@Klaus said: It's true, and it's very sad. We kill innovation and are proud of it. 99% of the people don't even see a problem. By the end of the century we'll be the South America of the globe. Well, minus the hot chicks. It's been the case in the UK, too, for many decades. The number of inventions the Brits made but failed to invest sufficiently in makes for a depressing read (if you still live there). This attitude is one of the reasons I left. Obviously, I haven't had an original idea in my entire life, but that's a whole different topic.

As for the Terafab, it strikes me as a national security priority. We rely on Taiwan which means we’re at risk of being reliant on China for them.

@jon-nyc said: @Andrea-B said: one thing I've seen on X is that FBI has not revealed all the evidence that was presented to the GJ. Do you believe that? The indictment makes no mention of any other evidence or even the existence of any other evidence. A theory is that Comey was using that to promote his book that is coming out this month. I’m curious how that theory goes. He posted a photo on instagram in the summer of 2025 to call attention to his book coming out in the summer of 2026? Well, if Trump doesn't want anybody to buy his book, he's certainly going about it the right way.

Trump announced that Giuliani’s last wish was to be buried with the Epstein files.

The DOJ should investigate if the cat was trying to send a threatening message with that dead rat formation.

Yes. I buy the greenest possible bananas. I prefer them just a little underripe. Throw away far too many.

But back to the video, I assume that's real? SHe's shaking like that and will be 80 by the end of the next senate term... I think Platner will walk away with this one.

Mik actually quit 48 hours ago, but the stuff today is exponentially stronger.

In UNO that means you're losing. Fucking morons. https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/2051065153500655701?s=20

Purple. Neighbours had the first bbq of the year this sunny weekend.

My heart bleeds for his troubles. I'm a total landlubber but found that article truly irritating for the way it occasionally used 'boat' (and even 'yacht') to describe such a large multi-masted ocean going ship. It's a ship. And not to be too much of a complaining pedant, yes it is also a yacht, but isn't a far better description something like 'three-masted schooner? It's more like a tea clipper than your average yacht! Fabulous ship, one of the good things of having ridiculously wealthy individuals is that things like this are built.

[image: 1777951492810-96d31d5a-d80d-4294-b820-d59f8ae923c3-image.jpeg]

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/colombia-plans-to-euthanize-dozens-of-cocaine-hippos-descendants-of-animals-brought-by-notorious-drug-trafficker-pablo-escobar-180988548/ Colombia is taking aim at its invasive hippopotamus population. This week, the government announced plans to euthanize dozens of the hulking animals, which are causing ecological and safety issues in the South American country. “It is out of responsibility to our ecosystems that we must take these actions,” said Irene Vélez, Colombia’s environment minister, at a press conference on April 13, as reported by El País’ Lucas Reynoso. Colombia is home to nearly 200 hippos, which are the descendants of four animals brought to the country illegally by drug trafficker Pablo Escobar in the early 1980s. Escobar housed the hippos—along with rhinoceroses, elephants and other smuggled creatures—at Hacienda Nápoles, his estate and private zoo located roughly 90 miles from Medellín. The three females and one male began reproducing and, with no natural predators or droughts to keep the population in check, the species thrived in Colombia. After Escobar was shot and killed in 1993, authorities seized Hacienda Nápoles and transferred the animals to nearby zoos—except for the hippos.

https://macleans.ca/politics/i-dont-recognize-alberta-anymore/ Since the day I was born, 46 years ago at the Foothills Hospital in Calgary, Alberta has shaped who I am. I can sing the words to “Four Strong Winds,” our unofficial provincial anthem. I’ve visited more rodeos than I can count. My first vehicle was an old pickup, and I taught myself to parallel park using two round hay bales. I’ve spent Saturdays on my family’s acreage, cleaning horse manure out of our barn and helping neighbours with their cattle. I know the beauty of a prairie sunset, and I’ve watched the sun rise in Alberta’s Rockies. Despite my love for the Wild Rose Province, I’m Canadian first, Albertan second. The flag that hangs in my office is the Maple Leaf. When people abroad ask where I’m from, I don’t miss a beat in saying I’m Canadian. This national identity has taught me about the power of multiculturalism, the beauty of bilingualism and the idea that peacekeeping—and a willingness to understand one another—can move the world in a better direction. Alberta is imprinted on my heart, but Canada is part of my soul.

https://apnews.com/article/iowa-superintendent-conflict-audit-fb0c9065a825b51bd429c59c81d83e6b Iowa’s largest school district said Tuesday that it revised its conflict-of-interest policy after an audit found its former superintendent awarded district business to a consulting firm he worked for, affirming findings first reported by The Associated Press in the weeks after federal immigration officers detained him. Ian Roberts, a native of Guyana in South America, worked for two decades as an educator and administrator in urban districts across the U.S. His Sept. 26 arrest in Des Moines, Iowa, shocked the community and drew national attention to his history of criminal charges and falsified credentials. He pleaded guilty in federal court in January, admitting to falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen on a federal form and illegally possessing firearms. Roberts’ sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 29. The two counts together carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

Heh. The Rubio-on-the-sofa meme is like the Chris-Christie-on-the-beach meme of this era. Versatile and never gets old.