We're Fucked but We Say that We're Fine

what if there were two boys and their world was at war, and they were doomed from the very beginning. what if their story starts with them saying goodbye to each other as one of them is sent to be consumed by the war that is devouring the face of the planet.

what if the other chooses to be transformed into a weapon to find his way back to his friend, but he still can't save him and has to watch him die anyway. What if he tries to follow his friend into death but he can't die anymore.

What if he is forced to live in a future more remote than he could have imagined, wielded as a weapon and a symbol of tyranny.

Okay, now what if his friend couldn't die either. What if he was sent instead to a fate worse than death, the body he once embraced disassembled and rebuilt with unfeeling metal, the soul he once loved relentlessly scraped out and burned away until he was a hollow void, a suffering undead creature who didn't know his own name. What if his friend's tortured undead body came back to him. What if he got a second chance to tell his friend he loved him in the worst way possible.

What if there were two boys who became war machines. What if they were doomed from the very beginning and they were supposed to die, but instead they came back wrong. What if they found each other again transformed beyond all recovery and there was nothing left of their original selves. What if they were trapped in a remote and alien future with nothing to cling onto except each other.

Okay, now what if in this future, they'd gotten rid of sodomy laws and being openly homosexual was broadly socially acceptable, and they're both in super-strong new bodies that still remember the fear and repression in the marrow of their bones but also have ultra superpowered libidos that don't fucking quit. And there are words and terminology for these things and for desires and feelings but neither of them fucking know any of it.

Like when Gandalf spent literal PAGES trying to figure out why the vibes were off in Moria and Legolas chimes in with just "it's a balrog :) that shit's evil :) we're so fucked :)" like what do you MEAN you knew already and just didn't tell him??

Or at the beginning of Two Towers when Aragorn thinks there's something nearby so he puts his ear to the ground to listen, and then like 10 minutes later is like "hmmm i hear horses" and Legolas is just like "mm yep. there are 105 blond bitches with spears" like you just let your friend put his face in the dirt and you can SEE them??

gandalf is scratching his head in moria, and legolas is thinking "oh man, the wizard noticed something off *besides* the obvious balrog that we all are aware of??"

Hey real quick, can anyone tell me why i'm still trying to have honest, direct, good-faith discussions with people on the internet in the year of our lord 2026?

bonus ask from someone else:

The reason I'm not sharing the links and articles I'm being sent, nor debating the specific issues people in this post are bringing up, is because none of it matters to the point I'm making. All large organizations, all governments, all world powers, will inevitably try and shape the narrative of world events in their favor. That has always happened, and it always will, and that is why it's so important to take these grand narratives with a grain of salt. I don't believe there are any governments in the world that can claim innocence here, though the largest powers are those most guilty.

This post is not about debating the details of any one specific event. This is me saying, broadly, that in my circles i have noticed an uptick in stories minimizing China's faults and emphasizing their achievements based primarily or even solely on the word of sources i personally find unconvincing. I don't feel the need to wade deeper into those waters other than to remind folks to think critically and question the narratives of large organizations when reading the news.

People have responded to this by delivering unto me an onslaught of questionable "proof" delivered by individuals and organizations I neither know nor trust, many of which take hard line stances that the things China has been criticized for are complete fabrications (something which I do not believe to be the case based on the evidence I've seen and heard from both sides of this discussion). To debate these individual sources, these individual events or the veracity of specific accusations, is to ignore the point that, as the great lasagna lover tells us, you are not immune to propaganda.

New York empties out on holidays, so this little Dachshund had Madison Avenue at 30th Street all to himself. July 4, 1958.

The secret is a classic Chinese technique called velveting. Once you learn it, you’ll understand why restaurant chicken is so tender and silky.

I used to make this dish regularly many years ago, and I’m not sure why I stopped making it, but decided to give it another go and I’d forgotten how good it was.

It's very similar to a dish I used to get at Szechuan East in NYC. It’s a bit of a fusion dish, but I enjoy the over the top flavor, and everyone always enjoys it.

I call recipes like this, "rice guzzlers", because it's so spicy and the sauce is so good you don't want to miss any.

What is the Chinese secret for moist chicken?

The answer is a technique called velveting. This is a Chinese technique chefs use to keep chicken very juicy. It works particularly well with low fat pieces like boneless breasts.

Basically you coat the chicken pieces in soy sauce, egg white, cornstarch and a splash of oil and then par cook it in hot oil or poach in boiling water in the wok and then remove it to be added back later. Personally I find using oil works well, but if it was a delicately flavored dish, the water makes sense.

There are many variations on this method, with some adding rice vinegar, soy sauce and some omitting the rice wine etc, but the cornstarch is essential.

Make your own Chinese BBQ Pork, Authentic Char Siu Recipe: Make Delicious BBQ Pork at Home

Another classic spicy dish, Kung Pao Chicken- Authentic Sichuan Recipe

Looking for a fish dish, Spicy Sichuan Fish Recipe with Sweet and Sour Flavors

Want to try a Thai classic, Thai Chicken with Basil/ Gai Pad Prik Grapao- Top Thai Dish

And the takeaway favorite, Chinese Chicken with Fermented Black Beans: A Takeout Favorite

And a wonderful vegetarian option, How to Make Lao Gan Ma Tofu Stir-Fry in 5 Minutes

Interested in my go to recipes, My Favorite Recipes

Ingredients:

1 lb Chicken Breast, sliced into 1/2 - 3/4 inch cubes.

1 Tbsp Light Soy Sauce

1 Egg White

1 Tbsp Cornstarch

3 Tbsp Vegetable Oil

2 inch piece of minced Ginger Root

1 Red Pepper, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces.

3 Green Onions, white only, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces.

Sauce:

2 Tbsp Shaoxing rice wine

1 Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce

2 Tbsp Chili and Garlic Paste

1 tsp Chinkiang Vinegar or Rice Vinegar

1 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil

1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

1 Tbsp Water

1 Tbsp Cornstarch

Preparation:

After prepping your chicken, mix with the velveting ingredients and into the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Heat your wok until very hot, then add your oil and when almost smoking, add the chicken pieces and quickly stir fry, breaking them apart and allowing them to just turn white with a hint of browning. Remove from the wok with a slotted spoon or ladle and set aside.

Add in your ginger and red peppers into the hot wok and stir fry for about a minute, then add your green onions and stir fry for another minute and add back the chicken and any juices.

Stir fry lightly and add in your sauce mixture and cook until it thickens. Serve with lots of rice.

This article is part of The Pasadena Chef Cooking School. Explore more cooking lessons, techniques, and ingredient guides here. The Pasadena Chef Cooking School

Easy Sichuan Chicken: Master the Velveting Technique It uses a technique that I really like called, “velveting”. This is a Chinese technique to keep chicken very juicy. It works particularly well with low fat pieces like boneless breasts. Wok 1 lb Chicken Breast (sliced into 1/2 – 3/4 inch cubes.)1 Tbsp Light Soy Sauce1 Egg White1 Tbsp Cornstarch3 Tbsp Vegetable Oil2 inch piece of minced Ginger Root1 Red Pepper (chopped into 1/2 inch pieces.)3 Green Onions (white only, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces.)Sauce:2 Tbsp Shaoxing rice wine1 Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce2 Tbsp Chili and Garlic Paste1 tsp Chinkiang Vinegar or Rice Vinegar1 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce1 Tbsp Water1 Tbsp Cornstarch After prepping your chicken, mix with the velveting ingredients and into the fridge for at least 30 minutes.Heat your wok until very hot, then add your oil and when almost smoking, add the chicken pieces and quickly stir fry, breaking them apart and allowing them to just turn white with a hint of browning. Remove from the wok with a slotted spoon or ladle and set aside.Add in your ginger and red peppers into the hot wok and stir fry for about a minute, then add your green onions and stir fry for another minute and add back the chicken and any juices.Stir fry lightly and add in your sauce mixture and cook until it thickens. Enjoy my recipes, Join the Kitchen Main CourseChinesechicken, sichuan