What a sight
Both my ex’s and my gear were all in dusty disarray. Age in the high humidity of Louisiana did not fare well for the cardboard storage boxes. Many were collapsed in upon themselves. All were covered in dust and various rodents and creatures made homes in the locker with obvious generations of age, and the rotten remains of what once roamed freely though my (our old) belongings.
I have mentioned previously that after collecting a handful of items, We just threw a solid 40% away and then locked up the storage locker for others to bid on. All in all, I seem to recall we made a few hundred on the sale of the contents of the locker. Maybe even a thousand. But the number was trivial at the time.
I do remember opening up a box of my ex-wife’s Naval Architectural belongings. She was, after all, a naval architect. She designed yachts and other sea-going vessels. Didn’t hang up a shingle, though and thus didn’t make any money on it.
Anyways, there was this cardboard container filled of a draftsman powder called “Pounce” and it had broken up and was covering everything; the grain sized tan nuggets were everywhere. And in the mess was the debris of the fine mechanical mechanism of the strange but marvelous planimeter.
Such a waste. Forgotten, yet special.
That is what happens as you get older. Things that were once valuable and expensive get discarded and rediscovered by others that have no idea or concept of it’s value. This is the truth, and there is a special understanding encoded in these words.
Today…
What is something you saw while on an airplane that you couldn’t believe?
I’ve only had 3 noteworthy incidents in all my years of flying.
In 1968, I flew from Houston to Santa Fe to interview for admission to St. John’s College. The flight was on the old Trans Texas Airways (TTA-later changed to Texas International largely because people were calling it “Trans Texas Asswise”). Talk about a puddle jumper – they somehow managed to find 3 stops between Dallas & Santa Fe.
The return flight was 2 hours late arriving at Santa Fe. No explanation, of course, but it was a DC-9 & they left the engines running the whole time it was on the ground. Even back then, they didn’t keep jet engines running like that unless they were afraid they couldn’t get them started again!
On our final approach into Dallas, we hit the worst clear air turbulence I’ve ever experienced. We were over the end of the runway & the wings were literally going perpendicular to the ground. Whatever else one can say about that airline, they must have had some incredible pilots. I’ve no idea how they landed that thing without scraping a wing.
In ’75 I flew from Chicago to Houston, where my mother was undergoing bypass surgery. On the return trip, I had to ask for a pillow to put between me & the window. There was an air leak & I was freezing my arm off. On my way off the plane, I tried to tell a flight attendant about the situation, but she was hearing nothing of it, insisting that was not possible. That was the last time I’ve flown American Airlines.
& in ’77 I flew El Al to Israel & back. Amazing security, even back then. Within an hour of takeoff, the Chasidim had backed up half the toilets on the plane by flushing diapers, even though there were signs clearly saying not to. At one point, I needed to use a toilet. When I came out, a group of Chassidim had the aisle completely blocked, davening. I waited patiently for at least 15 minutes for them to let me through-they completely ignored me. I finally pushed my way back to my seat. You wouldn’t believe the dirty looks they gave me.
IMPORTANT: COLLAPSE OF UKRAINE **GOVERNMENT ** HAS BEGUN . . .
Important: The collapse of the Ukraine government has started; the following ministers have resigned:
Vitaliy Stanislavovych Koval – Head of the State Property Fund of Ukraine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitaliy_Koval
Ruslan Strilets – Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruslan_Strilets
Denys Maliuska – Minister of Justice of Ukraine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denys_Maliuska
Oleksandr Kamyshin – Minister of Strategic Industries https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oleksandr_Kamyshin
their resignations still have to be processed by the Verkhovna Rada (parliament).
One source told me “The rats have begun to flee the sinking ship.”
UPDATE 7:43 PM EDT —
Parliament announces reshuffle day: 50% of Cabinet of Ministers to be replaced
The Ukrainian government is planning a personnel reshuffle, with more than 50% of the Cabinet of Ministers to be replaced.
In particular, tomorrow, September 4, will be a “day of dismissals”, according to the head of the Servant of the People faction, Davyd Arakhamia. “As promised, a major government reboot can be expected this week. Over 50% of the staff of the Cabinet of Ministers will be changed,” Arakhamia wrote.
According to him, “tomorrow will be a day of dismissals, and the day after tomorrow—a day of appointments.” The final list will be determined at the faction meeting on September 4.
Personnel changes in the Cabinet of Ministers
Recently, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned that he is discussing potential government changes with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. Specifically, he emphasized the need to address the issue with the large number of acting ministers in the Cabinet Today, the sources of RBC-Ukraine in the government reported that significant personnel changes are expected in the Cabinet of Ministers this week. Rotations are also possible in the Presidential Office.
How are people saying China will collapse, yet it hasnt and shows no signs of collapsing?
Two reasons why People said China was going to collapse:-
A. Real Estate Investments and Bookings reduced by 35% over 4 years
B. Share market dropped by 33% over 4 years
Two reasons why China didn’t collapse:-
A. Real Estate decisions were a part of Government Planned Strategy to slowly allow the bubble to subside
B. Barely 10% of the Chinese Public invest at least 25% of their investments into Shares
Why?
Point 1 – US and Chinese Share Patterns are very different
US Economists still think China is like US
In the US, the Share market is everything
It drives everything
The Total MCap of $ 93 Trillion
The GDP is $ 26 Trillion
So the GDP is now utterly dependent on the Share market
If the Share market grows then the GDP grows
Like India
Indias MCap is $ 5 Trillion
It’s GDP is $ 3.79 Trillion
So again the GDP is less than MCap so again Share Market Growth helps the GDP grow
Chinas MCap is $ 10 Trillion
It’s GDP is $ 19 Trillion
Now as you can see – in China – Growth in GDP drives the Share market NOT THE OTHER WAY ROUND
So a 33% drop in Share value isn’t going to matter at all to China whereas even a 6% drop in share value would cause mayhem and panic in USA
How did the Real Estate crash not implode?
It did
It reduced GDP growth by more than half
From 6.90% to 3.10%
However CHINA gambled well on its Advanced and High Tech manufacturing
It’s Green Energy Economy contributed 1.42 Trillion to the Chinese Economy Or around $ 211 Billion
That added virtually a nice 2.1% to the Chinese GDP Growth and got 5.2% a year
This year the Green Economy may add 2.5% and help the Chinese give you 5% growth
In short – The Green Economy ie:- EVs, Solar Panels and Batteries are replacing Real Estate, Textiles & Electronics in China to drive GDP growth
Now once Consumption rises in China and the Middle Class consume more and more, the GDP growth will eventually stabilize at 3.5% to 4.5% over the next 20 years
Thereby entirely subsiding the Chinese bubble with minimum damage to the Chinese People
The Chinese have long term vision and their economic vision for the next 30 years is absolutely solid
No amount of Western propaganda can change that
“The COLLAPSE Has BEGUN…” – Danielle DiMartino
Can you destroy your entire life with one wrong decision?
Oh yes, you can.
Back in the 1970s when I first knew my husband, he told me about a local guy in his area who had no history of violence, and who was a very personable decent kind of guy. My husband liked him.
One evening, this man was walking home with his girlfriend from having had a few drinks together. It seemed like a peaceful ordinary walk home.
Until…some very drunk guy appeared, off his head, and kept heckling them both from behind. Then he started on this man’s girlfriend, making “suggestive” approaches, and basically threatening her.
The guy told this other man to quit and just go away. He didn’t. Instead he rounded on the guy, and started a fight with him.
So of course, the guy defended himself. He never even hit this man -just pushed him away, hard.
But what happened next sealed the guy’s fate for quite a number of years and made him lose everything.
This man, as he was drunk, stumbled back as he was pushed, and lost his balance. He fell back and as he hit the ground, he hit his head badly against the edge of the kerb. That killed him.
The guy my husband knew then faced a charge of manslaughter. He was found guilty, and served a few years’ jail sentence. He lost everything….his girlfriend (who didn’t want to wait for him), his home, his career -the lot.
As for whether that split second “decision” to push that man, just to get him to back off, was a “wrong decsion” or not, is up for debate. If he hadn’t done that, another bad scenario could have happened anyway.
And in that situation, what occurred could happen to anyone at any moment.
If China will not allow American companies to operate and sell in China why should we buy so many Chinese goods?
Then don’t buy Chinese goods then.
It’s your choice. Put your money where your mouth is.
Things may cost more.
I sometimes have to work on HK Island, there’s some good food in some of the residential districts. But in the business districts like central or Admiralty the choices are limited to:
McDonalds, KFC, Maxims.
I’m currently boycotting those companies. So I go to places that cost more about 25% more.
What do you think of Washington Post’s reporting on China funding pro-CPC groups in America?
China funds pro-CPC groups? 🤣 Sorry, China “does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries.”
China would rather invest money in the Belt and Road Initiative and infrastructure construction in southern countries than in the corrupt and chaotic politics of the United States, because China’s development does not need to rely on US policies.
It is possible to carry out people-to-people cultural exchanges between China and the United States. The Chinese government has always required Chinese students and staff in the United States to protect their own safety, not to participate in local political activities, tell the Chinese story well, introduce a real China to American friends, and contribute to enhancing mutual understanding and promoting mutually beneficial cooperation. In fact, it is a good thing for American to have a real and objective understanding of China, which is beneficial for both sides, especially for the US.
Whether Americans pro-CPC or hate-CPC or Anti-communism is of little importance to the CPC. Besides, the CPC has no plan to govern the United States and no intention of sending Communist Party members to participate in the US election. The CPC does not need the votes of American citizens to govern China. 🤣 So, It doesn’t matter how Americans view CPC!
In addition, Taiwan chooses to fund U.S. congressmen or lobbying groups to oppose the CPC and China and attempt Taiwan independence because “political donations” and “political lobbying” are legal in the United States!
Can you name an example of a U.S. Congressman who is not a millionaire?
Taiwan is a participant in the US State Department’s Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act, the DPP authorities have frequently invited US congressmen, their assistants, and congressional experts to visit the island under the pretense of universities and research institutions, whose “white gloves” have given legitimacy to high-profile receptions, including providing first-class flights, luxury hotels, leisure and entertainment, and paying exorbitant “commission fees.” In fact, all activities were arranged and paid for by the DPP authorities.
Former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo has paid his second trip to China’s Taiwan, trumpeting that the island was “an independent country,” as he spoke at a business forum at the invitation of pro-secessionist media Liberty Times. he will allegedly take “commission fees” from companies including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (TSMC), China Steel Corporation, I-MEI Foods Co Ltd and CHIMEI Corporation.
In his previous visit to the island, Pompeo was paid $150,000 for a speech, under the terms of an agreement signed by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US and US-based company Premiere Speakers Bureau, according to Taiwan media reports.
The DPP also paid huge amounts of money to welcome Ed Royce, a “pro-Taiwan independence” Republican congressman, who visited the island in his “farewell trip” before retirement in 2018, according to media reports.
What’s more, the DPP has raised the budget for “foreign guest reception” in 2023 to some NT$430 million ($13.6 million) from NT$370 million, an increase of 16 percent.
Apart from directly channeling profits, the DPP has been catering to affiliated or family businesses of US members of Congress, analysts noted.
The transfer of benefits is also made through Taiwan groups in the US. For one thing, they were mobilized to campaign for “pro-Taiwan independence” legislators in the US. For example, when Marco Rubio ran for the Republican presidential candidate in 2016, he received donations from many Taiwan associations in the US, and from companies or banks in the island.
“US-Taiwan Business Council,” “North America Taiwanese Professors’ Association,” and some other organizations and institutes have also campaigned for legislators through donations, canvassing, and policy advising. “Formosan Association for Public Affairs” has long provided support and campaigning for Steve Chabot, a member of the US House of Representatives, and pushed for the Taiwan Travel Act.
In addition, the DPP authorities have given profits to the US politicians through public relations firms. The Global Times learned from gathered information that, to push for Pelosi’s visit, Taiwan authorities hired ex-congressman Dick Gephardt for $22,000 a month to lobby in the US. From February 2018 to April this year, Gephardt lobbied Pelosi for 16 times, for which the DPP paid another $3.15 million.
The DPP also hired over 10 public relation firms including Nickles Group to frequently lobby members of Congress.
Information from the US Department of Justice showed that from 2016 to 2020, the DPP spent more than $12 million on public relations lobbying in the US, on average $3 million per year. Taiwan’s other agencies also invested more than $9 million in this regard.
Rescue The Republic Rally To SAVE Western Civilization!
What is the most amazing thing you overheard because people didn’t think you understood their language?
Odd thing about Swedish: it is a small language, but many English speakers work in Sweden and it’s a very simple language. Learning the basics is quite easy, but they all speak such good English than you understand a lot while not using much, so Swedes tend to forget that a large number of people can understand them.
This leads to Swedes using Swedish as a secret language when it is anything but. So you hear a lot:
- Coming home on the Tube the morning after an alight party and looking worse for wear we had to listen to a commentary in Swedish from two women who were convinced we were homeless, on drugs, and up to no good. It was vastly satisfying to leave the train with a cheery “So nice to hear your own language again”, in Swedish.
- On a beach in Greece listening to two girls describe their evening with two guys they picked up, and what they did with them. Impossible not to overhear, and luridly explicit.
- An elderly couple breaking up. It was gut wrenching and too painful. They had been married for thirty plus years. Brutal. We gently let them know we understood and suggested they might like to move to the garden.
- Two Stockholmers in a UK pub discussing a very illegal tax evasion deal. There were about 20 people there and all but two understood Swedish, (this was an area where a lot of ex-pats lived), so they were out of luck.
- In a bar in the Caribbean where a Swedish ex-pat found out that her brother was to become the first Swede in space. She was excitedly reading out a Swedish article to her Swedish friend, and wondering where she could get it translated. By chance one of out group was a Swedish to English translator, so that lead to quite a fun evening.
As a tip. There really is no such thing as a “secret” language!
Has your boss ever said anything so bad that immediately made you think you wanted to resign?
Returning to the United States in 2010, I was hired as a computer repair person. I would show up toward the end of every day drop off what I had repaired the night before and pick up what needed to be repaired. I didn’t work in this guy’s business on a daily basis. One day I got a call from the actual store manager asking me if I could manage the Store for at least two weeks. I said of course, but I want to be paid X amount, so when you get the approval from the owner, get back to me. I got no word back. So I assumed the owner didn’t like my offer.
About 9 a.m. the following Monday I received a phone call from the owner why wasn’t the shop open? I said no one agreed to pay me. He said okay I’ll pay what you requested.
So for 16 days, I ran his shop smoothly. Many happy customers, and compliments. The owner returned and within 30 minutes had insulted 2–3 people based on looks, race, or gender. (Quora moderation clause insert here) Two of those people I had already established a relationship with and they had made a down payment for a repair. When I said excuse me, Sir, I can handle this for you, he said I no longer need you. I simply said OK then pay me as per our agreement. No reply, just crickets. I didn’t let it go. I said “Where is my money?” He said if you don’t leave I’ll call the police. I left and went straight to a lawyer’s office. The same lawyer whose computer I had repaired during these 16 days.
He proceeded to quote Tennessee law to me. Had his secretary type up some papers and I signed them. I followed all the attorney’s instructions. When I still had not received my money days later, I went back to the lawyer again who then made a phone call. During the time I was waiting to receive this money I opened my own business in direct competition to this owner. The attorney said if I didn’t receive my money by Friday close of business he would file the case in court.
About 3 p.m. that afternoon I got the total satisfaction of the owner having to stand in line behind some of his former customers in order to hand me a check for the agreed amount.
The funny thing about this owner is that everyone that has ever worked for him has always quit and been better off for it.
One of his employees did take him to court. The owner lost and had to pay all court costs. It seems the owner thought buying his daughter a horse was more important than paying his employees.
She Thought He Would Pay So She Ordered a Lot but It Backfired
Who will be tougher on China: Trump or Harris? Will they at least have us relying less on China while keeping us from going to war with China? It’d be nice to not deal with a country everyone hates.
Neither of them poses a significant threat to China.
This is not pretending to be tough or provocative.
At present, Chinese people pay very little attention to the American election. We generally believe that Trump will be elected, but we are not very concerned about who will come to power.
The decoupling you are expecting will not be completed smoothly, at least not by the United States, but more likely to come from China. What the United States wants to do more is to cut off land trade at Eastern Europe and Western Asia, and cut off sea trade through Israel. If it tries this way, the result will be a hard landing for the US economy.
I don’t think Americans need to worry about going to war with China. The US military clearly knows that it is unable to go to war with China. War comes from the mutual agreement of both sides, while China and the United States cannot reach a consensus to go to war with each other.
What is more likely to happen is that the United States is attempting to push its semi colonies in East Asia towards war with China in order to gain an opportunity to help Israel confront Iran, no matter under Trump or Harris.
Is it illegal to carry large amounts of cash in China?
You can’t carry more than $ 5000 or equivalent in foreign currency while entering or leaving China
You can’t bring in any sum exceeding 20,000 RMB when entering or leaving China
Within China?
No Rule that says you can’t carry too much cash on your person and no upper limit
However there are some smaller rules
- No Business can hold more than 500,000 RMB of Cash Or 5% of Total Declared Revenue as of the previous year whichever is LOWER. So Businesses always deposit their Cash in Banks whenever the amounts exceed these limits.
- Individuals holding in excess of 60,000 RMB cash must explain the source of the funds and declare them when asked
Ukraine Looking For Retired F-16 Pilots? Fighter Pilots React.
When was a time you realized a kid’s parents weren’t as sane as they appeared to be?
I was a probation officer. I got a new 15 year old probationee for running away from home She was “retarded”.
Very respectable family. Several other high achieving children. She had a brother close in age who was a top student. Parents seemed so concerned blah blah blah.
The girl dressed in good will clothes, long skirts, baggy sweaters. Mom did not want boys to see her as a girl because, well she was “retarded”. The girl was on very heavy downer meds as the mother also said she was mentally disturbed.
As I got to know this girl, I found her to be mentally fine and quite bright. The school counselor would just mumble and tell me I needed to drop it. The stories the girl told me about what her family did to her sounded like the rantings of an unstable person. I can’t even write them down or I will throw up. I got her some jeans and cute tops so she could change at school and hoped for the best. But then one day the brother came to my office. All he said was “ believe my sister. “
I suddenly realized that the parents were insane monsters masquerading as people. I started fighting the parents on issues. But the girl had saved up her meds for weeks and took them all.
In a coma , I sat at her side telling her that she never had to go home. I had no idea how I was going to fill that promise. But I hatched a plan. I got all buddy buddy with insane Mom. Told her the girl needed to be in an institution. Convinced her a court would never take Mom’s word but if I was the legal guardian I could make it happen. When the girl came out of the coma, Mom signed guardianship papers over to me.
We all ready had it set up for her to go with the number one foster family. She thrived, caught up in school graduated, owned her own business. Insane parents posing as real people.
I know this is going to sound stupid, but why did the Navy think the Zumwalt class was a good idea in the first place?
Of course they did and they probably weren’t wrong at the start. The Zumwalt is a failure of leadership and project management rather than a pure design failure.
Initially, it was “let’s make a replacement for the Iowa class for shore bombardment, but cheaper and more survivable in the 21st century”. It was a reasonable idea considering that the Iowa class had been retired and they were horrendously expensive to operate anyway since they need a complement of escorting ships like a carrier. A stealthy bombardment ship sounds like a great solution to this problem.
Imagine a Formula 1 car: It’s not a great car if you want to use it for grocery shopping or commuting to work, but its inability to carry anything other than the driver doesn’t make it a failure.
What happened to the Zumwalts was mission creep. The focus changed and it got loaded with all kinds of stuff, ostensibly for “improvements”, and ended up as a very expensive dud with just a barely-working main gun system (which is being replaced with hypersonic missiles). To use the F1 example, it’s like adding another seat and a trunk to the car and declaring, “now we can use it for racing AND commuting!” Is it any surprise that it becomes sub-par in all its roles? The Zumwalt is even worse considering the failure of the main gun—a bit like if the F1 car have underpowered engines.
If they did it like the F-35, let’s say, where they were very ambitious from the start, they might still have a fairly expensive class of ships and cost overruns, but they would also have working ships. Or else, they shouldn’t bother with the design after they started making it.
RUSSIA ISSUES DIRECT WARNING TO U.S.
BULLETIN: Russia has now issued a DIRECT warning to the United States and to NATO “If Western weapons are used to strike deep inside Russia, the consequences will affect both sides of the Atlantic.”
The direct warning was HAND DELIVERED by Diplomatic Courier, to the White House.
This comes after Ukraine began using west-supplied weapons to attack targets slightly over 1,000km into interior Russia, and after U.S. said THIS WEEK “we are near to an agreement to provide Ukraine with long-range cruise missiles capable of reaching deep into Russian territory.”
This is a quickly-developing story. Check back for updates.
UPDATE 3:45 PM EDT —
Russian ambassador to Washington, Anatoly Antonov, HAS NOW ALSO STATED PUBLICLY: “If Western weapons are used deep inside Russia, the consequences will affect both sides of the Atlantic.”
Worse, he said this while discussion the present, ongoing revisions to Russia’s Nuclear Weapons Use Doctrine!
I’ve Seen The Saucers – Elton John (1974)
Not what we seem
Submitted into Contest #247 in response to: Set your story on a spaceship exploring the far reaches of space when something goes wrong.… view prompt
N Martin
Dr. Amelia Brooks, the mission’s lead scientist, leaned over a console, her eyes scanning the data with a mix of excitement and apprehension. “We’re getting closer to Proxima Centauri than any human-made craft has ever been,” she said, her voice tinged with awe. “Just imagine the discoveries waiting for us.”
Next to her, Alex Chen, the chief engineer, nodded, his fingers dancing over the controls. “The drone’s systems are holding up remarkably well,” he replied. “But we’re entering uncharted territory. We need to be prepared for anything.”
As Odyssey sent back stunning images of alien worlds and mysterious phenomena, the excitement in the room was palpable. Every new piece of data was a puzzle to be solved, a clue to the secrets of the universe.
But then, without warning, the screens went dark. The telemetry stream halted, and the once-buzzing control room fell silent.
Alex’s fingers froze over the controls, his eyes wide with shock. “We’ve lost communication,” he whispered, his voice barely audible.
Dr. Brooks stared at the blank screens, her mind racing. “Keep trying,” she urged. “There has to be a way to reestablish contact.”
After the heartbreaking loss of communication with Odyssey, the control room became a place of quiet desperation. Engineers and scientists worked around the clock, fueled by caffeine and sheer determination, trying every possible method to reestablish contact with the drone.
The first weeks were filled with hope and optimism. Every anomaly detected in the telemetry data was scrutinized, every blip on the radar was investigated. But as days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, hope began to wane.
The team faced mounting pressure from both the public and the media. Questions were raised about the mission’s feasibility and the space agency’s ability to manage such a complex operation. Doubts began to creep in, and morale hit an all-time low.
Inside the control room, the atmosphere was one of quiet determination mixed with a growing sense of despair. Engineers and scientists formed tight-knit groups, working together to solve the seemingly unsolvable puzzle. They refused to give up, even as the odds stacked against them.
Late-night brainstorming sessions became the norm, with team members throwing out wild theories and hypotheses, no matter how improbable. Some suggested that Odyssey might have encountered a cosmic anomaly that temporarily disrupted its systems. Others speculated about the possibility of alien interference or even abduction.
Dr. Amelia Brooks, the mission’s lead scientist, took it upon herself to keep the team motivated. She organized weekly meetings to update everyone on the progress of the recovery efforts and to remind them of the importance of their mission.
“We owe it to ourselves and to humanity to keep trying,” she would say, her voice unwavering despite the fatigue in her eyes. “We’ve come too far to give up now.”
But as the weeks turned into months, the strain began to take its toll. Exhaustion set in, both mentally and physically. Team members started to doubt themselves and each other. Tensions rose, and arguments broke out over the smallest of details.
Despite the challenges, the team persevered. They refused to let their hard work and dedication go to waste. They continued to search for any sign of Odyssey, clinging to the hope that they might one day reestablish contact with their lost drone.
And then, just when they had all but given up hope, a faint signal was detected…
The first images and data sent back by Odyssey were nothing short of extraordinary. The drone’s cameras captured stunning views of alien worlds, strange celestial phenomena, and even what appeared to be evidence of a technologically advanced civilisation.
But then, the screens went dark, and the control room again fell silent. When contact was again suddenly reestablished, the images were even more unsettling.
The interior of an alien facility, a labyrinth of dimly lit corridors, filled with unfamiliar technology that seemed to defy the laws of physics. Strange symbols adorned the walls, their meaning a mystery to the team.
As Odyssey explored further, it encountered the alien creatures. These beings were unlike anything seen before: tall, slender, with skin that seemed to shimmer in different colours. They moved with a grace and purpose that suggested a highly evolved intelligence.
The creatures appeared to be studying Odyssey with a mix of curiosity and caution. They seemed to communicate with each other through a series of clicks and chirps, their language as alien as their appearance.
The drone’s cameras captured these interactions in vivid detail, but the team at Mission Control struggled to make sense of what they were seeing. Were these creatures friendly or hostile? What was their purpose in bringing Odyssey into their facility?
As the data logs were decoded, the cryptic messages added another layer of mystery. “They are not what they seem. Do not follow. Turn back or face extinction.” What had Odyssey stumbled upon? And what did these warnings mean for humanity’s future in the cosmos?
The control team was stunned. What had Odyssey encountered out there? Was this a warning meant for humanity or a message from the drone itself, transformed by whatever it had encountered?
Just when they thought they had seen the most unsettling images, the camera feed from Odyssey took a final, haunting turn. The lens panned to reveal another alien creature, chained and raised off the ground, its eyes locked onto the drone’s camera with an intensity that sent shivers down the spine.
As the creature stared directly into the camera, the screens at Mission Control were suddenly overtaken by a haunting warning displayed in red against a black background: “They are not what they seem. Do not follow. Turn back or face extinction.”
The control room fell into a chilling silence, the message echoing ominously in the minds of everyone present as the red text on black screens changed once more.
“We are not what we seem. Do not follow. Do not return. We are the last of our kind
Richard Wolff: Israel, Ukraine, China, and the End of the American Empire
Is it true that soldiers in Iraq were advised to keep driving their truck even if there were children on the roads because of the possibility of an ambush?
In 2007/2008 I drove in Iraq. Sadr City to be more precise. (look it up!)
When we arrived we get briefings and in those was that exact directive. DO NOT STOP. Don’t stop for cats, people and don’t stop or swerve for dead dogs. So so SO many dead dogs there. They noticed the American affination and respect for dogs and they watched and learned that we would swerve to avoid them.. So they planted the IEDs in the path of the swerve.. Once they figured that we stopped swerving they put the bombs back inside the dead dogs.
You really have to get your own head wrapped around the idea that there may be a situation where you must drive through, into, or over a human being. That’s so counterintuitive to everything you’ve ever been taught. You don’t hit people with vehicles.. But when you are shown the pictures and videos of the outcome of stopping, the reconciliation is easier to make.
Let me make this clear, we had various lights, sirens, horns, lasers and other devices to warn and alert drivers and pedestrians. They had a very long time to be aware that we were there and moving. We didn’t sneak up and then just run into them.. A convoy of vehicles doing 40 or 60 MPH is very noticeable on its own; they knew we were there. If the cars refused to move, they got bumper pushed lightly ONE time. If they didn’t pull over after that, they got the full force of the moving convoy to move them out of the way.
We used to go into smaller villages where children of all ages massed around the vehicles begging for anything. Food, candy, MREs… ANYTHING!
Then they put bombs in the kids backpacks and blew them up when we stopped. So now we had to keep the kids back without shooting them. My idea was slingshots and hard candy. The gunner would shoot a few over their heads. Most would scramble and get the candy. If they kept coming they got a jolly rancher in the forehead. If that didn’t work, the guns were pointed at them.
If we stop, we and our crew are dead. Normal war tactics are not followed by insurgents. They’ll use anything.. Just like criminals, rules and regulations mean nothing.
Is against conventions to use schools hospitals and religions places, they routinely shot at us from their mosques. They routinely lobbed mortars from schools and hospitals. But when we send in a missile to destroy the location, they scream that you attacked a mosque. No bother that 30 military aged males are inside all with weapons…
Sorry, not sorry. You use it for war, it’s a target.
So yes, you do not stop. We began using pointer lasers to move vehicles the green ones worked great usually!
I was fortunate that in over 200 missions I never crashed into cars or people. There were a few extremely close calls, a donkey, three goats and many many dogs sacrificed for our safety. Some of the other drivers were not that lucky. There were many reports of people vs. military vehicles…
36 Years Old. No Friends Just A Career
What is the best case of “You just picked a fight with the wrong person” that you’ve witnessed?
I once witnessed a situation that perfectly fit the phrase, “You just picked a fight with the wrong person.” It happened at a small, cozy coffee shop I used to frequent. One afternoon, a well-dressed, middle-aged man came in and, for some reason, started berating the young barista behind the counter. She was this sweet, quiet girl, always polite and soft-spoken. The man was loud, condescending, and completely out of line, complaining about something trivial like the temperature of his coffee.
As he continued to raise his voice, demanding to speak to the manager, a woman at the back of the shop stood up. She was in her 50s, with a calm but steely demeanor. She walked up to the counter and, in the calmest voice, said, “Excuse me, sir, I’m the owner of this establishment.” The man turned to her, ready to continue his rant, but she didn’t give him a chance. With a firm but controlled tone, she told him that his behavior was unacceptable and that he was no longer welcome in her café.
The man tried to bluster his way out of it, but she was unshakeable. She informed him that she would not tolerate anyone mistreating her staff and that she had no problem calling the police if he didn’t leave immediately. The entire café was watching, and there was this palpable sense of justice in the air. You could see the man’s bravado evaporate as he realized he had underestimated her. He left, muttering under his breath, and the café broke out in applause.
That day, we all saw a quiet, kind barista stand her ground, not because she was aggressive, but because she had the unflinching support of someone who wasn’t afraid to stand up to bullies. It was one of those moments that made you feel proud to have witnessed it, a true case of someone picking a fight with the wrong person.
German “TORNADO” Fighter Jet at Edwards Air Force Base, Flying with B-61 NUCLEAR Trainer
A TORNADO fighter jet from Germany, has been photographed outside Edwards Air Force Base in the U.S., carrying a B-61-12 nuclear bomb TRAINER.
These “TRAINERS” mimic the size and weight of such weapons, so pilots can get used to what the plane feels like, and how it maneuvers, when carrying such a bomb.
It is important to point out that when the U.S. approved the transfer by NATO Allies of “Donated” F-16 Fighter Jets to Ukraine, the U.S. DEMANDED that only F-16’s with the necessary modification enabling them to carry the B-61 Nuclear Bomb, would be allowed to be transferred to Ukraine.
Now, we’re letting GERMAN Fighter Pilots train on flying with such nuclear bombs as well.
Why do you think the U.S. is doing these things?
I think it’s because the U.S. intends to strike Russia with nuclear weapons.
Which, it seems to me, also means we will get struck back. Here. Inside the USA.
Just thought you should know what your government is presently working on — in your name and on your behalf.
When Female Narcos Mess With These Brutal Cartels
Shorpy
Turkey Officially Applies to Join BRICS
Turkey has now offically submitted its application to join BRICS, after repeatedly being denied entry into the European Union!!
Even casual observers of matters geo-political, see this as a “Huge deal;.”
If accepted, Turkey would be the first NATO member and EU candidate to join BRICS.
The whole point of BRICS is basically to replace the world’s reliance on the US dollar and “centralized” power.
Turkish President Erdogan’s administration believes “the geopolitical center of gravity is shifting away from developed economies,” according to sources.
The proposal by Turkey will be discussed at the BRICS summit in Russia this October.
HOLY S#!T! NATO IS PREPPING FOR A DECAPITATION STRIKE ON RUSSIA!
Did it happen?
If you know then Russia knows. If that’s true, we’re fucked.
Why did Walter White not prevent Jane Margolis from asphyxiating even though he had half a million dollars?
Walter White’s decision to let Jane Margolis die is one of those moments in Breaking Bad that makes you sit there with your mouth hanging open, thinking, “Did that really just happen?” The guy’s got half a million dollars, sure, but at that moment, money wasn’t the only thing on his mind—far from it.
Here’s the deal: by the time Jane’s choking on her own vomit, Walter is deep into his “Heisenberg” transformation. He’s not just the mild-mannered chemistry teacher anymore; he’s becoming this ruthless drug kingpin who’s willing to do whatever it takes to protect his empire. And that’s the key—his empire.
Jane had become a major problem. Not only was she enabling Jesse’s drug habit, which was dragging him down, but she was also blackmailing Walt. She knew too much and was pushing Jesse towards some very risky decisions, like taking all that cash and running. Walt saw Jane as a threat to everything he was trying to build, and in that moment, he made a twisted calculation. If he saves her, she and Jesse might take the money and split, or worse, Jane might push Jesse into even more dangerous territory.
So, he does nothing. He watches her die because, in his mind, it’s the only way to keep control over Jesse and protect his growing empire. It’s a moment that shows just how far gone Walt is—he’s so obsessed with power and control that he’s willing to let an innocent (albeit flawed) person die right in front of him. The money? It doesn’t mean jack if he’s not in control.
Walt’s decision is one of those dark, defining moments in the series where you realize just how much of his soul he’s sold in this pursuit of power. It’s cold, it’s heartless, and it’s pure Heisenberg.
What happened in a hotel while you were on vacation that you will never forget?
When my husband and I first started out, we went to a sleepy beach town called Hua Hin. We had very little then; so little, in fact, we couldn’t afford to stay overnight.
We took a long walk on the beach and came upon the then Railway Hotel, a grand lady with sculptured gardens, a lovely beach and days-gone-by charm. We were enchanted and in awe.
We promised that when we were better off, we would stay here, if only for a night.
It was quite a few years before we made that promise come true. When we finally stayed there, it was all we could have hoped for and more. We had the perfect room, with both the garden and beach in view and a lovely old tree that shaded the balcony.
We went three times after that, each time reserving the same room, even if we had to change our dates.
The fourth time was the last.
When we arrived, we were told by a very uppity, young French assistant manager that we couldn’t have our reserved room. We insisted, but he was rudely adamant. He made it clear we were not equal to the hotel.
He was ‘in charge’, the manager not available or perhaps he refused to call him.
He sent us to a room that actually fronted on the staff bathrooms. We refused, with the receptionist and bellboy clearly upset with our treatment by the Frenchman. They told us that he was often obnoxious with Thai guests whom he felt were not rich.
The next room we were given was near our requested room but had not been cleaned well. The assistant manager was now clearly angry with US when we appeared, yet again, at reception.
We had had enough. Our trips to this hotel were special, and this poor excuse for a manager had spoiled it.
I used the receptionist’s phone to call the management team in Bangkok (who had made our arrangements), gave our gold membership card number and reported what had happened and what the Thai staff had told me.
Less than a minute after I hung up, his phone rang. His attitude changed, he stammered and paled.
Our room was put in order quickly, and we were given vouchers for two luxury dinners, which we didn’t use. We had no desire to have French food after having wasted almost half a day.
We haven’t been back in fifteen years or so.
Perhaps one day….
BLACK GIRLS REACT TO JOURNEY – FAITHFULLY “REACTION” (Blown away)
What did a flight attendant do that made you go “you gotta be kidding me”?
For years before we got married, I’d visit my future husband about 6 times a year. I’d fly from Canada to California to see him. I’d take my seat in economy and invariably a flight attendant would approach me before takeoff and ask, “are you flying alone?” I would answer that I was and they’d tell me to come with them and lead me to a business class seat. I assumed I was just lucky.
On future flights I was pulled out of line and whisked through customs. As I was going through a private security screening, I was told by a customs agent that I’d be sitting in business class. I told him that this happens to me in one way or another every time I flew and I didn’t understand why. He told me that my fiancé arranges this for me as this was the only explanation. He seemed to know who I was engaged to. He further told me that my fiancé was a very modest man and would never do this for himself but he must love me a lot to do it for me. I had no idea he was behind this. BUT…
While I waited to board the plane, I called my fiancé and asked him why he’d never told me that he arranges for me to sit in business class. He denied any knowledge of this and said he’d have told me if it was him. It wasn’t him. I have no idea why this happened for years. He’s not famous, I’m not famous and I have no connection to the airlines whatsoever. I don’t even dress well when I fly. Every time it happens, I think “you gotta be kidding me”.
“This Is The Greatest Lie Ever Told” – How Elites & Baby Boomers Collapsed America
Good video. He’s a bit too irritating, but his explanation, while soft, is pretty good. He talks about various historical cycles.
"You can correlate inflation with social collapse."
Which Japanese habit do you consider exceptional?
I live in Japan and, from time to time, I invite some friends over for dinner. It must be said, first of all, that this is not something Japanese people usually do. They don’t typically invite people to dine at their homes but rather at a restaurant.
So it’s even more significant that every time, automatically, around 11 p.m., someone says, “Shall we go home?” Everyone agrees, and one person starts washing the dishes, another sweeps the floor, a third separates steel cans from aluminum ones, as required by the current regulations, etc.
In fifteen minutes, the house is cleaner than it was when they arrived. This, in my opinion, illustrates one of the most extraordinary sides of an admirable people. In the over forty years I’ve spent in this country, I’ve never seen anyone leave my house without cleaning. Never.
Here are two of my guests, two elderly deaf women with whom I study sign language, washing the dishes at my house the last time I invited them to dinner.
The habit I want to talk about is their concern for others, which they manifests in a thousand other ways.
Suppose, for example, that you show an interest in bats. Soon, you’ll start receiving newspaper clippings about bats, emails with links to articles, photos, souvenirs, and anything else they can find. Asking is not necessary.
You get a present? Somebody tomorrow will ask you if you remembered to call and thank the author of the gift.
A fresh example from today: Last week, I talked about synesthesia (a sensation that causes another sensation in a different sense, such as a note that causes the perception of a particular smell) to the woman with the striped sweater. This morning, a got paper mail from her.
It wasa newspaper clipping about the synesthesia of French poet Arthur Rimbaud. Here they are.
This is what Japanese people are like (if you speak Japanese). They often give each other gifts like this. These are very small and unexpected gifts, which makes them even more appreciated. Usually, it’s a sweet. It must be small and inexpensive so as not to trigger a chain of increasingly valuable reciprocal gifts (o gaeshi, mandatory presents hated by all).
That’s why there are so many sweets on the market priced between one and three bucks. These are the legendary Kurumikko, joy and pride of Kamakura, the small town where I live.
Their physical appearance is always very carefully considered. Part of the gift is finding something particularly beautiful, particularly interesting, but not particularly expensive, and, above all, chosen specifically for the recipient.
All this creates a very special atmosphere, soft and pervasive, of human warmth that I have never experienced with non-Japanese.
I teach Italian, and one of the rituals that has spontaneously developed is this exchange of gifts. This activity takes up the first five minutes of each lesson, and every time, I am amazed by what they manage to bring, spending just a few modest coins.
It goes without saying that I often forget, but no one seems to mind. The little gifts keep coming anyway.
It’s not so much that, because I’m a foreigner, I’m considered a boor who needs to be excused, but rather that they know it’s just inattentiveness, nothing more.
In other words, my individuality is taken into account, which doesn’t align with one of the many prejudices that circulate about them.
One of the them confirmed to me that she really enjoys giving gifts because they speak for her. As a good Japanese, she feels inept with words. The small gifts say what she cannot.
The box of sweets you see in the photo costs about six dollars and contains ten excellent sweets. It’s enough for several meetings over a week or two. Notice, as I mentioned, the very careful design in a low-priced product.
Can gun owners give a scenario to prove without guns, the American government will destroy your lives?
Easy.
The sleepy town of Athens, Tennessee, erupted in unexpected violence on August 1, 1946, in what would become known as the Battle of Athens. This wasn’t a Civil War skirmish or a Revolutionary War clash, but a rebellion by local citizens, many of them World War II veterans, against corrupt government officials.
For years, McMinn County had been under the thumb of Sheriff Pat Mansfield and his boss, state Senator Paul Cantrell. They ruled with an iron fist, using intimidation, violence, and outright vote fraud to maintain their grip on power. The veterans, fresh from fighting for democracy abroad, refused to tolerate it any longer.
When suspicions arose about the recent election being rigged, the veterans, organized as the GI Non-Partisan League, marched on the courthouse to demand a recount. The standoff escalated quickly, with gunfire erupting and dynamite blasting through the jailhouse doors. The ensuing battle raged for hours, leaving two dozen wounded but miraculously no deaths.
In the aftermath, the Cantrell-Mansfield regime crumbled. The veterans’ candidates were sworn into office, and a wave of similar uprisings swept across Tennessee. While the Battle of Athens remains a controversial event, it stands as a testament to the power of armed citizen action in the face of injustice.
Russian Missile Hits in Poltava Wipe-Out 700+ Troops/Mercs/NATO Advisors
A missile strike by Russia against a target in Ukraine has wiped-out 700 Ukrainian military troops, Western-provided Mercenaries, and NATO Military Advisors, in what many are saying is the single most deadly attack of the almost 3 year war.
The photo above, taken well before the attack, shows many of those now dead from the attack.
The Russian army attacked the training center for specialists in the field of communications and electronic warfare of the Ukrainian Armed Forces taught by NATO tutors in Poltava.
Russia hit the training building first, then about ten minutes later, hit the nearby cafeteria. The one-two punch devastated Ukraine and its NATO Advisors, most of whom were from Sweden!
Western media outlets are reporting this strike, and downplaying the death/injury toll to “50.”
Ukraine is trying to claim the structure that was hit was a “Hospital” but no one believes Ukrainian propaganda anymore.
One thing is undisputed: This was, perhaps, the single most deadly attack in the entire 3 year conflict.
NATO and Western Mercenaries were hit ferociously hard. It’s what happens when you’re on the wrong side.
UPDATE:
NOW BEING TOLD 190 Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers killed and more than 600 wounded as a result of an Iskander strike in Poltava, Ukrainian media is reporting.
Ukraine – Russian Missile Strike Hits Swedish Instructors
A Russian missile strike on the Ukrainian Military Institute of Communications in Poltava has at least killed 41 and wounded two hundreds. Other sources claim higher numbers.
Poltava is about 120 kilometer from the Russian border. The warning times after the missile launch was allegedly too short for everyone to reach the bunkers.
The Institute of Communications is training radio and radar operators. Its main multi-story building has been completely destroyed.
Britta Ellwanger, a (former?) Swedish volunteer with the Ukrainian army wrote that Swedish friends of hers, also volunteering with the Ukrainian army, were among those who died in the strike.
Sweden had promised to gift two Swedish AWACS planes to Ukraine:
Sweden has announced sending its Saab 340B AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning and Control) aircraft to Kyiv, as per an announcement made by its defense ministry on May 29, 2024.
Given the nature of the Institute of Communications in Poltava it is likely that the Swedes were training Ukrainian operators for those.
One wonders why the training was not held elsewhere.
The Swedes should have remembered the history of that city:
The Battle of Poltava[e] (8 July 1709) was the decisive and largest battle of the Great Northern War. The Russian army under the command of Tsar Peter I defeated the Swedish army under the command of Carl Gustaf Rehnskiöld. The battle put an end to the status of the Swedish Empire as a European great power, as well as its eastbound expansion, and marked the beginning of Russian supremacy in eastern Europe.
Swedish and NATO attempts to change that status of Russia in eastern Europe more than 300 years after it had been achieved has ended in failure.
American Military Secrets
Then we’ll start sending the 39-year-old “junk”. We have ass tons of that too. To say nothing of the 38 year old pile right next to it. The US alone spent the better part of the last 70 years hoarding equipment all over planet earth like a rabid squirrel in anticipation of WWIII. The kind of squirrel other squirrels look at and say “dude you have a problem we’re going to put you on hoarders if you don’t knock it off”. You severely underestimate just how much shit NATO has put away for a rainy day. Artillery shells and rockets are one thing they get used up pretty dam fast but production is already spinning up to fix that problem. As far as tanks, apc’s, aircraft, etc etc lol I wouldn’t pin your hopes on even the old shit running out before Russia bleeds dry Ivan.
By all means though keep helping us clean out our garage lol.
PS
If some people would bother reading past the headlines or get their news from actual reputable sources this wouldn’t have to be explained but:
We are not giving Ukraine $75billion dollars or whatever the current number is people are complaining about usually in some form of “we’re giving Ukraine XX billion dollars and people need help here”! We are not handing Ukraine that amount of money or spending that amount it is just the DOLLAR VALUE OF THE EQUIPMENT being given to them. Equipment that was paid for likely years before some of these people were ever born and has been sitting there for decades. It is not costing that amount of money to give it to them save for whatever it costs to bring the stuff back into working order, nor are we handing them that amount of money it’s simply just how much the stuff cost when we procured it decades ago. That money was spent in the 70’s and 80’s it has no bearing on anything happening now.
What is the best case of “You just picked a fight with the wrong person” that you’ve witnessed?
I heard this story from my uncle.
In 1969 a friend of his — a Vietnam tunnel rat on his second deployment — was home in Denver on leave from Vietnam. He was a Chicano about 5′ 4″ and 140 lbs, about the size of most tunnel rats.
FYI: Tunnel rats crawl into enemy caves, bunkers, and tunnels with just a pistol, a knife, and a flashlight and fight to the death in hand-to-hand combat with whoever is in there.
My uncle was giving him a ride to Fort Carson later that day so he could go back to the war, so him and my uncle went to a strip bar about 11 AM to have a few drinks. They had the best table in the bar, right in front of the dance floor. The tunnel rat was proudly wearing his uniform, ribbons and all.
My uncle went to the john to take a piss, and right then three big guys in cowboy hats and jeans came into the bar. They walked up to the tunnel rat who was sitting at the best table enjoying the show, and one of them told him to “get the f*#k out of our spot, you f*#king Mexican!” Then he punched the soldier in the head. BIG mistake!!
My uncle came out of the pisser right then, just in time to see the tunnel rat smash his beer mug across that guys face and proceed to beat the living shit out of all three of them, bouncing them across the bar room with fists, elbows, and kicks.
They were really busted up — some teeth on the floor, all three of them unconscious and bleeding. It all happened fast.
The Sheriffs showed up a few minutes later, looked at the mess, and asked the bartender what happened. He told them the truth, how the cowboys came in and attacked that soldier and got the shit beat out of them. The ambulances showed up then and started loading up the busted cowboys.
One of the Sheriffs questioned the soldier and found out he was a tunnel rat who was deploying back to Vietnam later that day. He looked at the bloody cowboys and chuckled, took statements from witnesses, and let the soldier go so he could get back to Fort Carson on time.
Just goes to show you — it’s not who is the biggest, but who deals the deadly blow first that wins the fight.
The Collapse of America & Everything Wrong With Society Today (+ A Hopeful Way Forward) | Ray Dalio
Here are twenty-five breakfast-themed jokes:
1. Why did the egg hide?
It was a little chicken!
2. What does a thesaurus eat for breakfast?
Synonym rolls!
3. Why don’t pancakes tell secrets?
Because they might get flipped!
4. What do you call a fake noodle?
An impasta—wait, that’s dinner!
5. How does a cereal make a decision?
It weighs the pros and cons.
6. Why did the banana go to the doctor?
It wasn’t peeling well.
7. What’s a vampire’s favorite breakfast?
Coffin!
8. Why was the baker in a bad mood?
He was in a crumby situation!
9. What does a ghost eat for breakfast?
Boo-berries!
10. How do you fix a broken pancake?
With a little batter!
11. What do you call a sleeping bag for toast?
A breadspread!
12. Why did the toast break up with the butter?
It couldn’t handle the spread.
13. What’s a pirate’s favorite breakfast?
Captain Crunch!
14. Why did the orange stop?
It ran out of juice!
15. What did the bacon say to the tomato?
Lettuce get together!
16. Why was the cereal so excited?
It was a bowl of fun!
17. What does a snowman eat for breakfast?
Frosted Flakes!
18. Why did the coffee file a police report?
It got mugged!
19. How does a French toast greet a friend?
Bonjour, butter!
20. Why did the yogurt go to art school?
It wanted to be cultured!
21. What’s a math teacher’s favorite breakfast?
A square meal!
22. Why did the waffle go to the doctor?
It felt crumby!
23. What did the egg say to the frying pan?
You crack me up!
24. Why did the donut visit the dentist?
It needed a filling!
25. What do eggs do for fun?
They shell-ebrate!
Are the Chinese better at capitalism than the West?
According to the OED, capitalism is “an economic and political system in which a country’s trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit”.
So, capitalism equals private enterprise.
But I struggle with the invisible hand thesis of efficient markets. Yes, Adam smith’s “wealth of nations” is required reading in economics, but having been immersed in the business of profit, it doesn’t make sense to me.
A successful economy does not spring up organically. Neither do markets self-organize into optimal, efficient equilibria. As far as I can tell, the invisible hand applies only to prices, but it requires the presence of robust price discovery mechanisms, which entails complex issues of governance in law and administration.
No capitalist nation is truly capitalist. The UK’s NIH has nationalized healthcare. The Norwegians nationalized oil. The French still maintain colonies. All nations provide public education. The BOJ and Fed intervene directly in capital markets. Sovereign wealth funds have market-swaying powers. The US massively subsidizes farming and more recently, chipmaking.
And so on.
The term capitalism is overabused that it has become devoid of meaning, just like democracy.
What is “better at capitalism”? The absolute share of private enterprise in the economy? Private enterprise can be co-opted (or rather, directed) for government purposes. Cue elon’s starlink as a key enabler of NATO’s military campaign in Ukraine. Or American social media’s complicit role in Palantir’s “death by algorithm” program of automated drone assasinations.
What is “better at capitalism”? Hothousing the most profitable companies? There’s no fighting the Americans, who lead in valuation. But how much is enough?
What is “better at capitalism”? Ascending the capitalist throne as the “greediest SOB that ever lived”?
I don’t know. You tell me.
China just wants to improve its delivered baseline decade on decade. Whether it is market- or state-driven doesn’t matter, because the cat that catches mice is a good cat, whether it is black, or white.
Americans Are Priced Out Of Home Ownership, Marriage And Kids
Space Burns
Submitted into Contest #24 in response to: Write a story set in the dark recesses of space where the two main characters are often at odds with each other in humorous and comedic ways.… view prompt
Stevie Aldrich
“CONKLIN!” Havaderr wailed. His face was the brightest red and steaming with heat. The veins in his neck throbbed noticeably, but he waited as still as he could for Conklin to answer. A buzz came in over the intercom above Havaderr’s head.
“Hey, was that you shouting, Havaderr?” Conklin’s voice crackled with static and attitude. Havaderr shut his eyes and repeated his Zen mantra in his head.
“Havaderr? What’s your problem?”
Havaderr’s eyes opened, and in the most even tone he could manage; he said his mantra out loud.
“I am calm. I am calm. I can overcome this. I am strong. I am strong. I can overcome anything.” Havaderr spoke through gritted teeth, spittle flying across the room as he focused on keeping his anger inside rather than shouting and blowing the place up with Conklin inside.
“Hey guy, are you going to answer me or what?” Conklin’s voice implied his own rising impatience. Havaderr moved to the button on the wall nearest him to respond.
“Yes, Conklin, I was shouting,” Havaderr said as evenly as his rage would allow. “Get your ass to 4A NOW!” As he trailed off, he clenched his teeth together so hard he felt a grinding that might as well have been a tooth chipping. Before Conklin’s reply came, Havaderr heard an irritated sigh over the intercom.
“Yeah, be right ther-.” Conklin barely finished his sentence before releasing the button, cutting himself off at the end.
Moments later, a door slid open down the hall, several yards away from Havaderr. Conklin came into the hall, looking both ways before spotting Havaderr.
“What the hell, why are you shouting and-“ Havaderr cut Conklin off with a finger to his mouth to silence him.
“I’m going to show you something in this room behind me, and it’s best if your mouth is shut when I do.” Havaderr’s voice wavered, he was still trying to control his anger. Conklin looked confused as ever but kept his mouth shut. With a worried expression, Conklin followed Havaderr to another door. Havaderr stood aside and opened the door for Conklin to enter alone. Conklin stood in the doorway staring, then Havaderr shoved him wholly into the room from behind and closed the door.
“Havaderr, what’s going on? What the fu-ahhhh!” The intercom inside the restroom was unnecessary, but Havaderr appreciated it right now. He would have heard Conklin screaming from quite a distance, but hearing Conklin’s disgust and horror in surround sound was more pleasing. A slice of anger slid off his shoulders and a small smile appeared on his face.
The door rattled, clearly Conklin on the other side trying to burst through, but Havaderr held the lock button, keeping Conklin trapped inside.
“What kind of game is this Havaderr? Let me out, for Christ’s sake!” Conklin was panicking, releasing more anger from Havaderr’s shoulders and filling his belly with laughter.
“This is no game, friend. This is you coming face to face with your own incompetence,” Havaderr said over the intercom, still smiling.
“Havaderr! Let me out of here!” Conklin screamed and started ramming the door again.
“I don’t think so, Conklin. If you look to the left of the door, I’ve been kind enough to set you up with plenty of cleaning supplies for the job, which is a lot more than you did for me. I’d suggest you start tackling that shit before it starts tackling you.” Havaderr exploded with laughter, letting go of the intercom and floating backward as he held onto his stomach. He laughed so hard he couldn’t breathe. Conklin kept banging on the door and pleading to be released, but Havaderr couldn’t hear anything over the roar of his own hysteria.
Curled up in fetal position, floating in the hallway, Havaderr worked himself out of his fits of laughter. He wiped the joyful tears from his eyes and started breathing normally again. He moved back to the intercom.
“Look mate, this restroom was in your sector to clean. Obviously, you did a piss poor job,” Havaderr grabbed his side, holding the laughter in after such a quality pun. “I told you, cleaning the restrooms would be the most important job, because if it isn’t done right, this happens. Floating excrement!” Conklin didn’t say anything, but Havaderr heard him kick or punch the door.
“I’ll take your silence as admitting you did a sloppy job the first time. You know, I needed to do some business, and I walk into the restroom greeted with a turd to the face, which I’m assuming belonged to you, so I have no sympathy for you right now. Clean the damn restroom like you were supposed to, and I’ll let you out.” Havaderr waited for a response. He was eager to shower off the stench and stain of human waste from himself before finishing his day.
“Yeah, alright,” Conklin said over the intercom, sounding defeated and guilty. Havaderr nodded his head and left Conklin to figure out how to clean a restroom with feces floating freely throughout.
“Like I said, not a drop of sympathy for you. Do it right the first time, and we won’t run into stupid problems like that,” Havaderr said coolly, scrubbing at the built-up muck in the corners of the glass.
Conklin was still cranky from cleaning the restroom the day before, and he meant to let Havaderr know just how little he appreciated the tactless way he was pushed into the situation without warning.
“Chin up, Conklin. We have one more day before our shift is over, and we can get the hell off this floating heap of death,” Havaderr motioned toward the clear chambers that housed the comatose bodies of several crew members, one of which whose glass he was scrubbing.
“Remind me, what’s up with these bodies? They’re dead, yeah?” Conklin asked.
“No, they’re alive, they’re the crew, dumbass,” Havaderr grunted at Conklin. He looked over to see Conklin hovering around the main dashboard, not a rag or mop near him. “And I wouldn’t mind if you got to work while you asked your questions,” he barked. Conklin jumped and reached for a rag tucked into a closed bucket tethered nearby. He started mindlessly wiping at the dashboard without paying close attention.
“Okay, but how come they’re asleep?” Conklin asked. Havaderr sighed as he paused and rolled his eyes.
“Do I look like the Captain of this ship? All I know is, this crew is traveling some number of lightyears, so the ship has been programed for regular stops near inhabited planets for maintenance and cleaning. We drew the short straw, so we get to hop from the ship we were on previously, to this one, and then another one before heading back home. Nobody else was this far out into deep space to do the job, so we get a long shift before our break. At least they’re paying us over time, eh?” Havaderr smiled at the thought of a paycheck double its usual amount. He looked in on the half-naked man inside the tube he was cleaning, tapping on the glass with his knuckle and laughing at how strange the sight was.
Air escaped the edges of the door, and it hissed loudly. The smile fell from Havaderr’s face as he scanned the chamber looking for an explanation. The door swung open and the half-naked man floated out as if to follow. Thankfully, he was attached to a few tubes that kept him reigned in and asleep, but the color left Havaderr’s face once he realized that would only last for so long.
Havaderr turned to Conklin, who looked just as confused.
“He just-just-he-“ Havaderr stuttered, unable to decide what he was trying to say. The man’s feet flew upward so his back was parallel to the floor and his right side dipped down. Slowly, he started to spin, so he was upside down. All the while, Havaderr and Conklin stared without any clue how to fix it.
“Did you touch something?” Havaderr shouted at Conklin, who shook his head wordlessly.
“I didn’t touch anything!” Havaderr went back to staring at the half-naked man, perplexed. After a minute, Havaderr decided they couldn’t leave the man like that.
“Get over here and help me with this!” He yelled at Conklin. Still silent, Conklin moved toward Havaderr and the unconscious man. Havaderr and Conklin wore their gravity belts at 85% power to keep from floating off like the man from the tube, but it allowed them a bit more mobility too. Unfortunately, they didn’t have any extras to strap to the man, so he continued to spin and flip through the air.
One of the wires connecting the man to his casket snapped, leaving only one left to keep him from flying down the corridor and into every other part of the ship. Havaderr and Conklin shared a look of fear but said nothing.
Havaderr grabbed the man’s knees and tried to pull them down so the man was right side up, but as he pulled, the man’s whole body moved toward Havaderr. Conklin remained motionless, watching the unconscious body float into Havaderr. Havaderr struggled and groped, trying his very best to wrangle the helpless man, but even his best efforts left him with the man’s body bumping into him clumsily. He accidentally grabbed the man’s buttocks, and the man’s armpit swung around and slapped him in the face. All in all, it reminded Conklin of two young people at their first school dance, trying not to step on each other.
Conklin covered the smile on his face, but the more Havaderr fought with the floating man and lost, the more the urge to laugh rose in his belly. When the man launched a foot directly into Havaderr’s eye, Conklin lost it. With one hand on the man’s shoulder and his other arm wrapped around the man’s torso, Havaderr stopped to see what was so funny to Conklin. He didn’t have to ask; he knew how he looked.
“Would you knock it off and help me! I don’t know what we disconnected, but that could be vital to this man’s life!” Havaderr tried to repeat his mantra in his head, but he couldn’t hear anything over Conklin’s laughter. Havaderr grumbled as he kept spinning the man back into position, with no help from Conklin, who was tumbling in circles on the other side of the room.
Finally, Havaderr got the man into his up-right position and back into the tube. As best as he could, he reattached the disconnected wires, but he couldn’t pull the door shut.
“Conklin! Find the button to close this door, hurry, before he tries to escape again!” Havaderr pleaded.
Conklin straightened up and moved to the dashboard he had been cleaning. On the first try, he hit a button, and the door closed, sealing itself. Havaderr wiped the sweat from his brow and looked at Conklin, a little puzzled. Conklin’s laughter died down, but when he saw Havaderr near collapse and panting, his laughter boiled over.
“What is wrong with you? Were you too busy finding this hilarious to help me save that man’s life?” Havaderr demanded, huffing and puffing.
“Calm down, he’s fine,” Conklin squeaked. “The buttons are clearly labeled on the dash here, see?” Conklin pointed to the dashboard. Havaderr saw buttons marked to open doors, close doors, start specific mechanisms, stop the same mechanisms, and a bunch of other things Havaderr didn’t understand. What he did think he understood, was how the door opened in the first place.
“Did you open his door on me?” Havaderr asked Conklin, the anger rising again.
“Yeah, mate, you should have seen the look on your face!” Conklin rolled over laughing.
“You idiot! You could have killed the man, we could be fired, what the hell is wrong with you?” Havaderr bellowed.
“Relax Havaderr, you’ll give yourself a stroke!” Conklin pulled himself together for a second, setting his feet back on the floor and pointing to the dashboard again.
“This here, that indicates their vital signs. You can see they’re all perfectly healthy, no harm done,” Conklin said matter-of-factly. Havaderr was flustered. He could only trust Conklin’s word, he had no idea what any of the lights or buttons meant on the dash.
“You couldn’t have known it would be okay, though. What if the tube that detached from his arm was something that kept him alive?” Havaderr exclaimed. Conklin rolled his eyes, irritated that Havaderr wasn’t figuring it out as easily as he was.
“All that tube did was give him pleasant dreams; it wasn’t important. He’ll live, and nobody need ever know you almost killed a man,” Conklin started to giggle again. Havaderr’s face turned tomato red and he clenched his fist, trying to fight the overwhelming desire to punch Conklin in the face.
“You did this on purpose?” Havaderr said, strained.
“Well, maybe don’t lock me in a room with floating shit again, and we’ll be fine,” Conklin smiled, feeling pleased with himself.
HAL-2315
Submitted into Contest #247 in response to: Set your story on a spaceship exploring the far reaches of space when something goes wrong.… view prompt
Mel Kennedy
This story contains themes or mentions of physical violence, gore, or abuse.
“We’re here, we actually made it.” I sit back and sigh in relief, staring out at the sea of endless stars around me.
They called me a fool for trying to get out this far, but here I am.
“EVA, status report.”
All systems nominal – scanning exterior. Area clear. Sector unknown. Rechart route, Commander?
“No, cancel the reroute. I want to explore.”
Is this…wise?
I frown at the computer screen in front of me.
“Where’s your sense of adventure, EVA? The Voyager has gone beyond the boundaries of known space. I’ve waited years for this. We might be able to find a place to call home again.”
Might I suggest sending your current coordinates back to the Space Port?
“Fine, if you have to.”
I take the controls and direct us towards a galaxy system, flicking on my eye scanners to record the entire experience. I float between dust and atoms, the light of a million stars, already fading from where I watched them as a child.
This is similar to the system near your home planet.
“I know.” I glance down at the hologram beside the controls, a memory captured of me and Dad before…everything.
You couldn’t save them all, Commander.
I push my melancholy away and turn the Voyager towards the twin suns.
“Tell me about those.”
They are more than capable of sustaining life for millions of years if the planets are hospitable. You could be the founder of an entirely new system.
“You’re right, take some scans of any planets in the quadrant. We might be able to land on one and explore.”
Company guidelines state that I cannot allow you to land the Voyager on any planet. You must have Level 5 clearance and above.
“Ever the stickler for rules, eh?”
The rules are designed for the preservation of human life, even yours. There is no reason to put your life at risk just because you feel-
“Start the scan, EVA.”
I think talking about this could be beneficial for your recovery, Commander-
“I gave you a direct order, EVA.”
Starting scan.
I sit back in the seat and stare up into the endless space,
“And don’t call me Commander..”
Your rank and title-
“Is no longer valid. Do the scan.”
I begin whistling a song my father used to tell me about, an old Earth song about sending something out of space.
It is here, out in the endless void, that I feel my father’s absence more than ever.
Scan complete. There are three inhabitable planets in this quadrant.
“Three? You’re sure?”
Positive, Commander. Two are out of the Voyager’s range with our current power capacity, one will take several hours to reach, even with several hyperspace jumps at hour intervals. It will make returning to the Space Port difficult. We may require a rescue from the nearest inhabited solar system on our return.
“Can we go closer? To get a better scan to report back?”
I see no danger in this as long as we report back to the Port before each jump and finish within six hours.
“Good, set the estimated coordinates and begin making a log for the journey.”
Confirmed. Estimates set. Log recording.
“Begin jump in-” I pause. There’s something behind a meteor.
Something impossible.
“EVA, it’s a starship. Scan to confirm.”
Scan complete. Confirmed starship – Callsign HAL-2315. It is setting off a distress beacon.
“How did it even get out here? Let me hear the message.”
An unearthly sound comes over the intercom, unbearably high-pitched.
“EVA, TURN IT OFF!”
My apologies, Commander. Allow me to try and break down the noise.
My mind is racing – there is no way a ship could be all the way out here.
Commander, I have reduced the noise. Shall I play the message again?
“Yes.”
As the noise pours through the intercom, the hairs on the back of my arms begin to rise.
“Help…something….evacuation….away…crew…save…”
It cuts off abruptly.
“Is that all? When was it sent?”
Yes, it was sent out 30 days ago.
“Have you heard of that ship? The HAL-2315?”
I have never heard of a ship with that name, Commander.
My jaw drops.
“You have a database of every known ship in existence, there’s no way you don’t…”
We need to leave the quadrant.
“What? EVA, we’re looking at a ship in an uncharted quadrant of space with a 30-day distress beacon. We need to call in security and get help for anyone on that ship if they’re still alive.”
I am starting a hyperjump back to Space Port immediately.
“EVA, what-”
A shadow falls over my window, the light from the twin suns immediately extinguished.
I look up, the ship is looming directly in front of me. The name leaps out at me – HAL-2315.
“EVA, how did it get here so fast?” I whisper, feeling my fear grow. Something is wrong with that ship. Every instinct in me is screaming to run.
No reply.
I look down at the screen. Six hours have passed.
“EVA? EVA, respond!”
Nothing. Dead silence.
“Impossible. The emergency system should have kicked in.”
I begin flicking buttons desperately, but it’s no use.
“EVA! Damn it, answer me!”
I begin the emergency battery procedure, hoping there is enough power to jump back to a known quadrant and send out a distress signal.
A voice rings out from the other ship over the intercom,
Ship in orbit. Preparing to dock. Gravitational pull, activated. Please clear the area.
“No. Abort.”
The controls refuse to obey as I try and set a course for anywhere but the ship in front of me. I don’t know what the hell is going on right now, but I know one thing for certain.
Something is terribly wrong here.
The Voyager attaches to the other ship and loses all emergency power, including life support systems.
Welcome to HAL-2315.
A door opens to the immediate left.
I shout in surprise, but there’s no one there. It must be an automatic system.
Every instinct tells me not to board that ship…but what choice do I have? If I stay here, I’ll surely die.
I find my plugsuit and attach a communications bracelet; even if EVA isn’t active, I can only hope it will continue the log or patch my coordinates through.
As I step inside the starship, my hand lowers to the mandatory issue space gun.
The door closes with a resounding hiss, sealing me inside.
The corridors are far below zero, making me grateful for the heated system inside the plugsuit. Only the emergency lights are still active, and even those are flickering. This ship has been out of power for far longer than 30 days.
Did it lose time too?
My footsteps echo off the walls as I try to find some sign of life. I daren’t call out – this is the most afraid I have ever felt.
I walk for what feels like hours until I see a map of the ship beside a stairwell.
There seems to be a storage room not far from here – and protocol states that a ship has to carry emergency power packs, enough to power a small vessel like the Voyager.
I shine my helmet light up in the stairwell, but the floor above is pitch black.
As I lower my head, I notice a stain on the wall and reach out to touch it-
A breath down the back of my neck.
I spin suddenly, aiming the gun.
No one. Nothing.
I’m too paranoid, I have to get out of here.
I look at the stain and realise it’s just some oil. What did I really expect to see?
A tiny voice whispers the answer in my head, but I refuse to listen.
I find the storage room after what feels like another age of walking, but still no sign of life at all.
It’s coded. Of course, it is. I could search the ship for the code, but there’s a chance I’d never find it in a place this big.
I set the silencer on my gun and fire directly into the keypad.
No alarms. This ship truly is running out of power – it must all be directed to life support. How did a vessel like this even get out here?
I drag the door open and there they are, four packs of fuel, enough to get me out of here. I feel calmer now, maybe there’s a control panel I can use to upload the ship’s log to find the answers and report back at Space Port-
I notice it then.
Silence.
Too silent. The silence of anticipation.
There is someone outside the door.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
My heart is beating too fast as I raise my shaking hands.
“Hello?”
Nothing. No sounds of life.
There is something there.
The corridor is empty, but there are eyes on my back.
The voice in my head is screaming,
Run. Run. Run.
I begin to run back the way I came, no longer caring for silence.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
It’s growing louder, I’m running directly towards whatever the hell it-
A body drops to the floor, dripping with blood.
The unseeing eyes stare up at me, the mouth stretched into a wide, inhuman smile.
I scream, scrambling away from the mess.
I bump into a half-open door and a person leaps out, pinning me to the floor. Only it’s not a person, it’s another body…and oh God, I’m stuck on this ship with whatever is in here with no way to call for help.
My adrenaline kicks in as I push the body away, fighting for breath.
I’m running, the battery packs slapping against my thigh as I race through the corridors.
I slip on the final corner in a pool of blood.
It’s still warm.
How is it still warm?
I don’t look at the faces as I run by, I can’t.
What is this place? What have I found?
The door is right there, it’s opening, I can see the Voyager already opening its doors, EVA blaring out warnings and emergency lights flashing. I don’t question how it’s operational again as I step over the threshold-
Two arms come around my waist and haul me to a jarring stop.
For a moment, I am floating there, suspended.
It seems so peaceful.
Then I am back inside.
The door is closing, and the Voyager is back online sending a distress signal.
But it’s too late.
The door seals.
I feel a smile on the face behind me as it hauls me back into horror.
This can’t be real; this can’t be how it ends.
I have to wake up now, right?
I want to wake up now.
It says something, the last words I understand in this nightmare.
“Hello there.”
What are some interesting yet little known facts about astronauts and their life in space?
- The astronauts of Apollo 11 could not get life insurance. They signed their photographs so that their family could get money after selling them.
- The term “astronaut” is derived from Greek words “astro”, which means star, and “naut” which means “sailor”.
- To be an astronaut, you have to be taller than 5’2” and shorter than 6’3”.
- Astronauts on the International Space Stations witness 15 sunrises and 15 sunsets a day.
- Many shooting stars that you see are actually astronaut poop burning up on its way down the atmosphere.
- Astronauts can vote from space and their address is listed as “low-Earth” orbit in absentee ballots.
- The International space station travels at 7.66 kilometres per second and can be seen from 6,700 locations on the Earth.
- As per astronauts, space smells like “smeared steak” and tastes like “raspberries”.
- Astronauts can lose up to 22% of their blood while in space, due to microgravity.
- Neal Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, the first astronauts to land on the moon, had bacon cubes as part of their first meal on the moon. The full meal included four bacon cubes, three sugar cookies, peaches, pineapple-grapefruit drink, and coffee.
- Valentina Vladímirovna Tereshkova was the first female astronaut in history and completed 48 orbits around the Earth in her three days of mission in space.
- Astronaut Alan Shepard (crew member of Apollo 14) played golf on the moon’s surface. On his third strike attempt, he sent the ball so far away that its whereabouts are unknown.
- After long periods of time traveling through space, an astronaut’s heart becomes almost 10% more spherical.
- Astronauts need to exercise their muscles, as they atrophy easily in space. For this reason, at the International Space Station, there is a gym prepared for training.
- Sleeping in outer space is a challenge of its own. The sun rises and sets approximately every 90 minutes making it difficult to have a good night’s sleep.
Hope you find them interesting 🙂
