Democrats don't have a serious choice here. This is a classic prisoner's dilemma. The moral high ground where both sides "understood" the unspoken rules is long gone. If the Democrats continue to play nice in the vain hope that Republicans have a conscience, we surrender to the Fascist Republican Republic of America. I haven't seen a reliable national map yet of likely outcomes if both sides "do it," but my guess is that there is more scope for partisan gerrymandering in Democratic leaning states, since GOP states are mostly well-gerrymandered already. California is a particularly rich source of potential Democratic seats because they have a commission that redistricts independent of Sacramento. That's gotta go so that seven GOP seats can be eliminated. Too damn bad the GOP will be reduced to a rump even though they have 35% of the vote. That's what the GOP is doing in most other states.

Ok, I felt guilty so I read it. I love the 95 year old activest. Trump on the other hand is unrealistic, if he's to be believed, and I don't believe him, arbitrary, and sadistic, like his friend the governor of FL.

That is an excellent picture of you! I'm glad the two of you had a good time!

Sigh. I remember the whole Apollo XIII event as it unrolled in real time.

Yes to “Recently Saved.” The other place it would show up is back in chronological order with the original picture. That makes me nuts when I’m trying to find it!

Re bar is usually encased in concrete. If you keep it out of the sun I’dexpect the expox to last a very long time. Certainly longer than steel rebar once it gets wet, and much longer yet than rebar that gets wet with seawater.

Nothing good will come of this.

Does anyone know his true identity? He's a disciple of a tech lord whose name I won't mention. Hint: Don't go to the Yale's library. Go to Google.

It won't end well.

I've noticed.

I use Teeccino as a coffee substitute. I use it in my expresso maching. I like the flavor though it does not mimic coffee well. There is zero caffeine in it. I get it from Amazon.

College applications rise outside US as Trump cracks down on international students The U.S. remains the first choice for many international students, but institutions elsewhere are recognizing opportunity in the upheaval, and applicants are considering destinations they might have otherwise overlooked. The impact on U.S. universities — and the nation’s economy — may be significant. Data showing the extent of any impact will not be available until fall, said Mike Henniger, CEO of Illume Student Advisory Services, a consultancy that works with colleges in the U.S., Canada and Europe. “But the American brand has taken a massive hit, and the U.K. is the one that is benefiting,” he said. https://apnews.com/article/international-students-visas-trump-uk-dubai-6fd432398ce4c87f49a89c9c39421dec

I forgot the worst part. I was leaving and apparently crushed a garden lizard between the top of the door and the door frame. This was when I noticed the wasps. I was hoping its tail was just cut off but it was dead. It didn't look like a good omen so I found a stick and knocked it to the ground.

@Bernard said @Steve-Miller Many the time I saw rats on the subway tracks waiting for the train in the NYC subway system! Same on the London Underground. When a train approaches they vanish. Jack Russel dogs are our ratters though any small terrier like Border or Patterdale or Fox will have the natural instinct.

But not very many.

Another AI experiment. What Happened When I Tried to Replace Myself with ChatGPT in My English Classroom Piers Gelly on a Semester-Long Dive into the AI Discourse https://lithub.com/what-happened-when-i-tried-to-replace-myself-with-chatgpt-in-my-english-classroom/?user_id=66c4c06e5d78644b3aab4472

I did not find it as good as brining and gentle sautéing. They were a bit dry, but then I did not follow the directions precisely and they were fairly small pieces.

LOLOL and Texas related, of course.