@jodi 555. I hadn't noticed that.

That’s the function of science.

Yeah get more productivity out of the guards too. Insofar as that even means anything.

https://www.thetimes.com/world/asia/article/how-china-seize-taiwan-president-xi-q2lzqc53q Interesting article from The Times After last week’s diplomatic success in Beijing, the Chinese leader may be feeling confident, but the imposition of Beijing’s authority on that offshore outpost of democracy is still fraught with uncertainty. “His big puzzle,” argues Philip Shetler-Jones of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) think tank, “is how to get Taiwan without bringing China into war with the US, which still has some aces up its sleeve sufficient to make a conflict very dangerous.” The attitude of President Trump, or indeed his successor, will therefore be critical. British ministers have concluded that Trump is not prepared to start a war in defence of Taiwan. Highlighting this perception and what he argued were America’s diplomatic blunders, the former foreign secretary William Hague wrote in The Times that Xi “intends Taiwan to drop into the lap of the People’s Liberation Army [PLA] without it having to fight”. Concerns about Trump’s position have been fed by the recent postponement of a visit to Washington of the Taiwanese defence minister and the president’s upbeat comments about striking a trade deal with Xi. To add to Taipei’s concerns, leaks from the new National Security Strategy suggest Trump is about to abandon the containment of China as the primary goal of US policy, in favour of homeland defence. The US administration does not speak with one voice on this, there being China hawks in its ranks too. Pete Hegseth, US defence secretary, has used tougher language than his president, warning in May of devastating regional consequences if the People’s Republic tried to force the issue, “the threat China poses is real. And it could be imminent”. Trump thinks he has an understanding on Taiwan with Xi, claiming the Chinese leader told him, “I will never do it so long as you’re president”. The danger of piquing Trump’s pride is one more reason for China to avoid a spectacular D-Day-style invasion. Added to the risk of US intervention is the danger of a global economic shock resulting from an interruption to Taiwan’s microprocessor exports and the possibility of a humiliating setback for the PLA. All of this makes the “invasion” option unlikely, at least during the next few years. Taiwan’s distance from the mainland, small number of suitable landing beaches and highly built-up coastline would make it a highly uncertain business. It proved too big a challenge even for America’s huge mobilised armed forces, when in 1944 they abandoned plans for Operation Causeway, an assault on the then Japanese-held island, that would have required more than 700,000 personnel and taken months to carry out. [image: c8021addf825aa70e648cb3eb5e21e32.jpg]

hahaha

@jon-nyc said in The Big Beautiful Bill needs its own thread.: https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1939390933205991585?s=46 https://x.com/alecstapp/status/1964407631264518156?s=46

I wonder if Polymarket wants to get regulatory approval too? [image: 1757191139715-img_7619.png]

Not so much the military parade by itself, but mainland China is in the process of "rewriting" history on CCP contributions to wining WW2.

With the Trump tariff regime in place Uncle Sam is raking in billions of dollars. Just as well waste some of that chump change on diversions and frivolous redecorating projects such as renaming government departments. Bill Maher’s take: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=762179939877021&surface_type=vod&referral_source=vod_newsfeed_unit

@Mik said in Seal Team 6 - Failed mission in North Korea in 2019: Swell. Now Kim knows about it. Maybe he only knows what we want him to know.

@Axtremus said in So I got served this ad...: @Mik said in So I got served this ad...: Bourbon was not meant to be consumed any way but neat or on the rocks. Challenge accepted. You are treading on Philistine territory there.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolinecastrillon/2025/08/07/microsoft-reveals-the-most-and-least-ai-safe-jobs-where-do-you-rank/ Most Vulnerable Interpreters and Translators Historians Passenger Attendants Sales Representatives of Services Writers and Authors Customer Service Representatives CNC Tool Programmers Telephone Operators Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks Broadcast Announcers and Radio DJs Least Vulnerable Phlebotomists Nursing Assistants Hazardous Materials Removal Workers Helpers—Painters, Plasterers, etc. Embalmers Plant and System Operators, All Other Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers Ship Engineers Tire Repairers and Changers

I kind of sped through it an extra speed, but the restorer is quite talented! Very neat to watch.

Depends on how they identify

We love our Minnesooooota wrens. I make or buy birdhouses specifically for them. We have four or more nesting pairs around our property, and I added three more birdhouses for them this summer. They're great bug eaters, so they earn the right to have free housing. Our number of bugs has decreased significantly, and I will continue to keep a supply of birdhouses available for these sweet songbirds.

Looks like a chicken coop made into a cat coop.

When I was a kid a friend of mine had a bird that would perfectly mimic the telephone ringing. It probably didn’t hurt that someone would come into the room every time he did it (that’s where the phone was)

I liked the hoagies reference.

On the plus side, if Trump had control we'd likely see a nice boom in spending and stock market growth, only to pass the torch (filled with flaming inflation) to a new generation of Americans.