I have to comment that my father, who fought the Japanese through Burma & Malaysia (in The 14th under General Slim), showed no qualms regarding this action by the USA. Of the very few things he ever said regarding his war experiences, the vast number of allied lives the two bombs saved (including his) was something he repeated every time the Hiroshima horrors were shown. He hinted of seeing fanatical brutal Japanese soldiers in action, lost comrades, seen the Changi POW. The idea of having allied soldiers fight on and on to walls of the Emperors Palace must have been a nightmare for Churchill and Truman.

It's total bullshit, like everything that comes out of this administration.

Some of us could still find a coding job: https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Jobs/Remote-Cobol-Programmer

@rustyfingers said in [Hallway; DIY milestone] @AndyD "I've just put on the second coat on Osmo antislip satin oil." Ooh, what's that? We have hardwood floors on our two flights and stained plywood on the flight to the basement. As we age, I'm more and more worried about slipping. We added carpet treads on one flight because our elderly dog (now deceased) kept slipping, but the others are bare. [image: 1754887623257-20250811_054600-resized.jpg] Same here. My Dad and an Uncle both slipped, fell and died on carpeted stairs. I've had fit relatives fall and break a hip on a single step in an open plan bungalow living space. I didn't want carpet. Cork replacement appears unavailable. My inlaws in Malaysia have beautiful wooden stairs, no accidents reported, they usually have bare feet. Osmo oil - was highly recommended as a wood finish by my carpenter cousin, and checking online I discovered antislip versions widely available, for decking, stairs, in satin or mat. It ain't cheap but the reviews were all excellent. B&Q. £106 for 2.5litres It works. Clear satin finish (3089/R11) First coat darkens the wood nicely as expected. Second coat makes the wood feel covered effectively. Think... very fine grit sandpaper. The oil has some grit in it, that simple. We wander about in bare feet, socks, and slippers and it is a perfect finish to the stair treads. Apparently there is advice about taking care using oils on ply or even doors that are not solid wood. Maybe apply a lot and it could affect the glue? In my ignorance I've oiled all our doors multiple times with teak oil without any problems.

Kinda like the one Musk had developed?

@wtg said in Yes or No?: Definite no. Heck, I have trouble with the escalators at IKEA! I get claustrophobic there. It’s not a store, it’s a giant escape room.

When I was younger I would have done this! Now I just want to relax when I travel. But in retirement I would love to live in this type of community. I’m assuming my sewing skills would serve me well!

Here's the Noah Smith piece that Zakaria references: https://www.noahpinion.blog/p/globalization-did-not-hollow-out

We were moving furniture at the lake house and my friend went over to McDonald’s for a coffee. He called me with great news: “Steve! I found a bunch of guys at McDonalds who aren’t busy and can help us! Only one problem - the youngest guy is 85!”

Good game last night. Crushers behind 4-0 at the end of the first inning but went on to win 10-8 with a three run homer right at the end! A bit too long for Jack, but they have that figured out too. Two big bounce houses and a playground kept him from getting bored. The ice cream stand didn’t hurt either. Fireworks show at the end. One of the best I’ve ever seen!

I hate it when that happens.

@Steve-Miller said in Fermented foods: I’ve never heard of a pickling weight. Now I want one. DIY: https://www.farmcurious.com/blogs/farmcurious/58156485-diy-fermenting-weights

@Axtremus said in Surpassing Dijkstra: I would venture to guess that anyone who has a Computer Science or Computer Engineering degree today knows Dijkstra’s name (though few will remember the algorithm itself). That would be me and you are correct on all counts. We used the book Structured Programming in some class or another; he was one of the co-authors.

France has no problem holding their corporations to account, and they are adamant in protecting the French brand, so I'm pretty confident they will do the right thing.