I well remember my father trying to teach me how to tie my shoes. I was young. Maybe four or so years old.

he had made a wooden board showing the various stages of typing the lackes. It was a big elaborate project presentationt aht he made.

And he worked with me.

And he kept at it, day after day until I got a handle on it.

Later on, when I was 14 years old and I had to learn how to tie a tie for my future employer he did the same thing. I learned though a presentation, and then practice after practice.

I never really learned how to tie a bow tie, which could have come in handy alter on in life… but I did learn how to do some knots and laces. I do believe that everyone should learn ho to tie a few basic knots and laces. And with this, I present this….

Have fun you all.

Today…

Israel vs. China? The NOISY Chihuahua Barking at a DRAGON! 🇨🇳🇮🇱

As a chef, have you ever seen a customer with unreasonable expectations?

Yes. They’re a dime a dozen. Depending on the volume and type of joint, there might be two per week or 20 per day on average, but they’re a fact of life.

My favourite right at the moment are the people who order a portion of fries ‘to go’ and are in my face at the pass about whether their fries are ready before the printer even spat out the order chit. Typical conversation:

Guest : [unintelligible but agitated muttering against the spit guard (a 1.5cm pane of laminated security glass coming down to 40cm give or take above the pass in this case)]?

Me (bending down beneath the spit guard so they can hear me): Can I help you?

Guest: [more unintelligible, more agitated still, mumbling at the glass pane]!!!

Me: Excuse me, but could you come down a little, because I can’t hear what you’re saying at that pane of glass.

Guest (bending down far enough to be heard after the first to fifth iteration of that little number): Uh yeah. Are my fries ready yet?

Me: Fries? I do…—brbrrrt, ka-chick! goes the printer—Ah! Those fries! I’ll get right to it. They’ll take about three minutes.

Yes, that’s a conversation I have twice to twenty times. Every. Feeping. Week-end. Day. at the joint I’m working at right now.

Not a fast food joint, but a relatively expensive ‘fancy’ casual sit-down restaurant that sells food to go for the convenience of walk-in customers and the owner’s bottom line.

Then there’s the vegan César’s Salad. Erm, No?

I had an order of ‘Chili con Carne without maize’ (ours had maize, and I know there’ll be a handful Texans wanting to lynch me for saying it) make it into the kitchen once, a long time ago. Hit the service, please-bell before the service person who brought that chit in had even made it out of the kitchen and handed them a bowl of chili (con maize) and the cute little pair of tweezers I used to wear stuck into the lapels of my whites back then along with the order chit…

Then there are the…characters…who order a 300g steak well done and complain they don’t have their food ten minutes after ordering. Or something like that.

Today, on the lunch shift, there was a woman who spoke only English who had ordered a ‘Soljanka’ (a soup essentially made of cold cuts Julienne, bell peppers Julienne, pickled cucumber, onions, tomato puree and little else besides vinegar and spices. A local speciality of sorts. Turns out she’s a Vegetarian.

Yes, there was that ‘talking at the spit guard’ nonsense, too. Looked seriously disgusted, told the friend she was with (who had ‘translated’ the menu as far as I could tell) something along the lines of ‘oh my god, that’s disgusting! I can’t eat that!

Why the bloody hell would you order something at random from a menu you don’t understand if you have dietary restrictions? Especially if there are three employees of the joint who speak your language adequately to fluently within ten metres. And vegetarian or even vegan options are clearly labeled on the menu. And there’s an English menu available. Well, after we sorted out the problem of my not being able to hear her, and her overcoming her obvious disgust that we filthy savages would serve something with meat in it, and…

Well, in the end that untouched Soljanka went to someone who had ordered one a minute later and she got something vegetarian at the same price point instead. Was nice enough about it in the end, as well.

But it’s still a good example of that phenomenon of people abandoning every last shred of common sense the moment they enter a restaurant as a guest.

Come to think of it, a fair few people employed by restaurants do the same…

Have you ever gotten home and found evidence that somebody had been in your home while you were gone?

Lucy (2014) First Time Watching REACTION

Texas Twinkies

“Texas Twinkies” were created and made famous by Hutchins BBQ in McKinney, Texas. This appetizer recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.

Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients

• 12 whole jalapeños
• 1 (8 ounce) block cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese (optional)
• 2 cups shredded Smoked Brisket
• 12 thick cut strips bacon
• 2 tablespoons kosher or sea salt
• 2 tablespoons coarse-ground pepper
• 6 ounces sweet barbecue sauce (optional)

Instructions

1. Slit one side of each jalapeño from stem to tip. Slice across stem end; remove seeds and membranes.
2. Place jalapeños on baking sheet; bake at 300 degrees F for 10 minutes.
3. Remove from oven; place jalapeños in bowl of ice water to extract additional seed oil. Cover each jalapeño’s inside bottom with approximately 1 tablespoon cream cheese; add 1 tablespoon Monterey Jack cheese (if using) and 2 ounces brisket. Close pepper around stuffing. Wrap with bacon, secured with a wooden pick; add a pinch of salt and pepper.
4. Place peppers on baking sheet; bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 to 50 minutes depending on how crisp you want your bacon. If desired, brush approximately 1 tablespoon sauce on each after removing from oven, if desired. Or, you can brush them with barbecue sauce about 10 minutes before done to caramelize the sauce.
5. Serve immediately.

Notes

These “Twinkies” can also be grilled, if desired.

Attribution

Photo credit: newwavegurly on VisualHunt.com

Is it common for older individuals to experience frequent falls and trips?

It is said that 1 in 4 people over the age of 60 will fall once in any given year. Some folks, like me, have fallen far more times than that over the years. From January to March one year, I fell eight times and had to be hospitalized, but thankfully, I never broke any bones. I could have easily done so, though, and living alone would have been very difficult.

Many people fall due to medical conditions like poor eyesight, dizziness, orthostatic blood pressure (the difference from a sitting to a standing position blood pressure), and many other things. Even many medicines can cause people to fall because they cannot get their balance.

Many people fall in the bath, and of those people, many people die in the bath because they live alone and nobody can get there to help them

Also, people fall in the house because they have loose area rugs or exposed wires. It is easy to trip on such things.

So what can you do about it?

The first and best thing to do is to learn how to balance. That is easy if you are good at keeping up with certain exercises designed to maintain good balance. Sadly, I am not diligent enough and don’t practice.

You also need strong arms and legs as people lose muscle tone when they get old, so it is a great idea to join a gym. The gym I go to has many people in their 80s and 90s, many of whom are on walkers or canes. At 77, I am the youngest one there.

What have I missed out?

Oh, yes, people fall in the bathroom more than in any other room in the house. They fall because they have no grab bars, which are inexpensive and easy to install. Also a good rubber bath mat is essential if you are to keep your balance.

Do you have a Medic Alert bracelet or pendant? They are invaluable. I had to press that handy button only two weeks ago when I had to go to the hospital with dehydration. I couldn’t stand up, my eyesight was weird, and my blood pressure was 235/95! I nearly had a stroke. If it wasn’t for my handy Life Alert button, I would be dead.

I hope you will apply some of these suggestions because it will make you feel safe.

US in SHOCK! China-Iran Railway Bypasses Malacca — Oil Flows Directly to China, US Losing Control.

When you are a tourist you expect your encounter with new places to be like what you have heard, told and read. You anticipate only seeing what you want to see shopping for what you like and eating the sumptuous meals you wish for in cool places, after all, that is what going aboard means.

That’s Bangkok, a renowned city that won’t disappoint you.

A cosmopolitan city that by day is full of life and by night is a waste of time to sleep— You are in jubilation and blend pretty cool with the like- minded people. That’s when you are a tourist in Bangkok.

But as a Thai living in Bangkok do have a measure of enjoyment as well to see my home town vibrant and lovely as everyone has a job that pay the rent— Thanks to a tourist like you.

But what about the majority of Bangkok’s residents

The young and the family’s head —many women are a family head where husbands are a useless bum who work tirelessly to make ends meet.

With the BTS (Mass Rapid Transit) in Bangkok that we never ever expected. Yes, this is the best gift we ever had-A better public transport these days has improved our standard of living tremendously…. Again, we are thankful to many tourists who make it possible for all these… Leaving my folks in other towns outside Bangkok..an impossible dream.

Still, We live a simple life with enough clothes to wear and 3 usual meals either we cook at home or visit the nearby eataries… To live, to work, and to play in our city that we are here for life.

How do tourist hotspots like Bangkok and Phuket differ from the “real” Thailand that locals experience?

This is how we find our 3 meals in day-to-day living.

How we shop for the the basic necessities.

And how we live in our humble home.

It’s a world of difference from what you guys see and experience in a few days or weeks in our beloved Bangkok… Right?

How do what tourists see in Phuket differ from the “real” Thailand that locals experience?

I don’t live in Phuket, sorry.

Shorpy

Natasha Richardson was having a lovely vacation at a Quebec ski resort when she fell while on the beginner’s hill and hit her head. She said she was fine but within two hours she was complaining of a severe headache.

The medics on scene gave her excellent care but it was clear that she was struggling. Despite ordering an air ambulance to take her to a hospital in New York for care and the best efforts of the doctors in New York City, she died two days later of a epidural hematoma. She was 45.

It appears that both the medics on scene and the paramedics on the flight recognized right away that she had a hematoma, but took no steps to treat her. Again, by the time she was in hospital, the pressure from the hematoma had done too much damage for the doctors to relieve or repair it. It was a foregone conclusion.

So what should have been done? Just drill baby!

It may sound crazy, but when you have a hematoma, the most important thing to do is to immediately relieve the pressure caused by the bleeding. The best way to do that is to drill through the skull. And all you need to do that is one of these things.

Treating a person with a hole in their skull is a lot easier than treating one with a hematoma that’s four hours old. In fact, it appears that this option was discussed as the medics realized it was the likely diagnosis.

So, while it is always appropriate to get an injured person to a doctor, you can f*ck that if the doctors are a long way away and there is an appropriate treatment, which is why you see these things all over the place right now.

That’s right, screw CPR. Get someone with an arrythmia hooked up and run a couple thousand volts through them. That immensely increases their survival odds.

Sir Whiskerton and the Case of the Snoring Rooster: A Tale of Sleepless Nights and Feline Ingenuity

Ah, dear reader, prepare yourself for a tale of noise, chaos, and one very determined cat. Today’s story is one of snoring roosters, sleepless nights, and a farm on the brink of exhaustion. So, grab your earplugs and a sense of humor, as we dive into Sir Whiskerton and the Case of the Snoring Rooster: A Tale of Sleepless Nights and Feline Ingenuity.

The Night the Farm Stood Still

It all began on a quiet evening—or at least, it should have been quiet. The moon hung high in the sky, casting a soft glow over the barnyard. The cows were nestled in their stalls, the chickens were roosting in their coop, and even Rufus the Dog had finally stopped wagging his tail long enough to fall asleep. All was peaceful… until it wasn’t.

From the direction of the chicken coop came a sound so loud, so earth-shattering, that it could only be described as a cross between a chainsaw and a foghorn. The cows bolted upright, the chickens flapped their wings in alarm, and Sir Whiskerton, who had been enjoying a rare moment of tranquility on the barn roof, nearly fell off in surprise.

“What in the name of catnip is that?” Sir Whiskerton muttered, his ears twitching in irritation. He leapt down from the roof and made his way to the chicken coop, where the source of the noise was immediately apparent: Cluckster the Rooster, fast asleep and snoring louder than a thunderstorm.

The Farm’s Sleepless Plight

By morning, the entire farm was in an uproar. Doris the Hen looked as though she hadn’t slept a wink, her feathers ruffled and her eyes bloodshot. “I haven’t heard a noise like that since the Great Feed Fiasco of ’22,” she clucked, pacing back and forth. “It’s unbearable!”

Rufus the Dog, usually full of energy, was slumped on the ground, his tail barely wagging. “I tried burying my head under a hay bale,” he groaned, “but it didn’t help. That snoring is louder than my howling!”

Even Bessie the Tie-Dye Cow, usually the picture of calm, was looking frazzled. “I haven’t been able to meditate all night,” she said, her mood ring flashing an agitated red. “That’s not a rooster—that’s a chainsaw! And it’s keeping the cows awake!”

Sir Whiskerton, ever the problem solver, knew he had to act. “This cannot continue,” he said, flicking his tail. “If we don’t find a way to silence Cluckster’s snoring, the farm will turn into a sleep-deprived nightmare.”

Edgar the Crow’s Cunning Plan

Sir Whiskerton’s first stop was Edgar the Crow, the farm’s resident trickster and self-proclaimed genius. Edgar was perched on a fence post, preening his feathers and looking far too pleased with himself. “Ah, Sir Whiskerton,” Edgar said, his beady eyes glinting with mischief. “I suppose you’ve come to me for help with the snoring situation?”

“Indeed,” Sir Whiskerton replied, narrowing his eyes. “And before you suggest something ridiculous, let me remind you that we need a practical solution.”

Edgar cawed with laughter. “Practical? Where’s the fun in that? No, no, my dear feline friend, what we need is a plan so cunning, so brilliant, that it will go down in farm history as the greatest prank of all time.”

Sir Whiskerton sighed. “Edgar, this isn’t a prank. This is a serious problem. The entire farm is on the verge of collapse.”

Edgar waved a wing dismissively. “Details, details. Now, here’s my plan: we’ll rig up a contraption that uses Cluckster’s snoring to power a windmill. That way, his snoring will actually be useful!”

Sir Whiskerton stared at Edgar in disbelief. “That’s the most absurd idea I’ve ever heard.”

“Thank you,” Edgar said, puffing out his chest. “I aim to impress.”

The Investigation

Realizing that Edgar’s “help” was more likely to cause additional chaos, Sir Whiskerton decided to take matters into his own paws. He approached Cluckster, who was now awake and looking rather sheepish. “I heard I’ve been causing a bit of a ruckus,” Cluckster said, scratching the ground with his talons. “I didn’t mean to, honest. I just… I guess I’ve always been a heavy sleeper.”

Sir Whiskerton studied the rooster carefully. “Cluckster, have you always snored this loudly?”

Cluckster shook his head. “Not at all. It’s only been the past few nights. I don’t know what’s come over me.”

Sir Whiskerton’s curiosity was piqued. “Interesting. Perhaps there’s an underlying cause. Let’s investigate.”

The Culprit Revealed

Sir Whiskerton and Cluckster made their way to the rooster’s sleeping area, where they discovered the source of the problem: a pile of old, moldy hay that Cluckster had been using as a pillow. “This hay is covered in dust and mold,” Sir Whiskerton said, sniffing it cautiously. “It’s no wonder you’ve been snoring. You’re allergic to it!”

Cluckster’s eyes widened. “Allergic? To hay? But I’ve been sleeping on hay my whole life!”

“Perhaps,” Sir Whiskerton said, “but this hay is particularly old and musty. It’s irritating your nasal passages, causing you to snore.”

The Solution

With the mystery solved, Sir Whiskerton set about finding a solution. He enlisted the help of Porkchop the Pig, who had a knack for crafting comfortable bedding. “What we need,” Porkchop said, “is something soft and hypoallergenic. How about a pillow made of feathers?”

“Feathers?” Cluckster said, looking horrified. “I can’t sleep on feathers! That’s like sleeping on my cousins!”

Sir Whiskerton rolled his eyes. “Fine. How about a pillow made of straw? Fresh straw, not moldy hay.”

Porkchop nodded. “I can make that happen. Give me an hour.”

True to his word, Porkchop returned with a freshly made straw pillow, which Cluckster tested immediately. That night, as the farm animals held their breath, Cluckster settled into his new bedding… and not a single snore was heard.

The Moral of the Story

As the farm returned to peaceful slumber, the animals reflected on the night’s events.

The moral of the story, dear reader, is this: Even the loudest problems can be solved with a little creativity. Whether you’re a snoring rooster, a mischievous crow, or a cat with a knack for solving mysteries, it’s important to approach challenges with an open mind and a willingness to think outside the box. And sometimes, the simplest solutions are the most effective.

A Happy Ending

With Cluckster’s snoring silenced, the farm animals were finally able to get a good night’s sleep. Sir Whiskerton, ever the diplomat, had once again saved the day, proving that even the noisiest problems can be solved with a little ingenuity.

As for Edgar the Crow, he was disappointed that his windmill idea had been rejected but took solace in the fact that he had at least provided some comic relief. “Maybe next time,” he said, cawing with laughter.

And so, dear reader, we leave our heroes with the promise of new adventures, new mysteries, and hopefully, no more sleepless nights. Until next time, may your days be filled with laughter, love, and just a little bit of feline genius.

The End.

FIRST TIME REACTION – Kung Fu Hustle – We Laughed So Hard!

What would happen if Taiwan agreed to rejoin mainland China but wanted 20 years of democratic self-rule like Hong Kong did?

The Chinese government has revoked Taiwan’s “one country, two systems” status, which makes it ineligible to become a special administrative region like Hong Kong.

The latest statement by the Chinese government and the UN is that Taiwan is a province of the People’s Republic of China.

If to be more clear:

• The Central Government will send provincial secretaries to govern Taiwan after reunification.
• All current political systems, constitutions, and currencies in Taiwan will be abolished.
• Taiwan’s military will be disbanded in place, and the best will be integrated into the PLA sequence.

Jupiter looked lovely this time of year. The perfect storm sat in the middle of it and I yearned for chaos like that in my life. As tempting as it was, I was told to never to leave the ship on my own accord.

I often spent my time confined to the space craft, while everyone else discovered something important. My people rode the space belts, trying to find habitable planets and profitable minerals. Earth was a dangerous place after the war. It was riddled with radiation. We were forced to leave. I have no memory of such a place.

We created a new democracy, a new start. Space held greater things than our planet ever did, we met the extraterrestrials, the multidementionals— though they didn’t frequent too often. Sometimes a person or two would boomerang here and there and it took some bartering with officials to clear things up. The extraterrestrials offered their help when they could. They saw our planet festered with hate and didn’t know how to stop it. They said it spread like a virus, of which was infectious. Greed fell upon my people until there was close to none left.

I was tasked with bartering with the multidementionals. It was grueling work. I often saw lives pan out perfectly, or sideways. It was up to us to manage the galaxy. I am from earth, when she was young and before the war snatched it all up. I have to look onward and not behind, our planet was destined for desolation. I pull through, though. This was never a gift. I was taken in the night by extraterrestrial officials. We were to live our lives dedicated to making sure things paved their path according to plan.

Our memories were often wiped. Things I didn’t want to remember slipped through the cracks. I didn’t tell people.

I stayed on the ship when I had time off, in the sector that managed time travel. I knew we were only supposed to go there when there was a bug in the time line. Sometimes people who were supposed to meet and create new ideas, don’t always meet. We have to intervene. Butterfly Effect up my ass. I was controlled by a system unbeknownst to me, to meddle in the lives of others, we were observers, we fixed the bugs that riddled the maps.

The sector I frequented was empty and not activated for use by others for space travel. It was off the route so I got as much time as I needed.

I found myself turning the dial while everyone else slumbered, trying to understand why I felt emotions I couldn’t explain. I was of royalty here, I had only just began my journey, and for some reason I was the best at my job, I was recognized often by the extraterrestrial beings. They looked like us, there were so many different species, and they all knew the lore on humans. I was a human who recognized the pattern and the sequences better than the rest of my kind. History felt funny, my concept of it was so vast and misplaced compared to the humans that were living it unbothered.

I debugged human lives, never told when I might be transitioning to the past or present, always told to keep my presence unknown.

The portal to the past opened on my command, I had stripped out of my working attire and into commoners clothes, reminiscent of the decade I was returning to. It was pretty easy to blend in. I didn’t like blending in, I felt like I wasn’t born to blend in.

I stepped through, the fractals of light pixilated around me. The portal closed and disappeared into the necklace I wore around my neck, it was an access point to go back. I knew my coordinates like the back of my hand. I took down my long curls and breathed in deep. It felt interesting wearing sneakers and jeans. The knitted sweater I wore was so thick, it warded off the cold. My necessities were a jacket, a high tech phone, and American currency. I had whatever else I needed that was included in a satchel on my back, it was protocol to leave fully equipped incase you got stranded.

The air felt moist on my skin, under my breath, something that I didn’t understand. I wasn’t familiar with the way water fell from the sky. It perplexed me.

I was left at a bus terminal. I had the coordinates on my device pulled up, so I hopped on a bus that took me into the city. The city seemed tired, and my stomach felt sick. I couldn’t pin point it. I knew I couldn’t stay long.

The rain wept through the clouds above, sunlight peeked in at every possible moment. The clouds were twisting and turning in on each other.  Rainbows arched high. I think I remember enough about rainbows, they looked so etherial. I felt an urge to run to the end of them. I recall something in the earthling lore— something known as YouTube. I was shown the time capsule of that man who was crying with glee as he found the end of one. It was intriguing enough for me, to wonder why rain falls and rainbows shine through tears. The colors were so vivid, compared to what I experienced day to day on my spacecraft. It was torture, to have to pull away every time, after each mission succeeded. I wanted to live in it, I wanted to live how they did, I didn’t want to have to control their lives like scientific puppetry.

The bus slowed, and I got off, near a bundle of food carts. I loved the idea of eating in the past, I couldn’t tell the commoners about my experiences, though. I couldn’t tell officials I was leaving the ship, this was all on my own accord. My secret to keep. I had to do it right.

Foods from different cultures wafted into my direction. I felt myself salivating instantly. How was I to chose? I knew I felt a connection deeper than I could explain, to this place, so could I trust my gut?

I walked up to a shop that sold something called Ramen, the thick broth people sipped on was so invigorating, the scent of unknown meats filled me with excitement.

“I’ll have whatever they’re having!” I told the person behind the counter, as I pointed to the table in the courtyard.

I had watched them collect their food and as they began eating, I knew it was what I needed.

“One Miso Tonkotsu for the lovely lady!” He hollered, as I payed and tipped a generous amount. That was a common thing here.

I stood around the food carts, seeing the families talking and playing in the court yard, as I wished for something different. I knew I was taken in the middle of the night, without my consent. I wish I could change it. I felt like my timeline was taken from me. I knew in another dimension she was probably shining through, doing something she loved, becoming unstoppable. They give you reasons but the reasons were never enough for me.

“We saved you from something that could have been your demise!”

It never sat right.

I nearly jumped with glee as they called my order.

“Aurora Jade, your order is ready!”

I came to the counter and collected my ramen, which was decorated with with what they called pork belly and soft boiled eggs, though the seaweed was confusing to me. It was green. They said they harvested it from the ocean. It boggled my mind, I had never been to the ocean before.

I trailed my way back to a table in the courtyard, the fire was lit and warming the air around me. The sun was low, but still there. Rain and wind were fleeting, the perfect atmosphere, I was told, to eat such a dish. I was lucky to try spirits, this ale was golden and foamy on top. I sat at my table and fell in love all over again. Why can’t I experience this every day? Where was the harm in that? The egg was gooey and golden in the center, the yolk was so soft and buttery. The noodles were chewy, they slurped up well and were freshly pulled.

The broth was thick, unlike other kinds of soups that I have tried prior. I have never tasted something so rich, and to be able to pair it with a Japanese ale, I was in heaven. Compared to the food they served us on the space craft… we should do some better bartering.

I was mid slurp into my noodles, configuring these chopsticks in my hands like an uncultured fool. I wasn’t from this timeline, I thought. People could give me grace.

“Excuse me,” A figure behind me said, and I jumped mid air out of my seat. I didn’t know how to react with the outsiders, unless I was told to do so. This was unscripted.

This wasn’t my world. I was to keep prim and proper.

“Um, yes?” I questioned mid chew, shaking like a leaf. What if the officials were here to collect me? No! They couldn’t have, I left no trace, I made sure of it.

“There’s no other seats, do you mind if I sit here?” The voice said. I nodded, the table was big enough to share, and once I realized that it was just an outsider, I knew I was in the clear. I just had to keep on good behavior.

The man sat down, and I shuddered in a way I didn’t understand. Something was taken from me. Somehow, I knew him.

This was the man I came to sit and watch. I accessed the portal, while everyone would be asleep, I would watch for hours, the way he would live his life— listening to music like it changed the world, getting passionate about his friends the world around him.

Oh shit. This is why I’m not meant to frequent this sector. I know I’m not meant to see him. I don’t understand. I began shaking nervously. Tears flooded my eyes. It was strange to happen in a world you didn’t know.

“Are you okay?” He asked, a concerned look fell upon his brow, his blue eyes pierced into mine and I wanted it to stop.

Don’t engage with the outside world.

You’re not supposed to engage with the outside world.

Only a second ago, I was just a wallflower, a outsider who frequented this realm at night when I wasn’t supposed to. I was supposed to be an observer, to see the algorithms and put things in place. I was known now. I had broken the moral code of my people.

His hand flew to my arm, trying to steady me. Electricity rushed through. Memories flashed back.

“Aurora?”

The question was weak on his lips. He was weary, as if he were trying to recall a dream from many moons ago.

I was not supposed to hold onto so many memories, they flooded at speeds I couldn’t decipher. They told me initially that I was fragile, and I was not to be meddling in places I wasn’t supposed to. It didn’t make sense to me, because my whole job was to meddle.

Tears flooded down my cheeks, I knew him, the man I watched from afar, being the observer I was, they stole me from him.

“Jed…”

“Where have you been?” He pondered, bringing his hand up to his chin, and then nervously into his hair. Lost in thought.

“I don’t understand, I thought you were dead. And for you to just turn up out of the blue at our favourite spot. What the hell are you playing at?” He paged through his thoughts, trying to piece it all together.

I accidentally touched a time capsule from the life that I left behind.

“They— they told you I was dead?” I frowned.

I didn’t understand, does that mean they have my name on a headstone? I remember who I was now, but what I was doing was inappropriate and out of line,

“I don’t remember, I don’t remember all of it, it was stolen from me,”

To explain to the boy that I loved as to why I left, I couldn’t. I was supposed to live on while he died in his time line. Thats why they didn’t want me to go back. That’s why I was to follow strict protocol.

My eyes narrowed. Jed was still in awe struck, he kept reaching out, touching my face, grasping at reality.

“You’re not going to believe me, I don’t understand fully myself. I don’t have all my memories.” I said, sternly.

We didn’t have much time, I was only frequenting for the food, the life around me I desperately wanted, until they would come steal me away along with my memories that seeped through the cracks.

I grabbed his hand and pulled him out of his seat. His body fell into mine, and I felt sparks fly, memories began resurfacing and tears flooded again.

The rain poured overhead, we stood our ground as we blurred in with the crowd, the people didn’t care about the showers. We didn’t either, it felt etherial. I felt his breath on my neck.

“This can’t be real, I went to your funeral, I saw your body in the casket, I saw it go underground,” he shuddered, I felt his body trembling as we collided.

My lips parted in shock as I heaved through each breath, trying to understand what they covered up. What did they do? Who did they put underground?

Who was I?

His hand trailed its way towards my waist, and soon I was as close as I could ever be. I felt like I was living in a dream. I could watch it from the portal, at night, while everyone was asleep.

I could dream of having a life— a family that wasn’t stranded on a space craft near Jupiter, being ordered around by beings who said you didn’t matter.

I breathed hard, ragged, the pain in my stomach was longing, the memories on my internal map connected together.

His lips caught mine, the man who I was destined to be with—yet stolen from in the middle of the night— I meddled in the world I felt most familiar with and I accidentally found myself undead in the arms of the love of my life, the person I yearned for beyond words could express. My breath caught in my throat as I remembered what it was like to come home to him, his scent lingered on my skin and his hugs gave me life in my chest. What it felt like to make love, it was distant, but still there. Our hearts beat as one, our minds found the world enticing and we often got lost in the music and beauty around us.

I remembered it. I didn’t want to. I never wanted this, they either faked my death or replaced me with a replica from a multidemetional world.

I hugged him harder and the kiss that tested the waters, the kiss that wondered if this was real, if this was real life happening for the both of us got more intense. It soon became a need. Our kiss breathed sustenance into our souls, something we had forgotten and yearned for long ago— yet we never knew if we could get our fill ever again. We held onto it for dear life, intertwined as one. I didn’t care that I had broken protocols, that I had followed a memory and ended up in the past. I was apart of it again, I was going to fight for him. I could take him with me, hide him from the officials and find a way to work him into the algorithm….

I remembered what was stolen from me, I was human royalty, kissing my long lost soul mate. I could change the path of history for him, I could face the damage.

I could see patterns, sequences that held us together.

I broke the kiss while both our minds went wild, raging with questions.

“I want you to come with me,” I said abruptly, my mind spiraled out of control.

“I don’t know how to explain everything to you, but your time line is almost out of life. It’s going to end soon.” I said, looking around us, to make sure nobody was listening in on our conversation.

His eyes looked tired, worried. Yet somehow he followed along, as if he understood what was to come.

“Jed, I’m not supposed to be here, I will have to go and never come back. If you leave with me now, I don’t know what will happen. I have my own space craft, my own rules, but I do not adhere to them. Come with me and you will leave the fate of this world.”

“I’ll come with you, but first off just let me finish this Gyro.” He said, solemnly.

Of all things to say in dire time, I laughed. Something I hadn’t done in a long time.

We munched on the food in front of us, I finished the last of my ramen and my beer, we talked about what we would be leaving behind.

We walked back, as the rain budged on, leaving us soaked and cold. I showed him the portal, and he didn’t waver.

We entered the portal, knowing that Jupiter looks mighty nice this time of year, the eye of the storm begging for attention. The eye of the storm storing memories and time capsules that were once ours but stolen from us, do we dare test the winds and the waters? Do we brave the storm?

No

BYD ticks on all columns

• Design
• Charging and Range
• Technology
• Price!!!!

The Premium of almost 50,000 to 80,000 Yuan to own a Tesla appears more and more vestigial today

China has brands for all segments now

• Wuling for budgets between 40,000 to 75,000 Yuan
• BYD, Geely, Zeekr for budgets between 75,000 Yuan to 200,000 Yuan
• Xpeng, Xiaomi, Nio, Li Auto for budgets between 200,000 Yuan to 350,000 Yuan

Not to mention custom made non mass produced EVs like Avatr that could cost 400,000 Yuan

---

Why would anyone buy a Tesla now?

The Average Charging for a Tesla is 275 Km for 15 minutes whereas a Chinese EV charges 328 Km in 11.5 minutes with BYD coming up with 408 Km in 5 Minutes recently

The Self Assisted Driving costing an extra $ 9,000 is beaten in price by BYDs God’s Eye which is Free Or Nio’s Sea Breeze which costs 4,400 Yuan for a lifetime subscription

You still have brand conscious Chinese who would buy a Tesla just for the brand

Same Chinese who like BMW, Audi and the Iphone

However they are far and few

Teslas future in China is in big doubt. BYD may take over the Gigafactory and purchase it from Tesla.

Texas Taco Salad

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef (95% lean)
• 1 cup shredded carrot (about 1 large carrot)
• 3/4 cup salsa
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 8 cups mixed salad greens
• 1/2 cup low-fat shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 medium tomato, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1/2 cup diced bell pepper
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
• Sliced black olives (optional)
• Salad dressing of choice (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add ground beef; cook for 8 to 10 minutes, breaking into 3/4 inch crumbles and stirring occasionally until meat is no longer pink. Pour off drippings, if any.
2. Stir in carrots, salsa, beans, cumin, chili powder and garlic powder; cook for 2 minutes. Remove skillet from heat.
3. Divide salad greens among 4 plates and top each with a quarter of the beef mixture. Top with cheese, tomato, pepper and onion. Garnish with sliced olives and salad dressing, if desired.

‘YOU DON’T LOVE ME” – DAVY KNOWLES @ Callahan’s, March 2017