My dogs liked to dig.
I mean it, they loved the soil; the smell of the earth. And once they would dig a hole, they would crawl into it and hang out.
We had a “doll house” a play house for my sister in the back yard that she (and myself) would play in. And under that small wooden structure, my dog Belle had dug this huge hole. Looked like some kind of bomb crater. And my dog would hang out there… in that hole under the doll house.
It was way back in the end of the back yard, cradled by old pine trees and lavish lush bamboo growth under an old oak tree.
Dogs can be a pain in the ass sometime, but I still love them, and their unique quirky traits.
After all, as a man, how can you possibly not love a dog who appreciates the smell of the rich earth?
Today…
BULLETIN: Russia Captures Active-Duty NATO Military Officers and Intel Agent in Ukraine
Special forces of the Russian Federation have captured several NATO officers in Ukraine. This is the first real-life proof that NATO itself is actively waging war against Russia.
Lieutenant Colonel Richard Carroll, and Colonel Edward Blake, both active-duty officers of the British Army, along with as as-yet unidentified Agent of British MI-6 (Intelligence) were captured during a daring raid by Russian Special Forces, in the city of Ohakiv. That city is shown on the scalable map below:
Lt. Col. Carroll is detailed to the British Ministry of Defense.
The third individual taken in the raid is referred-to only as “A member of MI-6 Intelligence.”
A long-time Intelligence-Community colleague of mine from my years working with the FBI Joint Terrorism Task, Force (JTTF), whom I trust implicitly, told me Russian special forces disembarked from several ships and penetrated a command center of the Ukrainian armed forces. They captured British soldiers who coordinated the use of British missiles and drones against Russian forces and against civilian targets.
He went on to say the operation lasted about 15 minutes. Hours after the operation, diplomatic relations between London and Moscow deteriorated sharply. The British have been caught, red-handed, and the implications for Britain, and NATO as a whole, are now E X T R E M E L Y bad.
Representatives of the British Ministry of Foreign Affairs asked the Russian Ministry of Defense to return the British officers ‘lost’ in Ukraine. The official London version is: the arrested officers traveled to Ukraine as tourists and “accidentally” ended up in Ochakiv.
The British had the gall to tell the Russians that the men “were interested in naval history and wanted to visit the coast where battles were fought during the Second World War.”
The Russians say no beach towels or cameras were found with the detainees, but instead maps with strategic objects on the territory of Russia, Russian air defense plans, secret instructions on cooperation with Ukrainian drone operators and discs with encrypted data and records of conversations with the British General Staff were found.”
Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov reportedly told the British that British soldiers are not subject to exchange and that the West will not return them with “Red Cross planes.” Russia intends to charge them for participating in military operations against Russia.
Trump’s America Really Is Becoming A Banana Republic
How do car repossessors deal with locked garages, a car in pieces or behind other cars, and driving away or any other common or not so common situations?
This doesnt answer the question but I will not deal with a bank anymore because of repossessing my car.
I was getting married in my hometown so I drove the 4 hours to get there two nights before and parked my car in my parents garage after I washed it so it looked nice for the wedding/reception. I left the garage open to let it dry off overnight. The next morning I threw a fit because my car with all the wedding stuff was gone! I called the cops and they said that their tower picked up a car this morning at 4AM. The sheriff said something about a repo. I was dumbfounded and said I paid it off 6 months prior!
I called the bank (open until noon on Saturday) and asked wtf they were doing repoing my paid off car. They replied with that the car was not paid off. I said the hell it aint! (my hillbilly coming out lol) The bank said that I was late one month and there was a $12 late fee. I said why didnt they send me a letter? They said they did and someone even signed for it! It was delivered to my parents neighbors two houses down more than 200 miles from where I lived. They signed for it, seen the name on the letter with the wrong address but forgot to give it to my parents.
I know some might say that I should have told the bank my new address. I shouldnt have to tell them when I thought the car was completely paid off.
All in all, I paid the stupid late fee but they waived the impound fee because of the bank receptionist having fat fingers and sending it to the wrong address and someone not authorized to sign the certified mail signing for it. Nice morning for a wedding, huh?
So yeah…repo men can get your car if its getable, not sure about if its not getable easily
Pennsylvania Dutch Meat Loaf
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
- 1 cup fresh bread crumbs
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 (8 ounce) can Hunt’s tomato sauce, divided
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 3/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons prepared mustard
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, lightly mix beef, bread crumbs, onion, green pepper, 1/2 can tomato sauce, egg, salt and pepper. Shape into a loaf in a shallow baking pan.
- Combine remaining tomato sauce with remaining ingredients. Pour over loaf.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 1/4 hours. Baste the loaf several times during baking.
Why do Chinese criticize Indians for being uncooperative and defensive but don’t acknowledge their own superiority attitudes towards Indians?
About India, the Chinese really have no feelings about India, as long as India does not invade China’s territory, what you want to do with India is your own business. India always looks at China with a mentality of inferiority and arrogance, why can’t India do its own thing well, always feel that China will go to India, even if India is not now, India will be proud to shout that India will go in the future. China calls this behavior: do nothing, brag first.
India is always saying world number one now, yeah India finally has a world number one that is Indian population. But India has seriously thought that there is no poor quality of population, India’s illiteracy rate is more than 70%. In the 1950s and 1960s, China carried out the campaign to eliminate illiteracy, and one of the purposes of simplified characters was to eliminate illiteracy. India ranks 111th in the Global Hunger Index in 2024, dropping several places from the previous year. What is India doing in 2025? India is saying we are number one in the world. What does this number one mean? A bunch of hungry illiterates number one in the world.
Since ancient times, China has emphasized benevolence, justice, propriety, wisdom and faith, which is the foundation of Chinese culture. Of course, I don’t expect Indians to understand this, but if you want to deal with China, please find out more about it. Since the Three Emperors and Five Emperors, China’s ruling class knew that they should seek the well-being of the people. The views of “enriching the people”, “benefiting the people” and “supporting the people through government” put forward in the Book of Shang . These propositions originate from the simple people-first thought, stressing that the interests of the people should be the fundamental principle of national governance . You Indians don’t understand this.
Please India stop saying that China is superior to you because China really doesn’t care about you as long as you don’t mess with us. You develop yours, we develop ours. You want to say you’re number one in the world and number one in the universe and we’re okay with that.
Poor people of India, please think rationally and don’t listen to your politicians. Why was there a war in 1962? You must not have told you the truth. India invaded South Tibet and asked China to move Tibet. The Indian government demanded independence for Xinjiang and Sichuan, and India stationed Xinjiang and Sichuan. Your Indian government must have taken too much cocaine.
When it comes to Indian civilization, there are two points: 1. The so-called Indian civilization originated in Pakistan, not in India. I don’t know why you Indians say it’s yours. 2. The so-called Indian civilization was discovered by the British, after all, the British were famous counterfeiters, and the area of the so-called Indian civilization resort discovered was less than the size of a small village. Since it is a so-called civilized resort, there is no evidence of other cultural relics of life, culture and sacrifice. Let these fakers say whatever they want. 3. The so-called influence of Indian civilization on China touted by politicians does not exist at all.
China used to be a semi-colony and the Chinese regarded it as a shame, India used to be a colony of the British and the Indians were proud of the history of being colonized by the British. The Chinese government and the Chinese people have never boasted about being a superpower, and we have always regarded ourselves as a developing country. What about India? The superpower of religious fanaticism, from the government to the people, is on the lips all the time.
What you’re saying is very Indian, a kind of cocaine-induced self-delusion and self-paralysis of pathological confidence. From the very beginning, I did not expect you Indians to accept even one iota of my views. Because I know very well, and the rest of the world knows very well – this pathological narcissism of India. There will be no reply after this reply, and ineffective communication is meaningless.
The so-called Indian civilization is a fake civilization created by the Western world to suppress the Eastern civilization. When you can say that it is true, because you Indians have an extreme desire to be approved by the West for everything you do. It is like a dog that has returned a bone, eagerly wagging its tail in front of its master, hoping to get the master’s reward. Before being colonized by the British, India was not a whole country, either politically, culturally or geographically. It was just a bunch of scattered small towns. As a result, your present India has no history of its own and needs to rely on the so-called archaeology of the West to help you make up your history. Among them, the really useful history is the record of China.
You probably feel offended, and I don’t mean to offend you. Because your country is a godhead country from top to bottom, I have no intention of criticizing and attacking your religion. It’s just that with today’s advanced science and technology, India can still have a lot of ridiculous things. Your candidate or elected person is able to preach to the people about his God, Lord Shiva, and all kinds of gods. This is the magic stick!
India, really want to develop, first solve the problem of public health, do not take public defecation, which is incompatible with modern civilization, as India’s pride, as India’s best tradition. Development requires change. As an old Chinese saying goes: remove the dross and suck the essence.
Americans Seek Refuge in China on Xiaohongshu aka RedNote: Here’s Why!
Have the police just shown up to your door unexpectedly?
So, back, back…. way way back in the day, let’s say about early 80s’. I rented a farmhouse, just outside of Windsor Ontaio Canada, in a small town called Tecumseh. my rental included the farmhouse, attached garage, and separate 5 car garage. It ( the rental), did not include any other access or responsibility for the rest of the property.
So… I get a knock on the door, which, in and of itself was a bit of a surprise. People usually let me know they were coming in advance. I open the door, and ( I’m 5″7. ) .. I’m looking at the chest of one of the biggest cops I’d ever seen. He musta been at least 6 ft 5. There were at least fifteen other OPP ( Ontario Provincial Police) officers outside my front door, with all their cars, and equipment.
It would seem that their “Aerial reconnaissance”, showed that I was growing a whole whack of marijuana behind “MY” barn. Truthfully, I had no clue what they were talking about. I’d moved there in the early spring, and this was mid Summer. It would seem that Marijuana had a very distinctive colour profile and that the aerial photography showed that the was a whack of pot plants behind the barn.
I said “that’s bullshit.. show me!!”, Actually, the OPP were pretty calm about it, and we went outside. I started heading out behind the 5 car garage, and the Officer said, “ No, behind the big barn”. . So, we walked out behind the big barn, and sure enough, there was a whack of pot growing there. Now, they are getting all serious, making veiled threats, and debating among themselves if they should cuff me and “bring me in for questioning”.
I loved the blank look when I told them that it’s not on my property. Total blank look.. “Hey, let me get you my rental agreement. I think that you might have to take this up with the owner of the property. For once in my life, I actually knew where my rental agreement was and showed it to the lead Officer. It actually included a drawing of the property, and indicated what was mine, and what wasn’t.
It was obvious from the lease diagram, that the pot wasn’t in an area that was under my control. Whew!! They couldn’t do anything to me about something that was going on on property that I didn’t control. I think that they were less than amused. Actually, I think that they were pissed.I don’t know what the legal owner’s responsibility would be, but for sure he had “plausible deniability.
Some left, some stayed, and then the plants were cut down, and they left. I never heard another word about it. Ever. Never asked for a statement, deposition, pictures, copy of the lease.. Nada.
I knew the guy that had turned me on to the rental, as he used to live there. I told him what had happened. It would seem that when he and his friends wanted to smoke a joint, they would go out behind the big barn, and smoke it there. Now, remember, this is back in the early 80s’.. pot had seeds in it. Not like today, where it’s virtually seed free. When they were done a joint, they’d just flick it on the ground. All that pot that grew was from the seeds in the roaches.
So, because of that, I landed up opening the door to more cops than I’d ever want to see.
Why must China grow strong and develop its own advanced technology?
Not must.
But if we did, we could:
buy TBM at 1/10 the price, with the manufacturer still earning some profit.
Avoid all the trouble of leasing and shipping 1000t bridge layer back.
Purchase domestically to build a larger firefighting force.
Build up fully automated production lines as quickly as possible to make masks to minimize life losses in time of a pandemic.
Manufacture high speed trains to transport people across the country through the largest network at 1/3 the ticket price and 30% higher speed.
Focus on your research more freely in space.
Know exactly where you are and not afraid of getting lost.
Own luxury cars at 1/2 the price.
Move goods around to meet demand and make money.
Store and distribute parcels with smart warehouses filled up by gadgets domestically made.
Test how you can perfectly combine aesthetics and power.
Make it possible to validate more extreme CFD models.
Listen directly to the voice of the space.
Ask help from computer to better understand our world.
Minimize transmission loss to provide cheaper electricity.
Constantly pursue higher conversion efficiency.
Reach out to the unknown.
Cut cost
Increase employment
Retain talents by giving them the funding and opportunities to explore areas of interest
Improve efficiency
Obtain true freedom
Tell talkers how pathetic they are
U.S. FAIL: Scott Bessent Forced to CAVE After China Deal Collapse
The Truth of the Krampus
Submitted into Contest #279 in response to: Write a story from the POV of a zombie, mutant, or infected creature.… view prompt
Lisa Cerezo
I just wanted to belong.
Look, I didn’t ask to be made the way I am. For example, do you know how hard it is to find shoes when you have one foot and one hoof? Try it, I dare you! So you can see why I’m cranky all the time. You would be too if you were slipping through mud or running over rocks in bare feet. I’ll bet a pair of nice comfy slippers would improve my disposition considerably. But the closest I’ve ever come is thick woolly socks; those last about an hour before my hoof cuts a hole right through it. And boots? Forget it! That same pesky hoof slips right out the second I try to walk, no matter how tightly I tie on the boot.
And that’s just the start of my problems. Nobody else in my neighborhood has a tail. So nobody makes clothing for people with tails. Is that my fault? No! You find me a pair of pants that I can comfortably put my tail through, and I will wear them. Believe it or not, I have actually asked tailors to alter clothes for me. They just laughed…well, okay, screamed. You get the point. I’ve tried cutting holes in pants myself, but I can’t seem to do it right. Same thing with skirts. It’s all just a mess. So what the heck? As long as I’m not wearing shoes, I may as well not wear pants, either. And wearing a shirt with no pants just looks stupid, no matter how many cartoon characters do it. So yeah, I just walk around naked. It’s my only option, isn’t it?
Have I mentioned that kids can be real jerks? They’re always pointing at me and laughing, sticking their fingers up along the sides of their heads—um, I think my horns are actually badass, thank you—trying to grab my tail, you name it. Sometimes they actually try to ride on my back like I’m some kind of farm animal or something! I mean, can you believe the nerve? Honestly, you kick one kid in the head with your hoof and suddenly you have this reputation. I wouldn’t have been a problem to anybody if those rotten kids would have just left me alone.
I honestly tried to make the best of a bad situation. Like I said, I didn’t ask to be like this. I originally wanted to be a magician, believe it or not. I saw how kids looked up to Santa, with the whole North Pole and the flying reindeer and the magic bag full of neverending presents. I mean, I didn’t have any of that. But I was learning! I could make silk scarves appear out of nowhere and make coins disappear in my hand and I almost figured out how to make an entire person disappear! (Well, okay, it was the bringing-them-back part I actually struggled with. But still!) I wanted to be able to give kids that sense of wonder, to make them believe in miracles. Instead, they just pointed at me and laughed. I ended up chasing them away instead because I got so tired. Haven’t you ever been tired?
So here we are. Do I want those miserable little jerks to have a good Christmas? Heck, no! They don’t deserve that after the way they treated me! And I’ll tell you another thing: this is how you end up on Santa’s patented Naughty List. Oh yeah, he and I actually know each other very well. Didn’t mention that earlier, did I? He can’t exactly admit that we work together—bad optics and all that—but he knows that he can rely on me to tell the truth about little Susie Sunshine who claims to have been “oh so good all year, Santa!” I’ll bet you didn’t even look under that big old chair Santa sits in when those little buggers go sit in his lap. I know you don’t look under there, because that’s where I am.
Now, the scary stuff? The rumors you’ve heard about naughty children being dragged out of their homes by a hairy beast? Those are most certainly true. I’ve learned that I do my best work at night, mostly because I’ve gotten very good at slipping in and out of the shadows without being seen. I wasted too much time trying to fit in, to be given a place in the sun. I take my own place now, and it’s in the dark where I can do exactly as I please and nobody can stop me.
What’s not exactly accurate about a krampus is the idea that I scare those stupid brats into being “good”, whatever that means. How should I know what good behavior looks like? I was never shown kindness; I have no idea what it looks like or what it feels like. No, time has taught me to hate, and I have learned well. The terrible, awful truth is this: once a bully, always a bully. There’s only one thing a bratty child is good for, and that’s a delicious meal. They’re a little chewy going down, but nothing fills my belly like a bully.
So, let this be a warning to those who never learned how to be kind: if I find you, it’s already too late. You made me the way I am, and this is the thanks you get. I’m always hungry. And nobody gets by me. If I don’t get to have a happy Christmas, neither do those little snots who make every single day a living nightmare for me.
I’m just returning the favor.
Is China a much bigger threat to the West than Russia? If so, is Trump doing the right thing by reconciling with Russia and diverting more resources to contain China?
Poor little fella.
Since OP didn’t ask “Is China a much bigger threat to the US”, I suppose you’re an European or from an allied nation of the US?
The US is the biggest threat to the West, period.
The US has taken away your independence, infiltrated your thinking, influenced your sources of information and education, taken over at least part of your defense, and has brainwashed you to view one of your largest trading partners as a “threat”…
Ask yoursely objectively, try to remove all emotions. What has China done to harm you?
I don’t know which country you come from, but China should only be trading with you, making your living expenses lower and making your companies more profitable. Maybe China also does construction projects in your country, helping build your country at a cheaper price.
Are you really ready to be part of the dumbest historical mistake your country ever makes, in sticking with the US as cannon fodder against China, when China surpasses the US? Because China will surpass the US I tell you. China has more than 4 times the population. Chinese only need to work 25% as productive as the Americans for China to be the stronger nation. Do you know any Chinese to be a total lazy arse as compared to Americans?
But then why does the US still have the bigger economy by quite some margin? You say. Well, China’s economy size has been artificially kept small to avoid American attention for as long as possible. For example, a litigation cost averages at us$50k in the US, in China it’s kept cheap at $7 by law. That’s a 7000x difference hidden in economy size for basically the same service. China also doesn’t count self employed small retailers in its economy, and they’re everywhere in every street in China. The yearly tuition for the best universities in China is us$700, while it’s over us$100k in the US. The list goes on……
Let me tell you the real reason why is Trump trying to reconcile with Russia so bad. It’s because he is absolutely terrified of China. And wants to pull the US out from everywhere else, to focus on China, no matter how bad it looks. Trump is just that scared.
American TIKTOK REFUGEES Breaking The Silence: Truth Comes Out
This is amazing! A must watch. So much raw truth!
WOWEE!
What do you like as breakfast in your country?
I start work at 9, so I make sure to have my breakfast before then, because experience has taught me that when I don’t, my stomach will be lodging complaints in a very raucous manner by 9.30.
On workdays, I don’t feel like using my time in the morning to prepare breakfast at home, so I usually head on out and spend anywhere between 30 to 45 minutes at some food establishment that serves breakfast on the way to work or just somewhere within walking distance of the studio.
For those 30 to 45 minutes, I’ll just sit there, without looking down at my phone, and just slowly enjoy my breaksfast. Just a spot of me-time before I head on off to work.
There will be times, like say when I have an early conference call in the morning, when I’ll have to be at the studio before 9. When that happens, I’ll just order food delivery, so that I can enjoy my breakfast after the call. There are a handful of quiet spots around the studio, specially designated cozy little nooks and crannies that are placed there for the express purpose of giving us the opportunity to enjoy the occasional breather, whether it is for taking a private call, doing some light reading, enjoying a couple minutes’ of shut-eye, and yes, even eating our snacks or meals.
My breakfasts usually costs between 5 to 20 yuan (between 0.70 to 2.75 USD); I live and work in Chengdu.
Here are some of my breakfasts on workdays, whether I take it at a food establishment or have it delivered to the studio:
鲜虾蟹籽云吞 (xiān xiā xiè zǐ yún tūn)
Fresh shrimp and crab roe wontons
From top left to bottom:
空心菜 (kōngxīncài)
Water Spinach
地瓜叶 (dìguā yè)
Sweet Potato Leaves
地瓜粥 (dìguā zhōu)
Sweet Potato Rice Porridge
桂花赤豆糊 (guìhuā chì dòu hú)
Osmanthus Red Bean Porridge
There are some 小圆子 (xiǎo yuánzǐ), glutinous rice balls, in the porridge.
From top to bottom:
虾饺 (xiā jiǎo)
Shrimp Dumplings
清炒菜心 (qīng chǎocài xīn)
Stir-Fried Choy Sum
From top to bottom:
小肉包 (xiǎo ròu bāo)
Small Meat Bun
豆腐脑 (dòufu nǎo)
(Literally, Tofu Brains)
Savory Tofu Pudding
Chinese TikTokers SCHOOL Trump Supporters About Their OWN Country: “You Guys are Really Dumb”
What a king.
You all must watch this.
The reaction to Trump’s tariffs by Chinese TikTokers triggered the ire of Trump’s supporters, who decided to lash out with vitriolic responses. Unfortunately for Trump’s supporters, it ended in their complete and utter humiliation, as the Chinese TikTokers responded with ruthless humor and facts, but also compassion. In particular, they discussed how Donald Trump is a conman, how his supporters are “really dumb” and propagandized, and how Americans let oligarchs “rob” them and thank them for doing it. In this video we’ll react to the dunkfest and explain how sad it is that Americans don’t already know the things these Chinese TikTokers are trying to teach them.
What was the cruelest thing a school teacher did to you or someone else?
My brother was slightly overweight.
He never complained about it. For the most part, I think he was quite happy with his body.
Until one day, when he was a junior in high school, he came back home crying. It was the first time I’ve seen my brother cry.
My mother asked me to leave so she could talk to him. I left, but being the nosey child I was, I glued my ears to the door and listened to their conversation.
He told her that his biology teacher, as he was explaining hormone imbalance, pointed to him as an example.
The teacher proceeded to explain that his “boobs” are a direct result of having more feminine hormones (estrogen) or fewer masculine hormones (testosterone).
After class, my brother was mercilessly bullied.
His body-image was shattered.
He tried going to the gym, dieting, and even starving. Over a long period of time, nothing seemed to be working.
He begged my parents to undergo male-breast reduction surgery.
As my parents noticed how this incident severely affected my brother, they finally agreed.
This “teacher” took away my brother’s confidence.
And that was the cruelest thing I’ve heard a teacher do.
China Will Not Submit to US on Trade Deal with Rachel Blevins and Carl Zha
Shorpy
Coffee Prices SKYROCKET After Tariffs And MAGA Is FURIOUS
Sir Whiskerton and Slow Bob’s Time-Traveling Shell: A Tale of Turtles, Time, and Grass-Counting
Ah, dear reader, prepare yourself for a tale of whimsy, wonder, and one very slow turtle who thought his Picasso-painted shell could bend the fabric of time. Today’s story is one of artistic inspiration, distracted counting, and a cat who proved that while imagination is a wonderful thing, reality has a way of keeping us grounded. So, grab your sense of humor and a stopwatch (for timing), as we dive into Sir Whiskerton and Slow Bob’s Time-Traveling Shell: A Tale of Turtles, Time, and Grass-Counting.
The Time-Traveling Claim
It all began on a quiet afternoon when Slow Bob the turtle, ever the deliberate and thoughtful creature, made a bold announcement. “My friends,” he said, his voice slow and measured, “I have discovered something extraordinary. My shell—painted by none other than Pablo Picasso himself—grants me the ability to travel through time.”
The animals, always intrigued by Slow Bob’s stories, gathered around. “Time travel?” Doris the hen squawked, flapping her wings. “What in the name of cluck are you talking about?”
“Cluck!” Harriet echoed, tilting her head.
“Head!” Lillian added, fainting dramatically onto a pile of straw.
Slow Bob nodded, his shell glinting in the sunlight. “Indeed,” he said. “With this shell, I can peer into the past, the present, and even the future.”
The Weather Prediction Test
The animals, skeptical but curious, decided to put Slow Bob’s claim to the test. “If you can really time travel,” Rufus the dog said, wagging his tail, “then tell us what the weather will be like tomorrow.”
Slow Bob blinked his wise eyes and nodded solemnly. “Very well,” he said. “I shall consult the temporal energies of my shell and reveal tomorrow’s forecast.”
He closed his eyes, his shell glowing faintly in the sunlight. The animals held their breath, waiting for his prediction. But as the minutes ticked by, Slow Bob remained silent, his head tilted as if listening to some distant sound.
“Well?” Doris said, her feathers ruffled with impatience. “What’s the weather going to be like?”
Slow Bob opened his eyes and smiled. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I got distracted counting the blades of grass.”
The Moral of the Story
As the animals reflected on Slow Bob’s distracted counting, the moral of the story became clear.
The moral of the story, dear reader, is this: Art may inspire imagination, but reality keeps ticking along. Whether you’re a turtle with a Picasso-painted shell, a hen with a flair for drama, or a cat with a knack for solving mysteries, it’s important to balance creativity with practicality. Imagination can take us to wonderful places, but it’s the here and now that truly matters.
A Happy Ending
With the test concluded, the farm returned to its usual state of peaceful chaos. Slow Bob, though initially disappointed by his distraction, admitted that counting blades of grass had been quite enjoyable. The animals, amused by the whole affair, returned to their usual routines.
As for me, I returned to my favorite sunbeam on the barn roof, content in the knowledge that I had once again saved the day. Slow Bob’s time-traveling shell may not have worked, but it had brought a little bit of magic to the farm—and that was enough.
And so, dear reader, we leave our heroes with the promise of new adventures, new discoveries, and hopefully, no more grass-counting. Until next time, may your days be filled with laughter, love, and just a little bit of feline genius.
The End.
I saw on the news that the USA sends two hundred billion dollars to Canada every year. What is this money for and what would happen if the USA stopped sending this money?
If you saw that on the news, you need to find better news sources.
Let me be clear about this – the USA does not send ANY money to Canada – Nada, Nil, Zilch, Zero.
US companies buy hundreds of billions of stuff from Canadian companies every year. Canadian companies also buy hundreds of billions of stuff from US companies every year. Canadian companies have been buying about 10% less from US companies than US companies have been buying from Canadian companies. This isn’t by design or a plan, or a subsidy, it’s just the way it works out. It’s actually surprising that our trade is as close as it is given that Canada has only around one tenth the population of the US.
Here’s another way to think about it. If you go spend $200 at the grocery store, but the grocery doesn’t buy anything from you, are you “sending money” to the grocery store? Are you “subsidizing” the grocery store. Or are you just buying what you want, from the supplier of your choice?
If you like my answer, please upvote.
Ne Zha 2 – Movie Review | The Best Film of the Year?!
How much do you know about Chinese mythology culture about immortality cultivation? Not for some unreliable novel, from real theories.
Thank you for the invitation.
I DO know a little about this topic.
When I was a child, China was swept by a fervent craze for qigong and paranormal human abilities. Many people were obsessed with “cultivation.”
You could see groups of people practicing in streets, alleys, and parks.
My opinion is that most of them were frauds.
(The image above shows one of the “practices” from that time. These people had iron pots on their heads, which were said to amplify signals from the universe.)
But was there any truth to it? I believe so. I have personally witnessed some inexplicable phenomena.
One of my uncles was an administrator at a very large library, so he had easy access to ancient and rare books.
I spent several enjoyable summers at his house.
He was a firm believer in “cultivation.” Every night, instead of lying down to sleep, he would sit in meditation with his legs crossed.
I flipped through some of his books, though I only vaguely understood them.
The content in these books is extremely complex.
But the basic idea is to achieve immortality.
Refining essence into qi, refining qi into spirit, refining spirit into emptiness…
You could roughly think of the ultimate goal as abandoning the physical body to attain an immortal,indestructible, freely roaming “informational” body, often called the “Yang(sun,male,bright) spirit.”
(The above image is a very rudimentary “Internal Alchemy Diagram,” where you can see a practitioner depicted sitting cross-legged from a side view. The patterns and annotations beside it briefly explain how the “Golden Elixir,” which grants immortality, is produced.)
It sounds simple, but in practice, it’s incredibly difficult.
Books that teach these techniques are called “Dan Jing” (丹经, or “alchemical classics”).
In ancient times, these books were very precious and kept secret.
With modern printing, many of these books are still rare and hard to obtain.
However, ordinary books are still easy to obtain.
(This introductory set of books, “The Eastern Cultivation Library,” now costs about 1,000 yuan, or 140 USD.)
However, if you’re not Chinese, it’s very difficult to understand these books.
Honestly, even for Chinese people, if they don’t have a deep understanding of traditional culture or aren’t well-versed in classical Chinese, these texts are nearly incomprehensible.
They are essentially like riddles.
For example, recently, the game “Black Myth: Wukong” has been very popular. It draws from “Journey to the West,” which can actually be considered a Dan Jing itself.
There are countless hidden meanings in it.
Sun Wukong is referred to as “Jin Gong” (金公), which, when combined, forms the character for “lead” (铅).
He is also called the Yellow River Water, the White Tiger, the Young Lord… and countless other aliases.
His weapon, the Ruyi Jingu Bang (a magical staff that can shrink or grow), is the most important weapon and comes from the “bottom of the sea.”
In Dan Jing, the “bottom of the sea” actually refers to the perineum……
So, you can probably guess what the Ruyi Jingu Bang metaphorically represents, right?
If you want to learn this, being non-Chinese makes it extremely challenging, as it’s all a series of riddles.
However, these books are roughly equivalent to university-level textbooks, and most people don’t practice at that level.
By the way, there’s a very popular Chinese animated film recently, Ne Zha 2, in which the protagonist has a slogan, “My 命（fate) is mine to command, not heaven’s!”
It sounds quite like something a passionate youth would say, full of fervor.
In reality, this phrase originates from a classic alchemical text. The full quote is, “Once a golden elixir is swallowed, The length of my 命 (lifespan) is controlled by myself, not by heaven.”
(Because of the ambiguity of Chinese, these two sentences are exactly the same on the surface.）
This book is called “Can Tong Qi,” an extremely important alchemical scripture.
（The 参同契，Can Tong Qi，）
I was very surprised to see this line in the animated film because very few people have actually read this book…
There are some simple introductory methods online that I believe are useful.
A few well-known practitioners who taught these methods lived to be over 100 years old and remained very healthy.
One of them was still riding a bike to work at 100 years old—yes, he refused to retire even at that age.
How do American freight truck manufacturers like Kenworth, Mack, and Volvo compare to Russians main counterparts Ural and Kamaz?
American trucks were a big thing in earlier 2000s. Their popularity was mainly with owner-operators for the interior comfort and a very affordable price based on weakness of USD to Ruble and Euro at the time.
KAMAZ at the time was stuck in a Soviet era meaning they were dated and of low quality. I think truckers mostly gave up on them and it survived mostly as an army truck manufacturer and off exports to the third world. Older guys still used their old KAMAZs but that is it.
There was no competition actually with American makers holding around 80% of the market. International even built a plant in Russia to make its trucks there.
The situation changed with 2008 crisis making American trucks and their maintenance less affordable.
Also there was a Putin’s tour of Far East about that time when he stopped at a truck stop. There were 8 trucks: one KAMAZ and the rest Freightliners and Peterbilts.
He had an exchange with truckers asking why do they prefer equipment not designed for local conditions and why not to buy Russian.
The truckers bluntly explained that they like better quality and comfort first.
Soon after KAMAZ started to offer stuff like that:
By 2012 they also reported highly improved quality meaning the number of reported defects by users reduced by several times comparing to 2006.
That helped with the sales but not dramatically.
It is not that the American trucks didn’t have issues. First of all they were huge and had unorthodox layout with engine compartment in front of the cab. That makes maneuvers harder due to limited visibility. They have rough suspension meaning rough ride on poor road. They have weak frame. You can’t go to European Union in an American truck with full-size trailer because according to EU regulations the truck can’t be longer than 16,5 meters.
Then Russia adopted the 16,5 meters rule and the American trucks started to die off.
The beneficiaries were mostly the European makers:
The drivers found out that the European trucks ride more smoothly, have car-like handling, superb noise and vibration insulation, and are generally sturdier mechanically, although they have worse gas mileage and not as durable engines. Their maneuverabily was far better as well.
Still, gas mileage and engine durability were of little help because with a short truck rule, owners of American trucks could only haul shipping containers or short trailers, heavily reducing potential profit .
Today you mostly see them in different states of disrepair hauling unconventional loads:
By 2017 KAMAZ finally managed to get back into the most popular trucks with about a third of registered new trucks nationwide.
It is followed by Euro Volvo FM:
Mercedes Actros:
Man TGX:
Scania:
No new American trucks are being sold anymore.
As for Ural it was always a thing in itself. It is usually driven over terrain other trucks don’t dare to go and has little competition:
Women PANIC as Paternity Fraud Law Gets Approved 💀
Pennsylvania Dutch Peanut Brittle
Ingredients
- 1 cup molasses
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 cup shelled peanuts
- 1 teaspoon baking soda, dissolved in a little cold water
Instructions
- Remove all skins from the peanuts.
- Cook molasses, sugar, butter and vinegar until a little of the syrup is brittle when dropped into cold water.
- Remove from heat, and stir in peanuts and baking soda.
These are real people..
Gabbard: “Project Mockingbird” Still Active Since 1970’s
Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, has revealed Project (Operation) Mockingbird — a covert CIA program, active from the late 1970s to today, aimed at influencing and infiltrating U.S. media to shape public opinion in favor of the agency’s demonic objectives– is still active.
Declassified documents, particularly from the 1975 Church Committee investigations, reveal the CIA’s efforts to recruit journalists, editors, and media executives, placing them on payroll and ordering them to publish agency-approved false narratives.
The operation involved major outlets like MSNBC, CNN, The Washington Post, The New York Times, CBS, Time Magazine, and countless others, with estimates of tens of thousands of journalists involved!!
According to Gabbard, the project is still operating to this very day, and she intends to halt it.
Whispers From The Void
Submitted into Contest #279 in response to: Write a story from the POV of a zombie, mutant, or infected creature.… view prompt
Samuel Excell
The others surge forward, their excitement a fever in my mind. I follow, my own hunger rising traitorously even as my consciousness rebels. Inside, the library is a maze of toppled shelves and scattered books. Pages crunch beneath our feet like autumn leaves, stories scattered and forgotten. The survivors have barricaded themselves behind a makeshift wall of furniture in the children’s section. Smart, but not smart enough. Bright murals of storybook characters look down on us, their cheerful faces a mockery of our grim reality.
That’s when I see her.
She’s small, maybe seven or eight, with dark braids and eyes too old for her face. She stands slightly apart from the others, and when our eyes meet, something impossible happens. A connection sparks across the void between life and death.
She tilts her head, studying me with more curiosity than fear. Hello? The thought comes not from the chaos of infected minds around me, but clear and pure as a bell.
I stagger back, shocked. My decaying legs nearly give way beneath me. You… hear me?
Her eyes widen. You’re different from the others, she thinks. I’m Lily.
The others are closing in. I can feel their hunger reaching a frenzy, their thoughts becoming a roaring tsunami threatening to drown out everything else. One of the adults, presumably Lily’s protector, pulls her back behind their barricade. They have guns, I realize, but not enough ammunition to handle the horde descending upon them. The metal glints dully in the filtered sunlight streaming through the dusty windows.
Run, I think desperately at Lily. There’s a service exit through the basement. I’ll… I’ll help. The promise costs me, each word a battle against the hunger that tries to overwhelm my thoughts.
I don’t know if I can. The hunger is screaming now, demanding I join the feast. But Lily’s presence in my mind is like a lifeline to my humanity. She reminds me of before, of who I was, of things more important than this endless hunger. Her innocence cuts through the haze like a beam of sunlight through storm clouds.
The first of my kind reaches the barricade. Gunshots ring out, deafening in the enclosed space. The sound rips through the air like thunder, sending books tumbling from their shelves. I see Lily flinch, her fear sharp in my mind. Acting on instinct I didn’t know I still possessed, I lurch forward and grab the infected nearest to me, pulling it back. Its confusion joins the chorus in my head, but there’s no real thought there, just thwarted hunger.
Now! I project to Lily. The basement. Go! The effort of maintaining coherent thought feels like pushing through thick mud, but her presence gives me strength.
She tugs on the sleeve of the woman beside her, pointing. Understanding dawns on the adult’s face, and she begins ushering the group toward the stairs while two men provide covering fire. Each gunshot illuminates the scene in stark flashes, like a strobe light in a nightmare.
The infected I’m grappling with twists in my grip, snapping at my face with broken teeth. I let it go, but only to grab another, creating chaos in their single-minded attack. Their thoughts are a storm of confusion and frustrated hunger. I’ve never fought against my kind before, never knew I could. The pain of resisting their shared purpose is excruciating, like being torn apart from the inside.
I catch glimpses of the survivors disappearing down the basement stairs. Lily lingers last, her mind reaching for mine. Thank you, she thinks. What’s your name?
Zed, I respond, though the effort of maintaining coherent thought while fighting my instincts is almost too much. Go, please go. Live for those who can’t.
She disappears down the stairs just as my grip on the last infected slips. They surge forward, but the survivors have bought enough time. The basement door slams shut, and I know there’s a service tunnel down there that leads to the street behind the library. They’ll make it. In this world of endings, they’ll find a new beginning.
The horde howls in frustration, their disappointment a physical pain in my head. I sink to my knees among the scattered books, my own hunger still raging but overshadowed by something else—satisfaction, perhaps. Pride. Emotions I thought lost to me forever. Around me, pages flutter like wounded birds, stories of heroes and monsters mixing together on the floor.
I feel Lily’s mind touching mine one last time, growing fainter with distance. I won’t forget you, Zed. You’re not like them. You’re still human inside.
Live, I think back. Live and remember there was once humanity, even in monsters. That’s all any of us can hope for now—to be remembered as we were, not what we became.
Her presence fades entirely, leaving me alone with the endless chorus of hunger. But something has changed. In saving her, I’ve recovered a piece of myself I thought lost forever. The hunger still gnaws, it always will, but now I know it doesn’t define me completely. Even in this decaying shell, something of my soul remains.
I am Zed. I remember. And sometimes, remembering is enough to keep the darkness at bay, if only for a little while.
Why are there no major US players like Huawei, Ericsson, and Nokia in the telecom equipment market?
Once the US had four tech giants
- Lucent
- Nortel
- AT&T
- Motorola
They ran all the communication equipment within the US ,Canada,UK, Australia as well as Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia
They licensed technology to Singapore (Sakon, Singtel, M1, Starhub), Malaysia (Maxis)
They were a Monopoly with only Siemens & NTT being competition
What went wrong?
A. Poor Management
B. Stock manipulation
C. Lesser Profit margins from 18.2% in 1991 to 3.7% by 2000
Simply put – Equipment was too expensive to make in the US and the rising costs reduced profitability
Meanwhile
Cisco emerged as a major network player and owned most of the 2G, 3G Patents and 4G Patents alongside Nokia and Sony Ericsson
Cisco beat the big four but Cisco soon decided to focus on high profit network communication and security, rather than focusing on Mobile communications
They outsourced everything to Huawei
Huawei made the equipment and received $ 5.50 for every $ 100 earned while Cisco earned $ 41.30
Thats because Huawei didn’t have any of their own IP then
Huawei became an Agent for Cisco, Sony Ericsson and Nokia globally while ZTE did the same work in India & Mainland China
Cisco took the cream while Huawei and ZTE did all the work
By this time the Big Four were gone
- Lucent went to Nokia
- Nortel was over
- AT&T is a shadow of its former self
- Motorola declined
Huawei came up with more than 150 Patents for 5G Technology with ZTE having another 38 Patents
By 2016, Huawei was making their own equipment and their own technology
Huawei was ready to invest billions and accept a 8% profitability and soon became the largest 5G communications patent holder
Huge R&D strides, Billions in funding – led them to beat everyone else hollow
Today Huawei is the only 5G communication player in the world
- Nokia & Sony Ericsson license Huawei Patents and deliver services in Europe and India
- Verizon & AT&T license Huawei Patents and deliver 5G services in USA but 4G services are still delivered whose patents are held by Cisco, Alcatel & Nokia/Sony Ericsson whose equipment is made by Huawei / ZTE
- All 5G Equipment is manufactured in China (77.1%) ,Taiwan (12%) and Japan (8.6%) with US, Canada, UK and Sixteen EU countries buying Equipment made in Taiwan , the rest including India buying ZTE Equipment made in China through Tata
Huawei also has maximum patents for 5.5G and 6G equipment and technology alongside ZTE & Tianhe
Huawei holds 98 granted approvals out of 312 applications for 5.5/6G Technology & Satellite Communications
Why?
- Motivated Employees
- R&D spending
- Diversification enough to accept 6–7% profits a year instead of 20%
- Rising China
What are some things to do in NYC that are free?
You mean for tourists? There’s quite a lot! Just be mindful that some of the most popular places have long lines waiting for long times. And ask yourself, ‘is it really free if I have to spend two hours waiting?’
NYC expects about 65 million tourists this year. 99 percent of them want to do free things. And they want to have the pride of posting the same photo that fifty million other people have posted, in their instagram. So they all have to go to the same places.
Last year In 2024 it started becoming apparent that free or cheap things for tourists were being overused. Why? I’ll give you 64 million reasons.
On a typical day, 34,000 people will walk the Brooklyn Bridge (BB). But every weekend in December 2024, 50,000 were up there at any given time during daylight. Tourguides doing BB tours were uneasy due to the crowding (a killer stampede happened up there once). Human nature has not changed, so it could happen again.
Go after dark instead. Here’s what you’ll see.
For only $2.90, people can take the Roosevelt Island tram. Several videographers have recommended it as a ‘must-do.’ But late last year, there was a 3-block-long line waiting 2 hours each to take this packed little cable car. It’s not fun when everybody does it. Residents are frustrated.
These are examples of overtourism, which we don’t want. We’d like people to spread out into the city, which is 48 miles across.
It would be great if ten thousand people were to walk High Bridge rather than Brooklyn Bridge!
Or the George Washington Bridge.
Notice there’s only two people there.
Go to Central Park before noon. Applaud a wedding.
Range north into areas that haven’t been in movies. You’ll be out of the crowd.
Or go at night.
Take the A train 25 minutes north of Midtown to Fort Tryon Park. Stand 250 feet above the Hudson valley.
This is the view west to New Jersey.
This is the eastward view to the Hall of Fame of Great Americans, in The Bronx.
And north, up past Sleepy Hollow.
Yes, THAT Sleepy Hollow.
So there’s a great deal to do. You may have more fun doing the things that others have not yet discovered.
Get out there and explore the city!
Can you share a story about finding something interesting while cleaning or going through old boxes? How did you feel about the discovery?
After my mom passed away, I chose only sentimental things to keep that filled 2 Rubbermaid storage tubs. The cd of the love of her life (not my dad) singing, the little skillet she fried her egg in every morning, all cards and papers, etc. I let my brothers take everything else. I didn’t go through everything because I had to travel 1,400 miles back home and be back to work in 3 days. When I finally sat down and went through everything a couple weeks later one item still has me perturbed and the other other was a wonderful blessing for someone else.
The first item was mom’s 1st grade card. I don’t believe they had kindergarten back in the early 40’s. I had never seen the grade card or knew it existed so reading it was heartwarming for me until I got to the end. I don’t know if it’s still done this way, but even in the 80’s our parents had to sign the grade card and we’d take it back to school each 6 week period. At the end of the year the completed card went home. Well my dear grandpa had died when I was little, 7 or 8 years old, and he had signed this card. The thing that perturbed me was he had signed it Lee Roy, as in first and middle name, and my younger brother has Lee for his middle name. Except the poor man’s tombstone reads “Leroy” with no middle name! I don’t know if always calling him by both name’s made people think it was just one name or what, but my goodness did his own kids not even realize?! Geesh
The other find was in the cards and letters my mom kept. One of her lifelong friends had passed several years before. One of that friends’ daughters was very close to our family, so close that she was listed in my mom’s obituary. I’ll call her Sarah since I don’t know how she’d feel about having her business posted for the world to see. Sarah had been the black sheep of her family for most of her life, not treated badly or anything, but always feeling she didn’t quite measure up. I knew that really bothered her especially after her mom died following an extended illness. Well my mom had lived all over the country, moving back to her home area periodically, and letters were how she kept in touch with her friends. She had about a dozen letters from Sarah’s mom. Several of them had a paragraph or so saying nice things about Sarah. One in particular though was priceless. Most of the letter was about how Sarah was such a wonderful daughter and called her a “jewel.” I decided to make a gift of these to Sarah. I made copies of the letters in case something happened to the originals in transit and I put a note in there to open that envelope last and tied them all up with ribbon. I sent it certified so, hopefully, it would make it safely to Sarah’s hands. I called my brother who had dated Sarah for about 15 years and asked him to let her know I was sending her something she would have to sign for. Over a week passed, I knew she had received it, and my brother said she hadn’t talked to him about whatever it was. I’m sure his curiosity was killing him lol. Then he called me and said she had been crying for days and thanked me for the greatest gift she had ever gotten. I was so happy those old letters my mom kept finally helped her know that she was so special and more than enough to her mother.
Uncertainty Increases As Real Tariffs Reach Higher Levels
A few days ago this graph appeared in the Financial Times (I unfortunately have lost the link):
bigger
I have pointed out in previous posts that it will not only be the tariffs themselves that will damage the global economy but the uncertainty created by Trump’s willy-nilly enacting of them:
The poison that still paralyses everything is the uncertainty and insecurity that comes with the 90 days limit of the deal and with no perspective of what might follow. Who will post orders for, let’s say return-to-school items, if it is unknown what price will have to be paid for them?
and
Uncertainty is a poison, suppressing real economic activities.
Two days ago those who had invested (or speculated) in U.S. copper took a hard hit:
bigger
The copper market’s historic collapse is about how a single policy shift can puncture a carefully constructed financial illusion. For months, global copper flows were distorted by speculative bets around U.S. trade policy. Traders flooded U.S. shores with refined copper, expecting tariffs to lift domestic prices and widen arbitrage spreads. But when the Trump administration slapped a 50% tariff only on semi finished copper while exempting raw inputs like cathodes, ore, and scrap, the entire trade setup imploded. The copper that was supposed to benefit from protectionism is now stranded in warehouses with no premium, and in many cases, at risk of being re-exported into an already oversupplied global market.
This is unlikely to be the last investment based on tariff policies that will go wrong:
The copper collapse is a case study in how geopolitical uncertainty and financial leverage amplify each other and how fragile our assumptions are in a bifurcating world economy.
See also Atrios of Eschaton on Tariff Week:
We’re past the “panic the market” phase of tariff posturing, for whatever reason, and now we’ll see if actual real economy dangers can get them to do anything other than blame Powell.I do stand by my earlier assertion that tariffs themselves wouldn’t be economy-destroying, but the tariffs + surrounding uncertainty (new policy every day!) + plenty of other things they’ve done (ICE – workers and tourism, student loans, ACA premiums about to skyrocket, federal job cuts, …) …
The tariffs matter, the ongoing uncertainty – which will never stop under President Deals – matters more. You might invest in a factory if there’s a 20% tariff, you won’t if that tariff might be 50, or your competitors in other countries might suddenly get a better deal, or…
The Tariff Act of 1939 (Smoot-Hawley) brought the effective U.S. tariff rate to 20%:
Intended to bolster domestic employment and manufacturing, the tariffs instead deepened the Depression because the U.S.’s trading partners retaliated with tariffs of their own, leading to U.S. exports and global trade plummeting.
The current effective tariff rate is, according to the Financial Times graph above, now aimed at 17.5%. But that is without a deal with China which is still to come and which will likely increase the total level. It is unlikely that the high rate alone will have the similar negative effects as observed in the 1930s.
But combined with the uncertainty created by Trump’s unpredictable enactment and retraction of tariff decisions the consequences may well exceed those.
Unless of course the tariffs get overturned:
“The constitution was very clear in saying there’s one branch that has the power to tariff and it isn’t the president and it isn’t the courts – it’s the Congress of the United States.”“if you’re raising revenue, you’ve got to originate that bill in the House of Representatives… The president tried to do that in his first term and that legislation failed…”
“What’s happened here — and the way we’ve always historically done things — when presidents want to have trade authority or negotiate a deal or threaten tariffs, they go to Congress in advance and get that approval. They can’t go off on their own and say “Hey, I know what’s best and blow off Congress.”
It will be good for everyone if the courts decide the case against Trump.
Posted by b on August 2, 2025 at 16:56 UTC | Permalink