WHAT? I did not even need to go more insane about this. Also that account has weird personal lore (nevermind)
Yeah I got that, I'm saying it's giving "I read playboy for the articles"—playboy's articles were also CIA slop. Even a zine released by a music community I have released thru is CIA slop. I have even posted CIA slop
Makes sense, it's a good example though! Seems like Heideggerian back-to-the-land fantasies from the heyday of Germany 1930 👀 are more popular than Future Dystopian Asia now. I wonder why
That is my view of stuff like Futurology and Vaporwave if you take their politics seriously it's liberal "realism"
But if you just take the aesthetic and get rid of all that shit you simply have modern Asia lmao
It's funny that people here are boiling down prostitution (which is what porn is) to "just sex", that probably says something about social conditions! It's the natural progression of western feminism that demonizes minority men (particularly Palestinians I might add) & casts slavery as empowerment. Onlyfans top percentile performers are essentially madams due to their relationship to the global system of extraction that subsidizes them. Like the majority of porn, Onlyfans makes most of its money off the same thing Xitter does now—desperate people in third world countries.
People frame "soft" prostitution as voluntary, but if you're performing sex acts or doing things which make you uncomfortable that you wouldn't have done without money, that's coercion. You are being sexually assaulted. In fact, that is the main draw of "live" porn platforms, being able to coerce women directly into doing things which make them increasingly uncomfortable.
You should be mindful of the platform's position in the surveillance + tech bubble as well. Has nobody mentioned it's an Israeli company? That seems to elicit the disgust that anything Silicon Valley-related ought to, since 2023 anyways
That's gotta be the funniest way I've ever heard someone describe videos with titles like "woman sent to Chinese heaven by Car" and there is no hope for you whatsoever
He sucks. First of all nobody is "ex-CIA" and antiimperialist media needs to get that through their heads. He lied about being present at the torture of Abu Zubaydah. He was working at places that "tortured some folks", just not, you know, his main claim to fame. A good rubric to apply to whistleblowers is do they condemn the organization, disavow its personnel, cut all ties with it, and ultimately is their critique structural, merely careerist, or is it in fact a controlled self-critique by the org. Johncharlie Kirkiakou is kind of a codifying example of the shitty whistleblower, he is always moaning about how the CIA had never tortured anyone before the Bush administration and it was a Great Shame on the good Amerikan people etc, blow it out your ass "John"!!! They wrote manuals on that shit in the 50s. Fuck that guy read about the Office of Strategic Services, its postwar collaboration with Nazis, and the inextricable links between the CIA (emphasis on central), other first world intelligence agencies, fascist orgs, and private banking.
History Commons is still on web.archive.org tho
Probably more CIA shit hard pass no offense I had a mentally warped neighbor like you 🤔
https://xcancel.com/pitchfork/status/2042340515874795993#m
There is a lot going on here. You're not surprised to see Kendrick Lamar are you? Yeah I didn't think so. Actually makes me physically angry thinking about how they could be boosting rare music with this
Critical support for [checks notes] Taiwanese diasporoids. Food is serious business. I was raised on copious amounts of bleu cheese and stinky tofu. All varieties are awesome. This is fining people for being #delicious & you would never treat Fr*nch "people" like this, #injustice #miscarriage
::: spoiler Expand article
A Los Angeles restaurant, which had been fined over stinky tofu complaints, is seeking public support to restore the pungent dish, arguing its return is vital for preserving cultural diversity.
Stinky tofu is no longer served at Golden Leaf in San Gabriel but the owner David Liao and his family are working to reinstate the dish, widely enjoyed across mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan for its distinctive smell, according to Tribune News Service.
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| Golden Leaf restaurant in Los Angeles, U.S. Photo by Google Maps/Lucky Chuck |
"The scene of stinky tofu in Taiwanese night markets is an invitation to community and tradition," owner David Liao said, adding that the dish is "a cherished taste of home and a source of cultural pride."
Across the San Gabriel Valley, several restaurants continue to offer the dish, typically deep-frying tofu cubes to create a crispy exterior and a porous, sponge-like interior. Its flavor and scent can vary from mild to intensely pungent, often compared to strong blue cheese or well-fermented kimchi.
For three years, stinky tofu was Golden Leaf’s signature item until a neighbour objected to the smell. In the autumn of 2017, a resident living north of the restaurant began lodging complaints.
"She said she could smell the stinky tofu, but we and other customers couldn’t smell it," said Liao, whose parents opened Golden Leaf in 2014.
Puzzled by the claims, the family canvassed nearby residential streets and neighboring businesses, asking whether anyone else could detect the odor.
"If our commercial neighbors complained to us that it’s affecting their business, then we would understand," Liao said. "But no one ever has."
Despite this, inspections by the health department, fire department and a city official followed. Liao said he was ultimately instructed to either control the smell or stop selling the dish.
Although Golden Leaf’s menu includes a variety of Taiwanese staples, stinky tofu generated between 10% and 20% of total revenue, making it difficult for the family to discontinue.
The restaurant initially continued selling the dish as complaints persisted. In September 2017, city authorities issued a violation notice citing a breach of municipal code, with potential fines of up to US$1,200. Liao’s parents subsequently removed stinky tofu from the menu,
Stinky tofu’s odor is central to its appeal for enthusiasts. The dish is typically produced by fermenting tofu in a brine with vegetables such as amaranth greens over days, weeks or months. It remains a staple of Taiwan’s night markets.
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| Stinky tofu. Photo by Pixabay/focusonpc |
Los Angeles County hosts the largest Taiwanese population in the United States. "Keeping this unofficial national dish alive is crucial," Liao said. "For our customers, this isn’t just another menu item; it’s a connection to their roots."
In 2025, Liao attempted to reintroduce the dish through a newsletter announcing limited weekly releases. However, complaints resumed, and he said repeated calls from the same neighbor disrupted the restaurant’s phone line.
Within three months, the city issued a second formal violation notice.
"The city’s municipal code includes provisions related to odor impacts," writes David Sanchez, San Gabriel’s community development director, in an email. "When an odor extends beyond a property and creates discomfort for others, it may be considered a violation and addressed accordingly."
Food writer Clarissa Wei said perceptions of stinky tofu vary widely. "Internationally, and for outsiders, stinky tofu often gets framed as a novelty or even a dare," she said. "But in Taiwan, and across many parts of Asia, it’s just another comfort food."
Golden Leaf continued serving the dish until November 2025, accruing multiple citations. Liao said he has paid more than $1,000 in fines.
A Change.org petition launched last summer calling for support to continue selling stinky tofu in San Gabriel has gathered more than 1,000 signatures, with supporters framing the issue as one of cultural inclusion.
"This ban isn’t about public health or quality of life; it’s about whose culture is allowed to exist in public," one comment reads.
"I think it's ridiculous," said Thomas Purscelley, the owner of the nearby Roxy's Liquor and Mini-Mart, as cited by CBS News.
"David has done a really great job, him and his team, preventing this smell coming out and being a nuisance. I'm right next door. We have never smelled the stinky tofu. I didn't even know he was smelling it."
Wei compares stinky tofu to other pungent foods such as natto, kimchi and aged fish, noting that cultural misunderstanding can shape perceptions.
"When foods are labeled obnoxious or adverse, it risks flattening that diversity," she writes. "Stinky tofu gets a bad rap largely because people, both abroad and even within Taiwan, don’t fully understand how it’s made."
San Gabriel city council member John Wu said the dispute centers on odor control rather than cultural differences, confirming the city has received multiple complaints. He suggests improved filtration could resolve the issue.
"We don’t stop people from selling dishes because they are smelly, but they should keep the smells inside the unit," Wu said.
"It’s subjective, and people feel differently about different smells. We can check noise levels at a business, but we don’t have a device that detects how much something smells."
Wu cited a nearby coffee shop that resolved similar complaints after installing a filtration system.
"This has nothing to do with any cultural things, but it’s more like a food smell control issue," Wu said. "We have many restaurants selling stinky tofu, but this is so far the only restaurant where we have those complaints from residents.
Other local establishments, including Dong Ting Xian and Yung Ho Cafe, continue to serve stinky tofu. Wu noted that Golden Leaf’s proximity to residential areas may contribute to the issue.
Relocation is not feasible for the restaurant. Liao has explored installing a filtration system or a ventless fryer, estimating costs of $20,000 to $50,000 for the fryer and about $100,000 for filtration, excluding permits.
"With all these options, I was looking for a guarantee," Liao said. "We were willing to work with the city, but they couldn’t put anything in writing, and we don’t have the money to just invest and see if it works."
Wu said no such guarantee can be provided.’ "I truly hope he can start selling the dish again," he said. "We hope the money he spends on a filtration machine will be worth it for him, but we can only offer that this might be a good solution and hope he gets a good result."
I'm not even gonna image how miserable that would be bruh
Expand article
A meeting with an American professor led Dr Do Lenh Hung to a breakthrough that freed thousands of patients from the daily burden of wearing a urinary drainage bag.
After more than six hours in the operating theatre, Hung, head of the urethral reconstructive surgery department at Binh Dan Hospital, left completely drained.
He had just performed a complex microsurgery to remove hardened scar tissue, locate two severed ends of the urethra deep in the pelvis and reconnect them with ultra-fine sutures to restore natural urinary flow.
He informed the waiting relatives that the surgery had been successful before leaving to rest.
On the operating table a 30-year-old man had undergone reconstruction after four years of living with a urine bag following a urethral rupture caused by a fall.
He had endured multiple failed operations, quit his job, sabotaged his relationship and struggled with suicidal thoughts.
After the successful surgery he again started to urinate normally, married his longtime partner, now has two children, and runs his own business.
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| Dr Do Lenh Hung speaks with an American patient after a successful surgery. Photo by VnExpress/Tran Nhung |
He is among more than 3,000 patients who no longer rely on an external urinary drainage bag thanks to the 44-year-old doctor.
Nearly two decades ago, when he was a resident, Hung admitted he disliked working in this field.
At that time, traumatic urethral stricture had limited treatment options in Việt Nam. Patients either lived with a permanent suprapubic catheter and urine bag or returned routinely for urethral dilation.
Watching patients writhe in pain as metal rods of increasing size were inserted through the urinary tract, only for the stricture to recur, Hung says he felt powerless and often tried to avoid assisting in such procedures.
In 2015 Prof Joel Gelman of the University of California, Irvine, a leading US specialist in urethral reconstruction, visited Việt Nam.
Assigned as an interpreter, Hung was surprised when the professor reported a success rate of up to 99 per cent. After examining a postoperative patient and finding no recurrence, Hung applied to train under him.
Four years earlier, at the age of 29, Hung had completed a one-year fellowship at the University of Michigan in the U.S. in robotic and female urologic surgery.
He passed Gelman’s rigorous evaluations and returned to the US to train in urethral reconstruction. He learned end-to-end anastomosis and reconstruction techniques using oral mucosa or penile skin flaps and brought them back to Việt Nam.
Binh Dan Hospital upgraded its operating facilities to US standards with support from Assoc Prof Tran Vinh Hung, its director. The previous rigid endoscopes were replaced with flexible ones to reduce trauma.
Hung’s first-time surgeries now record a near-perfect success rate while the hospital’s overall rate stands at 98 per cent.
Annual case numbers have increased from 100–200 in the early years to more than 800 in 2025.
Hung says the greatest challenges involve patients who previously underwent multiple failed surgeries. Scar tissue and altered anatomy make such procedures unpredictable, he adds.
One patient from Hung Yen Province sought his help after enduring 16 painful dilations and a failed operation.
Some surgeries last 12-13 hours.
Hung’s team remains on its feet from morning until late at night without breaks, locating and reconnecting severed urethral ends embedded in dense scar tissue.
Hung says the responsibility of handling failed cases has caused him sleepless nights. In some situations he advises patients to wait several months while his team prepares an optimal plan.
A 47-year-old American businessman recently travelled to Binh Dan Hospital after 15 years with the condition and six failed surgeries in the US, Singapore and Thailand.
Following a two-hour operation by Hung and three weeks of catheterisation, his urinary function was fully restored.
"I feel reborn after years of despair and searching everywhere for treatment. I never imagined that Việt Nam would be the place that finally cured me."
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| Dr Do Lenh Hung (L) and Prof Joel Gelman in the operating room. Photo by VnExpress/Tran Nhung |
Binh Dan Hospital has become a regional training centre for urethral reconstruction.
US doctors visit to observe and practice with rare and complex cases while Hung travels to Japan, Thailand and Malaysia to demonstrate surgical techniques.
Hung says urethral disease is not immediately life-threatening but hugely affects a patient’s quality of life and mental health.
Restoring natural urination often brings strong emotional reactions, with some patients breaking down in tears upon discharge, he adds.
A wind power project operates in western Gia Lai Province, located in Vietnam’s Central Highlands. Photo: Tan Luc / Tuoi Tre
The Gia Lai administration on the same day approved investor interest registration results for the nine projects located in the province’s western region.
The projects are expected to begin construction in September this year and start operations by December next year.
A consortium comprising EMI Investment JSC, Nhon Hoa 1 Wind Electricity JSC, and Nhon Hoa 2 Energy JSC has been selected for five projects with a combined investment of more than VND6.6 trillion ($250 million).
These include three solar power plants and two wind farms.
Among them, the Nhon Hoa 1 solar plant, located in Ia Le Commune, covers 70 hectares with a capacity of 49 MW and an estimated investment of VND836 billion ($31.7 million).
The Nhon Hoa 1A solar project, also in Ia Le and integrated with a battery storage system, has a similar scale and investment of VND831 billion ($31.5 million).
The larger Nhon Hoa 2 solar plant spans 135 hectares, with a capacity of 90 MW and an investment of VND1.545 trillion ($58.6 million).
The two wind power projects, Nhon Hoa 3 and Nhon Hoa 4, are located in Chu Puh and Ia Le Communes. Each project has a capacity of 42 MW and an estimated investment of VND1.72 trillion ($65.3 million) and VND1.678 trillion ($63.7 million), respectively.
Other approved projects include the Ia Ko 1 and Ia Ko 2 wind farms, with a combined capacity of 84 MW and total investment of VND2.962 trillion ($112.4 million), led by Tay Nguyen Power Development JSC.
Another project, the An Thanh Gia Lai wind farm, has a capacity of 40 MW and investment of VND1.586 trillion ($60.2 million).
A smaller solar project, Ia Rsuom - Bitexco - ToNa, will be developed in Uar Commune with a capacity of 11.84 MW and an estimated investment of VND198 billion ($7.5 million).
Gia Lai has recently positioned itself as a major renewable energy hub in Vietnam, benefiting from favorable wind and solar conditions.
The Central Highlands province continues to attract large-scale investments, including recent approvals for wind power projects worth more than VND53 trillion ($2 billion) linked to VinEnergo Energy JSC, a member of Vietnam’s largest private conglomerate Vingroup.
MINSK, 7 April (BelTA) – The National Academy of Sciences of Belarus and the Institute of Optics and Electronics of China plan to open a joint laboratory within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative. This was discussed at a meeting between First Deputy Chairman of the NASB Presidium Vitaly Zalevsky and Professor Zhu Xiao of the Institute of Optics and Electronics at Huazhong University of Science and Technology on 6 April, the NASB press service told BelTA.
The parties discussed prospects for bilateral scientific and technical cooperation, including in combined material-processing technologies, as well as opportunities for synergy between laser technologies and magnetic-pulse processing, which open new horizons for the creation of high-tech products. They also spoke about joint participation in the competition for flagship Belarus-China scientific and technical projects and in a major optics and electronics exhibition to be held in Wuhan in May 2026.
All cooperation agreements between Huazhong University of Science and Technology and the NASB Physical-Technical Institute were formalized in a protocol signed following the meeting by Zhu Xiao and Igor Smyaglikov, Deputy Director for Research of the Physical-Technical Institute.
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I bet he tells stories off-camera about how people eat up the psyops he runs without even really thinking deeply about blatantly ridiculous stories