John

Thanks, John! We have already planned to go to the Catacombs. We went to the Sedlec Ossuary when we were in Prague, and the Catacombs sound like a similar idea on a larger scale. I looked at Musee de La Musique but I think it’ll have to wait until another trip - but it’s on my list of things to consider if the weather is truly terrible one day so our afternoon non-plans of wandering whichever neighbourhood aren’t ideal! I love the Canal St Martin boat tour idea! I’ll look into that. Thank you!

Not for a few years now. My partner sold his house about 5 years ago and of course the observatory went with it. I still have a very nice Astro-Physics refractor but it might be going away soon as well. Another good friend wants to buy it from me and move to Nevada. I don't use it at all as our night skies have fallen prey to sever light pollution. The new Casino that is due to open up this fall is about 1 mile from us as the crow flies. It is going to make things a lot worse. I have lost all motivation to even set it up.

I do only one puzzle…the one in the NYT print edition (might be Spelling Bee?) where you get 7 letters and make as many 5-or-more letter words as you can. (It may be different in the online game.). I can sometimes get to “Excellent” but rarely “Genius.”

But the United States does not have a king. In a representative democracy, the people must have confidence in the health of their leader, and in the leader’s capacity to guide the nation. We have been kept in the dark too long. True. But the role of presidency as defined by the Constitution is supposed to be limited. We have reached an age of celebrity presidents and that glorification is no good for anyone, left or right. We have a House and Senate that have completely reneged on their responsibility to run this country.

Im listening to Regime Change, the new bestseller from Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan about the first year+ of the second Trump administration. Very deeply reported, Bob Woodward style. Interesting if at times a little depressing reliving some of the lowlights of 2025. I hope they write another about the Iran war.

Watching A Spy Among Friends on Prime Video. There are six episodes in the series.

@jon-nyc He did the rational thing. Still it is Trump. Always good for a laugh if you are laughing at him. Wonder if the smell ruined the food.

Most have no gear changes at all - here's probably more than you needed to know: https://thedailyautomotive.com/does-electric-car-has-gear/ "Why just one gear? Electric motors are incredibly efficient. They can operate effectively across a wide range of speeds, from a complete stop to highway cruising. Unlike a gas engine, which needs gears to stay in its “sweet spot” for power, an electric motor gives you instant torque at any speed. It’s like having a car that’s always in the perfect gear. Pretty cool, right?"

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Fun!

Pig squealing contest in France. https://x.com/MarioNawfal/status/2087431388253524443/video/1?s=46

Very nice! Would make an interesting project.

Yes, moving. Thanks, people. New skit about my alma mater. Link to video He/ they continue to find ways to fulfill their destructive mission.

"He doesn't really mean that." Is what many said before they voted for him. What preparations for that are being done? I have no faith in the DNC.

That's what I thought, but wasn't Air Force One the plane that WAS properly outfitted against attacks?

@wtg thanks for this. My most recent hotel stay was actually on a university campus, so I used the campus wi fi service (which is called eduroam and should be very secure). But I have a lot of conference travel coming up this fall and next spring, and most of those are massive hotel/convention center places.