In the News

I read the news this morning—oh boy.

A man who posted violent threats against President Joe Biden and other officials online was shot dead during an FBI raid on Wednesday. (source)

"I’ve never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure."
~ Clarence Darrow
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Floodwaters in Norway have sent mobile homes crashing into a bridge on the Hemsilar river. (source)

Norway has tin human containers too? I thought that was unique to America. I mean, don’t you have to pledge allegiance to Cheeto before you can move into one?
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A prisoner believed to have been released early to fight with Wagner mercenaries in Ukraine has been accused of committing a double murder in Russia after returning home from the war.
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We have confirmed that suspects in about 20 serious offences, including rape and murder, are fighters recruited by the Wagner mercenary group in prison and released early to serve in Ukraine. (source)

Quelle surprise! Not. I bet Vladimort views this, if he sees it at all, as nothing more than necessary collateral damage.

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A candidate in Ecuador's forthcoming presidential election who campaigned against corruption and gangs has been shot dead at a campaign rally.

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He is one of the few candidates to allege links between organised crime and government officials in Ecuador.

A criminal gang called Los Lobos (The Wolves) has claimed responsibility. (source)

This is exactly what Cheeto wants his myriad deranged fanbois to do. Snuff out the opposition.

Also, I now have Kiko And The Lavender Moon by the band (NOT the gang) Los Lobos playing in my head. This is a good thing.
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What if we, humans that is, stopped fishing? What would happen if we all stopped eating seafood of any sort. I already abstain from oysters, mussels, (because I don’t really enjoy them) squid, octopus, (because they’re handsome as hell AND smart!) shrimp (because shrimp trawling destroys the seafloor) and lobster (too much work to eat AND they look like horror movie insects). For the sake of the marine ecosystem, could I give up cod, salmon, crab and tuna?

In less than a century, once-thriving ecosystems have become deserts, one of the world's favourite fish is nearing extinction and at the collapsed fishery in Newfoundland, up to 810,000 tonnes of cod that were historically caught each year have gone missing. In fact, humans have utterly transformed the planet's oceans, decreasing the total biomass of fish by an estimated 100 million tonnes since prehistoric times. It's thought that 90% of the planet's fish stocks have already been used up. (source)

Doesn’t look like I’m gonna have a lot of choice in the matter. Best to take them off my menu now.

Cake chilling on my rollator

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Here along the coast of Massachusetts, the temps have dropped. We’re no longer suffering through 90º (and higher) temperatures. At least I don’t live in Phoenix where, on July 18th, it hit 118º OR Coober Pedy, Australia.

In this corner of the world, 60% of the population inhabits homes built into the iron-rich sandstone and siltstone rock. In some neighbourhoods, the only signs of habitation are ventilation shafts sticking up, and the excess soil that has been dumped near entrances.

In the winter, this troglodyte lifestyle may seem merely eccentric. But on a summer's day, Coober Pedy – loosely translated from an indigenous Australian term that means "white man in a hole"– needs no explanation: it regularly hits 52C (126F), so hot that birds have been known to fall from the sky and electronics must be stored in fridges. (source) 

And that's the news or as much as I'm gonna read today anyway.