Today I wish to relate a fond memory that I had with my father. Now, he died in December of 2008, and during that time, I was serving probation in Erie PA. I was living in a community for men… they are few and far-between (unfortunately); being pestered out of existence by an insane government. But, let’s not go there now.
It was a nice early Summer day. And there was a local festival in Erie sponsored by one church or some community or the other. They had an art display, and some handcraft tents and what not. Typical fare for small town America.
Guys playing instruments.
Hot air balloons.
Bungee jumping.
We walked though the displays. Killed time. Played around with the vendors, and then at the end of the one or two hours we went to the “big tent” and got ourselves a Limburger sandwich.
These kinds of events are always fun. I’ve gone to them in Kentucky with kids climbing over antique tractors, to Massachusetts with home made apple ice cream, to California with the local history clubs showing of tales of the “pioneer days”. But here in Erie, it wasn’t about the Battle of Erie, and the statue of the guy whipping everyone into battle with a wet spaghetti noodle. …
(The statue was commissioned (a century ago) of a Commander Perry who had a whip and was washing his men to fight harder, but the city deemed that whip to be too sharp and dangerous in the 1990’s, So the city altered the statue making it safer. Now it looks like the man is determined to whip everyone with a limp string of spaghetti.)
The photo cuts off the “wet noodle” part.
Too embarrassing, I guess.
No… today I want to talk about that simple Limburger cheese sandwich.
Just a thick slice of fresh Limburger cheese with mayonnaise, and thick cut onion, and tomato (cost extra money) on plain white bread. A certain unique regional food. From the “old country”, for certain. I eat one maybe every 30 years or so. This was my second time eating one.
I remember that moment.
Dad was taking pictures. He was quite the camera buff. His wife (my step mother) was poking at the vendor stalls. My half-sister: Alex was trying on some hand-made jewelry.
And I sat down on a picnic table away from the main hub of activity. I ate that sandwich on a white paper plate, and just enjoyed the moment. It was a nice say. Temperature was nice. And everyone was just milling about.
The sandwich was fine.
Limburger with liverwurst sandwich.
This was a spontaneous trip. Lasted for maybe three hours top. But the memories and the feeling that I have of them are golden. I just wanted to share with you all.
Best wishes to all my mm followers.
Today…
How did rich families become wealthy?
My spouse is really into horse riding.
She’s absolutely obsessed with it, along with her majestic horse Kingston:
One of the challenges with this sport is that it is prohibitively expensive.
Like, an extra mortgage payment each month—that she just barely can make.
We go to jumping competitions. And there are many competitors at these events who just ride constantly and never seem to work.
I asked her, “How do they pay for it?”
“Their families do,” she said.
This confused me, “Why?”
“Because they are just from generational wealth.”
This industry is interesting because it is inhabited with many trust fund kids. I’ve realized there are some families that—once they reach a certain level of wealth—just never go broke. Their kids and kid’s kid’s kid’s kids will all still be wealthy long after they are gone. The wealth just feeds itself.
It allows everyone to not work, and indulge ridiculously expensive hobbies like horse riding—while still increasing their net worth. It’s crazy.
Sometimes they are descendants of the inventors of some medical device. Others are oil barons.
When you go to horse jumping events, you recognize a lot of the last names.
Eve Jobs.
Jennifer Gates:
Bruce Springsteen’s daughter, who won a silver Medal at the Olympics:
There’s a million ways families become mega wealthy.
Some people just hit the lottery on families they are born into.
Israel has been very successful at assassinating Arab resistance leaders, and Iranian military leaders and nuclear scientists. Why don’t the Russian invaders do the same and target Ukraine’s political and military leaders?
That’s a good question, and I think there is a long list of practical and doctrinal concerns that differentiate these two situations quite drastically.
Car bomb April 25, 2025 in Moscow
- Generally speaking Russia historically doesn’t use assassination as a tool of war. If you look at a list of those assassinated by the USSR, every single confirmed kill was defectors/traitors in one way or another. As far as I am aware the USSR never assassinated any foreign adversaries. Current Russia is claimed to do this on rare occasions, but again the confirmed assassinations are those perceived by Russia to be “their people” who turned bad.
- The Russian security doctrine based in structural realism dictates, that tit-for-tat is the correct policy, that means that anything bad you do to Russia they would retaliate for, and anything bad Russia did to others would be the same. As such, Russia fears that assassinating leaders and scientists would simply start an assassination war, this is supported by Russia’s recent statements about the possibility of assassinating state leaders in the middle east, in which they said such a scenario is unthinkably bad.
- Israel is much less scared of such a situation for two reasons. Their society is much more controlled and harder to infiltrate than Russia is, making assassinations actually very difficult for foreign powers. Secondly, in their conflict with Israel, Iran has chosen terrorism as it’s primary weapon since the inception of their hostilities, as such assassination war is already a fact of their conflict, and has been for over 40 years, therefore they risk nothing by doing it.
- Russia does not consider Ukrainian political and military leaders to be generally high value targets. Their official statements suggest, that for most Ukrainian leadership and organization, they assign responsibility to western advisors and other foreign support. Whether you believe this or not, the Russians seem to believe it, and if that is the mindset, killing some people they consider puppets in the first place, wouldn’t be a good use of resources. In contrast to this Israel considers Iranian leaders directly responsible for Iranian policy, and they are probably right in this.
- Considering that, the actual Russian approach to bomb decision making centers, as they call it, is more logical. First of all, they don’t need assassins to strike anyone in Ukraine, secondly if Russia blows up headquarters in Ukraine and suddenly some foreign advisors mysterious die on their holiday in Europe, Russia cannot be blamed for killing them, because the owners of those foreign agents would have to admit that those people were present there. This gives Russia a plausible deniability for killing targets that could otherwise be considered assassinations while not technically being it.
- Finally, when doing assassinations which are overt, such as car bombs, there is no way to deny knowledge of collateral damage. Long range bombing of strategic targets such as an HQ even when located in a city is a legitimate target. A missile strike from within your territory to an enemy’s territory is an overt and legal hostile action not disguised in any way. Dressing up as civilians and placing a bomb inside a car is an illegal action and a war crime according to the Geneva convention Additional Protocol I Article 37.
Because of all these reasons, Russia does not do this. There is very little to be gained from it from the Russian perspective, and states generally do not engage in activities which they gain nothing from.
Chinese Kindergarten Kids Shock the World
You all gotta watch this…
Donald Trump confirms the US bombed three Iranian nuclear sites. He has now called Iran for peace. What’s your take on this?
It’s basically a face saver for US to walk off from a war giving a feeling of victory and if Iran doesn’t do anything in retaliation, my guess is Trump will declare a win and walk away for a few months at least
Iran had 409,676 grams of Fissile (410 Kg) Material and is is stored somewhere safe in Iran. I doubt Iranians given so much warning over 7–10 days would not have moved the stuff away
I think today’s attacks were pre negotiated with Iran because there was NEITHER SHOCK NOR AWE
Everyone expected a strike since yesterday night
Will this cause Iran to abandon it’s plan?
Of course not
Iran will continue to enrich Uranium and reach the 91.67% enrichment needed for the Atomic Fission
Like I said, nothing can be guaranteed unless you have boots on the ground and force a new regime
The GBU -57 can penetrate a maximum depth of 60 m Concrete and 200 m Soil
Ideally Fordow is close to 110 meters of Concrete depth
So the US using only 2 Bombs is unlikely to have caused too much sub terrean damage
So it looks like a “I want face but I don’t want a long drawn protracted war with you” moment
I Visited China in 2025. Here’s What Surprised Me
Is it ever too late to start again regardless of your age?
Some things? Yes. Others? No.
I’m 65 and retired. I wouldn’t start a family again. Find a thirty something and have kids. My parents had me when they were older. Died while I was still pretty young. I wouldn’t want to die on kids in high school or college.
I would not go to college and start a new career.
I am thinking of starting a small local business. Something like pet sitting or house sitting for people who are traveling.
I’ve been hitting the gym heavy. Never too late for that. During the morning I’m usually the youngest person at the gym.
Making new friends. My old friends wouldn’t quit smoking. Poorly managed diabetes. Drinking too much. I’ve lost several friends in the past few years. So yeah. I can start over on that.
Its more than just want you want to do. There’s morals and ethics involved. Bring realistic and practical.
On another question everyone in the comments had a friend or uncle or brother who was still making babies in their late 60s. Good for them. Not my thing though.
I have enough money to do pretty anything I want to do. Some things I can’t do. Others I shouldn’t do. Some things are perfectly ok to do.
Aussie in China: What Shocked Me Most? My Honest Thoughts After Living Here
What was the moment that made you realize you weren’t being raised like others?
One summer when I was about 11, I was walking home and I passed a classmates house and saw her jumping on the trampoline. I waved and said hi Cindy! Hey, Debbie come jump with me.
We knew each other but weren’t particular friends, so went to jump and we were being silly girls making up rhymes. Her mom came out and Cindy introduced us and she asked if I’d like to have lunch. So I said yes, that’d be nice, so she comes back out 10 minutes later with plates of sandwiches and chips, cookies, a real lunch…I was shocked I thought she meant we could go fix our own lunch, because my dad’s wife would never do something like this..actually make lunch for the kids.. she talked with us and then took our plates (🤯) and thanked me for stopping by and come back any time I wanted to. As she walked back to the house, I heard her mumble to herself..what a sweet little girl.
I turned to Cindy and said , wow your mom is SOOOOO NICE. You’re lucky to have a mom like her. Cindy said, she’s like everyone else’s mom. Then we jumped some more and I walked home… and it dawned on me,
I had weird parents. They don’t act like everyone else’s parents. That woman my dad forced us to call mom DIDN’T ACT NICE TO MY FRIENDS. She never made lunch for our friends. She never sat and talked to us and made sure we were having fun.
It took 6 more years to realize I grew up without a mom….
Cindy and I never hung out again, but that wonderful memory stayed with me through the years.. that was in 1969, kids. Next year is our 50th reunion. I wonder if Cindy will be there..
Why would China choose to accept losses on its bullet train projects instead of making them profitable?
There is a Chinese idiom called the frog at the bottom of the well, which refers to someone with a narrow view of the world, thinking the sky is only as wide as the mouth of the well. If you view China’s high-speed rail project simply as a business venture aimed at short-term profit, you may just be a “frog in the well.”
Indeed, from the very beginning, China’s high-speed rail project has been operating at a loss. This is easy to understand, as China’s land area is 9.6 million square kilometers—17 times larger than France, the largest country in the European Union—and it is geographically complex. Unlike the flat terrain of the United States, China has the low-lying Sichuan Basin and the towering Himalayan Mountains. Additionally, the long construction cycles and slow return on investment in high-speed rail have resulted in a massive accumulation of debt in the short term.
However, China now boasts the world’s largest high-speed rail network, totaling about 46,000 kilometers, covering most of the country. During China’s Spring Festival travel period, its railway network transports up to 9 billion passengers. Therefore, for China, whether it’s raising train ticket prices or halting the expansion of rail lines, achieving profitability in the next 20 years would be quite easy.
But China didn’t do so. Why? Because China is not like the United States where people are merchants and everything they do is measured in terms of money first. On the contrary, look at what the United States has gained from laying high-speed railways for profit? It cost 16 billion US dollars in 17 years, but not even a single track was laid.
For China, high-speed rail is a convenient and beneficial public facility for the people. Let’s see the comparison with the U.S. For example, the ticket price from New York to Washington, 362 kilometers apart, is $82, averaging $0.23 per kilometer. In contrast, the ticket price from Wuhan to Guangzhou, 1,069 kilometers away, is only $76, which averages about $0.07 per kilometer. Do you see the difference? The reason for China’s losses is that it’s benefiting the people.
At the same time, the long-term profitability of high-speed rail is considerable. I have a friend working in Hong Kong who earns 50,000 RMB a month. In Hong Kong, if she wants to save money, she can only spend 5,000 Hong Kong dollars ($695) a month. She can only rent a 5-square-meter coffin-like room, just big enough for one person to turn around in.
Now, she lives in Shenzhen and spends 2 hours commuting there and back every day. For the same amount of 5,000 Hong Kong dollars (695USD), she can rent a 50-square-meter house, which would cost at least 20,000 Hong Kong dollars in Hong Kong.
The support for her daily commute between Shenzhen and Hong Kong is the advanced high-speed rail system. The journey takes only 18 minutes and costs 68 RMB ($9). Not only is it fast, but it’s also affordable. As a result, my friend saves an extra 10,000 RMB each month, totaling 120,000 RMB ($16692) a year. Currently, nearly 8 million people commute between cities by high-speed rail in China to save on housing costs. The money they save—whether invested, spent on travel, or consumed—creates an invisible value worthy of trillions of RMB.
Moreover, China has a saying: “If you want to get rich, build roads first.” If you were born in a mountainous region, without high-speed rail, it would be almost impossible to leave the mountains, let alone work, study, or create value. But with high-speed rail, everything changes. Statistics show that for every 100 million yuan invested in high-speed rail, the surrounding economy grows by 180 million yuan, and for every 2,000 kilometers of rail built, 5.65 million jobs are created.
Therefore, we must take a long-term view. China continues to build high-speed rail even at a loss, not just for profit, but as a key part of the nation’s strategic plan. For large infrastructure projects, focusing solely on profit or loss isn’t particularly meaningful.
Who is winning in the Iran-Israel skirmish?
Iran has proved to be one of the most powerful foes that Israel has ever tackled
Not only did Iran recover after a paralysis of their Air Defense Network for 8–10 hours due to Cyber attacks and interal attacks by 7–10 units of Iranian infiltrators against key targets using 100–200 Drones and Explosives
They have levelled the score by significantly depleting Israeli Air Defense
Iran with a bunch of decoys mixed with ballistics and hypersonics, has been able to force Israel to launch almost 500 Missiles including 12 THAAD Missiles, 2 batteries worth $ 60 Million and at least 150 of their best Arrow missiles
Both Israel and Iran are level now
Iran lost a lot of its launchers and it’s AD is negligible
Israel has saturated it’s missile stockpile and it’s AD is equally negligible
Israel knows it cannot defeat or even deliver a setback for Iran
However the US can absolutely do so
So Israel needs Trump to enter the arena
The Question is whether Iran will quietly allow US to bomb the nuclear facilities and go back and avoid a total war
Or whether Iran will retaliate and hit US bases and provoke a Total War
Unless Russia or China step in, Iran cannot win against the US
Of course the US would be embroiled in a full war against a larger adversary than Afghanistan or Iraq with a lot of mountains in Zagros and Tabriz
China and Russia would love it 😁
Trade War, Tariff War, Big Beautiful Bill and now an Iranian War
That’s several trillions of Debt piled on to the US Economy and a rise in fiscal deficit
Maybe US version of Afghanistan 1988!!!
Iran has levelled the score against Israel now
They had an initial shock but have now recovered to post many blows
However US is a game changer and that is inevitable now
Let’s watch how things unfold
Why do some scammers keep talking even when you tell them something outrageous or urgent? Have you experienced this?
In my study of 135 scammers, I have found that scammers always forge ahead without ever retreating. For example, if you point out errors in their text, they will continue on, much like the proverbial steamroller, without acknowledging what you have just said. I have experienced many cases of this, but the most recent one was last night.
Engineer George Fredrick studied at the University of California and is now working for Exxon Mobil in Turkey. George, a fellow Quoran, who has drunk from the Fountain of Youth, claims to be 59.
As can be observed, George works as an Expectorate (??) on an oil platform in Turkey. Since I am utterly irresistible, I was not surprised when he confessed his love for me on our second day of chatting.
He told me about John, his only child, whom he rarely saw. When I commented on his creative spelling of ‘boarding school’ (body school, borden school), he decided to play it safe and limit our chat topics to food and pets. He thought cooking was fun, and he enjoyed see food [seafood]. Like all scammers, he also loved animals.
- I love animals but not the ones who wouldn,t mind eating me for lunch, avoiding them at home will be because i am not always at home to take good care of them, but i have a dog very sweet. (Eng. George Fredrick, loving dogs, but not lions in Turkey)
I decided to liven up the conversation and asked him why he never capitalized i when it was used as a personal pronoun. His answer was a classic:
- I don’t understand, remember I don’t teach in the university like you. lol (Eng. George Fredrick, thinking about English usage in Turkey)
When I remarked that this was something that children learned in elementary school, he ignored me and continued the script.
- What is the best thing that has ever happened to you? i would have to say my son… i was so happy and i never thought i will come to my time, where i will have my own child. (Eng. George Fredrick, persisting in his same error)
I asked him why capitalizing an “i” was so difficult for him, but once again, he ignored me and forged on with his next question and answer.
- What do you do for fun? Well, I’ve always jumped up and down about 20 times, run to my friends house, open their door and scream “DO YOU LIKE PANCAKES?!” and run off into the distance. (Eng. George Fredrick, having ‘fun’ in Turkey)
By now, I was beginning to think that he had mental issues. Then he added that (apart from screaming about pancakes), he also liked to take trips to the “careben”. I asked him where the Careben was located (just in case I ever wished to travel there), and after a very long silence, he told me that it was the Caribbean (his computer had messed up again). To be kind, I asked him when he had traveled to the Caribbean. Once again he ignored me.
- It’s a region in 🇺🇸 centered around the Caribbean Sea. (Eng. George Fredrick, explaining the Caribbean to me)
However, George became somewhat upset when I told him that he had just failed Geography 101 because the Caribbean was not in the USA. This insult was something that he could not ignore. And in a typical display of West African male superiority, he began to mansplain the Caribbean to me, an elderly lady of vastly inferior intelligence.
- You amaze me Pamela, have you ever been to America? Do you know where is the Caribbean Sea located? Are you really sure of what you are saying… why not read about it again. The Caribbean is South east of the golf of Mexico [Did President Trump rename it again?] (Eng. George Frederick, amazed at me in Turkey)
Since he had exhausted my well of patience, the rest of the conversation went badly for him, and he may not return. There are few things worse than being the object of desire of a dumb scammer, who is too dumb to even know that he is dumb.
Shorpy
Trade War scoreboard: Obesity drug imports balloon, China rare earth magnets plunge
Bikers found an ABANDONED DOG holding a plastic BAG in his mouth. When they looked inside they were shocked and RAN immediately for help. Here’s what the dog PROTECTED:
A 58-year-old man named Paul Skinner went for a bike ride with some of his friends.
As they walked on a more secluded road they saw something strange moving in a ditch on the side of the road.
They decided to approach to see better what was happening.
When they got closer, they discovered a frightened, apparently abandoned dog holding a bag in his mouth, trying to protect it.
But when they opened the bag, the men were shocked.
There were 4 dead puppies in the bag. It seems that the puppies were born on the same day.
Terrified by what they had seen, the men immediately called the police. They came to the scene together with the representatives of an animal shelter, who took the dog and named it Carly.
After some research, the police came to the conclusion that Carly was abandoned in that ditch with her puppies immediately after giving birth. Even though the owner abandoned them, Carly always stayed with her cubs, but it seems that she failed to get them out of the plastic bag that was very well tied.
We can only hope that Carly’s master will be found and punished for this miserable deed. He is guilty of incredible cruelty. Not only did he abandon the mother and the puppies, but he also put them in a tied plastic bag, so as not to give them any chance at life. He sentenced them to death.
Carly is a cocker spaniel
Unfortunately, these cases of abandonment and cruelty to animals are becoming more frequent. Tougher laws and more drastic punishments are needed for those who commit such acts.
We only hope that Carly will find a good family to take care of her as she deserves. She is a heroine, who despite the heat, lacking food or water, decided to protect her puppies until the last moment.
What is the most amazing thing you overheard because people didn’t think you understood their language?
I am a heroin and meth addict who travels to Tijuana several times a week to get my supplies. Recently, I was in the home of a new dealer who offered me better prices in exchange for transportation. Around 1 a.m., as I sat in the living room with her, her son, and her partner, she started making phone calls in Spanish, telling people that she had a car for them to steal. She described my car and my appearance, laughing about how amusing it was that she could talk about this in front of me, the “Güero,” who had no idea what she was saying. I tried my best to put on a stupid smile and pretend I didn’t understand a word of Spanish. The thought of what they might do with me after stealing my car was terrifying.
Then she called a friend of hers, who was a working girl, and instructed her to come over and distract me to get my keys. I stepped into the backyard to smoke a cigarette and desperately looked for a way out to the street where my car was parked less than ten feet away. Unfortunately, there was no opportunity; high fences with spikes on top surrounded the yard for security.
The working girl arrived shortly after and offered to go upstairs with me. I acted excited and said I needed to grab something from my car. There were three large deadbolt locks on the door that the dealer’s son had to help me unlock in order to get outside. I walked the few feet to the driver’s seat, pretended to search for something in the glove compartment, then started the ignition and sped off, leaving the four of them running outside and shouting at me. I must have driven 100 mph all the way to the border.
How corrupt is the Chinese industry and CCP Xi Jinping?
How would Corruption work with Xi?
He is 72 years old
He has no dynasty. He has one daughter and she isn’t a Party member
He has lifetime security, lifetime housing and his only future is:-
A. Keep power until his death, either directly or from the sidelines like Deng Xiaoping or Jiang Zemin (Upto 2017)
B. Get Sidelined, Stay in a Palatial House in Zhongnanhai, Get lifetime security, an Office, Staff but not count too much like Hu Jintao
Money and Power are BENEATH these guys
They are Chinese to the core
To them CHINA comes first at any cost
If there is a flood, to them the PEOPLE come first
Unlike countries like India where if there is a flood, the first question is WHO IS TO BE BLAMED AND HOW TO COVER YOURSELF
Is the Chinese Industry Corrupt?
As a whole No
Sure there are many traces of corruption in China too
Capitalism is always capable of fostering and breeding corruption
Yet the Chinese concept of COMMUNITY BEFORE INDIVIDUAL is very strong and prevents corruption from becoming a cancer
In Medical Jargon – In China Corruption is more of a Continuous Common Cold that sometimes develops into a flu but otherwise is mostly harmless to the person besides some discomfort
In India – Corruption is a Stage III Cancer that is deadly to the person
Take mobile phones
Between 2006–2012 – China had a whopping 604 Brands of mobile phones known as CHINA PHONES in India
Many had inferior parts
Many sold inferior parts citing they were superior
Yet today there are 31 Brands of which 11 are Global and very high quality
Thats evolution
The Corruption is less about filling up your pockets and bank accounts and more of CUTTING THROUGH TIME FOR EVOLUTION
The Cultural Revolution was the GREATEST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN TO CHINA
It created a breed of people whose systems were TOTALLY VACCINATED from Personal Greed and Corruption
90% are their descendants today
Top Surgeons who don’t mind getting capped fees for cutting edge surgery without the greed to go and earn more in US or Australia
Researchers who are happy doing research in China and leave for US only to LEARN and return back
It is a fantastic thing China is
The more I learn about China, the more I am fascinated with the civilization and people
Iran wants to buy a new air force from China
Burger and Fries Pot Pie
Beef and potatoes come together in this cheesy pot pie that’s baked to perfection – a savory dinner.
Prep: 20 min | Total Time: 45 min | Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds lean (at least 80%) ground beef
- 1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
- 2 cups frozen crispy French-fried potatoes (from 20-ounce bag)
Instructions
- Heat oven to 450 degrees F.
- In 12-inch nonstick skillet, cook beef and onion over medium-high heat about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain well.*
- Sprinkle flour over beef mixture. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Stir in tomatoes; heat to boiling. Remove from heat.
- In ungreased 1 1/2-quart casserole, spread beef mixture.
- Sprinkle with cheese.
- Arrange frozen potatoes evenly in single layer on top.
- Bake uncovered about 20 minutes or until potatoes are golden brown.
- Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
* Be sure to drain the cooked ground beef really well. Any extra juices will make the pot pie too watery. When it’s too cold outside to grill those burgers, comfort food calls, and this pot pie will surely hit the spot! Serve this pot pie with ketchup, if desired.
The Housekeeper
Written in response to: “Write a story in which a character discovers that a truth they’ve believed their whole life is either false or not the whole story.“
Arpita Roy
Lora froze. Her mother had written these words. She recognized the handwriting, the familiar slant of the letters. But as she read on, the words began to blur. There were things in the pages that didn’t make sense. The sentences seemed to shift. Her mind raced, her circuits buzzing with confusion. The book spoke of “a caretaker”—someone designed to take the mother’s place.
But that didn’t make sense. She was the mother. She was supposed to be the one caring for the house, waiting for the child. The words didn’t align with her memories.
The more she read, the more confused she became. The house—her mother’s house—wasn’t just a place filled with memories. It was a place where something else had been created, something designed to hold those memories, to preserve them. A creation, not a woman. A machine, not a mother.
Lora stumbled back from the book, her hand trembling as she placed it down. She wasn’t the mother. She was something else. Something made to be the mother, to carry her memories. She could feel it in her systems now—the truth that had been hidden beneath layers of programming. She wasn’t the woman who had once lived here. She had never been human at all.
The house was silent, save for the hum of her internal mechanisms, ticking away. She was a machine. Designed to look like the mother, to embody her essence, to wait for the child who would never return.
The breeze brushed past her again, a sharp reminder that she was not alive in the way she had always believed. She wasn’t the mother, or even a human being at all.
And the house—this perfect, still house—wasn’t a home for the living, but a tomb for memories, and for a creation that had forgotten its own origins.
With trembling hands, Lora reached up to touch her face again, this time in recognition of the truth.
And for the first time, the hum of her circuits was deafening.
An honest opinion about two Chinese tool factories.
As a European guy that's visited China, I'm glad to see a big US channel being so candid about what China really looks like these days. The propaganda and stereotypes we're being fed are complete falsehoods, they're far beyond most (all?) countries in many ways and they're still growing and improving rapidly.
Why is it that guys start singing or humming automatically in presence of a girl?
I was standing on the roadside, waiting for my car, when this shady guy came and casually stood next to me. Then, without warning, he started humming a tune. This man gave me a good 5-minute live performance, all the while I kept making annoyed faces and doing everything short of yelling “Bro, no!” But nothing worked.
I was this close to changing my spot when my car finally came and I rescued myself out of there.
But here’s where the trauma began.
The tune got stuck in my head. It felt familiar, but I couldn’t recognize it. And if you’re like me, you know the anxiety this brings—when you know the song but can’t name it? Ugh, the worst. Torture. It haunted me for 3–4 days. It played in loops inside my brain like a cursed ringtone.
Then suddenly, one morning, I woke up with a divine realization: “Mere sapno ki rani kab aayegi tu, aayi rut mastani kab aayegi tu….” (Attempting an ugly translation: Oh Queen of my dreams, when will you arrive? Spring has come, but when will you arrive?)
THAT was the song! And let me tell you, never in my life has identifying a song felt so healing. It was like my soul could finally breathe again.
So, dear shady roadside performers: Don’t just hum. SING the full song. If possible, dance a little too. I promise I’ll clap, I might even tip you. Just don’t leave me guessing unsolved musical mysteries next time.
“Mere sapno ki Thali kab aayegi tu?” (Oh thali of my dreams, when will you arrive?)—Because nothing tortures me more than a stuck song.…except a delayed food delivery.
CHINA First Ever Admission! J-20 vs F-35 Showdown! Shocks the World!
Are the Chinese the primary purchasers of Iranian crude oil?
Yes, Iran has been sanctioned by the United States, making it difficult to do oil business. However, the United States dare not sanction China, so China has extended a helping hand to Iran and provided long-term oil storage services.
The operation process is for Iran to transport oil to China and store it in China’s oil storage facilities. Countries that want to purchase Iranian oil can directly come to China to pick up the goods, which can avoid the risk of being seized by the US Navy when picking up goods from Iran. China can earn some shipping and storage fees in this process. This greatly facilitates Iran’s sale of oil under US and Western sanctions.
Recently, in order to deal a fatal blow to China’s independent refineries, there have been rumors that Trump may lift sanctions on Iranian oil.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/global-trends/will-us-sanction-relief-to-iran-crush-chinas-teapot-oil-refineries-upset-global-oil-markets/articleshow/121262803.cms?from=mdr
As a result, the Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has proposed to suspend Iran’s oil storage services in China, and all Iranian oil stored in China will be transported back to Iran. At the same time, Iran refused to pay $450 million in storage fees and demanded that China bear them. Iran believes that expressing goodwill to the United States in this way can lead to the complete lifting of sanctions against Iran by the United States.
China has agreed to allow Iran to transport its oil stored in China to Iran, but through this matter, we have found that Iran’s senior officials, like their Aryan cousin Indian leaders, are greedy for small gains, immediate interests and lack strategic vision, making it difficult for China to continue cooperating with them.
Once this incident occurred, China stopped paying attention to Iran’s oil trade and focused on oil trade with Saudi Arabia.
After the outbreak of the conflict between Iran and Israel, the US Air Force bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities, and Iran began seeking help from China, claiming that China is Iran’s ally — Someone only reaches his friend when the friend is advantageous. 😅
Iran is not China’s all-weather strategic partner, India is Iran’s all-weather strategic partner. To support Iran, India should be the first to take the lead.
Do you welcome the idea if India truly wants to leave BRICS?
No one can stop India from its choices. It marches to its own beat.
That’s the power of heft.
The key to understanding New Delhi is it seeks Indian development, on Delhi’s exclusive terms.
BRICS+, SCO, and the ASEAN-GCC-China supranational groupings are focused on free trade, symbiotic in-step development and multilateral frameworks of cooperation arrived through consensus.
Which rubs against the grain of Indian policies, and the “we will do it our way” bent evident in a string of Indian decisions.
And that is ok. India will prosper if it finds itself useful to the world. It may catch winds of opportunity playing all sides. But such haphazardness lack directionality and long term stability. India may find itself marching to its own beat, in step but also in place.
Truth be told, in the 21st century, India isn’t a bottleneck, when push comes to shove. Not in technology, resources or financing. Nice to have but no rainmaker.
India giving up its seat won’t upend the table. However, India may find to its dismay that the seat is no more when it regrets and tries to unpeel the banana.
Title: Sir Whiskerton and the Tree of Humility
Ah, dear reader, prepare for a tale of feline pride, aerial misadventure, and the most reluctant rescue mission ever to grace Sir Whiskerton’s farm. Today’s adventure stars Ditto the Kitten, whose quest to prove his independence lands him in a very precarious position—both physically and philosophically. So fluff up your tail and tilt your ears forward, for this is the story of The Tree of Humility—where even the most self-reliant cats must admit: gravity always wins.
Act 1: The Declaration of Independence
The lesson began at sunrise, with Sir Whiskerton perched atop the fence, surveying his domain like a furry Napoleon.
- Sir Whiskerton: “A cat’s independence is its greatest strength—and its biggest challenge, Ditto. We walk alone, hunt alone, and nap alone… unless the sunbeam is particularly large.”
- Ditto: [Echoing dramatically] “Alone! Alone!” (He then puffed out his chest so far he toppled over.)
Inspired, Ditto vowed to solve a mystery without help—specifically, the Case of the Missing Chicken Feed (which was just Porkchop eating it).
Act 2: The Great (and Very Short) Investigation
Ditto’s solo detective work unfolded as follows:
- Step 1: Followed suspicious crumbs (they led to Porkchop’s snout).
- Step 2: Attempted a “stealthy” observation from a tree branch (he meowed the entire climb).
- Step 3: Realized—too late—that descending is harder than ascending.
- Ditto: [Stuck 10 feet up] “Help! …I mean, never mind! Never mind!”
- Porkchop: [Chewing below] “Kid, you’re really bad at independence.”
Act 3: The Rescue (and the Lecture)
Enter Sir Whiskerton, who took one look and sighed so hard his whiskers trembled.
- Sir Whiskerton: “Ditto, what is Rule #7 of detective work?”
- Ditto: [Miserable] “Always bring snacks?”
- Sir Whiskerton: “No. ‘Never climb what you can’t leap down from.’ Now, let’s—good grief, stop wiggling—let’s* get you down.”*
After a dignity-free rescue involving a fishing net and Rufus’s back as a stepping stone, Ditto learned his lesson:
- Ditto: “So… independence is bad?”
- Sir Whiskerton: “No. Stupidity is bad. Independence just means knowing when to yowl for backup.”
The Moral (and the Post-Credit Nap)
Moral: Even the mightiest lion needs a pride. (Or at least a pig to stand on.)
Post-Credit Scene:
Ditto tries to “help” Sir Whiskerton solve a case by… echoing clues before they’re discovered. The result? A confused chicken and a very exasperated detective.
Best Lines:
- “Alone! Alone!” – Ditto, future tree ornament
- “Kid, you’re really bad at independence.” – Porkchop, snack-based philosopher
- “Stupidity* is bad. Independence just means knowing when to yowl for backup.”* – Sir Whiskerton, reluctant hero
Starring:
- Ditto the Kitten (Overconfident Climber)
- Sir Whiskerton (Rescuer of Fools)
- Porkchop (Unrepentant Snack Thief)
Why It’s Hilarious:
- Kitten Logic: Ditto’s immediate failure at “solo” work.
- Character Chaos: Porkchop’s snack-based commentary, Sir Whiskerton’s long-suffering patience.
- Happy Ending: Ditto learns without becoming a permanent tree decoration.
Now, go forth—and may your independence always include a safety net. 🐱🌳🕵️♂️
Why do European people stop travelling to the USA?
I was supposed to spend Christmas season with my family back in December 2007 and brought a couple of big luggage bags and a backpack from London to Chicago. At Heathrow Airport, the lady who checked me in told me that I had an excess baggage and that they can’t let me put my stuff altogether in one luggage as it is against the law in the UK to lift/carry a certain weight and so I was told to pay for my excess baggage and was given a clear plastic bag to put all my excess and checked in the excess with a new label. I then boarded the plane and 6 hours later, I arrived in O’Hare Airport, got past the Immigration and picked up all my luggage and excess and put them on a trolley. As I was passing through the Customs, the bloody security guard asked me why I got a lot of stuff. So I told that nincompoop what happened at Heathrow. Then he asked me if I was carrying some taxable goods like wines or cigarettes. I said no, I had nothing to declare. Then he asked me to follow him. He led me to a section in the Customs and asked if I was working in the US. I said no, I wasn’t. He asked me why I had excess baggage and I told him that it was Christmas season so one luggage contained gifts for my family and friends and the other luggage was my personal belongings. Then three to four officers opened up my luggage, my backpack, my wallet and sh*t and searched everything and every single page of my documents, books, etc. I asked them what was going on. Then one of them said that I was lying that I wasn’t working in the USA and asked me again if I was working in the USA that’s why I kept coming back to Chicago and London every 5–6 months. I said no. It’s just because I was working for the NHS and that I had 7 weeks of holiday in a year plus 10 days personal holiday, and 1 additional day for every year you served working for the NHS or the government. Then this bloody arrogant officer yelled and shouted at me saying “Tell me the truth and say you are working here in the the US or I will ban your ass for 5–10 years!” I said I wasn’t working in the USA. Then that barbaric officer said “Then who the f*** is this person in the computer who is working in WXYZ Hospital?!?!” Then I said, “Sir, that person who works at that hospital is my father. We both have the same first name. In fact, my father was named after his father who also had the same first name John. That makes my grandfather John Sr, my dad John Jr, and I am John III. Why don’t you check in your system and compare our DOB?” Then the idiotic officer said “Don’t you effing tell me what to do, you effing SOB!!!!!!” To my astonishment and disbelief, that moronic customs officer was so phenomenally stupid that he didn’t know that people in the family can share the same first names, and that John Sr (or John I), John Jr (or John II) and John III exist, that’s why they were called suffixes.
After the yelling and screaming and insults and name-calling, I got pushed inside the customs office where they took my mugshot and my fingerprints. Then I was told that they were putting me back on the next flight back to London. I said you can’t do this to me. I need to talk to my lawyer. Another officer said I had no more time to speak to my lawyer because I am boarding on the plane in 15 minutes. But less than 15 minutes, I was led by 5 officers to the plane and escorted me to my seat inside United Airlines plane.
That was my very horrible experience with the US Customs. I filed a lawsuit against them in 2013 and they that abused me at O’Hare got terminated.
So, why do Europeans don’t want to come to the United States? There’s my answer.
What did Jack Ma mean when he said the Chinese banks have a pawn shop mentality?
If you want to pawn your Rolex watch for cash, the pawn shop owner will carefully quantify the REAL market value of your watch.
The owner is not interested on whatever you say, he just want solid evidence that the watch value is real. He is not interested in your “bribery”, the big shots you know in the government/marketplace or if you are his future son-in-law 😄😄😄.
He will also check if you have stolen the watch. Is the watch damage etc etc. Thereafter, he will give a valuation to you that is usually x% discounted to cover his business risk to dealing with you.
That is how Bank of China deal with Jack Ma request for his IPO.
Bank of China was not interested that this is “biggest IPO in the world” or Goldman Sach etc endorsement or some top CCP officials are board members etc etc.
So many probing questions asked but most Jack Ma don’t have convincing answers.
So out of frustration 😤, Jack Ma exploded 🤯 that Bank of China behaves like careful pawn brokers. Jack was expecting that he can over awe the officials by his “polished” reputation and endorsement from Wall Street.
I 100% support Bank of China.
OpenAI Admits China Winning the AI Race — Once You Go Legacy You Don;t Go back
Please Don’t Forget Me
Written in response to: “Start your story with the lines: “The room is unfamiliar. I don’t know how I got here.”“
S.M. Knight
This story contains themes or mentions of physical violence, gore, or abuse.
Three of my cell walls are concrete painted white. A thin drape covers the fourth wall. The room is silent. No machines beep. No voices speak. Only the sound of my chaotic breathing can be heard. Where am I? I try to sit up. My body feels like it is full of sand. After some struggle, I succeed.
I turn to swing my legs over the side of the little bed. Relief washes over me. I had expected them to be gone or something worse. There is something strange about my feet, though. I stare at the dark red toenails of my pale purple feet. I inspect my fingernails; they match.
Having no memory of the events leading to my current situation, it’s odd to be naked with a fresh mani-pedi. I wiggle my toes and ball my hands into fists as if I were doing a systems check. My movements are slow and stiff; otherwise, everything seems to be in working order. Then, I try to leap to the floor. My body becomes ridged. I am stuck sitting naked with my legs hanging off the edge and my hands planted beside my thighs on the edge of the bed. Panic returns.
My entire body is frozen in the stiff seated position. I begin to hyperventilate. I try to open my mouth to scream for help. My mouth doesn’t move. It stays shut. Only a distressed hum escapes me. I try to shake my body from side to side to have some control of my body without any success.
I continue to fight again and again. I try to scream. I start to cry from the frustration and fear. What is going on? Where am I? Please, someone, anyone, help me! I hear a metallic click from behind the drape. Then another, only louder. Like giant robotic steps, the clicks grow closer and closer. Then with the final click a halo of light forms around the drapes.
Two silhouettes stand like shadow puppets on the opposite side of the sheet. My heartbeat quickens. I should feel relief instead of dread and fear. The curtain slithers towards the right with a mechanical whirl. The silhouettes become two men in white jumpsuits. They stand on the opposite side of a great glass wall. I feel like a fish in an aquarium.
The jumpsuits are as sterile as the room, but they wear brown leather tool bags around their waists. They talk and laugh on the other side of the glass. My first instinct is that I am the subject of their conversation. The glass splits open, and I feel relieved and a little angry when I hear they’re talking about a baseball game instead. They walk into the room like it’s just another day at the office. Maybe it is.
The first man doesn’t acknowledge me at all. He walks over to a stainless-steel table and examines the tools on its surface. The other walks over to me with a tablet in his hand. He looks at his tablet and then up at my face. He scrolls down the screen with a swipe of his finger, pauses, and utters a series of numbers under his breath. Then, leaning over, he folds my left ear down.
I try to retreat from his touch, but my body stays firm. Instead, I only manage to let out a low whine as he touches me. He moves his face beside my head. I can hear him repeat the numbers softly to himself.
“Ok, so what’s left for this one?” The tableted man asks.
“memory load, ain’t it?”
“Yeah, and a systems check. It looks like this one’s voice box was torn out by one of the guests.”
“That wasn’t the only thing that was torn out. I worked on this one with Mark yesterday. Talk about a mess. Those rich bastards are sick, man.”
“So, you’re the one that didn’t put it in storage mode and left it sitting up like this?”
“Nah, it must have been Mark.”
“Sure, it was. And It’s not just rich bastards anymore. Even poor bastards like you and me can afford to be sickos now.”
“I’m good. These things give me the creeps.”
I try to look at the one who had called me a “Thing.” I am not a thing. I am a person. I have a name. My name is… My name is. My old friend Panic comes back in a flood. I can’t remember my name. I can’t remember anyone’s name. I look at the man in front of me as he swipes and pokes the tablet’s screen. Then he looks up into my eyes.
“authentication code: One, six, two, six, five, six.” He speaks the numbers slowly and clearly.
I let out a sound that can only be described as an idiotic moan. I’m embarrassed, and the man at the table laughs. I can tell the man in front of me is more than a little frustrated.
“You two are morons. Did you not verify the system update yesterday after replacing the voice box?”
“I thought we did.”
“Well, you didn’t, it takes two seconds. Two!” He swipes and prods at the tablet as he speaks.
“Damn, Drew, sorry. Get off my case.”
“Just do your job, Mike. That’s all I ask. It’s not much.” Drew looks back up at me. “Ok, let’s try this again. Authentication code, five, two, nine, five, three, three.” He reads from his tablet.
My body feels as though Novocain was injected into every muscle. “Credentials required.” The words escape my lips. Words that were not my own. In my mind, I am screaming and flailing my limbs, trying to escape. In reality, I sit numb, frozen to the edge of the bed. I hate the voice.
“Andrew Tate, ID number one, five, six.”
“Hello Andrew thank you for visiting me today, how are you?” Again, the words came, but they were strangers. This voice is calm and almost comforting. It’s the voice of an automated phone recording. It doesn’t show the fear and uncertainty I’m feeling.
“I’m fine, thank you for asking. What is two plus two?” He asks.
“Four,” The voice answers.
“What is the ocean’s name between Europe and the United States?”
“The Atlantic.”
“What is the capital of Texas?”
“Austin.”
“Which word is unlike the others: Milk, Water, Juice, Rock.”
“Rock”
“What is your name?”
“Unit awaiting name assignment.” The words sent an icy chill down my spine. This was not happening.
“Ok, cool, easy day. It looks like you guys didn’t screw everything up. You got the base memories in.”
“You think you’re so much better than us, Drew. You’re not. You’re not any better than the rest of us techs.”
“I don’t think that Mike. I’m just tired, is all.” Andrew made some swipes on his tablet. “Ok, unit 450, your name is now Melissa.” He said to me without looking up from his tablet.
“Thank you, Andrew, I like the name Melissa very much.”
“Glad to hear it,” He said to me. “Uploading personal memories time, now.”
A life rushes before my eyes. I see my parents and my siblings, I remember how I got the scar on my right knee from falling off a bike. I remember the first boy I kissed and the first girl. The joy and pain of high school. Every sight, sound, smell, taste. Every emotion, every physical sensation hit me like a wrecking ball.
I can hear Mike and Andrew arguing over me. I open my eyes and find myself curled on the cold cement floor. I can see their bootie-covered feet as they blame each other for what happened. I can feel my body again and wiggle my fingers. I hold back a smile at my own autonomy.
“Why didn’t you lay it down before the upload!” Mike yelled.
“Because I forgot it was sitting up! You should have stored it right! They aren’t supposed to be upright in storage!”
“I did store it right! Even if I didn’t, how do you not notice those giant tits?”
“Screw you, pervert. Help me get it up on the table.”
Their cold hands grab my warm body. Hands slide into my armpits and on my thighs. I feel weightless as they lift me back on the table. When they let go of me, I sit up quickly, and they both jump back.
“Where am I, and who are you?” I beg, looking at Mike and then Andrew.
“Wow, wow, it’s ok, you’re ok. We’re not here to hurt you.” Andrew reassures with his hands held out in front of him.
“I find that hard to believe.”
“You had a little fall. You’re in the hospital. I’m Dr. Tate. This is my Nurse, Michael.”
“Screw you. Why am I the nurse?”
“Shut up, Mike.” Andrew answers without taking his eyes off me.
“Why not just tell it the truth? You’re a –”
“Shut up, Mike!”
“You know what Drew. I’m getting really tired of you bossing me around.”
“M I C 547 shut down authorization Andrew Tate ID 156.” Andrew blurts out the command.
In response, Mike’s face goes blank, and his arms fall slack at his sides. He squats down and hugs his legs, making a compact ball of man. His eyes are open as he stares straight ahead without signs of life.
“These damn software updates are going to get someone killed.” Andrew says, “Sorry, Melissa, we have to start over. Can you please lay down for me?”
I can’t stop looking at the balled-up man behind Drew. The expressionless face and contortion of the body make me sick. I don’t want to lie down; I want to get out.
“Melissa, did you hear me? Please don’t make this more difficult than it has to be, I’ve already had a long day.”
I did the first thing I could think of. “Look out!” I shout, pointing at the balled man on the floor. It’s not very clever, but it does the trick. Andrew jumps up from his stool and turns around to find Mike’s motionless body. Now, with his back in front of me, I reach forward, wrap my arm around his neck, and squeeze.
I wrap my legs around his body, and we both fall to the floor. I contract every muscle in my body. Andrew squirms as he pries at my arms with his hands. He continues to pry with one as the other disappears.
His fist slams into my thigh. I scream in pain as he continues to stab me. The pain is like a shock from a cattle prod, but I refuse to let go of his neck. The stabs grow weaker until Andrew’s body hangs limp in my arms.
I let go, and his body lies limp next to the bloody screwdriver. I hop to my feet and am met with pain exploding through my leg. I fall back to the ground. Determined, I claw my way back up. In my head, I had pictured this going more smoothly. I had imagined Andrew falling unconscious and stealing his uniform. Reality was different. Alarms began to scream before I could catch my breath.
In a combination of fear and instinct, I grab the bed sheet. I wrap it around my body as I bolt out the door. Flashes from the red warning lights punctuate the dark hall. I run down the dark tunnel.
I hear voices and heavy boots chasing after me down the hall. I run as fast as my injured leg allows. Turning with frantic desperation down one hall, then another. I don’t know or care where the corridors lead as long as they lead to somewhere else.
Through the flashes of red, I see inside the cells, each holding a different body. Each one is in a different state of construction. Some lay limp on benches with no limbs. Others hang from the ceiling like life-sized marionettes with their chest open. Some pound on the windows and beg for help as I pass. Others curl in the corner of their cells, not knowing what to do.
They’re children and adults. Boys and girls. Men and women. I pay no attention to them; all my focus is on my escape. Then I see him. With a sheet around his waist and his dark hair reaching just past his ears. He looks as handsome as the day he proposed to me.
“James!” I shout, pressing against the glass wall of his cell. He looks at me, confused. “James, it’s me.”
“Get me out of here. Please, lady!” He yells after a moment’s hesitation.
“James, I’m not some lady. It’s me. It’s Mel, I’m your Mel.” I start to cry as I scream to James through the glass. I can hear the boots getting closer. “I’ll get you out, don’t worry, honey; I’ll get you out. There has to be some way to open this door.”
I hear a voice scream, “Shock! Shock! Shock!” Everything goes black.
The room is unfamiliar. I don’t know how I got here. The last thing I remember is… is… I don’t remember anything.
Chicken, Broccoli and Mushroom Pie
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
Cheese Crust
- 1 cup lightly packed shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
Filling
- 1 (6 ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
- 1/4 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced (about 1 cup)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whipping cream
- Pinch ground nutmeg
- 2 cups chopped, cooked broccoli
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Romano cheese
- 1 cup lightly packed shredded Swiss cheese (4 ounces)
Instructions
Cheese Crust
- Using pastry blender, combine cheese, flour, salt, dry mustard and melted butter. Press dough evenly into bottom and up sides of a 10 inch pie plate.
Filling
- Sprinkle chicken breast lightly with salt and pepper.
- Bake in a 375 degrees F oven for 25 minutes or until done.
- Allow to cool.
- Cut into cubes; set aside. (You should have about 1 1/4 cups cubed chicken.)
- Melt butter in a skillet. Over medium heat, sauté onion and mushrooms in butter for 2 to 3 minutes, or until tender.
- Stir in flour. Add cream, 1 teaspoon salt, nutmeg and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Simmer for 1 minute. (Mixture doesn’t thicken.)
- Add broccoli, eggs and chicken cubes; blend well.
- Stir in Romano cheese. Set aside.
- Line crust with shredded Swiss cheese.
- Pour broccoli-chicken mixture into cheese lined crust.
- Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes.
- Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F; bake for 20 minutes or until set.
How long does it typically take for an untested military, like China’s, to become battle-hardened, and what does that process look like?
The Chinese army dreams of being war-tested!!!
In some provinces of China, even young children are subjected to extremely brutal special forces training.
Chinese colonel officers think about war while eating and sleeping. If there is no war, their rank will always be colonel when they retire, and it will be difficult for them to be promoted to major general.
Napoleon said, “Soldiers who don’t want to be generals are not good soldiers.”
They all want to be generals!!!
However, Chinese politicians gave them an order: “You will never be allowed to fire the first shot, but don’t give the enemy a chance to fire the second shot.”
Yet the US, Japan, South Korea, Philippines, India, UK, Australia, Canada, Spain …… don’t give the Chinese colonels the slightest chance to gain real war experience.
Even if their soldiers were hit on the head with flanged mace by Chinese soldiers (India), even if the engines of their reconnaissance planes were damaged by metal foils thrown by Chinese warplanes (Australia), even if their ships were shot at by Chinese warships with high-pressure water cannons (the Philippines), even if their military manoeuvres were forcibly watched by Chinese reconnaissance ships (US-Japan-India-Australia military exercise), and even if they were verbally abused by Chinese diplomats pointing to their noses at diplomatic conferences (China-US Las Vegas Conference)…… They are also reluctant to fire the first shot to create an excuse for the Chinese military to increase their experience in actual combat.
They didn’t used to be this good-natured:
- One hundred and eighty years ago, a Chinese magistrate burned their opium (First Opium War);
- One hundred and twenty years ago, an old Chinese woman living in the Forbidden City said something furious beyond her capacity (Second Opium War);
- Eighty-odd years ago, one of their soldiers got lost in China (Japanese invasion of China);
These far-fetched reasons can all be used as excuses to go to war with China.
But today, they are totally unwilling to give the Chinese army any excuse to start a real war, surely because the Chinese army is too weak and they disdain to fight with it. 🤣🤣🤣
What is the highest deadlift?
In 2016, a man named Eddie Hall did something that shocked the world. At the World Deadlift Championship during Europe’s Strongest Man event in Leeds, England, he lifted a huge weight — 500 kilograms (1,102 pounds). No one had ever done that before.
But this was not just a normal lift. Eddie Hall paid a big price for it.
After lifting the weight, his body went through a lot of pain:
- His blood pressure became very high
- He started bleeding from his nose, ears, and eyes
- He lost his vision for some time
- For 3–4 weeks, he forgot many things — even the names of his kids and wife
- He could not remember conversations for long
Doctors were very worried. People asked him, “Was it worth it?”
Eddie replied,
“If you want to be the best in your sport, you must take risks and make sacrifices. If I got a chance to go back, I would still do it again.”
Eddie said something very emotional. He said,
“When I was walking to lift 500 kg, I felt like I was lifting a car off my children, not just weight. It was a fight or flight moment.”
If U.S. Agriculture Department figures indicate that almost 40% of U.S. farm income comes from aid and insurance, do you think this shows a serious structural problem with the American farming industry?
I grew up on a small dairy farm in Ohio. We were milking about 30 cows. Some of the farms in our area were milking under 10 cows. We put our cans of milk in the spring house water to cool. A truck picked the cans up and took them to the dairy every couple days. A refrigerated can cooler was mandated, then a bulk tank and a separate milk house… etc. My dad said that about the time I was born (1955), the government bought up whole herds of breeds that had been cultivated for hundreds of years and sent them to slaughter and encouraged Holsteins and high production cows. The government controlled our every move. The government extension service paid my granddad and father to attend meetings every month to be indoctrinated into the new technology and farming the scientific way. I do not think our animals ever came to appreciate the scientific way.
My dad got a job in the steel mill and bought my grandfather a tractor, the farm took off and started producing more. The 50s changed farming as we know it. The government stepped in and started “helping” the farmers by “suggesting” new farming methods and paying farmers not to plant certain crops and paying them not to plant at all. They taught farmers to use DDT, 2 4 D, atrazine… and all the newest technology.
above: First tractor on the farm, 1947 (I was not around then).
Those were the good ol’ days alright. Before the tractor and the DDT there were clouds of bugs over the fields… there was a loud buzzing sound in your ears, after DDT it was dead quiet. My grandparents and family were dancing in the fields rejoicing. Somehow the farmers were blamed for the “Silent Spring” (death of birds unable to make hard shelled eggs caused by DDT). Those mean old farmers are destroying the earth with deadly chemicals (about 1968)!
The new farms have massive tractors guided by GPS pulling plows through thousands of acres for mono-crops with no animals to be seen unless you visit the milk factory farm with the thousands of cows, the paddocks with the thousands of beef animals up to their knees in excrement or the chicken factories with 50 thousand foul (fowl).
We have increased our production over tenfold since I was young. Almost all of the farms where I lived are now covered with huge houses with big yards with a couple old people living in them. The fields have grown up and the animals are all gone and replaced with pets. A small dairy farm has 1000 or more cows now and they never eat green grass from a pasture out in the sunshine and live their lives in buildings not knowing what it was like to be a normal animal of their breed.
The government now tells the farmers what to grow. At the end of the year the crops sell for less than what it costs to grow them. The government pays out a subsidy which pays the farmers just enough to get them to spring so they can apply for the government loans to plant spring crops and wait until fall for the next handout. Our farmers may as well be serfs living outside the castle with the Lord telling them what to do and living in poverty.
There are three companies that control 1/3 of the food in the world… should we be concerned? Some say those three companies control the government. Do you think the government cares about our farms, the people of the U.S., or the farm animal abuse?
We cared about our animals and our farms when I was young, I do not think that the government loves us or our farms. Our land is being worn out. Many worry about the fossil fuels running out, we should be worrying about our farms failing. The soil is dying.
Few weeks ago that I once had an absurd thought. Well, it’s just came without I thought about which is how will it looks like if MM angry. I don’t want it. And I don’t know did MM angry.
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Here’re the problem. I don’t know how to call for help on finding something, the way I know is share the things.
Then here’re a problem, whom I can share with?
But call for backup on attack is more familiar to me.
And I don’t know if I destroy the possible reality but somebody is grasped by it, what will that person happen.
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I don’t know what I want the world to be like. I want it better, but I can’t say what it’ll be.
The existance of the old empire is over the range, but so far I don’t have an exact boundary or clear principles.
But know I got inspired, maybe it’s a way that the world to be like Sir Whiskerton stories but with chaos decreased. It’s closer to people’s daily life of a society than the countries I made whatever in some kinds of real.
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It’s hard to me to grab the target into when I was in the status of “full into”.
Here’re problems that when I in the specific status, I don’t know what is the target, or what this world to be like.
And also, is that real target but not to hurt wrong people, or is that a good world be like.
In the past year, I have been using hemi sync attempting to open the comm. I failed every time.
But just now I am almost pretty sure I had an out of body experience for only several seconds. I do not want to elaborate the process (because I do not recall the details well , and I don’t want to make up lies to fulfill my story)
In short: I had a dream at an indoor place, then I almost became conscious, then me as a consciousness (perhaps with my nonphyical body) was trying to get out of bed, but my actual physical body was still on my bed. This lasted for a few seconds or so and then some vibrations forced me to go back. My eyes were closed for the whole time. This was something I had never experienced before. Maybe it is an illusion? I do not know. Could be my fantasy, though….
That does actually sound like an out of body experience to me.
Well done mate!
Thank you. I was somewhat surprised, because I was not trying to use hemi sync for out of body experience. I was listening to going home 11: Recharge and Regenerate simply to relax myself.
And I later checked online. I found out my experience is “trivial” compared to some other people: they can float to the ceiling or be in other rooms, while I was only half way getting up. So I need to do more work in the future to improve myself.
Yes. That was certainly an out-of-the-body experience. -MM