When we (myself and my first wife) were “wandering” in the wilderness trying to “find our place” in life and society, and before we found training at China Lake NWC… we learned a lot of “shortcuts” on how to shower, cook and survive without the modern necessities that we take for granted in our households.
Today, we will chat about our short cut for baked sliced potatoes with onions and butter. Baked in aluminum foil.
And that was awesome!
We would pick up salt and pepper from the collections in various Fast Food restaurants. A few potatoes and onions were generally pretty cheap. And aluminum foil can last you a long time if you are careful.
You cut up the potatoes, and onions, add salt and pepper and butter if you have some. We would use a bottle of oil; olive oil is best. But it in a ball of aluminum foil and put that in the hot coals of fire. And it is so tasty. One of the quick cheap meals that we used to eat when living in the van.
I miss that. If you have the ability, I suggest that you make some up. You can add spam cut into cubes if you have them, hotdogs or even hamburger as well.
Yum.
Today…
Have you ever seen someone get fired for a terrible reason?
Yes, indeed, myself, and unknown to me at the time, my boss that was bragging about me and the fact that he had “imported” me from the north of Norway to the south one year before, (but I didn’t move half across the country for a job, I would never leave my home for a job, only for love.
This guy fired me a year later because I got attacked by an creep who came from behind knocking my head into a concrete wall so I collapsed and awoke at the hospital hours later, and I was accused of that it was my girlfriend who had assaulted me in public and had hit me so hard that I went down, KO, but the truth was I didn’t get attacked by my girlfrien, his wife left him at the time, obviously because he was just a lying bragging idiot that was not good at his job at all, his name was outside on the wall, but he had his employees to thank for his fortune that he had to share with his x wife. He blamed me for everything that went wrong, he blamed me because he lost a job because he had made the calculation wrong and used a fork when adding numbers instead of a single line pencil.
This could be the answer to ‘Did you ever see someone get divorced and deserved it, this guy had his comeuppance coming because of his idiotic behaviour, he sat and laughed of the company that I worked for when I was the foreman 26 years old, and it was because of this job he was laughing, we are the only company in a 500 miles radius who are good enough to take on this project, the exact project I lead and got done successfully with superior quality, thanks to great efforts by employees, and my almost compulsive quality control, the best revenge a person like me can have, to show that I am capable of doing a job, not only capable but also to do it fast and at top quality, and he fired the person who made most money for the company that I worked for the last year I worked there, tens of millions of NOK. The best revenge ever, and I didn’t even do or say anything, I just demanded respect for the job I was doing, and he did respect me when we met at night school to get the theory of this work done.
Thailand Attacks Cambodia – Border Dispute Goes Military
Thailand has attacked Cambodia with Rockets, over a disputed Border Area. At least twelve (12) are dead.
Cambodia is mobilizing its armed forces. Thailand is mobilizing its armed forces.
3:10 PM Eastern US time July 24, 2025. . . . .
Developing . . .
UPDATE —
U.S. has approved the Use of F-16 of Thailand Air Force to strike Chinese-backed militias of Cambodia.
Thai military dropping M261 and M472 mortar shells from a quadcopter onto Cambodian army ammunition depots on the border.
Thai artillery units have launched fire missions targeting Cambodian military positions.
Thai Air Force F-16 fighter jets strike Cambodian military positions south of Ta Muen Thom temple near the border:
CAMBODIA FIRES MLRS AT THAILAND!
Cambodian troops are shelling Buriram and Surin provinces in Thailand with BM-21 Grad/Type 81/Type 90B and PHL-81 MLRS.
Our experts completely misjudged China and its ability to innovate. Now they’re ahead everywhere.
This is perhaps his BEST BEST BEST video.
What are the things to know before moving to Alaska?
There’s a lot you should know before moving here. Making a list could take days to write out here, but here’s a few.
You’re only close to whatever conveniences you’re coming from in a handful of cities up here. With the exception of Fairbanks , Anchorage, Wasilla and Palmer, you’re going to be driving to get whatever you’re looking for.
It’s really cold in the winter. Not just freezing cold, but cold that will literally kill you if you mess up.
Thing’s are expensive. Unless you’re coming from New York City,San Francisco or Hawaii, you will immediately notice the cost difference.
There’s just as many mosquitoes up here as down there in lower 48.
Don’t worry about bears. It’s the moose that will kill you.
Do offer to help your neighbors. We’ve run into some of the finest people up here and they will check on you in return.
Don’t know what your politics are, but Alaska is deeply Red.
There’s also a gun culture here. Absolutely everyone has one. Even people not allowed to have one.
There’s a ton of drinking up here by folks. The same people are then on the road in dangerous weather.
Alaska is big. If you placed it in the middle of the US, it would stretch from above Minnesota/ Canadian border,down to Florida and across to California. It’s twice the size of Texas.
No,you can’t just find land and set up shop. Homesteading hasn’t been a thing in a long time. Someone owns the land you’re looking to settle.
I have a hobby of woodworking and fixing used cars. I suggest you plan on a hobby to for the winter months. After you work, there’s not a lot of time spent outside in the winter. For most people anyway. Probably why there’s a lot of drinking.. We also have series binge watching days on Showtime. We don’t have time during the Summer and are usually in Texas from Thanksgiving to Christmas. So, catching up on TV series is always fun for us.
You’re going to be hard pressed to find better scenery and I recommend traveling. The summers are short, but you have enough time to travel the state before winter sets in again. It’s truly a sport paradise.
They don’t pay you to come here and that” free money” thing takes 2 years to get. The permanent fund doesn’t pay that much. Don’t expect to become wealthy.
My advice would be to come up here in January first. See what you think. My wife and I came from Texas, but we’re both from the upper Midwest. We grew up in cold weather. If you’re coming from the South,this might not be the best idea. Come up when the weather is at it’s worst,and if it’s okay ,you will enjoy Alaska at it’s best.
Pepe Escobar: Trump AFRAID as Putin’s BRICS Shockwave WIPES OUT His Gamble
Anti-China funding cut
https://youtu.be/4-7sowHoNmk?feature=shared
With US funding freeze, China nonprofits are facing …
Labor accused of payback against think tank for its criticism of …
Foreign policy think tank ASPI set for public funding cut
US cedes ground to China with ‘self-inflicted wound’ …
Make no mistake, command and control will crush ASPI’s ...
US cuts to science and technology could fast-track China’s …
2 days ago — The race is tight, and now the Trump administration is slashing funding for the three national institutions that have underpinned science ...
Watch: Chinese Diplomat SCHOOLS Ex-US Vice President!
Bringing Back the Glow
Submitted into Contest #245 in response to: Set your story in a world where astrology and the movements of celestial bodies deeply impact the lives of inhabitants.… view prompt
Bob Faszczewski
It looked like the huge steam columns that once rose to heights of nearly 40 feet would shortly lay dormant. The Puritama hot springs, once famous for offering relaxing dips in their scenic warm water pools, faced transformation into frozen lakes.
The solution began to emerge from an unlikely source.
Researchers in NASA’s Goodard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD had been looking for a safe method of equipping future spacecraft for a possible launch to Uranus—the coldest planet in the solar system. Their research had estimated its surface temperature at negative 224 degrees centigrade.
They had developed a super high temperature capsule, which they would possibly launch into the atmosphere of Uranus prior to sending an exploratory probe to the planet. They hoped this would sufficiently heat the coldest planet in order to make space exploration there possible.
The scientists didn’t believe this capsule had yet reached the point where they could use it to address the planet-wide problem on Uranus, but they soon began work in adapting it to the emergency mission of returning the atmosphere to a level safe for the continuing existence of the human race.
When told about the crucial situation developing around the world, they admitted scientists from around the globe into their research circles, and increased the rapidly accumulating knowledge base while perfecting a vehicle to confront the current urgent situation.
The emergency also became the perfect testing ground, not only for climate control on Uranus, but also for future missions to expand global understanding of other concepts and discovery about more distant reaches of the universe that they hoped would solve even more of the Earth’s problems.
They launched a rocket from Goddard at 7 am Eastern Time on August 20, 2029. To meet the needs of the crisis the team also had sped up the timeline on the development of advances in the speed of travel across the galaxy. This enabled the craft to come within a safe distance of the Sun in only three months, half the previous travel time. It shot the low temperature capsule at the eclipse, and this created sufficient heat to reverse the freezing.
It took about a month for the intergalactic atmosphere to right itself and the world’s population and institutions to adjust, but things slowly returned to normal.
The Goddard scientists distributed copies of their discovery to colleagues around the world and the joint effort permanently reversed the effect of the summer, 2029 incident.
The joint research and resulting advances in technology helped create an unprecedented era of international cooperation that the world had not experienced in decades.
Peach Cobbler Supreme
Ingredients
- About 8 cups sliced fresh peaches
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 to 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/3 cup butter
- Any pastry for a double-crust pie
Instructions
- Combine first 4 ingredients in a Dutch oven; set aside until syrup forms.
- Bring peach mixture to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cook for 10 minutes or until tender.
- Remove from heat; add almond extract and butter, stirring until butter melts.
- Roll half of pastry to 1/8 inch thickness on lightly floured surface, and cut into an 8 inch square.
- Spoon half of peaches into a lightly buttered 8 inch square baking dish; top with pastry square.
- Bake at 425 degrees F for 14 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Spoon remaining peaches over baked pastry square.
- Roll out remaining pastry, and cut into 1-inch strips to arrange in lattice design over peaches.
- Continue to bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until browned.
The democratic world will have to get along without America. It may even have to defend itself from it.
~ Andrew Coyne, The Globe and Mail, February 14, 2025
I wonder if we have underestimated the gravity of the situation the democratic world faces.
Even now, as the United States hurtles toward autocracy – the petty grotesqueries perhaps tell the story better than anything else: a reporter barred from the White House for not using the name “Gulf of America,” President Donald Trump naming himself chair of the Kennedy Center by a “unanimous” vote of its board – the tendency is still to describe events in relatively conventional terms. For example, the “mistakes” that Mr. Trump is said to have made in his dealings with Vladimir Putin, of the United States as an “unreliable ally” under Mr. Trump, and so forth.
But that is not the situation we are now in. The policies on Ukraine announced, or rather confirmed this week by Mr. Trump and his Defence Secretary, Pete Hegseth – peace talks without Ukraine; Ukraine locked out of NATO membership indefinitely; Russia keeps all territories gained since its illegal and unprovoked invasion, because, as Mr. Trump said, “they lost a lot of soldiers” taking them – are not, as described, irresponsible concessions to Russia.
They are not concessions at all. They are demands, aimed not at Russia but at Ukraine, and presented to it jointly by the United States of Russia and America. They are of a piece with the Trump administration’s very clear signalling that it will not be bound by Article 5 of the NATO treaty – that the United States will not, as promised, come to Europe’s defence should Russia broaden its attacks on it, but will, as Mr. Trump so memorably put it, let them do “whatever the hell they want.”
That is not merely an abrogation of its treaty commitments, or an abdication of America’s historic responsibilities, or even a declaration that the way is now open for other hostile powers to launch attacks on democratic states. The United States, under Mr. Trump, cannot be considered an idle bystander in the great twilight struggle between the democracies and the dictatorships, as it was in the 1930s. It is now on the side of the dictatorships.
The United States that openly threatens to invade Panama or Denmark – or to annex Canada – has not just stepped outside international law, including the basic Westphalian proscription of attempts to alter borders by force. Neither does a country that launches trade wars on a different country every day, including countries with which it has longstanding free trade treaties, reveal a simple lack of commitment to a rules-based approach to international trade. It is engaged in an all-out assault on both. It has become an outlaw state.
And in this regard, too, it is aligning itself with the dictatorships. That is what dictatorships do. It is intrinsic to their nature. Just as they refuse to be bound by law internally – we are counting down the days to when the Trump administration defies its first court order – so they recognize no law in their dealings with other states. (Or rules of any kind: you’ll have noticed they also cheat at sports. As does Mr. Trump.)
It is not just that the democratic world can no longer count on America. It is that America, under Mr. Trump, is no longer necessarily part of the democratic world: neither fully democratic in its own affairs, nor committed to the welfare of other democracies, but hostile to both. If the international order is to be preserved, then, it will have to be preserved, in part, from the United States. Certainly it will have to be rebuilt without it.
Which means abandoning all attempts to propitiate Mr. Trump on military matters, in hopes of “keeping NATO together,” that is with the United States in it. Not only will that do nothing to strengthen NATO, an organization to which Mr. Trump is viscerally opposed, but our desire to strike a deal only invites him to use it against us, as an instrument of blackmail.
We need to face some unpleasant facts. NATO, as a transatlantic democratic alliance, is dead. Henceforth the defence of Europe will be the responsibility of Europe. (And the defence of Canada? Wedged as we are between the United States and Russia, with the North an increasingly tempting prize? We better get some allies, fast.)
The same applies to the World Trade Organization, or any of the other instruments of international co-operation developed after the Second World War, in which the United States played such a constructive part: they will have to be reconstituted, de jure or de facto, without it. We will need new defence alignments, different trade arrangements, the works.
That is not our choice. That is America’s, or at least the Trump administration’s. The democratic world must therefore regard and treat it as it does the other non-democracies: not as an ally to be consulted but as an adversary to be contained.
Andrew Coyne is a columnist in the Globe & Mail.
For those who don’t know who Andrew Coyne is, this summary from Quoran Brian Charles is worth reading:
That’s quite the article.
I’ve been reading and listening to Andrew for many, many years. He’s no alarmist. He’s irritatingly unbiased in his commentary and demonstrates sound judgement and a rational thinking. I’m actually rather shocked by the bluntness of his delivery, even though I’ve never heard him pull his punches.
Canadians, and the world should take heed.
A Nation With NO FUTURE! People are WAKING UP, and Realizing That They LOST EVERYTHING.
Very good video.
I enjoy the multi-generational homes angle.
Have you ever seen someone get fired for a terrible reason?
Me, twice. First was 10 months after I started at a Building Group. No reason given. Ho hum, Boss was a maniac anyway. Second terminated after 4 years at an Insurance Company for allegedly sending an email to a client. I had proof I didn’t send it. The reason I didn’t pursue a wrongful termination was, the Company actually offered me 4 weeks pay and the Fair Work people, who were surprised I was offered money when typically the reason given for termination meant they didn’t owe me anything, confirmed that upon pursuing the wrongful termination, the most I would win anyway was….4 weeks pay. I took the money, and landed a much better job with a Crematorium. Retired now.
What would Russia look like if they were managed by CCP Xi Jinping instead of Kremlin oligarches and FSB’s?
Impossible.
China and Russia have many similarities; otherwise, we wouldn’t have both chosen communism.
But we also have enormous differences.
There’s a book that’s banned in China, but I love reading, so I’ll go to any lengths, find any way, to read whatever books interest me.
The author of this banned book is Chinese.
He was a true gentleman. What a pity!
Alas, born at the wrong time.
In the 1950s, China was a desperately poor agricultural country. To secure industrial aid from the Soviet Union, it had to enact a law called the “Crime of Undermining Sino-Soviet Friendship.” Any speech hostile to the Soviet Union was a crime.
It was an expedient measure, alas!
But this book’s author didn’t understand that. He wrote honestly and argued, “We cannot completely lean toward the Soviet Union; our country must be independent and self-reliant.”
He wasn’t wrong.
But in that political climate, you couldn’t say that…
For committing the “Crime of Undermining Sino-Soviet Friendship,” he was sentenced to death, though it was commuted to 20 years of hard labor.
Isn’t that unreasonable?
Extremely unreasonable!
Seventy-five years later, I understand why that law existed back then.
At that time, China had no choice. The whole country was in abject poverty. In many places, entire families shared a single pair of pants—whoever went out wore them. Literacy rates dropped lower than they were in the year 1000. Even trees were nearly all burned for warmth. It was a land of despair.
Our only hope was industrialization. If the Soviet Union could help even a little, it would’ve made a huge difference.
The author wasn’t wrong, but he couldn’t say it out loud. Too many people wouldn’t understand, and there were plenty of opportunistic forces that would exploit it.
Twenty years later, after serving his 20 years of hard labor, the author was finally released!
By then, it was the time of the Sino-Soviet split, and relations had deteriorated…
He started speaking out again: “Yes, the Soviet Union… China… but… we must admit, the Soviet Union gave us tremendous help! So…”
So, this time, it was straight to the death penalty…
Was the death penalty fair?
No!
But in that era…
Alas! It’s like what Mao Zedong said: Newspapers can’t report bad news. Out of 100 events, 10 are bad and 90 are good, but the media will only cover the 10 bad ones. People will think the country’s done for, that 100% of it is bad. So we can only report 9 good things and 1 bad thing…
Does that violate freedom of speech?
Yes!
But was Mao wrong?
No, I think he was absolutely right. Because in that era, it had to be that way. Freedom of speech is a luxury, something a family can only consider after they’ve had enough to eat.
After being sentenced to death, the author managed to escape prison, swimming across an icy, bone-chilling river, and “defected” to the Soviet Union.
His defection was understandable—he just wanted to survive.
The KGB took a keen interest in him. He was Chinese, spoke Russian at a native level, and had been persecuted, so they wanted to recruit him as a spy. But he flatly refused, telling the KGB, “Impossible. I won’t betray my country.”
(There’s a detail here: Another PLA defector had fled to the Soviet Union for some reason. He assumed the political situation there was the same as in China. Every day, he bowed to a portrait of Brezhnev to report, while stomping on a Mao portrait he’d brought with him. The author said the Soviet soldiers guarding him were dumbfounded, unable to comprehend what this guy was doing. This defector had no value, so he was sent back to China. The Soviets mentioned his stomping on Mao’s portrait, and a few days later, he was executed.)
The author refused to work with the KGB, insisting he wouldn’t betray his homeland. In the end, he was sent to labor on a farm in the Far East.
Then comes the most astonishing part of his autobiography, something that shocked him and left me stunned too!
The higher-ups sent 10 tractors to the farm.
But no one drove them.
Because there was no diesel.
By the end of the year, the farm’s Party secretary gathered everyone to dismantle the 10 brand-new, never-used tractors—dismantle them, dismantle them, dismantle them…
Why?!
Because while the farm fell short on its grain quota, they could report to the higher-ups: “It’s not that we didn’t try; we had no diesel.”
But the higher-ups had another task: submit enough scrap metal.
They didn’t have scrap metal, so they dismantled the brand-new tractors and submitted them as scrap. That way, they could meet the quota.
As for the tractors, they’d just say they were worn out and request new ones from the higher-ups. Meanwhile, the tractor factory in Leningrad would get new production orders…
The author said his heart ached. In China, a tractor was treated like a precious treasure, yet the Soviets didn’t hesitate to tear apart brand-new ones for scrap!
When I read this part, I was floored.
Finally, I fucking understood how wealthy the Soviet Union was, how abundant its resources were!
(This author would be about 100 years old today. I wish him happiness and peace.)
MM AI art generations
What is the worst thing that can happen to the US?
We become isolated from the world and labelled a pariah state.
The US is 4.92% of the world’s population. 95% of the world are foreign citizens.
Even in early colonial times times we relied on trade.
The earliest settlements here were tobacco farms.
The settlers grew tobacco which was in high demand in Europe. Foreign ships came and picked up the tobacco and gave the settlers things they needed. Saws, hammers, nails, blankets, cloth, you name it.
Eventually that extended to all kinds of farm products.
The theory that we can cut off trade. Cut off our allies. Violate trade agreements. Abuse other countries in any way is going to backfire on us.
Canada for example can easily find other markeys for their lumber, oil, agricultural products. Last time we hit China with tariffs they stopped buying US soybeans and bought from Brazil instead. We had to bailout the US farmers to the time of $26 billion dollars.
We made $88 billions on those tariffs. All of it taxes from US companies. We paid out at least half of that on fixing that damage tariffs were causing.
Canada and Europe are already heavily boycotting US products. If the entire world gets on board with that we just lost 95% of our customers. Even if we only lose half of that it’s catastrophic.
People don’t like being strong armed or abused. Eventually they will find other buyers for their products and other sources for what they need.
After WW2 we were the only game in town.
Europe and Asia were all bombed out from the war. South America and Africa were still in the stone age. India was a backwater British colony.
Now China and India are manufacturing bases. England and France are really high end on Airbus and other aerospace products. South America is really big on agriculture. Other places have oil and large mineral deposits.
I don’t mind America First policy. What we seem to be doing is America Only policy.
That statement, “We don’t need anything from them. We have everything we need here.” is false.”
The only country doing that is North Korea. It’s a disaster.
Fair and well thought out trade is good for everybody.
Pissing off, strongarming,threatening other countries is only going to cause problems for everybody. Especially us.
What did you think of the spat between Trump and Zelenskyy?
Ukraine was always not only a Democrat client, but it also aggressively interfered in US politics, particularly against both of Trump’s campaigns.
First, Ukraine invented the so-called “Yanukovich’s black ledger” on behalf of Clinton’s campaign in order to cut off Manafort, hoping it would ruin Trump’s chances for election. The Russian intelligence actually revealed a wiretap where the Ukrainian security chief bragged of how skillfully he managed to frame him.
Paul Manafort was an advisor of pre-Maidan Ukrainian President Yanukovich before leading a Trump’s campaign.
Then Trump was elected nonetheless, and Zelensky became President replacing the Poroshenko’s regime. Trump saw it as an opportunity to fix relations and planned to send Giuliani to examine the “black ledger” as well as the details of Hunter Biden’s Burisma affair, which included bribery and kickbacks to the Democratic establishment. Zelensky did not openly object, but he imprisoned or killed all whistleblowers on the Ukrainian side, and intelligence emerged that he plans provocations against Guiliani once he arrives in Kiev.
Guiliani’s attempted inquiry into Democrat-Nazi ties.
If that wasn’t enough, Zelensky’s September 2024 visit to the United States was part of the Democratic campaign against Trump.
Zelensky is arriving to arms factory in Pennsylvania to praise Democrats for their support.
Zelensky clearly saw Trump as his personal enemy, and it is not surprising that mutual feelings developed on the opposite side.
Sir Whiskerton and Pistachio’s Perpetual Parade: A Tale of Circles, Chaos, and Cat-like Cunning
Ah, dear reader, prepare yourself for a tale of endless loops, formal feathers, and one very determined ostrich who just couldn’t find her way. Today’s story is one of directionless determination, farmyard folly, and a cat who proved that sometimes, a little guidance is all you need to avoid a watery disaster. So, grab your sense of humor and a compass (just in case), as we dive into Sir Whiskerton and Pistachio’s Perpetual Parade: A Tale of Circles, Chaos, and Cat-like Cunning.
The Parade Proposal
It all began on a quiet morning when Pistachio the ostrich, ever the formal and absent-minded creature, decided to organize a parade. “A parade!” she declared, fluffing her feathers with pride. “A grand, formal procession to celebrate… well, nothing in particular. But isn’t that the best kind of celebration?”
The animals, always up for a bit of excitement, were intrigued. “A parade?” Doris the hen squawked, flapping her wings. “What a marvelous idea!”
“Marvelous!” Harriet echoed, tilting her head.
“Head!” Lillian added, fainting dramatically onto a pile of straw.
Even Rufus the dog, usually more interested in napping, wagged his tail. “I’ll lead the parade!” he barked. “I’ve got the perfect howl for it.”
Pistachio nodded approvingly. “Excellent! We shall march around the farm in a dignified manner, showcasing our unity and… uh… whatever else parades are supposed to showcase.”
The Parade Begins
With great fanfare (and a lot of clucking, quacking, and oinking), the parade began. Pistachio led the way, her long neck held high and her feathers impeccably groomed. Behind her marched the hens, the geese, the pigs, and even Ferdinand the duck, who insisted on singing his latest operatic quack.
But as the parade progressed, something strange began to happen. Pistachio, in her usual absent-minded fashion, forgot where the starting line was. “Hmm,” she said, tapping her beak with a wing. “I’m sure it was around here somewhere.”
And so, she kept walking… in circles.
The Perpetual Problem
At first, the animals didn’t notice. They were too busy enjoying the pomp and circumstance of the parade. But after the third lap around the barn, Doris began to grow suspicious. “Pistachio,” she squawked, “are we… going in circles?”
“Circles!” Harriet echoed.
“Echoed!” Lillian added, fainting again.
Pistachio blinked. “Nonsense! We’re simply… uh… taking the scenic route.”
But as the parade continued, it became clear that Pistachio had no idea where she was going. The animals grew tired, the pigs began to grumble, and Ferdinand’s operatic quacks turned into frustrated squawks.
Sir Whiskerton Steps In
Seeing the chaos unfold, I knew it was time to intervene. “Pistachio,” I said, leaping onto a hay bale to get her attention, “you’re leading the parade straight into the pond.”
Pistachio stopped mid-stride and looked around. “The pond? Oh dear. That wouldn’t be very dignified, would it?”
“No,” I said, flicking my tail. “It wouldn’t. But don’t worry. I’ll help you find the right direction.”
The Solution
With a little feline ingenuity, I devised a plan. I enlisted the help of Rufus, whose keen nose could sniff out the starting line, and Count Catula, whose dramatic flair could keep the animals entertained while we sorted things out.
“Rufus,” I said, “follow the scent of the parade’s starting point. Count Catula, keep the animals distracted with your… uh… vampire theatrics.”
Count Catula grinned, sweeping his velvet cape dramatically. “Leave it to me, Sir Whiskerton. I shall regale them with tales of eternal darkness and… uh… bat-related puns.”
As Count Catula entertained the animals with his dramatic monologue, Rufus sniffed out the starting line. “Found it!” he barked, wagging his tail. “It’s right over here.”
The Moral of the Story
With the starting line rediscovered, Pistachio led the parade to a triumphant conclusion. The animals cheered, the farmer (who had been napping in the barn) woke up to join the festivities, and even Pistachio managed to stay on track—for once.
The moral of the story, dear reader, is this: Sometimes, direction is more important than determination. No matter how grand your plans or how formal your feathers, without a clear path, you might just end up walking in circles—or worse, straight into a pond.
A Happy Ending
With the parade successfully concluded, the farm returned to its usual state of peaceful chaos. Pistachio, though still a bit absent-minded, promised to plan her next parade with a map—or at least a compass. The animals, tired but happy, returned to their usual routines, and even Count Catula found a new appreciation for his role as the farm’s resident drama king.
As for me, I returned to my favorite sunbeam on the barn roof, content in the knowledge that I had once again saved the day. The parade was over, the pond was safe, and all was right in the world.
And so, dear reader, we leave our heroes with the promise of new adventures, new parades, and hopefully, no more circles. Until next time, may your days be filled with laughter, love, and just a little bit of feline genius.
The End.
How does the quality of the Chinese Military compare with countries like the United States and other powerful nations?
Military power is a reflection of a nation’s technological advancements and progress. It serves as an indication of a country’s influence and strength on the world stage. When I asked ChatGPT if China is a superpower, it gave a positive answer and explained the reasons in terms of technology, industrial development, scientific progress, and other aspects like population size.
It’s often said—though not based on any concrete facts I’ve observed or data from authoritative sources—that China’s industrial system is nearly self-sufficient. The only missing part has been high-tech microchips, but this gap is expected to be filled in the coming years. Once that happens, China could become a flawless industrial manufacturing powerhouse, capable of producing anything in the world at the lowest cost and highest efficiency.
Humanoid robots are advancing rapidly, and robotic dogs have already been deployed in military operations. Imagine millions of these robots charging toward you in battle. This could become a reality if China decides to mobilize them in defense of its interests. Drones are also becoming an increasingly significant weapon in warfare, and China has the potential to produce the best and most cost-effective products in the world.
By 2024, China will have the largest fleet of industrial robots, surpassing all other countries combined. As for its military assets, China boasts cutting-edge stealth planes, sea cruisers, aircraft carriers, and even a man-made sun. It is also the only nation to have an independently operated space station, soon to be the only one in the universe. China is making steady progress toward lunar exploration, Mars, and other ambitious goals, with deliberate, powerful strides toward future domination of space.
How could such a country lack the ability to control the quality of its weapons? This nation has learned from its past, a past marked by humiliation a hundred years ago. Despite that painful history, China has emerged stronger, having learned from the mistakes of poor-quality weapons. The whole nation is reflective of that history, and it has led to deep regret but also incredible progress in military and industrial capabilities.
So, don’t challenge China with weapons. They already have better ones—available in large quantities and of top-notch quality.
How can US manufacturing catch up with China’s lead when China has cheap energy, ready access to rare earths, and huge numbers of engineers daily launching new open-source products and technologies, such as DeepSeek and Unitree do in 2025?
It can’t as is being aptly demonstrated at the moment the US has no plan it’s just a mash of random thoughts. China has a plan to improve its citizens lives by investing in the country. Education to give it an edge & allow its citizens to earn more & improve their standard of life. It needs this for the techs it has prioritised it should be world leader in & robotics to take over the menial jobs. It has also invested in infrastructure so it has an unmatched supply chain which brings down costs & promotes fast development. Apples efforts at building an EV failed but Xiaomi managed the transition easily enough by drawing on that knowledge in the supply chain.
You mention rare earths & I might be wrong but to my knowledge China is the only country that knows how to process the rarer heavy rare earths. The few countries that can do it use Chinese equipment.
It would take huge investment by the US to close the gap investing in education & infrastructure so it’s not a quick fix. The US already pays huge wages to poach the best from round the world because they don’t have the skills, around 45% of those earning big wages in Silicon Valley for example we’re not born in the US.
The US sat & watched Chinas rise & did nothing despite it being obvious by just looking at its GDP growth since 2005. Then when it started becoming a real threat it still did little except try to slow China down! Now that ship has sailed China is a major player or the player in around 75% of the major technologies. The US answer seems to be to deny China access to the technologies the US still excels at by preventing their sale to them, China therefore has no choice but to develop it themselves. This is crazy China was happy with the US companies being part of the supply chain instead of the competition.
I see no way for the US to catch up even if by some miracle they put somebody sensible in charge any progress they make will be destroyed by the next administration. The current one in my view is shoring up the US with short term thinking that will impact it dreadfully down the line, I expect the US to fall further behind.
Rustic Southern Sweet Potato Pie
Ingredients
Filling
- 2 large yams
- 2 large sweet potatoes
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 stick butter (melted)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons butter
Dough
- 3 cups flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole milk
Egg Wash
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
Filling
- In a large pot, boil yams and potatoes for about one hour or until tender.
- Drain water and let potatoes cool.
- When cool enough to handle, peel skins off and place yams and potatoes in a ricer or potato masher.
- In a bowl, combine yams and potatoes, sugar, melted butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and vanilla extract. Mix well.
Dough
- Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a small saucepan, heat the butter until it turns golden brown. When done, it should have a nutty-like aroma.
- Remove from heat and let cool.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, salt and sugar, mixing well.
- In another bowl, whisk together olive oil, vanilla extract, milk and melted butter.
- Pour into the flour mixture and mix with a fork. Dough should hold together. If too crumbly, add ice water, a tablespoon at a time.
- Cover and let sit for about a half an hour.
Assembly
- On a floured surface, roll out dough to fit a 14 inch round or rectangular baking pan. Place dough on pan.
- Spoon filling into the center of the dough, leaving about a 1 1/2 inch border. Gently fold the sides of the dough up and over some of the filling.
Egg Wash
- Mix the egg and tablespoon of milk together with a fork.
- Coat the bread with egg wash using a pasty brush.
- Sprinkle with sugar.
- Bake for about 45 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
- Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
What measures are in place to prevent other countries from flooding our markets with goods and harming our businesses if there are no tariffs?
What a stupid question. Why are you not thinking about consumers? In China, I saw BYD hybrid vehicles that can go 2000 kilometers on a full tank of gas and a full battery charge. They were similar to a Toyota Camry but cost around USD$18,000 with a lot of bells and whistles included. The savings in fuel would cover the total cost of the vehicle in about ten years. Is the US better off because consumers are forced to pay $60K for similar vehicles?
If China can sell steel to American companies for 15% less than steel that comes from domestic sources is the US economy hurt? What about US workers? Sure, steel workers who are emplyed by inefficient factories will lose their jobs. But the lower cost of steel means more manufacturing jobs as well as lower consumer prices.
Questions like this are telling. Few people understand economics.
A Danish Pilot Declassified Information About The Death of a NATO F-16 Fighter Pilot in ‘Kryvyi Rih’
What is the creepiest unexplained event you know of?
Many years ago, my mum was working as a mental health nurse in an institution. She had a patient that was usually lovely and so one to one care was fine. One day my mum took this patient for a bath.
The phone rang on the ward, it was my gran. The ward nurse answered the phone and spoke to my gran who told her she had to talk to my mum. When the ward nurse asked why she said:
‘I don’t know why I need to talk to her, but I really need to talk to her, please go and get her’
After a while of back and forth the nurse gave in and went to get my mum to talk to my gran. When she entered the washroom, she saw the patient holding my mums head under the water. It took three members of staff to get this woman off of mum.
If my gran hadn’t got the weird feeling that she had to speak to mum immediately, my mum probably would have died.
The Astrocracy
Submitted into Contest #245 in response to: Set your story in a world where astrology and the movements of celestial bodies deeply impact the lives of inhabitants.… view prompt
A. L. Cranston
She must share her warning.
Breathless and weary from her journey, Eris pushes open the heavy door and steps into the dimly lit chamber, where the rebel leaders await her arrival with trepidation. Ragged, her heart pounding with urgency, she is met with a chorus of concerned faces drawn with worry, their eyes reflecting the dim light of the fire.
“Eris, you’ve returned!” Luna exclaimed. Eris could sense relief wash over her friend as they embrace. “What news do you bring?”
She gravely approaches the assembled rebel leaders, her voice trembling with the weight of the information she carries.
“I’ve uncovered something,” Eris begins, her words rushed yet deliberate. “Something that threatens us all—Sol’s plans for the Celestial Convergence.”
The room falls silent, the gravity of Eris’s words gnaw the air. The Clayborn exchange incredulous glances.
“The Celestial Convergence?” Rory echoes, her voice barely above a whisper. “But that’s… that’s impossible.”
Eris nods solemnly, her expression grave. “I wish it were, but it’s true.”
The room erupts into murmurs of disbelief and fear as the Clayborn grapple with the enormity of the threat they face. But amidst the chaos, Eris’s voice rings out with unwavering resolve.
“We cannot let this happen,” she declares, her eyes blazing. “We must rally our forces and stand against the Astrocracy with everything we have. The fate of Nova City—and our freedom—depends on it.”
The Clayborn rebels recognize that they cannot defeat the Astrocracy alone. They embark on a campaign to gather allies from all walks of life, from sympathetic factions within the city to former members of the council who have grown disillusioned with Sol’s rule.
Knowing that the city’s leadership relies heavily on astrological infrastructure to maintain control, the rebels target key installations and facilities, sabotaging astrological observatories, disrupting communication networks, and undermining the credibility of its mandates. By sowing chaos and confusion within the Astrocracy’s ranks, they pave the way for revolution.
With the revelation of Sol’s plans and the growing discontent among the populace, the Clayborn launch a propaganda campaign to mobilize the masses. They distribute pamphlets, broadcast messages of defiance, and organize protests and demonstrations, spreading word of the rebellion and inspiring hope throughout Nova City.
As tensions escalate and the Astrocracy’s grip on power weakens, the rebels prepare for a final showdown with Sol and his loyalists. They arm themselves and prepare to storm the heart of Nova City where Sol’s power is strongest. In a climactic battle below the Zodiac Palace, the rebels face off against the Sol and his council. The Clayborn advance on the city’s army, but they are quickly overpowered due to Sol’s control over cosmic energy.
Meanwhile, Eris goes alone to the Zodiac Palace to face her greatest adversary. Sol, resplendent in his regal robes and adorned with the symbols of his divine power, regards Eris with eyes like twin stars burning.
“You cannot defy the planets, Eris,” Sol’s voice rang out through the palace chamber like a thunderclap. “Your rebellion is futile. Surrender now, and perhaps your punishment will be merciful.”
With a flick of his wrist, Sol unleashes a dazzling light beam that threatens to consume Eris in its fiery embrace. Eris stands her ground, her own inner strength shielding her from the attack.
“I will never surrender to tyranny, Sol,” she declared. “The people have risen against you, and your reign of oppression will crumble beneath the weight of our defiance.”
Sol, his form wreathed in shimmering starlight, raises his hands skyward, calling upon a swirling vortex which he hurtles towards Eris with unstoppable force.
Eris reacts by emitting her own magical barrier of shimmering energy to deflect Sol’s powerful blast. As the celestial energies collide, the air crackles with electricity, warping and twisting the very fabric of reality under the strain. Eris grits her teeth, her muscles tremble with the effort of holding back Sol’s relentless assault. With a primal roar of defiance, she pushes against the onslaught and her own energies merge with Sol’s.
For what feels like an eternity, the two adversaries lock horns in a titanic struggle, and the Zodiac Palace echoes with the sound of their clash. At last, in a final burst of light and power, Eris unleashes her full strength, channeling the very essence of the Clayborn rebellion into a single, decisive blow shattering Sol’s defenses, sending the astral tyrant reeling backwards in shock and disbelief. As Sol’s form dissolves into a swirling pool of light, Eris stands victorious, her heart pounding with exhilaration and relief. The battle below the palace is also triumphant for the Clayborn as the remaining astrocrats flee for their lives.
Now the hard work begins.
With the Astrocratic regime dismantled, a new system of governance based on democratic principles is formed. Recognizing the deep divisions and wounds inflicted by years of oppression, the new Clayborn Republic prioritizes reconciliation and healing. They establish commissions to address past injustices, promote dialogue and understanding between former adversaries, and provide support to those affected by Sol’s reign of terror. Despite their victory over the Astrocracy, the new Clayborn Republic remains vigilant against the resurgence of social hierarchy. They establish mechanisms for celestial oversight to ensure that no individual or group can wield unchecked power or exploit vulnerabilities. They invest in education, healthcare, and social services to uplift marginalized communities.
As a new dawn breaks over Nova City, the Clayborn Republic leads their fellow citizens into a brighter future guided by their choices on Earth, not by the edict of the stars.
Ukrainian Mother Breaks Down Seeing China After Escaping War : This Only Happens in Fairy Tales
What is the reason for China’s continued willingness to trade with the US despite facing tariffs?
China trades with the world. Foreign trade had driven its growth, and remains a significant force. Trade benefits all the trading partners. Why should China stop trading with the US? It is an important market.
Sanctions and tariffs hurt both sides. The evidence suggests they caused more pain for US than China.
China has been able to overcome the sanctions. US importers and consumers pay the tariffs. China has grown its exports to other countries to replace the US, notably the global south countries. Trade surplus of $990 billion in 2024 testifies it. This is an unprecedented sum in the annals of foreign trade.
US tech companies lost revenue and market share in China. This is well-known. Less known is how it impacts their capex and R&D. Then there are the hidden costs. The most expensive is the sanctions blinded the US about the developments in China.
US betted huge in AI. Billions of dollars have been invested in the belief that computing power will ensure it remains in the forefront of the technology, and in the promise of rich returns. A handful of firms stand to reap the monopoly-like rents, amongst them, Nvidia (chips), OpenAI (ChatGPT), Google (Gemini), and Meta (Llama).
The $500 billion AI fund announced by Masayoshi Son (Softbank), Sam Altman (OpenAI), and Larry Ellison (Oracle), and graced by President Trump, was to make sure that US leadership is unassailable.
In December last year, DeepSeek released the v3 model. On 20 January, it open-sourced the R1 model. Within days of this release, DeepSeek’s chatbot was the most downloaded app on the iPhone. On 27 January, investors realized just how good v3 and R1 models were. They wiped $1 trillion off the market capitalisation of US tech listed firms. Nvidia alone accounted for $600 billion.
These are unprecedented one-day losses. But the significance goes deeper. The whole idea of rich returns from big investments to build computing power, is thrown in the wind. DeepSeek has shown algorithm efficiency and innovations can produce models that are cheap, fast, and good. Accountants will have to decide how to value the vast investments that had been made. The $500 billion AI fund will have to go back to the drawing board.
US is aghast and angry. Its response is typical. DeepSeek is banned here, banned there. USN forbids its personnel using it. DeepSeek is accused of copying and distillation.
The contrast on the China side is startling. On 17 February, President Xi Jinping held a meeting with leaders of tens of China’s high tech companies. It was a meeting of collaboration to map out the strategy of tech growth.
What did Xi tell the leaders? He told them – the opportunities are immense. It is time to use their talents. This is a clarion call from the position of confidence.
Is there a photo that depicts the lowest point in your life?
Me and my daughter.
I — 22 years old.
My daughter — 2 weeks.
You may wonder. Shouldn’t having a new baby be the happiest time in your life? Especially your first child.
That day was the day I found out my boyfriend, the father of my daughter, was cheating on me.
I put on my makeup and make-up for the first time since giving birth, just to hopefully look good again for him. Or for someone. Anyone. I’ve never felt so sad before.
I went to the park to spend some time with my daughter while thinking about many things. You might judge me because my daughter is still very young and a newborn, but I had to get out of the house. I took a picture of the two of us as a documentation of my daughter’s first time in the park.
I wasn’t even mad at my boyfriend as you might imagine. I was mad at myself. I truly felt like the biggest failure. How could I have chosen such an evil partner. An evil father to my beautiful daughter, my most precious gift. My daughter had been everything to me since the day I knew I would have her, and I had failed her before her life had even begun.
A month later, I finally confronted my boyfriend about his cheating. We got into an argument, which led to him physically attacking me. It wasn’t the first time this had happened, but it was by far the worst.
I was so proud that I left the house the next day while my boyfriend was at work. It was the hardest thing I have ever done, but now I can look my daughter in the eye without feeling guilty. I know I gave my daughter the best life I could have, that is all I could have done. I have to forgive myself for choosing him as my daughter’s father, otherwise it will only ruin my life.
I share my story so that anyone out there who is in an abusive relationship can see that you can leave.
Edit: I added a picture of us to show that we are doing well now. My daughter’s first birthday is tomorrow.
Another tariffs increase on China last night!
China is prepared to face the consequences of Americans buying less as these tariffs would have to be paid by the American importers and then added to the purchase prices to be paid by the American consumers.
Impact to China’s GDP would be far less as they divert their economy towards domestic consumption and sell more to Europe, Russia, ASEAN, Africa, Latin America and the Global South.
Inflationary pressure would be felt by all Americans soon unless they can replace Chinese goods with others or their own manufactured goods. But which other countries are not facing an increase in American import tariffs? Limited choices.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Interesting about Chinese innovation. I checked in on an old site I used to visit from time to time, an otherwise very knowledgeable guy who many people rely on for financial advice, and I guess made or still make investments on that advice. I stopped visiting in early 2022, when he began forecasting that British Challenger tanks– with impenetrable Chobham Armour, don’tcha know (🤣)– would cut through the Russian defensive lines “like knives through hot butter”, sending underfed Russian conscripts running back to Mom-ski, and blasting Russian turrets into low orbit as they went about their way to Vladivostok.
(In the end I think 2 Challengers were battlefield tested and promptly destroyed by Russian artillery, before the British refused to send any more because the Saudis– with whom they’d signed a massive contract for dozens of units– started questioning the tank’s performance, and now may very well cancel and buy Russian or Chinese makes instead.
You couldn’t make it up if you tried, right? sheer comedy gold.)
Anyway, the financial expert recently claimed with a totally straight face that “the Chinese still couldn’t innovate a toilet seat” which will “ultimately finish off” their economic domination in “second place to the US”, where they are placed now(!)… and the hundreds of comments for the most part agreed. And will probably make financial decisions based on that sterling advice.
The only logical explanation for such monstrous ignorance of real economic reality is that the far out conspiracy claims that the internet in 2025 really is 100% controlled, and anyone with a large following and anything relevant to say has either been paid off or, more likely, was always just fake– set up in place years ago, awaiting orders to shovel up the horse shit and start spraying. Throw in pulsed, deep black originated EMF signals resonated in test fields with injected mystery quaxx material, and you have innumerous lemons just waiting to be squeezed.
2025, indeed. The Greatest Show on Earth was never better.
The AI nude photos are realistic, but I have to scroll down quickly to avoid my family member see it and think I’m watching porn or something. I think I’m lustful, maybe I have those elements join to the other part.
====
After I read MM’s video – “Domain Commander Comm The Other Frankensteins”, maybe my construct is with Domain member and the other rust things, some of which maybe from the member of Old Empire.
I know how many Domain members and Domain volunteers on this Earth, and now I’m sure that’s real. To me, also the range between 127 and 130, and maybe 200 in base 8→128, or a bit fewer, 127. And why 130 ? The summary of the numbers of座號of me and the one of my classmate is 13, disassemble, construct, 13. I can’t such easily meet her, and it’s seem here’re power keep trying to seperate me and her, and I don’t have the connection way with her for now. How about the power, it’s some how like keep trying to avoid the Old Empire crack if it’s still exist, but if it’s exist, I will destroy it again.
I don’t know is the girl MM talk about in the video same person with my classmate. Maybe that’s my imagine again.
===== ===== =====
I want to ask Domain Commander: “What can I help?”
Or I will need to wait me to guide myself.
First Pakistan and India, then Iran and Israel… and now, Cambodia and Thailand
That’s three new wars opened in the same year, half a year, that is. The time between the Russian-Ukraine war and the War against Hamas (aka Gazan Genocide) was about a year and a half, so to have three major conflicts spark (with Thailand now declaring full on war against Cambodia tells me that the Western psychos in charge are desperate to spark conflict against China. The frequency of these big flare-ups entail how desperate and frantic they are becoming, and if they do not stop, they will incur China’s Wrath (and it will use nukes).
Add to the fact that Israeli Mossad agents are sabotaging and attempting assassinations in Iran, and there’s a good chance Iran is going to fight Israel once again; albeit this time, things will get far worse for Israel and the US because they are far better prepared and armed and have more incentive to economically choke the West if their comrade, China, is to enter conflict as well.
Get ready. The Old Empire schmucks are sputtering out; and they are ready to flip the table.
We need the world “back in working order”.