WTF-Beta

leg

Happy birthday!!

essence

Deb Cohen is an award winning investigative journalist and correspondent who trained as a physician and has worked with the BBC and BMJ. She just published BAD INFLUENCE, a book which takes us deep into the wellness-industrial complex—the confluence of the supplement, testing, tech, and pharma industries, and how they sell health anxiety to healthy people.

https://erictopol.substack.com/p/deborah-cohen-the-wellness-industrial?publication_id=587835&post_id=207850718&isFreemail=true&r=1v8sh2&triedRedirect=true

The world has figured out Trump's negotiating style and various countries are adjusting their strategies. Here's Canada re tariffs:

Prime Minister Mark Carney told his negotiators to walk away from the table after the Trump administration introduced late unacceptable demands on culture, autos and sovereignty that, when taken in concert with their overall approach to talks, revealed the U.S. was not interested in a "true economic partnership" with Canada.

In a departure from his usual diplomatic language, Carney suggested the U.S. sometimes signs trade deals in "pencil," and while Canada's government is united and working together, the same is not true of the Trump administration.

"We cannot accept what they've offered, and we will not give what they've asked," Carney said on Saturday in Ottawa, adding that the United States 'asked too much and offered too little.'

The prime minister revealed that the U.S. had issues with Canada's subsidies for French culture; the prevalence of French-language media online and even the requirement to have bilingual labels on products sold in Canada.

"It was unacceptable right from the start, but the Americans kept trying and trying and we said no," Carney said. "Ultimately it's simple. That was never on the table for Canada and it would not have been acceptable to Canadians."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/mark-carney-counter-tarrif-response-9.7316934

Alta Vista

Me, too.

Lovely as both of them are, they feel too remote. Good for vacation. Not so much for living in full time. While I'm kind of a hermit in many respects, I still like having people living nearby me.

The video shows what appears to be a roll of cash so thick it would impress Tony Soprano. White-gloved hands place the wad in an empty Doritos bag, and toss it casually under a tree. The camera pans to show people hanging out in the park, completely unaware of the treasure left in their midst.

Shortly after, an Instagram account called @nyc_money_hunt posts the video, writing beneath it, "Finders keepers Tag us when you find the cash!"

The next day, more than 200 miles north, an unrelated account called @passpassbos makes a similar post: "Here's a BIG drop for you Boston. Like this reel if you think the patriots are taking down the bills today!!!! good luck on this hunt"

Subsequent videos from each account show winners finding the money within minutes, and others not far behind, arriving too late to claim the loot.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cash-drop-videos-us-cities/

Bingo.

asleep

An Army unit based in Europe that was specializing in drone warfare has been directed to end its efforts to learn and use the battlefield technology and return to being a traditional infantry battalion, officials said Thursday.

https://apnews.com/article/drones-army-ukraine-iran-war-hegseth-b4d70633a8832d779f3d4002b30298e3

khana

fitness

South Carolina Sen. Darline Graham has given opponents fresh ammunition to attack her on her biggest vulnerability: her inexperience.

She revealed a major blindspot in her understanding of a critical foreign policy issue, U.S.-Taiwan relations, during Tuesday’s debate for the Aug. 25 snap Senate primary runoff to replace her late brother Lindsey Graham. Her response spread like wildfire on social media, with critics saying it proves she is “unprepared” to take office.

Asked whether Taiwan and the South China Sea are relevant national security priorities, Graham responded: “I’m just going to be honest here … I’m not that informed on national security, so.” She added that “national security is not my thing, not my area of expertise, but I do support the military.”

It was a notable acknowledgement from a sitting senator, as tensions rise between China and Taiwan — and as the U.S. preoccupation with the Iran war calls into question how reliable a supporter it might be amid fears of a possible future invasion of Taiwan.

The gaffe exposed the exact weakness that her runoff opponent, GOP Rep. Ralph Norman, has been eager to highlight: the senator’s lack of tenure

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/19/darline-graham-taiwan-flub-south-carolina-senate-01042395

oats

In the heat, that is...We're not among them, but I see that several areas of the country are experiencing really high temps.

Everyone OK out there?

@ShiroKuro said:

Have you looked into any programs that offer guided exercises or PT for older adults?

I've been doing some of the exercises recommended by this physiotherapist and have found them to be quite helpful. I was starting to feel like the stairs were getting a bit tougher to manage, but as soon as I started some of the exercises I noticed a significant change in how I climbed the stairs.

https://www.youtube.com/@MindBodyHorizons

Yikes @steve-miller . These incidents are definitely a wake-up call. Glad it wasn't worse.

I was thinking about trying to get a cabinet down from the second floor by myself by sliding it down the stairs on its side.

Think I'll call a nice strapping young neighbor over to help me...or maybe two strapping young neighbors to do it for me....

See

Fareed Zakaria's weekly op-ed in WaPo

The Iran war is a master class in squandering a superpower’s credibility

Trump treats promises like bluffs. Allies are responding by building alternatives.

https://archive.is/NtyoB