WTF-Beta

Top-down cardigan for knitters:

https://blog.tincanknits.com/2023/04/26/classic-cardigan/

The best science and nature books of 2025

From the threat of superintelligent AI to the secrets of a longer life; plus the evolution of language and the restless genius of Francis Crick

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/dec/03/best-science-nature-books-2025-sadiah-qureshi-robert-macfarlane-eric-topol

Am reading Super Agers and will add the Crick biography to my list. Probably Proto, too.

Topol talks to the author of the Crick book:

https://erictopol.substack.com/p/the-story-of-francis-crick-a-new?publication_id=587835&post_id=179191415&isFreemail=true&r=1v8sh2&triedRedirect=true

Days after issuing him a pardon, Donald Trump criticized US House member Henry Cuellar of Texas for deciding to run for re-election as a Democrat.

Trump pardoned Cuellar and the congressman’s wife on Wednesday as they faced bribery charges. They were alleged to have accepted thousands of dollars from Azerbaijan and a Mexican bank in exchange for advancing their interests.

Shortly after the pardon, Cuellar filed for re-election as a Democrat and said he had no intention of changing his party.

Trump suggested on Sunday that Cuellar was targeted by Democrats for being critical of the party’s position on immigration – before the president went on to say that the congressman was not loyal.

The statement constituted another example of how Trump expects loyalty from those who benefit from him.

“I never spoke to the Congressman, his wife, or his daughters, but felt very good about fighting for a family that was tormented by very sick and deranged people – They were treated sooo BADLY!” Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social site on Sunday. “Such a lack of LOYALTY, something that Texas Voters, and Henry’s daughters, will not like. Oh’ well, next time, no more Mr. Nice guy!”.

https://theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/07/trump-henry-cuellar-pardon-democrat-reelection-texas

One of my favorites:

https://petapixel.com/2025/12/02/the-20-breathtaking-winners-of-international-landscape-photogrpaher-of-the-year-2025/

Finally, a Peace Prize.

Trump wins his peace prize from Fifa – any chance of a VAR review?

At a gaudy and gauche World Cup draw, Gianni Infantino went all out to flatter the world’s most precious ego

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/05/trump-peace-prize-fifa-world-cup

Pearl Harbor survivors. None of them will be at today’s remembrance ceremony.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/07/us/pearl-harbour-bombing-anniversary-hnk

A 1960s James Bond-style Aston Martin DB5 - which became so dilapidated local children played on it - has been restored and is now worth £1m.

John Williams, 71, from Mold, Flintshire, bought the vehicle second hand in 1973 for £985 - the equivalent of about £15,000 today.

He last drove the car, made famous in films Goldfinger and Thunderball, in his 20s, before leaving it to rust on his driveway.

Mr Williams saved £400,000 for a three-year restoration at Aston Martin's Buckinghamshire works, where experts had to remove a mouse nest before carrying out 2,500 hours of repairs.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c93w8xxj09jo

The Trump administration released its much-anticipated National Security Strategy this week. CFR convened seven of its experts to discuss the implications of a document that could reorient the United States’ approach toward the world.

Expert Brief by Rebecca Lissner, Will Freeman, David Sacks, Liana Fix, Steven A. Cook, Michelle Gavin, and Paul B. Stares

https://www.cfr.org/expert-brief/unpacking-trump-twist-national-security-strategy

Can tai chi help insomnia? Recent study published in the BMJ says it might.

https://san.com/cc/tai-chi-and-the-art-of-getting-a-good-nights-sleep/?utm_placement=newsletter&user_id=66c4c06e5d78644b3aab4472

The study:

https://www.bmj.com/content/391/bmj-2025-084320

Photo gallery:

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2025/dec/05/frank-gehry-architecture-in-pictures

They are intriguing but I have to say they're not my style of architecture.

In 2026, Americans will get free admission to national parks on President Donald Trump's birthday but no longer on Juneteenth and Martin Luther King Jr. Day, according to the National Park Service website.

Previously, the National Park Service included these two federal holidays among its free-entry days for its 116 parks.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/experience/national-parks/2025/12/05/national-parks-free-entry-days-2026/87631147007/

Trump Rushmore next?

Congratulations, @piano-dad !

https://bsky.app/profile/dhfeldman.bsky.social/post/3m7beyzq2z22g

Meta has started removing Australian children under 16 years old from its Instagram, Facebook and Threads platforms, a week before an official teen social media ban begins.

The tech giant announced last month it had begun notifying users aged between 13 to 15 years old that their accounts would start being shut down from 4 December.

An estimated 150,000 Facebook users and 350,000 Instagram accounts are expected to be affected. Threads, similar to X, can only be accessed via an Instagram account.

Australia's world-first social media ban starts on 10 December, with companies facing fines of up to A$49.5m (US$33m, £25m) if they fail to take "reasonable steps" to stop under-16s from having accounts.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdxekqryn1jo

@jodi @steve-miller

We've never had one. Are they heavy to move?

Ah, I could see it now — a life, a good life, a Utican life. It’s the best of Brooklyn without all the noise, it’s urban and provinical all at once.

https://shagbark.substack.com/p/meditation-upon-a-cannoli

It appeared in the feed at another site

That @dougg , he gets around....

Definitely am getting varied results depending on the skin. Some do different colors for read/unread threads.

I also get a message above the list of threads that says "Load new posts", which I click on that basically refreshes the Recent list, which is the page I usually operate from.

Interesting. I never noticed if there is anything greyed out. I look at the Unread icon in the upper left area, and if there's a number there I just click on it and it brings up the list of things that I haven't read. That's my driver to read new stuff.

I logged in as my admin persona in Firefox and am trying a few things out.

I wonder if some of these features operate differently depending on the skin you use. Which skin are you using? I do see that at least one skin (the one I picked for my admin account so I know if I have superpowers on) seems to change the color of the thread title after I look at the thread. On my regular account I use Flatly Vapor, which is a dark skin.