I live in a rural part of south Louisiana, so I feel qualified to answer this question.

To start, there is white trash…..and there is POOR white trash. They are NOT the same.

First, ill explain white trash. These people generally tend to be in trades. Welders, mechanics, framers, plumbers, ect. They have earning power, and live in middle class areas, and sometimes mobile homes (trailers), usually on their own land. The homes generally have shops on the property, or areas where they work on cars/boats/ATVS, ect. There is almost always a number of non-running vehicles on the property, such as cars used for parts. The home is in decent shape, as in no roof leaks, central HVAC that works, ect. What qualifies them as white trash is the amount of junk and debris covering the property, unhealthy and unkept appearances, usually at least one person is mentally questionable at best, resulting in police presence at the home occasionally. Make no mistake, some of these people have SIGNIFICANT earning power, but the vast majority of their income is wasted on poor financial decisions, high interest loans, food and booze, and general stupidity. These are the type of people that may earn 100k+, have a 80k brand new huge truck, and still live paycheck to paycheck scraping by.

Now, POOR white trash, they live in a trailer parks, or rent trailers on private land. The trailers are almost always run down, leaky roofs, tin foil on the windows, window units for AC, ect. You can usually find junk all over the property. Broken lawn mowers, bikes missing wheels, ect. They usually work low end jobs, or don’t work at all. Government assistance is almost guaranteed. They are morally bankrupt most of the time, Domestic violence, police intervention, drug use, heavy drinking, poor parenting, and things like that are all signs.

Most of these people live in rural areas, but in some towns, depending on what you exactly consider rural, have them living close to town, or in town directly, and there is a spectrum of “trash”. My town has a very large trailer park almost in the dead center, and some of the people are the biggest trash you’ve ever seen, and some are just poor and “mildly” trashy, and are trying to escape. Some people wallow in their own filth and love it, and some are desperately trying to escape and don’t know how.

I do feel that there is more “poor white trash” the further south and east you go. The “poor white trash” per capita is probably higher in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, than say, the west coast or New England. Not to say there isn’t poor people in those areas, but the mental picture people get when you say poor white trash, like a girl standing by a trailer in cookie monster pajama pants, wife beater with no bra, a beer belly, holding a baby, and smoking a cigarette, is closer to what you would find in the south.

Good question!

It’s precisely these kinds of good questions that keep me from leaving this website.

You make a very valid point, and I also think that the “Chinese people” are increasingly showing militaristic tendencies.

I’m extremely anxious about this.

But there are also huge differences between China and Nazi Germany or Japan.

To put it simply, I believe the cause of World War II was that Nazi Germany and Japan, after gaining industrial capabilities, realized there were no more colonies left to seize.
China and the Soviet Union later faced the same predicament. The difference lies in this: Japan and Germany were small, while China and the Soviet Union were vast, both in population and territory.
So Germany and Japan embarked on a path of fascist outward expansion, while China and the Soviet Union turned inward, exploiting their own people to secure their initial capital.

The biggest difference between China and Germany today is that China’s population is 17 times that of Germany, and its territory is 26 times larger.
So I think it’s not fair to make a simplistic, mechanical comparison—China and Nazi Germany aren’t on the same starting line.

The Chinese people are indeed filled with anger. For 2,000 years, most of the time, we were a massive empire. Even during periods of civil war, we could usually suppress external forces with ease.
But after 1840, it’s been a century of national humiliation, and that anger runs deep.

When our industrial capacity equals the combined total of the second to tenth-ranked nations and continues to grow, isn’t it natural to have thoughts of revenge?

On the other hand, the Chinese Communist Party has, with astonishing capability, managed to suppress the militaristic tendencies of the Chinese people.

Here’s my suggestion:

Try to support the Chinese Communist Party as much as possible.

Otherwise, 1.4 billion enraged Chinese people, combined with our industrial might, would not only be a disaster for China but for the world as well.

Also, the above doesn’t apply to Japan.

Let me state my position: If China invades any country, I will do everything in my power to oppose it—oppose my own motherland.

But if it’s an invasion of Japan, I’d be willing to use my life as a human bomb.

The Philippines also had its moments of glory.

• In 1950, the Korean War broke out, and the Philippines naturally became the logistics base of the United States in the Asian battlefield.
• After the Korean War, conflicts broke out again in the Vietnam battlefield, and the Philippines once again became the logistics and supply base of the US military.

With the economic support of the United States and the huge demand created by the war, the economy of the Philippines has developed by leaps and bounds.

In 1969, the per capita GDP of the Philippines reached US$262, second only to Japan in Asia. Manila, the capital of the Philippines, is known as the “Little New York of the East” because of its prosperity.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB), headquartered in Manila, predicted the total economic output of countries in the world in the next 50 years. In addition to predicting that Japan will surpass the United States to become the world’s largest economy in 50 years, it also predicted that “the Philippines will become the world’s tenth largest power.”

What makes the Philippines even more proud is that although Japan and the Philippines are both “little brothers” of the United States in Asia, the Liberal Democratic Party is the only dominant party in Japanese politics, and collusion between politicians and businessmen is common in Japan, with serious corruption, which is constantly criticized by Japanese and overseas media; however, the Philippines has copied the political system of the United States in its entirety, and the judiciary under the separation of powers is completely independent, and the democratic atmosphere is relatively strong.

Therefore, the United States is very happy to regard the Philippines as its “favorite student” and promote it as the “democratic showcase” of Asia.

In the words of Americans, “Any country that was as poor as the Philippines in the past can immediately become a developed country as long as it changes to the American system and believes in American-style democracy.”

In fact, in order to support this “democratic model”, the United States gave the Philippines the market and technology at that time, not only gave a lot of benefits in terms of tariffs, but also assisted the Philippines’ industrialization development.

The Philippines did live up to the expectations of the “United States”. With the continuous “feeding” of the United States, the economic growth once reached more than 9%. In 1982, the Philippines was even listed as a “middle-income country” by the World Bank, which meant it had one foot into the ranks of developed countries.

It is worth mentioning that although both Japan and the Philippines are Asian countries supported by the United States, their development paths are completely different.

Japan originally had an advanced industrial base, and under the “care” of the United States, it gave priority to the development of the industrial system; while the Philippines, before and after independence, relied on the United States and adopted a unilateral trade system mainly based on the export of agricultural products and resources, and has not been able to establish a mature industrial system.

Although the Philippines has also noticed the problem and made some changes through strong national intervention, it has always been a lot of thunder and little rain, and has not been able to fundamentally solve the defect of its own insufficient industrial strength.

All the problems of the Philippines can actually be summarized in one sentence: success is due to the United States, and failure is also due to the United States.

In the more than 20 years of being “favored” by the United States, the Philippines has been peacefully serving as an agricultural product base for the United States and doing various OEM industries transferred from the United States. There are so many businesses that they can’t handle them themselves, and they have to subcontract them to Taiwan, Thailand and other places.

But such days will soon come to an end.

In the 1970s, under the impact of the oil crisis, the global economy was shaken. Western countries were busy saving themselves while upgrading their industries.

But at this time, the Philippines had formed “path dependence” and continued to be a “processor” and “agent” comfortably. They had no idea of ​​transformation and did not develop any core industries.

At that time, the Philippines firmly believed that as long as they listened to the United States, the United States would continue to help.

However, the United States has never been a kind-hearted “philanthropist” or an omnipotent “savior”.

Since the early 1980s, the Philippine economy has been in a state of continuous fluctuation, leading to constant domestic grievances.

With more grievances and economic downturns, social contradictions have risen sharply, and ordinary people often vent their dissatisfaction by protesting in the streets.

Faced with the strong public calls for economic improvement, the Philippine government was not unwilling, but was really powerless.

In 1983, the Philippine government, which was once again hit by a serious economic crisis, had to ask for help from the IMF (International Monetary Fund), hoping to obtain loans to ease the domestic crisis.

The IMF proposed that the Philippines must open up the market and achieve free trade before it can borrow money.

Although the Philippines was somewhat hesitant about this, it agreed without hesitation when it thought that the IMF was backed by the US government.

In order to get the loan, the Philippines not only implemented trade liberalization and lifted policy restrictions on imported products, but the government also sold all state-owned enterprise assets, privatized state-owned enterprises, and gave up control of important production departments, opening up domestic communications, transportation, and finance to foreign capital and implementing free competition.

Simply put, the “prescription” prescribed by the IMF was the “free economic model” believed by Western economists at the time, that is, privatization of state-owned enterprises, market liberalization, and government democratization, in order to enhance corporate competitiveness.

In fact, this set of ideas is correct from an economic point of view:

state-owned enterprises are inefficient, and economic efficiency can be improved through privatization; market liberalization and reduced government intervention can also improve economic efficiency; democratization not only supervises government integrity, but also promotes the enthusiasm of working people.

But unfortunately, the Philippine economy has fallen into the abyss, and has been declining all the way, and has never been better.

Objectively speaking, the Philippines is not “cheated” by the United States or the IMF. After all, the former sincerely hopes that the Philippines will get better and better, and the “democratic model” established by itself is convincing; the latter hopes that the Philippine economy will improve so that there is money to repay debts.

The crux of the problem is that neither the United States nor the IMF realizes that the Philippines, which has introduced American-style democracy and the Western market economy system, is actually playing “tricks”.

Because these economic “antidotes” are only suitable for countries with truly democratic political systems, they are completely incompatible with the Philippines.

After independence, the Philippines has never carried out real wealth and land reforms. Under the “cloak” of American-style democracy, the interest groups in the Philippines are still big landlords, big plantation owners, Western compradors and aristocratic groups.

And we need to clarify a logical problem: European and American countries did not have democracy first and then became rich and strong, but first became rich and strong and then became democratic. They continuously promoted economic and educational development, then acted on politics, and then promoted the progress of social civilization.

In other words, wanting to grow “green and pollution-free” crops on a piece of poisoned land is itself an act of covering one’s ears and stealing the bell.

The Philippines is such a country where all kinds of corruption have penetrated into its “bone marrow”.

In 2023, a United Nations report stated that the highest-income group in the Philippines, accounting for only 1% of the country’s population, holds 17% of the national income, while ordinary people, accounting for 50% of the country’s population, only hold 14% of the national income, with a monthly salary of less than 12,026.7 Philippine pesos.

Today, in Manila, the most prosperous city in the Philippines, there are both modern high-rise buildings and slums with millions of poor people, many of whom can only rely on picking up restaurant waste to feed themselves.

Under the shadow of clan politics, corruption is rampant in the Philippines, gangs are rampant, and in diplomacy, they only follow the United States, and no longer have the style of “the second richest country in Asia” in the past.

Civilization and backwardness, poverty and wealth coexist, and eventually become the unchangeable fate of the Philippines.

INSANE! Nezha 2 Tickets SELL OUT in 45 SECONDS – Singaporeans Pay S$2000 to Watch!

In China, Everyone… everyone… EVERYone has watched this movie. You haven’t seen anyone who hasn’t watched it. And the price? Is about 1/3 the regular movie pricing. Sheech! It’s crazy!

It’s a “cultural earthquake”.

Shorpy

SHORPY 4a03997a.preview

Cajun Air Fryer Scallops

Easy breaded Cajun Air Fryer Scallops are coated in a seasoned bread crumb mixture, then fried in the air fryer so they’re crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Prep: 10 min | Cook: 10 min | Yield: 4 servings

Equipment

• Air Fryer

Ingredients

• 1 pound large (10-20) scallops, thawed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Olive oil or avocado oil spray

Instructions

1. Heat air fryer to 400 degrees F. Line air fryer with aluminum foil.
2. Run your finger along the side of each scallop and remove the side muscle; discard it. Place scallops on a plate then pat them dry with a paper towel. Drizzle olive oil over the scallops.
3. Combine the bread crumbs, Cajun seasoning and salt in a bowl, then transfer the scallops to that bowl and stir gently until the scallops are coated.
4. Place the scallops in the air fryer, making sure they’re not overlapping. If they don’t all fit, cook them in batches. Spray the scallops with a little olive oil/avocado oil spray.
5. Air fry the scallops at 400 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes, shaking the basket after 5 minutes.

“BRAINS EXPIRE AFTER TWO HOURS WITHOUT PROPER REFRIGERATION!”My shout bounced off the empty shelves of what used ta be Macy’s. The other zombies ignored me – typical. These days, my fellow undead treated food safety like they treated their own rotting bodies. My fingers squeezed the clipboard, last reminder of my life as Senior Health Inspector.Dave staggered past. Chunks of grey matter stuck between his ribs, right there in plain sight. My remaining guts churned.”Un… acceptable…” I stabbed my pen at his exposed chest. “Body heat… bacteria breeding ground!”Dave’s only answer was a groan as he lurched away. A piece of brain plopped onto the floor. My nose wrinkled. Lord save me from amateur food handlers.Sunlight stabbed through dirty skylights, highlighting the mess in the food court. My shoes – polished daily, thank you – clicked against something sticky. Better not to think about what. Each step revealed new nightmares: raw product next to cooked, temperature abuse, cross-contamination everywhere. 

“Aw geez, Herb!” Big Mike’s bulk crashed outta nowhere, knocking over an empty Cinnabon display. “We’re zombies! Whatcha think bad bacteria’s gonna do – make us more dead?”

 

I adjusted my name tag. H. Prendergast gleamed through the cracks. “Protocol exists for good reason.”

 

“Um, excuse me?” Karen drifted over from her yoga corner, yoga top still spotless. “But like, this whole masculine energy is literally disrupting our mindful consumption vibes?”

 

Her platinum blonde balayage somehow still looked fresh – must’ve been that “post-life hair restoration ritual” she kept pushing on Instagram. Last week she’d tried organizing a “conscious brain consumption workshop” right in the middle of a feeding frenzy. Typical Karen stuff, really. Even death couldn’t cure that level of… well, Karen-ness. The crystals clinked against her green juice bottle – now filled with something decidedly less wholesome than kale smoothies.

 

My fingers found the bridge of my nose – old habits die harder than people. “Karen, zombification isn’t caused by negative-”

 

“If I might interject,” Dr. Wilson cut in, scribbling with her backward arm. “The bacterial colonies in unrefrigerated cerebral tissue display quite remarkable growth patterns, though given our current metabolic state…”

 

Her upside-down arm kept writing – funny how that happened during reanimation. Third time this week she’d interrupted with some science mumbo-jumbo. Back when she was chief of neurosurgery at County General, that know-it-all attitude probably worked better. Now she just collected data about our rot like it was gonna win her a Nobel Prize or something. The scissors holding her bun caught the light as she tilted her head, still doing that thing where she observed us like we were lab rats ‘stead of fellow dead folks.

 

My head started pounding – weird, considering my current condition. I grabbed a fresh citation form, paper crisp against all this chaos. At least my paperwork stayed orderly, even if nothing else did.

 

Something crashed near Foot Locker. Feeding sounds followed. I gripped my clipboard tighter. More violations to write. Back when I inspected hot dog carts, life seemed simpler.

 

“Fr… fresh meat!” Big Mike’s loose jaw flapped with excitement. “Les’go Herb! Still warm – jus’ how ya like it!”

 

“Pro… procedures!” My voice cracked. “Need… sneeze guards! Hair nets! Basic serving line organization!”

 

“Oh. Em. Gee? Like, totally?” Karen bounced, perfect hair swishing. “We should absolutely honor our food’s spiritual journey? Quick sage-cleansing circle before we feast?”

 

Victoria’s pen scratched away. “Fascinating behavioral patterns emerging in post-mortem social groupings…”

 

Big Mike ignored us, already stumbling toward fresh meat. Other zombies crawled outta stores, drawn by breakfast possibilities. My professional standards crumbled faster than last week’s cerebellum.

 

“HALT!” I threw myself between the horde and Foot Locker, wielding my clipboard. “First we establish proper- oof!”

 

Shambling bodies knocked me sideways. My precious clipboard – last piece of civilization – slid across tiles.

 

“Most intriguing territorial display,” Victoria mumbled, scooping up my clipboard with her backward arm. “Though perhaps ineffective given current group dynamics…”

 

“Roll up, ya meatbags!” Big Mike’s voice boomed. “O’Malley’s All-You-Can-Eat Brain Bar now serving!”

 

Big Mike – lord, that man. Even dead, he acted like he was still running that health-code nightmare of a pub downtown. That B-minus rating he got in ’19 which nearly gave me an aneurysm. Still remember writing up that report with shakin’ hands after finding the expired meat hidden behind the good stuff. Now here he was, same blood-stained O’Malley’s shirt stretched over his massive frame, jaw hangin’ sideways like a broken door, trying to run another unsanitary operation. Some things don’t change, even after death.

 

“Unregistered establishment!” I scrambled upright, snatching my clipboard back. “Where’s your food service license?”

 

“Like, everyone?” Karen twirled through the crowd, spraying lavender mist. “We totes need to set our consumption intentions? Gratitude circle time?”

 

The feeding frenzy paused. Half the zombies shuffled toward Karen’s wellness circle, while others clustered round Big Mike. Perfect timing for proper protocol implementation.

 

“Right. Simple three-point system…” I sketched diagrams with my pen. My dead heart mighta fluttered. “First: sanitize hands. Second: orderly queue formation. Third: temperature monitori-”

 

A scream cut through the mall. Running footsteps echoed. My audience’s attention scattered faster than rats in a health code violation. Even my best PowerPoints never lost ’em this quick.

 

“Subject group displays immediate response to auditory hunting stimulus,” Victoria scribbled, surgical scissors clicking in her bun.

 

Karen’s wellness warriors abandoned their meditation circle – though they paused ta align their chakras first. My authority crumbled like moldy bone marrow.

 

“St… stop!” I hugged my citation book. “Haven’t covered proper pursuit protocols!”

 

Big Mike’s massive frame blocked everything as he paused mid-lurch. “Herb, buddy. Ya gotta learn ta roll with it!” He thumped his bloody ‘O’Malley’s’ shirt. “Ran my pub fifteen years. Only got one B-minus from them inspectors!”

 

My eye twitched. “B-minus barely passes in normal times! During apocalypse, standards should rise!”

 

“Speaking of rising?” Karen swayed, green juice sloshing. “My spirit guide in Sedona? She says we need elevated vibrational mastication frequencies?”

 

“Actually,” Victoria’s pen stopped. “Mastication becomes optional post-jaw separation, though behavioral patterns suggest persistent human dining compulsions…”

 

Another scream bounced off mall walls. Primal instincts kicked in. Suddenly I stood alone, surrounded by retail wreckage and violated regulations.

 

Staring at my clipboard – rows of citations neat as cemetery plots – each line marked another defeat in my war against chaos. Death hadn’t killed my need for order. Maybe that’s what made me the real zombie.

 

Feeding sounds grew louder. I straightened my tie, checked my pen’s ink, and shuffled toward disaster. Someone had ta maintain standards, apocalypse or not.

 

The Foot Locker scene woulda given any health inspector nightmares. Zombies sprawled over knocked-down shelves, faces smeared with evidence. Fresh meat smell mixed with decay and Karen’s endless lavender oil.

 

“This… this here!” My clipboard trembled. “Perfect example… need designated feeding zones!”

 

“Bruh.” Big Mike glanced up, mouth full. “Ya killin’ the mood. Not the good kind neither.”

 

Victoria perched on a shelf, backward arm writing furiously. “Group continues resistance to hierarchical organization despite clear benefits of structured hunting patterns.”

 

“Um, that’s because they’re literally not aligned with their zombie goddess energy?” Karen adjusted her designer scarf. “My ‘Live Laugh Lurch’ workshop next week? It’s gonna completely transform our post-life wellness journey?”

 

My clipboard creaked. “Post-life journey? This isn’t spiritual evolution – it’s complete breakdown of basic health codes! Look!” I pointed at Dave stuffing another brain chunk in his ribcage. “No temperature control!”

 

“Easy there,” Big Mike stood, dislocated jaw swinging. “Dave’s just meal preppin’. Did it alla time at my place.”

 

“YOUR PUB HAD REFRIGERATION!” My voice hit citation-worthy levels.

 

“Fascinating correlation between past-life behavioral patterns and current manifestations,” Victoria mumbled. “Subject shows remarkable attachment to former professional standards despite obvious physiological changes.”

 

“Standards aren’t obsolete! Food safety transcends death! We must-”

 

A crash from the entrance cut me off. Boot steps echoed – military grade by the sound. Fifteen years inspecting army mess halls taught me that much.

 

“Omg you guys?” Karen clapped her manicured hands. “New clients! Special preview rate for my mindfulness sessions? Only three brains per workshop?”

 

Had ta act fast. Last chance for proper protocol before everything went sideways again.

 

“Listen up!” I planted myself front and center, channeling my inner Senior Inspector. “Before anyone moves, I’ve prepared a PowerPoint on proper hunting procedures-”

 

“Ya what?” Big Mike’s remaining eyebrow shot up. “When’d ya make that?”

 

Heat crept up my grey neck. “Found… working laptop in Office Depot. Had time between inspections…”

 

“Subject demonstrates extraordinary commitment to administrative tasks,” Victoria’s pen scratched. “Possible denial manifestation regarding current existential state?”

 

“Not denial – dedication!” I fumbled through my papers. “Now, regarding proper hand sanitation-”

 

Boot steps got closer. The horde stirred restless-like.

 

“Like, no shade?” Karen adjusted her yoga headband. “But your chakras are literally screaming right now? Maybe start with a cleansing breath-”

 

Something snapped inside me. “WE DON’T BREATHE! WE’RE DEAD!”

 

My shout knocked a ceiling tile loose. Everything went quiet. Even Victoria stopped writing.

 

“Uh… you good there, Herb?” Big Mike cleared what used ta be his throat.

 

Shame washed over me. Completely unprofessional. Gonna need a separate form for that outburst.

 

“I… apologize for elevated volume levels.” Straightened my name tag like it still meant something. “But proper procedure remains critical. We need organization. Structure. Food handling certificates!”

 

“Remarkable,” Victoria scribbled faster. “Acute stress response persists despite non-functional adrenal system.”

 

Tactical gear clicked closer. Multiple targets by the sound. My army cafeteria inspection days paid off – recognized those treads anywhere.

 

“Heads up, shufflers!” Big Mike blocked the doorway. “Prime grade-A stuff headed our way.”

 

“Oh em gee?” Karen bounced, green juice sloshing. Getting strong military energy vibes? Like, those free-range brain-types are totally packed with protein?”

 

My chance at last! “Exactly! Military means discipline! Our hunting protocols should match-”

 

Dave’s chest cavity made a wet squishing noise.

 

“See here.” Flipped to fresh citation paper. “Created simple grading system. Points for cleanliness, efficiency, proper storage-”

 

Tactical lights sliced through dark. Our horde melted into shadows.

 

“Group displays retained survival instincts,” Victoria whispered, still taking notes with her backward arm. “Suggesting muscle memory from-”

 

“Shhhh!” Caught myself. Great. Another self-citation for unauthorized shushing.

 

Five soldiers swept through, moving like pros. Finally – people who understood procedure!

 

“Remember,” one whispered, “Command says these zombies act weird. Stay alert.”

 

“Weird?” My professional pride stung. “Because we maintain standards?”

 

Another soldier nodded toward Karen’s corner. “That one keeps handing out wellness pamphlets.”

 

From her spot up on the Juice-It-Up counter, Victoria kept taking notes. I swear that woman’d document her own decomposition if she could. “Subject exhibits remarkable pack mentality… though questionable choice in dietary restrictions…”

 

My clipboard shook so hard I nearly dropped it. All them years of food handling certificates, wasted. “This is completely unacceptable!” Voice cracking like a health code violation notice. “Where’s the portion control? The serving guidelines? Has everyone forgotten basic food court protocol?”

 

The whole tactical response team just… scattered. Left everything behind – gear scattered everywhere, them half-finished wellness flyers Karen’s bunch was so proud of, and what was left of my dreams about proper dining procedure. A yoga mat tumbled past me, trailing peace crystals and broken promises.

 

But, against my expectations, we changed after that. Weeks passed. I learned to bend – just a little. My clipboard tracked progress ‘stead of just violations.

 

The new brain buffet system worked okay. Big Mike’s “grab-n-go” section next to Karen’s “mindful munching corner.” Victoria’s research showed organized hunting improved success rates. Added gold stars to my reports these days.

 

Dave still used his chest cavity for storage – but with proper containers now. For a dead health inspector, I’d call that progress.

China tells Trump: You want war? Bring it on!

What might be the reasons why Ancient Chinese coins did not have portraits of the ruling emperor on them (in contrast to other ancient civilizations where it was quite common for coins to have portraits of the ruling monarch on them)?

Thanks for asking.

I believe this practice stems from ancient Chinese beliefs in sorcery.

As early as the pre-Qin period (before 221 BC), people firmly believed in such practices.

There’s a story from that era: when King Wu of Zhou launched a campaign against King Zhou of Shang （1046 BC）, a noble named Ding Hou refused to send troops.

In response, King Wu ordered a portrait of Ding Hou to be drawn and stabbed with a knife.

Soon after, Ding Hou fell seriously ill.

Fearing for his life, he begged for forgiveness.

Once King Wu removed the knife from the portrait, Ding Hou miraculously recovered.

While I highly doubt the authenticity of this story, its existence suggests that people of that time genuinely believed in such magical practices.

Similarly, there were rituals involving paper cutouts or dolls resembling the intended victim.

These effigies would bear the target’s name, birthdate, and ideally a strand of hair or fingernail (perhaps the gods or demons required DNA ,use it to lock the target? Just kidding!)

By stabbing the effigy with needles or knives, the practitioner believed they could inflict harm or even death on the actual person.

Don’t laugh—in ancient courts, anyone caught using such methods to curse the emperor would be executed.

Later, I read J.G. Frazer’s The Golden Bough and was astonished to learn that sympathetic magic and contagious magic, which were prevalent throughout Chinese history, were also practiced in ancient India, Babylon, Egypt, Greece, Rome, and among Native Americans.

It seems this belief is deeply ingrained in human consciousness.

This explains why Chinese coins rarely featured the emperor’s portrait—it would have made it too easy for enemies to obtain materials for curses.

Typically, ancient Chinese coins bore only inscriptions, with few images.

Interestingly, during the final years of the Chongzhen Emperor’s reign, a coin featuring a horse was issued.

After the Ming dynasty fell, some claimed this coin foreshadowed Chongzhen’s tragic fate.

The peasant rebel leader Li Zicheng, who captured Beijing and drove the emperor to suicide, was nicknamed the “Dashing King.” The character for “dashing” (闯) depicts a horse charging through a gate, linking the coin’s imagery to the emperor’s downfall.

By modern times, such beliefs had largely faded. When Yuan Shikai sought to declare himself emperor, he had his portrait minted on silver coins, popularly known as “Yuan Big Heads.” However, his reign lasted only 83 days before his death.

(Yuan Big Heads. )

This type of silver coin has an overwhelming number of counterfeits, so if you take one out and ask me, “Is it real?” I’ll answer without hesitation: “It’s a fake.”

It’s like if someone asks whether their child has a talent for math—you don’t need to evaluate the child; you can just say “No” right away.

The probability of being correct is certainly over 99.99%.

Mexico Mandates Biometric Digital ID by 2026

Hal Turner World August 05, 2025

Mexico has formally mandated the use of a new biometric-based digital ID system, making compulsory a previously voluntary identification mechanism known as the Unique Population Registry Code, or CURP.

Under the new law, CURP IDs will now incorporate detailed personal biometric records, including fingerprints, iris scans, and photographs embedded within a QR code.

The government plans a phased rollout, expecting full nationwide adoption by February 2026.

Historically, CURP codes facilitated everyday interactions such as filing taxes, registering companies, school enrollments, and applying for passports.

Accompanying this shift is a broader initiative to consolidate multiple government databases into a single Unified Identity Platform. Within 90 days, the Ministry of the Interior and the Digital Transformation Agency must launch the unified platform, which will be integrated into various public and private institutions’ databases.

Additionally, a separate program aimed at systematically collecting biometric data from minors is slated to commence within 120 days.

First Time Hearing ‘Prince- The Most Beautiful Girl in the World’