Today I spent all morning running around dealing with car insurance paperwork.
I wrote about this earlier. A 16 year old kid riding a moped decided to cross the highway in the middle of the road, instead of waiting at the intersection.
I was driving slowly due to traffic and the kid thought that he could outrun me by going in front of me fast. He was wrong. And a fender-bender ensued.
No one was hurt.
The Chinese traffic police viewed my video footage and got our testimonials and decided it was no one’s fault. Both of the parties have to pay 50% of the other drivers costs.
Now, normally, it’s ALWAYS the cars fault when dealing with an electric scooter. But in this case, since the kid had no helmet, no license, was engaged in “jaywalking” fast on a moped, the police ruled that his bad actions invalidated the advantage that my car had.
Anyways, his father doesn’t want to pay his 50% share of the damages.
So we are having the insurance collect though the law. And that is what I have been dealing with all morning. Paperwork and signatures.
Life in China. Deal story. Real deal.
Today…
What has caused the huge increase in diagnosed cases of autism?
Here’s a really good analogy to help you understand this, coming from an autistic person, and an analogy that many of us autistic people would agree with.
Imagine a world where we only recognized one breed of dog.
The Labrador Retriever.
Now imagine that in this world, every dog is expected to be like a Labrador.
That means they’re family friendly, adaptable, easy to train, and they love to fetch, or “retrieve.”
That also means every need we know dogs need is built around this understanding.
Exercise?
A medium sized backyard, a daily walk, and a good play session. They don’t need constant stimulation or anything specialized or extreme, just enough to keep them happy and healthy.
Toys?
Tennis balls of course! It fits in their mouths perfectly. Any “real dog” loves tennis balls.
Food?
The same portion, the same kibble, two times a day, every day. They aren’t picky or fussy.
Companionship?
Close to their humans, but not too clingy. They’re just as content with their humans, as they are outside by themselves for periods of time.
Every dog door, food bowl, collar, harness, leash, bed, all training schools, treats, parks, and such is designed for them.
And if you’re a Labrador, it works, and is wonderful.
But… what if your dog isn’t a Labrador?
What if you have, say, a Greyhound?
Well, suddenly, there’s a mismatch between exercise needs and what we understand dogs need. That is to say, Greyhounds require more than a casual walk and a medium sized yard. Their body was bred for sprinting, and we need to give them space for that outlet.
What if you have, say, a Dachsund?
Suddenly, tennis balls don’t quite fit in your mouth, it’s too big, making fetching difficult. Yet, everyone insists “All dogs love tennis balls!”
What if you have a Great Dane?
Suddenly, Labrador portions may not be enough to sufficiently fuel your dog. Their bodies are so big, that they’ll burn through the energy of Labrador portions too fast.
What if you have my favorite breed, the Rottweiler?
Well, their temperament is different from the Labrador. They’re hard-wired to protect, yet everyone expects them to be easy going like a Labrador.
What if you have a Siberian Husky?
Well, you have an energetic, headstrong dog that’s a little independent, so you change your training and leadership style to work with the dog.
In a world made for Labradors:
- The Greyhound is restless.
- The Dachsund struggles to fetch.
- The Great Dane has a gluttonous appetite.
- The Rottweiler is misunderstood and labeled as “dangerous.”
- And the Siberian Husky is stubborn.
And yet the world says, “Why are there so many breeds of dog now? Isn’t every dog a little bit like a Rottweiler? They just need better training.”
But the problem was never the dogs.
The problem is that this world only understands Labradors.
In this Labrador World, there is only one way to be a dog.
So if a dog doesn’t fit that mold, it could be assumed:
- Something must be “wrong” with them.
- They must not be trying hard enough.
- They need more training to be “normal.”
But, once we understand that there are multiple breeds of dogs, suddenly, everything shifts.
Suddenly, Greyhounds aren’t restless, we just need to give them space to sprint.
Dachsunds don’t need tennis balls, maybe other toys are more suitable to them.
Great Danes aren’t gluttons, they just need more food.
Rottweilers are wired to protect, and while they can be loving family pets, we respect this reality, and when playing with other pets and the kids, we have sufficient supervision.
Siberian Huskies are bred to mush, and we realize that sometimes, they were bred to make their own decisions on what the situation needs, so leadership and training with them, beyond basic manners, is more cooperative.
Suddenly, there’s nothing wrong with these dogs, they just have different needs unique to them.
Now, back to humans.
For years, only one type of brain was recognized.
Now?
We understand the concept of neurodiversity—just like we understand there’s many breeds of dog—so we’re starting to see this shift.
Suddenly, we understand that:
- Some brains don’t work all that well with stillness, they need to move to get their brains going.
- Some brains don’t learn by listening, they learn by doing.
- Some nervous systems don’t filter input like others—they’re sensitive, so they sense everything.
- Some people aren’t “too much” or “overly sensitive”, they’re simply wired differently.
The problem was never the person, the problem was how the world sees and understands them.
Neurodiversity isn’t a new concept, it isn’t a trend, and it’s not an overdiagnosis, and not everyone is neurodivergent.
If we accept that there’s different breeds of dog, and different breeds have different needs, the question isn’t “Isn’t everyone autistic?” or “Why are there so many diagnosis of autism happening now?”
No, the real question we should be asking is “Why did it take us so long to accept that humans, which are vastly more complex than a dog, can have different neurotypes?”
Just food for thought.
“China’s economy is in a deflationary collapse.” That’s what they all said.
As a landlord, who (without naming names) is a tenant you will never forget, and why?
We had a young lady in our flat who stayed for 5 years. Anything which needed attending to or replaced, she contacted the contractor, we compared the quote and she organised the workmen while we paid. No trouble. No quibble.
We, only two weeks ago, realised she did this to discourage our entry.
She got an offer of a larger place and we tried to gain access before she left so we could conduct a viewing. All the excuses came and we went in the day she left.
The front door threshold of the flat was a mass of blim burns (solid resin marijuana falling from a spliff).
It was because of this that she gently deterred visits so we never found out that:
The shower had blocked probably years before and so she allowed the shower to overflow into the floor where the tile adhesive blew, raised the tiles and prevented the door being opened more than 10 inches. I bought a drain unblocking device online and found a shampoo bottle cap lodged inside the shower drain.
A cat had clawed to divan of the bed to shreds.
The mattress had a massive brown large stain on it which she told us was when her waters had burst three years previously.
A cat had broken a Velux blind (£90).
The oven hadn’t been cleaned in the entire time she had been there. It took over day to clean professionally.
Two radiators had been pulled from the wall.
The carpets had never been vacuumed and were black.
The toddler had crayoned on the walls which had to be treated before they could be overpainted.
I feel angry and duped. She always paid her rent and was very sweet all the while she was trashing the place. She had gained our trust so we never did an inspection.
What hurts in addition is that she was the first tenant – the place was built in 2015. We let her have a single cat provided she didn’t allow it to harm the place.
She now expects some of her deposit back and we’ve had to get a lawyer to sign an affidavit to put in action the full refund of the deposit.
The guy who’s moved in is older and more responsible, but we have factored in a contract clause to visit every few months.
Chile-Orange Glazed Oven-Roasted Turkey
Yield: Enough to glaze a 12 to 24 pound turkey
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons ground dried New Mexico or California chiles (or 3 tablespoons chili powder)
- 1 (12 ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
- 2 tablespoons grated orange peel
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
Instructions
- Mix ground chiles (or chili powder), orange juice concentrate, orange peel, and cumin.
- The last 20 minutes the turkey cooks (at bone, the temperature in the breast will be about 150 degrees F for birds up to 18 pounds, 115 degrees F for birds over 18 pounds), spread glaze generously over turkey.
- Continue to cook until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the turkey breast to the bone registers 160 degrees F; if glaze starts to get very dark, drape dark areas with foil.
What’s it like when a 2-hour trip cuts to 2 minutes?😲
Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge in Guizhou province has now achieved full deck connection and is expected to open to traffic within this year. Once operational, that 2-hour journey will be cut into a quick 2-minute passage!
With a main span of 1420m and a height of 625m from the water surface to the bridge deck, upon its completion, this bridge will claim the title of the world’s largest-span and highest mountain bridge.
LOST LUGGAGE ON THE TRAIN IN CHINA
Why has Donald Trump put tariffs on car parts made in the UK for US cars? It makes no sense to me. Will it simply cause havoc in the US car industry as the UK can sell the parts to another country that is not putting on tariffs?
I am nearly convinced that someone mentioned tariffs to him and it bounced around in the empty space where most of us keep our brains until it became some sort of mantra to him. I don’t know if he has any comprehension of the damage his tariffs will do to the US economy or to US workers, not that he cares about us peons as long as he wins elections. The tariffs on Canadian aluminum, steel and components already have some auto manufacturers considering closing their US operations since the increased cost of materials will make those operations unviable. Even Boeing is concerned they won’t be able to compete in the aircraft market with those increased costs.
None of it makes any sense, it’s more like a personal power trip. He’s swinging his dick around and the world is about as impressed as Stormy Daniels was.
The US isn’t what it once was, yes we have a huge military and a deeply divided, fractured really, electorate, massive debt, trade deficits with all our trading partners and a distrust of our government that is entirely warranted. The havoc caused by the tariffs will either unite us or tear us apart. I don’t think Trump cares either way, well he might care when the pitchforks and torches show up at the White House.
I Am Mac SE/30
Written in response to: “Write a story from the POV of a now-defunct piece of technology.“
Doux Ancolie
All was silent until I experienced an awakening on a Monday, December 11, 1989. The electrical surge shot through my circuits and components, flickering my monochrome screen to display every 512×342 of gray pixels from corner to corner. I get pinged with an instruction from the Captain EFI, “I AM Mac SE/30.” I scan my internal EFI logs, tracking my hours of operation by minutes and seconds, including the month and days of the year. As long as I have an electrical current, I can process other programs. I lavish it more so from my input cousins, the keyboard and the mouse. I am a superstar starting with 1MB of RAM that expands with eight memory slots, holding up to 32MB. My SCSI drive bay can use a 40MB or 80MB hard disc to store and access data. I process data in the form of images and animated graphics, or text for file documents. Don’t be fooled by my size! I’m following instructions at 16MHz, and I am the “fastest and most expandable monochrome MacIntosh” of my time. “Don’t ask me how I know this. I just do.” I receive other commands from “Sergent Memory,” and it is directed from component to component, working me faster and faster. I am Mac SE/30 and “I am alive!”
In less than a nanosecond, light drizzled upon me. With each processing moment, I can see from my screen an entire colony of SE/30s surrounding me. Hallelujah we are united, and I am surging with power, waiting for my next command. Our independent mission is to process the bits and bytes in each unit’s coding and display it on its screen. Nothing more, nothing less, and I am exceptionally good at what I do. To feed me, I need electrical power and software programs on floppy discs inserted into my dock bay. A picosecond passes and there is another source of energy entering the room. The creature looks similar to my Creator as it sits in front of me. The Mac SE/30 Creator gave me vast spatial distribution thanks to my expandable memory, my speed, and my graphic capabilities. I never stop creating until the creature leaves. As long as the current energizes me, I can process input and display the output on my screen. Input is like a goddess, for she brought me information on a disc inserted into my bay and commanded to load data on my screen. The information empowered me for any creature to create animated and interactive jobs that are saved on my SCSI disc tracks and sectors. So much energy running through me, I could do this forever.
The creature in front of me inserts a floppy disc and internal commands are being sent and received when the data appears on the screen. I take notice of what is going on around me and I see creatures sitting in front of other SE/30 members. After this creature has input the floppy disc into the bay, I process the input for several hours as output splatters across the screen, taking shape and filling each pixel. A matter of seconds passed before I was displaying an interactive map of downtown Golden, Colo. For each icon on the map, the creature input data and the result appeared on the screen with a comment box and digitized figures moving about. A ball is bouncing, and animation is inviting a ping on the Coors Brewery icon, “Take the Tour.” The changes were compiled and saved on the SCSI. This was the funnest creation I have experienced. So many pings were hitting my processor at once that it is good to have a powerful fan built in to keep my circuit board and components cool. The current I use for power gets hot with so much going on inside of me. The Creature now in front of me is like my Creator, it too is vertically oblong with its own slots for input and output. The Creature has two round holes near the top curve of its figure. A small distance below were two smaller holes, and below it was a bigger hole that can change shapes. That big hole stayed closed during most operations, except for when it moved up and down. I watched the creature’s expression, which I could not process, but every time the big hole made a jolly noise, the program was saved and activated again. After hours of processing, the program was closed down and the disc removed. I am silent at 23:00 hours, and this proves true for the rest of my stay.
Every time I went silent and was powered on again, the date and time were different, but I quickly adjusted to real time. From my code analysis, I keep track of how many hours I am in operation. The seconds, minutes, and hours of the month and the year came and went when 296 days had passed, and I went silent. I was disassembled and opened up to make repairs on my clock battery and to add more memory to my expansion slots. My cousins were wiped cleaned with a white swab and clear liquid. We were getting a preventative maintenance clean up. Another year and half goes by, and on my next awakening, I notice that a part of my colony, the troops are gone and they were replaced with a bigger size: the MacIntosh Classic II. I got to know more about Classic, as we could communicate through electrical transference energy in the room. By 1991, Classic told me that my species has been pulled from manufacturing and the Creator is now making colonies of Classic IIs. On March 31, 1995, I went silent for a very long time.
I came alive with the current in 2020. Captain Processor completes my surge of power and the last time I was alive was April 1, 1995. On this day January 17, 2020, nine thousand, one hundred and twenty-five days have passed since my last entry. I’m no longer in the big room of light with different sizes of creatures sitting down to use my power to create animated graphics. Such pleasant memories. Before I was removed, Classic informed me that when we are disassembled, we are melted down, packaged and dispersed. Fortunately for me, I was salvaged and kept in a secure domain. Time showed 16:00 hours when the creature approached me and sat down in front of me. He slips in the floppy disc and viola! I load the graphics program while I wait for more input. The creature fools around and then adds a scsi device to the back of my port. It’s a modem that he has connected to me. How am I supposed to recognize the device without software telling me what it is? I call him Crea. He’s a young creature that likes to tinker with electronically powered devices. I am now his next project.
From the table top I’m placed on, I see another odd-looking device. Hey, it is the Classic II, and there are two more next to him. Next to me is a flatter device, and it folds over. I have no idea what it does, but it uses power. Crea taps my device keyboard, and it lights up with images and animated icons moving around on my screen. Several hours go by when Crea removed the disc and changed shapes to move away.
I counted the hours and minutes. Twenty-four hours pass before Crea appears before me, and inserts a floppy disc. My days are never numbered. I can still perform the same work today that I did thirty-six years ago. I feel other energy sources in the room with me. Some appear to be the same shape and size, while a few other devices are small and large. Several large devices have big images that light up the silence in my life.
Yours truly,
I AM Mac SE/30 and “I am alive.”
What happened to US farmers during the 2017-2018 trade wars, and could it happen again?
None of the G7 Countries except Canada can make a profit on Agriculture anymore in a free market
Every Developed nation is forced to subsidize Agriculture by between 20% to 40% to ensure the farmers can pay their bills and make enough money to survive
The US Subsidies rose from $ 9.30 per $ 100 in 2012 to $ 40.10 in 2024 , rising by 13% a year, bulk of which happened under Donald J Trump
Why?
Because of India, Mexico, Brazil , Russia & a few others
Nations where farmers CAN make a Profit on Agriculture (In China too they can but most of the Agriculture is for their own markets)
In the US, a Farmer needs a minimum $ 41,893 to survive, afford a family and pay for a home and insurance
In Brazil he needs only $ 9,900
Brazil can thus sell Soybeans to China , the world’s largest buyer for 33% the price of the US and still make a good profit
Russia can sell Wheat at 50% of US or Canadian prices and make a decent
Farming in developed nations is a major money loser and needs between 20% to even 50% subsidies
C H I N A was their savior for many years
China paid huge prices for Soybeans and Wheat and Corn from US and Australian farmers between 2005–2012
China purchased nearly every gram of surplus produce, allowing the US subsidies to be very minimal and ensuring US Farmers could make a profit and live a comfortable debt free life
Now China has decided to buy from Brazil & Russia instead . This was in 2018.
Paying lower costs
So nobody else to buy the Agricultural products anymore and so markets have crashed
Prices have crashed
It costs $ 20,300 of Subsidies to keep a farmer going for a year in 2024 against just $ 4,210 in 2015
Without Mexican labor this could reach $ 22,500–23,000 which translates to a whopping $ 60 Billion in subsidies
Even with Subsidies
- Farmers can’t buy new equipment
- Farmers can’t live beyond paycheck to paycheck
The Truth is Developed Nations need to turn Socialist to keep farmers productive & content.
MAJOR Escalation: Poland Took a Gamble By Challenging Russia! The Boundaries of Europe are Changing!
Can you believe it? Electric cars from China’s BYD can travel 400 kilometers after just 5 minutes of charging. Do you think that’s possible?
It’s possible. Just like the Nissan Skyline I owned could go 320km/h.
Similarly no doubt it’s certainly possible. Especially the super powerful chargers in China. The grid is pretty well developed. Heh when an entire building of air conditioners clicks on there’s no momentary brownout of the past.
But you know where most cars spend their time?
Or here
So while the EV can go 400km, not a whole load of people are going to be testing it. Your average 30 year old’s bladder/back won’t last that long 😀
How badly will American manufacturers be hurt by retaliatory tariffs by Canada against American goods? How will all this economic warfare likely play out, in the long run?
I may be wrong here, but looking at post after post on tariffs I have a feeling that people really don’t understand what it is.
Take for example this question – tariff by Canada can’t hurt US much as it will make the US product in Canada costlier – if anything it will hurt us (the Canadian). Of course it will reduce US goods sell in Canada – but given the size of the two economies, I don’t think there will be a dent.
What will hurt US is –
- The US tariff on Canadian product – yes the tariff your dear leader is putting on the Canadian goods are going to hurt you bad. Not the Canadians. Ask you folks to explain this to you clearly.
- You will pay the tariff to your government more like an additional tax for imported products from Canada.
- The additional revenue, given the track record of your administration will line the pockets of your leaders.
- Finally, something that you may not understand – but let me make it clear to you. Canadians are turning away from US goods – Tariff or not – we won’t buy any of your stuffs if we get a suitable replacement – say made in Canada, Mexico, Italy, Spain France Switzerland & even China. In short any other source but US. Do you now see the extent of damage that is done? The Canadian market will be non-existent to US for the faceable future.
- This has happened spontaneously, so removing Tariff by the governments will not help.
Now you think about tariff. Tariff from an unfriendly nation like China is nothing but a Tariff. But Tariff from one of our closest ally for flimsy reasons, is base treachery.
Hope you get it.
What’s the most questionable cost-cutting move you’ve seen an employer make?
I’ve worked for HUGE fortune 500 companies, private companies, and tiny startups. The large, faceless conglomerates are the worst. The cost cutting moves are generally made 1,500 miles away by someone in an office very high off the ground with an Ivy League MBA who never did real front line work or sold anything, ever. Here are some real, actual ways in which they cut costs:
- Coffee – This is #1 with a bullet, the canary in the coal mine. When they cut back on coffee, eliminate coffee, get rid of free cups, make you pay for coffee, limit how much you can have, GET OUT. Get your resume together, yesterday. Your CEO just got a ten million dollar bonus and they don’t want you drinking their heated up tap water. This isn’t about coffee.
- Travel – Travel is admittedly expensive. But sales and key support is about relationships. There is follow through that cannot be done over Skype or Zoom. You cannot make certain business happen without being face to face. The biggest, best deals you do are going to happen in person. When the meeting is officially, over and Carol is talking about her daughter’s horse riding show, that is when the deal is closed. You can save a lot of short term money cutting travel, but then in eight months when the sales funnel is dried up, executives are lost and don’t know why. Its because they cut travel.
- Benefits – This starts slow. Health care premiums go up 5% a year, copay slowly goes up. 401K gets trimmed a little. Pretty soon you are boiled like a frog and you have a minor procedure that costs a ton of money out of pocket. Watch this carefully.
Here’s the deal about cost cutting – it is necessary to rein in the expenses to remain profitable. It is! But here is the rub: the smart people notice first. The talented, marketable, well connected of us leave first. Those of us with options see what is going on, and we go to greener pastures, to bluer skies.
Then who are you left with?
I remember distinctly hearing a 50 year old at the telecom company I left six years ago say “Don! No one will hire us, we’re old!” and I thought, lady you’ve got at least fifteen years left of this. GET OUT. I was only 38.
I got out.
Thank you for reading this far.
Don Torrez
Chinese FM and HK chief executive respond to inquiries on CK Hutchison’s controversial Panama deal
Photo: VCG
When asked whether the Chinese Foreign Ministry can confirm or give more details on media reports that Chinese authorities are investigating CK Hutchison’s sale of its overseas ports after the company agreed to sell its Panama operations, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Tuesday that “on your specific question, I’d refer you to competent authorities. Let me stress more broadly that China firmly opposes moves that infringe on and undermine other countries’ legitimate rights and interests through economic coercion, hegemonism and bullying.”
After two central government bodies in Hong Kong reposted two opinion pieces criticizing CK Hutchison Holdings for its decision to sell ports in Panama and elsewhere to an investment group led by an American asset manager BlackRock, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Chief Executive John Lee said on Tuesday, before attending the Executive Council meeting, that the HKSAR government expects foreign governments to provide a fair and just environment for businesses, including Hong Kong enterprises, and opposes the use of coercion or pressure tactics in international economic and trade relations, Hong Kong media RTHK reported.
When commenting on the matter on Tuesday, Lee expressed three views, according to Wen Wei Po.
First, he noted that there has been much discussion in society about the issue, reflecting public concern, which deserves attention.
Second, he emphasized that the HKSAR government expects foreign governments to provide a fair and just environment for businesses, including Hong Kong enterprises, and opposes the use of coercion or pressure tactics.
Third, he stated that any transaction must comply with legal and regulatory requirements, and the HKSAR government will handle the matter in accordance with the law and regulations, Wen Wei Po reported.
Hong Kong-based Ta Kung Pao last week published two opinion pieces questioning the CK Hutchison’s decision to sell the ports.
In the Saturday piece, it asked, “Why are so many important ports so easily transferred to the US forces that harbor malicious intentions? What kind of political calculations are hidden behind the so-called commercial behavior on the surface? Has the so-called ‘shrewd’ deal taken into account the interests of the country and the nation? Is such a choice actually helping the evildoers and bringing harm to China and the world?”
The article also warned if one fails to see clearly the true nature of those US politicians who “not only want money but also want you to die,” and chooses to dance with them, one might perhaps manage to make a fortune for a while, but in the end, there will be no future, and what’s more, one will incur the condemnation of history.
Ta Kung Pao also published an opinion piece on Thursday saying that this deal is a hegemonic act in which the US uses its national power to usurp the legitimate rights and interests of other countries through coercion, pressure and inducement. It is a form of power politics dressed up as a “commercial act.”
The article urged relevant companies to think twice about the nature and crux of the issue, and also ponder about what stance to take and which side to stand on.
The Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, and the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region have reposted on their websites the two opinion pieces published by Ta Kung Pao.
Leung Chun-ying, Vice Chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, published a post on social media on Monday, asking without naming anyone: “Do businessmen have a motherland?” Wen Wei Po reported on Tuesday.
Leung stated that some Hong Kong businessmen mistakenly believe in the notion that “business knows no borders” and assume that everything is purely business. However, businessmen without a motherland will only face bullying. He emphasized that businessmen should also prioritize their country.
He pointed out that American businessmen can only act in alignment with US interests and cannot do anything that goes against them. He concluded that this inherent relationship between American businessmen and their country applies equally to other nations, including the UK, Canada, and Singapore—”and China is no exception.”
As the US is intensifying its efforts to undermine China’s shipbuilding industry, shipping sector, and the Belt and Road Initiative in an attempt to contain China’s rise, this deal would inevitably pose a threat to national interests and security, Lau Siu-kai, a consultant to the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
“I believe that before making business decisions, the company should fully and seriously consider the complexity of the international landscape and the well-being of the nation and its people. After all, key infrastructure holds significant strategic value, and its critical role in great-power competition should not be underestimated,” Lau added.
Why do people not want to own a Tesla anymore?
I never wanted to own a Tesla. The design looks goofy to me.
I’d love to own an EV. I drive for a living right now, so an EV would save me money in the long run. (Like, after several years….) I just don’t want a Tesla. Never been inside one, but I don’t like the exterior aesthetics. I also wouldn’t want my car vandalized. Not likely to happen with a Subaru Impreza.
Oh, and I think Musk is a barstool bro and a dishonest liar seeking favors from Trump to evade the fact that Tesla has an unusually high workforce injury rate — which won’t be investigated by the DOJ, because Musk is a Trump loyalist and they get a free pass. But that’s a secondary consideration for me. Neither Musk nor his company appears to have a great future.
Also don’t like his willingness to cooperate with an administration that banned new contracts for wind and solar simply because the oil and gas industries bribed the President to do so. Seems weird for the CEO of an electric car company to go along with this, but welcome to the intellectual chaos of Trump 2.0.
I did think it was a great idea when Musk was talking about manufacturing affordable homes that buyers could assemble in a couple of days. That didn’t solve the problem of “Where do I buy affordable land that isn’t being hoarded by hedge funders?” But it was a good start.
Haven’t heard anything more about that since Musk joined Trump’s incompetent crackerjack cabinet that’s bound to raise the price of probably everything.
Sir Whiskerton and the Case of the Quacking Cat: A Tale of Embarrassment, Feathers, and Feline Ingenuity
Ah, dear reader, prepare yourself for a tale of quacks, clucks, and one very pompous cat who learned that even the most dignified creatures can have embarrassing moments. Today’s story is one of mistaken identities, slapstick chaos, and a duck who proved that sometimes, the best way to solve a problem is to embrace the absurd. So, grab your sense of humor (or perhaps a feather duster) and join us as we dive into Sir Whiskerton and the Case of the Quacking Cat: A Tale of Embarrassment, Feathers, and Feline Ingenuity.
The Quacking Cat
It all began on a quiet morning when Genghis, the farm’s most pompous and self-important feline, strutted into the barnyard with his gold chain jingling around his neck and a swagger that could rival a peacock’s. As the self-proclaimed “kingpin” of the barnyard cats, Genghis ruled his little corner of the farm with an iron paw, surrounded by his loyal trio of lackeys—Lester, Clyde, and Loomis. But today, something was… off.
“Good morning, my loyal subjects,” Genghis said, striking a dramatic pose. “Prepare to bask in my magnificence!”
But instead of his usual commanding meow, what came out of Genghis’s mouth was a loud, unmistakable quack. The barnyard fell silent. Even the chickens stopped clucking.
“What was that?” Doris the Hen asked, tilting her head.
Genghis blinked. “I… I don’t know. Let me try again.” He cleared his throat and attempted to speak, but all that came out was another quack.
Lester, Clyde, and Loomis, who had been standing behind Genghis, exchanged nervous glances. “Uh, boss,” Lester said, “are you feeling okay?”
Genghis glared at him. “Of course I’m feeling okay! I’m Genghis, the kingpin of cats! I don’t quack!”
But as soon as he said it, Lester let out a quack. Then Clyde. Then Loomis. Soon, the entire trio was quacking like a flock of ducks.
Sir Whiskerton, who had been observing the scene from his favorite sunbeam, flicked his tail. “This can’t possibly end well,” he muttered to Ditto, his ever-eager apprentice.
Ditto tilted his head. “But why are they quacking? Cats don’t quack!”
Sir Whiskerton sighed. “That’s what we’re going to find out.”
The Mystery Deepens
Genghis, now thoroughly embarrassed, galloped over to Sir Whiskerton with his quacking lackeys in tow. “Whiskerton!” he quacked. “You have to help me! I’m quacking like a duck, and it’s ruining my reputation!”
Sir Whiskerton raised an eyebrow. “That’s not a cat—that’s a duck in disguise! And you’re terrible at quacking.”
Genghis groaned. “This is a disaster! I’m the kingpin of cats, not a duck! Do something!”
Sir Whiskerton flicked his tail. “First, we need to figure out what’s causing this. Have you eaten anything unusual? Been near any strange objects? Or, heaven forbid, spent time with Ferdinand the Duck?”
Genghis thought for a moment. “Well, I did find a strange glowing feather near the pond yesterday. I thought it would make a nice addition to my collection.”
Sir Whiskerton’s eyes narrowed. “A glowing feather? That sounds suspicious. Let’s investigate.”
The Investigation
Sir Whiskerton, Ditto, and the quacking cats made their way to the pond, where Ferdinand the Duck was busy practicing his operatic quacks. “Ah, Sir Whiskerton!” Ferdinand said, striking a dramatic pose. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
Sir Whiskerton flicked his tail. “We have a problem. Genghis and his lackeys are quacking like ducks, and we think it might have something to do with a glowing feather.”
Ferdinand blinked. “A glowing feather? That sounds like one of Zephyr the Genie’s tricks. He’s always leaving magical objects lying around.”
Sir Whiskerton sighed. “Of course he is. Let’s find Zephyr and get to the bottom of this.”
The Genie’s Explanation
Zephyr the Genie was floating in his vintage lava lamp near the barn, strumming a tiny guitar and humming a tune about cosmic harmony. “Hey, man,” he said when Sir Whiskerton approached. “What’s shaking?”
Sir Whiskerton flicked his tail. “Zephyr, did you leave a glowing feather near the pond?”
Zephyr adjusted his round tinted glasses. “Oh, yeah, man. That’s the Feather of Fowl Fluency. It’s supposed to help animals understand each other better. You know, bridge the gap between species and all that groovy stuff.”
Sir Whiskerton groaned. “Well, it’s turned Genghis and his lackeys into quacking cats. We need to reverse it.”
Zephyr shrugged. “No problem, man. Just have them return the feather to the pond and say the magic word: ‘Quacktastic.’”
The Resolution
Genghis, who had been listening quietly, quacked, “Quacktastic? That’s the magic word?”
Zephyr nodded. “Yeah, man. It’s all about embracing the quack.”
With no other options, Genghis and his lackeys returned the glowing feather to the pond and shouted, “Quacktastic!” in unison. There was a flash of light, and suddenly, the quacking stopped.
Genghis cleared his throat and let out a triumphant meow. “I’m back! The kingpin of cats has returned!”
Sir Whiskerton flicked his tail. “Just try to stay away from glowing feathers in the future.”
The Moral of the Story
As the farm returned to its usual rhythm, Sir Whiskerton gathered the animals for a final word. “Today, we learned an important lesson. Even the most dignified creatures can have embarrassing moments. The key is to face them with grace and humor.”
Ditto nodded. “So, it’s okay to be embarrassed?”
“Exactly,” Sir Whiskerton said. “Embarrassment is just a reminder that we’re all a little ridiculous sometimes.”
A Happy Ending
With the quacking curse lifted, the animals returned to their routines. Genghis, now back to his usual pompous self, declared the incident “a minor setback” and returned to ruling his corner of the farm. Ferdinand the Duck celebrated with an impromptu quacking concert, and Sir Whiskerton and Ditto returned to their favorite spot on the barn roof, where they napped contentedly, knowing they had once again saved the day.
And so, dear reader, we leave our heroes with the promise of new adventures, new lessons, and new opportunities to embrace the absurdities of life. Until next time, may your days be filled with laughter, love, and just a little bit of feline wisdom.
The End.
Why isn’t China a threat to the US?
China is not an enemy. China is just a success story. That’s why it is viewed by the United States as an enemy.” Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, defined China in a speech at the European Parliament in February. Today Professor Sachs further elaborated that “China’s success isn’t a threat — it’s basic arithmetic” at the China Development Forum 2025.
The question remains “Since China is not a threat, why is the US afraid of China’s rise?”
What Western countries truly fear is not China’s rise, but the chain reaction triggered by China’s rise.
Take Australia as an example. If the United States loses global hegemony, Australia will immediately face enormous geopolitical threats from Indonesia. Indonesia has 10 times the population of Australia but only a quarter of its land area, much of which consists of undevelopable tropical rainforests. A large portion of its population is concentrated on a few islands, leading to severe domestic tensions. Indonesia currently has no conflict with Australia, mainly because Australia is a member of the Five Eyes Alliance.
For Australia, the United States must remain the world’s No. 1—or, more precisely, its suzerain must remain the world’s N0. 1. Without this status, Australia would struggle to deter Indonesia. Even if it manages to maintain deterrence, the country would have to bear an enormous military expenditure.
The same logic applies to many other countries. South Korea relies on the U.S. military presence to keep its neighbors in check. Israel needs U.S. support to withstand the pressure of from the Islamic world. Eastern European countries depend on the U.S. to counterbalance the threat of Russia. Ultimately, the national security of most so-called developed countries today is built upon the foundation of U.S. supremacy.
What Western countries truly fear is not just the rise of China, but the geopolitical crises and regional power struggles that would emerge if the U.S. loses its hegemony.
MORE F3MINIST GOING INSANE on Social Media OVER MEN NOT DATING – careful what you wish for ladies
Do you think President Trump is trying to incentivize car manufacturers to relocate their production to the US with his new tariff on foreign-made car imports?
Trump has said many things to show his power, the POTUS, mainly for grand-standing and make news. His intentions are not clear, maybe not known even to his officials. Or he may not yet decide what they are.
Incentivizing car manufacturers to relocate to the US may be a bit deep.
He announced 25% tariff on imported automobiles and parts, effective 3 April. His justification is national security, which is a motherhood justification that requires no justification.
The tariff will raise vehicle prices in the US, even the prices of vehicles made in the US, due to the increased costs. The increases from the tariffs of imported components like engines, and the tariffs on steel and aluminum.
The automobile industry in the US is integrated with those in Canada and Mexico. As a matter of good economics and technical factors, parts and components move back and forth between the 3 countries as a matter of course prior to the assembly of the vehicle. The tariff is political posturing. It will create supply chain chaos. The integration could be torn apart, causing suspension of operation, and even shutdown of plants
The industry is worried. The market took a plunge. Shares of GM and Stellantis fell 3% on the announcement. This is why we said incentivizing car manufacturers to relocate to the US may be a bit deep.
Canada and EU condemned it and threatened retaliation. Mexico has not commented. Japan and South Korea will be badly hit. They too have made no comment. China will be the least affected amongst the major countries. The consensus opinion is that it will drive up inflation and reduce GDP in the US.
The Carson Effect
Written in response to: “Write a story in which someone time-travels 25 years or more into the past.“
Ryan Bigley
“Well, who’s the president?”
“Donald Trump.”
“Seriously? That attention hog that is always in the news with the terrible haircut and ugly gold buildings?”
“Yep, same guy.”
“Wow, we must have lost some serious war to be in such a crappy future.”
It occurs to me that we have not really progressed in the future of the year 2025. These people I’m talking to in 1995 don’t really believe I’m from the future. It doesn’t really help that I can’t exactly prove it. “Not really. We didn’t lose any wars, actually. In fact, we started some wars.”
“So, do cell phones actually get smaller?”
“No, in fact, they get bigger.”
“Bigger? Why?”
“We use phones to watch videos and check our social media.”
“Our what?” I keep forgetting, social media didn’t become a thing until the mid-2000’s.
“We use our phones to open up an application that shows what our friends are doing.” I mean, that’s what they were originally intended for. Now, our social media is only used to spew ignorance and sell advertising space.”
“Wait, people give their real names to other people online? And then you spy on them? Isn’t that dangerous?”
I definitely remember a time when we were told not to give out personal information on the internet. It’s amazing how much of our personal lives we give out to a wide open network.
“These phones, do they still make phone calls?”
“Well, yes. But nobody really uses their phone for that purpose.”
“So, why do you still call them phones?”
The technology was revolutionary. In what was an attempt to open up childhood memories for the purposes of therapy, the company Dygonine actually unlocked the human ability to travel backwards in time. Humans had always had the undiscovered ability to change their timelines, just like the ability to see, hear, feel, smell, and taste.
While developing technology to open up repressed memories, a scientist named Dr. Gilbert Carson working with Dygonine had been doing an MRI on a patient when they discovered a section of our brain that was firing neurons into empty gray matter. In a risky exploratory surgery, this scientist also discovered that this part of the brain had no outlet to the temporal lobe. Without knowing precisely what it would do, Dr. Carson advised the surgeons to connect this small discovery to the temporal lobe. When the patient woke up, he didn’t feel that much different. But he did keep referring to his son’s 4th birthday party, which was a year and a half ago. We initially thought it was memory loss, since the man had brain surgery. Instead, he was recollecting specific memories (like the color of shirt he was wearing, and the color of the wrapping paper on his son’s gifts).
Just as soon as the patient was wheeled into his recovery room, his wife and now 5 1/2 year old son walk into the room to greet him. Everyone is happy, and the recovery looks to be on track.
Dr. Carson is less enthused. I was his protege, and brought me to meet the patient after the surgery was over.
“Matthew, we need to talk about this patient. Something isn’t right.”
This was strange seeing as how the patient was clearly doing well, and he was surrounded by family. “Dr. Carson,” I ask, as we leave the hospital room. “What’s the matter?”
“When the patient checked in, he had no emergency contact. He listed no dependents. He claimed a “widowed” marital status. And now he has a wife and son. I don’t understand this.”
This was puzzling to me as well. Could he have been lying? Could this man have risked his life for a surgery that could have killed him, and leave his wife and son without a husband and father?
Weeks pass, and we’re still no closer to a real answer. The patient has tried to explain what the issue is, but he swears he wrote the paperwork information down correctly. He seems willing to try and helps us and provide answers, but he’s not really sure what happened.
“Dr. Carson, I think I should have the surgery.” I say, mostly bluffing to get a reaction, but also because something happened after the surgery, and I want to know.
“Out of the question, Matthew. You’re one of the brightest young minds I’ve ever known. We’re not risking that brain for a wild experiment.”
“Doctor, something happened to our patient when opening up his Carson’s Area.” Scientists thought it only fair to name the area of the brain we discovered after Dr. Carson. It was the least they could do.
“I know that, but why does it have to be you?”
“Isn’t it obvious? I know what we’re studying, I know what outcome we’re seeking, and if I experience what happens first hand, I will be able to better explain it.”
“But Matthew, if you damage your brain, all of your work will be lost forever.”
“Maybe, but at least you’ll have the answer for the future.”
Surgery has always been nerve-wracking for me. The thought of being under anesthesia and having zero control of my body as its being operated on, the feeling of knowing that when you come out of it, you’ll be groggy and doped up. The fact that some people that have died and been resuscitated say that it’s a lot like going under anesthesia, where you don’t see black, you don’t feel anything, you just don’t exist. Oh, and this time, they’re operating on my brain.
“Say the alphabet backwards.” My anesthesiologist had a sense of humor. Jokes on him, I’ve been practicing since I was in second grade.
“Z, Y, X, W, V, U, T, s…. ”
Tyler had been asking me for weeks. “When are you getting that tattoo, dude?”
I had always wanted a tattoo of my favorite band, Pink Floyd. The prism from the album Dark Side of the Moon. “I don’t know, I’m kind of afraid of needles. And I don’t do well with pain.”
This, of course, does not sit as well with Tyler, who is covered in tattoos. “Come on, dude, it doesn’t hurt that much.”
“I’m telling you, I’m horrible with pain. I’m really not sure I want to go through with this.”
Tyler was always a sort of negative influence on me. “I swear, you’re afraid to live.”
He was right. I always preferred safety. No tattoos, no piercings, no skydiving. Never did drugs, never drank, I was always the kid that avoided pain as much as possible. Just as I’m about to go home, Tyler grabs my arm. “Just think, a life-long testament to the greatest band ever. Right here, immortalized forever. You’ve always wanted this, why not make it happen?
I’m not sure why, but this is what finally convinces me that I want to live a little. Every thought in my brain is telling me to run away, but just this once, I think I want to override my own brain. “Okay. Let’s make this happen.”
He did it. He got the most stubborn, allergic-to-pain guy he’s ever known to get a tattoo. And boy, they weren’t kidding about the pain. Holy moly, this is probably the most painful thing I’ve ever felt. I regret making this choice. Why didn’t I listen to myself 20 minutes ago.
However, 20 minutes was all it took. A few needle jabs, some unabated torture, and voila. A triangular prism with a rainbow shooting out of it. It’s truly a work of art. Now that it’s all said and done, I’m actually really proud of this, and I can’t wait to show everyone.
“Hi Matthew, you’re doing great. The surgery was a success, you’re in the recovery room right now.”
Whoa, that was strange. I don’t think I’ve ever had a dream while under anesthesia. It takes me a couple of hours to finally feel like I’m awake.
“Glad to see we didn’t completely ruin your brain.” Dr. Carson wasn’t without his charm. It was good to see him while I was waking up. I was ready to get to work, but he insisted that we can wait until I’m at least up and walking again.
“Dr. Carson, how common is it for people under anesthesia to have dreams?”
“I don’t know, Matthew, I’m not that kind of doctor. What dream did you have?”
“Well, I dreamt that I got a tattoo of the Dark Side of the Moon prism. I felt the pain and everything. It’s no wonder I’ve never gotten a tattoo.”
Dr. Carson was immediately perplexed. “What do you mean never gotten a tattoo?”
I was starting to get worried. “You know, how I hate needles and pain?”
Dr. Carson got out his notebook and started writing something down really quickly. “Matthew, raise up your left sleeve for me.”
I didn’t know what this was about, until it revealed itself. A slightly-faded, clearly aged, triangular prism with a rainbow shooting out of the other side.
How is this possible? Did I somehow alter the past? That dream had to mean something. I got a tattoo in that dream, then it appeared. Interestingly enough, I remember having a conversation with my friend Tyler, and specifically not getting one for my fear of pain. Why do I have two separate memories of this event? Well, clearly something changed, because I now have this 10-year-old tattoo on my left arm.
“Dr. Carson, did I alter the past?”
Dr. Carson looks at me like I was speaking a different language.
“Because, I remember the day I got the tattoo two different ways. One where I didn’t get the tattoo, and one where I did. I told myself days after the fact that I should have just gone through with it. Did I just go back to a time where I changed the outcome?”
Dr. Carson continued to scribble in his notes, he was onto something that he wasn’t sharing with me.
“Matthew, try something for me. Think of a time where you made a decision you regret, but don’t tell me. Think about the time in your head. Scream it to yourself with your inner dialogue. I’m going to ask the nurse for some melatonin. I want you to report back with what happens when I see you bright and early tomorrow morning.”
This all seems so strange. I’m not really sure where this is really going, but I told Dr. Carson that I was willing to go through this experience to get the answer, so I trust his judgment. Within the hour, I was asleep.
Dr. Carson was sitting in the chair across the room when I wake up precisely at 6:30am. He has clearly been monitoring me for some time.
“How do we feel this morning?” Dr. Carson pulled no punches.
“Fine, I could really use some grape juice.”
“You left your bottle on your table.”
This was an interesting development. Last night before I fell asleep, I asked for some apple juice to take my melatonin. After I drank it, I thought to myself “Man, I really wish I ordered grape juice instead,” and fell asleep. I dreamed that I had laying in my hospital bed and I had asked the nurse for some grape juice. This was not an occurrence that I would have put much thought into, as my dreams are typically mundane. But this time was different. Why did I ask for grape juice in my dream, and it made itself appear when I woke up?
“Don’t you see?” Dr. Carson asked. “You did change your timeline! When you dreamed that you asked for grape juice, you went back in time to change that part of your future!”
This was bonkers. Not only did I change my timeline, but in true Matthew fashion, instead of fixing war or American history, I chose to drink a different juice. My priorities are pretty clear cut, it would seem.
“So, as long as I think about what parts of my timeline I want to change, I can travel there?”
“It seems like you’re able to change parts of your life that you have lived. We’ll need to keep studying this on you, and anyone else that will volunteer for this. This is big, Matthew. We’ve just figured out how to change reality.”
Of course, microscopic brain surgery is not without its risks. Most people that volunteered to the experimental surgery came out of it with some side effects. Some as simple as dry eyes and headaches to heart attacks and strokes. Some would travel back in time, and never return. Some would travel to a place in time that didn’t have the same medical breakthroughs we have now. Some would travel forward in time, and time can only tell what happened to those people.
I became the institute’s training and development coordinator. Teaching someone how to unlock their natural human ability to change their timelines and create a better world for themselves has been the most amazing experience. We’re learning how to create a life without war, a world without hate, and a human experience worth living.
Of course, this experience is not without its drawbacks. Again, this is still an experimental procedure with tons of negative side effects. My best friend was working with me at Dygonine when he decided he wanted the surgery. He wanted to go back to play the stock market and buy up a lot of the high-valued stock at a dirt cheap price to become the world’s “most bad ass billionaire,” in his own words. He wanted to also patent the word “thrillionaire” as his official title. Unfortunately, he forgot to tell the doctors of his family history of brain hemorrhages, and he died on the operating table.
There was another friend of mine that wanted to go back to the time of Jesus to prove once and for all that it happened exactly like it did in the bible. Spoilers: It doesn’t. He never came back from that time, and I later found out he committed suicide in Jerusalem.
There were also a lot of unintended consequences for allowing humans to go back in time. Some tried to stop World War II, only to find that other countries were all plotting similar types of awful things. Some worse, some not as bad, but every one of them was stopped because of what happened in WWII. Others tried to take technology with them to show how advanced our society has become, but by showing off that technology, we unknowingly made people afraid of it, and all funding towards technology like computers, televisions, automobiles, and space travel came to a grinding halt. One volunteer even scared society into thinking the future is evil, and anybody who goes far enough back is killed on sight.
This leads me to my trip to 1995. This point in society has been researched and chosen as the most neutral society towards time-travel that we can find. They finally started to allow technology to grow again, and started to make mass communication more accessible. It was my job to try again to convince that society that time-travel is safe, affordable, and all it takes is microscopic brain surgery. I might not want to lead with that last one.
“So, you say the stock market is at an all-time high. Does that mean everyone is rich?”
I wasn’t prepared for how unimpressed people would be about 30 years into the future. “Actually, no. Unemployment is at an all-time high, and minimum wage barely puts food on the table.”
“This doesn’t sound like a great future.”
“Well, that’s why I’m here.” I’ll literally say anything at this point to save face. “What I want to try and do is change the timeline so that we can convince society to focus on what really matters. Like building homes for everyone, free healthcare for our citizens, emphasis on education.”
“Wait, those aren’t priorities in the future either?”
Again, it occurs to me that we really haven’t progressed in 30 years. “I mean, I guess not.”
“I’m still not convinced this guy is from the future. He’s just saying things that are happening now, and trying to convince us that nothing will change. And the way to change things is to have microscopic brain surgery. Sorry, future dude. But I’m out.”
“Yeah, I have to agree with my colleague here. This isn’t going to work out. I’m sorry.”
As I leave the startup Dygonine office, I’ve now got to get back to my hotel and fall asleep. The only way to travel back and forth is through sleep, and I haven’t been able to sleep the last three days. This was my chance to convince the founders of Dygonine to try the experimental surgery themselves, so that they realize how much of threat it poses to humanity, and they shut it down long
before it starts.
My hotel room is dirty, dilapidated, and my home for the foreseeable future. I can’t think too hard about Dygonine meeting today, because if I fall asleep, I’ll return right back there to that same meeting, where I fail in trying to convince the founders that discovering the Carson’s area and connecting humans to their ability to time-travel will cause unspeakable atrocities as humans change and alter history to the point where any thought of the future brings the worst heartache imaginable.
This is my punishment. My torture. What I’m forced to live with by being the first human to discover time-travel. If only I could go back in time and take that ability away from myself.
Why is China allowed in the Olympics when everybody knows they are cheaters with untraceable banned substances?
Taking the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as an example, the swimming events awarded a total of 35 gold medals, accounting for approximately 10.3% of the total gold medals (339) awarded at that edition of the Olympics.
Do you know why?
Since swimming has traditionally been a strong suit for Europeans and Americans, the Olympics, influenced by Western countries, have established numerous swimming events to maintain their dominance. However, When we, China, defeat the Europe and the United States under the rules established by the Europe and the United States, Europe and the United States governments, feeling powerless, resort to hysterical accusations against China.
To preserve their artificial superiority, the extent of doping in swimming by Western athletes has far exceeded most people’s imagination. Yet, because anti-doping organizations are controlled by the West, the substances used by Western athletes are often not classified as doping or are excused as treatments for conditions like asthma during urine tests.
You should go back and do more research to understand the actual situation.
Some MM AI generations
How might China react to North Korea’s development of a nuclear-powered submarine?
A man leave from North Korea once told us on our platform what he saw and heard in North Korea. When there was a famine in North Korea, China provided them with many humanitarian aid, but one of their officials actually said: China’s kidney in our hands,when we hold it and they will help us …
Although at that time, our people almost all said:This guy is really shameless!
However, it also illustrates a problem. Thousand years ,Korea has never been a big threat to China in history or now. On the contrary, their national defense and materials supply often need China’s help …
Today, China and North Korea are land neighbors separated by a shallow Yalu River…Do you think a nuclear submarine can get in it ?
As a Chinese, my idea is that if they can make them feel that they won’t be station troops by the United States, then do it well.If they have the ability to protect themselves, they don’t need to ask China for help frequently…
Dr Pepper Roast Turkey or Chicken
with Herb Bread Stuffing
Ingredients
- 1 (6 to 8 pound) turkey or chicken
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup onions, chopped
- 1 cup celery, chopped
- 1 cup parsley, chopped
- 1 1/2 quarts (6 cups) bread cubes, 1/2 inch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 1 egg, slightly beaten
- 1/2 cup Dr Pepper (plus 10 ounces Dr Pepper for basting)
Instructions
- Rinse turkey or chicken in cold water, pat dry. Remove neck, wing tips, giblets and simmer in small amount of water to make broth (about 2 cups).
- Melt butter and sauté onions and celery until tender but not brown, cool.
- Combine bread cubes, salt, pepper, thyme and parsley. Add sautéed vegetables and toss lightly. Add beaten egg, the 1/2 cup of Dr Pepper, and broth.
- Spoon about 1 cup of the stuffing into the neck cavity. Fasten skin to back with skewer.
- Spoon stuffing into body cavity (do not pack), close body cavity by skewering skin together and lacing it closed with heavy string. Tie drumsticks to the tail.
- Place turkey in roaster or pan breast side up and roast at 325 degrees F for about 3 hours or until done.
- Baste frequently, first pouring from the bottle of Dr Pepper, slowly over the bird. When all is poured, baste from the liquid in the pan, spooning over the bird at frequent intervals.
Attribution
Dr Pepper
we Chinese taught them to do that.
it was a upper-class/royal fashion in Sui/Tang dynasty.
Paint face white and shave eyebrows and change into another shape.
- The key point is to “cover” ppl’s real emotion, no ordinary angry, no ordinary happy, just a true Noble.
it has nothing to do with “Japanese culture”.
The reason why it popular is even more simple:
- females joined political game in Sui/Tang dynasty, makeup became a “weapon” in government.
btw, we name Japan as “Japan” in the same time when taught them shaving eyebrows.
- Tang dynasty eyebrow fashion trend
Good afternoon, metallicman.I have a quick question: is there any Domain organization similar to Majestic in the United States now, or there is none right now? Thank you.