My mother had this bird-feeder.
It sat outside the kitchen window and she would feed the birds there. She had a 50 pound bag of feed. It was pretty heavy, and I would grab a cupful of seed and fill it a few times a week.
Then she died.
For a while I still kept the birds fed, but that was also the same time when I was getting retired, and after a while I stopped feeding the birds.
When I got out of prison, and had to collect my belongings, I went up to the manor and found the bird feeder empty. Though the 50 pound bag of feed was left untouched. My siblings had come and stripped the house bare of whatever they wanted and could ebay off. And no one wanted to deal with the feed.
But the birds were obviously unhappy with the situation.
Bird poop was everywhere. They must have spent months dive-bombing the kitchen windows, porch and sidewalks.
Oh, for certain, I fulled up the bird feeder, and scattered all the rest of the seed everywhere near the tree. And then left.
You see, my siblings had no idea about my mother, her desires and the relationships that she had with her friends and the animals that surrounded her. But I did. And when they came to claim possession of THINGS, they forgot about the living creatures that were part of the mini society that she had created for them while she was alive.
Make plans for others to care for those when you pass on. Do not expect them to act, think or behave as you do.
Today…
Is India’s large population a gift or a curse?
How can a large population be a blessing?
That is like saying a family which has 8 Kids today is lucky because tomorrow the 8 Kids can all earn salaries and help the family prosper
India makes the same excuses
The latest nonsense is “Highest number of YOUNG PEOPLE”
That is only good if India plans to fight a World War against Nazi Germany with Millions of Young Infantrymen recruits
Until this day, the negative effects of low population growth has never been properly demonstrated
Italy, Japan, South Korea, Singapore have demographic declines yet their economies are robust, resilient, export driven and their standard of living is excellent even today
They are all developed economies
Meanwhile the negative effects of high population growth have been seen time and time again
China saw the negative effects for almost 50 years, India is seeing this today, Pakistan and Bangladesh are yet to experience more horrors of growing population and Nigeria too
Every one of these nations except China is dirt poor
I am coming to the conclusion that this “DEMOGRAPHIC DECLINE” is Western Propaganda meant to keep emerging economies from planning properly and ensuring they remain overpopulated and crowded all the time
I don’t think any of the nonsense is actually hard facts
Especially given that population of Europe was DECIMATED after the World War by almost 27% of all working people and yet West Germany, Belgium, France and even Russia had a rate of industrialization that was the third best in the 21st century after Japan & Singapore
India is expected to grow to accommodate another 30 Crore people before peaking
We have resources for 90 Crore People at the most today
That means we have an extra 50 Crore People who don’t have the resources to accommodate them
Tomorrow this number could rise to 70 Crore or even 80 Crore
Poor People, obviously without proper nutrition and education , who would be a burden on India rather than be assets
Especially when they are grown up which would be 2035–2040 by when logically the industries will be automated and AI would have decimated Low and Mid range IT services completely off the map
There is no conceivable way that high population is a blessing anywhere in the planet
Everything else about Ageing Population, Old Population etc have never been clearly proven except in articles by WSJ and by a few crank economists
And one thing I certainly know
If low population growth was indeed a threat, the Chinese would be making baby farms by now
Large population for India is a terrible problem
Even if we reach $ 15 Trillion in GDP by 2055, our GDP per Capita would be barely $ 8,820 which is equivalent to $ 4,204 today
Around Vietnam’s level at the most
The One Child Policy looks like one of China’s greatest decisions in the hindsight
And all this “Ageing Population” is made up western nonsense to try and keep emerging countries poor and populated and not have them also adopt a One Child Policy like China
I mean without the Policy, China would have had 2.36 Billion people by now and their GDP per capita would be $ 6,987 today and their development would have been much lesser and limited
To have so many people just to avoid an ageing population tomorrow is the stupidest decision anyone can make
Red Peanut Patties
Peanuts are a very large crop in Texas. Goodart makes the original peanut patty which is sold in cafes and gas stations throughout Texas.
Ingredients
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 3 cups raw peanuts
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Few drops red food coloring
Instructions
- Lay a large piece of wax paper on a dishtowel on a counter.
- In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar, peanuts, corn syrup and water. Cook the mixture to soft ball stage (240 degrees F), stirring constantly over medium heat.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the remaining ingredients, adding enough food coloring to get a very bright red shade. Stir the mixture frequently for approximately 20 minutes, or until it cools to about 125 degrees F. The mixture will become very thick and creamy opaque, and the peanuts will be suspended.
- Immediately spoon the mixture into large patties on the sheet of wax paper. Let the patties sit for at least 1 hour before eating them. Their texture should be chewy like nougat.
- Wrap them in plastic wrap for storage. They will keep for about 1 week.
Lesbian Chick REALIZES Men Run The World
As a teacher, what is the harshest truth a student has ever taught you?
School is not the most important thing in every student’s life.
Early in my career, as an idealistic, demanding history teacher, I had a student (10th grade, so 15-16 years old) who was struggling to keep up with her homework and was at risk of failing. I berated her one afternoon for continuing to come up with excuses and for continuing to ask for extensions and not meet my expectations.
I happened to catch her on the news later that week testifying in front of the state legislature, in support of a bill that would protect victims of sexual abuse. The bill carried her name.
Taught me a small dose of humility and a large dose of humanity.
What is something you stopped doing that made your life better?
10 things I’ve stopped doing in the last 2 years that have improved the quality of my life by 400% :
- I eliminated the need to always have someone to accompany me on my plans. I always cancelled activities because I didn’t have anyone to accompany me. I started to move through life alone like a lone wolf and I learned to enjoy life like that.
- I stopped consuming content on social media from women who show their bodies. I even deleted contacts on Facebook and Instagram from friends who spent all day on that.
- I stopped looking for motivation and started acting even without it. I understood that you don’t have to be motivated to act, but rather act to be motivated .
- I stopped talking to people who were toxic to my life and all those who dared to disrespect me. I even had the courage to tell some of them that I was no longer interested in talking to them.
- I started to stop worrying about what other people thought about me and started going for what I really wanted no matter what they said.
- I stopped arguing with people about politics or other issues. I promised that instead of teaching with arguments I would teach with facts.
- I got rid of that blessed habit of not acting out of fear. Now, every time I feel afraid of doing something, I do it anyway, even if I’m feeling afraid.
- Something that has helped me a lot is to stop winging it and start planning each day of my life. Every night I take half an hour of introspection to carefully plan the next day.
- I quit video games and replaced them with reading and learning. I haven’t regretted it for a single day!
- I stopped wasting my time on people who didn’t contribute anything to my life and started making friends who shared my passions.
I invite you to also leave all those things behind and you will produce a great change in your life.
If you liked my answer, please support it with a positive vote so that it reaches more people.
Doctors BAFFLED By Exploding Breast Cancer Rates! Are They Really Baffled?
If life in China is so amazing, then why do they feel the need to censor it and block its citizens to tell the rest of the world how amazing is their country?
If that was the case, why do they give visa free entry or visa on arrival to so many countries
Likewise Chinese Apps aren’t banned by China from being allowed on other platforms
I use both YOUKU and IQIYI
I can use Mi Chat and translator to communicate with people living in China including a Youtuber named Jerry
I can get news from CGTN, Xinhua Daily, China Daily and other platforms
China has only one rule when it comes to allowing any Western channel through the firewall
Data Sharing is a must
The West demands that they won’t share the data with the Government due to human rights
China bans them within their firewall
Just walk on any Chinese Street even in a Tier 3 city and you will see fifty livestreamers on their mobile phones , streaming videos on different platforms
They aren’t the problem
The West is
Their Apps are so superior that if some Indian company decided to partner with them and create an English version then the global apps would be in serious trouble
What factors contributed to the decline of America and how did it happen so quickly?
The decline of the United States did not happen overnight.
Here are some specific examples:
On January 6, 2021, hundreds of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, resulting in several deaths and a large amount of property damage. This incident reflects the deep division and political polarization in American society.
In addition, in October 2023, the removal of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy showed the serious division within the Republican Party, further exacerbating political instability.
In recent years, the gap between the rich and the poor in the United States has continued to widen.
According to reports, the richest 10% of the population owns 71% of the country’s wealth, and corporate assets are also highly concentrated, with 1% of companies holding 97% of corporate assets. This inequality has led to a shrinking middle class and reduced social mobility, affecting economic stability and sustainable development.
Some American cities have experienced a process of population loss and economic recession, resulting in aging infrastructure and declining quality of public services.
For example, the city of Detroit experienced severe industrial decline and population outflow in the mid-to-late 20th century, leading to a city fiscal crisis, insufficient infrastructure maintenance, and declining quality of public services, further exacerbating the loss of residents.
The rise of emerging powers has weakened the United States’ global dominance. At the same time, trade protectionism and unilateralism policies have weakened the United States’ international influence, leading to tensions with its allies and hindering international cooperation.
If these deep-seated problems are not addressed in a timely manner, future challenges may be even more severe.
I Think, Therefore…
Submitted into Contest #251 in response to: Dream up a secret library. Write a story about an adventurer who discovers it. What’s in the library? Why was it kept secret?… view prompt
E.M. Ansley
There it was, the hatch. Unlike the one he found in a tunnel at the foot of the Alps, this one did not require his not-yet-patented one-leg, two-arm prying technique to open.
He peered inside, hoping the cameras caught the view even as the hazy afternoon sun seemed to be consumed by the darkness of the passage. His own eyes took several seconds to adjust. Gray was sure the microphones picked up the gasp that left his lips when everything came into focus. It was a staircase–a staircase leading down into the mountain! Holy shit! He’d break a million subscribers for sure this time.
The entrance was just barely wide enough for him to slip inside with his bag. Gray propped the door open with a few sizable rocks, pulled out Beacon Deacon–the cross-covered flashlight gifted to him by his über-religious uncle, and started descending.
“Wish me luck.” His words echoed down the chamber, warping with every reverberation. “Wish me luck. Wush miluck. Woosh milk.”
Gray counted one hundred and sixty-nine stairs before he decided it must be endless. It was a staircase inside a mountain. Who had the energy to carve this many steps?!
“Three hundred and twenty-six. Four hundred and eighty-two. The things I do for you guys.”
Six hundred and twelve. There were six hundred and twelve stairs. He had to go back up. Was this divine punishment for that time he made fun of how his brother said ‘croissant?’ Even the French thought it was too much! Gray asked!
He dropped his pack on the rocky ground–or would it be rock-ground? Either way, his bag landed with a thud and Gray leaned against the wall to catch his breath. It was bumpy, but not in the sharp way he would have expected.
Gray turned and flipped Beacon Deacon on to full blast. Was that… a book? It was.
He tripped over his own feet as he surged further into the room, coughing as he kicked up what he assumed must be years’ worth of dust.
The cavern was round and about the size of a school gym, sans the basketball nets. He craned his neck and still couldn’t find the top. From what he could see, books covered every inch of the walls
“What the hell? Are you guys seeing this?”
Gray approached the nearest section. From afar, he thought they were the old sort of books libraries didn’t let you check out. He carefully plucked one from the shelf. The binding was a thick leather, but the title embossed in the spine was new, The First Town. His sister was obsessed with that book when it came out two years ago.
“I’m so confused,” he said, just loud enough for the mic to pick up. Speaking louder felt illegal, somehow.
His microphone responded with a soft hum. “Damn. It’s got dirt in it again.” Gray unhooked it from his lapel as the hum became a buzz. “I hear you, I hear you. One second.” But it didn’t quiet, even as he squeezed puffs of air into it from the little canister in his bag. Instead, the GoPro on his head seemed to harmonize with the microphone, then his phone, then his flashlight. Together, they were like a swarm of bees growing more agitated by the second.
“What the hell?” Gray said again, scrambling to turn everything off. They crescendoed in one shrill screech before dying out together.
“Um. Guys? What was that?” It took a beat before he realized there was no one to talk to. His cameras were fried, and he was all alone.
He expected silence, but there was a soft purr sounding from in front of him, more like a motor than a cat, unfortunately. He could have had a familiar!
Gray checked his gear one more time, but it was definitely dead. He would investigate if only he could see, but without Beacon Deacon, he was more likely to knock the shelves down like dominos. He really didn’t want to die under the weight of several thousand books. Or by the blunt force trauma of several thousand books.
He chanced a step forward, arms held out in front of him like a particularly handsome zombie, but managed to kick his discarded bag. What luck, he found the only item on the ground. At least he wouldn’t have to search for his bag. His bag that held all of his things. His things which included a lighter!
Gray dug through his pack and pulled out the Flaming Hell, the ultra-strong lighter his father gave him after seeing Beacon Deacon. His dad even stuck a big pentagram on it as a petty little treat.
Gray flicked it on and held it as close to the shelves as he dared. All he could find were books, but the hum definitely sounded like it was coming from there. He leaned closer and Flaming Hell flickered–no–the shelves flickered!
Gray whirled around as every wall quivered in and out of existence before disappearing completely.
“Um. I don’t know what just happened.” There was no one to listen, but he had to at least pretend like he wasn’t on his own here.
Low blue lights kicked on from a strip in the floor as he crossed the juncture from the old library into, well, he wasn’t sure what. The space had doubled in size, though the ceiling was just as high. It was easier to see now as another section of lights clicked on from above.
Shelves still lined the walls, but they were a strange blend of vines and metal, like a jungle mated with scaffolding. Instead of books, they held hundreds of… no way.
Gray’s steps stuttered as he neared. Someone had to have set him up because there was no way the shelves were really covered in jarred brains.
“Nick? Taj? Did you do this?” His friends didn’t pop out from behind the shelves. Now that he thought about it, no one he knew could afford such a crazy prank.
“No. I am Aurora Initella.”
He whirled around so fast that his long ponytail slapped him across the face. “What the hell! Who are you?!”
The woman was tall and thin, like the car models his brother always had on his walls growing up. She had just as many clothes on, too. Aurora’s shirt was one in spirit only, barely covering her chest and tied loosely behind her neck. Her skirt wasn’t much better. Wasn’t she cold? God, he sounded like his grandmother.
“… I am Aurora Initella.” Her voice reminded him of the afternoon he spent by the deep blue waters of Turkey’s Iztuzu Beach. It was one of the more peaceful days he ever had until he heard the vicious caw of a hawk and watched bloody duck feathers bob on the waves.
“What are you doing down here? What is this?”
She hummed. “I believe it’s proper to introduce yourself first.”
“Uh, right. Name’s Gray Griffin.”
Aurora tilted her head so far her ear hit her shoulder. “Is it?” she asked lightly.
“… It’s John. Jon Vaughn.”
“Why did you lie, Jon Vaughn?”
“It’s not a lie. It’s a stage name.” Was this really the conversation two people in the depths of a mountain surrounded by brains were having? Was he on drugs? He’d never had a drug before.
“We are not on a stage.” He hadn’t been on a stage since his eighth-grade production of Greece, but he figured it was close enough. He had been an amazing Sandy, a real hit at the Brighton Boarding School for Boys.
“It’s a figure of speech, but now that you’ve mentioned it and I definitely was not the one to bring up the terrifying ambiance first, what the hell is this place?”
“A figure of speech. Interesting. I will make a note of it.” She stood completely still, completely silent. Gray counted to twenty-nine.
“Um… hello? I have unanswered questions.”
She twisted her gaze to him with her entire neck. What commitment. “This is a library.”
He peered over her shoulder at the room of horrors. “I don’t think it is.”
“This is a library,” she repeated in exactly the same tone.
“We’re surrounded by brains! Human brains!”
“Is that not a library?”
“I… okay, you’ve got me on a technicality, but there’s no way you think this is normal!”
“Is any home normal?” What was with this woman? The way she answered questions, she’d be a prosecutor’s nightmare. At least, he could hear his state prosecutor mother saying so.
“You live here?” His voice hadn’t been so high since puberty. Maybe it was best that his mic died. “Were you the one who carved the insulting number of stairs?” He couldn’t imagine it, not with her stick arms and her nearly pore-less skin.
“The library was made by the Knights of Knowledge.”
Gray snorted. “That’s not a real thing.”
He read about the Knights in a fiction series back in elementary school. The Knights of Knowledge traveled the world trying to understand humanity only to bumble their way into increasingly ridiculous situations. You know, maybe he was a Knight of Knowledge.
Aurora shook her head so jerkily she surely gave herself whiplash. “They named themselves after the books.”
His hands braced his head. “Can you read minds?”
“You were speaking aloud.”
“Oh.” He lowered his arms and cleared his throat.
“The Knights—” she gestured wildly with a locked elbow. The sorry excuse for a shirt slid down too far. He averted his eyes.
“Can you put on more clothes first? I know this is your home, but I don’t think this is a good way to host a guest.”
“Does this not please you?” She cocked her head unnaturally again. “Master Paxal prefers it.”
Gray peeked through his fingers and raised a brow. “Master Paxal sounds like a sexual harassment lawsuit waiting to happen.” He could hear his mother saying that, too.
“How is this?” Between blinks, her clothes lit up and grew into a pin-striped power suit.
“Am I in a magic girl anime or something?” he mumbled. Forget the embarrassing voice cracks. He wished his camera was rolling. No one was going to believe him.
“I am not magic. I am—”
“Aurora Initella, I know.”
“—an avatar.”
“You’re what now?”
“I am the voice to these memories,” she gestured again to the surrounding brains. This time, she remained blessedly covered, “a face for the library.”
“So, you’re not real then?”
“What is real and what is fake?”
“I’m too dumb and emotionally compromised for philosophical debate.”
“To be dumb is to lack knowledge. The library can help.”
Gray dropped his face into his hands. He wanted to go home. He wanted to bury himself under his covers and forget all of this had ever happened. Hell, he’d even listen to his parents and get into improv if it meant he didn’t have to have a conversation with this woman… avatar… person…?
“If it’s such an amazing library, why doesn’t everybody know about it? Why hide it under a mountain five hours from civilization? Isn’t the point of the library to share with the community?”
She blinked. Gray only just realized she hadn’t been before. “We do.”
“What does that mean?”
“Perhaps you have read Terminal Living: A Mindset Game or Blue Crescent Dying? Maybe The Inquisitor’s Bed or Memory’s Nest?”
“I think everyone and their twice-dead grandmother have read those. They’re some of the most famous books of all time.”
“And who wrote them?”
“I don’t know, smart, famous people?”
“So you think.” She smiled with too many teeth. She was like an attractive barracuda. He paused. Scratch that. “This place is the Library of Memory. It houses the greatest minds of every generation.”
“You mean these are…” he eyed the closest brain. E.A Poe. “No way.”
“With their knowledge, I can write you your perfect book. Do you want a science fiction story by Agatha Christie? Or maybe you would like a romantasy by H. P. Lovecraft?”
“You’re stealing their work.”
She took a step closer. His feet felt welded to the stone.
“It is merely utilization of their knowledge. They are dead. They have no use for it anymore.”
It felt wrong, though he couldn’t find the words to explain why. Even if he did, he didn’t think she had the capacity to care.
“What do the Knights want?”
“‘He who has Knowledge has the world.’ That is their slogan.”
“Then why use it like this? Why steal—utilize—” he corrected before she could, “it in this way? If you can actually extract thoughts from the world’s greatest minds, why not use that technology to cure disease or something?”
She shrugged, or tried to. Her shoulder–holographic shoulder, he realized–sunk into her cheek. “They tried at first, but they could not find an agreeable course of action.”
“But this was agreeable?”
“There were a few issues.” He followed the line of her too-wide eyes to a small section of brains. Oh.
“Man, people of the past were seriously kill-happy, huh?”
She hummed again. It was just like the purr he heard before. “Murder is common in all eras.”
“You sure know how to comfort a guy.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Look, I just wanted some good content for my socials, not to uncover some crazy conspiracy. Maybe tell your programmers or whatever to cover the entrance to their secret lair better. It’s a miracle no one else has ever stumbled onto it before.”
“But, Jon Vaughn, they have.” She pointed across the room. The area was close to the exit, so he walked the path to a darker corner, lit by half the floor lights as the rest of the library.
“We have had lots of guests,” Aurora said into his ear. When had she gotten so close? She had no presence, no solid form or footsteps. “They have taught me so much.”
Something sharp pricked his neck. His vision blurred.
“And you will too.”
If you walk into a room full of 100% nitrogen gas and shut the door behind you, will you notice there’s a problem, or just pass out?
You will pass out, and be dead in minutes.
This is what makes any oxygen-deficient atmosphere so dangerous. You can’t see it, you can’t smell it, and you don’t even feel like you’re suffocating. It’s surprising, but it’s true; the sense of suffocating comes from carbon dioxide building up in your blood. If you’re breathing pure nitrogen, your body is still getting rid of carbon dioxide, so it thinks it’s fine, right up until you pass out. What’s worse is that nitrogen asphyxiation can happen really fast. Even faster than being strangled or drowned, because you’re breathing out the oxygen already in your lungs, and breathing in no oxygen to replace it. There are accounts of people walking into nitrogen atmospheres and falling down almost immediately, within a breath or two. You might feel light-headed or tired, but you’d probably barely notice before you were on the floor. And anyone who came in to get you would probably die as well (which has happened in a number of industrial incidents).
Any facility that works with nitrogen (or other oxygen-free gas) in large quantities has to design things carefully to prevent such an environment. Workers should wear oxygen monitors at all times, and any building that has potential for a nitrogen leak should have active monitoring. It takes the right combination of circumstances for nitrogen to be dangerous, but when those circumstances hit, you’ll probably be dead before you know what happened.
Pictures
Most Important Political Session In China
Sir Whiskerton and the Cockroach Hopscotch Champions: A Tale of Tiny Titans and Barnyard Shenanigans
Ah, dear reader, prepare yourself for a tale so delightfully absurd, so brimming with wit and whimsy, that even the most dignified of barnyard animals might find themselves hopping with joy. Today’s story is one of tiny titans, hopscotch hijinks, and one kitten’s accidental rise to fame. So, grab your chalk and a sense of humor, as we dive into Sir Whiskerton and the Cockroach Hopscotch Champions: A Tale of Tiny Titans and Barnyard Shenanigans.
The Hopscotch Invasion
It was a quiet afternoon on the farm, the kind of day where the sun hung lazily in the sky, and the animals lounged about, enjoying the simple pleasures of life. Sir Whiskerton, the farm’s self-appointed detective and philosopher, was perched on his favorite sunbeam, pondering the mysteries of the universe—or at least why the farmer insisted on naming his tractor “Throttle.”
“Perhaps,” Sir Whiskerton mused aloud, “the farmer has a deep appreciation for alliteration. Or perhaps he’s just terrible at naming things.”
“Things!” echoed Ditto, the ever-enthusiastic kitten, who had taken to repeating Sir Whiskerton’s words with the precision of a broken record.
But the tranquility was shattered by the sound of tiny feet skittering across the barn floor. The animals turned to see three cockroaches setting up what appeared to be a hopscotch court, complete with chalk lines and a scoreboard.
“Step right up, step right up!” called Ping, the largest of the cockroaches and the self-proclaimed “brains” of the group. “Welcome to the greatest hopscotch tournament the barnyard has ever seen! Are you ready to test your skills against the champions?”
The animals exchanged puzzled glances. Cockroaches playing hopscotch? This was new—even for a farm as quirky as this one.
“Hopscotch!” Ditto echoed, spinning in circles with excitement.
Doris the Hen, the farm’s chief gossipmonger, was less impressed. “Cockroaches playing hopscotch? That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard,” she clucked, fluffing her feathers indignantly.
But Ping was undeterred. “Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it, sweetheart,” he said with a wink. “Now, who’s brave enough to challenge the champions?”
The Tournament Begins
The animals, intrigued by the cockroaches’ confidence, lined up to take their turns. Ferdinand the Duck went first, but his webbed feet proved too clumsy for the precise hops required. Porkchop the Pig tried next, but his hefty frame sent the chalk lines flying. Even Bessie the Tie-Dye Cow gave it a shot, though her groovy moves were better suited to dancing than hopscotch.
“This is harder than it looks,” Bessie admitted, her mood ring glowing a frustrated shade of red.
“Looks!” Ditto echoed, though he seemed more interested in chasing his tail than paying attention.
Just as the animals were about to give up, Ditto accidentally stumbled onto the hopscotch court. His tiny paws landed perfectly on each square, and before anyone knew what was happening, he had completed the course flawlessly.
The barnyard erupted in cheers. “Ditto wins!” declared Ping, though he looked less than thrilled about it.
Dot and Splatter, the other two cockroaches, exchanged worried glances. “This wasn’t part of the plan,” Dot whispered.
“Plan!” Ditto echoed, though he seemed blissfully unaware of his victory.
The Rematch
The cockroaches, determined to reclaim their title, demanded a rematch. “Best two out of three!” Ping declared, though his confidence seemed to waver.
Sir Whiskerton, ever the keen observer, noticed something peculiar about the cockroaches. Their movements were too precise, their coordination too perfect for ordinary pests. “There’s more to these cockroaches than meets the eye,” he muttered, adjusting his monocle.
As the rematch began, Sir Whiskerton decided to investigate. He followed the cockroaches back to their makeshift headquarters—a tiny tent made of straw and old feed bags. Inside, he found a collection of circus memorabilia: tiny trapezes, miniature juggling pins, and a poster that read “The Amazing Cockroach Circus: Retired but Never Forgotten.”
“Ah-ha!” Sir Whiskerton exclaimed. “So, you’re not just cockroaches—you’re retired circus performers!”
Ping sighed. “You’ve caught us, detective. We used to be stars, traveling the world and wowing audiences with our acrobatics. But when the circus closed, we were left with nothing but our dreams—and our hopscotch skills.”
“Skills!” Ditto echoed, though he seemed more interested in batting at a juggling pin.
Sir Whiskerton nodded. “I see. And you thought a hopscotch tournament would bring you the fame you crave?”
“Exactly,” Ping replied. “But we didn’t count on Ditto here.”
The Moral of the Story
Sir Whiskerton called a meeting to address the issue. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he began, “we are faced with a unique situation. These cockroaches, though small in stature, have big dreams. And while their methods may be unorthodox, their passion is undeniable.”
The animals, moved by Sir Whiskerton’s words, decided to give the cockroaches a chance. “Why don’t you perform for us?” Bessie suggested. “Show us what you’ve got!”
The cockroaches, thrilled by the opportunity, put on a dazzling show of acrobatics, juggling, and, of course, hopscotch. The barnyard erupted in applause, and even Doris had to admit it was impressive.
“I suppose,” she said reluctantly, “that even the smallest players can have big dreams.”
“Dreams!” Ditto echoed, though he seemed to be dreaming of a nap.
A Happy Ending
With their talents recognized, the cockroaches decided to stay on the farm, performing regularly for the animals and even teaching them a few tricks. Ping, Dot, and Splatter found a new home and a new audience, proving that fame can be found in the most unexpected places.
Sir Whiskerton returned to his sunbeam, content in the knowledge that he had once again saved the day. The farm was at peace, the air was filled with laughter, and all was right in the world.
And so, dear reader, we leave our heroes with the promise of new adventures, new challenges, and hopefully, no more hopscotch-related controversies. Until next time, may your days be filled with laughter, love, and just a little bit of feline genius.
The End.
What food do you think is good in Taiwan?
Taiwan’s food has been influenced by most chinese regions due to history, Hakka cuisine is also present. Add to this colonial European and Japanese inspirations and indigenous Austronesian foods and you are bound to be in for a treat.
Taiwan is known for it’s beef noodles. It’s kind of the national dish.
This just can’t go wrong:
Gua Bao. A steamed bun filled with braised pork belly, pickled mustard greens, peanuts and cilantro.
Yep. I’m in:
Scallion pancakes. I know these from mainland China.
Soft AND crunchy:
Xiao long bao. Soup dumplings. These are filled with meat and broth. You drink the delicious broth first by biting a little hole in the dumpling.
Irresistible:
Taiwanese shaved ice.
A sweat treat:
Pineapple cake.
A memory of colonial plantatios.
Bubble tea.
This Taiwanese creation conquered the world.
Oyster omelette.
I definitely would.
Just a few samples that seem appealing to me.
Enjoy
The Astonishing Story of How China Dominated Elon Musk Over Electric Cars | Richard Wolff
Does the United States dare to fight China? Why?
Does the United States dare to fight China?
Hell no. Not in a direct, full-scale war. The Pentagon knows it, the White House knows it, and anyone who isn’t living in a fantasy world knows it. The whole “China is untested” argument is a convenient excuse to downplay reality. The US has been in nonstop wars for decades—Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria—you name it. And what did all that combat experience get them? A humiliating retreat from Kabul in 2021, with people clinging to airplanes like a bad scene from World War Z.
Now, let’s cut the nonsense and lay this out:
1. The US Is Terrified of a Fair Fight
Washington only picks fights with countries it knows it can obliterate—Vietnam was the last time it took on an actual challenge, and we all know how that ended. Since then, it’s been a series of beatdowns on nations that barely have a functioning air force. Iraq? Crushed. Libya? Turned into a Mad Max hellscape. But China? That’s a whole different beast.
2. The Hypersonic Nightmare
China’s hypersonic weapons program is a nightmare for the US. They tested a hypersonic glide vehicle in 2021 that reportedly circled the globe before hitting its target. The US was shocked—which is a polite way of saying they had no clue China was that far ahead. Meanwhile, American hypersonic projects have been plagued with failures. So if a war broke out, China wouldn’t be launching slow, predictable ballistic missiles. It would be firing Mach 5+ death machines that the US can’t reliably intercept.
3. The US Navy’s Worst Fear
China is cranking out warships like they’re making cheap toys. The PLAN (People’s Liberation Army Navy) is now the world’s largest navy by number of ships. Sure, the US still has the edge in aircraft carriers, but here’s the brutal truth: those carriers are sitting ducks in a real war. A single hypersonic missile or swarm of AI-controlled drones could turn a $13 billion floating fortress into a burning wreck in minutes. The Pentagon knows this. That’s why they keep talking about the “China threat” but do absolutely nothing beyond sailing around the South China Sea for Instagram clout.
4. Drone Warfare—China’s Secret Ace
The US is obsessed with fighter jets like the F-35, which, let’s be honest, is an overpriced disaster with more software bugs than a Windows 95 computer. Meanwhile, China has been going all-in on drone warfare—cheap, smart, and deadly. The war in Ukraine has already shown that drones can neutralize tanks, artillery, and even entire military units. China could do the same to US forces without even risking pilots.
5. The Economic Suicide Button
War isn’t just about bombs—it’s about money. China controls a massive chunk of the global supply chain. If the US goes to war, say goodbye to cheap goods, crucial rare earth materials, and manufacturing capabilities. You think inflation is bad now? Imagine a world where Walmart shelves are empty, iPhones are suddenly a luxury, and Tesla can’t get a single battery because all the lithium supply chains are gone.
So, Will the US Risk It?
Not a chance—at least not in a way that risks mutual destruction. The real war will be economic, technological, and fought through proxies. Taiwan, the South China Sea, maybe some cyberwarfare skirmishes—but a full-scale war? The Pentagon would rather keep dreaming about Cold War nostalgia than face the reality that China isn’t Iraq, isn’t Libya, and sure as hell isn’t Afghanistan.
The US likes to talk tough, but when it comes down to it, they won’t roll the dice on a war they might lose. Because deep down, they know they just might.
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” – Sun Tzu
Right now, the US is somewhere between the second and third category—knowing itself less and less while underestimating an enemy that has spent decades studying its every move. And that, in the grand chessboard of geopolitics, is how empires fall.
For some small countries that don’t even have more than 10 decent military airports, not to mention the 13 US aircraft carriers, just a task force composed of 2 carriers conducting a surprise attack would already be a disaster hard to cope with.
So, China is not such a small country, nor is it unprepared. Therefore, things will not go very smoothly; a 50% loss rate for the U.S. carrier fleet might be the most optimistic assessment.
There is no doubt that China will suffer serious damage, but can the United States bear such losses? Don’t forget how industrial capability-wise behind Japan was defeated by the United States after the Pearl Harbor incident.
Have the Americans realized that, in terms of the characteristics of their war capabilities, the United States now is like the Imperial Japan back then, while China is like the United States back then?
Things have changed.
International politics is like a highway without traffic rules or police; vehicles (countries) rely on reading each other’s behavior to gauge intentions, express their own intentions through their own means, and form certain rules through empathy. Currently, it’s Baby Trump on the wheel. We feel it necessary to make our intentions clearer, otherwise he might really think the road is full of Toyotas and only he is driving a tank.
Echoes Of The Cosmos
Submitted into Contest #210 in response to: Set your story after aliens have officially arrived on Earth.… view prompt
Anna W
16 comments
Taylor leaned in to her mother, laying her head on a shoulder she’d leaned on many times in her life.
“I miss him too,” Taylor agreed. She felt the familiar pang of sadness and fear that always accompanied thoughts of her father. It tightened around her heart like a vice grip, tonight. “Is this about the news, though? Just because they’ve said–”
“I know what they said,” her mother interjected, “And I know what it means. They announced ‘non-human biologics’. What else could it be?”
“I just don’t think we need to freak out. Mushrooms are a ‘non-human biologics,’ Mom. Heck, the people who think they saw this UFO had probably indulged in a few mushrooms, so–”
“Taylor, I saw the footage. I don’t think mushrooms were driving that craft. It didn’t move like a drone or a plane. I watched the testimonies before congress. They know something. They’ve got something and now they’re saying it. Out loud! To the public! Why would they do that? Unless… unless they–”
“No, Mom. Don’t go down this rabbit hole again, please…” Taylor begged her mother.
She didn’t want to see her spiral back down into the hole. She couldn’t take it. The deep, dark depression had nearly swallowed up her mother for eight months after her father’s disappearance. He had gone out to an alleged crash site, after days of scouring the rumors online for UFO sightings. Taylor would never forget those last few moments.
“This seems promising! I’ll be back by dinner, kiddo. Don’t start without me,” he had said, kissing Taylor on the forehead. He hugged Donna, who was terse because she didn’t want him to go. She turned her head, letting him kiss her on the cheek, before he left.
“They’re not all your responsibility, Daniel,” she called out after him, when he was halfway down the driveway. He turned his head and smiled at her. They’d had many conversations like this before. Dad was never one to neglect his duty, though.
“Unity is the constellation of harmony, my love,” he had called back lovingly, a gleam of light twinkled in his eye.
Taylor knew that her mother still felt guilty about this exchange. She often reminded her mother that this last exchange wasn’t representative of their relationship. Taylor had basked in the warmth of the love that radiated out from her parents. Because of their love for each other, her home was a refuge of support. They were a bastion of hope for their people, despite all the turmoil.
High school turmoil seemed laughable now. It often does, when you graduate and realize there are much bigger worlds out there. But at the time her father disappeared, Taylor was on the cusp of her high school graduation. It had been her biggest concern.
She avoided the mean girls, who picked up on every unspoken insecurity like it was a competition to see who could spot the most weaknesses in others. She always struggled at first, to blend in, but eventually found a place. She relaxed amongst a few peers in the middle of the weird social hierarchy in her rural high school. She learned. Observed. Blending in was their primary goal, after all.
Her mother’s gentle hand on her cheek brought her back to the present.
“I’ve worried you, dear. I’m sorry. I just… I’ve been thinking about it for days now, and it’s the only thing that makes sense. They’ve finally figured it out, and now they’re going to announce to the world that aliens have landed on earth.” Donna’s mouth grimaced and her eyes brimmed over with tears.
Taylor’s own tears cascaded down her cheeks in response. She couldn’t bear to see her mother cry.
“Surely not. If they’ve had him all this time, that means– No. Maybe he just…” She choked on the words.
“My darling, your father would never leave us. He didn’t get in an accident. A single human could never have hurt him. Not with their under-evolved muscles and over-evolved confidence. I went to exactly the spot he had mapped out, to check on the fallen craft. He said it looked like the Zephyr Mariner craft that brought us here 25 years ago. Same flight pattern. Same speed.”
“Do you think he’s been in a cell for the past year being interrogated? Or in some kind of terrible lab being poked and prodded?” Taylor shuddered at the thought. Bile rose in her throat every time her mind went down this road.
“I don’t know, sweetheart,” her mother said, her voice becoming gentler. “I pray to Cosmonir every day that he didn’t get caught. That if he got into trouble, he found a way to get to a safe place. Or a way to use the craft to communicate with home and get some reinforcements. We checked everywhere around the reported area that people saw the craft, though, and… nothing. Not even a scrap of metal, just another crop circle. Not the right pattern, so it was probably done by bored teenagers.” Donna’s eyes fell back to her hands as she continued crocheting the Blanket of Doom.
The grief sank in Taylor’s chest as she sat in the sea of purple. She thought this feeling would get better over time, but it never really did. She always felt the same crushing dread that her father was being tortured somewhere. She sometimes had nice dreams of her home planet but those usually melted into nightmares of being strapped to a gurney and poked with needles. Sometimes it was crowds of people in S.W.A.T. gear busting into their home and dragging them away.
Though she was born on Earth, Taylor often dreamed of Luminara. A world of light, peace, and untold beauty. Or at least, that’s what her parents told her. Her childhood memories brimmed with stories of their home planet. Tales of rolling oceans made of colorful flowers and vines. Massive ships made of bright silver metals, sailing atop them as they undulated in the breeze. Trees as tall as skyscrapers, always teeming with life. Many millennia of peace amongst her people.
Taylor often dreamed of her father on her home planet, but she wasn’t sure why. She had told her mother about these dreams at first. She assumed her subconscious was working through grief and hiding them inside the beauty of the stories she’d heard her whole life. Perhaps her mind was trying to cover the horrific grief of the loss of her father, with the beauty of a world where he still existed. If only in her mind. Her dreams eventually started upsetting her mother though, so Taylor kept them to herself these days.
They were silent for several minutes, with the news muted on the living room television. A 24-hour news show was on. A terrible invention, really. Whose idea was it to broadcast the worst of human’s challenges and then speculate about the worst possible ways these things could turn out? Anything for ratings, these days.
Taylor and Donna sat in silence for a few moments.
“I am grateful for the time I had with you and dad. And the time you and I have had together, since… you know… since he’s been gone. I’m not glad he’s gone of course,” Taylor stuttered through her sappy speech, her mom nodding along. She understood. “But I want to say that sometimes– it’s just that sometimes I wish we’d never come here. I wish you and dad weren’t given this assignment, and that I’d been born on Luminara. Maybe he’d still be with us then…”
Donna grasped Taylor’s face, leaning in until their foreheads touched. Tears stained the purple yarn an even deeper hue.
“Taylor. Darling. I understand why you feel that way. I think about that all the time! It’s okay to feel how you feel, grief is not linear. You’ll take some steps forward and then sometimes you’ll take some steps backward. You’ll never love your father less, just because he’s gone. But you will get stronger. It won’t always be so consuming…” she trailed off, and then ducked her chin. “Look, I’m sorry, I’m not saying this well. Your dad was the Communication Specialist, not me.”
Taylor rolled her eyes and chuckled at her mom’s corny joke. Dad’s specialty had been building and using communication equipment, not communicating with words. Although, he did always seem to know the right words to say. She knew her mother was trying to lighten the mood.
“All I’m saying,” Donna continued on, ‘is that we came here with a purpose. We have to watch the humans and report if they are getting close to creating technology that would allow them to travel in space. We’ve seen what they do when they discover something new, so we can’t allow them to have access to Luminara. Not yet. Not until they decide to become a more peaceful species.”
“I know, I know. Unity is the constellation of harmony,” Taylor said robotically.
Taylor felt the struggle of a war within herself. She wanted to comfort her mother, but also wanted to share her own fears. She wanted to abandon the mission, but it was all she’d ever known. She wanted to go back to before he disappeared. She wished she could time travel back to the days when all she had to worry about was physics homework and mapping out a path to working at NASA.
The war inside of her continued raging. She kept her lips sealed against the onslaught of fear and doubt that wanted to pour out of her.
Donna could feel the shift in Taylor, the stress building. She leaned in to her daughter, tucking her under her arm, and placing Taylor’s head back on her shoulder. Even at eighteen years old, Taylor breathed in the comfort of her mother’s embrace. She’d never take it for granted. Not when it could be gone in an instant.
“I am worried too, sweetheart. All we can do is wait, though. I’ve been checking the message boards for chatter spikes, every day. I check the safety point once a week to make sure he isn’t there. We haven’t had any activity on the Stellar Transceiver since the night your father… disappeared.” Donna’s breath hitched on the word.
“Why aren’t they communicating with us, though? Shouldn’t we tell them he’s disappeared and get some help or something?” Taylor asked, hopeful for more connections to her homeworld. Hopeful that they’d have the power to find him and bring him home.
“It doesn’t work that way, my sweet girl. We send the right signals out, only if the humans seem like their technology is growing to the point of danger. We don’t get signals back, unless they are extracting us. It’s too risky, otherwise. Your father and I knew we were accepting a lifelong mission when we came here. I know it’s hard, and I know it’s had consequences for you as well. But… even so,” her mother said, her voice becoming stronger and more stoic, “We must continue on. We must not be distracted, dragged away, deluded, delayed, or denied from completing the mission at hand. We are…” She looked at Taylor, eyebrows raising expectantly.
Taylor knew it by heart, as she’d repeated the mantra with her parents every night before bed.
“We are silent spectators. Invisible inquisitors. Whispering watchers. Vigilantly veiled visitors. Unseen observers. Star dwellers in shadows. Camouflaged and cautious. We are unearthly and unseen. We are the echoes of the cosmos.”
A notice came across the screen of the TV, and caught both of their attention. The president was going to be holding a press conference and making some sort of announcement, in a few hours. Donna and Taylor exchanged a look that was a mix of heavy emotions. They both had an eagerness for answers, and felt the dread of what those answers would mean for their family, and the families of the many worlds beyond earth.
The aliens had already landed on earth long ago, but have the humans finally figured it out?
They would watch and see.
Rio Grande Valley Pink Grapefruit Pie
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 4 medium to large pink or red grapefruit
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 3/4 cups water or strained grapefruit juice
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 (3 ounce) box strawberry gelatin
- 1 (8 or 9 inch) pie crust, baked
- 1 cup whipping cream, whipped
Instructions
- Peel grapefruit, separate sections* and remove from membranes. Place sections in a strainer over a bowl overnight.
- Cook sugar, juice, cornstarch and salt until thick and clear.
- Add gelatin and stir until dissolved.
- Brush gelatin mixture over pie crust.
- Chill gelatin mixture and crust.
- When gelatin starts to thicken, add grapefruit sections.
- Pour into pie crust and chill until set.
- Top with whipped cream.
Notes
The grapefruit should be sectioned lengthwise. By slicing the ends off, the fruit can be set flat on the cutting board to make it easier to slice the rind off lengthwise. Use a small, sharp knife to then remove the sections from the membranes.
Attribution
Mesquite Country: Tastes & Traditions from the Tip of Texas published by the Museum of South Texas History
In your opinion, which country has the most beautiful nature, people, culture, food, and lifestyle? Why do you believe this to be true?
Americansky podcaster Judge Napoletano interviews philosopher Aleksandr Dugin in Moscow, Russia. Kremlin seems to find it hilarious to take the freakish professor out of the woodwork, dust him off and offer to another traveling blogger and Putin apologist. Majority of Russians view Dugin as a lunatic. But he is good enough for Americansky conservatives because he speaks fluent English.
Two more Americansky bloggers are in Moscow to make glorious Motherland: Judge Napoletano and Larry Johnson. They regurgitate the same beaten to pulp propaganda from Kremlin:
- In Moscow clean streets without drug addicts, Beautiful buildings. First class city.
- Russians are pious orthodox believers. Go to church three times a day.
- Putin wise and legitimate leader.
- Russia fights Nazis in Ukraine
For twenty five years it’s all the same BS. Only faces of propagandists change. For as long as this regime in power they gonna keep on lying.
Moscow is the only developed city in Russia. It sucks over half of the country budget. I was in Oryol, a six high drive, regional town. They have no street lights in the evening. Third of the populace is gone, left for Moscow to earn a living.
This whole Eastern Orthodox Christian spiel is absolute nonsense. Russians don’t go to church and much prefer tarot cards or plain nihilism. There has been no Christian revival and just look at the churches outside of Moscow and major cities – they are crumbling and do not get fixed because there’s no money to be made there.
All the key industries and state enterprises are owned by oligarchs and president’s close friends and relatives.
And as for war in Ukraine, Putin changes his mind once a week why he launched it in the first place. Was he afraid of NATO invasion? How so when he has 5,000 nuclear heads. Was he looking for Nazis? Well, can he parade some of them in the streets of Moscow like in 1945? No?
The country is developing despite this regime that Americansky propagandists defend. People get up every morning and go to work. They work unproductively and slowly but is off set by persistence and resolve.
Russia, in simple words, is just an average country with the rich elites who lie through their teeth to keep the ill-begotten riches. And they have tried to bite more than they could swallow three years ago and are desperately trying to get out of the quagmire.
Thanks, Judge, for legitimizing the whole bunch of them for your home audience and helping them out survive another day.
What do you like about your personal life?
I love how low-drama, peaceful, and personally satisfying my life is.
I only do things which I enjoy, I have enough time for myself, I have a job which I greatly enjoy and find meaningful, and I have a few deep friendships, and I’m in a creative city whose energy I like. I am free to set my own workday, so I can go on walks throughout the day to think and to be in nature (San Francisco has great parks), go to a nearby cafe to read in the afternoons, try out new restaurants. I really enjoy the freedom that comes with living your life exactly how you want to with minimal compromises. It’s nice that no one can make me do something which I don’t want to, and if I do something it is only because I choose to do it.
It’s easier to work on spiritual development and self-actualization when in a peaceful environment and in a tranquil mental state. I’m sure my priorities and lifestyle will change with time, but this is where I have been since the past 4 years.