#GLORY TO THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA

[werewolf-femboy-maid]

I FOUND THE SOUL OF MODERN KOREA VERY IMPORTANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[misfitwashere]

Trump's civil war

And our new birth of freedom

TIMOTHY SNYDER

JUN 12READ IN APP

Earlier this week Donald Trump called for a second civil war at a US military base. This scenario can be resisted and prevented, if we have the courage to listen, interpret, and act. And this Saturday we will have the occasion to act.

The listening is important. The speech was given at the base now known again as Ft. Bragg. The fort was named for a confederate general. It was renamed Ft. Liberty. Under this administration, it was renamed Fort Bragg, now ostensibly to honor another American serviceman, not the confederate general. It is a dishonest pretense that dishonors everyone. The fort is now named again after a confederate general, as Trump made clear. The tradition that is now in fact being honored, that of oathbreakers and traitors.

In Trump's speech, the existence of the United States is placed in doubt. We are not a country but a divided society in which some of us deserve punishment by others. He made no mention of the world today, nor of any common American interest that might necessitate national defense. There was no concern about threats from China or Russia. Middle Eastern dictatorships, the only countries that Trump singled out, garnered great praise because their leaders gave Trump money. There was no mention of any wars that are actually underway, such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Trump invoked of battlefields across the decades to create a sense of individual heroism, in which of course the history the the US Army is very rich. But that individual heroism is usually cited by commanders in chief as evidence of a nation that is worthy of defense. No such America figured in Trump's speech. America did not exist Trump's speech, except as a cult to him personally.

In the actual history of the United States, one war is central: the Civil War. Trump, who has never seen the point of the Union Army defending the republic, now seems now to have moved on to the position that the Confederacy should have won. He promised to rename Fort Gregg-Adams, the first base named for African-Americans, to Fort Robert E. Lee. The base in question hasn't been known by the full name of the confederate commander since 1950. Lee was a traitor, an oathbreaker, a defender of slavery and the commander of a force whose mission was to break up the United States of America.

In his speech, Trump claimed that seizing undocumented migrants in 2025 shows the same courage as fighting in the Revolutionary War, or the First World War, or the Second World War, or Korea or Vietnam. It would have been news to the soldiers at the time that charging a trench or jumping from a plane is no different than ganging up on a graduate student or bullying a middle-aged seamstress.

But here we see the magic of Trump's rhetoric: he seeks to transform the courage of the past into the cowardice of the future. He is preparing American soldiers to see themselves as heroes when they undertake operations inside the United States against unarmed people, including their fellow citizens.

All of this, of course, trivializes actual US military achievements. The actual battles of our history just become a "show," to use one of Trump's keywords. They are deeds performed for the pleasure of a Leader who then invokes them to justify his own permanent power. Denuded of all context, military glory becomes a spectacle into which any meaning can be injected. And he who injects the meaning is he who rules. That is the fascist principle that Trump understands. There is no politics except struggle, and he who can define the enemy in the struggle can stay in power. But whereas historical fascists had an enemy without and an enemy within, Trump only has an enemy within. The world is too much for him. The army is just for dominating Americans.

In his speech, Trump was trying to transform a legacy of battlefield victory around the world into a future willingness to take illegal orders regarding his own policy on the territory of the United States. The defiance of the law was clear. Trump cannot, for example, legally just rename those bases. The forts were named by an act of Congress. And he cannot legally deploy the Marines to Los Angeles. He has no authority to do so. The president is expressly forbidden by law from using the armed forces to implement domestic policies.

Trump defined himself not as a president but as a permanent Leader. In repeatedly mocking his predecessor, he was summoning soldiers to defy the fundamental idea that their service is to the Constitution and not to a given person. “You think this crowd would have showed up for Biden?” Whether or not it is unprecedented, as I believe it is, such mockery certainly dangerous. It suggests that something besides an election, something like individual charisma, some personal right to rule, is what matters. That soldiers should follow Trump because he is Trump, and not for any other reason.

In general, we imagine that the US Army is here to defend us, not to attack us. But summoning soldiers to heckle their fellow Americans is a sign of something quite different. Trump seized the occasion to summon soldiers to join him in mocking the press. Reporters, of course, as the Founders understood, are a critical check on tyranny. They, like protestors, are protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution. Trump was teaching soldiers that society does not matter, and that law does not matter. He "loves" soldiers. He is personally responsible for the pay raises: "I gave you so much money for four years it was crazy." "We're giving you an across-the-board raise" This is the way a dictator speaks to a palace guard, or a fascist to a paramilitary.

Trump is putting himself above the army and the army above the country: "we only have a country because we first had an army, the army was first." That ridiculous: the Continental Army was formed in 1775 from the people, for the very specific and time-limited purpose of ending colonial oppression. Trump wants the armed force to be the end in itself, and freedom to be its enemy. Generally, presidents who speak to soldiers of military glory have had in mind the defense of American freedoms, such as the freedom of expression, including the freedom of the press and the freedom to assemble. Trump said nothing about freedom, except as a "flame" or a "shield." He said nothing about rights. There was not a word about democracy.

We are witnessing an attempt at regime change, rife in perversities. It has a historical component: we are to celebrate the oathbreakers and the traitors. It has a fascist component: we are to embrace the present moment as an exception, in which all things are permitted to the Leader. And of course it has an institutional component: soldiers are meant to be the avant-garde of the end of democracy. Instead of treating the army as defenders or freedom, Trump presented soldiers as his personal armed servants, whose job it was to oppress his chosen enemies -- inside the United States. Trump was trying to instruct soldiers that their mission was to crush fellow Americans who dared to exercise their rights, such as the right to protest.

Referring to migration as an "invasion," as Trump did during the speech, is meant to blur the distinction between his immigration policy and a foreign war. But it is also meant to transform the mission of the US Army. The meaningful border here is that between reality and fantasy. If soldiers and others are willing to accept that migration is an "invasion," then they enter into an alternative reality. Inside that alternative reality, they will see those who do not accept the invasion fantasy as enemies. And this is exactly what Trump called for when he portrayed elected officials in California as collaborators in "an occupation of the city by criminal invaders."

The US Army, like other American institutions, includes people of various backgrounds. It depends heavily on African-Americans and non-citizens. One can try to transform the army into a cult of the Confederacy and a tool to persecute migrants, but this will cause, at a minimum, great friction. Beyond this, using the Army to enforce domestic policy risks ruining its reputation. Deploying the armed forces in cities risks US soldiers killing US civilians. It also risks that provocateurs, including foreign ones, including allies of Trump, will try to kill an American soldier to provoke a disaster. (Trump’s birthday parade seems practically designed for such an incident, by the way.) 

Trump will welcome and exploit such situations, of course. He doesn’t have the courage to say things clearly or start conflict directly, but instead sets up others for situations in which they suffer and he profits. The question is whether civil war is the future Army officers and soldiers want. When Trump promises to celebrate Robert E. Lee, he is telling the Army that oath-breakers and traitors will be celebrated in the future. This is not in his gift. Officers who bring the US armed forces to battle American civilians will be remembered by the heirs of a broken republic and as the people who started a second American civil war.

It is clear what Trump is trying to do. He wants to turn everything around. He wants an army that is not a legal institution but a personal paramilitary. He wants it not to defend Americans but to oppress them. He wishes the shame of our national history to become our pride. He wants to transform a republic into a fascist regime by transforming a history of courage into a future of cowardice.

This can only succeed if it goes unchallenged. All of us can think about his words and their implications. Officers and soldiers can remember that not all orders are legal orders. Those in the media can interpret Trump's speeches clearly rather than just repeating them or seeing them as one side in a partisan dispute. Our courts can name the limits of his authority. And even a Republican Congress can recognize when its powers are being usurped in a way that risks the end of our country.

Though he did not mention the Civil War, Trump did refer to "the sacred soil of Gettysburg." It is worth recalling Lincoln's very different sense of the sacrifice of American soldiers in his Gettysburg Address:

The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

In the end, and in the beginning, and at all moments of strife, a government of the people, by the people, for the people depends upon the awareness and the actions of all of us. A democracy only exists if a people exist, and a people only exists in individuals' awareness of one another of itself and of their need to act together. This weekend Trump plans a celebration of American military power as a celebration of himself on his birthday -- military dictatorship nonsense. This is a further step towards a different kind of regime. It can be called out, and it can be overwhelmed.

Thousands of Americans across the land, many veterans among them, have worked hard to organize protests this Saturday — against tyranny, for freedom, for government of the people, by the people, for the people. Join them if you can. No Kings Day is June 14th.

[soulofjuche]

Russian President Issues Statement on Participation of Combat Sub-units of DPRK Armed Forces in Operations for Liberating Kursk Area of Russia

Pyongyang, April 29 (KCNA) -- Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, president of the Russian Federation, issued a statement on April 28 as regards the participation of the combat sub-units of the armed forces of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the operations for liberating the Kursk area of the Russian Federation.

The full text of the statement is as follows:

On April 26, 2025, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation finally defeated the group of Ukrainian militants that invaded the Kursk Region, putting an end to the criminal provocation perpetrated by the Ukrainian authorities in an attempt to seize part of the Russian Federation territory.

Units of the Korean People’s Army played an active role in the fight that brought the defeat of the neo-Nazi formations of the Kiev regime that invaded our territory, in full compliance with international law and in accordance with the letter and spirit of the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the Russian Federation and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea of June 19, 2024 – in particular, Article 4 of the Treaty, which requires each of the parties to provide immediate military assistance in the event of an armed attack against the other.

Our Korean friends’ move was guided by a sense of solidarity, justice and genuine comradery. We highly appreciate this and are sincerely grateful, personally to President of the State Affairs of the DPRK Kim Jong Un, as well as the entire leadership and the people of the DPRK.

We commend the DPRK soldiers' heroism, their excellent training and dedication displayed while fighting, shoulder to shoulder with Russian soldiers, defending our motherland as their own. They fulfilled their duty with honour and valour, covering themselves with unfading glory.

The Russian people will never forget the heroism of the DPRK special forces. We will always honour the heroes who gave their lives for Russia, for our common freedom, fighting side by side with their Russian brothers in arms.

We are confident that the strong bond of friendship, neighbourly relations and cooperation between our countries, tempered on the battlefield, will continue to grow and expand across the board.

[book-challenger]

Travel Destination: South Korea

The Space Between Here & Now by Sarah Suk

17 year old Aimee Roh has Sensory Time Warp Syndrome, a rare condition that causes her to time travel to a moment in her life when she smells something linked to that memory. Her dad is convinced she’ll simply grow out of it if she tries hard enough, but Aimee’s fear of vanishing at random has kept her from living a normal life.

When Aimee disappears for nine hours into a memory of her estranged mom, a moment Aimee has never remembered before, she becomes distraught. Not only was this her longest disappearance yet, but the memory doesn’t match up with the story of how her mom left, at least, not the version she’s always heard from her dad.

Desperate for answers, Aimee travels to Korea, where she unravels the mystery of her memories, the truth about her mother, and the reason she keeps returning to certain moments in her life.

XOXO by Axie Oh

Jenny’s never had much time for boys, K-pop, or really anything besides her dream of being a professional cellist.

But when she finds herself falling for a K-pop idol Jaewoo, a relationship means not only jeopardizing her place at her dream music school but also endangering everything Jaewoo’s worked for, Jenny has to decide once and for all just how much she’s willing to risk for love.

Wicked Fox by Kat Cho

18 year old Gu Miyoung has a secret, she's a gumiho, a nine-tailed fox who must devour the energy of men in order to survive, but after feeding one full moon, Miyoung crosses paths with Jihoon, a human boy, being attacked by a goblin deep in the forest. Against her better judgment, she violates the rules of survival to rescue the boy, losing her fox bea—her gumiho soul—in the process.

With murderous forces lurking in the background, Miyoung and Jihoon develop a tenuous friendship that blossoms into something more. But when a young shaman tries to reunite Miyoung with her bead, the consequences are disastrous and reignite a generations old feud, forcing Miyoung to choose between her immortal life and Jihoon's.

Rebel Seoul by Axie Oh

EAST ASIA, 2199. After a great war, the East Pacific is in ruins. In brutal Neo Seoul, where status comes from success in combat, ex-gang member Lee Jaewon is a talented pilot rising in the academy's ranks. Abandoned as a child in the slums of Old Seoul by his rebel father, Jaewon desires only to escape his past.

When Jaewon is recruited into the most lucrative weapons development division in Neo Seoul, he is eager to claim his best shot at military glory. But the mission becomes more complicated when he meets Tera, a test subject in the government's supersoldier project. Tera was trained for one purpose: to pilot one of the lethal God Machines, massive robots for a never-ending war.

With secret orders to report on Tera, Jaewon becomes Tera's partner, earning her reluctant respect. But as respect turns to love, Jaewon begins to question his loyalty to an oppressive regime that creates weapons out of humans. As the project prepares to go public amidst rumors of a rebellion, Jaewon must decide where he stands-as a soldier of the Republic, or a rebel of the people.

K-Pop Confidential by Stephan Lee

Candace Park knows a lot about playing a role. For most of her life, she's been playing the role of the quiet Korean girl who takes all AP classes and plays a classical instrument, keeping her dreams of stardom-and her obsession with SLK, K-pop's top boyband-to herself. She doesn't see how a regular girl like her could possibly become one of those K-pop goddesses she sees on YouTube. Even though she can sing. Like, really sing.

So when Candace secretly enters a global audition held by SLK's music label, the last thing she expects is to actually get a coveted spot in their trainee program. And convincing her strict parents to let her to go is all but impossible ... although it's nothing compared to what comes next.

[y3joon-png]

1950-1953 : The Rifle Between Us

Heyaa it's me again !! There is chapter III, this one is more psychological and deep dives into how our two mains deeply feel. I hop eyou will enjoy it as much as you enjoyed the others until now !! Kiss kiss <3

Chapter III

June 1950 - September 1950 - Republic of Korea

Minho woke before the sun. The camp was silent, save for the occasional rustle of movement. A cold sweat clung to his skin. He exhaled, trying to shake the weight pressing against his chest. He had dreamed of something. Or someone. But the details slipped through his fingers like water. He rolled his shoulders, stretching out the stiffness in his arms. His skin felt tight, too hot under the weight of his uniform. He exhaled sharply and reached for his rifle. The mirror in the corner was cracked, but it still caught his reflection. Minho stared. He looked like a soldier. A man. He was supposed to feel like one too. He sighed loudly not knowing what to do, he felt lost. It was just a dream. But then why was his skin still crawling? The others were still asleep, their breaths deep and steady. Minho looked at his hands, flexing them against the morning chill. They had pulled a trigger yesterday. The day before that. The week before that. That’s all that mattered. He exhaled, forcing the thought away. The war was progressing. That’s what he needed to focus on.

In the last few months, the North Korean troops had been gaining territory over the Southern army. Minho got to see Seoul for the first time, it was pretty empty as it had been evacuated a day before but still, he was happy to be there. They were winning. That was enough. The United Nations had started sending soldiers, mostly Americans, since July. The fights were rough but the North Korean didn’t give up and kept going further south. Minho was proud, extremely, he felt like a hero. For his unit, for his people, for his country and for Kim Il Sung. September soon came, he was in a camp near Incheon because his unit had been chosen to stay close to the port, mostly to secure the west part of the border.

The others stirred awake one by one, stretching, groaning, scratching at their skin in the morning light. Someone muttered something about a dream, another laughed about last night’s drinks. Minho sat up, rolling his shoulders. He should say something. Blend in.

“You sleep like a pig, Jihoon,” he muttered. It was met with laughter. But his voice sounded strange in his own ears. Jihoon groaned and threw his rigid pillow at Minho.

“Shut up dude.” He added with a chuckle.

Thirty minutes later, they were all around the long tables eating their breakfast. Most were talking and cheering. The atmosphere was pretty light since the U.N. counterattack was being handled perfectly by their troops. Minho was silently eating some rice, listening to the other men talking and joking around.

“Man, after this war, I’m going straight to the prettiest girl in Pyongyang,” Jihoon said, grinning. “Gonna get married and fuck until we have ten kids.” The others laughed, chiming in with their own plans - women, sex, power, glory. Minho nodded along, even forced a smirk. Someone nudged him.

“What about you, Minho?” He opened his mouth - froze. What was he supposed to say?

“Dunno,” he muttered, shrugging. “Haven’t thought about it.”

“Bullshit,” Jihoon snorted. “Come on, man, you really don’t have a girl waiting for you back home?” The others watched him, waiting. Minho’s throat felt tight.

“I… guess I do.” The lie felt foreign in his mouth, like gravel. “She’s just not important right now.” Jihoon laughed. Minho was silently staring at his rice. His throat was dry, his fingers pressing around his chopsticks felt like they were slightly shaking. But a man couldn’t shake. Real men aren’t scared. 

“Always so damn serious.” The conversation moved on. Minho exhaled slowly.

He stayed quiet for almost the whole day. Minho wasn’t a man known to be talkative, he often smiled at jokes but his real loud laugh was almost a myth in his unit. During the physical training he was quietly - as always - punching a punching bag. His tank top clung to his pretty muscular body. His necklace was hitting his sweaty skin to the rhythm of his punches. The sound was metallic and slightly wet. The whole room smelled like sweat.

The fire crackled, shadows stretching against the dirt walls. Minho kept punching, watching as Jihoon stretched out on the ground, arms folded behind his head. Relaxed. Confident. The way Jihoon carried himself, the ease in his movements - it was something Minho had never felt. His jaw tightened. “I hate him”. He thought suddenly, though he knew it wasn’t true. He looked away, stomach coiled in something he didn’t have the words for. The room almost felt like testosterone. Minho looked down at himself. He felt like something was lacking. He looked like them, yes. But he didn’t feel like them. The sound of his fists against the bag quickened, the metallic clink of his necklace keeping pace. His muscles burned, but he didn’t stop. Didn’t want to stop.

Jihoon put his hand on Minho’s shoulder, squeezing softly and grinning.

“You’re too stiff, man. Relax.” Minho tensed. It was just advice. It was nothing bad. Then why did his skin crawl? He shoved Jihoon off, scowling.

“Get off me.” Jihoon blinked, laughing.

“Damn, alright.” Minho exhaled sharply, forcing himself to laugh too. He didn’t know why he was suddenly so angry. Jihoon smirked. The way he stood, the confidence in his posture - it made something burn in Minho’s stomach. He forced himself to look away. He needed to get stronger. He needed to be better. Jihoon then headed to the others, laughing as he threw his towel over his shoulder. Minho, him, kept punching harder, faster, wilder. His breath was getting heavier. However he couldn’t even dare to stop, he had to be a real man.

At the corner of the room, the others were laughing, joking crudely about women. Minho forced himself to grin, nodding along even though their words felt empty in his mouth. He acted along while still punching. He tried hard, imagining a woman’s body. Nothing. What was he missing? He sighed loudly. He gave a punch, then another. He imagined again, his hands roaming over a body. He squeezed his fists, forcing the image to stay. But it didn’t feel right. It felt… off. Wrong. His breath came out sharp. He punched the bag again, harder. The skin was soft under his fingers. He exhaled louder. The face was blurred. He looked around in his mind. The whole body was blurred, all he could feel was his fingers against the skin. He could feel curves, they didn’t feel any like they should feel. He hissed, his jaw clenching. Then, Jihoon asked him teasingly.

“What, Minho? Never had a girl moan your name?” Minho scoffed.

“Plenty.” A lie. A lie so easy, it almost sounded true. Jihoon laughed, satisfied, and Minho swallowed down the bitterness rising in his throat.

Minho kept punching. Harder. Faster. His breath came in ragged bursts, his body slick with sweat, his arms aching from the force of every hit. But it wasn’t enough. It would never be enough. He needed to train harder, to be stronger, to be a real man, because something inside him was lacking, something was wrong, and he didn’t know what. His mind kept circling back to the same thoughts, the same feelings, the same twisting unease that settled deep in his stomach like a sickness. Jihoon’s voice. Jihoon’s hands. Jihoon’s laugh. He forced himself to think of women, forced himself to picture a faceless body beneath him, forced himself to feel what the others felt - but his mind wouldn’t stay there. It never did. He wanted this to stop. He wanted to rip himself apart and put himself back together the right way. The way a soldier should be. The way a man should be. But no matter how much he trained, no matter how much he tried, the thoughts always came back, creeping in the moment he let his guard down. Minho exhaled sharply and leaned his forehead against the cool surface of the punching bag, his breath shaky. He squeezed his eyes shut. Just for a second. Just long enough to let himself breathe. Just long enough to feel the weight of something he would never say. And then, with a final punch, he turned away. As the sun was setting outside he headed to his dorm. There, he made himself fall heavily against the rigid mattress that was his. He looked around, he was alone. His loud sigh echoed in the room. The echo almost felt like a blame from the walls of the dorm towards him. He shut his eyes and sank his face in his rigid pillow. His biceps hurted. His sharp facial traits felt like they were trying to cut through the thin fabric of the pillow. He brushed his hair with a single hand, softly turning on his back. He stared at the ceiling. Here, a crack was wide and visible, leaving a gap. His throat tightened. What was lacking from him to be a real man? Was it the fact he had never fucked a woman? Should he force himself onto one to be a man like the others? He sighed loudly, laying his forearm on his eyes, blocking the dim light from bothering them. Suddenly, a thought lingered in his mind : “I wish Jisung was here. He’d know what to do. He’d tell me I'm the manliest man.” Minho swallowed, his throat tightening. The thought sat heavy in his chest as his eyes started to feel itchy. It was warm. Too warm. He exhaled sharply, forcing himself to scoff. “Real men don’t need help from some Southern Pigs”. He told himself, before turning around and drifting to sleep. His body was tense, all of his muscles were contracted. Sleep didn’t come as fast as he hoped. But he dealt with it, like a real man should. 

September 1950 - Republic of Korea

Jisung woke with a start, breath shallow, skin damp with sweat. He didn’t remember the dream clearly - only flashes. A voice, laughter, a hand lingering too long. A feeling, warm and unshakable. His stomach twisted. He exhaled sharply and turned onto his side, pressing his palm over his chest. His heartbeat was steady, but everything else felt wrong. His vision was slightly blurry as he tried to come back to his senses. He looked back at the ceiling and sighed loudly. His mind kept wandering back to his dream, trying to figure out from where was that off feeling he felt. Jisung exhaled softly, closing his eyes. He gets softly back to his dream, redrawing everything in his now awakened mind. His hand felt warmer, he looked up. Someone was holding it. Strong built, sharp features, shiny eyes. He could distinguish some features but not a particular person. Suddenly he realized : it was a man. Jisung’s eyes opened widely and he sat up abruptly. “Not again”. He thought, rubbing his eyes with his palms. A voice raised next to him.

“Jisung-Hyung… are you alright?” It was Hajoon. Jisung smiled awkwardly and nodded. “Overthinking again?” Jisung forced a smile.

“Someone has to.” Hajoon rolled his eyes and leaned back against the headboard of his bed. The air between them was too warm, too easy. Jisung swallowed, looking away. He wasn’t thinking too much. He was thinking the wrong way. He looked down at himself. His used white tank top clinging to his - now - pretty muscular build. He looked at his dog tag, holding the cold metal between his fingers. “Real men don’t feel like this.” His jaw clenched. His body was strong now. But inside, he felt smaller than ever. He wasn’t praying - not really. But his lips moved like they used to when his mother taught him to whisper to God. “Please…” He mouthed, his jaw clenching too tight to let out any word. He swallowed. He didn’t know what he was asking for. Forgiveness? Probably. He was guilty after all. A whole sinner, hiding himself behind his soldier image to seem perfect. Jisung exhaled loudly again before getting up. He quickly put some pants around his hips and his boots. Hajoon looked at him a bit confused, raising an eyebrow as he asked : 

“What are you doing? Breakfast won’t be served anytime soon.” Jisung sighed and took a small book from his military bag. On the dark cover, two words were written in golden capital letters : “HOLY BIBLE”.

“Morning prayer.” Jisung added. Hajoon nodded, he seemed skeptical. However, he did not add anything and just let Jisung walk out of their dorms.

For a few days, Jisung and his unit were living there. A huge camp in Busan, with other soldiers from almost everywhere around the world. Most were Americans, but some were British, Australian or even French. As he was walking in the corridors towards the small chapel - holding tight onto his Bible - he overheard some Amricans evoking an offensive on Incheon’s port, probably in mid-september. He swallowed. Everything always had to be about this stupid war. He chuckled as he thought : “Mid-september uh? Maybe I'll live until my 20th birthday then.” His thoughts had been growing more and more pessimistic as the war kept going. After all, they were losing. He soon got to the chapel. There he sat on the ridiculously small bench, in front of the cross. He grabbed his necklace and wrapped it around his fists as he joined his hands. It wasn’t a chaplet, but it was better than nothing. Jisung sat alone, head bowed, dog tags curled tight in his fist. The words of old prayers sat on his tongue, but they felt heavier now. Like they didn’t belong to him anymore. “God, forgive me for I have sinned”. But for what? He already knew. And knowing made it worse. Maybe this war was meant to fix him. Maybe if he fought hard enough, he could prove himself as a child of God. “I’ve thought about it again.” He exhaled. God knew already, why tell him? Suddenly a question came to his mind. A question only God could answer. The silence stretched. The air felt too thick in his lungs. His fingers tightened around the dog tags until the edges pressed into his skin. Jisung curled, his joint hands being crushed between his knees and strong chest. Tears started running down his cheeks as he mumbled quietly, almost ashamed.

“God… tell me, why did You make me like this?” Jisung took a deep breath, coughing softly due to his loud sobbing. “If what I feel is a sin. Did You want me to be a sinner? Don’t I deserve Your love as much as the other men do?”

Jisung exhaled sharply and pressed the heels of his palms against his eyes. The tears had stopped, but the weight in his chest hadn’t lifted. He looked back at the cross, waiting. For what, he didn’t know. A sign? A feeling? A voice? Nothing. Only silence. He rubbed his eyes softly, evacuating the remaining tears. He frowned, staring at Jesus on the cross. He sharply got up and spat under his breath : 

“I hope you enjoyed ascending twice by stealing mine.” He then silently put back his dog tag around his neck, hiding the small piece of metal under the collar of his tank top. He grabbed back his Bible and came out of the room. Drained, unrelieved, and almost mad. His boots echoed against the wooden floor as he stepped outside. The air was thick, humid, pressing against his skin. He barely noticed. Somewhere nearby, soldiers laughed, talking about nothing important. It felt like a different world. Jisung ran a hand through his hair, forcing a deep breath. His fingers were still trembling. As he got back to the dorm, the room was empty. He walked silently to his bag and shoved the book in it.

“You’re gonna wear that thing out,” Hajoon’s voice pulled Jisung from his thoughts. When did he even get here? Jisung had swore he was alone a few seconds ago. He looked up to see Hajoon leaning lazily against a post, nodding toward the Bible in Jisung’s grip. Jisung forced a small smile.

“Maybe I should.” Hajoon raised an eyebrow.

“That bad, huh?” Jisung’s jaw clenched. His mind was telling him to throw Hajoon away as much as his heart was telling him to let him in.

“It’s nothing.” Hajoon hummed, unconvinced.

“You ever wonder if God actually listens to all this?” Jisung stiffened. His fingers curled tighter around the book.

“Of course He does.” Hajoon shrugged.

“Maybe. But if He does, He sure stays quiet a lot.” Jisung exhaled louder. Hajoon sighed, looking down as if he was thinking deeply. Then, his hand softly reached Jisung’s shoulder and he smiled softly. “Maybe you should talk to someone who would answer.” Jisung immediately understood the undertone, his eyes widening.

“I don’t need anything from you.” Jisung added but he was soon cut off.

“Jisung-Hyung, your eyes are red.” Hajoon said with a soft, warm and caring smile. Jisung felt his heart disgustingly flutter. “We’re alone here, let’s talk.” His hand on Jisung’s shoulder went down, making them both take a seat on the rigid mattress. Jisung swallowed, his throat dry as Hajoon’s hand lingered a second too long before slipping away. The warmth didn’t leave with it. That was the problem. He sat stiffly, fingers curling against the rough fabric of his pants. The cot creaked under their weight, and for a moment, neither of them spoke. Hajoon was watching him, Jisung could feel it.

“I’m fine,” Jisung muttered, eyes fixed on the floor.

“You don’t look fine.” Jisung’s jaw clenched. Of course he didn’t. He’d spent the last half-hour crying like a damn child in front of God Himself, and now Hajoon was here, too close, too patient, too something Jisung didn’t want to name. He exhaled sharply, shifting slightly to put more space between them.

“I don’t need anyone worrying about me. Just focus on staying alive.” Hajoon huffed a small laugh, shaking his head.

“You always do that.” Jisung stiffened.

“Do what?” He asked, his own tone growing softer.

“Act like you’re made of stone.” Hajoon’s voice was easy, teasing, but there was something else under it - something knowing. “It’s okay to feel things, Hyung. You don’t have to carry everything alone.” Jisung’s fingers twitched. He wanted to believe that. He hated that he wanted to believe that.

They held a long and deep conversation. Jisung managed to open up a bit more to his comrade. Growing slowly, but surely, closer to him. They talked about their childhoods, their favorite foods, even their hopes of seeing the war ending as soon as possible. The talk extended throughout the whole morning, the lunchtime, the afternoon training, the dinner. Suddenly, as they were eating along the other soldiers, Hajoon asked : 

“Do you think we are the good guys in the story?” Jisung swallowed his food harshly.

“You shouldn’t ask about that Hajoon.” He quickly added, feeling gazes on them.

“No but think about it : just a few years ago we were all under Japanese oppression, all enduring the same thing. And now, we’re here fighting each other for nothing more than a political question.” Jisung stopped Hajoon from rambling more.

“Shut up please, we both know we have to defend our people against the Red Plague.” Jisung spat sharply. It wasn’t his own words but he had to make it feel like it was.

On the same evening, Jisung was lying on his cot, staring at the ceiling. The barracks were quiet except for the occasional shuffle of movement, the muffled murmurs of soldiers still awake. His mind should have been focused on tomorrow. On training. On survival. But all he could think about was Hajoon. The way his voice had dropped, serious and unwavering. The way his hand had lingered for just a second too long. The way it had felt right, even when it shouldn’t have. Jisung clenched his jaw. It didn’t mean anything. It was just friendship. Comradeship. He was just tired. That was all. He turned onto his side, pressing his face into the stiff pillow. Then why did his chest feel so fucking tight?

Jisung quickly brushed all of his thoughts away, forcing himself to sleep. However, the next day didn’t go as planned. The sirens woke him up. “Are we attacked?” He asked himself as he immediately got up and ran out of the dorms. Some soldiers were whispering, there was no attack. Jisung’s throat tightened. What was happening if it wasn’t an attack? He slowly went outside, following quietly the small crowd. He looked around. Unconsciously looking for Hajoon. He didn’t find him, maybe he was already outside.

As jisung walked out, his eyes struggled to adapt to the sunlight. He looked around, his vision blurred for a few seconds. Then, he saw him. There was Hajoon. In the middle of the yard. Jisung felt his stomach clenching. As if his inner organs were squeezing themselves inside him. Hajoon was on his knees, arms tied behind his back. His uniform was rumpled, dirt clinging to his skin. But his eyes were still the same. Steady. Unafraid.

“Park Hajoon,” the officer spat. “You have been accused of treason, doubt in our cause, doubt in our victory. Do you have any last words?” Hajoon turned his head slightly, just enough to meet Jisung’s gaze. Jisung felt his stomach drop.

“I just hope you figure it out one day,” Hajoon said softly. His eyes never left Jisung’s. The gunshot was deafening. Jisung didn’t move. Didn’t blink. He forced his face to stay still, to stay unreadable. He ignored the way his hands were shaking, the way something inside him had just collapsed. Hajoon’s body hit the dirt. Blood seeped into the ground. Someone clapped Jisung on the back.

“Another traitor gone,” a soldier muttered. Jisung nodded, swallowing hard. He didn’t say a word. The only thought running in his mind was responding to Hajoon : “But I already had figured dumbass”.

Jisung decided to never open up again. To never feel any form of attachment to anyone ever again. So much that when he got on the boat to reach the battle of Incheon, his loneliness felt almost right.

The boat rocked gently beneath him, the dark water stretching endlessly into the horizon. Jisung sat near the edge, fingers curled around his rifle. The others were laughing, talking, trying to pretend like they weren’t all marching toward death. September 14th. His birthday. It should have meant something. Another year alive. But after everything, it just felt… meaningless. Hajoon was dead. His body was probably buried in some nameless patch of dirt. Jisung hadn’t even said goodbye. Hadn’t even let himself grieve. The sky was clear tonight. No clouds. No storm. Just stillness before the battle. Jisung exhaled, leaning his head back against the railing. He closed his eyes. Twenty years old. But he felt like a corpse already.

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 6.25

Holidays

Armed Forces Day (Azerbaijan)

Backyard Safety Check Day

Barbed Wire Day

Blade Runner Day

Color TV Day

Custer’s Last Stand Day

Custom Officer’s Day (Ukraine)

Day of Friendship and Unity of the Slavs

Day of the Seafarer (UN)

Doonesbury Day (Washington, DC)

Feast of the Optional Holiday

Festival of Ranting and Vaporing

Frelimo’s Foundation Day (Mozambique)

Global Beatles Day

Half-Christmas (from “Workaholics”)

Korean War Remembrance Day

Lakota Victory Day

Leon Day

Log Cabin Day

Maroon 5 Day

Mitch Lane Day

National Camp Counts! Day

National Day (Day of Slovenian Sovereignty; Slovenia)

National Iodine Day (Thailand)

National Mortgage Compliance Day

National Olaplex Day

National Police Community Cooperative Day

National Writing Day (UK)

No Prayer in School Day

Paddington Bear Day

Pixie Day (Devon, England)

Purple Rain Day

Rainbow Flag Day

Reserves Day (UK)

Right to Die Day

Reuben Day (625 Day; Lily & Stitch)

Salute Your Hometown Day

Sense of Humor in Bed Day

625 Day (South Korea)

Smurfs Day

Stripper Appreciation Day

Switch 625 Day

Teacher’s Day (Guatemala)

Tennis Shoe Day

UNICEF Maroon 5 Day

World Anti-Bullfighting Day

World Vitiligo Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Anthony Bourdain Day (a.k.a. Bourdain Day)

Goats Cheese Day

International Rosé' Day

National Bakewell Tart Day (UK)

National Catfish Day

National Croatian Wine Day

National Fried Okra Day

National Strawberry Parfait Day

Nature Celebrations

Arbor Day (Philippines)

Cucumber Day (French Republic)

International Hug a Deer Day

Morning Glory Day (Appreciate the Moment; Korean Birth Flowers)

World Sand Dune Day

Independence, Flag & Related Days

Croatia (Independence Memorial Day; 1991)

Détian Tsardom (Declared; 2021) [unrecognized]

Flag Day (Finland)

Florida (Readmitted to the Union; 1868)

Mozambique (from Portugal, 1975)

Norfolk Empire (Declared; 2019) [unrecognized]

Slovenia (from Yugoslavia, 1991)

Virginia Statehood Day (#10; 1788)

4th & Last Wednesday in June

Hump Day [Every Wednesday]

National Day of Joy [Last Wednesday]

National Parchment Day [Last Wednesday]

OC Art Day [Last Wednesday]

Wacky Wednesday [Every Wednesday]

Website Wednesday [Every Wednesday]

Weird Wednesday [4th Wednesday of Each Month]

Whatever Wednesday [4th Wednesday of Each Month]

Whole Grain Wednesday [Last Wednesday of Each Month]

Wishful Wednesday [Last Wednesday of Each Month]

Weekly Holidays beginning June 25 (4th Full Week of June)

Boys & Girls Club Week (thru 7.1)

North American Organic Brewers Week (thru 6.27)

Festivals On or Beginning June 25, 2025

Bixby Green Corn Festival (Bixby, Oklahoma) [thru 6.28]

Flavors of Albany Park (Chicago, Illinois)

Fusion Festival (Lärz, Germany) [thru 6.29]

Glastonbury Festival (Pilton, Somerset, United Kingdom) [thru 6.29]

Linn County Fair (Central City, Iowa) [thru 6.29]

Monmouth Fair (Monmouth, Maine) [thru 6.28]

Organic Beer Fest (Portland, Oregon) [thru 6.27]

Paris Jazz Festival (Paris, France) [thru 9.7]

Zanzibar International Film Festival (Zanzibar City, Tanzania) [thru 6.29]

Feast Days

Adelbert of Northumberland (Christian; Saint)

Agoard and Aglibert, near Paris (Christian; Martyrs)

Bonalu (Goddess Mahakali; Hindu Goddess of Time and Death)

Build on Relationships Day (Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Charles Martel (Positivist; Saint)

David of Munktorp (Christian; Saint)

Ed Gein Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Elf Thumping Day (Shamanism)

Eurosia (Christian; Saint)

Febronia (Christian; Martyr & Virgin)

Gallicanus (Christian; Saint)

Gay Wiccan Pride Day (Everyday Wicca)

Gohard and His Companions (Christian; Martyrs)

Humpty Dumpty (Muppetism)

Ludi Taurii (Games of the Bull; Ancient Rome)

Maximus (a.k.a. Massimo) of Turin (Christian; Saint)

Melee of Scotland (Christian; Saint)

Moloc (or Luan; Christian; Saint)

Molaugz (Christian; Saint)

Philipp Melanchthon (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America)

Presentation of the Augsburg Confession (Lutheran)

Prosper of Aquitaine (Christian; Saint)

Prosper of Reggio (Christian; Saint)

Seamen Day (a.k.a. Seafarer Day; Pastafarian)

Thea (Christian; Saint)

Thoth’s Day (Pagan)

William of Monte-Vergine (or Vercelli; Christian; Saint)

Lunar Calendar Holidays

Chinese: Month 6 (Gui-Wei), Day 1 (Yi-Chou)

Day Pillar: Wood Ox

12-Day Officers/12 Gods: Danger Day (危 Wei) [Auspicious]

Holidays: None Known

Secular Saints Days

Kristina Abelli Elander (Art)

Denys Arcand (Entertainment)

Peter Blake (Art)

Eric Carle (Art; Literature)

Gustave Charpentier (Music)

Clifton Chenier (Music)

Tim Finn (Music)

Sam Francis (Art)

Antoni Gaudi (Architecture)

Ricky Gervais (Entertainment)

Robert Henri (Art)

Sidney Lumet (Entertainment)

Yann Martel (Literature)

George Michael (Music)

P.H. Newby (Literature)

Rose O'Neill (Art)

George Orwell (Literature)

Peyo (Art)

Kay Sage (Art)

Carly Simon (Music)

William H. Stein (Science)

Jimmie Walker (Entertainment)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Fortunate Day (Pagan) [25 of 53]

Shakku (赤口 Japan) [Bad luck all day, except at noon.]

Premieres

All You Need is Love, by The Beatles (Song; 1967)

America the Beautiful (Disney 360° Film; 1967)

At the Stage Door Canteen (Speaking of Animals Cartoon; 1943)

The Banker’s Daughter (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1933)

The Betty Boop Movie Mystery (Animated Film; 1989)

Big Daddy (Film; 1999)

Blade Runner (Film; 1982)

Bosko’s Dog Race (WB LT Cartoon; 1932)

Bobby Bumps and His Hypnotic Eye (Paramount-Bray Pictographs Cartoon; 1919)

Buddy's Bearcats (WB LT Cartoon; 1934)

A Car-Tune Portrait (Color Classic Fleischer Cartoon; 1937)

A Circus Romance (Aesop's Sound Fable Cartoon; 1932)

Chris Columbus Jr. (Oswald Walter Lantz Cartoon; 1934)

Christopher Crumpet (Jolly Frolics UPA Cartoon; 1953)

The Country Girls, by Edna O'Brien (Novel; 1960)

Crockett-Doddle-Do (WB MM Cartoon; 1960)

A Day at the Beach (Captain & the Kids MGM Cartoon; 1938)

The Diary of Anne Frank, by Anne Frank (Diary; 1947)

8-1/2 (Film; 1963)

The Firebird, by Igor Stravinsky (Ballet; 1910)

F9 (Film; 2021) [F&F #9]

The Fox Chase (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Disney Cartoon; 1928)

A Frenchman in New York, by Darius Milhaud (Orchestral Work; 1963)

Have You Got Any Castles (WB MM Cartoon; 1938)

He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother, recorded by The Hollies (Song; 1969)

Herbie Goes Bananas (Film; 1980)

Hill Billy (Sing and Be Happy / Cartoon Melodies Cartoon; 1951)

Hondo, by Louis L'Amour (Novel; 1953)

The Hungry Goat (Fleischer/Famous Popeye Cartoon; 1943)

Indelibly Stamped, by Supertramp (Album; 1971)

In His Cups (Aesop's Film Fable Cartoon; 1929)

The King of Staten Island (Film; 2020)

Kinky Boots: The Musical (Film; 2019)

Klute (Film; 1971)

The Last Flight of Noah’s Ark (Film; 1980)

Long-Haired Hare (WB LT Cartoon; 1949)

Lumber Jerks (WB LT Cartoon; 1955)

The Masque Raid (Krazy Kat Cartoon; 1937)

Mass Mouse Meeting (Phantasies Cartoon; 1943)

The Mechanical Cow (Al Falfa Terrytoons Cartoon; 1937)

Mickey Mouse Disco (Disney Cartoon; 1980)

Monty Python: Live at the Hollywood Bowl (Comedy Concert Film; 1982)

Mopping Up (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1943)

The Notebook (Film; 2004)

Of Mice and Menace (Herman & Katnip Fleischer/Famous Cartoon; 1954)

The Omen (Film; 1976)

On Being and Nothingness, by Jean-Paul Satre (Book; 1943)

One Size Fits All, by Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention (Album; 1975)

Otto Luck to the Rescue (Paramount-Bray Pictographs Cartoon; 1917)

Over Under Sideways Down, by The Yardbirds (Song; 1966)

Plane Dumb (Tom & Jerry Van Beuren Cartoon; 1932)

Porky’s Party (WB LT Cartoon; 1938)

Prime Suspect 1973 (UK TV Series; 2017)

Purple, by Stone Temple Pilots (Album; 1994)

Purple Rain, by Prince (Album; 1984)

The Queen of Hearts (Ub Iwerks ComiColor Cartoon; 1934)

Red-Headed Woman (Film; 1932)

The Runaway (Out of the Inkwell Fleischer Cartoon; 1924)

Sleepless in Seattle (Film; 1983)

Sweet and Sourdough (Roland & Rattfink Cartoon; 1969)

Technology, Phooey (Ant and the Aardvark Cartoon; 1969)

The Thing (Film; 1982)

Tweetie Pie (Blue Ribbon Hit Parade; 1954)

25 or 6 to 4, by Chicago (Song; 1970)

United Church of Christ (Christian Denomination; 1957)

The Wax Works (Oswald Walter Lantz Cartoon; 1934)

Won’t Get Fooled Again, by The Who (Song; 1971)

Today’s Name Days

Dorothea, Eleonora, Ella (Austria)

Adalbert, Dominik, Maksim (Croatia)

Ivan (Czech Republic)

Prosper (Denmark)

Inna, Lenna, Linda (Estonia)

Uuno (Finland)

Aliénor, Eléonore, Prosper, Salomon (France)

Doris, Dorothea, Eleonora, Ella (Germany)

Erotas, Fevronia (Greece)

Vilmos (Hungary)

Agato, Diogene, Guglielmo, Oriella, Orio (Italy)

Maiga, Milija (Latvia)

Baniutė, Geistautas, Geistautė, Vilhelmas (Lithuania)

Jørund, Jorunn (Norway)

Albrecht, Eulogiusz, Lucja, Łucja, Tolisława, Wilhelm (Poland)

Fevronia (România)

Tadeáš (Slovakia)

Guillermo, Máximo, Próspero (Spain)

David, Salomon (Sweden)

Bill, Billie, Billy, Guillermo, Liam, Mina, Minnie, Prosper, Velma, Vilma, Wilhelmina, Will, William, Willie, Willis, Wilma, Wilson (USA)

Today’s National Name Days

National Carly Day

National Jimmie Day

National Leon Day

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 176 of 2025; 189 days remaining in the year

ISO Week: Day 3 of Week 26 of 2025

Celtic Tree Calendar: Duir (Oak) [Day 16 of 28]

Chinese: Month 6 (Gui-Wei), Day 1 (Yi-Chou)

Chinese Year of the: Snake 4723 (until February 17, 2026) [Ding-Chou]

Coptic: 18 Baunah 1741

Druid Tree Calendar: Apple Tree (June 25-July 4) [Day 1 of 10]

Hebrew: 29 Sivan 5785

Islamic: 28 Dhu al-Hijjah 1446

Julian: 12 June 2025

Meteorological Summer [Day 24]

Moon: 0%: New Moon

Positivist: 8 Charlemagne (7th Month) [Charles Martel]

Runic Half Month: Dag (Day) [Day 13 of 15] (thru 6.27)

Season: Spring (Day 6 of 94)

SUn Calendar: 26 Blue; Fryday [26 of 30]

Week: 4th Full Week of June

Zodiac:

Tropical (Typical) Zodiac: Cancer (Day 5 of 32)

Sidereal Zodiac: Gemini (Day 10 of 31)

Schmidt Zodiac: Cetus (Day 19 of 26)

IAU Boundaries (Current) Zodiac: Aries (Day 4 of 29)

IAU Boundaries (1977) Zodiac: Gemini (Day 6 of 31)

Calendar Changes

Apple Tree (June 25-July 4) [Druid Tree Calendar] (Month 20 of 41)

榴月 [Héyuè] (Chinese Lunisolar Calendar) [Month 6 of 12] (Lotus Month) [Earthly Branch: Goat Month] (Liùyuè; Sixth Month)

[mariacallous]

When Richard Nixon defied expectations and went to China in 1972, Henry Kissinger, his national security advisor, packed the president’s briefcase. Among Nixon’s reading materials was The Chinese Looking Glass, a book by British journalist Dennis Bloodworth about understanding China on its own terms. In his opening pages, Bloodworth sets the stage by going back to the beginning: “The gaudy catalogue of China’s disasters and dynastic glories, whose monumental scale has given the Chinese much of their character … brings us to our true beginning.”

Kissinger, one of America’s most consequential foreign-policy leaders in recent memory, clearly internalized the centrality of China’s “true beginning.” In his 2011 tome On China, Kissinger marveled at China’s “singularity” and staying power. Indeed, even the hardest of hearts cannot help but be moved by the continuity of a civilization that predates the birth of Christ by hundreds, even thousands, of years.

Awe, however, is no substitute for knowledge. In the opening pages of On China, Kissinger writes of China’s “splendid isolation” that cultivated “a satisfied empire with limited territorial ambition.” The historical record, however, contradicts him. From the Qin dynasty’s founding in 221 B.C. to the Qing’s collapse in 1912 A.D., China’s sovereign territory expanded by a factor of four. What began as a small nation bound in the fertile crescent of the Yangtze and Yellow rivers morphed into an imperial wrecking ball. In the words of Bloodworth, the very author Kissinger recommended to Nixon in 1972, “It would be absurd to pretend that the Chinese had never been greedy for ground—they started life in the valley of the Yellow River and ended by possessing a gigantic empire.”

To be sure, China was not the aggressor in every war it fought. In antiquity, nomadic tribes regularly raided China’s proto-dynasties. During the infamous Opium Wars of the 19th century, Western imperialist powers victimized and preyed upon China at gunpoint. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) regularly refers to China’s “Century of Humiliation,” when European empires brutalized China and killed or wounded tens of thousands of Chinese men, women, and children. Indeed, the party has memorialized these grievances in a permanent exhibit of the National Museum of China, just steps away from Tiananmen Square.

For all of Beijing’s legitimate and long-standing security concerns, however, the sheer scope of China’s expansion is undeniable. Western leaders often deny or ignore it, usually at the behest and prodding of Chinese leaders. When Nixon finally gained an audience with Mao Zedong, he reassured the chairman, “We know China doesn’t threaten the territory of the United States.” Mao quickly corrected him: “Neither do we threaten Japan or South Korea.” To which Nixon added, “Nor any country.” Within the decade, Beijing invaded Vietnam.

At the time, Nixon’s gambit was to split the Soviet bloc and drive a wedge between the Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Nixon and Kissinger saw the Sino-Soviet split and took stock of the PRC’s trajectory: a growing population that, once harnessed, was poised to dominate the global economy. It was textbook realpolitik: cold, dispassionate tactics divorced from moralism. If Washington could turn the Soviet Union’s junior partner, the West could significantly hamper Moscow’s ability to project power into Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia.

During the final years of Nixon’s life, his presidential speechwriter William Safire asked him about that fateful trip to Beijing in 1972. Had opening up to the PRC made Americans safer and China freer? According to Safire, “That old realist, who had played the China card to exploit the split in the Communist world, replied with some sadness that he was not as hopeful as he had once been: ‘We may have created a Frankenstein.’” Over time, many in the United States have come to realize this predicament. Unfortunately, articulating that problem well has proved difficult.

During her brief stint as director of policy planning at the State Department in 2019, Kiron Skinner previewed the shop’s keystone intellectual project: a strategy to counter China, in the spirit of George Kennan’s “containment” strategy. At a public event in April 2019, Skinner tipped her hand and revealed her philosophy of U.S.-China competition: “This is a fight with a really different civilization and a different ideology, and the United States hasn’t had that before.” She went on to add, incorrectly: “It’s the first time that we will have a great-power competitor that is not Caucasian.” Skinner received widespread criticism for these remarks and was soon after dismissed for unrelated issues.

Skinner’s mistake was twofold. First, she simply got the history wrong and ignored imperial Japan in World War II. Of deeper consequence was her failure to explain what strategic culture actually is, why it matters, and how China’s past shapes the CCP’s behavior today. In fairness, these errors aren’t unique to Skinner. Understanding Chinese history can be difficult for most Westerners. In some ways, it’s difficult to think of two more different nations. The United States is less than three hundred years old.

China was unified more than two hundred years before Christ was born. Immigrants founded America. Denizens established China. The United States was born out of revolution against a colonial power. China came into being from a regional conflict of gigantic proportions. Favorable geography allowed America to grow economically and territorially on its own terms and at its own pace. China came into being surrounded by rival kingdoms and tribes on every side.

Americans turn to one source more than any other to make sense of these differences: The Art of War, by Sun Tzu. One of his more recognizable dictums, “All warfare is based on deception,” has captured the imagination of many Western thinkers. Instead of investigating the history that informed Sun Tzu’s counsel, however, many policymakers take the easier path of Orientalizing China. “China thinks in centuries, and America thinks in decades” is a well-worn trope. Another well-meaning but vapid cliché is, “America plays chess, but China plays Go.”

These statements are often left untethered from history and offered as self-evident axioms. What’s left are useless clichés that offer no actual understanding of why Chinese strategists advised cunning and deception, or how China’s unique historical experiences informed military tactics. In the absence of curiosity, an impression easily forms of China as “the other,” a mysterious, inscrutable competitor. A shallow understanding of Beijing’s past leads to incomplete conclusions about its present behavior.

More often than not, policymakers find it easier to avoid China’s history entirely. In late 2020, the policy planning office finished the 72-page report. It was a commendable attempt to reprise Kennan’s strategic clarity, but China’s dynastic strategic culture received a single page of attention.

Reducing strategic culture to vague racial differences helps no one except Chinese President Xi Jinping and his party henchmen. The CCP works to enmesh itself with the Chinese people and regularly uses them as a rhetorical human shield. To criticize the CCP, according to the well-worn rhetorical trope of Beijing’s diplomats, is to “hurt the feelings of 1.4 billion people.” As a matter of course, Beijing uses this specious logic to construe anti-CCP policies as evidence of racism. Years before former U.S. President Donald Trump fell headlong into this trap with his careless rhetoric about the “Chinese virus” and “kung-flu,” a young generation of China hawks had vowed to evade this pitfall.

Washington Post columnist Josh Rogin wrote about this resolve in his 2021 bestseller, Chaos Under Heaven, which documented the collective decision of Washington, D.C.-based China hands to blunt Beijing’s attempts “to divide Americans by party or ethnicity, to divert attention from its actions.” I was a regular member of those meetings and still believe America’s leaders must differentiate the party from the Chinese people—not only out of respect for those who daily live under the CCP’s jackboot, but also for the safety of Chinese Americans, who faced a rise of race-based crime in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. But, in doing so, America must avoid a separate trap: equating the party with China.

China’s history did not begin in 1949 when Mao and the CCP established the PRC. Nor did it start with China’s “Century of Humiliation,” when European imperialist powers forcibly opened China in the mid-19th century. Chinese civilization predates America and the West by orders of millennia. That context gives meaning to the party’s contemporary behavior. The themes of greatness, fall, and restoration hidden in Xi’s remarks in 2013 constitute the essence of Chinese history.

They are the four-act play of China’s story, or “strategic culture”—without which it is impossible to understand the CCP’s strategy today. Strategic culture explains how a country’s unique experiences shape distinct national identities that translate into foreign policy. These three elements—story, identity, and policy—reinforce and shape one another. To be sure, the CCP has its own story, identity, and policies, but the party is one tributary in a long river. American leaders cannot prevail against the CCP without understanding the story and identity that belong to China.

From the start, China has been a civilizational juggernaut striving for political hegemony. China has often attempted to conceal this ambition with conciliatory diplomacy, but its neighbors know from experience the struggle to live—and survive—in the dragon’s shadow. CCP diplomats often bully China’s neighbors by claiming sovereignty over part or all of their territory “from time immemorial”—an inadvertent admission that the party is the latest crusader in a long line of imperialists. This struggle that was once relegated to the nations of East Asia is now a challenge for every country in the world.

Beijing is approaching the world not to embrace it, but to rule it. The Western world has no excuse for missing this reality, and American politicians have badly misjudged Beijing for decades. Washington’s China policy will continue to be a “two steps forward, one step back” affair until it reckons with the Middle Kingdom’s penchant for imperialism.

This reality calls into question the unspoken objective of American policymakers: seeking a democratic China. For all their differences, both hawks and doves in the United States have framed the “China problem” as an ideological challenge. Proponents of engagement believed that economic contacts would necessarily lead to political reform, a belief rooted in liberal internationalism. Advocates of confrontation couch the CCP regime as the problem, which implies an ideological solution.

The one unchanging constant in America’s China policy since Nixon’s meeting with Mao in 1972 is the steady commitment to regime change, either by commerce or competition. The underlying belief in the universal power of democracy has proved intoxicating. “If we can just make them like us,” the thinking goes, “we can turn an enemy into a friend.”

Perhaps this self-delusion is inevitable. America’s national identity is steeped in beliefs about liberty, equality, and opportunity. But the CCP’s heritage raises an uncomfortable question for the United States: Even if modern China were to become a democracy, would it cease to be the Middle Kingdom?

If the CCP collapsed and China followed Taiwan’s path of economic and political liberalization, would it suddenly lose its appetite for hegemony? Maybe. Then again, perhaps simplifying Beijing’s behavior to its current Communist Party overlords ignores thousands of years of China’s own history, as well as the strategic culture that informs those decisions.

[assuntobts]

🪖 During Military Service: When Idols Become Soldiers – V [Part 2 – 4/7] (EN)

🪖 Kim Taehyung — The Soldier Who Never Stopped Being Light

🌌 When the Star Chose to March

On December 11, 2023, Kim Taehyung — BTS’s V — traded the spotlight of the stage for the silent discipline of a military base.

No grand farewell or official ceremony. Just a haircut done at home, a final Instagram live, and a serene smile: this was how his journey into South Korea’s mandatory military service began.

What seemed like a simple duty turned into a path of endurance, pain, growth — and humanity.

🛡️ From Infantry to Elite: The Choice of Overcoming

Taehyung surprised many by voluntarily joining the 2nd Infantry Division, one of the most traditional and demanding in the country.

During the initial period, he showed exceptional physical and mental resilience, earning the title of Elite Recruit — a distinction awarded to few soldiers who excel in combat and physical tests.

Just 18 days after enlisting, he was named platoon leader at the Nonsan Training Center — a role usually reserved for veterans, highlighting his leadership and responsibility early on.

After completing basic training, Taehyung took and passed the SDT (Special Duty Team) exam — an elite unit of the Military Police under the 2nd Corps of the Republic of Korea Army (ROKA), specializing in high-risk missions: counterterrorism, hostage rescue, national protection.

He completed an additional 3 weeks of intensive training and was praised for his discipline and humility. He served there until his discharge.

📍 The SDT is based in Sinbuk-eup, Chuncheon, Gangwon Province. Taehyung was officially assigned there on February 8, 2024, after his graduation.

⚙️ What Makes the SDT So Special?

The SDT handles missions requiring maximum precision, physical conditioning, and emotional control. Their operations include:

• High-risk rescues

• Suppression of armed attacks and terrorism

• Urban combat and tactical infiltration

• Realistic simulations with advanced weaponry

• Coordination with police and special forces

It is one of the most respected — and feared — units in the Korean army.

✅ SDT Entry Requirements

To be accepted, one must:

• Be between 18 and 28 years old

• Achieve a level 1 or 2 in the national military exam

• Be at least 1.68 m tall

• Pass strict background checks

• Withstand intense physical and psychological tests (even after entry)

Taehyung met all the criteria — not through privilege, but through dedication.

🎖️ Sergeant Kim — Quiet Rise and Real Merit

In February 2024, Taehyung quietly introduced himself to fans as "Sergeant Kim."

In March 2025, it was confirmed that he had reached the rank of First-Class Sergeant, the highest position for enlisted soldiers before discharge — a mark of exemplary conduct and leadership.

He served in the SDT’s Dragon Twin Unit, an elite branch of the Military Police responsible for high-level internal operations and national ceremonies.

💔 The Pain Hidden in Silence

During his service, Taehyung endured a profound personal loss: the death of his beloved dog, Yeontan, on December 2, 2024.

His farewell was silent, yet deeply felt:

> “Tan went on a long journey among the stars.”

🌑 But there was more pain beneath the silence.

On April 12, 2024, Taehyung posted a rare and raw image of himself in the mirror — back exposed, marked by red wounds. He captioned it:

> "영광의 상처" — Scars of Glory

The marks along his spine were understood to be from intense SDT training — crawling on rough ground, tactical falls, combat simulations.

The image went viral with over 28K views, not out of curiosity, but deep respect.

Rumors later suggested he had fractured a rib during training — never officially confirmed, but echoed in fan tributes:

> “Taehyung trained so hard he fractured a rib, but he healed and earned the title of Special Forces Warrior.” — Fan tribute, April 2024

Still, he never asked for relief, nor slowed down. He continued to serve — and to inspire.

📦 Highlight Box: The Image That Moved the ARMY

In the photo, Taehyung stands tall, wounded but unbroken.

Fans commented:

“Special Forces Warrior, we’re proud of you, Taehyung.”

“An honorable scar.”

“He worked until it hurt, but never stopped being light.”

His pain wasn’t exposed. It was shared — silently, with courage.

🏅 Military Awards: Bravery Through Pain

Even with chronic pain in his shoulders and thighs, Taehyung refused special treatment and completed all intense physical trials.

He was honored with:

• Title of Elite Warrior

• 1st place in Full-Arm Sniper Training

• 1st place in Winter Urban Combat

• Military Police Excellence Award

• Exemplary Military Police Recognition

• Official commendation as a national example of discipline

Some photos show the SDT commemorative coin, stamped with "CTS/SDT" — a rare badge of honor.

💌 A Sea of Letters: Love That Crosses Barracks

According to Gundoll-i (official platform), Taehyung was the most lettered artist during service:

• Over 4.67 million messages

• Average of 8,500 per day from fans around the world

He once confessed that during hard nights, he would read a comforting quote:

> “The kindest person is the strongest.”

That phrase became his silent prayer.

🤝 Quiet Leadership and Silent Kindness

More than medals, what left the deepest impression was his humanity:

• Donated new gym equipment to the unit

• Shared Häagen-Dazs and sushi during breaks

• Comforted struggling recruits and offered guidance

💬 Peer testimonials:

“He treated my dreams like his own.”

“When someone wanted to give up, V would say: ‘One more march. Just one more.’”

“He was like a hyung — even to the older ones.”

“I was so happy to serve with you. I’ll bring all my kids to visit you!”

“I’ll never forget the eel sushi you bought me.”

“He said little — but his gaze said enough.”

🧠 Physical and Emotional Transformation

During service, Taehyung’s body became more defined — posture upright, gaze stronger.

But his true evolution was internal: more mature, more grounded, more luminous.

In a heartfelt letter to fans:

> “Sergeant Kim reporting alive! After a harsh winter, I’ll return in the spring.”

“Missing you... can’t be written down.”

🧩 Gentle Curiosities

• Nicknamed “Red” for his flushed cheeks

• Founded a small recruit group called “Love Me Love Me”

• Continued winning awards in fashion and digital influence during enlistment

• Described as polite, sensitive, and silently present

🌍 The Star Who Never Stopped Shining

Even in uniform, he broke records:

• 4th most searched male artist globally (Google Trends 2024)

• Most liked K-pop video on TikTok (13.1M likes) — without an official account

• Only Asian with four posts exceeding 1M shares on Instagram

• Voted Most Handsome Man in the World 2024 (Special Awards)

• Declared the most famous person born in 1995 (Reigraw Comparisons)

🎥 Art in Uniform: “Love Wins All” and “Winter Ahead”

Before enlistment, he filmed the MV Love Wins All with IU in just two days.

During service, he released Winter Ahead with Park Hyo Shin — a poetic goodbye beneath the Korean snow.

Even in a uniform, his art lived on.

🧁 The Return of Sergeant Elio

On June 10, 2025, Taehyung was officially discharged alongside RM (Namjoon).

Chuncheon was filled with banners, flowers, and fan tributes.

On Instagram, he posted 20 photos and showed a cake that read:

> “I’m happy to be by your side.”

The post received 13.8M likes and over 1M shares.

In one of his first stories post-discharge, he shyly wrote:

> “Did you miss me?”

The answer from the world was unanimous: “Yes. Very much.”

🎂 Disney+ Korea sent him a cake reading:

> “Sergeant Elio, congratulations on your discharge!”

📍 But why Elio?

“Elio” is a nickname fans gave Taehyung — inspired by Elio Perlman, the sensitive and poetic character from Call Me By Your Name (played by Timothée Chalamet).

Taehyung has expressed deep admiration for the film’s beauty and emotional aesthetic.

During his military service, fans called him “Sergeant Elio” — symbolizing:

• His grace even in harsh environments

• His introspective, artistic soul

• His ability to turn even a uniform into poetry

Over time, Elio became a mirror of Taehyung himself:

A man who loves silently, feels deeply, and returned even more profound than before.

📣 The ARMY’s Response — While He Marched, We Waited

> “As he marched in silence, our hope marched with him.

The winter was long, but we kept the spring.”

— ARMY Tribute, 2024

Taehyung’s absence didn’t dim his light — it scattered it.

While he endured cold nights at the base, ARMY kept his warmth alive:

• Over 4.6 million letters sent

• Charity projects in his name across the globe

• Mosaics, videos, murals in cafés, metros, cultural events

• Memorials for Yeontan’s passing

The phrase “We’ll wait for your spring” became a universal mantra — painted, sewn, printed in dozens of languages.

Fans wore his songs like armor, watched old videos like comfort, and kept his presence alive:

> “You left, but you were never alone.”

On his discharge day, streaming platforms soared.

Hashtags like #WelcomeBackTaehyung and #ElioIsHome topped the trends.

Around the world, the reunion was more than virtual — it was emotional.

💬 Silence Can Shine Too

Military service didn’t erase Taehyung.

It shaped him.

He entered as an idol.

He returned as a man.

And now, he is both.

His journey through cold nights, injury, and longing proved: being light isn’t about the spotlight — it’s about the soul.

As fans say:

“He’s a brave, determined man who always does what he believes in.”

Kim Taehyung is back.

Stronger.

Wiser.

More himself than ever. 💜

[vortex-8888]

why must you deny it? is it because you hate me or hate that you love me?

GLORY TO THE INFINITE AND SHINING DEMOCRATIC PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF KOREA!

[brookston]

Holidays 6.25

Holidays

Armed Forces Day (Azerbaijan)

Backyard Safety Check Day

Barbed Wire Day

Blade Runner Day

Color TV Day

Custer’s Last Stand Day

Custom Officer’s Day (Ukraine)

Day of Friendship and Unity of the Slavs

Day of the Seafarer (UN)

Doonesbury Day (Washington, DC)

Feast of the Optional Holiday

Festival of Ranting and Vaporing

Frelimo’s Foundation Day (Mozambique)

Global Beatles Day

Half-Christmas (from “Workaholics”)

Korean War Remembrance Day

Lakota Victory Day

Leon Day

Log Cabin Day

Maroon 5 Day

Mitch Lane Day

National Camp Counts! Day

National Day (Day of Slovenian Sovereignty; Slovenia)

National Iodine Day (Thailand)

National Mortgage Compliance Day

National Olaplex Day

National Police Community Cooperative Day

National Writing Day (UK)

No Prayer in School Day

Paddington Bear Day

Pixie Day (Devon, England)

Purple Rain Day

Rainbow Flag Day

Reserves Day (UK)

Right to Die Day

Reuben Day (625 Day; Lily & Stitch)

Salute Your Hometown Day

Sense of Humor in Bed Day

625 Day (South Korea)

Smurfs Day

Stripper Appreciation Day

Switch 625 Day

Teacher’s Day (Guatemala)

Tennis Shoe Day

UNICEF Maroon 5 Day

World Anti-Bullfighting Day

World Vitiligo Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Anthony Bourdain Day (a.k.a. Bourdain Day)

Goats Cheese Day

International Rosé' Day

National Bakewell Tart Day (UK)

National Catfish Day

National Croatian Wine Day

National Fried Okra Day

National Strawberry Parfait Day

Nature Celebrations

Arbor Day (Philippines)

Cucumber Day (French Republic)

International Hug a Deer Day

Morning Glory Day (Appreciate the Moment; Korean Birth Flowers)

World Sand Dune Day

Independence, Flag & Related Days

Croatia (Independence Memorial Day; 1991)

Détian Tsardom (Declared; 2021) [unrecognized]

Flag Day (Finland)

Florida (Readmitted to the Union; 1868)

Mozambique (from Portugal, 1975)

Norfolk Empire (Declared; 2019) [unrecognized]

Slovenia (from Yugoslavia, 1991)

Virginia Statehood Day (#10; 1788)

4th & Last Wednesday in June

Hump Day [Every Wednesday]

National Day of Joy [Last Wednesday]

National Parchment Day [Last Wednesday]

OC Art Day [Last Wednesday]

Wacky Wednesday [Every Wednesday]

Website Wednesday [Every Wednesday]

Weird Wednesday [4th Wednesday of Each Month]

Whatever Wednesday [4th Wednesday of Each Month]

Whole Grain Wednesday [Last Wednesday of Each Month]

Wishful Wednesday [Last Wednesday of Each Month]

Weekly Holidays beginning June 25 (4th Full Week of June)

Boys & Girls Club Week (thru 7.1)

North American Organic Brewers Week (thru 6.27)

Festivals On or Beginning June 25, 2025

Bixby Green Corn Festival (Bixby, Oklahoma) [thru 6.28]

Flavors of Albany Park (Chicago, Illinois)

Fusion Festival (Lärz, Germany) [thru 6.29]

Glastonbury Festival (Pilton, Somerset, United Kingdom) [thru 6.29]

Linn County Fair (Central City, Iowa) [thru 6.29]

Monmouth Fair (Monmouth, Maine) [thru 6.28]

Organic Beer Fest (Portland, Oregon) [thru 6.27]

Paris Jazz Festival (Paris, France) [thru 9.7]

Zanzibar International Film Festival (Zanzibar City, Tanzania) [thru 6.29]

Feast Days

Adelbert of Northumberland (Christian; Saint)

Agoard and Aglibert, near Paris (Christian; Martyrs)

Bonalu (Goddess Mahakali; Hindu Goddess of Time and Death)

Build on Relationships Day (Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Charles Martel (Positivist; Saint)

David of Munktorp (Christian; Saint)

Ed Gein Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Elf Thumping Day (Shamanism)

Eurosia (Christian; Saint)

Febronia (Christian; Martyr & Virgin)

Gallicanus (Christian; Saint)

Gay Wiccan Pride Day (Everyday Wicca)

Gohard and His Companions (Christian; Martyrs)

Humpty Dumpty (Muppetism)

Ludi Taurii (Games of the Bull; Ancient Rome)

Maximus (a.k.a. Massimo) of Turin (Christian; Saint)

Melee of Scotland (Christian; Saint)

Moloc (or Luan; Christian; Saint)

Molaugz (Christian; Saint)

Philipp Melanchthon (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America)

Presentation of the Augsburg Confession (Lutheran)

Prosper of Aquitaine (Christian; Saint)

Prosper of Reggio (Christian; Saint)

Seamen Day (a.k.a. Seafarer Day; Pastafarian)

Thea (Christian; Saint)

Thoth’s Day (Pagan)

William of Monte-Vergine (or Vercelli; Christian; Saint)

Lunar Calendar Holidays

Chinese: Month 6 (Gui-Wei), Day 1 (Yi-Chou)

Day Pillar: Wood Ox

12-Day Officers/12 Gods: Danger Day (危 Wei) [Auspicious]

Holidays: None Known

Secular Saints Days

Kristina Abelli Elander (Art)

Denys Arcand (Entertainment)

Peter Blake (Art)

Eric Carle (Art; Literature)

Gustave Charpentier (Music)

Clifton Chenier (Music)

Tim Finn (Music)

Sam Francis (Art)

Antoni Gaudi (Architecture)

Ricky Gervais (Entertainment)

Robert Henri (Art)

Sidney Lumet (Entertainment)

Yann Martel (Literature)

George Michael (Music)

P.H. Newby (Literature)

Rose O'Neill (Art)

George Orwell (Literature)

Peyo (Art)

Kay Sage (Art)

Carly Simon (Music)

William H. Stein (Science)

Jimmie Walker (Entertainment)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Fortunate Day (Pagan) [25 of 53]

Shakku (赤口 Japan) [Bad luck all day, except at noon.]

Premieres

All You Need is Love, by The Beatles (Song; 1967)

America the Beautiful (Disney 360° Film; 1967)

At the Stage Door Canteen (Speaking of Animals Cartoon; 1943)

The Banker’s Daughter (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1933)

The Betty Boop Movie Mystery (Animated Film; 1989)

Big Daddy (Film; 1999)

Blade Runner (Film; 1982)

Bosko’s Dog Race (WB LT Cartoon; 1932)

Bobby Bumps and His Hypnotic Eye (Paramount-Bray Pictographs Cartoon; 1919)

Buddy's Bearcats (WB LT Cartoon; 1934)

A Car-Tune Portrait (Color Classic Fleischer Cartoon; 1937)

A Circus Romance (Aesop's Sound Fable Cartoon; 1932)

Chris Columbus Jr. (Oswald Walter Lantz Cartoon; 1934)

Christopher Crumpet (Jolly Frolics UPA Cartoon; 1953)

The Country Girls, by Edna O'Brien (Novel; 1960)

Crockett-Doddle-Do (WB MM Cartoon; 1960)

A Day at the Beach (Captain & the Kids MGM Cartoon; 1938)

The Diary of Anne Frank, by Anne Frank (Diary; 1947)

8-1/2 (Film; 1963)

The Firebird, by Igor Stravinsky (Ballet; 1910)

F9 (Film; 2021) [F&F #9]

The Fox Chase (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Disney Cartoon; 1928)

A Frenchman in New York, by Darius Milhaud (Orchestral Work; 1963)

Have You Got Any Castles (WB MM Cartoon; 1938)

He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother, recorded by The Hollies (Song; 1969)

Herbie Goes Bananas (Film; 1980)

Hill Billy (Sing and Be Happy / Cartoon Melodies Cartoon; 1951)

Hondo, by Louis L'Amour (Novel; 1953)

The Hungry Goat (Fleischer/Famous Popeye Cartoon; 1943)

Indelibly Stamped, by Supertramp (Album; 1971)

In His Cups (Aesop's Film Fable Cartoon; 1929)

The King of Staten Island (Film; 2020)

Kinky Boots: The Musical (Film; 2019)

Klute (Film; 1971)

The Last Flight of Noah’s Ark (Film; 1980)

Long-Haired Hare (WB LT Cartoon; 1949)

Lumber Jerks (WB LT Cartoon; 1955)

The Masque Raid (Krazy Kat Cartoon; 1937)

Mass Mouse Meeting (Phantasies Cartoon; 1943)

The Mechanical Cow (Al Falfa Terrytoons Cartoon; 1937)

Mickey Mouse Disco (Disney Cartoon; 1980)

Monty Python: Live at the Hollywood Bowl (Comedy Concert Film; 1982)

Mopping Up (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1943)

The Notebook (Film; 2004)

Of Mice and Menace (Herman & Katnip Fleischer/Famous Cartoon; 1954)

The Omen (Film; 1976)

On Being and Nothingness, by Jean-Paul Satre (Book; 1943)

One Size Fits All, by Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention (Album; 1975)

Otto Luck to the Rescue (Paramount-Bray Pictographs Cartoon; 1917)

Over Under Sideways Down, by The Yardbirds (Song; 1966)

Plane Dumb (Tom & Jerry Van Beuren Cartoon; 1932)

Porky’s Party (WB LT Cartoon; 1938)

Prime Suspect 1973 (UK TV Series; 2017)

Purple, by Stone Temple Pilots (Album; 1994)

Purple Rain, by Prince (Album; 1984)

The Queen of Hearts (Ub Iwerks ComiColor Cartoon; 1934)

Red-Headed Woman (Film; 1932)

The Runaway (Out of the Inkwell Fleischer Cartoon; 1924)

Sleepless in Seattle (Film; 1983)

Sweet and Sourdough (Roland & Rattfink Cartoon; 1969)

Technology, Phooey (Ant and the Aardvark Cartoon; 1969)

The Thing (Film; 1982)

Tweetie Pie (Blue Ribbon Hit Parade; 1954)

25 or 6 to 4, by Chicago (Song; 1970)

United Church of Christ (Christian Denomination; 1957)

The Wax Works (Oswald Walter Lantz Cartoon; 1934)

Won’t Get Fooled Again, by The Who (Song; 1971)

Today’s Name Days

Dorothea, Eleonora, Ella (Austria)

Adalbert, Dominik, Maksim (Croatia)

Ivan (Czech Republic)

Prosper (Denmark)

Inna, Lenna, Linda (Estonia)

Uuno (Finland)

Aliénor, Eléonore, Prosper, Salomon (France)

Doris, Dorothea, Eleonora, Ella (Germany)

Erotas, Fevronia (Greece)

Vilmos (Hungary)

Agato, Diogene, Guglielmo, Oriella, Orio (Italy)

Maiga, Milija (Latvia)

Baniutė, Geistautas, Geistautė, Vilhelmas (Lithuania)

Jørund, Jorunn (Norway)

Albrecht, Eulogiusz, Lucja, Łucja, Tolisława, Wilhelm (Poland)

Fevronia (România)

Tadeáš (Slovakia)

Guillermo, Máximo, Próspero (Spain)

David, Salomon (Sweden)

Bill, Billie, Billy, Guillermo, Liam, Mina, Minnie, Prosper, Velma, Vilma, Wilhelmina, Will, William, Willie, Willis, Wilma, Wilson (USA)

Today’s National Name Days

National Carly Day

National Jimmie Day

National Leon Day

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 176 of 2025; 189 days remaining in the year

ISO Week: Day 3 of Week 26 of 2025

Celtic Tree Calendar: Duir (Oak) [Day 16 of 28]

Chinese: Month 6 (Gui-Wei), Day 1 (Yi-Chou)

Chinese Year of the: Snake 4723 (until February 17, 2026) [Ding-Chou]

Coptic: 18 Baunah 1741

Druid Tree Calendar: Apple Tree (June 25-July 4) [Day 1 of 10]

Hebrew: 29 Sivan 5785

Islamic: 28 Dhu al-Hijjah 1446

Julian: 12 June 2025

Meteorological Summer [Day 24]

Moon: 0%: New Moon

Positivist: 8 Charlemagne (7th Month) [Charles Martel]

Runic Half Month: Dag (Day) [Day 13 of 15] (thru 6.27)

Season: Spring (Day 6 of 94)

SUn Calendar: 26 Blue; Fryday [26 of 30]

Week: 4th Full Week of June

Zodiac:

Tropical (Typical) Zodiac: Cancer (Day 5 of 32)

Sidereal Zodiac: Gemini (Day 10 of 31)

Schmidt Zodiac: Cetus (Day 19 of 26)

IAU Boundaries (Current) Zodiac: Aries (Day 4 of 29)

IAU Boundaries (1977) Zodiac: Gemini (Day 6 of 31)

Calendar Changes

Apple Tree (June 25-July 4) [Druid Tree Calendar] (Month 20 of 41)

榴月 [Héyuè] (Chinese Lunisolar Calendar) [Month 6 of 12] (Lotus Month) [Earthly Branch: Goat Month] (Liùyuè; Sixth Month)

[footballworldcuptickets]

Jordan Debuts at FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers Finals in China

FIFA World Cup 2026: Jordanian national team protector Yazan, who plays for FC Seoul, said. I am very happy as one of the persons of Jordan. We inscribed a new antiquity. Isn’t the World Cup each competitor’s dream. He sees the stage of his vision, which he has not ever been able to look before. It’s a countless honor.

Jordan had four victories, four attractions and two injuries 16 points in 10 Group B competitions in the third Asian succeeding round for the 2026 North China World Cup. Jordan hierarchical additional after South Korea amongst the six republics in Group B and won the permit to the 2026 North Korea, China World Cup.

Jordan was a centenary after the World Cup requirement. Jordanian King Abdullah II bin al Hussein also spoke countless happiness at his first World Cup requirement. Jordanian King Abdullah II asked Jordanian national team companies and their relations to dine. I was invited by the regal family to eat together, Yazan supposed. It was a very decent time as the Jordanian people.

Jordan’s Rise to Glory Ahead of FIFA 2026 Journey

The king continuously gives us countless supports. They don’t replace their support. The Monarch was a great incentive for us. I am very happy to be living up to the King’s prospects. It will be a memorable moment to eat with the king next to his advance to the World Cup finals, he said. Jordan was an unidentified player until 2010. Iran and Saudi Arabia have ruled as outmoded capitals in the Middle East.

Jordan’s increase to the top Asian team remained at the 2023 Qatar Asian Cup. Jordan weary South Korea, a robust favorite, in the rounds of the contest. Jordan failed to lift the cup after behind to host Qatar, but he awestruck the Asian soccer public. Jordan drove the impetus and even capable for the 2026 North China World Cup.

Jordan Builds Strong Defense for Upcoming World Cup Test

Yazan supposed, Jordan is a determined team, and additionally, that there are a lot of companies with outstanding skills. Our forte is our crime. Players with excellent individual skills are on the opposite side. This is also our fault. The players in obverse of the incline to rely on individuals because of their excellent skills. The World Cup contests are a dissimilar stage.

We are not content with the World Cup requirement. To attain a good presentation in the World Cup finals, you essential to learn how to resolve it from the spinal, preliminary with the custodian. Jordanian national team coach Jamal Selai is also conscious of this. There is one year left pending the World Cup. We’ll be a well team. It’s a story of a rough man.

Don’t miss your chance to witness football history live! At gettickets365, you can buy FIFA World Cup 2026 Tickets with confidence. We offer a seamless way to secure your spot for the Football World Cup 2026, including FIFA World Cup Semi-Final Tickets and FIFA World Cup Final Tickets. Explore our listings and book your dream match now.

Yazan has been lively as the core of Seoul’s defense since the straw hat of 2024. Yazan is a whole protector who is 188 centimeters tall with healthy power and haste. Yazan is measured to be a alike type of actor to Kim Min jae, a key defender for the South Korean national soccer players. Yazan has one goalmouth and one contribution in 18 K League 1 games this period.

Uzbekistan, Jordan Qualify for Football World Cup 2026

China drooping out of World Cup argument before Uzbekistan and Jordan fit for the first time, taking benefit of Asia receiving double the number of certain entries at the first 48 team contest in North America next year.

Football fans around the world are counting down to the FIFA World Cup 2026. At gettickets365, we bring you exclusive access to Buy FIFA 2026 Tickets, from opening games to the epic World Cup Final. Buy World Cup Tickets now and be part of the world’s most electrifying football event live in the stadiums!

With Asia now consuming eight sure finalists after just four for the 2022 version in Qatar, Uzbekistan was a probable candidate to step up. While greatest of its team plays in the national association, it comprises a few Europe founded stars like Roma onward Eldor Shomurodov and Manchester City guard Abdukodir Khusanov.

South Korea, Jordan Qualify as China Misses FIFA 2026

In Collection B, South Korea and Jordan tenable their seats at the 2026 competition to be theatrical in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Ali Olwan counted three boxes in Jordan’s 3 to 0 win over Oman as the soon to be World Cup debutant built on attainment the finishing at the 2023 Asian Cup, where it missing to host Qatar. Jordan’s highest outline player is winger Mousa Tamari at French club Rennes.

In Group C, a first half consequence from Ole Romeny in Jakarta was sufficient to end China’s probabilities of succeeding for the World Cup for the primary time since 2002, when the contest was theatrical in Asia for the first time and co hosts South Korea and Japan didn’t have to go finished mainland succeeding.

It’s an unknown to many how a republic of 1.4 billion persons with such a purebred in Olympic sports fights so much to spread soccer’s tent event. Branko Ivankovic, a Croatian with global knowledge in Iran and Oman, was hired last day to guide the Chinese men’s players, and domestic news activity Xinhua said the cranium coach took some of the accountability for another unsuccessful campaign.

Jordan’s Rise to Spotlight Ahead of FIFA World Cup

With one game residual in this round of Asian qualifying, China has won only two of nine competitions and is lowest of the group that also covers Japan, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Indonesia. We’ve transported in a younger generation of players who have injected energy into the team, Ivankovic said. Founded on their presentations, I believe this side has a talented future.

Experience the passion, drama, and glory of the Football World Cup 2026 live! With gettickets365, it’s easier than ever to buy FIFA World Cup Tickets, including premium access to FIFA World Cup Final Tickets and Football World Cup Final Tickets. Don’t wait, secure your World Cup Tickets now and cheer for your team on the biggest stage in football.

[rok-ntumun25-jcc]

All Hail the Chinese Communist Party

With the Korean peninsula in ruins, a new power has emerged: China.

The People's Liberation Army crossed the Yalu river in lightning speed and marched across both Koreas, with little resistance.

The leader of the CCP, Chairman Mao Zedong, has declared the Korean peninsula as Chosen, the 35th province of the People's Republic of China. Hmm, I wonder where that name is from.

As a sign of goodwill to the two former Koreas, the members of both Politburos have been invited to join the National People's Congress in Beijing. There, they forge a new future - not of a peninsula, but of a new continent, a new world.

Glory to the CCP.

[dprk-ntumun25-jcc]

All Hail the Chinese Communist Party

With the Korean peninsula in ruins, a new power has emerged: China.

The People's Liberation Army crossed the Yalu river in lightning speed and marched across both Koreas, with little resistance.

The leader of the CCP, Chairman Mao Zedong, has declared the Korean peninsula as Chosen, the 35th province of the People's Republic of China. Hmm, I wonder where that name is from.

As a sign of goodwill to the two former Koreas, the members of both Politburos have been invited to join the National People's Congress in Beijing. There, they forge a new future - not of a peninsula, but of a new continent, a new world.

Glory to the CCP.

[soulofjuche]

President Kim Il Sung Remembered in Russia

Pyongyang, July 20 (KCNA) -- There took place memorial meeting, seminar, round-table talks and other events at the Party for Peace and Unity of Russia, the Russian Veterans' Union, the Primorsky Krai Branch of the All-Russia War Veterans' Social Organization "Militant Fraternity", the Khabarovsk Territory Committee of the Lenin Young Communist League of the Russian Federation, the Buryatia's Republic Association for the Study of the Juche Idea and the DPRK, the Khabarovsk Youth Association for the Study of the Juche Idea, the Primorsky Krai Branch of the "United Russia Youth Guards" and the Far East State Science Library from July 3 to 8 on the occasion of the 31st anniversary of demise of President Kim Il Sung.

Speeches were made at the events attended by personages of the Russian government, parliament, political parties, organizations and institutions and the masses.

The chairwoman and vice chairman of the Party for Peace and Unity of Russia said that the great Comrade Kim Il Sung is the outstanding statesman who liberated Korea and had led the DPRK people to victory and glory over the past several decades and the greatest person who dedicated his whole life to the prosperity and development of the country and the people's happiness.

The chairman of the Russian Veterans' Union stressed that the exploits performed by Comrade Kim Il Sung being revered by all people as the founding father of socialist Korea and the great leader has been still conveyed long.

A member of the State Duma and the chairman of the Russian Association for Friendship and Cultural Cooperation with the DPRK praised the President for performing the exploits before the times and history and before the country and the people.

The chairman of the Primorsky Krai Branch of the All-Russia War Veterans' Social Organization "Militant Fraternity" said that Comrade Kim Il Sung, the founder of the Juche idea and prominent statesman, made a tangible contribution to the Korean revolution and accomplishment of the cause of global independence and his whole life is the one running through with patriotism and loving care for the people.

The chairperson of the Buryatia's Republic Association for the Study of the Juche Idea and the DPRK and the chairperson of the Khabarovsk Youth Association for the Study of the Juche Idea referred in detail to the fact that the foundation for the development of the bilateral relations of the two countries was provided by the President and the DPRK-Russia relations of friendship and cooperation have been further consolidated and developed century after century.

[padhegaindiabook]

The End of the Chinese Century?: How Xi Jinping Lost the Belt and Road Initiative

Publisher: Harpercollins In

| Author: Bertil Lintner

| Language: English

| Format: Paperback

₹499 ₹324 Save: 35%

Releases around 16/10/2024

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ISBN: 9789362135599

Categories: Politics/Government, Preorder

Page Extent: 236

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The Belt and Road Initiative, when first unveiled by Xi Jinping in 2013, was envisioned as even bigger and grander than America’s Marshall Plan. Famously referred to as the ‘New Silk Route’, it proposed an overland ‘Silk Road Economic Belt’ connecting China with Europe through Central Asia and the ‘Maritime Silk Road’ that the Chinese claim existed in ancient times across the Indian Ocean. The BRI would not only restore China’s glory as a global trading nation, but also establish its status as the world leader, overtaking the United States.

A decade later, not everyone in Asia and the Pacific shares Xi’s visions of a China-dominated future. Countries like Sri Lanka and Laos have fallen into Chinese debt traps due to the loans they took as part of the BRI, in others like Thailand and Central Asian republics, Chinese investment is unwelcome; and in some, like Pakistan, the opposition to China’s forays has been outright violent.

In The End of the Chinese Century?, journalist Bertil Lintner takes us through the history of the BRI and China’s global expansionist plans. He casts and expert eye on the once-much-vaunted project’s future and what its failure might mean for the ‘Chinese Century’–and how that would affect India, which continues to be a counterpoint to China on the world stage.

About Author

Bertil Lintner is a Swedish journalist, author and strategic consultant who has been writing about Asia for nearly four decades. He was formerly the Myanmar correspondent of the Far Eastern Economic Review and Asia correspondent for the Swedish daily, Svenska Dagbladet, and Denmark’s Politiken. He currently works as a correspondent for Asia Times. He has written extensively about Myanmar, India, China and North Korea in various local, national and international publications of over thirty countries. He mainly writes about organized crime, ethnic and political insurgencies and regional security. He has published several books, including China’s India War and Great Game East. In 2004, Lintner received an award for excellence in reporting about North Korea from the Society of Publishers in Asia and, in 2014, another award from the same society for writing about religious conflicts in Myanmar.

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