My brother used to sneak into my kid sisters room and try on her clothing.
This constantly stretched her clothing, and they would eventually lose their elasticity.
Oh, and my kid sister was always so furious about this.
Now, I have no clue as to why he did this. maybe it might be a sexual perversion of some order, but I really doubt that. i think it was just mischievous boyhood curiosity.
Oh, I’m sure that he was just being a jackass to my youngest kid-sister; as he loved to tease her all the time. But, as an adult, and looking back, some of these tricks and adventures of him were more than just a “little” off the wall.
So yeah, when my little brother was in middle school he went through a phase of teasing and cross-dressing. Weird shit. I’ll tell you what.
But harmless.
Nothing other than that ever came of it. And I’m fine with that either way. LOL.
Funny things to look back on. I’ll tell youse guys what.
Today…
Do you know what happened to the smartest student in your class?
My graduating class was 77 students, small town. The smartest person in my class was actually the younger brother of one of my best friends. Even in High School he was he go to person for anything in town that required a piano player, school plays, choir performances, graduations and community sing along. He would “practice” the piano while reading a book. He was also probably autistic, but refused to get a diagnosis. He wanted to attend college and study music, his parents wouldn’t let him, so he studied computer science (this was the late 70’s) much like me it took him 5 years to complete his bachelor’s degree. He had a difficult time getting or holding a job due to his social awkwardness. Eventually he moved back into his mother’s home and lived with her after his father died. He played piano and organ at some of the churches in town and eked out a living. His mother passed and he continued to live in the farmhouse but had to interact more with his sister and brothers. The last time I saw him was in 2010 which was 33 years after we graduated from High School. Our school has an alumni banquet every 5 years and I attended. I sat at a table with my friend, him, his older brother and one of my brothers. In the 40 years That I had known him this was the first time I saw him acting what we would consider normal. He had found a part time job and was still playing piano for local churches. He had done some piano for the local Catholic Church and they recommended him to the Catholic schools in the nearest city and had been doing a lot of work with their students. This included doing piano for their plays, choir concerts and accompanying students in vocal contests and I think he was “coaching” some of their piano students as well. Even though he was a non-smoker about 8–9 years ago he got lung cancer and it killed him a few years later. He had been a lifelong member of one of the Protestant churches but the parish priest of the Catholic Church reached out to inquire about the funeral. Basically they determined that the church he grew up in wouldn’t be “large” enough and the Catholic parish hosted the funeral with both the Congregationalist minister and the Catholic priest co-officiating. Many of the current and past students he had worked with at the Catholic high school came to the funeral. Several years later they were still posting things on his Facebook page about some of their musical accomplishments and thanking him for his help. Seems when he did music and taught music and talked about music he was able to interact with others normally. His parents had coached him into computer science with the assumption he could make good money with a computer degree but it never worked out for him. It is sad that had they let him follow his passion and study music he probably would of had a richer, happier and more prosperous life. Yes he was smart, I didn’t mention he was a full year younger than me because he skipped a grade in elementary school. Had he been allowed to pursue his passion earlier I do believe that he would of made a significant impact in some aspect of music, not as a performer or teacher but as a composer, producer or arranger. I could easily see him managing the musical scores for movie, TV or musicals. His impact would been so much more than the few hundred high school students he “did” music with. Rest In Peace Dave, I’m guessing God called you home early because he needed a piano player.
ABC Sandwich
This was a specialty of the now-closed Pittman House Restaurant in Dallas, Texas.
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup minced scallions
- 2 tablespoons brandy
- 1/4 teaspoon coarsely-ground black pepper
- 18 slices toasted whole-wheat bread
- Leaf lettuce
- 12 ounces crabmeat, picked over well to remove any shells
- Tomato slices
- 12 slices slab bacon, cut in half, cooked crisp and drained
- 2 avocados, sliced
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, scallion and brandy, mixing well.
- For each sandwich, spread three pieces of bread with a portion of the mayonnaise mixture.
- Cover the first slice of bread with lettuce leaves, 2 ounces of crabmeat, and one or two tomato slices.
- Add the second slice of bread, and top t with the four half-slices of bacon, a layer of avocado slices, another tomato slice or two, and more lettuce.
- Cover with the third slice of bread, secure the sandwich with wooden picks, if you like, and slice it in half.
- Serve the sandwiches immediately.
“Trump Just Made EVERYTHING WORSE!!” – Richard Wolff’s Terrifying Prediction
Are the Chinese tired at all the tariffs and economic sanctions hurled at them, and are they getting more invigorated to hurl back?
FM Wang Yi, at the press conference during the Two Sessions asked US the following questions:
Has it (US) gained from the tariff war and trade war in recent years?
Has the trade deficit expanded or shrank?
Has the competitiveness of the manufacturing industry increased or decreased?
Has inflation improved or worsened?
Has the people’s lives improved or worsened?
These questions reflect the sense of tiredness and irritation, probably also bewilderment – how can a country which claims it has a wonderful economy and the leader in the world acts so senselessly?
The Two Sessions did not make any mention of the US. Its reference to the difficult external situation is the world at large. It left unsaid the concern that Trump’s tariff spree will harm the world’s economy. US does not hold any pole position in China’s trade and economy.
You are right that China is ready to retaliate. It is capable and has the means to do so. It will retaliate in ways it deems fit, calculative and calibrated.
Not just tariff for tariff, but tariffs that are advantageous. It imposed 10% and 15% on US coal, crude oil, LNG, heavy engine vehicles, and agricultural & aquatic products, including soybean. The goods are mostly from Republican-controlled states. China has multiple alternative sources for them. It is in a good place to force US exporters to bear the tariffs, or it could just not buy US. Example: On 4 March, it cancelled the orders of soybean from 3 US companies.
China went beyond tariffs into sanctions. Multiple more minerals and tens of US companies are placed on its export control list, tens more are placed on its unreliable entity list, multiple companies are under investigations for monopolistic practices, and it instituted anti-dumping investigations into US fibre-optic products.
It had earlier banned the export of several critical minerals and rare earth technologies to the US. US defense contractors are scrambling for supply of the minerals, and are forced to delay projects and deliveries.
Companies in the export control list require special approval to buy dual-use and export control goods made by China. Japanese companies lamented they are not able to buy such goods and rare earth minerals on behalf of their US customers. Companies in the unreliable entity list are banned from trading with China.
China prefers good relations, but if it has to fight, it is willing and able to do so by any means whatsoever.
Has Vietnam always been the weakest of the sinosphere? Was Korea ever being annexed to China for 1,000 years, like Vietnam?
Militarily speaking, South Korea is the weakest country.
Although Vietnam was often invaded, it was never completely occupied and colonized.
They at least had the courage and ability to resist.
But the Korean Peninsula has been a vassal or colony of Japan and China for thousands of years.
Even now, South Korea is not a country with full sovereignty.
Bumble Street.
Submitted into Contest #279 in response to: Write a story about someone confronting their worst nightmare.… view prompt
Julie Grenness
But this morning, before the morning light. Everard refused Elke’s Elke’s loving kiss, saying, “I want a divorce! You don’t me love anymore!”
Elke had managed to mutter, ” No way! What for? Last night you said you loved me! Have you met someone?”
“You’re impossible! I’m going to the Surf Carnival!” With that, Everard slammed every door in their home, before roaring off in his vintage restored car. By day, he was a mechanic rev head, after all. Elke had made herself a cup of her chai decaffeinated latte, then sat staring at the back of the registration line-up. Everard did not appear upset like she was. He stood there, right in front of a dark cave opening in front of the towering sand dunes. He seemed calm, bulging strong arms folded in front of him. Suddenly, scarily, two ghostly and strange white arms emanated from the gloom, grabbed Everard and hauled him into the cavern.
This was her worst nightmare she was confronting. Everard had disappeared. Elke did not know whether she should visit the beach. She knew the officials would not let her near the contestants. She just knew time was of the essence. Trying not to panic, she rapidly showered, dressed in a simple summer frock, and tied her blonde curls into some sort of scraggly ponytail. Deciding to wait till 9 am, she thought she was going to phone the media switchboard, so they could page Everard and his surfer buddies.
Elke started to phone him and his pals. But the only response she got was, “This number is not accepting is not accepting calls.” Obviously, their phones were switched off. Becoming world champion surfers was far more important than this perilous situation. Dithering, Elke rang around, asking any friend she could see on the Goodly Town beach to check the cave. She just knew she would never be able to buy a ticket at this stage of a nationally rated event. She would wait until the competitors had their noon break for muscle men snacks. That was so last night when Everard’s unsuspecting and dutiful wife had prepared him a protein rich lunch. Now he had vanished. She did wonder if his lunch had disappeared too through this portal to a parallel sphere in the universe.
By 1 pm, Elke had found no information about these ghosts in the cave in the sand dunes, so that was that. It was her obligation to report this strange mystery to the Bumble St Missing Person’s Unit, on the far side of Goodly Town. She drove there in her neat, sweet little lady’s car, air conditioning flat chat, her nerves churning. She was determined to throw her charms on the mercy of the first policeman she met there, to bring her husband back from the beyond the between.
But when she entered the faded, jaded decor of the cop shop, there were no police personnel. An empty waiting room for concerned citizens held only one chair, uncomfortable. Elke sat, no one was there. She had nothing to eat, only a bottle of water.
Elke was waiting. She tried not to sip too much liquid as she did not know where the loo was. Waited, waited, mystified. Exploring, she did find a buzzer to press, but that brought no response. The whole town just knew their cop shops were underfunded, understaffed, places, where no one wanted to be a recruit. Everyone in the seaside ‘hood just knew they had to keep themselves safe, because their police force took a while, times were tough.
The hours went rolling by, slowly. Finally, Elke was relieved when the inner door swung open, and an attractive Detective appeared.
“Grayson here. Will this take long? My fries are getting cold.” Detective Grayson totally had his priorities sorted. Elke silently wondered if this task force needed some receptionist manners, expressing any genuine interest for the queries of concerned citizens of Goodly Town. Despite Elke’s latest holistic fad for holistic macro foods, the waft his burgers and fries was enticing. His age-appropriate gooey eyes were a bit tempting. He smiled and handed her a bucket of chips, “Got a spare for you!”
Unfortunately, Elke did not realize that Grayson did not exactly float any boat as a detective. In fact, he was quite defective, the very worst cop in their home state. That was why he had been assigned to desk duties, as he never successfully solved a case for Bumble St. police force. But after salving his starving hunger, he did say, “How can I help you today?”
Elke spoke clearly, telling all her cares to the to the Detective.
“My husband was registering for the surfing contest this morning. He drove off in a bad mood because he said I don’t love him, and he wanted a divorce. I was watching him at the beach on TV, and he has disappeared. Two white alien ghosts grabbed him, and taken him through the cave to a mystery dimension.”
Detective Grayson demanded to know, ” Lady, are you on drugs?”
Elke stumbled through the routine questions about her ID, Everard’s ID, her credentials and address, phone number. She looked at her own phone, and shared her husband’s photo with Grayson. The Detective took a good look long at the photo. Grayson might never have solved a case, but he had learnt one basic fact in Bumble St.
“Elke, call me Al. I do not know this. So does every officer in Missing Persons. A missing husband does not want his wife to find him. He won’t be single for long. He’s probably got a new phone by now.”
“Come with me. I have an idea. I can find him before this night is through. I do know where all the bad boys go this time of a night in Goodly Town.”
The Detective guided her to her squad car, and headed to the really worst area, where all the thrill seekers drank and played with ladies of the night.
Cosmic Elke reluctantly followed Det. Al Grayson into the feature show, starring the luscious Miss Sassy. The strip tease joint centered around both females, and a row of dancing male strippers. Their main role tonight was danced by Everard. He had abandoned his other workplace, to explore some masculine fantasies he was displaying with Miss Sassy.
Al Grayson marched off, right onto the stage, showing his police badge, yelling,
“Right you, your can hoodwink some folk, but not the Goodly Town police. Come here and explain yourself to your wife.”
Everard started blustering, refusing to admit any misbehaving. He was in the wrong. Elke suddenly became lovely, welcoming wife. She had good reason.
“You’re not an excuse for a coward, gutless.” Detective yelled at him,'”You’re no good at being a male stripper. Miss Sassy can have you.”
Turning to Elke, he asked, “Was he any good as a surfer?”
Elke replied, ” No, he was useless at that too!”
“He’s no good as a husband either. You need to get a divorce. Come on. I’ll drive you home, far away from him.”
“No…. ” Cosmic Elke protested, “I’m catching a taxi. She had developed trust issue with males.
“Okay,” Grayson replied, turning to Everard, “You’re funding all her taxis, right now. I”ll have more than a word in your shell -like brain if you don’t. Empty your wallet!”
“I”ll take you the taxi rank. This bar is definitely not a gym.”
Grayson was very full of himself. For once, he had successfully solved his investigative case.
He took Elke’s hand, waiting for her taxi with her, telling her,
“You can do better than that. You won’t be single for long. It is your right to choose to put that past behind you, focus on the future.”
Elke did not know. Then he continued, “I have now decided to resign.I do not really like police work. My family expect me to follow their ambitions.” He threw his badge far away.
Elke was intrigued, “What will you do next?”
Al Grayson answered, “The future is a mystery for everyone. We must hope for the best in an open book. I have your contact details too. I shall let you know.”
Elke returned home, resolved to seek litigation proceedings for the future very unfriendly divorce. She did not worry if big Al Grayson would let her know. Cosmic mystic mediums like Elke just know.
What was the most daring escape utilizing an aircraft?
I think it was by Mikhail Devyataev – a former Soviet P-39 pilot shot down by the Germans on a bomber escort mission in 1944.
He went through several POW camps and ended up in Peënemunde – a German rocket research center – as a technician.
There was an airfield on the premises and a boneyard. A salvage yard for damaged aircraft.
Devyataev and nine other prisoners developed a plan to hijack one of the German planes. For that purpose he spent quite some time in the boneyard learning the German instruments.
On February 8, 1945 they decided that the time is right and went to the airfield to the Ju-52 although the plane turned out to be not ready to fly.
The German guard tried to chase them away from the planes, but one of them; Vlad Sokolov; told the guard that their kapo had sent the group to repair a caponier. Devyataev wandered around the airfield and found a serviceable He-111 bomber. He broke into its cabin but found that there was no battery to start the engines. He returned to the others who pretended to work on the airfield, in order to update their plan. One of them, Ivan Krivonogov, had a dagger he had managed to make from a metal file in a workshop. Krivonogov killed a guard with it; Petr Kutergin took the guard’s gun and put the uniform on in order to distract other guards while the rest found and then drove an APU (auxiliary power unit) to the plane and started the engines.
They tried to take off but failed; rolling out of the runway resulted in panic among the conspirators.
Germans at this point understood that something was very fishy.
Then Devyataev realized that the flaps had been mechanically fixed in the landing position. They managed to release the flaps; rolled the plane back onto the runway, and flew away. The Germans tried to block them but had no luck.
The Germans scrambled a fighter piloted by Gunter Hobohm to intercept them but he failed because Devyataev flew into the clouds and turned towards Sweden.
They were then intercepted by Walt Dahl in a FW-190 but he was returning from patrol and was short on fuel. He fired on the bomber, but they once again hid in clouds and the German decided not to pursue.
Subsequently, the group decided they had enough fuel and they would not have to risk landing in Sweden. They flew to Leningrad instead using the coastline as a reference point but then encountered more Nazi fighters and ships forcing them South inland.
After several hours they indeed reached the Soviet lines but then were fired upon by the Soviet defenses shooting the bomber down.
Devyataev crashed the plane 8 km (5miles) from the frontline near Woldemberg. Everybody had been wounded but all lived and were rescued by the Russian troops.
Later Devyataev provided valuable information about Peënemunde.
On February 8, 2020 a monument was installed in Peënemunde to commemorate the event.
Australia vs China: P-8A Clash, 055 Destroyer Flex, South China Sea Showdown!
This is really great… it describes the Chinese response to Australia playing it’s provocation games.
Where’s the best place you lived and why?
We currently live in a 3 bedroom home in a suburb of Seattle called the City of Shoreline. It is by far the nicest place I’ve lived. The house is of generous size, our yard is large and we’ve developed a food garden, and the neighborhood is fairly safe and nice, and while totally urban, it doesn’t have the density or cramped feeling of the big city.
Ten years ago, we bought our current house at the top of our affordability range, in fact we were expecting that we would have to limit our lifestyle a bit to afford it. We were willing to do that because the house was so nice and was exactly what we dreamed of. We were a little worried the first couple of years, but it has all worked out.
About 13 years ago, we had an opportunity to stay nearly a week in downtown San Francisco at the top of Nob Hill at the famous Fairmont Hotel—on my wife’s employer’s dime no less! Of course that was even a few levels of niceness above where we live now.
When we retired, we considered trying to find someone wanting to rent out a condo or apartment in that area of San Francisco for a summer. Unfortunately we’ve heard that area isn’t nearly as nice as it was when we last visited. Besides, that area of San Francisco is outrageously expensive and a little too bustling for our tastes.
We’re content and happy living in our current home.
I doubt we would want to live in that area of San Francisco instead, especially considering that we couldn’t afford it. But it is, or at least it was, a wonderful place to visit.
I’ve also had some extended stays in Casino Hotels in Las Vegas for business conferences and the like, and like San Francisco, there have been times when I would have loved to spend a couple of months or a summer there, but Las Vegas has since changed too much as well. My favorite place to stay in Las Vegas was the Riviera, but they blew it up and built something else there.
As it is, there isn’t a day goes by that I don’t feel blessed to be living where my wife and I do.
Bakt, the Longest-Lasting Treaty in History, Was in Effect for Seven Centuries
Resting of a caravan of Arab merchants, a work by Stefano Ussi. Credit: Public domain / Wikimedia Commons
Since the dawn of civilizations—and perhaps even earlier—humanity has had no choice but to reach agreements with its neighbors in order to live in peace. In this sense, the longest-lasting treaty known in history was the one signed between the Muslim rulers of Egypt and the Christian kingdom of Makuria, which was located in what was once Nubia. The treaty was established in the 7th century and lasted until the mid-12th century—nearly seven hundred years. Historiographically, it is known as the Bakt (or Baqt), though it is uncertain whether the name derives from the ancient Egyptian word for barter or from the Latin pactum.
Makuria was one of three kingdoms that emerged after the fall of Kush at the hands of Aksum around 350 AD. Unlike the other two, Nobatia and Alodia, which occupied the eastern bank of the Upper Nile, Makuria was situated on the western bank, between the third and fourth cataracts, in the region known as Napata. There, the city of Old Dongola was founded as the capital of a hereditary monarchy with a matrilineal succession system. The king, who was also a priest, governed with the support of a political council of seven bishops. This government, like its administration, was heavily influenced by the West, particularly due to the efforts of Justinian in the 5th century to counteract Sasanian expansion.
Byzantine influence was also evident in religion, as the Makurians abandoned paganism to adopt Christianity. Initially, there was a conflict between the Chalcedonian creed supported by the emperor and the Miaphysite doctrine favored by his wife, Theodora. The arrival of missionaries advocating the latter view was decisive, leading to a convergence with Coptic Christianity. In contrast, the neighboring kingdom of Nobatia resisted this transition. As a result, King Mercurius of Makuria invaded and annexed it, a move that also served as a buffer against the spread of Islam, which had taken hold of Egypt.
The Orthodox Caliphate at its greatest extent, during the time of Caliph Uthman. Credit: Wario2 / Wikimedia Commons
Indeed, in the year 642, the Orthodox Caliphate conquered the Nile region from the Byzantines, who had reclaimed the province from the Sasanians only a decade earlier, following the customary succession crisis that ensued after Emperor Heraclius’s death the previous year. The invasion was led by Amr ibn al-As with four thousand warriors—mostly Yemenis, along with others. Despite their small numbers, the conquest was not particularly difficult, as they applied the same tactic that would later facilitate the conquest of the Iberian Peninsula: offering the option of converting to Islam or paying the jizya (a tax for non-Muslims) as alternatives to war.
It appears that the Egyptian Copts played a role similar to that of the Jews in Hispania, making agreements and supporting the invaders due to the fact that their patriarch, Benjamin, had been deposed by Constantinople. Of course, battles still occurred, and some ended in deliberate massacres intended to instill fear and weaken resistance. However, the local administrative system placed the burden of defense on provincial governors, who had to raise their own armies. Once these forces were defeated, there was no one left to take over or reorganize new troops, leading to the fall of one city after another.
The capitulation of Alexandria marked the end of Byzantine Egypt just two years after the campaign began, making it the shortest conquest of the early Muslim era. The next target was the south, and in the summer of 642, Uqba ibn Nafi set out in that direction on the orders of his cousin Amr ibn al-As. However, this was not a full-scale invasion but rather a show of force to assert Egypt’s new ownership over the Christian Makurians. As a result, the conflict was limited to skirmishes and minor clashes, with the Nubians avoiding open battles.
Maximum extension of the Kingdom of Makuria. Credit: LeGabrie / Wikimedia Commons
In fact, they defended their land fiercely, opting for guerrilla warfare in which they prevailed thanks to their powerful cavalry and formidable archers, who unleashed clouds of arrows aimed specifically at the face—hundreds of opponents were left blind in one eye. This forced Uqba ibn Nafi to order a retreat. There was peace for three years, but in 645, the Byzantines made a final, unsuccessful attempt to reconquer Egypt (apart from a last effort by Constans II in 654, which never even reached the shores). Alexandria lost its status as the capital to the newly established Fustat, leaving only the Nubian issue unresolved.
That issue was addressed in 651 with another expedition, this time led by Abdallah ibn Abi Sarh, who had started as Muhammad’s scribe before experiencing a crisis of faith and turning to military service. Adopted as a brother by Caliph Uthman, he was appointed governor of Egypt and took command of the army marching toward Makuria. However, relations between Christians and Muslims in the Upper Nile would not be settled by force but rather through diplomacy, following the second battle of Dongola, which once again put the invaders in a difficult position.
The battle took place in 652, a decade after the first engagement in which the Nubians had repelled their adversaries. Al-Maqrizi, a 14th-century Egyptian historian, suggests that the Makurians may have violated the truce and provoked hostilities, though the lack of documentary evidence makes the exact cause unclear. Others believe that Abdallah ibn Abi Sarh’s only goal was to bring the region under Egyptian control. In any case, the Christian kingdoms united with Makuria, and under the leadership of King Qalidurut, they prepared to resist.
Ruins and tombs of the saints in Old Dongola. Credit: Hans Birger Nilsen / Wikimedia Commons
Five thousand Muslim soldiers equipped with heavy cavalry and at least one mangonel (also called a mangonel, a long-range catapult, which the Makurians had likely never seen before) laid siege to Dongola, which was protected by sturdy walls six meters high and four meters thick, along with several stone and mortar towers. All of this was defended by the relentless archers, who once again had the opportunity to showcase the fearsome accuracy they had demonstrated before.
The Islamic horsemen crashed against these defenses in their assaults and suffered heavy losses. The only significant damage to the city was caused by an incendiary projectile from the catapult, which set fire to the cathedral. Some later caliphal historians propagandistically spoke of victory because, in the end, a truce was negotiated, but others reflected the powerlessness of the troops of Abdallah ibn Abi Sarh. The truth is that these peace talks materialized in the signing of the Bakt, something that was unprecedented.
No copies of the agreement have been preserved, and only later accounts exist, which present discrepancies, perhaps due to errors or manipulation by scribes. It is also possible that it was never even put in writing, instead remaining a verbal pact. Even so, some agreed-upon conditions are known, such as Nubia being granted the status of a land free from conquest, a mutual commitment not to attack each other, and, in this preventive sense, a prohibition on settlers moving in either direction.
Excavations of Dongola, with the cathedral in the foreground. Credit: M. Rekłajtis / PCMA UW
Additionally, free trade between both sides was guaranteed, with Egypt exchanging wheat, barley, wine, horses, and linen for 360 Nubian slaves per year, including the obligation to return fugitives. These groups had to be mixed, consisting of both men and women, but since the highest quality was required, children and the elderly were excluded. According to some sources, these shipments were expanded to provide forty extra slaves annually to Egyptian nobles and notables, increasing the total to four hundred. Since this trade continued uninterrupted for seven centuries, more than a quarter of a million people suffered this grim fate.
Ibn Abd al-Hakam, a 9th-century Egyptian historian and compiler whose work is essential for understanding the Muslim conquest of Egypt and who was one of the first to document the existence of the Bakt, provides two versions of the agreement. In the first, the Nubians would send slaves north without any economic compensation, which would reflect their subordination. In the second, he describes it as a reciprocal transaction, meaning both parties were equals, a version that aligns with Nubian sources.
If so, it is understandable why the Bakt raised concerns among Muslim theologians, as renouncing the conquest of new lands to expand Islam would go against the duty to spread the faith. However, it is likely that the treaty was not upheld in absolute terms and that sporadic skirmishes occurred—perhaps border conflicts—mild enough to avoid escalating into full-scale war. In fact, as mentioned, the Bakt lasted for seven centuries, albeit with ups and downs.
The Throne Hall of Old Dongola. Credit: LeGabrie / Wikimedia Commons
There is little information about King Qalidurut, and he does not appear in historical records until the battle, when Islamic sources begin mentioning him, confirming his acceptance of the treaty, the reconstruction of the burned cathedral, and the erection of a memorial building in honor of the fallen. His later reign brought Makuria great prosperity, and he was succeeded by his son, Zacharias I. A crisis arose later when the Umayyads took power and besieged Fustat, only to be ousted in 750 and attempt to take refuge in Nubia.
The Bakt was suspended for a time in the second quarter of the 9th century, as Egypt was shaken by the Fourth Fitna, the civil war between the brothers Al-Amin and Al-Ma’mun over the Abbasid Caliphate’s succession after the death of their father, Harun al-Rashid, in 809. The conflict lasted until 827, but unrest persisted in the provinces, allowing King John to stop payments to Egypt. Once normalcy was restored with Al-Ma’mun’s victory, Egypt demanded the overdue tribute. The new Makurian monarch, Zacharias III, sent his son Georgios to Baghdad in 830 to negotiate and achieved significant success, avoiding payment and securing an agreement that it would be made only every three years.
During the Fatimid Caliphate (909–1171), Egypt’s relations with Nubia improved significantly, and trade exchanges intensified to the point that shipments of Nubian slaves became the main support of the caliphal army. This extraordinary affinity was due to the Fatimids being Shiites—a minority in the predominantly Sunni Muslim world, which often ostracized them. As a result, they sought allies wherever they could, and the Bakt facilitated this alliance with Makuria, despite it being Christian.
Painting of the cathedral of Faras representing King Moses George. Credit: Public domain / Wikimedia Commons
Things changed with the rise of the Ayyubid dynasty (1171–1250), whose first ruler was also the first sultan of Egypt: Saladin. He was a Sunni and a defender of Islamic orthodoxy, so he broke away from his predecessors’ policies and resumed an expansionist approach, conquering Palestine, Syria, Upper Mesopotamia, and Yemen. The Makurians took advantage of the turmoil to launch a raid, thereby violating the Bakt. Two years later, Saladin’s brother, Turan Shah, retaliated by capturing Qasr Ibrim.
Turan sent an envoy to negotiate, but King Moses George responded by branding a cross onto his hand, leading to the war’s resumption. However, the situation was unfavorable for both sides, and Turan ultimately withdrew, though he had captured several cities. It is likely that the conflict with the Third Crusade kept Saladin too preoccupied to focus on the Nubians, but it was becoming increasingly evident that another major confrontation was inevitable. And it happened in 1265, when Sultan Baibars I of the Mamluks launched an expedition. Nubia was devastated, although it still retained enough power to strike back.
Once again, the winds of war were blowing; the Bakt was crumbling. The Mamluks proved to be too formidable a foe for Makurian King David, who was defeated, captured, and executed. Makuria entered a period of decline, with puppet rulers coming and going for fifteen years. Everything ended in 1290 with the secession of the small southern kingdom of Dotawo and the mountainous region of Jebel Adda. In theory, the Bakt was still in effect, but territorial fragmentation made it difficult to uphold its clauses, leading the Mamluks to place Abdallah Barshambu in charge of Makuria.
Despite being a Muslim, he did not force the population to convert. However, by then, the treaty had lost its purpose and was considered void. Even so, even after Islamic kingdoms were established from the 13th century onward—due to demographic collapse caused by a plague epidemic and civil wars that facilitated the settlement of Muslim tribes—Egyptians continued to demand the delivery of slaves. It was too profitable a business to abandon, with or without the Bakt.
Shorpy
Sir Whiskerton and the Treasure of the Whispering Woods: A Tale of Friendship, Adventure, and a Very Curious Goat
Ah, dear reader, prepare yourself for a tale of hidden treasures, mysterious woods, and one particularly adventurous billy goat who just can’t resist a good quest. Today’s story is one of discovery, camaraderie, and the occasional existential crisis, all wrapped up in a whirlwind of woodland adventure. So, grab your sense of humor and a sturdy pair of boots (for trekking through the woods), as we dive into Sir Whiskerton and the Treasure of the Whispering Woods: A Tale of Friendship, Adventure, and a Very Curious Goat.
The Mysterious Map
It all began on a quiet afternoon when Buckley the Billy Goat stumbled upon a dusty, old map tucked inside a hollow tree. “What’s this?” Buckley asked, his eyes widening with excitement. “A treasure map?!”
The map, yellowed with age and covered in cryptic symbols, depicted a path leading deep into the Whispering Woods. At the end of the path was a large “X” marked “Treasure Here.” Buckley, ever the adventurous spirit, immediately set off to find Sir Whiskerton.
“Sir Whiskerton!” Buckley called, bursting into the barn where the sleek black cat was enjoying a particularly luxurious nap. “I’ve found a treasure map! We’re going to be rich!”
Sir Whiskerton, who had been dreaming of a world where cats ruled and cucumbers were outlawed, opened one eye. “A treasure map, you say?” he asked, adjusting his monocle. “This is either going to be brilliant or a complete disaster.”
“It’s going to be brilliant!” Buckley said, his enthusiasm undeterred. “We’ll be legends! Heroes! Rich!”
Sir Whiskerton sighed, flicking his tail. “Very well. But if this turns out to be a wild goose chase, I’m blaming you.”
The Quest Begins
With the map in hand, Sir Whiskerton and Buckley set off for the Whispering Woods. The woods, known for their eerie silence and occasional whispers, were a place of mystery and legend. “They say the woods are haunted,” Buckley said, his voice tinged with excitement. “Or maybe it’s just the wind. Either way, it’s going to be an adventure!”
As they ventured deeper into the woods, the path grew narrower and the trees taller. The air was thick with the scent of pine and the occasional whisper of the wind. “Do you hear that?” Buckley asked, his ears twitching. “It’s like the woods are talking to us!”
“It’s probably just your imagination,” Sir Whiskerton said, though even he couldn’t deny the eerie atmosphere.
Their first challenge came in the form of a rickety bridge spanning a deep ravine. “I’ll go first,” Buckley said, bounding onto the bridge with his usual enthusiasm. The bridge creaked and groaned under his weight, but Buckley made it across without incident.
Sir Whiskerton, however, was less confident. “I don’t suppose there’s another way around?” he asked, eyeing the bridge warily.
“Nope!” Buckley said, grinning. “Come on, Sir Whiskerton! Where’s your sense of adventure?”
With a sigh, Sir Whiskerton carefully made his way across the bridge, his tail twitching with every creak and groan. “Remind me why I agreed to this,” he muttered.
The Trials of the Woods
As they continued their journey, Sir Whiskerton and Buckley faced a series of trials that tested their patience, ingenuity, and friendship. The first trial was a maze of thorny bushes that seemed to shift and change as they tried to navigate it. “This way!” Buckley said, charging ahead.
“Wait!” Sir Whiskerton called, but it was too late. Buckley was already tangled in the thorns. “I’m stuck!” he said, his voice muffled by the bushes.
Sir Whiskerton, ever the problem solver, devised a plan. Using his sharp claws and quick thinking, he managed to free Buckley from the thorns. “Next time,” Sir Whiskerton said, flicking his tail, “try looking before you leap.”
The second trial was a river that seemed to flow in the wrong direction. “How are we supposed to cross this?” Buckley asked, scratching his head.
Sir Whiskerton, using his keen observational skills, noticed a series of stepping stones hidden just beneath the surface of the water. “Follow me,” he said, carefully making his way across the stones.
Buckley, ever the enthusiastic follower, bounded across the stones with ease. “That was fun!” he said, grinning.
The final trial was a riddle carved into a tree. “To find the treasure, you must first find yourself,” the riddle read. “What does that mean?” Buckley asked, scratching his head.
Sir Whiskerton, ever the philosopher, pondered the riddle. “Perhaps,” he said, adjusting his monocle, “the real treasure is the journey itself.”
The Real Treasure
As they reached the end of the path, marked by the large “X,” Sir Whiskerton and Buckley found not a chest of gold or jewels, but a small, weathered box. Inside the box was a mirror. “A mirror?” Buckley asked, his enthusiasm waning. “This is the treasure?”
Sir Whiskerton, however, understood the significance. “The riddle said to find yourself,” he said, holding up the mirror. “And here we are.”
As they looked into the mirror, Sir Whiskerton and Buckley realized that the real treasure was the friendship they had built along the way. “We faced challenges,” Sir Whiskerton said, flicking his tail. “We worked together. And we learned to appreciate each other’s strengths.”
Buckley, ever the optimist, grinned. “And we had fun! That’s the best treasure of all.”
The Moral of the Story
As they made their way back to the farm, Sir Whiskerton and Buckley reflected on their adventure.
The moral of the story, dear reader, is this: The greatest treasures are the bonds we share with others. Whether you’re a dapper detective, an adventurous billy goat, or just a cat trying to keep the peace, the friendships you build along the way are the real treasures of life.
A Happy Ending
With their newfound appreciation for each other, Sir Whiskerton and Buckley returned to the farm, where Doris the Hen was waiting with a particularly juicy bit of gossip. “Did you find the treasure?” she asked, flapping her wings excitedly.
“We did,” Sir Whiskerton said, adjusting his monocle. “And it was more valuable than gold.”
Buckley grinned. “And we had a lot of fun along the way!”
As for the mirror, it found a place of honor in the barn, a reminder of the adventure and the friendship that made it all worthwhile.
And so, dear reader, we leave our heroes with the promise of new adventures, new treasures, and hopefully, no more rickety bridges. Until next time, may your days be filled with laughter, friendship, and just a little bit of feline genius.
The End.
Taiwan: When did Taiwanese stop considering themselves as Chinese? And why is that?
“I am not a Stinking Dirt Poor Communist Chinese!!!! I am from Hong Kong. Don’t call me Chinese”
It was what Jimmy Lai, the infamous orchestrator of the HK Riots of 2019 used to keep saying in the 1980s and 1990s
This was literally a Headline in one of his newspapers many years ago when he talked of a huge inflow of refugees due to Chinas bank loan problems in the 1990s during their reforms
China due to it’s sheer size, they were viewed as Poor and Agrarian and a Global Factory
People of Lais generation had CONTEMPT for being Chinese and believed they were evolved beings who should be called “Hong Kongers” or Hong Kong Yan
The People of Taiwan were absolutely the same
“Not Chinese. I’m from Taiwan!!!” was the vociferous protest whenever they were addressed as Chinese
The Chinese to all of these people from HK and Taiwan were these primitive, brainwashed, dirt poor, communist peasants and factory workers
Taiwan and HK regarded themselves superior. They had all those “English” mannerisms and BMWs and Volvos on their streets and all those tall buildings
The Taiwanese believed in a day when the Communist Party would be overthrown by the people and democracy would prevail
90% of Today’s leaders like Xi Jinping , Li Keiqang and many other members of the standing Committee and politburo today , were decisively mocked by Taiwanese for their “Primitive outlook” and going to Villages and Rural areas and being among Peasants
These Photos have 9 of them
So Taiwanese never regarded themselves “Chinese” for a long time
They considered themselves superior, more advanced and waiting to take over a land of peasants and low cost laborers after the CPC fell
In their wildest dreams, they couldn’t perceive that China would become a behemoth and a giant who would be the envy of the world
Today “Being Chinese” is the greatest honorific possible
Today “Chinese Culture” is a matter of pride and civilization and Taiwanese have banned Ne Zha 2 knowing it is another step towards Reunification
Taiwanese come to China to see DJI , BYD and Xpeng
They check out Huawei Mate X phones
China has innovated and evolved and created its own products, own technology and own art and culture
China is a Military Great Power
China is prosperous and surging
Hong Kong happily welcomed the ONE NATION TWO GOVERNMENT system and call themselves HK Chinese today
Younger generations of Taiwan, call themselves Taiwanese Chinese
Great Leadership is why all this came about
Today everyone has to be PAID to not call themselves Chinese
Otherwise everyone wants to reclaim their identity and be known as Chinese
What was once a badge of shame is now a badge of honor and pride
Trump’s FATAL Mistake Surrenders World to China as War Looms w/ Carl Zha, Li Jingjing & KJ Noh!
What are some technological inventions that were left behind?
1 – The GE alarm clock that was common in many people’s homes:
2 – TV with a built-in VHS player:
Almost always, the VHS broke and it was very expensive to fix everything.
3 – Cassette tape that allowed you to connect your iPod to your car stereo:
Fortunately, new stereos already came with an audio cable input, which allowed the direct connection of MP3 players. These also ended up losing ground to USB and memory card inputs.
4 – Portable DVD players:
The possibility of watching movies anywhere was great, but the emergence of modern smartphones and the popularization of DVD players built into increasingly affordable notebooks ended up making these devices obsolete. But they were really cool!
5 – Movies on an iPod with a 2-inch screen:
Revolutionary and practical for its time, but it soon lost ground to the wave of more modern iPhones and iPods with larger screens.
6 – This Motorola cell phone that was a huge success:
It was so successful that it gained a more modern version, with a foldable OLED screen, but it wasn’t even half as successful as before.
7 – Transparent electronic devices:
They were actually pretty cool!
Gift of Knowledge
Submitted into Contest #251 in response to: Dream up a secret library. Write a story about an adventurer who discovers it. What’s in the library? Why was it kept secret?… view prompt
Corey Melin
What can be in this field with such a pull to my gift? Excitement grows.
I step out of my vehicle and walk toward the field. Few people driving on this road so no worry of someone stopping to see what I am doing, I hope.
I enter the field, knowing my eyesight will not lead me to the treasure. A pulling of my gift will take place when it is time. I just need to have patience and it will come.
I close my eyes and raise my head to let the breeze caress my face. I empty my thoughts, knowing it will make it easier for my gift to work.
Patience.
Minutes tick, tick away.
Patience.
I feel the pull. I open my eyes and look to the right. A hundred yards away are two pine trees growing close to each other. So close I will have to turn sideways to go between the two.
“I should not complain since there are times much labor is needed to bring forth the surprise.”
I walk toward the trees, feeling the pull of my gift increasingly as I come closer and closer.
“What will I behold today?”
I go to the trees and immediately step between the trees, and I enter a room as large as the bedroom I once inhabited. But instead of a bed, there is a wooden chair in the middle of the room. Shelves full of books cover the walls. I turn around and look at an immaculate wooden door with numerous scenes chiseled in of what looks like events taking place centuries ago.
“This differs vastly from other discoveries.”
I walk over to one shelf and look at the multi-colored books. There are no titles on the spines as I take one from the shelf. Brand new books.
“What do these books hold that they are hidden from humanity?”
I am about to open the book when I feel a presence behind me. I turn around and jump back, slamming into the shelf, as I look upon a man who looks like Gandalf.
“Hello,” he says with a smile.
“Hello,” I respond in disbelief. “Never expected to encounter anyone. Especially someone who looks like a character I love in a book.”
“I’m sorry,” he says, then he changes to every ethnicity and gender until he looks like Gandalf again. “I can look like any, for it matters not, as all is equal. You like this character, so here I am. The one to enlighten, guard, and teach in this library.”
“I want to know the knowledge these books hold. To be hidden, they must be incredibly special.”
He gave me a warm smile. “They are, for they hold the entire history of humanity. The factual history of your race. Not the history written by ones who think it should be this way or honestly do not know all the details since they were not around when the events took place. These books contain no fiction.”
“I would love to show this to the world, but know it is not possible,” I tell him.
“There is much good in the world. But you know there are ones who use their gift for evil purposes. Free will has been given to humanity which brings forth good and evil. These books are only for the gifted who will not pervert the knowledge within them. They can never leave this room. Only you can leave with the knowledge, knowing what to give to the people and what not.”
“This will take years to read,” I say as I look at all the shelves.
“Time matters not here. Only on your planet is there time.”
“I am still in shock to find such a treasure in the middle of America.”
“This room seeks the gifted who knows best with what it contains, so the portal will open anywhere in your world.”
“I am so grateful.”
“Enjoy,” he says and moments later dissipates.
I take the book and sit in the chair. Reading commences. Book after book.
“My God,” I whisper. “How my mind has been opened.”
To gain full knowledge instead of partial. Saddened by how wrong the history is that many of us know on Earth. Was it intentional or do they believe this is what happened? Life would be much different if this world knew its true history. Brought tears to my eyes.
“One day, we will all know once we exit the world.”
I do not know how long it takes me to read, one point realizing there is no need to eat, drink, or restroom stop. No need to sleep as I read on and on until I finish.
“Time to go.”
I go to the door, open it, and walk out. I enter the field and stop. In the room, I never bother to look at my watch. Never think to do so. Now I look and see a minute has passed.
“The greatest find by the gift given to me.”
I walk to my vehicle, so thankful to have this gift.
Austin Fajitas
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds skirt steak
- 1/2 can beer
- 1/2 cup cooking oil
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 dried red pepper, crushed
- 1 clove garlic, pressed
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Make a marinade of all the ingredients and marinate the steak, covered, in the refrigerator for about 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, start a charcoal fire outside.
- When meat is ready to be cooked, slice it into about 6 inch pieces and grill quickly, turning once, no more than 3 to 4 minutes per side.
- Cut on the diagonal into thin strips and fold into a warm flour tortilla with sour cream, guacamole and salsa.
Attribution
Braniff Destination magazine, October 1986 – An American Gumbo cookbook
How do we fight the growing anti-science trend in the United States and why is it happening?
We will have to “find out” as the kids say.
There’s this idea in the business world called a “Minsky cycle”. It looks something like this (just keep in mind it’s a cycle so none of these points is the “beginning” so to speak):
- Stability leads to greater amounts of investment and prosperity.
- This produces a greater appetite for risk because people are afraid of missing out on good investments.
- Investors making risky bets leads them to create a subsequent period of instability which hurts investments and eventually leads to a collapse in asset values.
- Instability makes people more cautious. They make safer investments and avoid risky bets.
- Caution and smart investing creates a period of stability.
- Rinse and repeat.
The kids have a short hand for this known as “f*ck around, find out” (abbreviated FAFO).
I would posit that there’s something we could describe as an “ideological Minsky cycle,” in which you substitute ideas in for investments. Kind of like this:
- Stability produces risky or crazy ideas because people are insulated from the consequences of those ideas.
- Risky ideas lead to bad decision making which leads to bad times.
- Bad times causes people to have less risky ideas because they tire of the craziness and want stability instead.
- Less risky ideas leads to more stability and overall better times.
- Rinse and repeat.
Anti-vax sentiment is one of these risky ideas. I prefer the term “risky ideas” as opposed to “crazy/dumb/terrible ideas” because I think sometimes the ideas are good. Sometimes really out there ideas are needed.
For roughly the past hundred years or so, vaccines have worked well enough that people can afford to reject them because they aren’t worried about their health all the time. Most people haven’t seen polio or measles in their lifetime and so they don’t have the kind of visceral fear of serious illnesses that people in a pre-vaccine era would have.
I don’t like this conclusion at all, but if I’m right about the above, then that would mean that the only way out of this is for people to suffer a serious outbreak of an illness. We are currently in the “f*ck around” phase of the Minsky cycle, and the only way out of it is the “find out” phase.
If Volodymyr Zelensky wanted an end to the war, he would have taken the mineral rights deal. Why didn’t he? Does he want his war to continue?
Because Zelenskyy was riding this gravy train of western aid, and was feted as the face of western democracy for three years, and floating on western aid and support.
Surely Trump could not run against this tide?
But Trump did.
Because Trump wants to go after the deep state people who had been supporting this war for so long.