Recent Comments

1. about 2 hours ago on Frog Applause

   How could he maintain his sanity and his will to live? How could he endure to prove them all wrong, and to finally make his mother’s life a bit less brutal and undignified? He didn’t really want to hurt anyone; sure it would be great to see them choke on their words, but all he really wanted was to be away from there and to be done with their tedious banality. He had trouble seeing a way out, a way through it all, though. Some days he could barely even get out of bed; didn’t feel like eating or even breathing much. There must be something to break this stifling oppression? But what, his mother could do nothing but try and comfort him, his counselors were indifferent, even the holy man in town seemed to brush him off as delusional.

   It was already three a.m., his alarm would be sounding soon, and another day of dread would begin. He had worried the night away with little chance of sleeping now, so he lie there in the silence and stared at the plastered walls, his nightlight casting light upon the trowel textured valleys and hills of his bedroom landscape. If he let himself stare dreamily without intent, it would often morph into a village or metropolis scene and he could amuse himself with the goings on. He almost thought he could hear someone speaking. Wait, was that his mother’s voice? No, surely she was still asleep, and it was clearly coming from inside the room. Very small, at first, and it sounded like it was trying to get his attention. What was it saying? So hard to make out.

   Here? Is that what it was saying?

   Help? No, it was something more.

   He pressed his ear against the cold stucco wall.

   Something something help moo?

   What? I replied, startling myself.

   I Can Help You!

2. about 3 hours ago on Frog Applause

   Mama

   Yes, my son.

   I don’t feel well.

   All dressed and ready for his first day at school, Junior, while feeling rather natty in his new duds, was tied in knots with apprehension. The Pepto-Bismal hadn’t helped, and now he feels a bit woozy, almost as if his oatmeal with cinnamon maggots were about to make a reappearance.

   No matter how many times mother coached him, or how many bullying scenarios they play acted out, he just couldn’t shake this sense of impending doom, like the world was closing in on him, like he was falling down a well, like he was a toothpick boy inside an overstuffed marshmallow suit. Only his mother’s embrace would tamp down the terror, keep his heart from pounding through his chest, stop the uncontrolled sweating so it wouldn’t ruin his new onesie. How would he ever make it through the day? Stuffed inside a locker? Run up the flagpole by his underwear? Getting pants’d in the lunchroom?

   Running through the endless scenarios only made it worse, of course. The teachers didn’t even seem to care, either, in fact, he swore they purposely turned the other way. Wasn’t the school motto All for One and One for All? All their kind only, it seemed. That he was smarter than they, even most of the teachers, didn’t help the situation. It was no comfort to see through their ignorant, petty ways and to pity them in their plight. He felt he had to constantly hide away who he was, what he was capable of, to the point that he often doubted who he really was or if it all was worth it. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could go on like this. He feared he might just wither away and die, or worse yet, lash out in frightened anger and reveal what he tried so hard to keep hidden from them. It wouldn’t matter how incredible his talent was, they would only use it as fodder to further ostracize and belittle him. And where would he be then? What would he have achieved? No, better to keep it to himself, but this withering pain was so much to bear.

3. about 3 hours ago on Cul de Sac

   It’s a small price to pay for the bliss of being unbothered, Petey, but it won’t work if you don’t use it.

   Little Miss Grabbyhands is about to pilfer the unicorn, and the unicorn does not look pleased!

4. about 4 hours ago on Skin Horse

   Ooooooo, smell that smell…

5. about 4 hours ago on Scary Gary

   Trick or Treat?

6. about 4 hours ago on Kliban

   We gotta get out of this place

   If it’s the last thing we ever do

   We gotta get out of this place

   ‘Cause girl, there’s a better life for me and you

7. about 4 hours ago on Kliban

   Heaven’s only a mirage until you bring it down to earth.

8. about 4 hours ago on Ripley's Believe It or Not

   Spatuletale Hummingbird

   youtube dot com / watch?v=_z8iS3ApUMM

9. about 4 hours ago on Ripley's Believe It or Not

   What makes Da Hong Pao so special is its history and cultivation. According to local Chinese legend, an emperor’s mother came down with a mysterious illness. She was only cured after drinking tea made from four special tea bushes in the Wuyi Mountains. As a sign of his gratitude, the emperor gifted red robes to protect the plants.

   Today, the tea is made from wild tea plants that grow natively on the cliffs and rock ledges of the Wuyi Mountains. The most expensive Da Hong Pao oolong teas come from the four original tea bushes on Tianxin Rock. There are two more original tea plants, but these are referred to as the mother trees and are no longer used to produce tea.

   There are three main types of Da Hong Pao ranging from the high-quality tea soured from the original tea trees to a more affordable yet lower quality variety. The first type is known as Mother Tree Da Hong Pao or the original Da Hong Pao. This type of Da Hong Pao is the most expensive on the planet and was hand-crafted by tea masters. In 2007, the Chinese government banned the production of tea using the mother plants in order to preserve them. The last batches of tea made from the original plants have fetched tens of thousands of dollars for just a few grams.

   The second highest-quality variety is known as Purebred Da Hong Pao. This type of oolong tea is as close to the original Big Red Robe tea as most tea drinkers will ever get. In the late 20th century, scientists at a university in the Fujian Province took small fragments from the original Da Hong Pao tea bushes. They were able to cultivate new plants from these cuttings, dramatically increasing the production capacity of Red Robe teas.

   The most affordable Da Hong Pao is actually a blend of other Wuyi rock teas with similar flavor characteristics. The tea is typically a mixture of some purebred Da Hong Pao leaves and other Wuyi oolong teas such as Shui Xian and Rou Gui or even Tie Guan Yin.

10. about 4 hours ago on Ripley's Believe It or Not

    Da Hong Pao is a Chinese oolong tea that is cultivated in the Wuyi Mountains of China. The tea is a Wuyi rock tea and is also known as Big Red Robe tea. This type of oolong tea is one of the most expensive teas in the world and is often reserved for welcoming elite guests. It is classified as one of the Chinese Famous Teas as well as a Four Great Bushes tea.

    This oolong tea is heavily oxidized and offers a unique flavor profile and sweet aroma that you can’t find in most other oolongs. The tea has peaty and earthy notes with hints of stone fruit, brown sugar, and molasses. It has a woody fragrance with mild notes of tobacco and the body is velvety smooth with mild notes of sandalwood.

    In China, the tea is described as having Yan Yun, a balanced profile that blends multiple characteristics. It features a pure flavor with a fresh orchid sensation and each leaf is consistently roasted during production. It’s the perfect blend of sweet and mellow with a touch of liveliness that keeps things interesting.