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When Throttle’s Need for Speed Sends Him Back to the Jurassic—and Chickens Take Flight
After today's post, I seem to have recovered and are back on track.
Do not worry. The daily MM notes and wisdom will continue.
Um. Something "digital" has affected all our our realities. And I'm not so sure what is going on. Digital events and variants are a hallmark of changing realities, especially those that involve AI. My strong guess is that someone tried to force a catastrophic nuclear reality change though AI forced manipulation.
But my guess is that if you notice anything strange... take note, and observe. Our reality is shifting. And we are all on a very safe and stable reality world line.
And this timing is very interesting. Pay attention to it.
Remember, our reality is a cultivated narrative. It's not the actual reality. The clues are everywhere.
Today...
Iran Directly Names American Corporations they are Going to Attack and Destroy
Hal Turner World March 31, 2026
The Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps has issued an announcement that, commencing on April 1, they will begin attacking - with the intent to destroy- certain AMERICAN CORPORATIONS. They even NAMED them!
I quote the IRGC below and wish to make it explicitly clear, these are the words of the IRGC, they are NOT my words. I do not subscribe to the IRGC viewpoints, do not support what they state, and am not -- and will not be -- involved or supportive of what they speak, below:
"From now on, every American company will be destroyed for every assassination operation"
IRGC Warning to the Aggressive US Ruling Regime: You have ignored our repeated warnings regarding the necessity to stop terrorist operations, and today a number of Iranian citizens were martyred in terrorist attacks carried out by you and your Israeli allies; and since the primary element in the design and tracking of assassination targets is American information technology and artificial intelligence companies, in response to these terrorist operations, the main institutions involved in the terrorist operations will be legitimate targets for us.
We advise employees of these institutions to immediately stay away from their workplaces to preserve their lives. Residents of the areas surrounding these terrorist companies in all countries of the region must also leave a one-kilometer radius from their locations and go to a safe place.
Companies that actively participate in terrorist designs will be subject to countermeasures for every assassination operation.
Announced as follows:
- Cisco
- HP
- Intel
- Oracle
- Microsoft
- Apple
- Meta
- IBM
- Dell
- Palantir
- Nvidia
- JPMorgan
- Tesla
- GE
- Cymer Solutions
- G42
- Boeing
These companies should expect the destruction of their facilities for every assassination operation in Iran starting at 8:00 PM on Wednesday, April 1, Tehran time."
ANALYSIS
Do you understand what Iran just did?
They didn't go after a military base or a warship. They put out a hit list of 18 American companies. Nvidia, Apple, Microsoft, Google, Tesla, Meta, Boeing, JP Morgan, starting April 1st.
Iran just threatened the guts of the stock market.
Those 18 companies represent over $15 trillion in market cap. more than the GDP of every country on earth except the US and China.
Iran just figured out something that nobody in Washington wants to admit: You don't need to beat America's military. You just need to scare its investors.
One cyberattack on Nvidia's supply chain and the entire AI industry goes dark. One hit on Boeing and every airline in the world is grounded for weeks.
In 2020 Iranian hackers breached dozens of US companies and government agencies. In 2022 they hit Albania so hard the entire government went offline for days! A NATO country . . . taken down by Iran's cyber unit.
And now they're telling you exactly who's next. With a date. April 1st.
The scariest part is the companies on this list have more power over your daily life than the government that's supposed to protect you; and there's no missile defense system for a zero-day exploit.
Sir Whiskerton and the Time-Traveling Tractor
Or: When Throttle’s Need for Speed Sends Him Back to the Jurassic—and Chickens Take Flight
Introduction
Ah, dear reader, prepare yourself for a tale of roaring engines, prehistoric peril, and poultry-powered rescues. Today’s story stars Throttle the Tractor, whose insatiable thirst for adventure revs his engine so hard that it rips a hole in time—leaving him stranded in the Jurassic period.
Back on the farm, the animals mount an epic rescue mission, riding chickens like feathered steeds across the timestream. Along the way, Doris negotiates with a T-Rex over feed rights, Rufus mistakes a dinosaur for a very big squirrel, and Sir Whiskerton reminds everyone that horsepower is truly timeless.
So grab your goggles (and perhaps some dino repellent), as we dive into Sir Whiskerton and the Time-Traveling Tractor.
Act 1: The Hole in Time
It all began one sunny afternoon when Throttle, bored of hauling hay bales, decided to test the limits of his shiny red engine.
“Watch this!” Throttle roared, revving harder than ever before. “I’m not just a tractor—I’m a marvel of modern engineering!”
The ground trembled, the barn doors rattled, and then… BOOM! A glowing vortex appeared, sucking Throttle into its swirling depths.
When he emerged, the world around him was unrecognizable. Towering ferns swayed in the humid air, and distant roars echoed through the jungle.
“Well,” Throttle muttered, adjusting his gearshift nervously, “this isn’t Kansas anymore.”
A shadow loomed overhead—a massive Tyrannosaurus Rex stomped toward him, sniffing curiously at his gleaming frame.
“Uh-oh,” Throttle whispered. “Maybe I should’ve stuck to plowing fields…”
Act 2: The Rescue Mission
Back on the farm, chaos erupted when the animals realized Throttle had vanished.
“He’s gone!” squawked Doris the Hen, flapping wildly. “What will we do without our tractor?”
Sir Whiskerton adjusted his monocle, surveying the scene with dramatic flair. “Fear not, my friends! We shall mount a rescue mission—on wings of courage and feathers!”
Thus began Operation Chicken Cavalry. Armed with makeshift saddles and plenty of determination, the animals climbed aboard their feathered allies.
Ditto the Echoing Kitten perched atop Doris, repeating excitedly, “To the Jurassic! To the Jurassic!”
As they soared through the time portal, Rufus the Radioactive Dog spotted something moving in the distance.
“Look!” he barked, wagging his tail enthusiastically. “A giant squirrel!”
“That’s no squirrel,” Sir Whiskerton corrected dryly. “That’s a Stegosaurus.”
Rufus tilted his head quizzically. “Close enough.”
Act 3: Negotiations and Misunderstandings
Upon landing, the team discovered Throttle surrounded by curious dinosaurs. A T-Rex approached menacingly, eyeing the tractor with interest.
“Stop right there!” Doris clucked boldly, stepping forward. “We’re here to negotiate!”
The T-Rex paused, tilting its massive head. “Negotiate? What could you possibly offer me?”
“Feed rights!” Doris declared, puffing up her chest. “You let us take our tractor, and we’ll ensure you never go hungry again!”
The T-Rex considered this, then nodded slowly. “Deal. But only if you throw in some kale chips.”
Meanwhile, Rufus continued trying to befriend the Stegosaurus, offering it a chew toy. “Here, buddy! You look like you need a good gnaw.”
The dinosaur blinked lazily, clearly unimpressed.
Act 4: Return to the Present
With negotiations complete, Sir Whiskerton activated the time portal once more. The animals raced back through the vortex, with Throttle trailing behind them, covered in mud and leaves.
“Well,” Throttle huffed as they returned to the farm, “that was… educational.”
Chef Remy LeRaccoon waddled up, holding a tray of suspiciously glowing snacks. “Behold! My latest invention: Dino-Bites™. Made from ancient herbs and dreams!”
The animals stared at him in horrified silence.
Reflection Scene
Gathered around the barn, Sir Whiskerton delivered his closing remarks.
“Today taught us two valuable lessons,” he said, sipping a cup of moonlit tea. “First, horsepower is timeless—whether it’s powering a tractor or outrunning a T-Rex. And second…” He paused, glancing at Throttle. “…sometimes, staying grounded is better than tearing holes in reality.”
Throttle revved his engine sheepishly. “Noted.”
Post-Credit Scene
Chef Remy unveiled his newest creation: Jurassic Juice™, bottled water infused with “prehistoric essence.”
“This is radioactive, right?” Doris asked nervously.
Remy grinned. “Only slightly.”
Cue horrified squawks.
Moral of the Story
Horsepower may be timeless—but knowing when to slow down is priceless.
Best Lines
- “That’s no squirrel—that’s a Stegosaurus.” – Sir Whiskerton, correcting Rufus.
- “Feed rights! You let us take our tractor, and we’ll ensure you never go hungry again!” – Doris, negotiating with a T-Rex.
- “Close enough.” – Rufus, mistaking a dinosaur for a giant squirrel.
Key Jokes
- Doris negotiates with a T-Rex using kale chips as leverage.
- Rufus mistakes a Stegosaurus for a very large squirrel and tries to befriend it.
- Chef Remy’s glowing snacks add absurdity to the post-credit scene.
Starring
- Throttle the Tractor (Time-Traveling Marvel)
- Sir Whiskerton (Feline Diplomat Extraordinaire)
- Doris the Hen (Chief Negotiator)
- Rufus the Radioactive Dog (Giant Squirrel Enthusiast)
- Chef Remy LeRaccoon (Mad Scientist of Snacks)
Summaries
- Moral: Knowing when to slow down is as important as pushing forward.
- Future Potential: Could Throttle’s time-traveling adventures become a recurring plotline? Or will Chef Remy invent a way to domesticate dinosaurs?
Until next time, may your engines run smoothly and your time portals stay closed. 🚜
Is it true that you can find many cheap homes and land in Italy due to its aging and decreasing population?
Yes it is true. But don’t start searching for flight tickets to come to Italy and buy a cheap house and move here until you know the whole story.
Small towns in the hilly and mountain areas of Italy are quickly losing population. They are towns that were traditionally linked to a rural economy, made of farming crops and rising farm animals. In most cases, the type of terrain and the isolation of these towns prevented the passage to modern and efficient farming, so traditional methods were retained until recently.
Needless to say, the economy was poor and unable to grow and sustain a large population. Most young people left these towns as soon as they could, and only the old remained. Many houses are abandoned and by not being inhabited, they are gradually deteriorating.
This is the kind of cheap housing that you will find in Italy: a very old and decrepit building, needing important renovation, in a town with a few hundred inhabitants, mostly pensioners.
In some communities you can buy one of these houses for the symbolic sum of one Euro but you will be requested to sign a contract that will bind you to carry on the restoration to make the house liveable again and to reside in the place for at least six months per year.
The towns and their surroundings are indeed picturesque and you can lead a very tranquile life, with no traffic, no criminality, no pollution, no stress. But renovating the house may be a big expense and living in a small partly abandoned town on the hills of the interior of a remote Italian Region can be terribly boring.
EDIT (8 September 2025): given the many comments this answer has received, I feel I should give more information about these houses at one euro.
Firstly, it’s wrong to think they are available only in the South of Italy. There are plenty of villages with shrinking population in all hill and mountain areas of Italy, and this includes the Appennines and the Alps in the North. These places are too isolated or too difficult to reach to appeal to commuters from the larger cities, and are not sufficiently glamourous to appeal to vacationers. So the property available for sale is plenty and the prices are low.
If you are lucky, the place will one day attract commuters or vacationers and your property will increase its value manyfold.
The main hurdle when deciding whether to buy such property, is to decide whether you really want to go live in a place that is difficult to reach and offers very little except tranquility and nature. There willbe no shops, except a small general store, no hospitals nearby, no schools, no restaurants, no banks, basically nothing except old residents.
A second, non trivial hurdle is that more often than not, you will be reqired to renovate the house so that it looks exactly as it was originally, where originally may mean 200 or more years ago. You will have to use the same materials, techniques etc. You will have to rely on local workers who know how to use the traditional materials. So renovation won’t be cheap nor easy.
A third hurdle is that Italian bureaucracy can range from unnerving to nightmarish. You will definitely want to seek the assistance of someone expert in these matters or you will not be able to do any progress, and all your efforts will be rejected or worse, considered illegal and sanctioned.
Leaving aside the houses at one euro, it is possible to find perfectly inhabitable property in remote villages at less than 50K euros, a price that won’t afford you an one-car garage in a major city.
The house will be old but very likely in decent conditions and have all the appropriate papers and approvals. You may have to do some work to upgrade it to your standards but it will be far less complicated and expensive than if you buy an one-euro house.
Evan Dando - Drug Buddy live 01/30/10 New York, NY Lemonheads
Why would a company still want to hire an H1-B visa holder if the costs are so high? What's the real benefit for them?
Why not?
The Demand for Top Talent in US is normally 3–4 times more than the Supply
Not that Americans are stupid
It's just that American top talent alone cannot make up the demand
For a demand of 70 Jobs, American Talent may be able to supply 10–15 Jobs
The Balance?
Korea, Europe, UK, Japan, Singapore may contribute 10–15 Jobs more
Russia has talent but Russians aren't exactly known to be welcome for Tech Jobs in US
You need India and China for the rest
China however has its own massive surging demand for high talent jobs , ten times that of US, due to the need to catch up on the remaining gaps
Plus the Geopolitics and Anti China atmosphere means Chinese aren't keen on a US Career as they were 10 years ago
Whom does that leave?
Indians of course
Indians will make up 30 Jobs out of 70
Maybe 8–10 Jobs by Indian students graduating with MBA or MS in US Universities and the remaining 20–22 Jobs by Indians from India, the Olympians, IIT-NIT graduates and the talented stack developers and top professionals
$ 100,000 is well worth the price
There are no alternative talent pools
The US can replace Indian Talent with American Talent but that's a LONG LONG TERM COMMITMENT needing a saner President and a country less interested in wars and hegemony
Even so that's still 20 years minimum if you start today (30 years more likely)
Whats the real benefit?
Demand for Talent
Big Tech needs to constantly innovate and the rate of innovation needs continuous fusion of talent that Local Americans can no longer provide
So unless the day comes when Bangladeshi Graduates or Nigerian Graduates can replace Indian Talents in quality or if China accepts the G2 theory openly, INDIAN TALENTS ARE NECESSARY
$ 100,000 is a tax on this
Nothing more
In fact Big Tech may even pay $ 1 Million via stock options to get the residency for these talents after 6 years
Squeeze - American Bandstand - July 31, 1982
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLRlZFoPP4M&list=RDvLRlZFoPP4M&start_radio=1
Are China stealth fighter jets more advanced than that of the US?
Yes.
If we count the manned prototypes, China is one generation ahead of the US at the moment.
If we count the unmanned planes that are already in service, China is also one generation ahead.
If we count manned fighters that are already in service, the J-20 is almost twice the number of the F-22 in service. The J-35 is still few, but is better as a fighter than the F-35 and will likely catch up in numbers.
Lunacy
Written in response to: "Set your story in a world where astrology and the movements of celestial bodies deeply impact the lives of inhabitants."
Jeremy Burgess
The High Priestess cleared her throat. "As you know my King, the Gods bring Potence to the land, and we in the church channel the Potence to the great benefit of the Kingdom, and yourself." The King looked irritable at this explanation, but he indulged the most senior member of the Church of the Sky and gestured for her to continue. "The Gods move above us, Coros from east to west — she brings us light and warmth each day. Salak wanders north to south casting his cool ambience as he chooses on the land, be it in the night or during the day. As each traverses from horizon to horizon, the Potence waxes and wanes, so that at their zenith the energies are at their most mighty, absent altogether when they fall from sight. What we see today is something rare indeed, both Coros and Salak are high in the sky, during the day, at the same time, and so their power multiplies. We believe an eclipse is nigh."
"Perhaps an eclipse of even your own glorious brightness my Lord," the fool's sing-song lilted. Cordus had heard tell of the King's fool, who alone was permitted to make mockery of his pride.
The King sat back in his throne, brooding. Cordus was not surprised; Grintrag had a reputation for being shrewd, and on his way to the castle today Cordus had seen a great many odd things as the moon and sun progressed towards the centre of the sky. Where typically priests assisted in redirecting water to irrigate fields during the day, today such attempts had resulted in flooding. A young adept who had been practising cooking had set a whole carcass alight, barely even trying. On a road being repaired, another churchman had levelled both the road in question and a neighbouring house. The Potence was out of control, and it had been getting worse as the day had gone on. There was also no record of eclipses in the history books, and while King Grintrag was self-serving and proud, he was famously well read, having sat on the seat of supreme authority for over 50 years now.
"Multiplies you say," the King mulled, "how long ago, exactly, was the last eclipse?"
"She doesn't want to say," cackled the fool, "but look to her neck! They know!"
The High Priestess ignored the fool. "It is hard to say my King, our records are unclear on this."
The King stood abruptly, walking with steadiness that belied his age to one of the room's windows. He opened it and looked outside onto the castle's inner courtyard. Usually an active place where horses were mustered and soldiers practised, it was eerily quiet, the denizens of the castle having decided to stay inside rather than risk the strangeness that pervaded as the eclipse approached. He looked up to where the sun and moon were beginning to converge, before returning to his throne.
"It is odd, I think, that your records are so unclear on the last eclipse when they are so specific on the harvest of grain 140 years ago, or the great earthquake 30 years before that. It is strange, is it not?" probed the King.
"Indeed it is a mystery. One can only assume that some terrible accident must have befallen the writings. Paper is so fragile, and people so flawed," smiled the High Priestess.
"I know when it was," laughed the fool, "5 score and 10, when the Queen Sirka rode to the end of her reign." They jingled back and forth before the King.
"What do you think, Prince Cordus?" asked the King, turning his granite stare on the now crown prince.
Cordus glanced around frantically, he had hoped to escape notice, and was still worried about why the High Priestess had sent for him so urgently. He liked doing things little and doing things that put him at risk even less. "Ahhh," he vacillated, sensing that indecisiveness would be a curse in this moment, and wishing that Assanda had given him clearer guidance on what to do should the King talk to him. He knew he did not have long to dither, with all three pairs of eyes on him. The sensible option would be to stay inside, he thought, away from people and whatever was going on with the Potence. The King, however, would not want to be thought fearful, Cordus thought. "I think we should face the eclipse outside," he said with false surety, "we should witness it ourselves."
"The boy speaks with wisdom," remarked the High Priestess with a warmth that had been lacking entirely from her voice when she he had been instructing him before, "we would be fools indeed to miss this chance to see Salak and Coros meet."
The fool did a jig and bowed in supplication to Assanda and Cordus. "When the Gods meet we all must bow, and no walls will do them justice. It is a sign that none can ignore!"
The King leaned to one side, his brow furrowed in thought. It seemed to the Prince that the fool's words were warnings. He wanted to know what the High Priestess knew, and what had happened to Queen Sirka, who in the history books had died suddenly and been succeeded by her eldest son who had then not spoken of her again. He looked surreptitiously at the High Priestess's neck, as the fool had said, but all he saw was the icon of the Church.
"Come," King Grintrag commanded suddenly, having reached a decision, "we go to the courtyard, where we shall observe the phenomenon. To not witness would be cowardly, and I am no coward."
The four of them walked as a procession through the halls and staircases of the great castle, passing only torchlit stone and armour-clad guards with trained austerity of manners on their way to the great doors. As they reached the outside, the world held its breath as Coros and Salak began to meet, the moon beginning to move in front of the sun as noontime approached. The group stood still and the world began to dim.
"How long until…?" Prince Cordus quavered, wishing he was back inside. He was unashamed of his cowardice and thought that the great bricks of the castle wall would be some protection at least against whatever was going to happen, his instincts screaming that it would not be good, whatever it was.
"Soon," murmured High Priestess Assanda to him. She pulled him a few steps away from the King and the fool, who both seemed transfixed, though they did not stare directly up, not yet at least, for fear of hurting their eyes. "When the eclipse begins, you must do exactly as I say, exactly when I say it. Do you understand? No hesitation if you wish to survive."
"You do know what happened last time!" he whispered to her angrily.
She reached into her long robe, pulling from it a mean looking knife about as long as his forearm, and handed it to him with a purposeful glare. The blade was neither a kitchen knife nor one for combat. Instead it had a wave like undulation through it, and its hilt was etched with text that Cordus had no time to read. "No hesitation, you understand." This time it was not a question. Prince Cordus held the knife helplessly, and then, glancing nervously at the King, put it behind his back, out of sight, not that the King was watching him.
Directly above them, Coros and Salak reached alignment, and the sky darkened. Stars punched through, tiny perforations of light around the crown of fire that rimmed Salak's edge. A strange rhythmic rushing noise became audible, quiet at first but gradually becoming louder. As the noise began, it became clear that Coros and Salak had stopped moving altogether. At totality, they were locked in place, but they were not unchanging. A point of silvery golden light, argent and sun-bright appeared in the middle of the eclipse, beating in time with the noise they could all hear, and slowly growing. Despite the shine from the fire in the middle of the eclipse, no light was cast on the land, and all remained dim.
"It comes!" cried the High Priestess falling to her knees and looking up at the strange sky, "as Coros and Salak meet the barriers fall and the Potence of the gods flows unshackled!" Her shout was raw, incongruous with her typical self-control. As she fell to the ground Cordus recognised in the eclipse the symbol of the Church — a golden rim around a black circle, a point of burning silver at its heart.
Cordus was awed, but also increasingly fearful about the long knife he was hiding, dropped to his knees beside her. He turned to the High Priestess, panicking inside. "What do I do?" he implored, now craving her instruction in the face of the strange sight above.
"It has been good serving you my King!" shouted the fool, who turned and ran back towards the castle, as the rushing noise and the fire in the eye of the eclipse intensified.
"What?" growled the King, turning his eyes from the fearsome sky, "what is going on now?"
The High Priestess gathered herself, and shot Cordus a glare. "Stab him," she shouted, "at the conjunction of the gods, the ruler of men must die by the hand of their successor! Thus has it always been."
"What?!" yelled Cordus standing and recoiling, as the King bellowed, "Not today!" and drew his own dagger. Grintrag, had no compunctions about killing another family member and lunged towards the Prince, while Cordus was saved only by the fact that he was already lurching away. The fire in the eclipse grew stronger again.
The High Priestess stood, gesturing with one hand and muttering something under her breath. Around the King the air seemed to thicken and congeal, rendering all attempts at movement lethargic and futile. He seemed to try to speak, but his jaw would not form words, pushing against some invisible force.
"You must kill him now!" urged the High Priestess, her implication clear.
Prince Cordus was not moral, and although he lacked skill, drive, and any intention of achieving highly, he had a strong self-preservation urge and no love at all for the man who had killed most of his relatives. Flicking his gaze for only a second to the horrifying sight in the sky, he stepped forwards, and plunged his knife into Grintrag's neck, feeling no resistance from whatever held the King in place. Grintrag's lifeblood flowed strangely from the wound, spreading as if it was impeded by whatever force the Assanda controlled with the Potence. The Prince stepped back in disgust at both what he had done and the ensuing strangeness.
From the beating flame in the middle of the eclipse, a filament of silver fire pierced the air and speared down through the heart of the King, as his life ebbed away. His body was pulled into the air, dangling for a moment. Then, as quickly as a stone sinks beneath the surface of a lake, he was gone, enveloped momentarily in white flame, leaving only ash and the knife behind, which fell to the ground with a clank. The rushing noise stopped, Coros and Salak began to separate, and the moment passed.
Turning to face the High Priestess, Prince Cordus wailed "what in the names of Coros and Salak was that?!"
The High Priestess relaxed and turned to him, a beneficent smile settling on her countenance. "That was the sacrifice we all must make whenever the gods converge. As it is written, when Salak occludes Coros, the gate to the land beyond is opened and the Potence will unmake the world, piece by piece. It can be sealed only with the blood of our ruler, and the writings are clear on who must do it. So you see, the King had to die, and you had to kill him."
"But… where is it written? And, how do you know that that's what you have to do?" Prince Cordus asked, the adrenaline leaving him feeling hollow. In his stomach a pit opened as the realisation dawned that he was perhaps now the King.
"It is written," chirped the fool, who had appeared from somewhere, "it is just not written where you are allowed to see it. And as for how they know, how do they know anything? They are the Church, and the Gods must tell them. Be grateful that it will not happen to you, for you will surely die sooner than it happens again!"
The High Priestess nodded, "the fool is correct of course," she continued, "we must ensure that this remains secret, or perhaps a monarch might choose to try to avoid it. You will support our efforts in this, and the Church in turn will ensure your long and happy reign. Fortunately for you the eclipse of Coros and Salak happens only once in all but the longest lives, and you will not live that long."
She walked forward and took his uncertain, dithering hand, bowing to him. "The King is dead," she said, "Long live the King!"
Finger-Lickin'Fricassee
Ingredients
- 1 (3 pound) chicken
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 4 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon Gebhardt Chili Powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 4 tablespoons raisins (optional)
- 8 ripe olives, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Cut chicken into serving pieces. Dip into flour, then brown in hot shortening.
- Remove to a large pan.
- Fry onion, green pepper and garlic until brown in remaining hot shortening.
- Add ketchup, water and Gebhardt Chili Powder; boil for 5 minutes. Pour over chicken.
- Salt, adding water as needed; cover, allow to simmer until chicken is tender; about 1 1/2 hours.
- Add raisins and ripe olives 15 minutes before serving.
Davy Knowles - "Almost Cut My Hair" @ Moulin Blues 2017
Scientists Propose Earth May Have Been Terraformed by Aliens
A controversial new scientific paper has sent shockwaves through the academic community by suggesting that life on Earth may not have emerged through natural processes alone, but could instead be the result of deliberate terraforming by advanced extraterrestrial civilizations. The research, published by Imperial College London's Professor Robert Endres, applies cutting-edge information theory and AI models to demonstrate that the odds of life spontaneously arising from chemical chaos are so astronomically low that alien intervention becomes a "logically open alternative."
The study, titled " The unreasonable likelihood of being: Origin of life, terraforming, and AI," challenges fundamental assumptions about Earth's biological origins. Using mathematical frameworks based on rate-distortion theory and algorithmic complexity, Endres concludes that assembling a viable protocell within Earth's available timeframe would require persistence over geological timescales that strain credibility.
Information Theory Meets Astrobiology
Professor Endres developed a novel approach using Kolmogorov complexity to estimate the informational content required for life's emergence. His calculations suggest that a minimal protocell requires approximately one billion bits of organized information - equivalent to the complexity of sophisticated computer programs. When compared against the estimated entropy of prebiotic chemical environments and molecular persistence timescales, the mathematics paint a sobering picture.
"A purely random soup, made up of molecules that eventually enabled the formation of life on Earth, was too lossy," Endres explains in his yet-to-be-peer-reviewed paper. The research indicates that some form of persistent directional process - lasting hundreds of millions of years - would be necessary to accumulate sufficient biological information naturally.
The study draws parallels between ancient theories and modern science, noting that humanity now seriously contemplates terraforming Mars and Venus. "If advanced civilizations exist," the paper argues, "it is not implausible they might attempt similar interventions out of curiosity, necessity, or design."
Image from the paper, Fantasy sci-fi imagery of terraforming. Chatgpt4.0’s hallucination of early Earth with seeded biomaterial, jump starting Darwinian evolution. (R. Endres)
Directed Panspermia: From Science Fiction to Science
The concept isn't entirely new. In 1973, Francis Crick - the co-discoverer of DNA's helical structure - and chemist Leslie Orgel proposed "directed panspermia" as a potential explanation for life's unlikely emergence. Their theory suggested that advanced extraterrestrial civilizations deliberately seeded Earth with microbial "starter kits" to establish biological evolution.
Dr Francis Crick, one of the discoverers of DNA’s helical structure. (CC BY 4.0)
Crick and Orgel's hypothesis emerged from recognition of the same statistical improbabilities that drive Endres' modern analysis. Even with primitive 1970s knowledge, the mathematical challenges of abiogenesis appeared formidable. Their proposal offered an elegant solution: relocate the explanatory burden to more advanced civilizations operating under unknown conditions.
Ancient cultures worldwide contain creation myths describing divine or celestial beings bringing life to Earth. From the biblical Book of Genesis to Mesopotamian texts describing sky gods, humanity has long contemplated external origins for terrestrial biology. Modern directed panspermia theories provide scientific frameworks for concepts that have persisted across civilizations.
The Mathematics of Impossibility
Endres' calculations reveal staggering temporal requirements for natural abiogenesis. His models suggest that without persistent directional bias, random molecular assembly would require time periods exceeding the universe's age by factors of millions or billions. Even with optimistic assumptions about chemical environments and molecular stability, the informational bottleneck remains severe.
The research applies principles from bacterial chemotaxis - where organisms exhibit "run-and-tumble" behavior - to model how chemical evolution might accumulate biological information. If molecular interactions behave like random walks without persistent memory, assembly times become cosmologically implausible.
"With persistence time of one year, the required time is still approximately 10^17 years, about ten million times the universe's current age," the paper states. These calculations suggest that either unknown physical principles accelerate biological organization, or external intervention provided necessary starting conditions.
AI and the Future of Origins Research
The study leverages artificial intelligence tools including AlphaFold protein folding algorithms and comprehensive whole-cell computational models to estimate biological complexity. These modern approaches provide unprecedented precision in quantifying life's informational requirements compared to earlier theoretical frameworks.
Endres acknowledges that invoking extraterrestrial terraforming "violates Occam's razor" by adding explanatory complexity. However, he argues that the mathematical constraints of natural abiogenesis may warrant considering alternatives previously dismissed as science fiction.
The research represents growing intersection between astrobiology, information theory, and AI. As computational models become more sophisticated, scientists can quantify biological complexity with increasing accuracy, potentially resolving longstanding debates about life's origins.
Whether Earth's biosphere emerged through undiscovered physical principles, highly improbable natural processes, or deliberate extraterrestrial intervention remains an open question. However, Endres' work demonstrates that serious scientific investigation of unconventional possibilities may be necessary when conventional explanations encounter mathematical impossibilities.
Trump tells allies - "Go get your own oil"
President Trump just dropped a BRUTAL reality check on our "allies," telling them FIGHT FOR YOURSELF, America is done holding your hand.
"All of those countries that can’t get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz, like the United Kingdom, which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran, I have a suggestion for you: Number 1, buy from the U.S., we have plenty, and Number 2, build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT."
"You’ll have to start learning how to fight for yourself, the U.S.A. won’t be there to help you anymore, just like you weren’t there for us. Iran has been, essentially, decimated. The hard part is done. Go get your own oil!"
In the realm of AI and semiconductors, what challenges do Chinese companies face in closing the technology gap with US companies like NVIDIA?
Until yesterday nobody had a clue of the DF-61 or the DF-5C both of which are now the most powerful ICBMs in the planet
That's how China works
They ALWAYS UNDERPLAY their hand
If they tell you their EUV is 30% complete, it's 70% complete
If they tell you their target is 2027, they are already 75% there when they say so
So nobody knows where China is
My theory is they have a working EUV ready but unless they have the mass manufacturing ability of TSMC or close to it, they will keep their claws sheathed
What if you're just a loser and will never amount to nothing?
I had a great friend since kindergarten. Lou is his name.
He sucked at math. Sucked at reading, science, history. Straight D- student all the way through.
He can't dance. Can't play a musical instrument. Sucks at any sports he tried.
Then we all graduated high school.
He got fired from the first six jobs he had. Burger King, Kmart, pumping gas, driving a taxi, lawn care, forklift driver.
Lou has absolutely no discernible skills or talents as far as we can tell.
We're all 65 now. He's not mentally ill. Not lazy either.
Lou is extremely good hearted. He also doesn't seem to have a bad bone or any ill will anywhere in him. We all like Lou. Always have.
His nickname since the 60s is ‘Magoo’. Like Mr Magoo. Lou wears really thick glasses. He's 5′4″. He went bald at 28. Kind of chubby.
Finally his family got him a job at a pizzaria. Family friends. Counter work, cleaning up, deliveries. He screws that up too but they kept him there for forty years. Lou’s retired now.
He actually got married at 35. The female version of him. Great wedding. Theyre still together.
Lou knows he's a loser. He doesn't mind. He doesn't try to be what he's not. He's honest, kind, decent, friendly, humorous, humble, loyal.
Everybody likes Lou. Everybody in town looks out for Lou. It will be a sorry day for anyone who acts against Lou. Everyone in town knows it. Lou has never intentionally hurt anyone for his entire life. As long as you don't mind a late pizza or the wrong order.
Sometimes I envy Lou. I'm wealthy. Divorced twice. Sometimes to smart for my own good.
Lou is always relentlessly happy. He never worries. Never had a fight. A bad break up. A court case. Not even the depraved people in town have anything against Lou.
So? To answer your question? If your really a loser and won't amount to anything?
Be like Lou.
Pictures
Can one person destroy an entire family?
Yes: I did it to mine.
I grew up in a highly abusive and dysfunctional household: I was 20 when I finally escaped. I had been subject to physical and psychological torment: along with 8 years of daily SA..
After a couple of tmyears if therapy, I found the courage to press charges against the rapist. By that point, the ‘family’ were aware of what he'd done: but mostly wanted to just pretend it hadn't happened.
The chaos that followed his arrest was beyond anything I'd imagined. I knew it was going to be bad: but the way everything imploded…
I was harassed pretty much constantly. The mother bombarded me with calls and visits, swinging wildly between pleading and demanding that I drop the charges. Siblings.. one was vile, accusing me of inviting the SA because I wanted to be the ‘favourite’ … the others were angry and hurt: but also felt guilty that they'd not seen what was happening, and hadn't been able to protect me. Still, that didn't prevent them from expressing their anger at the way I was ‘blowing up their family’.
He was convicted and went to prison. The family basically imploded. The house the mother was living in was tied to the father's job; so she had to move, along with the only sibling still living there. The wider family had found out, and while condemning what he'd done, many also turned on me for ‘dragging the family name through the mud’ , and asserting that I should have kept family matters private to the family, and let them deal with it.
I had to cut contact with the immediate family for my own safety and sanity. I was told that no-one within the entire family wanted anything to do with me. The news became more and more public and the resentment toward me from the immediate family became intense. They blamed me for embarrassing and shaming them. Siblings fought between themselves, and also became estranged.
Cut to a few years later: I have moved away: live in a different city with my then partner. I get a visit from two uniformed police officers who need to ask questions about my family.
Apparently one of the siblings had accused another of SA, not only of them, but of the younger sibling. The accused had countered with a claim that the accuser had been the instigator of SA toward the third sibling, and had been abusive toward the accused. I had to rehash my whole experience, plus answer questions about why those two might have done the things they're accused of. I was so mentally unwell at that time, that this whole event triggered yet another breakdown.
The court case happened when I waa around 24 years old. After I cut contact, I never spoke to either patent again.. it was a little longer before I completely cut contact with certain Siblings, but after that police visit, I was completely done.
The family was destroyed to the point where none of them had any kind of relationship (exceot the parents) with the others beyond the occasional transactional thing. The mother apparently welcomed her husband home on his release, and they immediately made plans to renew their wedding vows.
The wider family was so divided over how I'd handled things that several relationships between them either crumbled completely, or became so strained that they might as well not have existed. However, I found out many years later, they universally condemned the father, and many were also unwilling to continue any connection with the mother given her continued defence of him.
So.. yes. I believe you could say that I single-handedly destroyed a family. Perhaps an argument coukd be made that it was already destroyed, and I simply exposed the rot: but my decision and subsequent actions, did the fatal damage.
I'll be 60 in a few months. I've reconnected with my Aunts and several cousins: I discovered through them how much we'd all been lied to in order to ensure I was isolated from them. I found out a lot of things which finally helped make sense of some past events. I made a point of attending the funerals of each parent when they died, more to prove to myself that they were genuinely dead, and I was safe from them, than out of any sense of obligation. I have not spoken to the siblings in decades: I have no idea where they even are, now: and no interest in knowing.
And no: in case anyone wanted to ask the question… I do not regret my decisions, and never have. The father was a predatory bully, and the mother a violent enabler. People make choices: and often they're bad ones.
I survived. I'm doing well: I have a far more settled life than I ever had before. I have a partner who adores me: aunts and cousins who love and respect me: and a few good friends who enjoy my company. Life is actually pretty good, despite the scars left by my past.
''DEAR MR. FANTASY'' - DAVY KNOWLES w/ Jeff Massey & Eric Saylors (Steepwater), march 2017
Have you ever had a customer request something so bizarre that you thought it was a joke? What did you do?
When I worked in jewelry sales we had a woman bring in her diamond ring. She wanted us to replace the center stone with a Moissanite stone.
Odd request, sure. Both rings were purchased from our store and we figured she just wanted a more brilliant looking stone for her statement ring, so we did the work. Once it was completed both rings and the original diamond center stone were returned to her. We all looked at each other with that look, we knew there had to be something more to this than just wanting a shinier diamond ring.
Well-
A few weeks later here comes our owner and the woman with a very official looking man in a suit with a briefcase. The customer had filed a claim with her insurance company that we had stolen her diamond and replaced it with a fake; she had taken the ring to have it reappraised by an independent appraisal company claiming (as per her written report) “I just knew the minute I picked up my ring that it wasn’t my diamond.”
Our owner rolled her eyes, went to the filing cabinet and pulled out the woman’s paperwork showing her purchase of the Moissanite ring, and her signatures for the work changing out the stones. Following his gut our jeweler had already had our security team download all the footage of his workshop of him doing the work. The whole job had taken less than an hour.
The woman was attempting insurance fraud
Is it true that the Chinese DF-5C missile has to be fueled every time before launch or can it be launched immediately?
The DF-5C does not operate in the conventional way. Although it uses liquid fuel, it has solved the problem of fuel corroding the missile body. Currently, there is no public information revealing the specific technology used to achieve this.
Traditional liquid-fueled missiles require 60–90 minutes for fueling and launch preparation. If fueled in advance but not launched, the missile would need repair or even be scrapped.
After improvements, the DF-5C’s launch preparation time has been drastically reduced to the level of solid-fueled missiles, which is about 15 minutes. This time is primarily used to calibrate target coordinates and open the launch silo.
Range: 20,000 kilometers, capable of global strike.
Liquid fuel also has other advantages:
It provides higher thrust and greater payload capacity, allowing the warhead together with the engine and part of the fuel to be deployed to geosynchronous orbit. With China’s publicly demonstrated satellite launch, on-orbit, and recovery technology, this is technically feasible and relies on mature, repeatedly verified methods.
There's a certain series of China’s reusable spacecraft, which always land on the same pasture in Inner Mongolia, owned by a single family, every time the spacecraft was recovered.
The DF-5C rocket can send the warhead and the first-stage engine to geosynchronous orbit, where it can remain on standby for extended periods, ready for immediate use.
The warhead can be configured with 1–10 sub-warheads depending on need; when carrying only a single warhead, its explosive yield is no less than 2,000 kilotons of TNT.
China’s definition of “having suffered a nuclear strike” does not require a nuclear bomb to impact the ground. As long as a nuclear missile launch is detected and its trajectory calculated, if the predicted impact point targets Chinese territory, it is considered a confirmed nuclear strike, and a counterstrike can be launched.
Lime Drenched Chicken and Caramelized Onions
Yield: 4 servings | 3 cups Caramelized Onions
Ingredients
Caramelized Onions*
- 6 large onions (for about 6 cups of slices)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Chicken
- 4 (6 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken-breast halves
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 lime
- 2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
Instructions
Caramelized Onions
- Peel the onions and cut them into 1/4-inch slices.
- Place the onions in a slow cooker, and drizzle the oil over the slices.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and adjust the heat to HIGH. Cook for 8 to 10 hours, until the onions caramelize. They will then have a deep-brown color.
- Leftover onions may be refrigerated, covered, up to three days. They may be frozen up to one month.
Chicken
- Place the chicken breast halves, one at a time, between layers of wax paper. Pound each breast half (see note) so that it is an even 1/2-inch thick. Peel off the paper. Sprinkle the chicken lightly with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in an extra-deep, 12 inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook for 4 to 5 minutes on the first side until golden brown.
- While the chicken cooks, cut the lime in half and cut 1 of the halves into four wedges. Set the wedges aside.
- Turn the chicken over and squeeze the juice from the remaining lime half evenly over the chicken. Continue to cook for 4 to 6 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center.
- Put the chicken on four serving plates.
- Add the onions and garlic to the hot skillet and stir constantly until the onions are heated through, about 1 minute.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and top each piece of chicken with about 1/4 cup onions.
- Serve at once, garnished with the reserved lime wedges.
Notes
* Make the caramelized onions ahead of time.
Nutrition
Per 1/4 cup serving: 48 calories (42% from fat), 2g fat (no saturated fat), no cholesterol, 1g protein, 7g carbohydrates, 1g dietary fiber, 2mg sodium