My brother is a firearms enthusiast.
While he was staying at my mothers house (the “Manor”), he had a custom made sniper rifle delivered to the house. This was a beautiful weapon and custom made.
I guess it is an “American thing”. Don’t you know.
It’s a beautiful rifle and really accurate.
But you know, my asshole brother-in-law (who really was in the process of trying to acquire my mother’s estate through fraudulent means) told the UPS deliveryman, to send the rifle back.
My brother was infuriated!
And I don’t blame him.
And they had a fight, and my brother beat the living shit out of him. And what happened after that was that my brother stayed with my mother until I could quit my job and start taking care of her.
Now. Family dynamics are interesting, but *yawn* I’m not gonna bore you all.
But there was a reason why my asshole brother-in-law did not sign for the rifle.
Yeah, he was a felon, and that was a secret that he kept hidden from my mother and our side of the family. He had been arrested over 15 (!) times for sending my sister into the hospital.
In the USA, if you are a felon, you cannot have a gun near you. And if he signed for that weapon, he could easily go back to prison, only for 10 to 15 years.
And that is what happens when you try to keep your past secret.
Sometimes it comes back to bite you.
If my mother knew that my brother-in-law was a felon with a history of sending my sister to the hospital, she would not have allowed him on her property, and my brother would have been very cautious in handling weapon transport.
Be careful and discerning.
Today…
Is this World War 3?
Can someone lose their U.S. citizenship by renouncing it? What is the concept of birthright citizenship?
Yes, and it’s becoming increasingly frequent despite the fact it’s now on the expensive side – about $1,000 I believe.
The problem is that the United States is the only country in the world that levies income tax on “citizens”. Everyone else levies it on “residents”. I’m Canadian but if I resided in, say, the Netherlands, I would pay taxes to the Netherlands and would not have to file a Canadian tax return unless and until I returned. If you’re an American citizen living in the Netherlands, you’re expected to file a U.S. tax return, even though you may owe no money (you get a credit for foreign taxes paid).
For some people, it’s a massive headache. For example, Germany and the United States treat author royalties in a different fashion, so if you’re an American author living in Germany, you’re pretty much taxed twice on those royalties as the U.S. won’t give you a credit on those royalties for German tax paid.
Oh, and yes, the United States also taxes non-citizen residents. Even illegals.
Now, you can’t renounce your U.S. citizenship unless you can prove you’re a citizen of another country. Under international law, you can’t make a person “stateless”, even if that’s what they want. You also can’t do it in the United States, only at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate in a foreign country.
And “birthright citizenship”, which is common in the Americas, just means that if you’re born in the country and aren’t the child of diplomats, you automatically get citizenship without having to go through any sort of formal process. In countries without it, you often have third generation residents who aren’t citizens, but only speak the local language and know the local culture, having no knowledge of their country of actual citizenship. Think of it as “dreamers” (infant illegal immigrants who grow up in the United States) to the third power.
Fried Shrimps (Camaron Rebosado)
Ingredients
- 1 pound shrimp
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup cornstarch
- Soy sauce and lemon juice to taste
Instructions
- Shell shrimp, leaving tail. Devein shrimp and split back in half, being careful not to separate halves.
- Marinate shrimp in lemon juice, salt and pepper for about 15 minutes.
- Dip shrimp into batter made from mixture of beaten eggs and cornstarch.
- Deep fry and drain on paper towel.
- Serve with soy sauce and lemon juice or Agre Dulce.
Will America respond to Deepseek by attempting to do better or seek to cripple China’s efforts with sanctions or other means? On past experience, the latter seems more likely to me.
Have you heard anything about Deepseek from the Chinese Government
No
It’s because in China, the Government provides the money and support but doesn’t come into the picture after that and allows FREE MARKET and FEROCIOUS COMPETITION to set the tone
If there are sanctions, then Chinese entities will approach their Government for necessary measures
Otherwise it is 99% capitalism in China with a nice measure of 1% State control through a Golden Share
Its nothing new
The US had the same model until the mid 2000s
Now they have become the next USSR with an unbearable degree of government control on their technology that is crippling their entire ecosystem
They may panic, flail their chests and scream and shout and try crippling China
That Ship has sailed
Joke
Three married couples are simultaneously killed in a highway accident and find themselves standing at the pearly gates before St. Peter who is not in a good mood. The first couple steps forward and St. Peter says, “You have led lives of sinful drunks. Even your wife’s name is Sherry. You cannot enter heaven.” The second couple steps forward and St. Peter proclaims, “You have a led a sinful life focused only on making money. Even your wife’s name is Penny. You cannot enter heaven.” The third husband turns to his wife a says, “let’s just go, we don’t stand a chance, Fanny.”
Title: Sir Whiskerton and the Case of the Sibling Showdown
Ah, dear reader, it’s not every day that a farm detective of my caliber gets a visit from family. But when one’s family includes a brother like Sir Cattenton—the self-proclaimed “Lord of Leisure and Conqueror of Countrysides”—it’s safe to say that a simple sibling reunion can quickly escalate into a full-blown farm fiasco. Yes, this is the story of The Sibling Showdown, where my dear (and infuriating) brother attempted to take over the farm, only to discover that loyalty, friendship, and a little cleverness always prevail.
So grab your monocles and prepare for a cat-astrophic adventure filled with laughs, drama, and more sibling rivalry than you can shake a whisker at.
The Arrival of Sir Cattenton
The day began like any other: the sun was shining, the chickens were clucking, and I was enjoying my morning stroll around the farm, keeping an eye out for trouble (and for Catnip, who always seems to be lurking). All was peaceful—until I heard the unmistakable sound of a horse-drawn carriage pulling up to the front gate.
“Who on earth…?” I muttered, my whiskers twitching.
The carriage door swung open, and out stepped a cat who could only be described as… extra. His fur was perfectly groomed, his whiskers were waxed to a fine point, and he wore a tiny velvet cape that billowed dramatically in the breeze. He surveyed the farm with a smug expression, as if he already owned the place.
“Whiskerton!” he called, his voice dripping with theatrical flair. “It is I, your beloved brother, Sir Cattenton, here to grace your humble little—oh my, is that a mud puddle? Disgraceful.”
I groaned inwardly. “Cattenton, what are you doing here?”
“What am I doing here?” he repeated, feigning shock. “Why, I’ve come to rescue you, dear brother! To elevate this dreary farm into a kingdom worthy of our lineage! You’re welcome.”
Sir Cattenton’s Takeover Plan
It didn’t take long for Sir Cattenton to make his intentions clear. After a brief (and entirely unnecessary) tour of the farm, he gathered the animals in the barn and announced his grand plan.
“My dear farmyard friends,” he began, pacing dramatically. “I can see that you’ve been living under the rule of my brother, Sir Whiskerton, for quite some time. And while I’m sure he’s done his best, it’s clear to me that this farm is in desperate need of… improvement.”
“Improvement?” Doris the hen clucked, tilting her head. “What kind of improvement?”
“Why, a complete overhaul!” Sir Cattenton declared. “No more waking up at dawn, no more chores, no more rules. Under my leadership, this farm will become a paradise of leisure and luxury. Imagine it: all the feed you can eat, naps whenever you please, and not a care in the world!”
The animals murmured among themselves, intrigued but skeptical.
“That sounds… nice, I guess,” Rufus the dog said, scratching behind his ear. “But what about, you know, the farmer? He kind of expects us to do our jobs.”
“Jobs? Pah!” Sir Cattenton said, waving a paw dismissively. “Leave the human to me. I have a way with… lesser beings.”
I stepped forward, narrowing my eyes. “Cattenton, this farm runs on teamwork and respect. You can’t just waltz in here and declare yourself in charge.”
“Can’t I?” he said, smirking. “We’ll see about that, dear brother.”
The Farm’s Reaction
Over the next few days, Sir Cattenton set about trying to win the animals over to his side. He threw elaborate parties in the barn, complete with hay bales arranged like thrones and a suspicious amount of cream served in tiny saucers. He even tried to bribe the chickens with promises of “first-class nesting boxes” and “golden feed.”
At first, some of the animals were tempted.
“Well, he does have a way with words,” Doris admitted.
“And those saucers of cream were pretty tasty,” Rufus added.
But it didn’t take long for Sir Cattenton’s true nature to shine through. He was bossy, dismissive, and completely clueless about farm life. When he tried to organize a “Royal Parade” through the chicken coop, he accidentally knocked over the water trough, soaking everyone in the process.
“Oh, the indignity!” Doris clucked, shaking out her feathers.
“Indignity! But also so soggy!” Harriet added.
“Soggy! Oh, I can’t bear it!” Lillian screeched, fainting dramatically into the hay.
Meanwhile, I watched from the sidelines, biding my time. I knew it was only a matter of time before the farm saw through Cattenton’s charade.
Catnip Joins the Fray
Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse, Catnip showed up. The sly stray cat immediately saw an opportunity in Cattenton’s takeover attempt and cozied up to him like a moth to a flame.
“Well, well, Sir Cattenton,” Catnip purred. “I must say, I admire your vision. This farm could use a little… shake-up.”
“Finally, someone with taste!” Cattenton said, grinning. “Together, we shall rule this farm and transform it into a utopia!”
“Oh, absolutely,” Catnip said, his eyes gleaming. “And I’m sure my… services could be of great use to you. For the right price, of course.”
I growled softly. “This is bad. If those two team up, the farm will be in chaos.”
The Turning Point
Realizing I needed to act fast, I called a meeting with the animals.
“Listen,” I said, addressing the crowd. “I know Cattenton’s promises sound tempting, but think about what makes this farm work: cooperation, hard work, and looking out for one another. Do you really think Cattenton understands that?”
The animals murmured among themselves.
“He did call me a ‘commoner,’” Doris said, frowning.
“And he tried to make me wear a bowtie,” Rufus added, shuddering.
“Exactly,” I said. “He doesn’t care about this farm—he cares about being in charge. But this farm isn’t built on one leader. It’s built on all of us working together.”
The animals nodded, their resolve strengthening.
The Showdown
The next morning, the animals confronted Cattenton in the barn.
“Sir Cattenton,” Doris said, stepping forward, “we’ve decided that we don’t need a new leader. We’re happy with Sir Whiskerton.”
“Happy! But also so united!” Harriet clucked.
“United! Oh, I can’t bear it!” Lillian screeched.
Cattenton blinked, clearly taken aback. “But… but I threw you parties! I gave you cream! I—”
“Cream doesn’t run a farm,” Rufus said, wagging his tail. “Teamwork does.”
Defeated, Cattenton sighed dramatically. “Very well. I can see when I’m not wanted. But mark my words, Whiskerton—I shall return!”
“Looking forward to it,” I said, smirking. “Just don’t forget your bowtie.”
A Happy Ending
With Cattenton gone (for now), peace returned to the farm. The animals were more united than ever, and even Doris admitted that hard work wasn’t so bad when everyone pitched in.
The moral of the story, dear reader, is this: flashy promises and fancy speeches may be tempting, but true leadership is about care, cooperation, and putting others first. And as for Sir Cattenton? Well, let’s just say he’s got a lot to learn.
Until next time, my friends.
The End.
Have you ever acquired something very cheaply, and later found out it was extremely valuable?
My work friend Jim and his father helped a 92 year old widower move from his house to a continuing care home. The old guy had some very old fishing lures in his garage. Jim fished and appreciated how good shape the old lures were. One was in an unopened box. Jim made comments about them to the owner. The owner told Jim he could have them.
Jim told the guy they might be worth quite a bit of money. The owner was a retired surgeon, said he couldn’t really use the money and told Jim good luck and keep whatever he could get out of them.
Jim put them on Ebay and kept an eye on the bidding at work. I sat next to him and witnessed the bids go from hundreds to thousands of dollars.
Three of the lures sold for a total of over $30,000. Jim contacted the old doctor he helped move. The old guy absolutely refused to accept any money.
But the best part of the story…
Jim and his wife had been trying to get pregnant. Went to specialists in other states, etc. for over two years but it didn’t happen. They were in the process of adopting a little girl.
The little girl had twin brothers with whom she was very close. Jim and his wife decided they should adopt the brothers, too. Within a month of the lure sale, the adoption was finalized.
The very next week, Jim’s wife discovered she was pregnant. A few months later she had twins.
During that period Jim’s wife’s mom was divorced. Jim and his wife clearly needed a bigger house and moved. Jim’s mother-in-law moved in with them – a win-win for the mother-in-law and the family as she was very helpful with the children.
Jim and his wife went from a small home (for his wife and himself) to a larger home (for his wife, himself, FIVE KIDS, and a mother-in-law) with the help of the proceeds from the fishing lure sale.
Sicilian Roast Chicken
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 1 (6-7 pound) roasting chicken
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- 3/4 teaspoon dried basil leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black
- Pepper or red pepper flakes
- 3 garlic cloves, pressed
- Additional balsamic vinegar (optional)
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Rinse chicken with cold water; pat dry. Tie ends of legs together with cotton string. Lift wing tips up toward neck then tuck under back of chicken.
- In large bowl, combine vinegar, water, oregano, basil, salt, black pepper and garlic. Place chicken in marinade; turn to coat completely. Place chicken, breast side up, in Deep Dish Baker. Pour remaining marinade over chicken.
- Bake for 45 minutes. Begin basting chicken with pan juices every 15 minutes until Pocket Thermometer registers 180 degrees F in meaty part of thigh and juices run clear (approximately 1 hour, 30 minutes).
- Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes.
- Carefully place chicken on carving platter. Pour pan juices into small bowl; skim fat from surface. If desired, add 1-2 teaspoons of additional vinegar to pan juices. Carve chicken; serve using Stainless Serving Fork.
- Serve with pan juices, if desired.
Nutrition
Per serving: Calories 470, Total Fat 28g, Saturated Fat 8g, Cholesterol 155mg, Carbohydrates 4g, Protein 49g, Sodium 450mg, Fiber 0g
Attribution
Pampered Chef
The whole world now wants to mine Bitcoin. Will China let them?
Do you know anyone who won the lottery?
I do. It ruined his life.
This man lived in a rural area, and worked at the only truly large employer. Plenty of scattered mom and pop types, but this was a branch of a corporation. He loved his job.
He struck it for millions. Well, you have to identify yourself to claim it. It hit all the papers, even out to the city, where I lived.
When people realize you have won the lottery, people come out of the woodwork to try to get a piece of it. Every relative, no matter how distant, came calling, demanding with various levels of pleading to get some of the money. He didn’t think he should have to share it, so those relatives stopped speaking to him.
It’s not just relatives: neighbors, coworkers, “friends”, they’ll come around and aren’t subtle. He said no to them as well. They weren’t happy either.
You also get all kinds of crazies knocking at your door and calling your phone number. They got contacts from people pleading for money for their son’s kidney transplant or whatever. Lots of sob stories, lots of pleading, lots of insults.
Frightened by the attention and the chaos, his wife became overwhelmed and had a nervous breakdown. She would eventually divorce him.
The economy in his area turned. The corporation he worked at began layoffs. As he had been there forever, his seniority insulated him from worry about being cut, but it didn’t insulate him from bullying from his coworkers about how he was taking a job from someone who needed the money to feed their family or keep their home. He couldn’t take it eventually, and left his beloved job.
So, he won millions and lost everything else: his friends, his wife, and his job. He still lives in his old house, and every so often walks into town and buys everyone at the local diner breakfast.
I think he was better off before.
My Secret Life
Submitted into Contest #281 in response to: Write a story that includes the line “Be careful what you wish for.”… view prompt
Alan Hancock
My Secret Life Alan Hancock 2024
2,660 wds
When I put this story together I was wondering where to start. And I thought, let’s start at the beginning, a long time ago in another place a very long way from here.
So, to start from the beginning. When I was a boy I loved stories about people who had a secret. Some of them were true stories and some were made up. But it didn’t make any difference to me. They were all just as good, as long as they had a secret.
I read this story about a gang of kids who called themselves the Secret Seven. They formed this kind of junior secret society, a kiddie vigilante group who went round helping the police catch criminals. Brilliant. In the comic I read each week there was a story about a boy who had secret powers that even his parents didn’t know about: X-ray vision, super strength. I liked that.
Then there were the kids in my class at school. Some of them had secrets, some of them had a secret life. Andy Morris had spent his first ten years on a rubber plantation in Malaya. Out there in the jungle he and his brother had their very own maid. Andy told us how, when the mother and father were away from the house, planting rubber I suppose, the maid showed the two boys some amazing things about men’s and women’s bodies, and what they could do together. Andy never told his parents about these special, lessons. They were a secret. Now how come that kind of thing didn’t happen to me?
Heather MacAlpine sat in the row behind me at school. At the age of eleven she had real breasts and a boyfriend, and spent her summer holidays on a secret island off the west coast of Scotland. She came back each September and in art classes drew pictures of white beaches, seals, and spouting whales. She had a secret or two.
But not me. I was plain ordinary, normal, boring. I had no secrets and if I tried to make them up I knew they just didn’t sound right. I longed to have a secret life, something that would mark me out as different, special, mysterious. I waited and waited for my secret to appear. But it didn’t. And then one day much later, it did.
Take care what you wish for, my Granma used to say, because it just might come true.
+ + +
The first clue is a memory. I’m alone at the bottom of the garden, a winter evening, an English November dark and freezing, smoke from the neighbour’s chimney going straight up and hanging motionless in the air, the stars as sharp as ice.
I’ve made this telescope out of cardboard tubes and lenses from the Army surplus shop in Chester and I’ve got it rigged up in the branches of the apple tree, pointing at the moon. The white craters and the mountains. It’s another world. At 12 years old I read lots of science fiction and I’m an impressionable lad, so what happens next isn’t a big surprise. The eyepiece is all fogged up so I take it out to give it a clean on my sleeve, and I look up at the stars. And then.
Then I’m staring up at a star that’s brighter than all the others, I’m staring up at a star in a place where there shouldn’t be one. And the star is moving, and getting bigger and brighter. No noise, just the light, a brilliant blue-white. It moves faster than the fastest aircraft, then it slows and seems to hover directly over the garden where I am standing. Something happens but It’s too big for me to take in. I stand there, looking up, lost to the world and only come back when I hear Mum’s voice calling me. ‘Al, tea time!’ I had no idea how long I’d been standing there.
I never tell anyone what I’ve seen. No reason, just silence. It’s a secret.
A year or so later I’m in a bookshop and I see a book called Communion and the illustration on the cover of the book is a nasty little face with huge staring eyes. I know straight away that it’s all wrong. Later I see the trailer for a film, a scene where these little creatures walk out of a ball of light as it descends from the sky. I find myself smiling: it’s so silly.
I have a vivid imagination. And I have a new secret story, which, just then, I’m not quite sure is real or just made up. How many bright new stars in the sky? How many memories waiting to return?
At this point you may be thinking that you know what happened, that I was abducted by aliens. Yes, I was, but not like in the books and movies. It wasn’t an X-files kind of experience. It wasn’t the greys or the guys in black or the big tall ones that they reckon are a bit more friendly. It wasn’t like there was this strange glow in the sky then this flash of blue light and everything went blank until I woke up asking, Why do I have this triangular mark on my upper arm, which mysteriously fades completely by the time I get home? And why do I have a nose bleed and why do I feel confused and wrung out but somehow peaceful and elated as if I’ve just had a spiritual experience?’
No. It wasn’t like that at all. You’re just jumping to conclusions. This is even more weird.
Fifty-two Earth years ago I was abducted from the photon belt which surrounds the star Alcione in the constellation of the Pleiades, approximately 450 light years from here. It’s all coming back to me very clearly now, and I think it’s time I told you all. I didn’t use to look like this at all. In the Pleiades I wasn’t a theatre studies lecturer and I didn’t have a house in North Lake or a Toyota Corolla: I was very different. I was an entity of the fourth density vibrating at a level far higher than can be perceived by humans. I was a manifestation of life force energy that sort of flickered and buzzed and was all joined up with all the other energy forms out there in the photon belt. So there wasn’t any conflict or separation, or shopping or therapy groups. It was all just this kind of flow that everything joined in. It was really nice.
But then I got abducted. Suddenly I was in this brightly lit room full of strange creatures. I now realise that this was the maternity ward of the West Birmingham Hospital in England, Europe, Earth, the solar system. And I had been abducted by Donald and Phylis Hancock, and outside it was freezing cold, and I had a body, which came as a big surprise. A bit later I got used to it and I couldn’t remember anything of my previous life in the Pleiades. It was all very upsetting. Then something happened and I remembered – everything. That was later. We’ll come to that bit soon.
There were lots of clues, if I’d known what to look for. As a boy I was fascinated by anything to do with astronomy and the only books I ever read were science fiction. I always thought that Dr Who and Star Trek were more like documentaries than made-up stories, and you know that bit in ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ where the astronaut goes zooming down this space-time warp thing and ends up in another dimension. It made a big impression on me. I was never quite the same after I saw that.
Then, the other week, it happened, and I knew. I was out in the bush and it was a pitch-black night and the sky was full of stars. I found myself looking at the Pleiades, and this thought just popped into my head, ‘I wonder what it’d be like to live in the Pleiades?’ That’s when it all came back.
The higher dimension, the entities of pure Light Force which form a single pulse of radiant energy, the oneness, the complete absence of hassles with stuff like making friends, and getting stuck in the checkout queue at K-mart and projecting unwanted aspects of self onto complete strangers, so you either get inexplicably infatuated with the new secretary at work, or develop a deep loathing for someone at the next table in a cafe who talks into a mobile phone for half an hour in a VERY LOUD VOICE.
In fact, I could remember clearly that up there in the aural glow of the photon belt there was a complete lack of anything to do with self whatsoever. There were no secrets. And I was wondering if you could get there like in ‘2001’ where there’s this big whoosh and you just kind of go surfing along a space-time discontinuity and end up absolutely miles away, back home.
Now I think of it, I’ve often felt like I don’t quite fit in, here on Earth I mean, not just as a migrant in Australia or North Lake. Maybe it’s because I don’t actually come from here. Maybe lots of other people feel the same way, but they just don’t dare say in case their friends think they’re turning into fruit-loops. But my therapy group reckon it’s worth taking the risk, as long as you’re in a supportive environment, so I thought this would be a good time to have a go at writing it all down and see what happens.
Back to my story. I get used to living on this planet, along with all the other Earthlings, and I try to make sense of it all: life on planet Earth in a time of global conflict, anxiety, and conspiracy theories. So, when I read the newspaper or watch tv it’s more like a travel guide. I get lots of information about the place and how it all works. And lots of questions. Like why do some people keep secrets and then why do they confess?
On the news, there’s this story about a man who walks into a police station one sunny day and he says, ‘It was me. I did it. I confess. Twenty years I’ve been carrying this secret round, and I had to tell someone. It was me. I confess.’ And as they lead him off to the cells he has this relaxed look on his face, like he’s happy, at last.
On a tv show, a couple is sitting down at home, and they look a bit tense. And the man says, ‘There’s something I have to tell you. I don’t know how to say this. But, you know when I went to that conference at Surfers Paradise last year. I met this woman from the Sydney office.’
You just know it’s going to get him into a whole heap of big trouble, but it’s too late now, he’s off. He’s confessing. Like me right now, confessing my own secret, maybe getting myself into trouble.
A few weeks ago I was watching this video about a strange American man who is so far out there in the new age that he’s on another planet. Literally. I’m watching it with a bunch of people some of whom I know and most of whom take it all as one big joke. They can’t stop laughing. Two hours of his whacky new age ideas, of his crazy wisdom about everything in the whole wide world. His ideas keep coming like they could go on forever. Like he knows, yes knows, people who have been alive for 5,000 years. One of them is Thoth, the Ancient Egyptian deity with the ibis head. He says, You may find this hard to believe, given your view of reality. And I think, yep, it’s hard to believe.
At first I just smile. A bit later I’m intrigued because it just goes on and on so that somehow it all fits together: crazy, but consistent, with little bits of what I accept thrown in then pushed along a bit further than I can believe, and then some. He keeps on talking and I listen. Then this moment comes when I know he’s telling the truth. I know he’s one of us.
He says he comes from the stars, lots of them. First stop for him in this dimension was Sirius. He says he lived in Sirius. Not on a planet near Sirius, but in Sirius. Now Sirius is a white-hot ball of incandescent gas. It’s not the kind of place where you can get used to the climate. And he lived there: quite liked it too.
He says our view of stars and heat is all wrong. Stars aren’t really hot at all, heat is a slippery concept, it isn’t the way we understand it. Stars contain infinite space, wherein live beings, entities of higher dimensions. He has lived many lives in higher dimensions we cannot imagine
He comes from the stars. Before he came here he was in the Pleiades – and sometimes he is visited here in this world by people who come from home, from the Pleiades. And I go, Yes. Me too.
Something unlocks inside me, opens up like a flower.
Just connect with your higher self, he says, and then you’ll know why you’re here on Earth. This time.
Why am I here? Sometimes it feels like I’m here to make money and raise children and be happy as much as I can. And then . . . ?
And who was it, in the back garden, coming in a light from the sky? Was it family? Was it me, or part of me?
All these questions, the big ones: the words bounce off and go nowhere.
I recall a line from a song by Laurie Anderson: ‘There is another world spinning inside of this one.’ I think there is. I’d like to know why I’m here, this time around. Like this American man on the video.
+ + +
When I was a kid my Gran used to watch tv with us sometimes. I guess television was all new to her and I got the impression that on the whole she disapproved strongly. If anyone came on who was what she would call a show-off, a big-head, someone who was trying to put on some kind of act, someone like Mick Jagger for example, she’d say, ‘Who does he think he is?’ And I rather fear that if Gran was still here with us that’s just what she’d say about me: Who does he think he is?
It’s a good question isn’t it: Who do I think I am? And will I remember, when I go back to the Pleiades?
I’ve got a feeling that I’m going to miss it, this story of mine, this life on Earth. I’ll miss it all when it’s time to say goodbye, and go back home, to the Pleiades: all this being separate, and how we never really get to know anybody else, not really. So I have secrets, and I make confessions. Then there’s this thing called love. I’m going to miss a lot when I leave here. I wonder if I’ll remember what it was like. I wonder if I’ll come back for another go. Take care what you wish for, my Gran used to say. Don’t wish you’re life away, cos it’s all you’ve got. It’s all going to come true anyway, one day. It’s all coming true.
I wonder when I’ll start feeling better now I’ve written all this down. I guess that is the point, isn’t it? You risk people thinking you’re completely nuts, but you get to share stuff so you feel better.
It hasn’t happened yet.
Maybe it takes a bit longer.
End
What surprised you when you first visited South Korea?
Racist.
I know some Koreans are racist towards foreigners, especially Southeast Asians.
I was shocked when I received unpleasant treatment while in Korea. When I first set foot in Incheon Airport, I decided to take the Arex (Airport Rail Express) to Seoul and to my accommodation area in Hongdae. When I was in the Arex, I found scornful looks from the mothers and fathers in front of me. They seemed to judge me from top to bottom and even whispered while looking at my face and my brother.
Besides in arex, I also experienced racism while in subway. There was a group of college students or school students (I forgot) they saw me and laughed at me🤦♀️.
When I got off the subway, I was also shouted at by a man who said “Malaysia, Malaysia” and pointed at me and my brother.
In Hongdae too! Hongdae is the center of young people, there are lots of young people or students there. At night I decided to go to Hongdae and enjoy busking there. In front of me there was a guy and a girl dating, the girl suddenly turned back and she was shocked to see my face. She whispered to her boyfriend and finally moved to another position far from me. When she walked, she whispered to her boyfriend while looking at me🤦♀️🌚.
Seriously, Korean people are that racist, so I’m not surprised that Lisa from Blackpink, who is as beautiful as an angel, still often gets racist comments, let alone me, whose face looks like this, hahaha.
but not all Koreans are like that. When I ate at a fish soup restaurant in Hongdae, the ahjumma and ahjusshi were very kind to me and my sister. They taught me how to eat Korean and even offered me additional side dishes. There was also a ramen seller ahjumma at the bus terminal who told me that their food was haram so I couldn’t eat it.
Korea is beautiful, seriously if I have the money I really want to go to Korea again. But yeah, if your face is Malay plus you wear a hijab you have to endure being stared at or even laughed at lol.
How could China successfully develop the advanced AI model, the DeepSeek, under the US’s sanctions on chips? And from the news I heard, this Chinese AI Model is not a copycat from the OpenAI as it uses a different model, how is this possible?
I worked in China in 1997–98 with a Chinese Internet startup which has now evolved into Sina.com.
At the time, China had about 500k Internet users, and Internet use was growing dramatically. Venture capital did not yet exist in China, so the startups had to turn to US VC firms for funding. However, since the laws were not yet defined, the process was often long and painful.
This placed a restriction on the China technical teams: they could not get cash to buy servers. These startups had no trouble finding very good and smart STEM graduates, but they could not get the servers which at the time were very expensive. At the time, were were using Sun servers, which often cost about US$250k and could only be purchased in Hong Kong for China delivery.
This was a severe constraint and the server tech teams had to get very creative in writing code which would support more users every day. One of their favored methods was to move what would have been server-side code in the US to run in the browser. Since US startups were rolling in cash, they never had to deal with these constraints. These constraints led to creativity.
While I do not have any access to what DeepSeek knowledge and developments, my past experience suggests to me that it is entirely plausible that they built and trained their model spending only US$6.4M.
Having too much ready cash makes people sloppy, stupid, and wasteful, not better. For businesses, it means that a lot of the investment money will disappear because of fraud and abuse. These higher costs are passed onto customers in the form of higher costs if the companies enjoy legislation-supported monopoly positions. These monopoly positions are what Warren Buffett means as “moats”.
These moats are what have supported US companies for too long.
US companies have to go back to having strong engineering and manufacturing.
It is obvious now that China is not going to make this transition easy for the US because now the hostility between the two governments is open and deep.
What’s the funniest misunderstanding you’ve ever experienced with someone?
I once worked for a prepaid wireless company in a regional office. On Fridays, I called each of the corporate stores (15) to confirm store rosters to ensure staffing. One of the store managers I spoke with was a really good guy and had an hilarious sense of humor! He was a joy to speak with. We became good friends over the years.
One Friday during winter when I called, he as usual asked me how I was. It was a hard/busy week and I was telling him how exhausted I was. I then mumbled, “Oh! I need a blanket!” He got flabbergasted at me. I then said, “All I said was that I need a blanket!” He then cracked up laughing and told me he is now blushing because he thought I said something else. I asked him what he thought I said and he refused to tell me. The more he laughed, the more I laughed and neither of us could stop laughing.
I finally pried it out of him. He thought I said, “ Oh! I need a black man!” I laughed so hard I couldn’t breathe for at least 15 minutes! I then reminded him that I already had one…my husband.
Tee Shirt Concepts
What cat breed is friendly, low maintenance, calm, and an indoor cat?
In my experience, its less about breed and more about their natural temperment, age and conditioning during their upbringing. Some cats are just naturally timid and others are more outgoing. Cats under age 2 are really like adolescents. They’ll slowly start to mellow out after that. A calm house is probably going to result in calmer cats, though too calm can mean that uour cat acts out due to boredom.
If you want a cat that is 100% indoor, get one that has NEVER been outside (don’t get a barn cat/kitten and try to turn it into an indoor cat). It seems like a cat that has ever enjoyed being outside will always want to go outside, either part-time or full-time.
I’ve heard a few things about differences in cats with different coat coloring and gender, like males might be more laid back than females and calicos might have more ‘personality’ than others, but I don’t put much stock in these theories.
Getting them sterilized at an appropriate age often mellows them out too as there are fewer hormonal influences on their behavior (wandering, escaping, caterwauling, yowling, etc.)
Demi Moore’s Role in The Substance The Red Pill Reality of Modern Postwall Women
Got any good medical jokes to share?
A man looks down and sees a terrible sore on his johnson. He gets in to see his FP the same day. After a careful examination, the doc says, “I’ve never seen it before but I think this is Hong Kong Dong! The only treatment is surgical amputation.” The man says he needs a second opinion. He finds another doctor who confirms it’s a classic case of Hong Kong Dong and recommends immediate surgical amputation. Still unsatisfied, our guy flies to Hong Kong to get the ultimate second opinion. The world’s premier expert confirms it’s a classic case of HKD. He asks, “What treatment did your doctors in the US recommend?” Surgical amputation, he replies. “Oh, those American doctors so knife-happy! Cut, Cut, Cut! That’s all they know. Everyone here knows, you no cut if off. You just wait 2–3 weeks and it falls off on its own.”
How did China develop DeepSeek with less than 50 million USD when Trump is saying we need billions?
Rational people will respect the Chinese people’s strong capabilities in mathematics and AI. In fact, the competition between China and the United States in AI is actually a competition between Chinese Americans and Chinese.
The DeepSeek team is not large, with less than 140 people. Almost all engineers and R&D personnel come from top Chinese universities such as Tsinghua University, Peking University, Sun Yat-sen University, and Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications. There are no “Chinese international students” who have returned from studying abroad. Moreover, they have not worked for a long time, and many of them are still studying for a doctorate. Even the team’s managers are very young.
Liang Wenfeng, co-founder of The DeepSeek
The salaries of executives at American technology companies are too high, and they suck up all the profits, so there is news that the salary of a manager at an American tech company can support the entire Deepseek team.
The billions of dollars Trump mentioned might not be enough to pay 50 top executive in America’s high-tech industry.
The US overpays in many/most areas. Defense contracting, healthcare, housing…you name it. There’s a big financial result but not an actual physical result.
For example defense/healthcare companies have great financial figures but often fail to deliver ships, airplanes etc or provide adequate effortable health care. The same is true in the AI field a lot of money is being spend but the results aren’t that impressive.
There seems to be a lot of “diverted” money ending up in pockets where it shouldn’t be?
Chinese people often win championships in Olympic mathematics competitions and physics competitions. China has millions of science and engineering graduates every year. It is only a matter of time before China surpasses the West.
The key to the key is that the tuition fees of China’s first-class public universities are less than $700 per year, and basically talented people will stand out from them, while the tuition fees of European and American universities are tens of thousands of dollars per year.
Interestingly, the American team won first place in the 64th International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) in 2023. But if you look closely, you will find that almost all of them are Asian faces, or more precisely, Chinese faces.
Deepseek’s open-source training, fine-tuning, and deployment calculations are all optimized for Huawei’s Ascend 920B chips, and the computing efficiency will be much higher when using Huawei chips.
From the past few years to now, the usage rate of Huawei chips in the Deepseek community has increased from more than 10% to more than 40%, and there will be more and more in the future. It can be said that if Deepseek occupies the market, Nvidia will plummet.
Some people would disparage Deepseek by saying that it uses low-end chips and that’s why it only cost $5 million to develop.
It turns out that China has shown that lesser chips will work LLM, so this is good because it means that both high end and lower ends chips will be bought en masse.
Deepseek is free and open source.
The Deepseek app topped the free app download rankings in Apple’s App Store in China and the United States, surpassing ChatGPT in the US download ranking.
I feel sorry for those who are paying or have paid for the $200 OpenAI Subscription.
Technomancer 3: The Gift of a Life
Submitted into Contest #281 in response to: Start or end your story with someone receiving a strange — and possibly sinister — gift.… view prompt
KC Foster
“Why? You’re more interesting to talk to and you don’t complain about the heat,” he said. Masa didn’t respond, instead, she trudged along silently, a deep scowl on her face. “So much for conversation,” he muttered.
“You don’t see it, do you?” she seethed, turning to face him. “They don’t want me to be part of them, and….and…you see this pass? I could have shot Mattias multiple times. Down there, they are all like sitting ducks. That is why I came up here. At least then I can escape.”
“Oh.”
“Richards, just go back to your people. I don’t need or want your help.” Masa strode off ahead of him and all he could do was stare. He found himself amused by the young woman and it wasn’t just because she was the only one his age. Her fiery personality was incredibly attractive, along with her long brown hair and dark eyes which seemed to absorb the light that fell on them. His own did the same, but not like hers. Hers were something else. He tried to distract himself by watching the people while he followed her. She was right. It was dangerous – for her. He would not let her be alone – not with Mattias out for her head.
The sun set and fires appeared in the distance. Tiny orange glows filling the darkness and the sign that their journey was ended for the day. He wondered how far they had come. At their slow pace, it could not have been far. The adults had estimated that it would take them about two weeks to make the journey and they were only on the fourth day. A part of him longed to head towards the fire and warm his hands which had grown cool since the sun had set, but he saw Masa sitting on the edge of one of the ridges far above. He made his way up and joined her.
“I told you to leave me alone,” she said.
“Then why stay?” he asked and she didn’t respond.
Masa whimpered. “I…well…I don’t want to be that alone,” she said. “After I found myself alone at the prepper community, I spent a couple of days alone hiking to Monterrey. The silence… it’s terrifying.” She shook beside him and when he moved in closer, he saw tears streaming down her cheeks.
Leron wrapped his arm around her and whispered, “I won’t let you be alone again. The old priest at the church used to speak a verse, how did it go? That’s right. I will go where you go.” Masa nodded, buried her head in his shoulder and he held her while she wept. “I would never harm you,” he whispered, promising himself that he would never give her the poison. Her life was just as precious to him as the people below. He scowled at the fires. If Mattias pushed him, he would give him the poison instead.
Gunshots echoed from the pass below and screams rang out from the camp.
“No…” he cried. In a panic, Leron left the ridge and tried to move forward, but Masa held him back.
“If you go down there, you will die,” she said, bitterly. “You promised you wouldn’t leave me. If you go down there you will have.”
Leron stared at her, scowling. How could she say such a thing? It wasn’t fair for her to ask him to weigh her life against theirs. The people his parents had worked so hard to save were down there. Tears welled in his eyes and streamed down his cheeks. He wiped them away. She was right. Mattias had not given him a weapon, what could he do? “Give me your gun.”
“Do you know how to use one?” she pressed.
“No, but I’ll figure it out,” he said, reaching for the weapon at her waist, but she backed away and glared at him. She studied his eyes; her own now filled with fear. Her hand went to the gun and gripped it tightly. Was it to protect herself from him? Would she try to shoot him again?
The gunshots and screams died out and the world went silent around them. “It’s too late,” she said. “You’re just one person, what could you do?”
“I don’t know, but I have to try,” he argued. “Because if you don’t, then I will go alone and unarmed, and I will die. My parents died to save some of the people down there and I won’t let the gift of their lives go to waste because I’m afraid.”
“You’ll give them your life too?”
“Yes. And I would do the same for you.”
Masa groaned. “You’re the biggest idiot I’ve ever met.” She sighed, scowling at the ground, before meeting his gaze. “Fine, let’s go.”
Have you ever had to lower your standards because you were in a compromised position in life?
Oh hell yes.
At 30. I was married. Had a job I loved with a great income. Great health.
By 32 I was living on the street. Had been layed off with several hundred other people in my company. During a contentious divorce. Then a car accident. I was the passenger.
Finally. Flat broke. I’ll health. I decided to rebuild.
Living in a cheap room. Working progressively better jobs. Getting rid of debt.
One of my friends termed it “ Park Ave, to Park bench, back to Park Ave.”
No car. Limping. Looking for the dollar menu specials.
I made back. Took four years. Way faster than I thought. Things have been fine since then.
I’m 65 now. Comfortably retired. Healthy.
What strange law did you accidentally break when you were in a foreign country?
In October of 2015 I moved myself, 2 dogs, 6 sheep and 2 emus, with the help of a friend, in my 20 year old horsebox from England to Portugal.
Now in the UK you can own a 7.5ton lorry privately and it doesn’t have to have tacho – the device which records the daily journeys of professional drivers. Your registration form reads ‘Private HGV.’
So were trundling through France when the police pulled us over on a motorway check point. Between my friend and I we struggle through with French. He asked for our documents and then asked for our tacho sheets. We showed him our paperwork saying private HGV and we didn’t need them. He began to look extremely smug and told us, “Well you do here and as you don’t have them we can confiscate your vehicle and you’ll have to pay a 3000 euro fine.”
Horseboxes have a small door in the side of them called a grooms door. I walked round and opened the door and invited him to look in and staring out was my 2mt tall Emu, Mallory Mu, with her titanium beak and velociraptor claws.
I handed him the keys to the wagon and said “Off you go then.” The smug look changed to one of absolute horror. He told us to get back in the truck and get out of France as soon as possible. How many people are saved by an emu. It was hilarious.
Americans on RedNote br£@kdown te@rs realizing Chinese lihua letters to them
How does the Trump administration decide which cities to target for deportations?
Payback.
He’s hammering Democrat areas. Mess up their economy. Cost them a fortune in legal fees.
Back during Obama days they raided a chicken processing plant in a rural Midwest area. Pulled 600 illegals out of there. The town population was 3000. So 20% of the customers vanished. Everybody was screaming. The local stores, diners, laundromats, all had a giant drop in revenue.
That plant plant paid a huge fine and hired back illegals as soon as the feds were gone.
That red state blue state sanctuary crap is nonsense.
As a percentage the rural red states have way more illegals than the blue states.
He’s also got his base swooning. The reds hats around here are all giddy with excitement.
Obama deported 3.2 million illegals during his term. They were calling him the deporter in chief. Red hats still hate him. Orange boy deports a few hundred and he’s a god. Go figure. This is just a dog and pony show for his base.
I live close to Newark. After that seafood company raid the other day. The restaurant owners were on the news. They lost business because they couldn’t get seafood. Screwed a bunch of American business owners in the process.
I have nothing against deporting illegals. Just try to do it without screwing over Americans. Especially the customers. They had nothing to do with this.
I guess the sentiment is, “Screw them. They’re just blue state libtards. Let them suffer.”
I’m waiting to see raids in Oklahoma City, Des Moines, Branson, Yakima, other deeply red cities.
Those places are loaded with illegals. He’s not going to raid them.
Rednote Exposed: Americans STUNNED by How Good Life is in China… And Now They’re ANGRY!
Must must must watch.
In this eye-opening video, we bring you another round of Americans / TikTok refugees reacting to Rednote—and this time, their reactions are even more intense! Watch as they discover just how advanced and fulfilling life in China truly is, from cutting-edge technology to thriving communities. But as they learn more, their shock turns to frustration about their own situation back home. Will this change their perspective? You’ll have to see their raw, unfiltered reactions to believe it!
When have you helped someone who seemed poor but they were rich?
Many, many years ago I was at Kirkley Hall agricultural college in Northumberland. It was winter, freezing and muddy so I volunteered to take all the fushia cuttings for next year. About 20,000 if I remember correct. Nice cosy greenhouse, I’m not daft. Anyway it took a while. On the second day a rather shabby old gentleman came in and chatted to me. His Hunter wellies were covered in bicycle tyre repair patches.
He was lovely and we just chatted about anything and everything. His coat was ripped and his trousers had seen better days. I collected food from the canteen early as the glasshouses were quite a walk. I offered him a sandwich which he gladly accepted. The next day he turned up again, at lunchtime. I gave him a sandwich. I assumed he was a local from the village looking for a bit of warmth as well. The next day I got extra food just in case. And he showed again and had a decent lunch. He came every day. I really liked him, but my project came to an end. We hugged and he thanked me and I said I hope we crossed paths again.
A week or so later my course tutor told me I’d made a big impression on Vicount Ridley who lived in the huge historic pile down the road. I was confused saying I didn’t think I’d met him. My tutor said, well you’ve been bringing him lunch. And he paid for the huge glass house you were working in.
He died not long after and I shed a tear.
Americans learning to Cook Chinese Food on Chinese App RedNote
Trump administration wants… bla bla bla
Chicken Adobo
About Filipino Chicken Adobo
Chicken adobo is the unofficial national dish of the Philippines. The word adobo is derived from the Spanish word adobar which means “to marinate”. But in the Philippines, adobo refers to both the process of marinating food with a predominantly vinegar base, as well as the finished dish.
When I first heard of Filipino chicken adobo I thought it would be similar to the Dominican pollo guisado that I grew up eating. It does have some similarities, Dominicans always marinate chicken in vinegar to “wash” it or to help tenderize it. But I soon found out Filipino chicken adobo is a completely different beast. The chicken is cooked in vinegar—LOTS of vinegar—and equal parts soy sauce. Garlic, onions, water, peppercorns, bay leaves, and a smidge of sugar help round out the sharp acidity of this unique and enticing dish.
Like all classic dishes, many variations exist depending on the cook and the region. Chicken is the most classic protein used with adobo sauce but pork, squid, and sometimes vegetables are also used. The consistency of the sauce can also vary; some people like it cooked a little longer so the sauce will reduce to a silky, sticky glaze. Others prefer to have more sauce so leave it thinner to douse over their food. This recipe leans towards the latter, but feel free to add less liquid if you prefer a more reduced sauce.
I have been making chicken adobo for many years, always good but not quite perfect. Then I found a recipe for it in the “Filipino Cookbook” by Miki Garcia that included onions. Not a traditional ingredient in most chicken adobo’s but to me, it felt like suddenly all the flavours became more balanced.
No matter the variation, a Filipino adobo sauce should always be characterized by a strong, yet enticing briny punch of vinegar and soy. I think you’ll love this version I share with you here.
What Does Filipino Chicken Adobo Taste Like?
Heaven, if you ask me. But to be more precise, it is a dish that is intensely savoury and tangy with just a hint of sweetness. If you taste the sauce before it reduces, it will be unpleasantly sour. But as it cooks, the flavours mellow and become less sour.
Though bone-in chicken is traditionally used for this dish, I prefer to use chicken thighs. Cooked in the punchy sauce they become fork-tender and quite literally melt in your mouth. It is a beautiful dish to enjoy with your family and most definitely would be a hit if served to guests.
Ingredients And Notes
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs – You can use bone-in chicken pieces if you prefer but this recipe does not work well with chicken breast. They simply will not absorb the sauce properly and will dry out before the sauce has a chance to thicken and glaze.
- Vinegar – I like to use rice vinegar but plain white vinegar will also work if you use less. See below for more information on which vinegar is best for chicken adobo.
- Light or low-sodium soy sauce – Because of the amount of soy sauce being used, make sure to use a soy sauce with reduced sodium or it will be very salty. Instead of soy sauce, you can also use coconut aminos. Don’t use dark soy sauce which is completely different than regular soy sauce.
- Onion and garlic – Not all chicken adobo recipes include onions but I find their sweetness creates a nice balance of flavours in this dish. You can leave the onions out if you wish but the garlic is essential in chicken adobo.
- Peppercorns – The peppercorns are also a very essential ingredient in chicken adobo. They soften slightly when cooked but if you don’t like the idea of biting into a peppercorn just use coarse cracked pepper.
- Sugar – I often leave it out but if you are using regular vinegar, you will need just a few teaspoons. I like to use can or coconut sugar but brown or white will also work.
- bay leaves – Fresh bay leaves are preferred for this recipe but if you can’t find them use dried.
Green onion – Optional for garnish.
Suggested Variations
Though incredibly easy and straightforward to make, a Filipino adobo sauce relies on the perfect balance of flavours. If you haven’t made it before, I encourage you to follow the recipe as written at least once before making any adjustments. Here are a few variations you might enjoy:
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- Use a different protein: I love this recipe with tofu! Simply drain and dry the tofu then cut into thick slices. Sear the tofu slices on both sides then proceed with the recipe. You can also use chopped up pork shoulder, squid, or even shrimp. Just make sure to adjust cooking times for more delicate protein.
- Make it with veggies: Slabs of cauliflower or chopped eggplant would be excellent vegetables to cook in this Filipino adobo sauce. You can even combine the two or add sugar snap peas, edamame, and broccoli florets – yum! I have also made it with just mushrooms (give this recipe a try) which I absolutely love.
- Add coconut milk: Some Filipino adobo recipes call for coconut milk. I haven’t tried it but I imagine it would be quite delicious. Here’s what I would do: Add 1 cup coconut milk but reduce the vinegar and soy each by 1/4 cup. Add the 1/2 cup of water only if necessary.
- More garlic: Filipino adobo is made with lots of garlic. I went middle ground but some recipes double it so if garlic is your jam, go ahead and add more!
- Add some heat: The peppercorns add minimal heat so if you want a spicier adobo sauce, add a few chopped up bird’s eye chilis or some red pepper flakes.
How To Make Filipino Chicken Adobo
Marinating the chicken in the vinegar and soy sauce is recommended but I don’t find it essential. I usually marinate it for about 20 minutes while I start making the rice and chopping the veggies. If you do plan ahead, go ahead and marinate it for 1 hour or overnight.
Here is the step-by-step to make this easy dish:
- In a large bowl, combine the vinegar, soy sauce, and peppercorns. Add the chicken thighs and marinate for at least 20 minutes or up to overnight.
- Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet or pot. Remove chicken from the marinade allowing most of the marinade to drip back into the bowl (reserve the marinade) and place the chicken in the hot pan. Cook undisturbed for 2 to 3 minutes, or until just a bit brown and golden. Flip and cook for only 2 more minutes—do not cook through. Transfer chicken to a large plate.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and if necessary, add remaining oil to the pan. Add the onions and garlic and cook until garlic is fragrant and slightly brown, about 2 minutes. (The onions do not need to be brown).
- Add the reserved marinade, bay leaves and sugar and bring it to a rolling boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Nestle in the chicken thighs, smooth side down. Lower heat to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Flip the chicken thighs and continue to simmer, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until sauce has reduced by at least half. At this point, if the sauce doesn’t seem thick enough, remove the chicken to a plate and continue to cook the sauce until it reduces to your desired consistency. I like it a bit glaze-y but not so thick that I lose too much sauce. Return chicken back to the skillet to warm slightly, if necessary.
- Serve immediately with fluffy white rice, passing around extra adobo sauce at the table.
Note: It will seem like too much liquid at first, but trust, if you followed the recipe as written the sauce will reduce and it will thicken. If you used a deep pot to make the chicken adobo, it will take longer to reduce.
Best Vinegar For Chicken Adobo
A Filipino cane vinegar is traditionally used to make adobo sauce. It is sweeter and milder than regular white vinegar. If you feel like seeking it out, Datu Puti is a brand that can be found at most large Asian markets. In the Kitchener-Waterloo area you can find it here.
That said, I prefer to use (unseasoned) rice vinegar which I always have in my pantry. In a pinch you can also use apple cider vinegar or white vinegar but because these vinegars are more acidic in taste, you should reduce the amount by 1/4 cup. In addition, it is important to note that if you don’t use a cane vinegar, the adobo will need a few teaspoons of sugar. This will not make the dish taste sweet at all. It will just help tame the acidity of the vinegar.
FAQ’s
Do I have to brown the chicken?
This one is tricky. Many Filipino cooks add their chicken to the adobo mixture without browning it first. I have tried it and it’s fine. But truly, it is best to give the chicken a quick sear for both colour, presentation, and a little more flavour.
Because we are using skinless chicken pieces, the process is less messy and takes only a few minutes.
Should I use a skillet or a pot?
You can use a Dutch oven or deep pot but a large skillet works best here because the sauce will reduce more quickly. Just make sure the skillet is deep and wide enough to fit the chicken and sauce. If using a deep pot, I recommend you reduce the amount of vinegar and soy sauce by 1/4 cup each.
Why did my chicken adobo taste too vinegary?
Filipino chicken adobo is supposed to have a strong, pungent vinegar taste. That said, if you follow the recipe tips on using the right vinegar, it should be nicely balanced and not abrasive. White vinegar and apple cider vinegar will be a lot stronger tasting than rice vinegar so if using either of those, make sure you add a little more sugar, and/or reduce the amount of vinegar by 1/4 cup.
Why did I end up with too much liquid?
It is important that you use the right amount of meat to liquid. If you are using less than 2 1/2 pounds of chicken, I recommend you reduce the amount of vinegar and soy sauce by 1/4 cup each. Otherwise, you may end up with too much liquid to chicken ratio. In addition, a skillet versus a deep pot, will ensure the liquid can thicken, and evaporate, more quickly.
Serving Suggestions
Fluffy white rice is the classic side to serve with Filipino chicken adobo. Or, even better, serve it with this divinely creamy coconut rice. The mild sweetness of the coconut rice helps temper both the salinity and the acidity of the adobo sauce.
For a veggie side, we almost always have it with a cooling cucumber/avocado salad. Sprinkle everything with sliced scallions and trust me, you’ll be making this dish again and again.
Make Ahead And Store
Filipino chicken adobo is one of those dishes that improves with time. So delicious the next day, I always make plenty so it is more than a one-meal dish. Leftovers also freeze really well.
To refrigerate or freeze: You can make the entire dish a few days ahead, or make a few meals out of it. Once the chicken adobo has cooled, place the chicken pieces in an air-tight container and pour the sauce over it. Refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
They Thought Their Baby-Trapping Scheme Was Flawless Until BF Exposed Their Plan, Now They’re…
Which country is more popular internationally, China or the United States?
The US says it is but the world thinks China is! To the world the US is the problem not the solution. To the world the US is barbaric. To some of their dogs and slave nations US is the angel they listen to. For example the UK, Australia and Canada they help to do genocide and mass slaughter of human beings just to suck up to the USA! To the rest of the world we are simply way too smart. We see a barbarian a million miles away! No one wants the US to be anywhere near us! Their only buddies in Asia, ie their slave South Korea they have the sense to impeach their US puppet and his replacement too!
Japan their East Asian dog in chief just got rid of their US puppet too! Hahaha good on you guys! Oh you have India? India is too smart for you guys. They suck any easy money dry and buy their weapons from. Russia and see you Russian oil with a huge profit disguised as Indian oil! Hahahaha what a fool the west are!
Yes you are loading up cash to offer Filipino fisherman on the high seas to gets free boat wash plus brand new US 10 thousand bucks just to get close enough to Chinese vessels! It is a good deal for the Pinoys! But you are thrill as though the Pinoys wanted you not your money! The US reminds me of the 70 years old Caucasian walking hand in hand with a Pinoy bar girls thinking of their true love not your fat wallet!
Who are the best dog left in Asia? yes your Anglo cousins! Australia! A least the Kiwis has balls and brains. Australia bought your hopeless submarines. At the price of 110K Aussie dollars for every men, women and Child! It will be delivered sometimes in 2060! Hahaha what a fool! And you talk shit about independence and freedom! Stop making us fall off our chair laughing!
What do you think about China’s trade surplus reaching nearly $1 trillion last year?
Good God, how much money do these guys have????😁
Let’s see the Trade Surpluses for the last 10 years
From 2014 to 2024 the Trade Surpluses of China combined stood at – $ 8.443 Trillion
This includes a $ 992 Billion surplus this year
Total injection of liquidity into the Economy by the Chinese Government between 2014–2020 – $ 1.137 Trillion (-) [7.27 Trillion Yuan]
Injection of liquidity into the Economy by Asset swaps between 2020 and 2024 – $ 2.59 Trillion (-) [16.59 Trillion Yuan]
This was so large due to Covid lockdowns
Investment by China into Investment and Infrastructure between 2014 – 2024 – 34 Trillion Yuan [$ 4.27 Trillion]
Investment raised by Local Bonds and Local Debt between 2014 and 2024 – 24.2 Trillion Yuan [$ 3.31 Trillion]
So investment in Local Infrastructure from trade surplus = 34 Trillion Yuan – 24.2 = 9.8 Trillion Yuan [$ 1.468 Trillion] (-)
Increase in M2 Supply between 2014 to 2024 – 38.8 Trillion Yuan
Increase in money supply due to domestic issue – 35.25 Trillion Yuan
Money supply increase attributed due to conversion of forex reserves = 38.8 -35.25 = 2.55 Trillion Yuan [$ 327 Billion] (-)
Money loaned to BRI Nations and Projects financed between 2014 and 2024 = 4.722 Trillion Yuan [$ 649 Billion] (-)
Investment into Quality Productive Forces and Local Government Debt = 4 Trillion Yuan
Domestic Bond Issues and Swap Issues in the same period = 2.76 Trillion Yuan (Jan ’23 – Dec ‘24)
Estimated Investment from Forex Reserves = 1.24 Trillion Yuan [$ 168 Billion] (-)
So the Total Forex spent = $ 6.339 Trillion
Total Trade Surplus = $ 8.443 Trillion
Therefore the difference = $ 2.104 Trillion
Forex Reserves 2014 = $ 3.993 Trillion
Forex Reserves 2024 = $ 3.279 Trillion
Reduction = $ 714 Billion
So Chinese reserves have reduced by $ 714 Billion when in fact there is a difference of $ 2.104 Trillion in the Trade Surplus & Expenditure
This means
There is $ 2.104 Trillion + $ 714 Billion = $ 2.818 Trillion
Where are these reserves?
Not in BRI projects
Not in Loans issued by China
Not in their own internal liquidity
Not in Gold, China purchased $ 256 Billion of Gold in this period 2014–2024
This means China has a secret stash of minimum $ 2.5 Trillion unknown to the West to unleash in the event of a sanctions regime or hostility or war with the US
Parmesan Turkey and Rice Bake
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
- 2 cups chopped cooked turkey or chicken
- 2 cups chopped celery
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup cooked rice
- 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In large bowl, combine turkey, celery, mayonnaise, rice, cheese, onion, lemon juice and salt. Spoon mixture into greased 9 inch square baking pan. Top with almonds.
- Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until heated through.
Attribution
Pampered Chef
What is the worst medical misdiagnosis you have ever had or personally known someone to have had?
15 year old girl, gained 150 lbs in the last year.
Is sleeping constantly, up to 20 hours a day.
After years of clear, smooth skin, has cystic acne, a thick black mustache, thick black muttonchops, an impressive unibrow, and body hair that makes her look like Robin Williams.
Her head hair isn’t patchy, but it sheds constantly. Has such agonizing pain with her periods that she can not stand or even speak – she just curls up on the floor, making low animal moans, until the pain gets so bad she vomits.
She was a cheerful, peppy child, and now she has the energy of a sick turtle and is a constant ball of stress, anxiety, and depression. Her periods are regular, but they are excruciating and abnormally heavy, with thick bleeding lasting for 6 days on average.
Now, this girl has a nearly classic case of PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) with endometriosis complications. A simple pelvic exam will reveal multiple lumps the size of jawbreakers on her ovaries. She will not get that exam for 11 years. Instead, she will be diagnosed with teenage depression and told to relax, eat less, and exercise more.
That girl was me, and I am still annoyed that it took me so long to get basic healthcare.