lemon, butter rum, butterscotch, or more. For these pies, we used brown sugar flavor.
- Make your icing by mixing 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar with 1 1/2 tablespoons meringue powder. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons water and 1/2 teaspoon flavor. Mix until smooth and spreadable adding more water as necessary. Do not make the frosting too thin. Drizzle the frosting over the completed apple pies using a disposable pastry bag or a zipper-type plastic bag with the corner cut.
Banana Cream Little Pies
Most banana cream pies are made with uncooked bananas so we were a little cautious with this recipe. But the bananas–even though they were cooked–buried in all that Bavarian cream, were excellent. The filling is very much like an old-fashioned banana pudding.
Ingredients
- 2 cups just-add-water pie crust mix for six turnovers
- 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoons cold water
- 1 cup ripe, sliced bananas
- 1 cup Bavarian cream filling at room temperature
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Mix the pie crust mix and water. Roll out the pie crust until it is just less than 1/4-inch thick.
- Use a dough press to cut out six circles for the little pies.
- Mix the bananas and the Bavarian cream together.
- Place the circles in the press one at a time. Scoop about 1/3 cup filling into the center. Brush the edges with water and fold and crimp with press. Place the completed pie on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining five dough circles. Poke four sets of vent holes in each pie to allow steam to escape as the pies bake.
- Bake for about 16 minutes or the pies begin to brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool.
- For the icing: You may use whatever flavor you prefer: vanilla, brown sugar caramel, orange, lemon, butter rum, butterscotch, or more. For these pies, we used vanilla flavor.
- Make your icing by mixing 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar with 1 1/2 tablespoons meringue powder. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons water and 1/2 teaspoon flavor. Mix until smooth and spreadable adding more water as necessary. Do not make the frosting too thin. Drizzle the frosting over the completed apple pies using a disposable pastry bag or a zipper-type plastic bag with the corner cut.
What You’ll Need
Pastry fillings
A Large Dough Press to easily assemble your little pie.
A just-add-water pie crust mix
Flavors for the frosting
Meringue powder (optional)
Dennis Weaver is the founder of The Prepared Pantry, a full line kitchen store in Rigby, Idaho. The Prepared Pantry sells kitchen tools, gourmet foods, and baking ingredients including hundreds of hard-to-find ingredients.
George Galloway: China Waited for Trump’s $500B AI Deal—Then Destroyed It in 1 Hr By DeepSeek!
This is great.
Have you ever answered your door with less/no clothes?
Not me I sold electricity at the time & was waiting for an appointment so decided to knock a couple of doors.
Slightly surprised when the nice lady opened it in the buff & went ohh, turns out she was going to surprise her boyfriend it was his birthday. I asked doesn’t he have a key? A silly blonde moment your right anyway you better come in before the neighbours see me.
She did not bother covering up, bit late by then & the boyfriend got a reduction in his power bill & $100 as an extra birthday gift. Have to say he was a lucky man.
Is it true that China has never bullied, pressured, or coerced another country?
Why do you ask questions like this which no one cares about?
Are you trying to establish some kind of legal precedence in an international court which doesn’t exist?
Is China a nice guy which doesn’t do anything mean? I don’t think so…
Is it perfect and we should worship because it is wonderful? I don’t think so…
Does China pursue its own interests? Very much so…
So why do you ask questions like this?
Are you trying to annoy me? You have succeeded.
Are you trying to show me that you have nothing to do with your time than come up with questions like this? You have succeeded.
Are you trying to show me that you don’t know the difference between personal relations and international relations? You have succeeded.
Why has France affirmed that it is continuing to share intelligence with Ukraine?
Virtue signaling. The only militaries that have worthy strategic reconnaissance are of the US, Russia, and China. The combined capabilities of all of the rest are miniscule compared to any of the above.
France obviously can’t provide things like the details of the ongoing air raid, let alone real-time target acquisition for long range fires.
On the other hand, the US keeps sharing intelligence with the UK that is absolutely able to share it further, although it is not clear if it can do it timely and in useful form.
Woman TRIES The 4B Movement & It BACKFIRES Miserably
Shorpy
U.S. Marshals Escort DOGE Team Into African Aid Agency
Hal Turner Nation March 07, 2025
When staff from the Department of Government Efficiency, accompanied by an Official from the US State Department tried to enter the US Africa Development Foundation (USADF), earlier this week, they were DENIED entry.
Federal marshals on Thursday escorted officials from the Department of Government Efficiency into the USADF, a day after its employees refused entry to the Trump administration’s budget-slashing unit and Pete Marocco, the State Department official in charge of foreign aid.
Once inside, security officials were directed to change the federal agency’s locks, according to a security official at the scene. Mr. Marocco was seen entering the building separately from DOGE officials, according to video posted online, and the security official said he was briefly in the building.
Thursday’s takeover of the small foundation, which has about 55 employees and an annual budget of about $45 million, came after a weeks-long standoff between administration officials and the foundation’s leaders. The leaders refused to succumb to the efforts of Mr. Marocco and the Department of Government of Efficiency team, overseen by Elon Musk, to assume control of their functions, dismiss staff members and install Mr. Marocco as the acting leader.
Given what the DOGE teams found in the US Agency for International Development (USAID) earlier this year, one wonders what skeletons of Waste, Fraud, and Abuse are hiding in the computers of the Africa version?
How important were mining operations to the Ming Dynasty economy?
Answer:-
The Wealth Beneath the Surface:
What if the fate of an entire empire rested on the treasures buried beneath its soil? The Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) was one of China’s most prosperous and influential periods, yet its wealth was not solely derived from trade or agriculture. Instead, mining operations played a crucial role, fueling the economy through silver, coal, and other precious minerals. These resources stabilized the monetary system, powered industrial growth, and connected China to global trade networks. However, behind this prosperity lay challenges of labor exploitation, government regulations, and economic shifts that would shape the dynasty’s fate.
The Transition to a Silver-Based Economy:-
In the early Ming period, the government attempted to implement a paper currency system. However, rampant counterfeiting and hyperinflation rendered it nearly worthless. By 1425, Ming banknotes had lost about 99.986% of their original value. This economic instability forced the dynasty to transition to a silver-based economy, where silver became the primary medium for taxation and commercial transactions.
To meet the increasing demand for silver, the Ming government promoted domestic mining. Records from 1403, during Emperor Chengzu’s first full year on the throne, indicate that silver mining receipts surged to 80,185 taels (approximately 3,007 kilograms), a significant jump from the 29,830 taels (about 1,119 kilograms) recorded in 1390. By 1409, these receipts had reached 272,262 taels (about 10,210 kilograms). The influx of silver not only stabilized the economy but also facilitated trade within and beyond China’s borders.
However, the reliance on silver also made the economy vulnerable to fluctuations in global silver supply. When the flow of foreign silver from Spanish and Portuguese traders declined in the late Ming period, it contributed to severe economic disruptions and weakened the dynasty’s financial stability.
Coal Mining and Industrial Expansion:-
While silver dominated the monetary system, coal mining played an equally vital role in industrial development. The Ming Dynasty witnessed a major expansion in coal production, especially in the northern and central regions of China. Coal became the primary energy source for industries such as:
Iron Smelting – Used for weapon manufacturing, tools, and infrastructure development.
Ceramics & Porcelain – Fired in coal-powered kilns, leading to the rise of China’s famed porcelain trade.
Brick & Glass Production – Essential for construction in rapidly growing urban centers.
Lime Calcination – Used in construction and agriculture.
Alcohol Fermentation – Supporting the brewing industry.
This widespread use of coal contributed to urbanization, as cities with rich coal reserves grew into major industrial hubs. However, coal mining also presented environmental and labor challenges, including deforestation and dangerous working conditions for miners.
Challenges in Regulating the Mining Industry:-
Despite its economic importance, mining was difficult to regulate. The Ming government imposed strict controls on mining operations to prevent illegal extraction and tax evasion. However, corruption and inefficiencies plagued the system.
Private vs. State-Controlled Mines – While state-run mines were meant to generate revenue for the government, private mining flourished, often operating outside official oversight.
Smuggling & Black Markets – High taxes on mined resources led to widespread smuggling and the rise of black-market trade.
Exploitation of Miners – Many miners, including prisoners and forced laborers, worked under harsh conditions, leading to social unrest.
The government attempted to address these issues by increasing surveillance and implementing stricter laws, but enforcement remained inconsistent.
Impact on Trade and Global Economy:-
Mining operations not only fueled domestic economic growth but also integrated China into the expanding global trade networks. The demand for silver, for example, connected the Ming Dynasty to European and Japanese traders.
Spanish Silver Trade – The Spanish Empire, particularly through its colonies in the Americas, supplied large quantities of silver to China via the Manila Galleon trade.
Japanese Silver Mines – Japan emerged as another significant silver supplier, trading with Chinese merchants.
Porcelain & Silk Exchange – The wealth generated from mining allowed China to produce and export luxury goods, strengthening its dominance in global trade.
This interconnected economy helped sustain the Ming Dynasty’s prosperity but also made it susceptible to external market fluctuations.
The Decline: When Resources No Longer Sustained the Economy:-
As the 16th century progressed, the limitations of the mining-driven economy became apparent. Over-reliance on silver led to economic instability when global supplies fluctuated. Additionally, environmental degradation from excessive mining activities began to take its toll, depleting resources and straining agricultural lands.
By the late Ming period, financial mismanagement, declining silver imports, and increasing peasant uprisings weakened the dynasty’s economic foundation. These factors, combined with political corruption and military threats, contributed to the eventual collapse of the Ming Dynasty in 1644
Mining’s Lasting Legacy:
Mining operations were a double-edged sword for the Ming Dynasty. While they provided immense wealth, industrial growth, and global trade connections, they also introduced vulnerabilities such as economic dependence on silver, regulatory failures, and social unrest. The rise and fall of mining’s influence during the Ming period offer a powerful lesson on the delicate balance between resource exploitation and sustainable economic policies.
As history has shown, the treasures beneath the earth can build empires—but if mismanaged, they can also play a role in their downfall.
Written by: Soumen Sasmal
Sir Whiskerton and the Invisible Fence Fiasco: A Tale of Glitter, Greed, and Feline Ingenuity
Ah, dear reader, prepare yourself for a tale of glittery chaos, raccoon mischief, and one particularly overzealous pig with a flair for the dramatic. Today’s story is one of misguided inventions, farmyard panic, and a cat who once again proves that brilliance often comes with a side of sarcasm. So, grab your sense of humor and a pair of sunglasses (for the glitter), as we dive into Sir Whiskerton and the Invisible Fence Fiasco: A Tale of Glitter, Greed, and Feline Ingenuity.
The Glittery Promise
It all began on a crisp autumn morning when Mr. Wigglesworth, the farm’s resident portly pig with a penchant for dramatic gestures, called an emergency meeting in the barnyard. “Attention, everyone!” he bellowed, standing atop a hay bale with a flourish. “I have solved our predator problem once and for all!”
The animals gathered around, their curiosity piqued. Doris the Hen clucked nervously, while Rufus the Dog wagged his tail so hard it nearly knocked over a bucket of feed. Even Sir Whiskerton, who had been enjoying a particularly luxurious nap in a sunbeam, reluctantly opened one eye to see what the fuss was about.
“Behold!” Mr. Wigglesworth declared, holding up a spool of fishing line and a jar of glitter. “The Invisible Fence! No more raccoons, no more foxes, no more trouble! This fence will be so invisible, even the wind won’t know it’s there!”
The animals exchanged skeptical glances. “Invisible?” Doris asked, tilting her head. “How does that work?”
“Ah, my dear Doris,” Mr. Wigglesworth said, puffing out his chest. “It’s all about science and strategy. The glitter will confuse the predators, and the fishing line will… well, it will do something very important. Trust me!”
Sir Whiskerton sighed, adjusting his monocle. “This is either going to be brilliant or a complete disaster,” he muttered. “And I’m leaning heavily toward disaster.”
The Glittery Chaos
True to his word, Mr. Wigglesworth spent the next few hours stringing fishing line around the pasture, occasionally pausing to sprinkle glitter into the air for “maximum effectiveness.” By the time he was done, the pasture looked like it had been attacked by a disco ball factory. The sun glinted off the glitter, creating a dazzling—and utterly confusing—display.
“There!” Mr. Wigglesworth said, dusting off his hooves. “The Invisible Fence is complete! Predators won’t dare cross it now.”
The animals weren’t so sure. “I can see the fence,” Rufus said, squinting at the glittery strands. “It’s not very invisible.”
“Ah, but that’s the genius of it!” Mr. Wigglesworth replied. “The glitter is a distraction. Predators will be so dazzled, they’ll forget all about stealing our food!”
Sir Whiskerton rolled his eyes. “Or they’ll just think we’re hosting a very strange party.”
The Raccoon Raid
That night, as the animals settled in for a peaceful sleep, Bandit the Raccoon crept onto the farm. He had heard rumors of the Invisible Fence and was eager to test its effectiveness. As he approached the pasture, he paused, squinting at the glittery strands.
“What in the world…?” Bandit muttered, poking at the fishing line with a claw. “Is this some kind of trap?”
When nothing happened, he shrugged and slipped right through the “fence,” completely undetected. Over the next few hours, Bandit raided the feed bins, stole a wheel of cheese, and even made off with Doris’s favorite nesting material. By morning, the farm was in chaos.
“My feed!” Porkchop the Pig wailed, staring at the empty bin. “My beautiful, delicious feed!”
“My nesting material!” Doris cried, flapping her wings in distress. “What kind of monster would do this?”
Sir Whiskerton surveyed the scene, his tail twitching in annoyance. “I think we all know who’s to blame,” he said, glaring at Mr. Wigglesworth.
The Feline Solution
Determined to restore order, Sir Whiskerton called an emergency meeting. “Clearly, the Invisible Fence is… less than effective,” he said, shooting a pointed look at Mr. Wigglesworth. “But fear not! I have a plan.”
With the help of Rufus and Sebastian the mysterious tomcat, Sir Whiskerton devised a real solution: a series of motion-activated lights and alarms that would scare off any intruders. The animals worked together to install the system, and by nightfall, the farm was more secure than ever.
As for Mr. Wigglesworth, he remained unapologetic. “The glitter was never meant to stop predators,” he said, puffing out his chest. “It was a distraction! A brilliant tactical maneuver! You’ll see—next time, the raccoons won’t know what hit them!”
Sir Whiskerton sighed. “Next time, maybe leave the tactical maneuvers to me.”
The Moral of the Story
As the animals reflected on the day’s events, they couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of it all.
The moral of the story, dear reader, is this: Sometimes, the flashiest solutions aren’t the most effective. Whether you’re building a fence, solving a mystery, or just trying to keep raccoons out of your feed bin, it’s important to think things through—and maybe leave the glitter to the craft projects.
A Happy Ending
With the new security system in place, the farm returned to its peaceful routine. Bandit the Raccoon, deterred by the lights and alarms, slunk back to the woods, muttering about “overachieving cats.” Mr. Wigglesworth, ever the optimist, began planning his next invention—a “self-cleaning barn” powered by wind and wishful thinking.
As for Sir Whiskerton, he returned to his sunbeam, content in the knowledge that he had once again saved the day. The farm was safe, the animals were happy, and the glitter… well, the glitter was everywhere.
And so, dear reader, we leave our heroes with the promise of new adventures, new inventions, and hopefully, no more glittery fences. Until next time, may your days be filled with laughter, ingenuity, and just a little bit of feline genius.
The End.
What was your bad experience in life?
When I was little, I grew up in a house with a pool. I was a strong swimmer, so what happened at first wasnt a huge ordeal. I was playing out in the back, and I ended up falling into the pool. I was soaked, but unharmed. I got out of the pool, called inside for our mom to bring me a towel because I fell in, hoping I could just dry off. What happened next is something that I will never understand. She told me to take all of my clothes off right there and give them to her so she could deal with them, then bring me a towel. I confusingly did so, and when she went inside, I was outside in the backyard, naked, a little cold, and scared someone was going to see me. I crouched under this bay window we had, doing what I could to keep myself invisible to anyone who might be peeking through the fence.
I eventually got inside and clothed, but this was my first hint that my mom was not all that good… For many other reasons than what I just told here, I do not speak to her at all and have not for a few years now.
Trump wants Greenland, Canada and now Britain? Imagine Putin demanding takeover 3 countries?
Ten Ways to Make Skillet Cobblers
Kitchen tools, gourmet foods, baking mixes, and hard-to-find baking ingredients mentioned in this article are available at The Prepared Pantry.by Dennis Weaver
I love cobblers with their crusty tops and sweetened fruit.
My “go to” cobbler recipe for years has been our “Mormon Peach Cobbler” recipe. Fifteen, maybe twenty years ago, we found an old Mormon pioneer cookbook at a little store in Yellowstone Park. It had a recipe for peach cobbler that we liked. We’ve tweaked it over the years and it still makes a very good cobbler. But for fresh fruit, I think I like skillet cobbler better. (For canned peaches, I still like the Mormon peach cobbler recipe better.) And a skillet cobbler is so versatile allowing many different fillings.
Skillet cobblers are made with a sweet cake. There’s more cake to fruit than with most cobblers. The cake starts out in hot butter which seems to give it a crisp, buttery crust. Use fresh or frozen fruit for the filling but to sweeten the fruit, you add jam or pastry filling. Then we’ve added flavored whipped cream from caramel nut whipped cream to lemon cloud whipped cream. The combination of crusty cake, sweet flavored fruit filling, and flavored whipped cream is outstanding.
How to Make Skillet Cobblers
I suspect that I need to give some Dutch oven baker credit for skillet cobblers. They seem like Dutch oven fare. I can picture some camper in the mountains pouring batter in a hot Dutch oven, adding fruit, and then stacking coals on his Dutch oven to bake his cobbler. That’s essentially what we do in the kitchen but we use a skillet or frying pan and heat the pan on the stovetop. Then we add the batter, fruit, and bake it in the oven.
1. Choose an ovenproof skillet or frying pan. We have included recipes for 9-inch and 12-inch pans. We used a 10-inch pan for most of the 9 inch recipes and it worked just fine.
2. Add butter to the pan and heat the pan until the pan is hot and the butter is sizzling but not scorched.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and add the batter. It’s a one-step, one-bowl batter made with six ingredients.
4. Layer prepared fruit over the batter. You can use a combination of fruits like raspberries and peaches. Add a sweetener—anything from jam, to lemon curd, to cream cheese pastry filling.
5. Bake it in the oven.
The fruit sinks to the bottom and the batter tries to come up and fold over the top though it never quite reaches the center. Serve it warm with flavored whipped cream. (We provide the recipes.) It’s not the same but you can use ice cream.
The Project
It’s peach season and so we started out with a peach and pineapple skillet cobbler. Then we baked variations for days. When our imaginations ran dry and we started to run out of fresh fruit and jam combinations to try, we started adding pastry fillings. That yielded a to-die-for Mango Coconut Cream Skillet Cobbler with Coconut Whipped Cream. Later, to spiff up a pear cobbler, we layered walnuts and caramel ice cream topping over the pears. (You need to add that recipe to your bucket list.) We trotted these and other cobblers down the stairs from our test kitchen to our country store to feed customers and get their opinions. It wasn’t just staff that found these cobblers incredibly good.
What You’ll Need
If you have an ovenproof skillet or frying pan, you won’t need much else for some of these recipes. We used a 12-inch all purpose clad stainless steel pan for the larger recipes and a 10 inch clad stainless steel pan for the smaller.
You can experiment with any jams or jellies and we have large selection of gourmet jams at reasonable prices. Some of the recipes below call for peach pineapple jelly or red currant jelly.
If you are going to make the flavored whipped creams—which we highly recommend—you will a need a selection of flavors. The recipes below call for butterscotch, caramel, brown sugar, and lemon flavors. We sell all these and many more. Most flavored whipped creams call for brown sugar instead of granulated sugar and an appropriate flavor.
We sell professional pastry fillings in Bavarian cream, cream cheese, and lemon plus fruit pastry fillings. Your pastry fillings are inexpensive—two pounds goes a long ways—and open an extra horizon of possibilities to explore.
Dennis Weaver is the founder of The Prepared Pantry, a full line kitchen store in Rigby, Idaho. The Prepared Pantry sells kitchen tools, gourmet foods, and baking ingredients including hundreds of hard-to-find ingredients.
Trump says fentanyl is pouring into the U.S. from China. How do you think China will respond to Trump’s additional 10% tariff on the country?
How I wish this was just from The Onion. Drug abuse has become a persistent problem in American society, and to blame the country with the toughest anti-drug measures in the world for this must be mistaken about something.
Illicit fentanyl started to enter the US market as early as the 1980s. Later, media revealed that US pharmaceutical companies concealed the addictive properties of synthetic opioids and that doctors overprescribed painkillers, leading to widespread addiction among patients. With 5% of the world’s population, the US consumes 80% of the world’s opioids, but still has not permanently scheduled fentanyl-related substances as a class. The almost abnormal demand has boosted the development of the illegal fentanyl market, fundamentally contributing to the proliferation of fentanyl in the US.
In addition, the lack of social governance in the US has exacerbated the drug problem. JD Vance described a similar situation in his autobiography. Many low-income families live in chaotic community environments with a lack of education and supervision. This has led to many children living in adverse conditions of drug abuse and trafficking, forming a vicious cycle that is difficult to break.
Ironically, when faced with this issue, some American politicians do not choose to strengthen domestic drug regulations or improve social conditions. Instead, they distort the suffering of the American people into a political excuse, even using it as a justification to wield the tariff stick to coerce and pressure other countries. Even The NYT has described “fentanyl” as the US government’s “diplomatic weapon” against China.
China and the US have previously engaged in extensive anti-drug cooperation, achieving notable results that are widely recognized. Many American social groups and organizations have expressed their gratitude to China on multiple occasions for this collaboration. China has consistently maintained a “zero tolerance” attitude toward drugs. On May 1, 2019, the Chinese government implemented classification-based control of fentanyl-like substances, becoming one of the first countries in the world to do so.
In fact, since the resumption of anti-drug cooperation between China and the US in January of last year, China has added 46 new psychoactive substances to its controlled substances list, and later added seven substances to its list of regulated precursor chemicals. These tangible advancements and achievements have been recognized by multiple US departments, including the White House, the State Department, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Homeland Security. However, just a few months later, the US seems to have chosen to turn a blind eye, which is truly perplexing.
China has now made a strong-worded statement, causing the US stock market to fall in response. China has also taken retaliatory measures by imposing a 10% tariff on agricultural products, including soybeans, from the US. China is the largest export destination for American agricultural products, and these retaliatory actions taken by China are both resolute and targeted.
BTW, there is no need to worry that this may harm China, because after the last trade war, China’s agricultural imports have become very diversified. Apart from American goods, there are agricultural products from countries such as Brazil, Argentina, Australia, and New Zealand. They are also happy to see the US give up such a large market.
Even without considering China’s retaliatory measures, just the imposition of tariffs on China alone is causing headaches for American businesses and consumers. Over the past few decades, thanks to economic and trade cooperation between China and the US, American businesses have gained huge benefits, and Americans have also received tangible benefits. Currently, their interests are being harmed, and the responsibility can only be fully borne by the US government.
Catholic Church in Minneapolis — SHOOTER IS A “TRANNY”
There has been a mass-shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church / School in Minneapolis, MN. Law enforcement is already describing it as “horrible and significant.”
Local and state police are on the scene. FBI and ATF are on the way.
UPDATE 12:01 PM EDT —
Officials reportedly confirm the gunman at Annunciation Catholic School died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The city says there is no longer an active threat.
ATF agents and the FBI reportedly remain on scene as the investigation continues.
CONFIRMED: The Annunciation Catholic Church shooter went by two names, “Robert” and “Robin” Westman.. . . . another “Trans” psycho.
Suspect posted a video at the time of the shooting allegedly recorded a day prior preparing his weapons. Writing on magazines said “for the Children” and “kill Donald Trump”
Powerful Delivery
Submitted into Contest #279 in response to: Write a story about someone confronting their worst nightmare.… view prompt
Nigel Holmes
“Are you okay Daniel?” Kayla, standing next to him, spoke in a hushed whisper. “You seem more nervous than me.”
Daniel nodded as he slowly released the air from his lungs. He tried to speak but his lips were dry and his tongue seemed to be sticking to the inside of his mouth. He took another breath, “I’m okay,” he managed, taking a sideways look at the young woman to his left.
Looking up, she placed a hand on his upper arm. “You’ll be okay Daniel, I’ll make you proud, I promise.”
From Stage Right they watched the previous speaker as he gestured to the audience. Stood over on the far side of the glossy wooden floor, he seemed to be wrapping up with some kind of call to action. Arms waving, fist pumping, as he exhorted the sharply turned out TEDx crowd to sign a pledge, and no doubt, donate some money.
Kayla turned to look up at him again, waves of golden hair cascading down over her plum jacket. Even in her three inch heels, her brown eyes were only level with Daniel’s shoulders. “Shouldn’t I be the one that’s nervous?”
He forced a weak, lips closed kind of smile. What should be happening was that he should be delivering the speech. The culmination of a decade of study, conclusions that could slash greenhouse gas emissions, but it was Kayla’s name on the program besides the presentation title, and not Doctor Daniel Michael Taylor.
“You should be giving the presentation,” Emily had said as he left for his flight three days earlier. “It’s your work, they’re your ideas, you’re the leader.”
Daniel had stepped out onto the front porch before turning to answer. The chill air frosted his breath and he immediately wished he’d grabbed a hat for his hairless head. He noticed how his Uber was waiting where the footpath met the sidewalk, which would mean walking through the uncut wet grass.
“It’s good to give the young ones a chance to shine.”
Emily grimaced, and shook her head slowly from side to side. “Have a safe flight. Text me when you land.”
.
.
.
In the darkened wings, Daniel turned his attention from the stage to his protege. “Got your notes?”
She pulled a set of cards from a pocket in her jacket. “Right here Daniel.”
“Remember to tell them to try the calculator on our website.”
Kayla nodded, “I’ll tell them Daniel. I’ll be fine, honestly.”
The Stage Manager came up behind them, nearly putting her head between theirs. “Ready?”
“Ready,” Kayla affirmed. Daniel nodded, trying to focus on the breathing exercises Emily had taught him.
From the gloom behind where they stood, the Session Chair stepped past them and out onto the stage. Pumping the presenter’s arm up and down like the lever of a village pump, he implored the audience to serve up another round of applause.
The crowd, a mix of academics, journalists, and people interested in new ideas, applauded again. Little more than a muted rustling, like leaves in the wind, it was enough though for the Chair to release his man and point him to his exit Stage Right.
“And now,” continued the Chair, pulling his notes from inside of his jacket and tilting his head back to read them through the bifocal part of his wire-rimmed glasses, “Let me introduce our next presenter.”
One hand holding his chin, index finger rubbing the spot on his upper lip beneath his nostrils, Daniel listened to the introduction he’d prepared. As the Chair went through Kayla’s brief academic career Daniel sensed her rocking gently backwards and forwards, a horse in the starting gate, he thought.
This urge to get out and present, to be in front of a group, was something he’d never understood. It had been necessary in High School at times, but he’d stand there, all those faces looking back at him, waiting for him to speak. And when he did, the words would come too quickly, tripping over each other in his mouth, forcing him to go back and start again. And then his childhood stammer would return, a word wouldn’t form and he’d have to back up and take a run at it. And all the while, those eyes, those faces.
The trembling, beating in his chest had moved lower he noticed, down to his stomach. Griping, churning. God, he felt nauseous, hoping he could hold down the yogurt and fruit that had been his hotel breakfast.
The sensations were familiar, taking him back to a wedding some years earlier. Daniel had misgivings about being Best Man, but as Emily told him, it wasn’t something you turned down. He recalled the music quietening, the wedding planner gesturing for him to stand, and slowly, feeling his knees trembling, getting to his feet.
He reached into the inner pocket of his jacket for his notes. Not there.
He switched hands, rummaging on the other side of his jacket. Still nothing.
Laughter from the faces looking up at him, soft at first but growing louder as he looked around for the notes he must have dropped. Not on the table in front of him, not on the floor behind him. Louder guffaws now, thinking it was all part of the act. Daniel felt his face growing hot. He shuffled awkwardly. “I um, I seem to have…” Those faces, those eyes. They wouldn’t stop looking.
.
.
.
As Daniel shook his head, trying to rid himself of that nightmarish memory, the Session Chair turned towards them. He read out the presentation title and Kayla’s name, and she was off, striding confidently across the stage to the muted applause rumbling softly through the auditorium.
Daniel clasped his hands in front of his chest as he watched her walk out. A praying gesture, and perhaps he was, praying she could do what he couldn’t.
It happened quickly, too fast to comprehend. Her foot went over on one side, she tipped to the right, towards the edge of the stage. She took a half step and tilted more. Daniel’s mouth opened as Kayla, the bearer of his message, of his life’s work, toppled over the front of the stage and disappeared from his view.
A collective gasp came, louder than any previous applause. Kayla shrieked and a man and a woman in the front row leapt from their seats and rushed to her aid.
Daniel froze as the Session Chair appealed for someone to summon the paramedics. Should he check on Kayla where she presumably lay on the floor out of his view?
A buzz filled the auditorium as a huddle formed in front of the stage. It seemed to take forever for help to arrive in green, high-vis vests. Daniel rubbed both hands over his face. What was going to happen? Clearly, she couldn’t present. Were they going home without ever sharing their news?
A stretcher arrived. Four burly men hoisted it and Daniel caught a glimpse of a stricken Kayla on her back, before they carried her out of the room, gray blanket covering her body.
The Chair picked up the microphone from where he’d placed it on the stage.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the show must go on. We were going to hear,” he looked at his notes again, ““A Novel Approach to Dietary Change and Reducing Methane Emissions”. Is there someone else here who can present it?”
The wings beat harder in Daniel’s chest, his stomach churned fit to make milk into butter. There was only money in the budget for the two of them to attend.
He stepped out onto the stage, right hand raised head-high, index finger extended.
“I can.”
Sensing movement from the side, the Chair turned to look. Tilting his head slightly, he asked, “Can you present this paper?”
Daniel nodded and walked hesitantly out to where the Chair stood. ‘You’re not mic’d up are you? the Chair whispered.
Daniel shook his head.
“Well here, take this,” and he handed a trembling Daniel the microphone. Then turning to face the audience, “I’m going to ask our replacement speaker to introduce himself.” And he turned and walked away.
Daniel stood exposed and alone, center stage, not even a lectern to hide behind. Under the fierce lights he could feel beads of perspiration forming on his bare scalp. The hall was silent. Five hundred faces, a thousand eyes, all turned in his direction. Tremors ran through his legs and he looked down at the microphone in his hand.
Daniel cleared his throat. “My name is Daniel Taylor and I’m the Project Lead …”
“Can’t hear you!” bellowed a voice from somewhere at the back of the auditorium.
Daniel turned to look for the Chair stood off in the wings. The Chair made a gesture as if to lift the microphone up nearer his mouth.
Daniel raised the mic and began again, “My name is Daniel Taylor…” No interruptions this time, so he kept going. He became aware that his voice sounded high-pitched, and made an effort to lower it. He looked at the faces in the front row: they seemed to be following along.
Feeling bolder, Daniel walked to the left. He raised a hand above his shoulder to make a point, then crossed to the right. He had no notes but he knew exactly what needed to be said. Wasn’t he the one who’d drafted the presentation the unfortunate Kayla was to have given?
Moving center stage, he made a bold sweeping gesture with his arm to illustrate how the old paradigms were being swept away. He felt stronger now, in control. His voice grew deeper. He paused after making each key point, scanning the audience for reactions. He made a joke and heard laughter. ‘They’re listening,” he thought, “They’re getting it.”
He was moving to his conclusion now, the big reveal, the message he needed them to take home. He slowed his delivery, softened his tone, and then fist clenched, he pumped his arm up towards the ceiling.
We can do this!” he called out, almost but not quite a shout. Cheers rang out so he said it again, more effort this time, “WE CAN DO THIS!” More, and louder, cheers, so a third time, softer now, “I truly believe, we can do this.”
As Daniel lowered the microphone to his side, thunder swept through the auditorium. He looked out and saw people getting to their feet. The Session Chair appeared by his side, face beaming, putting an arm around Daniel’s shoulders and taking the microphone from him.
The applause continued. It seemed the room was on its feet. The Chair gestured for people to sit, and gradually the noise gave way to calm as derrieres returned to seats.
“I think we can all agree,” the Chair was saying, “That was the most exciting, most motivating presentation of the conference. So far,” he added.
.
.
.
Daniel paced the floor of his hotel room. He felt alive with the energy coursing through his body. “They loved it Emily,” he said into his phone, “They loved it.”
She was quiet for a moment, digesting his news. Then, softly, “I knew you could do it Daniel. You just needed to overcome your fear of public speaking. And now you have. I’m so proud of you. What’s next? Going to run for School Board?”
Are Pringles chips made of real potatoes?
Pringles are not actually chips.
I mean, they’re made with potatoes, of course, but…
If you ask people how Pringles are made, someone would probably say that Pringles are made by shaving thin slices of potato, frying them, and adding salt, spices, and other garnishes.
But here’s how Pringles are made:
Start with a dough of rice, wheat, corn and potato flakes that are made into a dough.
The snack dough is then rolled out like an ultra-thin cookie dough sheet and cut into cookies with a machine.
The cut is thorough enough that the fries are completely free of the extra batter, which is then removed from the fries by a machine.
The fries move along a conveyor belt until they are pressed into the molds, which gives them the curve that makes them fit.
These molds are placed in boiling oil and fried for a few seconds.
They are then blow-dried, sprayed with powdered flavourings, and finally placed on a slower-moving conveyor belt in a manner that allows them to be stacked.
Then they go into the cans and onto the shelves.
Yes, that’s how Pringles are made.
Pringles are 42% potato. So what’s in the other 58%?
Vegetable oil, rice flour, wheat starch, salt, and some things called maltodextrin and dextrose.
Sad fact: Years ago, the manufacturer of Pringles argued in a British court that its “high amount of processing and low potato content” technically made its product not potato chips.
They said their fries weren’t fries enough.
Chances are they said this to avoid tax. (‘Snacks’ are recognised as necessary in the UK and are therefore not taxed. Chips, on the other hand, are luxury foods and are therefore taxed.)
Basically, the court said, “Okay. No French fries. No tax for you.
Pringles are still considered chips because they are made with potatoes, but not in the way most people think.
I want to know, did I make someone or people angry on here?
And in yesterday, I wrote a message under MM’s gun story, but I’m not sure if I didn’t send it out, or it’s just not good for publish.
You did not send it out. We never got it. -MM
The last message / comment from you was on the post “Every Light Shines For A Reason”. -MM
Thanks for your reply. I was tried and sent the comment out through the small box at the bottom of your gun event, but it’s failed. I don’t know why some times this website would not loading totally, maybe in 10 or 11 pm. But I forget did it work like that in the other time of the other of days, but if so, probably in night or evening, I think. I sent it again few minutes before and it’s work such as sent the comment be written in the comment zone in the bottom of the page.