The New Coffee Room

@Mik Damn, I just exposed myself

When my parents started in 1958 they could raise 4 kids on one income. When I started in 1985 we could raise two kids on two salaries.
In 2025 my kids can barely raise one kid on two salaries.
And then politicians want young people to have more kids.
Ain't gonna happen.

@89th This wasn't basically a protest move. It is a deliberate strategy of undermining political stability.
If you don't get that you're willingly blind.

@Mik Well, we didn't vote for this shit show, but we are facing the consequences.

@Renauda France will not do that. Neither will Belgium as the consequences might be too obnoxious.
But this is definitely a US strategy: causing havoc by pertinently lying about and interfering with local politics in Europe.
Trumpty-Dumpty and Shite (US ambassador in Belgium) are exponents of sheer stupidity and arrogance.

@Horace Poor you. It's Greenlandic

The claim that Kazakhstan tried something on Trump in 2017 was -at least for me- a new element.

And again: the Trump 'kompromat'. Si non e vero, e bene trovato.

https://www.kyivpost.com/post/69648

Interesting article on Sino-Russian relation:

https://www.saratoga-foundation.org/p/kitaizatsiya-china-in-russia-newsletter-082

There's this story about using hyalonacid to make their crotch more voluminous. So the suits need to be adapted resulting in jumping larger distances.

Define 'proper'.

@Doctor-Phibes We have our share of muslims, but that is not the real issue

@jon-nyc Belgium did NOT join.

The problem by ranking on scientific research output is that there is very often no qualitative comparison possible.
Peer reviews are almost non-existent because everyone is creating loads and loads of unnecessary papers.
Eventual reviews that do appear are more often than not written by minions who don't know what they're writing/talking about.
Academic freedom is a notion that is completely corrupted by financial greed ️

Nice to see you again!

Have your eyes checked. This is the first symptom of cataract.

Interesting read:

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/world/europe/russia-putin-aide-dmitri-kozak-ukraine-war.html

https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-claims-first-underwater-drone-sea-baby-strike-on-russian-submarine-knocking-it-out-of-service/

@Mik Haha, right so.
In Belgium we got a new 'solidarity contribution' in 1994. Was to be temporarily. Lasted till 2022 and is now adapted because it discriminated singles. It got a new name but it's still the same...

@jon-nyc One month ago I was in Paris. The restoration of the Notre Dame is indeed half a miracle.
Btw, entrance is free. They should ask 1 symbolic euro as entrance fee. Daily income would surpass 30000 euro. Within 20 years all costs would be covered.