My US passport is running out 1Q next year. Should find a good time frame to renew now. LOL (I miss the days of being able to renew at any US embassey) But I have heard that the new-ish online renewal is actually pretty quick.

"Fiat currencies."

https://x.com/brianstelter/status/2049145864606691578?s=46

@Doctor-Phibes said: Privatisation of companies to serve the greater good. Isn't there a word for that? [image: 1777396164385-img_2131.jpeg]

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All the more reason to serve the cheapest plonk wine possible at such events.

Same logic works for kids btw

Ceefax because ‘minitel’ was taken. BlackBerry integrated with corporate email systems it wasn’t just a standalone system.

@Horace said: @taiwan_girl said: I think most people, if given the choice, would chose remote, And those who enjoy/need the office social interactions convince themselves that those people just don't know what's best for themselves. Meanwhile, probably 90% of people, if given the choice to take or leave the whole in person office scene, would leave it. But the 10% are sure they're all simply ignorant of what is good in life. I think most people would prefer a bit of both. The main complaint I hear about office working is all the time wasted in commuting, rather than being in the actual office being awful.

And now we know just HOW ungood it is.

It's pretty obscure and not quite as funny as people are saying (he's getting an impending mortality bump). Trump said that Pence needed the courage to not certify the 2020 election results, which in Trump's addled mind would have led to Trump retaining the presidency. (It wouldn't have.)

A book I mentioned in the book thread is called "Station Eleven" about a pandemic that kills not all, but most people. Goes through some of the same decay that you guys talk about. (interesting, but the book was written just a year or so before COVID).

@Renauda said: @Horace said: @89th said: I find the shooter's strategy to run really fast through the first security checkpoint intriguing. He made it through, although I think about 50 feet later was tackled or something. Imagine if it comes out his name is Leeroy Jenkins? I didn't read his manifesto, I try never to give the shooters any oxygen (name, face, manifesto...). Clearly I'm having an impact. He isn't crazy. I can understand dismissing the ravings of a crazy person, but this manifesto was informative on a number of levels. I agree he’s not kookoo crazy but rather crazed in his very own reality that leads to fanatic convictions and deeds. Probably not unlike your garden variety Islamacist suicide bomber. After all, I don’t think he expected to come out his deed alive. I agree. Anybody who does something like that is crazy on some level. IMO, anybody who does something that is an "outlier" to normal society actions is somewhat crazy. The problem is when those actions become normal behavior in a society. On a lower level, stuff like when there is a riot, and people feel it is okay to go in and take stuff from stores. Shoplifting and then when they are challenged, get offended. Etc.

For those who are catholic, is there a focus on sex? From the outside, it seemed that sex was part of their agenda, but not the main focus. Seemed like there were other things like poor people, etc.

@Axtremus said: @Mik said: Probably constitutionally correct, but bad for the republic. So much for the "Founding Fathers' wisdom." Well, yes. Elbridge Gerry, after whom Gerrymandering is named, was a signer of the declaration of independence. As governor of Massachusetts, he approved an odd shaped district to benefit his party in 1812. It looked like a salamander, so they called it the Gerry-mander’. And the name stuck.

Hey, no judging!

Great to hear @lufins-dad as well. Just like Jon's post, I appreciate the health updates.

You ain't lion about that