It has been said that the Mountain West conference is “At the Peak,” and to me, nothing illustrates that more, than the fact that there are 12 teams competing in the only NCAA Division 1 conference that sponsors e-sports. Of course, since the matches are played head-to-head, Boise State has an advantage because they tint the monitors blue, and play with all blue avatars; an advantage that is confirmed in their winning of League of Legends and Overwatch, but with the Spring season being cut, next year the Mountain West has announced that they will be playing Mario Kart 8, for the Nintendo Switch. Due to the large amounts of people in the Mountain West cities suddenly having $1200 burning a hole in their pocket, every store that sells Nintendo Switch has sold out of their allotment; yes, even, Amazon. So, thus the conundrum becomes: How can these players, prospects, and ordinary people practice in order to “git gud” as the gamers would say? Well, that’s where I come in. For, you see, since I am allowed out on the streets again, finally, due to both my prison sentence being cut short, and my work being determined to be “essential,” I had the time to scope out some places. Alas, while my cough and fever are not improving as much as I had hoped since I last got back from Italy, I did manage to find some time to visit all of the Mountain West cities in order to find the easiest place to get a Switch and Mario Kart 8 location. For simplicity’s sake, I am going by the football stadium since it’s a well-defined point in most locations – San José State fans, the football stadium is that big ovoid building at the corner of E Alma Ave, and S 7th St… It’s the place where the people aren’t on Saturday’s is September. Should you get hungry during your travels, I have also managed to find a some breakfast locations in the same vicinity

Mountain

Air Force

Okay, so I lied a little; I tried to get into the university, but, unfortunately the men with guns wouldn’t actually let me get beyond the gate on S Gate Rd, and I was still a little jet-lagged having just gotten in from Frankfurt after having woken up for my 0610 flight for the Linate to Frankfurt leg (stupid weather prevented the flight from Denver to ABQ, but my loss is your gain). So, while this may not be the closest, it certainly will fit the bill. Tyler-Jay Rowland who lives at 3075 Navigation Drive, in Colorado Springs was more than willing to help out, especially since his son, Jeremiah, was grounded for a month for staying out after curfew two weekends in a row. As the falcon flies, this location is 5.2 miles away; in a car, it’s not too much further than that.

Boise State

Now, I don’t, technically, hate the way that Boise is laid out with the river running right through the center of town, but even though Maci Drew lives in the Clearwater Apartments, unit 323, which is in a straight line, only a quarter of a mile from the stadium, you will have to go the Exxtramile, to get to her apartment. Also, she would like me to point out, that times for a waitress like herself are a little rough, so please, if you’re hungry, skip Taco Bell, and eat at the Bar Gernika in downtown Boise, right next to the Central Plaza and Century Link Arena. “We have wifi” she said.

Colorado State

This is, by far, the most remarkable location; I had completely forgotten that they moved to an on-campus stadium, so I initially went to the Hughes Stadium location, and found a big pile of dirt. And not much else – well, if you exclude the trees that formed a nice line, that brought me back to my college days. Having corrected my too old Garmin in-car GPS, I found Tim Thatcher on 604 Balsam Ln; he’s a little deaf, so you might need to knock like you are ram-ing down the door. He bought the Switch after his wife of 35 years died to help him grieve and spend his retirement, “but it’s just making me too sad lately, and I’ve never been very good at vid’ya [sic] games. I still don’t know how I’m supposed to save the princess when she’s trying to beat me… That reminds me of my princess, who I lost last year. She was so kind, we met in high school, I had an onion on my belt as was the style in those days. They didn't have any white onions, because of the war. The only thing you could get was those big yellow ones.” I’ll be honest, at this point I started zoning out because, again, fever. He honestly looked really sad as I was talking to him, so you might want to try to cheer him up, since he’s just a lonely guy bein’ a dude. In a straight line distance, you’re only going .3 miles, and it’s not too much further by car.

New Mexico

This is by far the closest location to the stadium. The UNM Lobo Club is a non-essential business in the state of New Mexico, and UNM and the Athletics Department realized that funding would need to be cut dramatically throughout the state, and with the sweetheart deal they got from the legislature this year, they decided to close all athletic facilities, including the Maloof building, home of both Eddie Nuñez’s office, and the Lobo Club. I suggest using the side door closest to the field level entrance of the stadium. That’ll take you to the weight room; an alarm will go off, the code is “1892” the year the football team first played (interesting tidbit: the marching band was founded in 1889, the same year as the university); from there enter the main hallway, and go to the first door on the left after you pass the restrooms. The last time I was there, they had a vending machine that dispensed free Mountain Dew; I was howl-ing with laughter after I found that. Also, if you see Señor Manta, say “Hola!” he’s been down on his luck since his family were killed in the accident, and now he wanders the street like a lone Lobo.

Utah State

It was like a bomb went off. No one was around; maybe they were busy playing Farmer, or having a bonfire out in the dirt behind the stadium, wit their brown-eyed girls, but Jeff Field’s dorm room, Aggie Village Community building 17, first floor, third window from the right (he leaves it unlocked, so don’t worry about access) has a Switch just sitting there on the bed, as though he borrowed it from someone, but never managed to return it before he left. Go on, take it, just say that it was yours and he left it, no one will check.

Wyoming

Cowboys and Cowgirls are just different, I guess; I could not find a Nintendo Switch in town for the life of me. I found many Switchblades, Light switches, and many wooden rods, so I took my horse down to Cheyenne, and found a recently laid-off Subway Sandwich Artist called Dom, who knew just where to look. He directed me to 803 West 21st St, Suite B. He told me, “yeah, the guy who runs this storefront, has a little son, about 6 years old. He keeps a Switch in his desk’s keyboard tray for when he picks his son up from school.” Because of the ordeal in Laramie, I asked him to clarify, and he did, “yeah… Nintendo switch.” He said as he looked around shiftily. If that doesn’t work you can always try Suite C, I heard they stock Switches… oh wait, not that kind.” I was going to ask him for more information, but he entered what looked like an abandoned brick building just passed the railroad tracks, “You didn’t see me,” he said. And I also didn’t hear the gunshots that went off as I walked back to my car.

Table View

School	Distance Driving (mi)	Straight Line Distance (mi)	Drive/Drone Difference	Variance (from all schools)^A
Air Force	8.44	5.22	3.22	0.047
Boise State	1.00	0.282	0.718	1.069
Colorado State	0.420	0.312	0.108	1.792
New Mexico	0.206	0.191	0.015	1.920
Utah State	0.444	0.305	0.139	1.751
Wyoming	47.90	40.69	7.21	4.894

A: Variance is calculated based upon DDD’s distance from the standard deviation of DDD… Why DDD? Because, DDD is King.

West

Note: SDSU currently does not field an Esports team; I am including them because it seems likely that they will in the near future

Hawai’i

Hawai’i is interesting because the Honolulu airport has a much better open air location than the El Paso airport; there’s a water path, it’s weird man, it reminds me a lot of the Tiki Room at Disn… oh, yeah, Hawai’i, Polynesia, that makes sense. Anyway, the stadium is home to the largest swap meet’s I’ve ever seen. Unfortunately, I did not find any Switches, but I did find a guy swapping Macadamia Nut cookies for a few dollars, so naturally, I bought some. It started to rain, so even though many people are Rainbow Warriors or Wahine, as the women prefer to be called, I am not. I stopped in at the ‘Aeia Public Library for a spell, and my phone was dead, so I needed a place to charge for a bit. The nice librarian, Akela (“it means graceful,” I was told. After I asked, “like the wolf-spirit in Hindi myths?”), pointed out, that, “We loan out all sorts of stuff here; pots, pans, sewing machines. Believe it or not, we even rent out video game systems. Our most popular is probably the Nintendo Switch, but we also have a couple of Xbox’s and PS4’s.” I guess I looked very shocked because Akela continued, “with the military surrounding us, we, the library system, get a lot of goods from contractors who don’t want to have a lot of their goods shipped back to the mainland.” Seeing how much it cost to ship out, I completely understood, and bid ¬¬Akela aloha, and failed the Hawai’I test by passing out at the nearest Embassy Suites, in Kapolei, if I remember correctly (I probably don’t, I was tired).

Fresno State

A nice cow brought me to Clovis. Much like what happened in Las Vegas, it was not the cool one, but instead the one in California. She (I saw udders), brought me specifically to 264 Clovis Ave, and said, “what you seek, from my master, is in there.” I’m not sure if it was my fever, jet-lag, a combination of them, or something else entirely, but then the cow vanished as though she was just a thing on the internet. A stray puppy passed by me in downtown, so that was probably the highlight of the trip.

Nevada (Reno)

Look, I’ll be honest, Reno to me always makes me feel like I’m going to be leaving the city without one or both of my kidneys. I don’t know why I expect Renoirs to chew my body like a Pack of Wolves, but there you are. Diedre Thomas of 128 Keystone Ave, fell on hard times. She poured herself a glass of vodka, neat, and said, “you can have anything you want,” she paused briefly to wink at me, “for the right price.” I specifically enquired about the Switch, “Anything,” she replied. She pulled out what appeared to be a small glass bowl that looked like an incense holder, and a baggie of chalk dust, and… Oh my god, she was going to smoke cocaine. Anyway, as she pulled out the pulled out the baggie, I hastily took my leave. I then went to the airport and went to my next stop….

Nevada – Las Vegas

Can you believe parents still bring their children, like elementary school aged children to Las Vegas. And it’s not the cool Las Vegas, in New Mexico, it’s the one in Nevada; well, I guess, technically they bring their kids to Paradise, and not Las Vegas, but c’mon man, there isn’t that much difference. Anyway, head to the Excalibur hotels because Carla, the housekeeper said that on average 3 Switches get left by guests every day. I then felt really depressed while walking around the hotel, so I left to check out the Mirage, where I normally stay on these Mountain West trips. I also learned that if there’s one thing that freaks me out more than the throngs of people walking the Strip, it’s when there’s nobody around. Once the new stadium gets completed it will be vastly easier to get to the casino than at the current location.

San Diego State

I stayed with Dominic, at his house of Friars Road. I was starting to feel sick to my stomach with the lack of green chile, so it was so enjoyable to spend time with a fellow New Mexican (and my roommate junior year). He took me on a little tour: Balboa Park’s stadium (home of the former Harbor Bowl, and the first tie in UNM Football history), the USS Midway, and Ocean Beach. I had forgotten about the assignment until I looked down at my feet and found a working Switch. When it was still there after an hour, I borrowed a small boat, realised, I need a bigger boat and headed out to the Ocean. Having claimed rights, I then put it back, so you might also find it.

San José State

Look, there are a lot of people who depart from the San Jose Airport. The kids who travel on these flights are slightly scatter-brained because of the adrenaline of taking a plane ride (and passing through the checkpoint), and leave some of their electronics, and I found a shoe! A shoe! Who only puts one shoe on and then walks-off? It was an adult shoe, so it’s not like a child/toddleparent left it, no, someone made a conscious decision to leave their shoe… Maybe it was a protest? Anyway, just tell the guy that you left your Switch at the checkpoint, if he asks you what color it was say, it had yellow grips that slide off, but the screen was bounded by black.

Table View

School	Distance Driving (mi)	Straight Line Distance (mi)	Drive/Drone Difference	Standard Deviation (all schools)^A
Fresno State	4.46	3.28	1.18	0.644
Hawai’i	1.420	0.696	0.784	1.001
Nevada (Reno)	2.410	1.69	0.720	1.067
Nevada – Las Vegas (SBS)^b	18.426	8.93	11.258
Nevada – Las Vegas (NVS)^c	2.125	0.590	1.535	0.391
San Diego State	9.861	8.08	1.78	0.252
San José State	6.575	4.60	1.975	0.164

A: Variance is calculated based upon DDD’s distance from the standard deviation of DDD… Why DDD? Because, DDD is King.
b: Sam Boyd Stadium
c: New Vegas Stadium (Allegiant Field)

Conclusion

Even if the stores are sold out of Switches, there are always places you can go to get them, some are definitely within walking distance of your house, maybe even right next door. If you do choose to do that, there are a few things to keep in mind: 1. Milk 2. Eggs, specifically from Natural Grocers, if they still have member pricing. 3. Chicken thighs
Wait, that was my grocery list for last week.

Basque food is amazing.
The addresses are real, any businesses mention are real; the people mentioned or alluded to (with exception to the person who has an office in Clovis, CA; and Dominic in SD) are fake.
No, I do not know who lives at the addresses, and unless you can look it up in the phone book, I recommend that you don’t either. Please don’t bother them.
No, I am not sick… I have a lingering cough from allergies to junipemesquite pollen.
I have not visited Colorado Springs/Fort Collins/Laramie/Reno/San José/Honolulu, yet.
Information for the other cities comes from my memory
I remember when Park MGM was the Monte Carlo
Is Secret Pizza still at the Cosmo? I don’t remember seeing it the last time I was there, but that might have been because I was on the wrong floor.
Toss a coin to your witcher.
Normal people stop listing things at 10, but
This list goes up to 11.

Grand Blues! fan translations (Episodes 1282-1286)

napulot ko lang sa fb. may nag rant about upcat results and admu confirmation fee/letter of non withdrawal

It's time to hold public officials accountable.

From 1960 to 2011, our country has lost $8.05 BILLION A YEAR due to illicit activities. Totaling $410.5 billion, or P19.34 trillion. Wala pang inflation yan.

How big is that money?

Kung tatanggapin natin ang estimates na $10 billion ang nanakaw ng mga Marcoses. That is the equivalent of 41 Ferdinand Marcoses plundering and raping the Philippines in the more than two decades they were in power.
Ang external debt ng Pilipinas, in 2017 was $72.36 billion. Meaning kahit i-times five mo pa yang utang na yan, kaya sana nating bayaran.
Ang national budget ng Pilipinas for 2018 is P3.8 trillion. That money would have paid for five years of the Philippines' operating budget. Or kahit four years na lang, hayaan na natin silang nakawin yung ika-5th year.
If you spend P1,000 EVERY SECOND, you would need 613 years to spend all of that money. Mamamatay ka na lang di mo pa ubos gastusin ang perang yan, hindi ka pa nga siguro aabot ng one-fourth.

Noong 2016, isa sa sangdamakmak na panggagancho na ginawa ni Duterte eh pangakuan tayo na he will stop corruption daw. In 3 to 6 months daw. Lokohin niya ang lelang niyang panot. Pero even if we do try to be objective, there is no denying that Duterte not only failed to deliver on that promise, the opposite happened.

Corruption under Duterte

According to Transparency International, the Philippines drastically reduced corruption during the Aquino administration. In 2010, it ranked 134 on the Corruption Index. By the time Aquino's reign ended, we were ranked 95 out of 168 (2015). Bongga, tumaas tayo ng 39 notches in just five years. And even if you do not follow Transparency International, kitang kita naman with Napoles, Revilla, Enrile, and yung anak ni Erap? Lahat sila nakulong.
Now, with Duterte at the helm, that dropped six notches to 101 in 2016, and then another 13 to 114 in 2017. Wow besh, 19 points agad ang binaba natin in just one and a half years? Would anybody be surprised to see that in 2018 or 2019, Duterte would have erased all the gains of the previous administration in fighting corruption?

So ano nga ba ang nangyari?

Sa 39 na natanggal sa puwesto dahil sa corruption, 6 lang doon ang nakasuhan. Inuulit ko, 39 cabinet members sacked due to corruption. Only 6 were slapped with complaints, including Argosino and Robles ng BOI, kasi if not, si Vitaliano Aguirre ang mananagot.
Eto ang masakit. Some of those sacked are now back holding government posts.

Pompee Laviña was fired as Social Security System commissioner, for misusing public funds. Humingi ba naman ng P26 million para sa social media show niya? Tapos gusto pang magpaaccredit ng mga “preferred brokers” niya para sa investments ng SSS. Two months after, he was appointed an undersecretary at the DOT. With Berna Romula Puyat at the DOT putting 6 DOT undersecretaries and assistant secretaries on floating status, even family friend Kat De Castro. Lavina got off scot free, as Duterte transferred Laviña to the DA days before the announcement.
Commission for the Urban Poor commissioner Melissa Aradanas is now deputy secretary general of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council. She is a cousin of Honeylet.
Arandanas was fired together with several others, including Joan Lagunda, who is now an ASEC at the DENR.
Another one of those fired at the Anti Poor Commission, Manuel Serra, Jr. is now with the Philippine Coconut Authority.
Martin Diño, who was originally ruling party PDP-Laban’s standard-bearer in the 2016 polls before being substituted by Duterte, quickly got the post of Interior and Local Government undersecretary for barangay affairs in exchange for his SBMA chairmanship. In fairness, hindi naman corruption ang kaso ni Dino. Pero yung ang pattern.
Nicanor Faeldon, nagresign daw from the Bureau of Immigration but was reappointed by Duterte as deputy administrator at the Office of Civil Defense.
May isa pa, Public Works undersecretary Tingagun Ampaso Umpa, was forced to resign in May after an internal investigation revealed that he committed grave abuse of power and may have also committed acts of corruption. Ardent Duterte supporter din siya, pero since last month pa lang siya natanggal, eh yung pinsan niya muna yung inappoint. Abangan natin next month baka nasa DOT na naman itong Umpa na to.

So sino sino ang mga natanggal at hindi kinasuhan? Ang dami nila besh.

Former interior secretary Ismael Sueno. Bumili ng hotel sa South Cotabato, tapos bumili ng trucks para sa family business. He also bought trucks for the DILG that were more expensive. Duterte also reported fired him for accepting bribes from different gambling lords.
Former Energy Regulatory Commission chairman Jose Vicente Salazar. Simple and grave misconduct with elements of corruption.
Former budget undersecretary Gertrudo de Leon. Humingi ng cut sa budget allocations of different government agencies.
Terry Ridon, Melissa Aradanas, Manuel Serra Jr, Noel Indonto, and Joan Lagunda. Excessive foreign trips.
Former Development Academy of the Philippines President Elba Cruz. Excessive trips.
Former Maritime Industry Authority administrator Marcial Amaro III. Excessive trips.
Former Commission on Higher Education chairperson Patricia Licuanan. Excessive trips, and allegedly delaying the release of allowances meant for scholars.
Former Social Security System commissioner Jose Gabrial "Pompee" La Viña and chairman Amado Valdez. Abusing public funds.
Former labor undersecretary Dominador Say. Corruption relating to activities of labor recruiters.
Peter Tiu Lavina. Oo Lavina na naman. Sikat sila ha. Lavina was forced to resign, or resigned, depende kung kaninong sinungaling kayong maniniwala kasi kumikickback dawn g 40% on NIA projects.
DOT’s Wanda Teo and Cesar Montano. P320 million para sa Buhay Carinderia project. Labas pa diyan yung kalokohan ni Wanda at ng mga kapatid niya. Wala tuloy akong mapagsumbungan!
PhilHealth’s Celestina dela Serna, na habang ang daming hospitals ang hindi nababayaran and while the agency is bleeding money, has the gall to stay in hotel rooms costing P3,800 a night, which is parang room for rent for a month na for ordinary Filipinos. Labas pa doon yung ginagawang Makati to Quezon City lang ang Manila at Bohol, at ginawang Uber ang Philippine Airlines. Gumastos ng another P627,000 for hotels and travels.
Customs Deputy Commissioner Noel Patrick Sales Prudente for alleged travels abroad.
Transportation Assistant Secretary Mark Tolentino for “dealing with Presidential sister”. Yun yung official line, pero ang totoong rason, eh loose lips sink ships, nagchika daw kasi itong si Tolentino, kaya nabuking tuloy. Pag hindi sana nabuking, tuloy ang ligaya.
Government corporate counsel Rudolf Philip Jurado, for allegedly approving a lease agreement good for 75 years that would allow a foreign company to put up a casino-hotel without public bidding, and of providing the company with a gambling permit.

“Whiff of corruption?”

All of these people were fired for corruption, but most of them have gotten off scot free. Corruption, plunder and abuse of public funds all carry a sizable jail term for the convicted. But these are just those na napansin ng media. There are others who until now are in position or resigned before the president could do it for them.
Alan Peter Cayetano, ang tsismis eh misusing the P1-billion fund for ATN daw. Tapos si Aguirre, who was fired for clearing the drug lords, eh may bagong appointment in the works, na pihadong tatanggapin daw niya. Makapal eh. Wag nating palampasin yung National Youth Commission. P300,000 na pang snacks? And what about P647 million na nilustay ng PCOO, P14 million na bonus para kay MTRCB chair Rachel Arenas, a position na ang sweldo eh sabi ni Mocha eh kulang pa raw pangtaxi. P5,000 lang daw.
And what about Bong Go’s travels. From Davao to Manila, to South Korea. Kung may liga ng basketball, may namatay, may binyag, may kasal, kahit na flyover na walang kamalaymalay at nanahimik lang, andiyan si Bong Go, nangangampanya. Or at least may tarpaulin siya. Kahit hindi pa election season. Kung hindi man ito electioneering, pwede bang malaman kung pera ng bayan ang ginagamit dito?
In fact, wag na natin palagpasin lahat ito. It is time to fight back. Let us make our officials accountable for every wrongdoing that they do. Hindi na dapat tawaging act of bravery ang pagsasampa ng kaso laban sa mga tiwaling opisyal. Ang lagay eh, magnanakaw ka pero hindi ka makukulong kung magreresign ka? Yung sales clerk nga na nagnakaw ng isang lata ng corned beef, kulong. Sila pa kaya, na nagiging dahilan kung bakit hindi tayo nakakabayad ng utang natin sa ibang bansa, na kung bakit marami sa atin ang patuloy na naghihirap?
Sila na nagnakaw, nagenjoy, tapos hindi makukulong. Ano yun, thank you sa pagnanakaw niyo sa amin? Basta magresign ka lang?

Damage Control Chapter 3

First chapter here: https://www.reddit.com/HFY/comments/cbg4gs/damage_control_chapter_1/
So, this one's going to be a deep cut. If you haven't read the novels I've done before, this story throws you in at the deep end, and it spoils at least one major plot point from the 6th novel, Skin Hunger, as well as several other major plot points from other novels. If you want to catch up with that stuff, https://hellskitchensink.com/ check it out here.
If you'd just like to jump into things, this is what matters: There are Atlanteans, an apparently fish-like race who have recently revealed themselves to humans, who have a population of approximately 50,000 and who are on the verge of extinction, and who were recently partially responsible for a near-catastrophe involving a war between a psychotic god of dreams and a primordial entity of stasis, and are trying to make amends. There is supernatural craziness. There is a top secret branch of the US Military- or possibly intelligence services, or maybe even just running loose- referred to as the Esoteric Forces of the United States.
There's a lot of damage to control.
----

Chapter 3: Hel

USEF Report Dagon, section C (Culture), Paragraph 5-11, Rank HEL-6
Almost all of the 'threat' posed by the Atlanteans is, fundamentally, cultural. It is also largely unintentional. While the Atlantean capacity to develop gods is formidable compared to individual humans, their population is .001% that of humanity, and their rate of population increase is hovering at just shy of 0%. They cannot meaningfully invade us, and they sacrificed the element of surprise that could- conceivably- have let them conquer us. They are not a threat directly, and any genocidal actions on our part would not change that- The damage the Atlanteans can do has already been done.
Obviously, the reverse is not true. The Atlanteans are a very small, discreet, and largely insular minority. These have historically been poorly treated in America, and literally every other nation. While legislation has been passed to recognize them as a protected minority, the current administration has shown a certain disregard. The survival of the Atlantean culture is threatened in a number of ways, not least the possibility of a repeat of the Neanderthal extinction.
There is substantial evidence that humans and Neanderthals crossbred. This no doubt contributed to the gradual extinction of the Neanderthal. The possibility that someday the only sign remaining of the Atlanteans will be a certain cast of the eyes, a certain hair color, or a few dozen introns on the end of a DNA strand, is disconcertingly likely.
Back to the issue of culture. Atlantean culture is broadly monarchic. Because of its small population and strained resources, collectivism has been endemic. These traits are likely to fade, but because of the long lifespans and conservative attitudes of older Atlanteans, this fading is likely to take place over decades, or even centuries. Many younger Atlanteans have begun to emigrate, many of them to other countries. This is a pain in the ass for security purposes, as almost all Atlanteans have access to information that is destabilizing, but the most we can hope to do is mitigate cultural harm by encouraging their integration.
Large Atlantean populations- a thousand or more- have settled in the mouth of the Amazon River, the Thames, on the eastern shores of Puerto Rico, on the coast of New Orleans, and off the shore of Kyushu. Smaller populations- a hundred or more- have taken up shelter off Australia by Rottnest Island, the Vietnam coast near Hai Phong, in the Mozambique Channel by Madagascar, south of the Canary Islands, the Strait of Gibraltar, Copenhagen's bays, in the Baltic Sea, the Caspian Sea, and a sizable population in Lake Erie, right by Buffalo.
The largest political push that the Atlanteans have been showing is for renewable energy sources and less water pollution. The Atlantean Queen, Ku-kaili-moku-polemo, has made a dramatic push for intervention in the Pacific Trash Gyre. There have notably been no Atlantean populations settled in India or China, possibly a commentary on the state of their ecological systems and water pollution; Unfortunately, this has also been a cause for increased tensions between the two nascent superpowers and the USA.
More domestically, Atlanteans have managed to tap into the 'Crystal Spires and Togas' new age movement. While not fitting the classical Greek image of Atlanteans, their spirituality has attracted adherents to a number of small schools of meditation. While these might be uncharitably referred to as cults, the Atlantean attitude towards divinity and free will has largely kept them on the 'church' side of the divide. While the media has questioned the wisdom of Atlantean teachings being spread in the wake of the near-catastrophe last September, the EFUS attitude has been that creating a home-grown population of human divingeneers is worth the relatively small risk; We can't get this genie back in the bottle, but we can ask it for a few wishes.
Chief Researcher Cherry H. Verne
The helicopter was a misery. Loud, suspended above the ground, uncomfortably exposed. The jet, on the other hand, was a wonder. It moved through the air with only the most modest occasional turbulence, high above the clouds. I stared out of one of the windows, my breath caught in my throat as I watched the clouds drift far below, like sand dunes deep beneath the sea.
Even the fastest currents of Atlantis had been limited compared to this speed. Atlantis had been small, and centralized. The humans lived across the vast and desiccated skin of their world, and sometimes they had to get from place to place quickly. Without the advantages of being able to leap between worlds with the intercedence of their gods, they came to novel solutions. It was not as convenient, but it wound up pushing them to greater heights. We travelled at speeds where the air itself became a kind of fluid, thick and turbulent, full of currents and doldrums. It was glorious.
"Fucking son of a bitch," growled Miller. "The news got out. The Exquisition and the Peers are sending a delegation to join us. Using the goddamn Concorde. They'll be there before we will." His eyes flickered over to Smith, narrowing.
"I know you like to think of us as having our lips fastened thoroughly to the royal teat, you metallic fuck, but I loathe those imperialist assholes. Not least because we both know they will demand the death of the Archmage. I didn't leak word, and nobody I told would. On the other hand..." Her eyes drifted over to Pagan. The Major sat on the far side of the aisle in the small craft, silently listening to the conversation.
"The official policy of the Mexican Government is that any supernatural being found to be contravening the law in aid of organized crime, or taking the life of a human, is to be executed."
The unspoken subtext in that statement was clear to everyone. The Mexican authorities would not want anyone to find out about any deals they cut. They would have good reason to keep the mission a secret. So, had someone betrayed one another? Or was the presence of an Archmage just that difficult to hide? How on earth had everything devolved so quickly?
Miller groaned. "It gets worse. Chatter suggests that the Tongxinheli and the Indian Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation have learned about this, too. They're likely to get involved."
"And they are hardly known for throwing away a useful resource," said Smith, teeth gritted. "Fucking arrogant pricks. What are they thinking?"
"That the United States is unlikely to go to war over a man who, according to official statements, doesn't actually exist. They'll be out of their environment, though. They won't have access to heavy equipment- I don't care how secret the supernatural is, East Asian ordinance going off on U.S. soil is going to go over like a lead balloon. Their supernatural advantage will be..." He chewed the words for a moment, frowning. "Harder to judge. Both are capable of substantial, if inconsistent, supernatural power multipliers."
"I am sorry," I said, finally pressured by sheer curiosity. "But- these groups-"
"The Tonxinheli is a grab bag of mainland hick priests, Hong Kong triads, Tibetan monks working under duress, and Mongolian shamans, all being pressured- financially, diplomatically, or personally- by the Chinese government. The Ministry..." His face darkened.
"They feed people to monsters," said Smith. "Usually poor, or undesirable."
"No actual evidence of that," grumbled Miller, but not very loudly. "They've got some nasty alliances in the supernatural world. Blood's a lot closer to the skin, down there. Her Majesty's Most Loyal Exquisition is British. They mostly deal with faeries, because the fuckers are thick as flies over there, but we usually have close relations with them. The Peers started as an old knightly order descending from Charlemagne, and rose to prominence after World War 2 turned the Franco-German border into the largest source of Undead ever. There are rumors of a 'Bloody War' that they were involved in before that, but mostly, they're a bunch of overly religious technology-obsessed freaks."
"You are playing an incredibly brave card there, metal-boy," said Smith, an eyebrow raised.
"I did this to myself because I was suffering from severe PTSD, quadrapalegia, and had been manipulated by a psychotic monster. They did it because they thought pacts were unholy." He looked out the window, his brow wrinkled. "This is bad. This is fucked up on a scale that defies simple Murphy's Law. Everything's coming together too quickly." He shook his head. "Hope we're not putting our foot in another hornet's nest."
I tried to think of something comforting to say, some way to encourage my superior officer. None were obvious to me. I settled for patting his shoulder companionably. "What is our plan, Sergeant?"
"Twofold. We need to strike fast and hard when we get in, which means dividing." He gritted his teeth. "I hate to do this to you, not least because I want you close by where you can watch for ambushes, but I need you to check out the hotel. See what you can find out there. Any chance you can track down what supernaturals were in there?"
"I can promise nothing, but if anyone can..."
"Good." Miller nodded to the two foreign officials and the four men who had stayed silent in the back of the plane, dressed in heavy black fatigues, masks covering their faces, heavy weapons sleeved over their shoulders. The men were anonymous, but I could read them beneath those masks. Pulses of belief both strong and weak- One nostalgia, one fear, one anger, one loathing like I'd never seen, one joy and innocence, one ambivalent melancholy. I could see such things in the unguarded, and often, those who wore masks left their souls very bare indeed.
"What will you be doing, Sergeant, if I may ask?"
"The mission profile says that our man was bilking a local casino, the Treasure Chest, using... Well, they weren't entirely clear, but he'd won enough money to be odd. There's a possibility he may be going for one last big score there. Major Pagan, Jissika Smith, and I will be keeping an eye there. Privates, you'll be keeping an eye on the local traffic and making sure he doesn't rabbit without us knowing about it. If we don't find him in the next few hours, it's going to be damned near impossible to figure out where he goes. And if he goes to ground..."
He didn't have to finish the statement. This was a man who could afford to spend decades in hiding.
The plane landed in New Orleans, where we were studiously ignored by the locals. On the streets, I drew more than a few surprised glances as I walked, and even the occasional venomous look. There were a handful of Atlanteans in the city, but I did not keep my eye out for them. I slipped through the crowd without notice or care, making my way towards the hotel where the scene had been found.
The police had not yet been notified. The scene of the crime was untouched. As I entered, I was struck by several things. The lack of blood, for one thing. The fact that, aside from the now-clearly-severed arm, there was no sign of the men supposedly murdered in this room. The lingering aroma of divinity. And finally, a slender, hard-knuckled fist.
I awoke, in a large metallic room. A slender young man who nonetheless had wrinkles around the corners of his eyes from too much smiling was studying me. "Are you alright?" he asked, softly, in heavily accented English. "Sorry about the blow. Are you well?"
Had I been a person entirely unlike myself, I might have responded violently. Sent current surging through the metal walls, fried every other person within, fought and struggled. Instead, I nodded. "You didn't strike anything particularly vital. Blow to the head, but I do not feel murky, or concussed." I studied him for a moment. He was slender, not very old, and his head was shaved bare. His warm brown eyes twinkled, and he wore a loose saffron robe. He had hit me at least as hard as Miller could, and he blazed with oddly tinted belief. Practically a furnace.
The others... Three of them were humans. One of them was tall, broad-shouldered, a pair of black sunglasses over his eyes, dressed in a white business suit. A gun sat in a holster under one armpit, and a leather bag under the other. The second was dressed like a tourist, a colorful T-shirt, shorts, and sandals. He sat with the same ramrod stiffness I had seen in Pagan. The third had his hair up in a bright white turban, wrapped elegantly, with an impressive mane of black hair surrounding his face on all sides. I knew something of the significance of the garment to certain religions, but I did not recognize this specific variant off hand. This man was- I studied my memories- Latino, or Indian, judging by his features. The others were East Asian, I thought. Chinese, I decided, from the context of who was expected to get involved.
The last person in the truck was not human in the least. Nearly seven feet tall, skin black not like a human's but like a burn victim's. Wiry but with muscles like coconuts stuffed into a stocking, her proportions were almost comical, massive tusks forcing her mouth open, growing in place of her canines. A long, red tongue hung out of her mouth, dripping reddish saliva onto the floor almost constantly.
"" said the man in the tourist's clothing, "" He was speaking Mandarin Chinese. I had taken the time to learn Mandarin. The tonal nature of the language was unusual, but I had mastered it quickly.
"You are safe," said the young man who had hit me.
"What are you?" I asked, frowning as I studied him. That belief- Was it belief? Or divinity? He did not feel like a god, but he was not entirely human, either. I had read files about the human phenomenon of 'Heroes'- those who were, in a sense, gods made out of still-living humans. Was this what they looked like?
"A humble monk," he said, bowing his head once.
"" said the man who I now strongly suspected was the leader of this small group.
"Does he speak English?" I asked, feigning lack of knowledge. Their assumptions were a useful tool.
"He understands it," said the monk, giving me a warm smile. "I am more proficient, so he asks me to translate his words, so they are not misinterpreted. We are aware that the Atlanteans have made many agreements with the Americans. You more than many. We wish to offer you an alternative."
""
"You have a choice in the matter, of course. We do not intend to abduct you. But if you should wish to explore your options, to experience what another government may be willing to offer, you can."
He was elaborate. Eloquent. Trying to confuse his compatriots, whose English was not as good. I wondered about the wisdom of sending only one man who understood English so well.
"Monk," said the man in the white business suit and the sunglasses, and his English sounded like he'd spent his entire life in the south, "don't go scarin' the lady by acting all vague and odd." He stepped forward, and settled down on his heels, coming level with me, eye to eye. "The monk's in this job because the government leans on his people, because that's the only way he'll work. The Political Officer there is here to make sure that he doesn't go AWOL. But I'm here because the PRC pays damn well. What you're looking for, what you want, they can provide. You just have to be willing to work together with them."
"" asked the black-skinned creature, in some ancient and esoteric dialect of Hindi.
"" murmured the man in the turban, in the same near-forgotten language. ""
Alright, perhaps I cheat a bit in learning languages. Being able to read the soul of a man makes understanding them much easier when they speak. It was not the kind of talent I would ever broadcast. People were far more honest if they believed you could not understand them. I would hate to take that comfort from them.
"What do you want from me?" I asked, allowing a tiny hint of the trepidation and fear I felt ease into my words.
"" said the man in charge. ""
"Nothing serious. We were alerted by contacts in the US government of a..." The man with the sunglasses paused, and frowned at the monk.
"Bodhisattva?" asked the monk, amusement flickering in his eyes.
"Of a very potent being," said the man in the sunglasses, forehead wrinkled in an obvious glare at the monk. "Since your people ain't been interested in joining the PRC, they've been... understandably tense. We find out about something that could give the Americans a greater advantage. Understandably, we want to avoid that." He smiled. "And if we can persuade you to give us a greater advantage, as well..."
"I... I'm not sure. If I were to betray them- There could be repercussions. Strikes against my people."
"" said the man in charge. ""
"We just need a distraction. A chance to help this guy- Victim of at least a couple of genocides- escape from the governments that perpetuated those genocides." The man in the glasses smiled. "You know about the Westerners’ history. We never did anything like that."
I did not correct him. "How will I contact you?"
"Don't worry about that. We will know." The man in sunglasses winked as he patted me companionably on the shoulder. "Magic."
I did not detect magic. I did detect the faint spark of electricity in the tiny thing he'd planted on my shoulder. It had sunk into the slick material of the raincoat.
"" asked the political officer. The man in sunglasses smiled.
"Consider it. Whatever you're looking for, we can certainly offer it."
"I'll think about it," I said, letting the nervousness flow through my words. Disguising the planning, the certainty, that hid beneath.
I would not switch sides. There were a thousand reasons, but they all condensed down to one. The game of sides was just that: A game. It was a distraction, and in the face of annihilation, a lethal one. These humans were positioning themselves to have the strongest position on the chessboard after it had been set on fire. The most logical solution to this was to destroy them, utterly, giving them no choice but to throw their efforts behind the EFUS. It was my side- By chance, but that was reason enough.
As they stopped the truck- We had apparently been in the back of an 18-wheeler- and allowed me to return to the city, I strategized internally. If I simply alerted Miller or destroyed the scrying device, it would scare them off. Let the prey know that they had been scented. But if they committed themselves to the conflict, they would be forced to see it through. I studied the bug, and my brows knit. It was delicate, finer than an eyelash. That such a small, inconsequential thing could be used to track me, to transmit sound, was... impressive. Also annoying. I would have to avoid discharge. There was no question that something so delicate would be destroyed by the shocks I could produce.
The phone in my pocket rang. I took it out, fumbling with the interface. The phone was a phenomenal device, though a strange one. An invisible network of oracles, allowing people across the world to speak, find information, plan things. I had seen the way humans cared for theirs, placed so much belief and thought into them. The only thing that kept them from awakening was that they were fragile, and not built to last.
That was a terrible crime, to me and my people. To make a tool that was disposable. To create a tool that was never meant to be more. You built to last, because that was how you made a tool truly great, growing more potent with the years. This... I tried to think of the words to describe it. Child soldiers. Cancer-ridden fetuses. A thousand dark images.
Then I hit the 'answer' button, because it had been ringing for nearly half a minute while I stared blankly. "Yes?"
"Yeagerta! It's nearly sunset, I've called you three times, what's the news?"
I shook my head. Strategy. "I was-" I let the silence hang for just a moment, as though I was planning to tell Miller. Showing the foreign agents what they expected, a self-interested person who thought themselves loyal, who had to talk themselves into betrayal. "Distraction. It took longer than I thought to sniff out the crime scene. I'm on my way now, and I've got bad news."
"Shit. How bad?"
"Your men might not be dead. They might just be hostages."
"Aaaaah, double-shit! We tracked him down to the Treasure Chest Casino, but... Well, things are a little bit fraught here. Get here as quick as you can, I could use a voice of reason, or alternatively, another pair of fists."
"Yes, Sergeant."
I made my way to the address, up the stairs into a cheap motel, and into a doorway. I knocked twice, and the door opened. Major Pagan had a large machete in one hand, standing halfway out of her chair. She settled as she recognized me, and the ivory-handled machete disappeared like smoke in the wind. Jissika Smith had been holding a slender bone needle, carved in scrimshaw. The other three members of the room were somewhat less calm. The man and the woman in elegant evening dress were in a pact, I could tell- And the woman was visibly not human, her skin the color of silver, tall, thin, elfin, almost as tall as me. She stood with her long, delicate hands folded in front of her, the man with a drink in hand, the scent of sharp alcohol filling the air.
The last... Well, I couldn't guess at their gender... was actually quite like Miller. The lines of electricity were not as all-encompassing as in him, but still encompassed the limbs, and significant portions of the torso. They sat at the corner, a weapon still drawn. I didn't recognize it, precisely, but it hummed softly, and clearly had a right side and a wrong side. The wrong side was aimed at me.
"Fuck's sake, Anseis, you crazy bitch, she's more human than you or I am."
The weapon was slowly raised towards the ceiling. The woman, superficially, did not look particularly odd. She was delicately built, slender, with skin as pale as milk, and rich golden hair, blue eyes piercing and cold. She was androgynous to the point that Miller's description of her was the only reason I could settle on 'female', and the long leather jacket she wore seemed wholly inappropriate for the hot, muggy environs. "You were studying the crime scene. Any sign of their assailants?"
"Four demons. The archmage himself was not there. All of the demons left substantial traces of power. I'd say centuries old, at least, maybe more. I don't know what they were exactly, but..."
"Four?" said the British man, an eyebrow raised. "You could distinguish them? Hell's bells, the man has four pacts?"
"I suspect so," said Miller. "The mechanics aren't well-known, but being able to make and raise your own supernatural flying monkeys is probably going to make it simpler. So, one big, fat target, and at least four unknown bogies." He looked up. "I bet you've got a solution in place already."
"The Heinlein is within firing distance, isn't it?" said Anseis. "An obvious solution suggests itself. Archmage or not..."
"I'll accept any solutions that don't involve firing a weapon of mass destruction at a riverboat full of American citizens," said Miller.
"I'd suggest coming up behind him and slitting his throat," said the British man, a slender stiletto appearing in his hand as quickly as Pagan's machete had disappeared from hers. "But if he were that easy to take down, I suspect someone already would have."
"Three teams," said Miller. "One team evacuates the ship. That's Jissika, Punk Barnes, and Lady Featherbottom. One team confronts him- That's you and me, Anseis, we've got the best chance at surprising him or being able to take whatever he's got waiting for him. If there are any civilians hurt as collateral damage, I'm ripping you limb from limb. Then the last team- Major, and Yeagerta- You commandeer the ship. Once it's empty, you take control, move us away from the docks and out into open water."
"He may be able to escape the ship regardless," said Anseis, her eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"Yes. But he'll also be where a round from the Heinlein won't kill anyone I care about."
This brought a smile to Anseis' lips, though not to her eyes.
It was interesting, the way time skipped. It could move at a snail's pace as adrenaline and fear and violence made the brain rush, made it record every moment in brutal slow motion in the vain hope that it could make the right decisions. It could speed by like a shark through a current when nothing was happening and too much awareness would drive you mad with boredom. I observed the way the time passed, fast as lightning, until the moment when Pagan pushed open the door.
"Department of Homeland Security," I said, holding up a forgery so good that the government didn't realize it was a forgery. "We've got reports of a lone wolf terrorist on the ship. You need to evacuate immediately while we get the situation under control."
The men in the boat’s wheelhouse didn't argue. They looked happy enough for the unexpected vacation, if slightly worried about their prospects for employment tomorrow. Pagan checked the ship's controls, while I watched the screens. The British man and his fairy lady, along with Jissika, guiding the last of the passengers off of the ship. Unmooring it. The people on the ship were slowly streaming off, Miller and Anseis pushing through them, watching the crowd.
"So," said Pagan, conversationally. "You joined the EFUS. Why?"
"Chance," I said, checking for any sign of our target.
"That doesn't seem like a very good reason," said Pagan, an eyebrow lifted.
"It's why every patriot does what they do."
“Really?” She smiled. “But you were not an American. You had a choice. You came into this world, and you chose them.”
“Geographical convenience. And… I suppose… a lingering debt.” I smiled half-heartedly. “It was an American who saved our queen, and another American who offered us shelter. I am confident that any country would have done the same.”
“Optimist,” she said, and there was a wry smile on her face. I realized I was seeing her amused.
And there, in the main casino floor, in front of an unfamiliar but colorful table, a very short Native American man stood with a grin, one leg crossed in front of the other, leaning back against the table, cornered by Anseis and Sergeant Miller. He was dressed in an extremely fine black suit.
I flicked a switch, and sound came through from a black grill beneath the screen. The man- I had to assume the Archmage- was speaking. "-already in place, ready to carry out simultaneous strikes throughout Washington D.C. You're already too late to stop me. I might remember it under torture, if you want to try."
"My heart weeps," said Aneis. "I invite you to tell us, or I will shoot you-"
It was amazing how quickly things went wrong. The entire ship lurched, throwing the three agents on the ship's edge onto the dock, tearing it free of its burdens. On screen, Aneis let out a single sharp scream of rage as something huge and sharp-toothed latched onto her leg, and then she was gone, water gushing up through the jagged hole in the floor. Miller was wrestling with a small, slender girl, built like a waif, who was also apparently overpowering him in a bear-hug, while a big man with bizarrely long and well-groomed facial hair, sticking out like whiskers, lunged at him from the side. The Archmage laughed, and was gone like a shot, running for the deck.
"Things are going downhill," I said. "I'm going to go stop him from getting away."
"Hey, if you run off with him and the US starts fielding a bunch of Archmages, I'm going to gut you," Pagan said, her voice calm and matter-of-fact even as I set out onto the deck.
The short man was glaring down at the water, his arms crossed. "You are under arrest," I said.
"I don't think I am," he responded, and I blinked.
"I'm sorry to hear that. Would you rather be dead? Several of us want you dead." I studied him quietly. Were those listening to me already moving in? Had they taken the bait yet? If I could capture him...
"You know, what I don't get is, you Atlanteans were being wiped out by humans. That's why you left, right? Ever since you came back, I've been turning it over and over in my head. Why would you come back? Why would you side with the people who genocided you before?"
I blinked. "Because times change."
"Really?" He grunted. "Give me another ten thousand years to think about it, maybe I'd be ready to make peace too. But I'm not quite there yet." He judged the water again.
"I really am much faster than you in the water," I said. "Even if your abomination tries to stop me, I am definitely going to kill it, and catch you."
"My! You're very certain about that." He looked over his shoulder at me, and grinned. "I've been doing this for a very long time."
"So have I. Why?"
"Why what? There are a lot of answers."
"Why did you leave the spider there? She didn't have orders, or training. She was just an abandoned thing."
"She was a tool," said the man, still distracted. "A thing to be used, and disposed of. That's what they all are."
"Demons?"
"People." He looked up, and his grin was wide and a little bit frightening. "Oh, those two bought the 'I'm fighting for my poor benighted people' thing, but fuck my people. Fuck them all. They thought that they knew what I was. Words like Yeahnáglóshii, Skinwalker... They thought they knew what I was. They thought it was simple. That I was neglecting my duty, that I was a monster, a freak, because I didn't believe that a simple accident of birth meant that the tribe was owed my power." He looked up at me, his head tilted. "God, all of this is going right over your head, isn't it? You're like me. A freak of nature. And because you're guilty about it, you'll spend your life trying to make up for the gift you were given."
"It is funny," I said, though it was about as far from funny as it could be. "I never even considered that. I was always grateful that I could do something, anything, to help the people I loved. And while I hate demons, I could never imagine treating a tool so carelessly." I tilted my head. "Why do you do all of this?"
He grinned. "Why not?"
It was about the least heartening answer I could have gotten. “Are there really demons set to terrorize Washington?”
“Yeah. They’re called Senators. I was just fucking with those two, seeing how they’d react under stress. It’s always interesting, isn’t it? Being above them all. Watching them play their games, and knowing that you’re playing a far more interesting game.”
"Get down on the ground."
"You know, I'd fight you, but-" He winced. "Looks like three of the four demons I spent centuries cultivating, strengthening, have just died. That's a blow." He shrugged. "I can always make more, though." He turned towards me, grinning. "I can still take you on with just one."
"I'd like to see that."
He straightened his shoulders, and grinned cheerfully, lifting one arm theatrically, his sleeve slipping down to the shoulder, exposing the bronzed, wrinkled skin. "Nothing up my sleeve, and presto change-o!"
He blurred. I was already in motion as he jumped into the air, and I felt him slip through my fingers. Conservation of mass and energy did extremely strange things as he rocketed up nearly twenty feet in the shape of a small, very fluffy white bunny. A massive owl swept down out of the darkness, its divine energy muted so that I hadn't noticed it above me, and then was gone again, winging towards the swamps along the river with the archmage. I brushed my arms as I stood up, annoyed that I hadn't caught him, but watching. The ship was already shifting to follow him at a fast clip, and there was only so long a bird like that could fly.
Sergeant Miller stepped onto the ship's deck, looking well-worn. He was missing an arm, and I stared for a moment. "Sergeant, are you okay?"
"Fine, fine," he said, absently, glaring around the deck. "Tell me he didn't get away while I was putting down that fucking goonch."
"What? Oh, no. We are in pursuit." I looked forward, narrowing my eyes. "Swamp village. Old, looks abandoned. We're maybe five or six miles away from it, going at ten knots."
"Yeah?" said the sergeant, and he frowned. "Oddly detailed."
"Just keeping my eye out, Miller," I said, and hoped he understood what I was saying.
"Couldn't taze him?"
"Not at the moment, Miller."
"Huh." He nodded, his eyes on me for a very long moment.
I hated the games.
USEF Report Pallas, Appendix B (Known Accomplices), Paragraphs 69-76 Rank HEL-8
Not all of Athena's contacts and accomplices are as celebrated as the Cat of Paris. She is, after all, the Patron of Heroes, and this sometimes involves choosing people who no one would ever take for exceptional.
Atina LeRoux is on the lowest end of these. Middle-class family, relatively unremarkable childhood marked only by a brief hours-long visit to a mental institution after she told a classmate she wanted to kill herself in high school, and three years of homeschooling from the age of eleven to fourteen that apparently permanently warped her social development. She took the LSATs twice, scored surprisingly well the second time, went to a mediocre law school, barely avoided failing out, passed the Bar, and then drifted.
Her life up to this point has been marked by a distinct lack of focus or achievement. She's never done anything worth noting in the mundane sphere. She worked part-time legal work, keeping her head above water in New York City, until she moved upstate and tried starting her own practice, apparently resigned to the fact that she would spend the rest of her life in the same state of mediocrity.
When the Jiang-shi known as Li Fang Fen (See USEF Report Hsien-Ko H1 and remind me to smack whatever moron convinced me that was an appropriate code-name) walked into her office seeking defense on a murder charge, it should have been a short path to an early grave or making a pact. Humans who discover the supernatural inevitably drift towards one of these two.
Atina's only apparent talent is for paranoia. She has, in fact, managed to survive at least a handful of assassination attempts from supernatural creatures she has pissed off royally. Mostly by becoming a hermit. 90% of her socialization is with supernatural creatures at this point, with her only known pure-human contacts being her family, and some fry cook she's in an apparently unpredictable relationship with.
This is all in keeping with Pallas Athena's strategies. In chess terms, Atina is a pawn. She's capable of very little, but is also generally below notice. The chances that she will figure prominently into one of Athena's schemes is extremely low, but the whole thing about pawns is that they take you by surprise, at an angle.
Her resources are largely a surprising number of favors and control she's acquired in Binghamton, but she's still yet to put it to any particular use. As in the rest of her life, Atina LeRoux seems largely at loose ends. Aside from her connections with Jack Knife (See USEF Report Ripper FJ-5) and the Camazotz Jenny Nishi (See USEF Report Sparkly Vampires FJ-4), she has no notable power.
One lingering concern remains: The Fishbelly incident. We still don't know what exactly happened in there, and no one in Binghamton is talking about it. The working theory is that Athena intervened directly, as she's occasionally wont to do. This in spite of the complete lack of any evidence of her presence. The mummy we interrogated after the fact claimed it was the work of a dragon, apparently traumatized by the encounter and prone to confabulation. We've combed the city from top to bottom, and there's no sign of anything that could be called a dragon. Every supernatural creature we interrogate about dragons gives the same answer: They’re extinct. I’m inclined to chalk it up to trauma.
For now, I'd suggest stepping down surveillance to an occasional check-in. Given her position, means, and inclinations, Atina Leroux is a minor player.
Chief Researcher Cherry H. Verne

"No can really be safe nowadays..." - Senator Trillanes AMA for the lazy.

There were already more than 120 questions before 4PM.
This time around, Trillanes was a bit late in starting to answer the questions. His first reply came in at 4:05PM
This public servant gave his office e-mail address. [email protected]. In fact, he promised help to one Redditor. Please tell update us what happened, tagapagtuos.
He greets you back. If you ask a question and starts with a greeting, he'd say HELLO! Good afternoon. He also used smileys and HAHA.
He's not running for any office. He's gonna be a private citizen after 2019. "Papakita natin kay Duterte na kaya natin siyang tindigan kahit wala na ako sa posisyon."
After his term, his plans: "I will continue to make myself available to the media as a resource person and I will continue to be vocal about my position against duterte."
Most of the time, he doesn't capitalize the D in "duterte"

He's one of us. Human, after all.

"I would be glad to join you in one of your meetups just say when =)"
So guys, remember, he likes San Mig light or red wine. Updoots pag nalasing niyo si TrillanesSonny
Congratulations, #SAYOTEMASTERRACE! (Talagang umabot siya sa -19 karma na comment para sumagot. May magrereklamo pa ba na "parang Azkals"?
Political crush: Berna Romulo-Puyat :)
Star Wars > Star Trek. Because of the more realistic special effects.
Android > iOS.
He has the same name as his brothers. "It was really difficult especially in school because some teachers and administrators tend to confuse one with the other. Now, my brothers are inconvenienced by the fact that their NBI clearances are flagged because we have the same names."
He has a dog, Bruno, a chow-chow.
Skin care regimen: I just wash my face with light soap. And if I expect to be exposed to sunlight, I put on sunblock.
He loves Palawan. Hindi daw siya suplado sa personal. He doesn't watch anime. Top 5 Senators: Drilon, Pangilinan, Bam, Risa, and Leila. Netflix and chill, light workout and pizza. Fave drink: happy lemon drink of milk tea with 3 shots of rock salt and cheese. :)
Recommended book: The True Believer by Eric Hoffer Favorite novel: For whom the bell tolls by ernest hemingway.
Favorite TV shows: House of Cards, Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad.
His taste in music: Yes, I love music of different genres like ballad, jazz, 80's and new wave. But lately, I've been listening to relatively new songs (2000's hehe) like "The man who can't be moved", "The Scientist" and "Photograph." Humahabol nako ng konti. =)
Life as a senator: "While Congress is in session, the normal everyday life of a senator is similar to those in the corporate sector. However, during recess or adjournment, the senators' schedule is irregular. They can use this time to go to the provinces or meet with different sectors and constituents."
Favorite GoT character: Jaime Lannister. "His incestuous relationship with Cersei aside, Jaime is a true knight." But... team #Daenerys siya.
He plays video games. "Growing up, yes and I remember after graduating from PMA we used to play Red Alert =)"
DLSU, ID87 siya.
Recommended TV series: The Narcos series, which is not really a docu, but is based on true events.

Ligther side

redkinoko: On a lighter note, are hotels are still wary of you every time you book a room, after the whole Manila Pen thing?
TrillanesSonny: Haha. Hindi naman. Good client naman din kame since then : )
sadgaygirl: What are your dreams for your children?
TrillanesSonny: As a parent, I just want them to be kind and generous adults later on. As to their career path and love life, I just let them choose freely and then support their decision. I advise them from time to time when they ask for it.
Miamiheatfan4life: Senator pano po ba manligaw ng babae ?
TrillanesSonny: Pasensiya na, nakalimutan ko na. Its been a while. hehe.
LebronToWarriors: Senator what are your tips for a job interview ?
TrillanesSonny: Try not to be cocky and a know-it-all. A little humility can go a long way. It also helps if you dress up neatly.
tangina_nyo: Hello Senator, paano po magkaroon ng balls of steel na katulad ng sayo?
Sagot: maging fatalist ka.
silversoul: Hi, Senator. Taking this time to thank you for standing up for ideals and beliefs even if it means being in the minority.
So, my question is...Who is your favorite superhero?
TrillanesSonny: Thank you for your support. :) As to my favorite superhero, growing up, when I was still in grade school, I had a collection of Marvel comics of The Thing. Now, si Captain America kasi medyo hawig? Joke lang. Hehe!
On being pressed to answer kung sino ang pinaka cringe inducing politician, and divulge tidbits about these pols.
TrillanesSonny: Pwedeng pass muna ulit? Hehe. Sa meet-up na lang.
joesantana37
Good afternoon Senator, is your mother strict when it comes to drinking your milk when you were still young?
TrillanesSonny: Not really. But I was the one craving for it. Particularly, fresh milk.
mocha_utong: Senator, paano po ba mag move on pag may mahal na siyang iba?
TrillanesSonny: Inom ng konti tapos ligaw na ulet. hehe. =)

The big issues

1. What the opposition is doing and why they failed in getting their message across to the people.

I totally agree with your assessment that the opposition has met serious challenges in delivering its message to the people. There are some factors that caused this. One, duterte came in as one of the most popular presidents in history hence, early on the message of the opposition has been met with doubt and resistance by his popular base. Two, the propaganda machine of duterte is very effective. Three, culturally, the Filipino people are very patient and resilient that's why they don't tend to complain and rather just grin and bear it. But having said this, after two years, the political landscape has change drastically and I can honestly say that the majority of the Filipino people have seen the light. Mas nakaka penetrate na ngayon ang mga mensahe ng oposisyon.
Unknown to the public, the Opposition has consolidated and united its ranks the past few months. This new united opposition is led by Vice President Leni Robredo. We are also busy preparing for contingency scenarios like the declaration of nationwide Martial Law and railroading of the Charter Change/Federalism to make sure that we would be able to effectively counter these devious duterte plans.

ALSO this:

I am in favor of VP Robredo leading and being a focal point of the opposition at the same time. Why? Because the opposition needs to unite under one acceptable and recognized leader and that is VP Leni Robredo.

He also said Leni was competent and has the mandate as VP.
2. CPD question
This one is admittedly tricky. The CPD requirements are seen as unnecessary and a needless burden for professionals.
Trillanes explains that this was not unnecessary, and is actually a requirement laid down by other ASEAN countries. Keep up with the requirements and you would not have any problems working your profession in other ASEAN countries. As well as making Filipino professionals more globally competitive.
Trillanes assured that help is on the way.

I totally sympathize with our professionals as they go through the growing pains of this new CPD law. My office has already conducted 3 public hearings to address some concerns and has been closely working with the PRC to make the CPD programs affordable and accessible to them. We have gained headway in providing free CPD programs for public school teachers and nurses as both the DepEd and DOH are mandated to be CPD providers. We were also able to reduce the required CPD units for certain professions. Moreover, we are pressing the PRC to provide online courses to do away with the costly sit-in programs.

3. Federalism
Trillanes says no to changing the form of government to Federalism.

I am against the proposed shift to Federalism as a form of government. As a student of public policy, I have studied the different forms of government, and I believe we have yet to properly operate the current Presidential-Unitary form of government that we have. But aside from this, I oppose federalism due to the following reasons:

At present, we have no sense of nationalism. This might further worsen once we divide the country into federated states.
Political warlordism will become more pronounced. Imagine the political dynasties ruling in our country today. Now, if federalism would be implemented, these dynasties and warlords would become more powerful and more untouchable since they would be the same ones who would rule these states. Just a thought, sinu-sino sa tingin nyo ang magiging governor ng bawat federated state?
On the economic side, this would a burden to our countrymen. Because aside from the federal tax imposed by the National government, the federated states will impose state taxes in order to support its state government.

4. Same sex marriage and divorce law
Rather than making excuses and posturing, Trillanes went the honest route and told Redditors that he didn't know much about the issue to make an informed decision.
5. Don't lose hope.
thatmrphdude: What can you say to Filipinos that are just sick and tired of all the headlines showing nowadays. It's just depressing. I feel really hopeless for this country.
TrillanesSonny: Don't lose hope. The political tide is actually turning. Soon, matatapos din ang malagim na yugto na ito ng ating kasaysayan.
Also this:
The past two years have been difficult for our country but our people are beginning to see the light. We have gained a lot of headway and I can honestly say that we are now winning the war. As our history shows, ultimately, the goodness, decency, courage and collective wisdom of the Filipino people will prevail.
And this:
moonwlkr67: Good afternoon, Sen Trillanes. It's my first time to participate in an AMA in Reddit. Gusto ko pong magpasalamat for soldiering on during these trying times in democratic republic. Pangalawa po, gusto kong itanong kung ano ang sa tingin nyo ang magiging "tipping point" para manaig ang pagka-makabayan ng mga Filipino higit sa pagka-partisan. Salamat po, and more power! :)
TrillanesSonny: Salamat din sayo. The tipping point would probably be kapag nagdeclare si duterte ng nationwide Martial Law or Revgov or pagka sinagasa nila ang Charter Change/Federalism kahit hindi isama ang Senado.
6. What he'd change in the Constitution
anobaate: If you could change a part of the constitution what would it be?
TrillanesSonny: The removal of the provision subjecting the AFP officers with the Commission on Appointments. This practice has rendered these officers vulnerable to politicization by hostaging their confirmation. I would rather have only the most senior officials be subjected to the process of the CA.
7. On Duterte
aivpt: Will Duterte ever commit an act so despicable that even his supporters give up defending him? What do you think will this act be?
TrillanesSonny: I believe he has already committed several despicable acts that chipped away at his support base, such as: pagmura kay Pope, the EJKs, pag-impose ng high taxes, paghalik sa OFW in South Korea, anti-tambay directive, and his attacks on God and the Christian faith. Every duterte supporter has threshold that depends on his level of fanaticism. Some, as early as nung minura si Pope, humiwalay na. But the most na bawas na suporta sa kanya is with his anti-God statements. Those who are still with him by this time would probably not leave him until sila mismo ang mabiktima.
Also this:
TrillanesSonny: Duterte remaining as president is the most alarming issue. He is killing our people; mismanaging the economy; messing-up our foreign policy; destroying the moral fabric of our society; and he is destroying our democratic institutions.
8. On Boracay
The Boracay closure is totally unnecessary. The problems caused by the illegally-placed sewage lines can be fixed even without closing the island. Until now, the government has yet to present a comprehensive rehabilitation plan which showed their incompetence and unpreparedness for this abrupt closure. More importantly, this is totally unfair to the thousands of displaced workers in the island. Personally, I believe this is another classic duterte shakedown so his business interests are pursued and protected. Aside from the casinos, there are reports right now that duterte's davao group are land grabbing in boracay in the guise of demolition for having questionable ownership documents. This is similar to what he did to Ongpin's philweb and the mining sector

Other stuff

Case against Mocha is still pending with the Ombudsman. sThinking Penoy will be arraigned on August 15. Less than one month na lang, TP...
His sense of duty motivates himo to go to work, maski ang sakitsakit na....
He thinks Bong Go will run for senate despite his denials. And sadly, there is nothing we could do to get rid of his tarps and campaign materials. Pinagtawanan din nila si Bong Go nung hinamon siya magsaksakan ng ballpen.
He would still be an active member of the AFP if the Oakwood mutiny did not happen.
Regarding the Province of China tarps: "It's clearly a prank by some sectors opposing duterte's foreign policy as regards China. But I'm surprised by the negative reaction of the duterte admin about it when in fact it was duterte himself who said this on national tv."
On personal safety: "Thank you for your concern. No can really be safe nowadays but we do our best to provide for my physical security."
The people he trusts in government: VP Leni Robredo, Minority Senators Drilon, Pangilinan, Aquino, Hontiveros and De Lima, Sen. Grace Poe. Some of them ay nakilala ko on a personal level, some of them ay consistent at aligned doon sa mga ipinaglalaban ko.
He thinks that public support for Duterte has waned. "I don't normally read troll comments so I'm not that affected. But, we use the negative comments from legit netizens as a gauge for the social media pulse. And with this, I can actually say that Duterte's support in social media has waned drastically the past few months."
On why he sees himself as a fatalist: "There was this series of life-changing incidents that happened to me when I was 18 years old and a graduating student in DLSU. It made me believe in the primacy of God's will."
Corruption in the AFP has significantly decreased since 2003. However, lately, we have been getting complaints from AFP officers about corruption involving the modernization funds of AFP.
On the Lumad issue: I'll ask my staff to check on this. I am against the militarization of the Lumads in the same vein that i am against their infiltration by the NPAs. The Lumads should be allowed to live without any external influence.
On the Bonifacio Day ouster rumor (throow12: Few days before the Manila Pen, I heard of a rumor that a GMA ouster was brewing up and it will happen in Bonifacio day, a few weeks after your "walk-out" in court, I heard that your actions supposedly pre-empted that ouster. Do you have previous knowledge of that supposed Bonifacio day action and one of your primary reasons for the walkout?): That's not true. May mga nafa-fundraising lang na gagalaw kuno pero hindi naman. Kilala ko yung mga nagpe-peddle ng information na ganyan.

Georgia Tombstones (Part 1)

Georgia Tombstones (Part 1)
by Jayge 8^J
“The Earth has a cancer and the cancer is Man.” -- Club of Rome
“If I were reincarnated I would wish to be returned to earth as a killer virus to lower human population levels.” -- Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
“Depopulation should be the highest priority of foreign policy towards the third world, because the US economy will require large and increasing amounts of minerals from abroad, especially from less developed countries.” “World population needs to be decreased by 50%.” “Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac.” and “The elderly are useless eaters.” -- Henry Kissinger
“A total world population of 250-300 million people, a 95% decline from present levels, would be ideal.” -- Ted Turner
“In order to stabilize world population, we must eliminate 350,000 people per day. It is a horrible thing to say, but it’s just as bad not to say it.” -- Jacques Cousteau
“Global Sustainability requires the deliberate quest of poverty, reduced resource consumption and set levels of mortality control.” -- Maurice King
“Society has no business to permit degenerates to reproduce their kind.” Theodore Roosevelt
“The present vast overpopulation, now far beyond the world carrying capacity, cannot be answered by future reductions in the birth rate due to contraception, sterilization and abortion, but must be met in the present by the reduction of numbers presently existing. This must be done by whatever means necessary.” -- Eco 92 Earth Charter
“There are many ways to make the death rate increase.” -- Robert McNamara
"Actually, the problem in the world is that there are too many rich people." -- Paul R. Ehrlich
"Move!" barked an IDF sow, jamming the snout of her Uzi into the backs of 2 Arab women, who winced innocently while I seethed, as if a few inches might make the line any shorter or faster. The bitch then turned to me, pawing at my papers to read my nephew-designed t-shirt. "Why don't you mind your own business?" I asked rhetorically, not interested in a reply, but she scanned me via RFID & oinked incoherently, as if that excused her obnoxious behavior. Friday August 9th 2019 began oddly enough with police banning cell phones, cameras, & reporters for midday prayers at the Islamic Dome of the Rock shrine atop 'Temple Mount', Al Aqsa Compound, & Haram esh-Sharif in East Jerusalem.
In his best Nazi goosestep imitation, 'the Donald' duckwalked to the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room podium in the White House West Wing at 9 am sharp & quacked, "I'm declaring martial law today to protect American liberty, in the wake of widespread chaos by disloyal Democrats, lying liberal media, & antifa anarchy. I'll sign executive orders to hold the DNC accountable, fine them billions, & add 4 more justices of my choosing to the Supreme Court. Sad that DC Mall cameras were too weak to record 6 million angels at my brilliant YUGE inauguration!" A sparse set of sycophant supporter reporters from Fox News, right wing radio, & other Murdock media, chanted in unison, "USA! Lock 'em up! Hail, Zion!"
Earlier, Trump's lard-ass Dick 'Tater' Cheney clone 'Bibi Face' Netanyahu had been terrorizing Palestinians nonstop by bulldozing homes, strafing with white phosphorus, & sniping at random with lethal ammunition, in prep for Tisha B'av, while moaning about temple destruction, & whining that Israel needed more tribute money. Meanwhile, his demolition team secretly wired Bir al-Arwah, Well of Souls, & the Guf inside the Foundation Stone to detonate a mosque full of Muslims at Friday prayers, blaming it on ISIS, which the media monopoly echoed. With the contentious site cleared of precious Islamic treasures & a prophesied rare red heifer ready, Israel proceeded with plans to build its 3rd temple. Most Ashkenazi Jews & pseudo-Christian Zionists were euphoric. Ready or not, they'd force their saviors to appear.
A cursory look at recent U.S. presidents (32-45) reveals some trivial tidbits: 1st 4-term president, who survived a fascist coup, 1st A-bomber president, who formed the CIA, Majestic 12, & NSA, yet felt more honored as top MO Mason, 1st ETO commander president, 1st president murdered by a huge conspiracy, including 3 future presidents in town that day, 2nd Johnson to succeed a slain president, 1st president to urge by letter another future president to run, after sitting with yet a 3rd at Bohemian Grove, 1st president unelected nor VP, 1st Trilateral Commission president, 1st actor president, 2 sinister secretive Bonesmen, 1st fake 'Black' president, 1st mixed-race former Muslim president, & 1st blatantly racist, misogynous, bankrupt, 'Jewish' mafia casino thug president, who lost by 3 million counted votes plus millions more disenfranchised votes.
Genocide by elites, likely Zionists who insist on a 6 million Jew holocaust, is etched in silent granite testimony 9 miles north of Elberton GA at 34°13′55″N 82°53′40″W since 3/22/1980. The Georgia Guidestones call for a 95+% reduction in human population, which is estimated to reach 7,777,777,777 in late 2019. For any who say the slabs are innocent assumption of a devastating 'accidental' nuclear war, global elite billionaire megalomaniacs waging that war from their insular bunkers are still to blame. Far more likely though, is a 95+% culling of humanity via means less destructive to property, like bioweaponry, neutron bombs, directed energy, sonic weapons, & Aussie vaporizers.
"The Georgia Guidestones are a granite monument erected in 1980 in Elbert County, Georgia, in the United States. A set of 10 guidelines is inscribed on the structure in eight modern languages and a shorter message is inscribed at the top of the structure in four ancient language scripts...A message consisting of a set of ten guidelines or principles is engraved on the Georgia Guidestones in eight different languages, one language on each face of the four large upright stones. Moving clockwise around the structure from due north, these languages are: English, Spanish, Swahili, Hindi, Hebrew, Arabic, Chinese, and Russian. Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature. Guide reproduction wisely — improving fitness and diversity. Unite humanity with a living new language. Rule passion — faith — tradition — and all things with tempered reason. Protect people and nations with fair laws and just courts. Let all nations rule internally resolving external disputes in a world court. Avoid petty laws and useless officials. Balance personal rights with social duties. Prize truth — beauty — love — seeking harmony with the infinite. Be not a cancer on the earth — Leave room for nature — Leave room for nature...Let these be guidestones to an Age of Reason" -- Wikipedia
"Biological warfare and chemical warfare overlap to an extent, as the use of toxins produced by some living organisms is considered under the provisions of both the Biological Weapons Convention and the Chemical Weapons Convention . Toxins and psychochemical weapons are often referred to as midspectrum agents . Unlike bioweapons, these midspectrum agents do not reproduce in their host and are typically characterized by shorter incubation periods." -- Wikipedia
"A neutron bomb, officially termed one type of Enhanced Radiation Weapon (ERW), is a low yield thermonuclear weapon in which a burst of neutrons generated by a nuclear fusion reaction is intentionally allowed to escape the weapon, rather than being absorbed by its other components. The neutron bomb was to be used as a tactical nuclear weapon intended for use against armored forces." -- Wikipedia
"A directed-energy weapon (DEW) is a ranged weapon system that inflicts damage at a target by emission of highly focused energy, including laser, microwaves and particle beams. Potential applications of this technology include anti-personnel weapon systems, missile defense system, and the disabling of lightly armored vehicles or mounted optical devices" -- Wikipedia
"Sonic and ultrasonic weapons are weapons of various types that use sound to injure, incapacitate, or kill an opponent. Some sonic weapons are currently in limited use or in research and development by military and police forces. Some of these weapons have been described as sonic bullets, sonic grenades, sonic mines, or sonic cannons. Some make a focused beam of sound or ultrasound; some make an area field of sound." -- Wikipedia
"Metal Storm has created a 36-barreled stacked projectile volley gun, boasting the highest rate of fire in the world. The prototype array demonstrated a firing rate of just over 1 million rounds per minute for a 180-round burst of 0.01 seconds (~27,777 rpm / barrel). Firing within 0.1 seconds from up to 1600 barrels (at maximum configuration) the gun claimed a maximum rate of fire of 1.62 million RPM and creating a dense wall (0.1 m between follow-up projectiles) of 24,000 projectiles." -- Wikipedia
"Even though it may look, sound, and act like a death ray, China claims that its new long-range pain beam isn’t lethal. Considering the claim that it can cause “overwhelming pain,” though, a victim just might wish it killed them anyway. Ever since Transmetropolitan’s bowel disruptor terrified a dystopian future and Minority Report made the movie-going world wonder — if only for a fleeting moment — if they’d rather be shot with a bullet than hit with the sick stick, there have been actual weapons developed in the real world that seem straight out of science fiction. While it hasn’t been used to win a war just yet, the beginnings of sonic weaponry already exist, and the US Navy already has laser weaponry that is controlled with a device reminiscent of a video game controller. China’s new weapon, dubbed the Poly WB-1, doesn’t make you uncontrollably poop or incapacitate you through induced vomiting, but it burns you from the inside out from over half a mile (or one kilometer) away. The Poly WB-1 uses millimeter wave beams to excite the water molecules within a victim until they heat up, causing overwhelming — but non-lethal — pain. Basically, it’s like a household kitchen microwave turned into a long-range, targeted weapon. As you can see from the image to the right, the beam is attached to a very conspicuous truck, complete with military colors and emergency lights — you don’t have to worry about someone sneaking it through a security checkpoint at an airport or concert just yet. Publicly, at least, the Poly WB-1 isn’t slated for miniaturization just yet, but will instead be attached to ships. While a pain beam sounds absolutely terrifying, it’s arguably a step in a safer direction for military conflict than the tried-and-true lethal favorites of bullets, bombs, and fire. It’s also a much safer alternative to weapons that use chemical or biological agents. Though the Poly WB-1 sounds like it’s from the future, it’s not the first non-lethal pain beam that acts like a microwave. The US developed its own microwave pain beam back in 2007, the Raytheon Active Denial System, as a means of crowd control. It was deployed in 2010, but wasn’t ever used — reportedly because of a 16-hour boot time, and massive fuel cost if left in standby mode after boot — and recalled the same year. It was also a satellite-like object placed atop a truck. Even if China has figured out the boot time and fuel cost, it may be keeping the weapon as insurance or a looming threat, rather than actually using it — the negative publicity of a long-range pain beam that microwaves people might be too much for China to handle if the rest of the world has a problem with it. For now, just be glad you can’t sneak that thing through a metal detector." -- extemetech.com
"Radio-frequency identification (RFID) uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track tags attached to objects. The tags contain electronically stored information. Passive tags collect energy from a nearby RFID reader's interrogating radio waves. Active tags have a local power source such as a battery and may operate at hundreds of meters from the RFID reader. Unlike a barcode, the tag need not be within the line of sight of the reader, so it may be embedded in the tracked object. RFID is one method for Automatic Identification and Data Capture (AIDC). RFID tags are used in many industries, for example, an RFID tag attached to an automobile during production can be used to track its progress through the assembly line; RFID-tagged pharmaceuticals can be tracked through warehouses; and implanting RFID microchips in livestock and pets allows for positive identification of animals. Since RFID tags can be attached to cash, clothing, and possessions, or implanted in animals and people, the possibility of reading personally-linked information without consent has raised serious privacy concerns. These concerns resulted in standard specifications development addressing privacy and security issues. ISO/IEC 18000 and ISO/IEC 29167 use on-chip cryptography methods for untracebility, tag and reader authentication, and over-the-air privacy. ISO/IEC 20248 specifies a digital signature data structure for RFID and barcodes providing data, source and read method authenticity. This work is done within ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 31 Automatic identification and data capture techniques. Tags can also be used in shops to expedite checkout, and to prevent theft by customers and employees. In 2014, the world RFID market was worth US$8.89 billion, up from US$7.77 billion in 2013 and US$6.96 billion in 2012. This figure includes tags, readers, and software/services for RFID cards, labels, fobs, and all other form factors. The market value is expected to rise to US$18.68 billion by 2026." -- Wikipedia
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic..." ~Arthur C. Clarke
"It is completely clear that the state which is first to create such [psychotronic] weapons will achieve incomparable superiority." ~Major I. Chernishev, Russian army
"Whoever controls the best directed energy weapons controls the world without guns or bullets." ~Vladimir Putin
"With Remote Neural Monitoring Humanity is the Think Tank...Artificial intelligence is at the heart of the conspiracy." ~Omnisense
"It seems AI has the power of the Matrix (in the movie) without the need for us to be in a pod plugged in." ~Andrew Hale
"We have things in the Nevada desert that are alien to your way of thinking far beyond anything you see on Star Trek...If you've seen it in Star Trek or Star Wars, we've been there and done that." ~Ben Rich, Lockheed Skunkworks Program Manager
Perhaps for his temerity in asking Bonesmen about 322, veteran journalist Tim Russert was pronounced dead at 2:23 pm 6/13/2008. "When Tim Russert asked President George W. Bush what the Skull and Bones special number - 322 signified Bush replied that this was a secret. Senator John Kerry, who ran against Bush in 2004, is also a member of this ultra-secret society. He also refused to tell us what the number 322 meant to Skull and Bones. Skull and Bones is a German secret organization that successfully transferred itself across the Atlantic Ocean in the early 1800's. When you back-engineer the secret societies from which the German version of Skull and Bones emerged one finds a strange fascination with Mars. March is the only month of the year that is named after a specific planet in the solar system. It is also the first day of spring as well as the first day in the zodiacal sign of Aries, which is the Greek word for Mars, and it is where 'March' gets its name. The number 322 is vitally important to these secret societies especially Skull and Bones, which has the number, enshrined in their tomb at Yale. The number 322 is actually the number for March 22nd. The first day of Aries, also called Mars. The great alchemist Fulcanelli was a member of a secret society in Europe. He tells us of a secret elite that rule the world. In his obscure book Mystery of the Cathedrals he tells us that there is a secret science called alchemy that only the elites understand. He also tells us that all alchemy begins in Aries (Mars)." -- rense.com "Fulcanelli was the name used by a French alchemist and esoteric author, whose identity is still debated. The name Fulcanelli seems to be a play on words: Vulcan, the ancient Roman god of fire, plus El, a Canaanite name for God and so the Sacred Fire." -- Wikipedia
"Skull and Bones is an undergraduate senior secret student society at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. The oldest senior class society at the university, Skull and Bones has become a cultural institution known for its powerful alumni and various conspiracy theories. The society's alumni organization, the Russell Trust Association, owns the organization's real estate and oversees the membership. The society is known informally as "Bones", and members are known as "Bonesmen"." -- Wikipedia
"The order was incorporated in 1856 by General William Huntington Russell, and Alphonso Taft who became Secretary of War under President Grant in 1876. The numerical value of this year is 1+8+7+6 = 22, and the numerical motto for Skull and Bones is 322, or 3 x’s 22 which you will see below is not a coincidence. In numerology, the number 22 is often called the Master Builder. The Phoenician-Hebrews possess 22 books and their alphabet is made up of 22 letters, which was created to compose the Word of God. The Kabbalah teaches us that the letters of the Hebrew alphabet are the building blocks of universe. The underlying occult scientific significance of the number 22 in science would represent the bones of the skull, of which there are twenty-two. 8 form the cranium, or braincase, and 14 are associated with the face. Our brains are what we use to think, reason and come to know the divine or God. The 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet created to compose the Word of God is our 22 boned skull, and the place where we receive the light to become illuminated, or enlightened beings. Hence, to be like Saint John and have our own Revelation. This is why I believe Skull and Bones had chosen the number 22 as the master builders of a New World Order (NWO). This fact would be validated by Bonesmen, former CIA director and President, George HW Bush; who in the video below taken from National television, makes no bones about their Apocalyptic plans for a New World Order. Please keep in mind that this speech of biblical proportions was done on 9-11-1991, and it was exactly 10 years later to the day that the U.S. suffered an attack on the World Trade Center Towers. Shortly thereafter his son George W. Bush would begin the war in Iraq. Now I would like to theorize about the number 66 and the connection to the Skull and Bones numerical motto of 322…In the bible, the Number 66 is the numerical value of the Wheel from the Hebrew Galgal, which is very similar to the word Google; meaning a wheel, whirl, whirlwind, or simply Chaos. The meaning of Gal, Gul or Gull, is to trick or to cheat. The word “curse” is used 66 times in the Old Testament. “As for the wheels, it was cried unto them in my hearing, O wheel.” – Ezekiel 10.13 This chaos of tricks may be indicative of the CIA domestic counter terrorism plan founded under Skull and Bones member, James Jesus Angleton who was called the “Mother of the Central Intelligence Agency.” Angleton was directly responsible for a domestic espionage project called Operation CHAOS, and had coined the phrase, “Deception is a state of mind and the mind of the State.” Hence, from this point forward the CIA would play a central role in creating chaos both domestically and abroad, or ORDO AB CHAO which is the motto of the 33rd degree of Scottish Rite Freemasonry." -- gnosticwarrior.com
“Since I entered politics, I have chiefly had men's views confided to me privately. Some of the biggest men in the United States, in the field of commerce and manufacture, are afraid of something. They know that there is a power somewhere so organized, so subtle, so watchful, so interlocked, so complete, so pervasive, that they better not speak above their breath when they speak in condemnation of it.” ― Woodrow Wilson, The New Freedom
Bilderberger elites met for the 66th time 6/7-10/2018 in Turin Italy. "The key topics for discussion this year include: Populism in Europe, The inequality challenge, The future of work, Artificial intelligence, The US before midterms, Free trade, US world leadership, Russia, Quantum computing, Saudi Arabia and Iran, The 'post-truth' world, & Current events" -- bilderbergermeetings.org "The Bilderberg meeting is an annual conference established in 1954 by Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands 'to foster dialogue between Europe and North America'. Participants are European and North American political leaders, experts from industry, finance, academia, and the media. The meetings are held under the Chatham House Rule. The Bilderberg meetings are also unofficially called the 'Bilderberg Group', 'Bilderberg conference' or 'Bilderberg Club'." -- Wikipedia
"The Bilderberg Group meets annually at the world’s most ritzy hotels and resorts, surrounded by an armada of armed private security and local police, for a closed-door, three-day forum involving about 140 top corporate titans, technology gurus, select royalty, central bankers, former and current intelligence officials, think-tank fellows, and select reporters and editors who leave their ethics and notebooks at the gate. The sitting head of NATO attends every year. Most attendees come from Europe and North America." -- americanfreepress.net
"Although geographically separate, the city-states of London, the Vatican, and the District of Colombia are one interlocking empire called Empire of The City. The flag of Washington’s District of Colombia has three red stars, one for each city-state in the three city empire. This Corporate Empire of three city-states controls the world economically through London’s inner-city, militarily through the District of Colombia, and spiritually through the Vatican. From the mystery religions of ancient Egypt to the Zionist role in 9/11, Ring Of Power 'unrevises' 4000 years of revisionist human history with never - before - seen revelations." -- gematrianews.com
"California Wildfires: Role of Undisclosed Atmospheric Manipulation and Geoengineering SAN DIEGO, Nov. 14, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- California Governor Jerry Brown blames climate change for the currently raging wildfires in California. A recently published scientific article challenges that assertion, and reveals a fundamentally different underlying cause for the California wildfire severity that officials have neglected to disclose. Published October 1, 2018 in the Journal of Geography, Environment and Earth Science International, the scientific article by J. Marvin Herndon, PhD, of Transdyne Corporation and Mark Whiteside, MD, MPH, a Florida Department of Health physician, reveals an unrecognized source of causality leading to increases in combustibility, intensity, and the extent of California, wildfires, and the concomitant harm to human and environmental health. The authors, as noted in the article, "review the evidence that atmospheric manipulation utilizing aerosolized coal fly ash is a primary factor in the extent and severity of forest fires in California and elsewhere; adverse effects include exacerbation of drought, tree and vegetation die- off and desiccation, and unnaturally heating the atmosphere and surface regions of Earth." Jet-spraying tiny particles into the region where clouds form, instead of compensating for global warming as some climate scientists wrongly believe, does quite the opposite including, as the article reveals, inhibiting rainfall, retarding heat loss from the surface, contributing to global warming, blocking the flow of moisture-laden clouds from the Pacific, causing climate chaos, poisoning the environment, and posing serious potential health risks to humans. The article further reveals, "Forest combustibility is increased by moisture-absorbing aerosolized particles that damage the waxy coatings of leaves and needles, reducing their tolerance to drought. The aerial climate manipulation using coal fly ash greatly increases the potential for forest fire ignition by lightning. In addition as the article discloses, "Wildfires dramatically worsen baseline air pollution, emitting harmful gases and volatile organic compounds, and they both concentrate and re-emit toxic elements and radioactive nuclides over a wide area." As the article states, "The type of air pollution created by wildfires is associated with increased all-cause mortality, with the greatest impact on respiratory and cardiovascular disease. Studies have shown that aerosolized coal fly ash is an important risk factor for chronic lung disease, lung cancer and neurodegenerative disease. Failure to recognize multifold adverse consequences of jet-spraying particulates into the atmosphere … will continue the progression of ever-accelerating ecological disasters." The undisclosed jet-sprayed tiny particles do not remain in the region where clouds form, but mix with the air we breathe posing, without informed consent, human and environmental health calamities. No one has the right to poison the air we breathe or to corrupt our planet's complex and interrelated natural processes that makes life on Earth possible. The raging severity of the California wildfires should be a wakeup call for prudent citizens to demand an immediate and permanent halt to all geoengineering activities." -- bizjournals.com
"Conspiracy Confirmed: US Government Openly Meets To Discuss Future of Chemtrails/Geoengineering 11/11/2017 Wednesday marked the first time that the U.S. government openly acknowledged and discussed the reality of chemtrails—or as they and their ilk call it, “geoengineering.” Politicians and members of various fields convened for the US House Subcommittee on Environment and Subcommittee on Energy Hearing, discussing everything from funding the controversial sky-spraying operations to closely regulating them to prevent significant damage to the public. “One concern,” said Committee Chairman Lamar Smith during the hearing, “is that brightening clouds could alter rain patterns, making it rain more in some places or less in others. We still do not know enough about this subject to thoroughly understand the pros and cons of these types of technologies.” Described by some as a “coming out party” for the entire geoengineering industry, the hearing also acted as a way to legitimize the field and gain federal funding from the Trump Administration. [Philip] Rasch and [Joseph] Majkut are two climate specialists who testified Wednesday…on the potential for “geoengineering” — a catchall for proposals to directly cool the atmosphere or pull carbon emissions from it. “One idea gaining traction is to seed marine clouds with salt water or other particles, increasing their potential to reflect solar rays, cooling the earth. Its part of nascent and controversial branch of science known as “sunlight reflection methods,” or SRM. “’We think SRM could buy time for other (carbon-reduction) measures to be put in place,” said…Rasch, chief climate scientist for the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Washington. “’If the worst case scenarios of global warming come to pass,” [added Majkut,] “these technologies could be used to help people, saving lives and economies from the worst effects of climate change.” America’s own elected representatives, along with key specialists in a variety of fields, are openly discussing spraying the sky with potentially-toxic materials. It’s an irony too bitter to handle after years of disinformation and social ostracization against the so-called “conspiracy theorists” who were convinced that large airliners high in the sky were spraying something…unnatural. But it hasn’t only been online speculators—numerous studies have suggested someone is spraying something into the sky, and sometimes with toxic consequences. “The widespread, intentional and increasingly frequent chemical emplacement in the troposphere,” reads one study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research, “has gone unidentified and unremarked in the scientific literature for years.” “The author presents evidence that toxic coal combustion fly ash is the most likely aerosolized particulate sprayed by tanker-jets for geoengineering, weather-modification and climate-modification purposes and describes some of the multifold consequences on public health.” Despite openly advocating for what was once ridiculed as a conspiracy theory—and which has plenty of evidence suggesting it could be harmful to the public’s health—attendees at the hearing casually discussed the importance of “regulating” upcoming geoengineering operations. Jerry McNerney, a Congressman from California, announced his plans to oversee any such spraying initiatives, including urging the Energy Department to support two new reports by the National Academy of Sciences, one of which includes suggestions on how to regulate the practice. A significant motive for chemtrailing seems to be centered on combating climate change. Chairman smith emphasized, “…we are not sure this is plausible, some scientists believe it could achieve substantial environmental benefits at a cheaper cost than regulations,” adding that there was, indeed, a potential for “unintended consequences of geoengineering.”" -- davidwolfe.com

Two incidents in history of USA.

In light of a recent attack on a Republican congress, which will surely be hastily forgotten, I've decided to bring up two incidents in USA history which you may or may not know about (more likely not). When I first came across The Days of Rage I was positively shocked - from the sheer scale of the terrorist attacks, to the fact that some of those terrorists got cushy jobs, *specifically cushy jobs that involve them in a position of power over another generation. So let me bring up two incidents in USA history which will shock you.

Rajneeshee bioterrorist attack

An Indian guy named Osho created a cult in which he mixed Hindi mystic teachings and "open attitude towards human sexuality", greatly influencing "Western New Age" nonsense you might find soccer moms into. Cult had relocated to Wasco Country in Oregon, where they built a facility known as Rajneeshpuram. Osho had built himself a sex cult, where he taught his followers "unusual" sexual practices, instructed couples to have sex in front him, sleeping with several of his female disciples, etc. The cult was very wealthy, with Osho owning 93 Rolls-Royces, while his followers went on a building frenzy, building a small college with 15 classrooms, four office buildings, gambling casino, shopping center, winery, crematorium with a surrounding spiritual area, 18 miles of paved roads, more than 250 small visiting huts, a 4200 foot long airport runway and airport terminal and more.
The cult intended to expand, and while they had initially friendly terms with locals, the relations soured. Wasco Country restricted growth of the commune, and the sect's leaders formulated a plan in which they will poison the public officials, which would naturally deter future decisions against their operations. They poisoned Ray Matthew and Bill Hulse, the latter who remained in hospital for four days, with doctors telling him he would have dided without treatment. He concluded that Rajneeshee poisoned him, a fact they denied vehemently. But they didn't stop there. In order to gain building permits for Rajneeshpuram, they decided to take political control of this county. One member, shedding traces of affiliation with the group opted to run for the county office. To elect her, they came up with two schemes.
First, under the guise of humanitarian initiative they would import a large number of homeless people (predominately men), promising them food, shelter, and beer. However, the 80s were a marginally saner time and their plan was countered by making sure that all new voters had to submit their qualifications when registering to vote. The homeless, a lot of them having mental issues, turned into an unruly mob and to regain control, cultists drugged their beer with Haldol.
Second, and this is the fun part, they decided to incapacitate voters in The Dalles, where most of the voters were. They planned to do this by infecting the water supply with salmonella. However, they first decided to do a "try run" where they poisoned salad bars. During this month, 751 cases of acute gastroenteritis were documented, with all of the victims being infected with Salmonella enterica Typhimurium. This remains to this date the biggest bio-terrorist attack comitted on US soil. I don't know how many died, but probably not that many - antibiotics helped make sure of that. However, keep in mind that in the last couple of decades, antibiotic resistance amped up. Imagine how easy would it to procure MRSA.
It ended rather poorly for the cult, for two reasons. One, county officials denied many cultists (not being American citizens) voting rights, whilenew regulations on registration of new voters prevented imported homeless from voting. Two, people don't take kindly to being poisoned. The mastermind behind this attack, a rather wealthy Indian-American woman named Ma Anand Sheela, was given 20 years in federal prison. She served 29 months, because of good behaviour - despite the fact that she was known for outbursts of profanity. Oh and, guess who was part of this cult? Arianna Huffington, of Huffington post.

Jonestown massacre

The Peoples Temple of the Disciples of Christ was founded in 1955 by Jim Jones. Jim Jones was attending gatherings of Communist Party USA and he became frustrated with ostracism of open communism in USA. He came to conlusion that best way to demonstrate Marxism is through infiltration of the church. He himself was surprised when church helped him into it, despite him being known communist. And thus he founded The Peoples Temple of the Disciples of Christ. During this time, he adopted memes of Southern Baptists and their weird healing rituals, masking his communist intentions.He was a rather radical integrationists, who helped racially integrate churches, restaurants, hospitals, and the police department. He helped fish out restaurants who refuse to service black customers. In fact, in 1977, he recieved MLKJr. Humanitarian reward. Racial equality was a big thing for him, his latter settlment (Jonestown) being 70% black, 45% being black women.
During the 60s, he slowly started injecting more and more Marxism, declaring those to be born in socialism to not be born in sin, rejecting the Bible for oppressing women and non-whites - slamming it on the table yelling "I've got to destroy this paper idol, while also claiming he was reincarnation of Ghandi, Jesus, Buddha, and Lenin. In one sermon, he said : "There's no heaven up there! We'll have to make heaven down here!". In private phone calls, he admited that he was an atheist, and that he only used religion to mobilize people. In the 1977 he openly said that he was an atheist. He is a classical example of an entryist, albeit a rather obvious one.
Unlike most cult leaders, he was able to gain public support in San Francisco, and on the national level. Walter Mondale, 42nd Vice President (although candidate at that time) came to meet him, and Mondale publicly praised the temple. First Lady Carter also met with Jones and corresponded with him - and when he spoke at the grand opening of the Dem Party's San Franciso, he garnered a larger applause than her. Besides being written about in the newspaper, and seen with dignitaries at lunches and dinners, he was also the head of the Human Rights Commission and the SF Housing Authority. He was a popular guy.
Like the Rajneesh cult, he created a settlement named Jonestown as a means to attain socialist paradise and sanctuary from the vile media scrutiny in San Francisco (this is sarcasm btw)- and like other communist paradise, it was a failing agricultural community, with people being stored in bunkbeds. Children were generally surrendered to communal care, addressed Jones as "Dad", and at times were only allowed to see their real parents briefly at night Up to $65,000 in monthly welfare payments from U.S. government agencies to Jonestown residents were signed over to the Temple. He claimed it to be the purest communism ever, and like many of other pure communist, he did no permit members to leave. However, some people wanted to leave.
Those people formed a group called "Concerned Relatives" and called for the investigation into human rights abuses. On April 11, 1978, the Concerned Relatives distributed a packet of documents, including letters and affidavits, that they titled an "Accusation of Human Rights Violations by Rev. James Warren Jones" to the Peoples Temple, members of the press, and members of Congress. In June 1978, escaped Temple member Deborah Layton provided the group with a further affidavit detailing alleged crimes by the Temple and substandard living conditions in Jonestown. If someone's interested, she hosted a reddit AMA right here.
On November 17, 1978, Leo Ryan came with delegation to investigate claims of abuse within the compund. During this visit, a number of members expressed a desire to leave, and so they did. A member named Larry Layton, wanted strongly to join them - despite other defectors voicing their concern about his motives. And they were right because at the local airstrip at Port Kaituma, they were intercepted by self-styled Temple security guards who killed Congresman Ryan - who became the first congressman to be killed in the line of duty, three journalists, and one of the defectors.
After these murders, Soviet Union, with the Temple had been negotiating a potential exodus for months, would not take them after the airstrip murders. Jones, if you hadn't noticed, was batshit crazy, and had a vague conspiracy theory of how that men would "parachute in here on us", "shoot some of our innocent babies" and "they'll torture our children, they'll torture some of our people here, they'll torture our seniors". He also feared that hostile forces would convert captured children to fascism, one temple member states "the ones that they take captured, they're gonna just let them grow up and be dummies". Naturally, the only logical conclusion is to commit a revolutionary suicide.
And this is where it gets fun. There is a 44 minute recording of what happens next. There's also a transcript here.
One member, Christine Miller, dissents toward the beginning of the tape. She was shouted down by the rest of the group. He goes on about how he loves them all and did his best to give them a good life, that he doesn't want them to "be in hell" anymore. The crowd cheers. There is children crying and screaming throught the background. There is occasional applause and riffraff among the crowd, you can hear children and crying babies. Other people speak into the mic thanking him throughout the recording, saying they accept death and are ready to end it all. There were people with guns, ready to shoot anyone who tried to leave. He ordered his congration to drink a cheap Kool-Aid knockoff (he was a dick till the end, it seems) laced with cyanide. According to escaped Temple member Odell Rhodes, the first to take the poison were Ruletta Paul and her one-year-old infant. Clayton said that Jones approached people to encourage them to drink the poison and that, after adults saw the poison begin to take effect, "they showed a reluctance to die. The people who refused, got shot, or injected with it. They decided to give the drink to the children first, thinking it would kill the parents will to live if they saw their children die. They forced the parents at gunpoint to force children to drink it. Children start screaming, and crying, with one child shouting "what did you give us" through tears. Jones screams "Don't be this way. Stop with these hysterics. No way for socialists and communist to die. We must die with some dignity. Stop this. Put the children to rest. Mother, mother, mother don't do this." A child screams "what did they give us". He interjects "Children will not be hurt if you are quiet". Death, death, death is common to people. And the Eskimos, they take death in their stride. Let's be digni--let's be dignified. If you quit tell them they're dying--if you adults would stop some of this nonsense. Adults, adults, adults. I call on you to stop this nonsense. I call on you to quit exciting your children when all they're doing is going to a quiet rest. I call on you to stop this now if you have any respect at all. Are we black, proud, and Socialist, or what are we? Now stop this nonsense. Don't carry this on anymore. You're exciting your children.
Jones did not drink it. His death was caused by a gunshot wound to his left temple. he events at Jonestown constituted the greatest single losses of American civilian life in a deliberate act until the incidents of September 11, 2001. 909 inhabitants of Jonestown, 304 children died.
Child sacrifice to progressivism is nothing new, from Moloch cults to skoptsy in Russia. If they're willing to kill their own children, imagine what they would do to yours. Ultimately, their death and dissolution happened only because Jones was insane. The public was on his side, the politics were on his side, and the minute there is a bump, he freaks out and does something crazy as this.
Ultimately, these two cults are firsts in so many things. First congresman killed, largest bioterror attack in USA, and largest deliberate loss of civilian life until 9/11 in USA. Funnily, the tantric sex cult was miles more advanced that communist utopia, which was a failed community filled with insane and evil people. Both cults showed behaviour consistent with progressivism, in an open and unashamed fashion - importing underclass to take political control, corresponding to political elite during the so-called Red Scare. And both cults would only get a slap on the wrists, hadn't Jones completely went off the rails. In an ironic fashion, he punished himself and his followers many times more harshly than he would actually done.
I am reminded of Angela Davis, person who supplied guns to a black man who killed a judge and freed his two fellow dindus. She was declared a terrorist, and hunted down - meanwhile many crazies like Lenon wrote out in support to her. After her capture, she was found innocent - after all, she couldn't have been guilty in a plot to break out two dindus, all she did was give the guns. She became a professor (now retired) at the University of California, Santa Cruz, in its History of Consciousness Department and a former director of the university's Feminist Studies department.
The amount of things the Left did in pre-internet era, and got away with it, is simply mind-boggling.

One Belt, One Road: Why Trump Should Get Behind China's Economic Growth Plan

One Belt, One Road: Why Trump Should Get Behind China's Economic Growth Plan
by Doug Bandow via The National Interest
URL: http://ift.tt/2shizFG
Doug Bandow
Economics, AsiaLike Hong Kong, Macau enjoys special status within China. The Special Administrative Region is effectively governed by Beijing, but retains liberal freedoms reflecting its Portuguese heritage. Much smaller than neighboring Hong Kong, Macau relies on gaming rather than finance as its economic foundation.
The Special Administrative Region took a major economic hit in 2015 in the midst of the Xi government’s crackdown on corruption and ostentatious living. The flow of Chinese “whales” to Macau’s casinos slowed and the economy retrenched. Macau has since recovered, but its leaders hope to diversify for the future. To promote that end the territory hosted the international conference on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Macau’s development.
The initiative, also known as One Belt, One Road, was proposed by China’s President Xi Jinping four years ago. A priority for Beijing, it necessarily is a priority for anyone under Beijing’s sway. And while Western states have been understandably skeptical of the program, Xi’s plans have been boosted by the Trump administration’s retreat from the international marketplace.
The U.S. government’s withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which it helped birth, and its talk about trashing the free trade agreement with South Korea, have encouraged America’s economic partners to look elsewhere to expand commerce. Beijing is moving to fill the void, advancing other free trade agreements along with BRI. Asian analysts and officials remain amazed at the Trump administration’s pursuit of economic isolation. No one else intends to follow the United States toward some variant of protectionist autarchy.
In fact, participants at the Macau conference wanted the United States to be involved, which is one of the reasons for why I was invited to attend the conference. In May, President Xi spoke of creating “a big family of harmonious coexistence.” Whatever his ultimate ambitions, local officials, with an eye to expanding economic opportunities, believe the more the merrier.
BRI harkens back to the fabled “Silk Road” of ancient times. Imperial China once was a dominant presence in Asia, before choosing isolation. The weakened state lost territory to Western “concessions” and Japanese conquest. Last century’s communist revolution created a new, even more malign form of isolation, until Deng Xiaoping took control and opened the People’s Republic of China to the world.
Since then the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has revived the best of its ancient commercial heritage. BRI offers an extension of Beijing’s already expansive commercial network, with the potential of placing China even more firmly at the center of the global economy. Weirdly, “Belt” refers to land transport while “Road” represents sea lanes. Nevertheless, the basic idea is to enhance old and create new infrastructure to promote commerce among Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe.
Nearly seventy countries have signed agreements with the PRC to participate. At its most expansive, the program envisions $4 trillion in spending and could touch two-thirds of the world’s people responsible for a third of the world’s GDP. However, so far Western countries and companies have been hesitant to join China’s BRI parade.
The initiative has multiple objectives. It is a geopolitical attempt to extend Beijing’s influence. It could enhance China’s international economic stature. BRI projects also could strengthen the PRC’s energy supply chain. The program might boost an economy that has been losing altitude. It offers projects for underperforming, even underwater state enterprises and employment for workers who have few obvious alternatives. Similarly, the initiative could help soak up some of the PRC’s infamous industrial surplus, particularly in steel and cement. BRI could increase trade opportunities as China faces protectionist pressures from America and Europe. Some Chinese even claim a hint of enlightened self-interest, comparing BRI to the Marshall Plan, only at thirty times the size.
To the extent that such a program succeeds in expanding global commerce, it will be good for China and the latter’s trading partners, as well as other nations which participate in BRI projects. The initiative also offers opportunities for Macau, which is why the latter hosted the forum. Having historically relied on gambling and tourism and with its trade overwhelmingly linked to China and Hong Kong, Macau is looking for additional economic options. The Special Administrative Region also has some unique advantages: a special relationship with the half dozen Portuguese-speaking nations, an entree into Europe from its Portugal connection, a specialized if small financial industry, and close ties with China and Hong Kong.
Although BRI’s ambitions are grand, so far its successes have been modest. And holding back from participating are major economic and geopolitical players who could help make the program a global reality. For instance, European countries have responded with varying levels of enthusiasm to Beijing’s plans; most did not send heads of state or government to last month’s Beijing forum.
Russia also has exercised caution. Although hostility toward Washington has helped draw Russia and China together, the latter two compete for political influence and business deals in Central Asia. Moreover, Moscow, under Western sanctions, may lack the capital necessary for full participation in BRI.
India has been ostentatiously hostile. New Delhi was angry over China’s planned $55 billion investment program in Pakistan, which would include disputed territory in Kashmir. The Hindi newspaper The Pioneer, tied to the ruling BJP, warned that the program’s goal “is to establish Chinese mastery over oceans and connecting routes across Asia and between Asia and Europe.”
The United States has given off mixed signals. Last year the Obama administration offered a tepid endorsement. Former Deputy Secretary of State Tony Blinken said the initiative was “consistent” with U.S. goals and could be “complementary” with U.S. efforts. However, the Trump administration’s Dan Coats, Director of National Intelligence, warned of the Chinese desire to “expand their strategic influence and economic role across Asia.” The administration sent a lower-ranking delegation to last month’s Beijing forum.
Washington’s reluctance in part reflects concern that the PRC is using its economic strength for political purposes. The Obama administration similarly refused to join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. To this issue now must be added President Trump’s protectionist tendencies, even though BRI theoretically offers commercial opportunities for America firms. However, realization of those possibilities depends greatly on the rules and terms governing projects at a time when United States firms feel increasingly unwelcome in China.
If Xi’s program is going to attract greater participation from these important international players, BRI must focus on economics, not politics, and promote projects which make economic sense for lenders/builders as well as borrowers/recipients. BRI also needs to take into account the often complex and fragile politics within participating states.
There are many potential pitfalls which need to be avoided. One is that the program may have too many objectives: China and fellow participants need to set priorities. Such a program, with high geopolitical goals, risks encouraging projects of little economic value. The pressure to find projects may grow particularly acute in the least developed BRI nations, many of which remain in poverty because of their own counterproductive policies. Indeed, nearly half of countries eligible to participate have been judged “high risk” by Oxford Economics, while half of those which have accepted projects have credit ratings below investment grade. To the extent that projects are treated more as assistance than commerce, BRI risks repeating the unhappy experience of manifold failed aid programs over the years.
Many of the governments involved are incompetent, unpopular and corrupt, undermining any program. Moreover, economic projects often have political overtones. China has found itself subject to protests and even treated as an election issue in such nations as Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Zambia. As noted earlier, Beijing’s Pakistan investment has drawn it into the Kashmir imbroglio. Russia may not react well if through BRI the PRC further attracts countries once part of the Soviet Union.
The program’s development might suffer from China’s own economic problems, such as banks with dangerously high-debt burdens and the temptation for companies and provinces to relabel most any economic development as BRI-related in order to win subsidies and other official support. Beijing’s increasing geopolitical aggressiveness may deter some states from participating out of fear of exploitation. Environmental issues are certain to arise, as well as risks of increased terrorism as potential targets, both people and projects, spread to more at risk countries. Finally, implementation issues are monumental: to manage so many projects in so many nations poses unprecedented challenges.
What of the future? There’s reason for skepticism, but problems can be overcome. However, doing so will require restraint and responsibility from Beijing’s nationalistic and aggressive authorities. One step would be serious economic reform at home, especially of state enterprises and banks, as well as ending what appears to be a systematic campaign to harass and disadvantage Western concerns. China also should join developed nations by paying off debts to the World Bank and IMF, which are artifacts of an earlier era.
The PRC should use BRI to empower poor nations. Beijing could open its capital markets, ease import barriers and enable more foreigners to work and do business in China. Also, Beijing should directly address the concerns of its greatest critics, emphasizing BRI’s economic purpose, focusing on private investment and participation rather than government enterprises, and structure deals to maximize international participation. The PRC could offer formal discussions over issues of concern, such as technical standards for projects.
Finally, China should seize the opportunity to share global economic leadership. Beijing should point out to the Trump administration that BRI offers the potential for the sort of “deals” that President Trump appears to value and look for ways to use the program as a means to expand trade with other nations in the wake of the Trump administration’s economic retreat.
In pushing BRI, President Xi spoke of the “great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.” That already has occurred. China accounts for half of Asia’s economic activity. The PRC is the globe’s largest merchandise trader. In recent years it has been the largest contributor to world economic growth. Total Chinese foreign direct investment is estimated at a trillion dollars.
But challenges remain to Beijing’s program, most seriously the suspicion that BRI is a political maneuver intended for the PRC’s global advantage rather than the economic benefit of others. China should address its critics.
Last month President Xi called on conference attendees to “build an open platform of cooperation and uphold and grow an open economy.” Properly structured, BRI could advance that end. Then Beijing would be well positioned to challenge the United States and Europe, as well as India and Russia, to join China’s efforts. If they took up such a challenge, much could be accomplished for the benefit of all.
Doug Bandow is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute and a former Special Assistant to President Ronald Reagan. He is the author ofForeign Follies: America’s New Global Empire.Image: Transporter freighter ship. Pixabay/Public domain

casino meaning in hindi video

- A proteid substance present in both the animal and the vegetable kingdom. In the animal kingdom it is chiefly found in milk, and constitutes the main part of the curd separated by rennet; in the vegetable kingdom it is found more or less abundantly in the seeds of leguminous plants. Gambling Meaning In Hindi, 188 casino, olympia slot, would oxford casino let me bring in a level to make dure roullette table is level The best online slots are the source of excitement and enjoyment for players. When it Proper Slot Meaning In Hindi comes to free slots, the size and frequency of payouts don’t matter because you can’t really win Proper Slot Meaning In Hindi anything when playing in demo mode. When choosing a free slot, you need to consider other factors, such as design, plot, theme, and extra features. 88ProBet is the preferred online betting sports and live casino in Singapore. We gained our popularity through the creation of numerous online Meaning Of Casinos In Hindi casino games, guaranteed payout when you win at any of our jackpot games, sportsbook betting, live casino games, horse and dog racing, and 4D TOTO. Casino meaning in Hindi (हिन्दी मे मीनिंग ) is जुआघर.English definition of Casino : a public building for gambling and entertainment Toggle navigation Casino मीनिंग : Meaning of Casino in Hindi - Definition and Translation Craps Meaning Hindi, viejas casino altitude, slot kings of chicago, casino ultimate texas holdem Casino Meaning In Hindi the financial and personal data of their players is kept safely protected. The legitimate sites that we list as the best also have Casino Meaning In Hindi a solid reputation for ensuring their customer data is truly safe, keeping up with data protection and privacy legislation. The real cash slot machines and gaming ... As a beginner in the gambling industry, it’s hard to find the right path for yourself. There’re lots of Australian online casinos on the internet and Gambling Status In Hindi only some of them are safe and trustworthy. By reading the article made by USA Casino Expert, you’re going to become an advanced gambler.. You’re going to learn about the types of Australian gambling sites, how to ... Hindi meaning of casino. casino / noun / कैसिनो; कज़ीनो; नाचघर; सार्वजनिक संगीत शाला; ताश का एक पुराना खेल; Synonym amphitheatre; The games Casino Meaning In Hindi do not offer "real money gambling" or an opportunity to win real money or prizes. The games are intended for an adult audience. Practice or success at social casino gaming does not imply future success at "real money gambling"

Casino meaning in Hindi - Meaning of Casino in Hindi ...

casino meaning in hindi

casino meaning in hindi - win

A Look at the Daftar Joker123 Slot Machine

Closest Mario Kart 8 Game (and Switch) to Mountain West Schools

Mountain

Air Force

Boise State

Colorado State

New Mexico

Utah State

Wyoming

Table View

West

Hawai’i

Fresno State

Nevada (Reno)

Nevada – Las Vegas

San Diego State

San José State

Table View

Conclusion

Grand Blues! fan translations (Episodes 1282-1286)

napulot ko lang sa fb. may nag rant about upcat results and admu confirmation fee/letter of non withdrawal

HURRYUPCAT

WAITLANGATENEO

DOSOMETHINGDEPEDCHED DepEd Philippines @phChed

It's time to hold public officials accountable.

How big is that money?

Corruption under Duterte

So ano nga ba ang nangyari?

“Whiff of corruption?”

Damage Control Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Hel

"No can really be safe nowadays..." - Senator Trillanes AMA for the lazy.

He's one of us. Human, after all.

Ligther side

The big issues

Other stuff

Georgia Tombstones (Part 1)

Two incidents in history of USA.

One Belt, One Road: Why Trump Should Get Behind China's Economic Growth Plan

casino meaning in hindi video

casino meaning in hindi top