I haven't listened to it, but some of you may be interested. RFK Jr. podcast In the first episode, Kennedy interviews reality-TV chef Robert Irvine about his makeover of military food at Fort Hood, an Army base in Texas. Irvine was the host of the popular Food Network show Dinner: Impossible when a newspaper investigation found that he had embellished parts of his résumé, including that he had created Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s wedding cake. Irvine admitted to exaggerating his qualifications and was initially dropped by the network but was eventually brought back. (Irvine also happens to have a line of snack bars called FitCrunch; while protein-packed, they’re also made with the sort of difficult-to-pronounce ingredients many nutritionists caution against.) Irvine did serve in the UK’s Royal Navy after enlisting at a young age, and he began his culinary career there. On the podcast, he tells Kennedy he’s been working with the US military to bring in healthier dining options with a focus on fresh and whole foods. He claims he’s helping to lower food costs by negotiating with suppliers—something the Pentagon has presumably not thought of doing—and that the dining hall food at Fort Hood is so good there are “lines out the door.” Irvine doesn’t address what kinds of foods Fort Hood was serving before he stepped in nor does he elaborate on the meals it offers now, beyond lower-sodium chicken and sliced melon.

https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/iran-defies-trump-and-tightens-its-grip-on-hormuz-01a4e32b?mod=Searchresults&pos=1&page=1 The U.S. and Iran are teetering on the brink of a dangerous new phase of the war, as both turn to military force to break a standoff in the Strait of Hormuz that has paralyzed shipping and imposed costs on both sides. Fighting flared for the first time in about a month Monday, with the U.S. Navy trying to open the waterway and Iran hitting commercial ships to keep it closed. The U.S. said it used Apache helicopters to sink Iranian speedboats harassing traffic in the strait. Iran hit a critical oil port in the United Arab Emirates and several vessels around the strategic waterway. The return to a more openly violent chapter will test both sides. Each has reason to try to force an end to the current paralysis in the strait. But they also face substantial risks if the skirmishing escalates out of control—for Iran, greater damage to its economy and leadership, and for President Trump, deeper involvement in a war that is unpopular at home.

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@Mik said: [image: 688070469_1491810025646473_5705398905455320652_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=13d280&_nc_ohc=ETMFQyrfOvAQ7kNvwEUCafM&_nc_oc=Adov1Ufy4NQBUFei4ImNX_5B-9nVQ1yH8Ssu6ZlPlZ5J08fYcAdDg1RxRthho6IPOThJdojjqTOiDZzhb5uVlPta&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent.fluk1-1.fna&_nc_gid=yfUdUyeBh_pEXPvO00Z7RA&_nc_ss=782a8&oh=00_Af7Xpygqb_gzyRnSgDdMw54COvcyb8-9cmKv6DnbNUNCmw&oe=69FE39F8] I remember talking to a guy in India one time who worked for one of the big machine companies (Caterpillar, or John Deere, or Kumatsu, can't remember which one) and he said that they had a lot of trouble selling certain equipment into India. It was cheaper for a contractor to hire 1000 people a day at $X/day than to spend $XXXXXXXXXX on a piece of equipment.

@Tom-K LOL.

1974 New York City.

Thanks! Had a good day hanging out with the kids at a park and nature center.

$4.19. A small price to pay for world peace.

In Alpha sometimes we like to say “it’s not rare so much as rarely diagnosed’. Maybe these are the ‘rarely found earths’. Though of the long list of them I’m sure some are actually pretty rare.

It’s close to impossible to govern the house with a few seat majority. Every possible candidate would have the same problem.

I agree.

When the Qatari royal family acquired a luxury jet for its private fleet more than a decade ago, the Boeing 747 was outfitted with the lavish furnishings and ornate adornments that would befit one of the world’s wealthiest families. Now, as the jumbo jet is expected to become President Trump’s own this summer, officials say the plane’s lavish interior will look remarkably similar. The jet has undergone a $400 million overhaul to prepare it for the president. Those modifications, however, haven’t centered on aesthetics, but rather top-secret communications gear that would enable the commander in chief to run the country from the skies. Alterations to the interior have focused on removing the Arabic-language exit signs and the contemporary artwork once enjoyed by the Qatari royals. But the oversize leather seats, plush couches and even the faux library bookcases are all staying, albeit with U.S. presidential seals now affixed to the walls, officials said. https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/trumps-qatari-gifted-air-force-one-will-keep-its-luxurious-royal-interior-c37a6451

In an order denying Sam Bankman-Fried’s request for a new trial, a judge accused the disgraced FTX founder of wasting precious court resources on wild conspiracies. To the judge, the motion seemed like a last-ditch attempt to give himself a MAGA makeover that the Trump administration absolutely wasn’t buying. Bankman-Fried was sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2024 for “masterminding one of the largest financial frauds in American history,” US District Judge Lewis Kaplan wrote in his order. He was convicted on all charges, including wire fraud, conspiracy to commit securities fraud, commodities fraud, and money laundering. There is already an appeal pending in another court, the judge noted. But Bankman-Fried filed a separate motion for a new trial, claiming that there were “newly discovered” witnesses and evidence that might have helped his defense, if Joe Biden’s Department of Justice hadn’t intimidated them into refusing to testify or, in one case, lying on the stand. He also asked for a new judge, wanting Kaplan to recuse himself. However, Kaplan pointed out that “none of the witnesses” were “newly discovered.” And more concerningly, Bankman-Fried offered no evidence that the witnesses could prove the “wildly conspiratorial” theory the FTX founder raised, claiming that their absence at the trial was a “product of government threats and retaliation,” the judge wrote. Bankman-Fried’s theory is “entirely contradicted by the record,” Kaplan said. He emphasized that granting Bankman-Fried’s request “would be a large waste of judicial resources as it could require another judge to familiarize himself or herself with an extensive and complicated record.” https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/04/new-sam-bankman-fried-trial-would-be-huge-waste-of-courts-time-judge-says/

I just remember from a while ago Queen Elizabeth dedicating a navy ship and referring to it as "my ship."

I think the Somalis and fraudsters are. Plead guilty, give 20% back and you're cool. I suspect he still has a good bit of that $9M left. I advocate flogging and a long stretch at hard labor.

I do remember. I actually have saved the English language Taiwan newspaper from that day. [image: 1777777649494-img_4943.jpg]

It doesn’t say why.

@Axtremus Oh, there were lots of nazi's who weren't german. Just look at the number of european volunteers in the Waffen SS.