“Don’t ever be the first to stop applauding.”
-- Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, writing about the unfortunate director of the local paper factory
mannerofspeaking.org/2010/05/12/s...
An Emperor Shrimp (Zenopontonia rex). The "bonus" is that's not a rock, it's Thelenota anax, one of the chonkiest sea cucumbers, and the shrimp will spend its life on it. #scuba #marinelife #underwaterphotography
Cherry Plum in blossom in a garden.
Cherry Plum blossom and some blue sky.
Park Lane, Norwich, today.
An amazing sight.
Get out there and be great today.
The Blue Jay doesn't look impressed.
Why shouldn't everyone join in and do their own thing? What could go wrong?
Negative impact of deportations according to a Brookings Inst. Study.
www.brookings.edu/articles/the....
The Pentagon calculated it was spending $1 billion a day on Trump and Netanyahu’s war. The truth? It was $3 billion…and that’s just for munitions.
Plus they’ve alarmed everyone by burning through scarce munitions in a matter of days.
Old fashioned (medieval) justice whoever pays the biggest bribe wins. For example, Paramount and WB.
New in PN: The worst cabinet in history
"Even having one or two cabinet members as disastrous as Noem, Hegseth, Kennedy, or Bondi would be a stain on any administration; putting them all in one govt has created a kind of Bizarro World 1927 Yankees, an all-star team of incompetence and malevolence."
Buying the dip doesn't work as well when the country is run by a dip.
The Great Pumpkin Nebula (SH2-232) region is a faint complex HII molecular cloud in the constellation Auriga at ~ 5,870 light years from Earth. There are also the two smaller HII regions(SH2-231,SH2-233) plus a planetary nebula in the pumpkins center. -Updated 03/08/26 Equipment: Telescope: SVBony SV503 80ed Camera: ZWO ASI533 mc pro Mount: ZWO AM5 FIlter: ASKAR C1 Ha/Oiii duo band Exposure: 1.5 hours Sky: Bortle 3 Frame exposure: 3 min Camera Temp: -12C Processed in SIRIL and Photoshop
The Great Pumpkin Nebula (SH2-232) region is a faint complex HII molecular cloud in the constellation Auriga at ~ 5,870 light years from Earth. There are also the two smaller HII regions(SH2-231,SH2-233) plus a planetary nebula in the pumpkins center.
-Updated 03/08/26
#astronomy #astrophotography
The figure shows the number of Canadian resident visitors returning to Canada from the US in each week of 2023, 2024, and 2025. Figures are in thousands of visitors. The percentage figure represents the change in 2025 relative to the average of 2023 and 2024. President Trump’s rhetoric about a possible acquisition of Canada and escalating trade tensions led to a 25% decline in Canadian visits to the US in 2025. This column uses smartphone foot-traffic data and employment records to explore how this negative demand shock affected US local labour markets, especially in the food services, retail, and leisure sectors. By mid-2025, establishments in areas with the highest share of Canadians among visitors employed roughly 6% fewer workers relative to establishments in less exposed markets, and spillover effects may imply even larger employment losses. The findings highlight a channel of harm that trade policy debates often overlook.
By mid-2025, US establishments in areas w/ the highest share of Canadians among visitors employed roughly 6% fewer workers relative to establishments in less exposed markets, w/ a 25% overall decline in Canadian visits to the US in 2025.
A Kurmann, E Lalé, J Martin
cepr.org/voxeu/column...
#EconSky
Some birds can only dream of being great.
A golden weeping willow in the park near the community centre (Clarence Lido, for those who know)
Blue sky and a willow weeping gold 🌱🌳
#BlueSkyMonday #Spring #Trees #ECK
Gas Prices See Near-Historic Weekly Jump as US Attacks Iran, Sending Oil Skyward, by @GasBuddyGuy open.substack.com/pub/gasprice...
He ran on tariffs. Did you not know that is inflationary? Did you take any economic classes in college?
There is apparently credible evidence that the president of the United States is a pedophile. The comforting phrase “accused him without evidence” no longer fits this situation, and journalists must resort to the more perfunctory “hasn’t been formally charged.” www.thedailybeast.com/key-details-...
Everything is explainable once you accept the cruelty is the point. It's not about freeing anyone or making anyone's life better. It's not about strategy or policy or victory or patriotism. Just being as destructive as possible.
Very vermillion indeed.
A male Northern Cardinals rests quietly in dappled light and shade that highlight his face and eyes.
Contemplative Cardinal
Their color, crests and poses make male Northern Cardinals one of the most #photogenic birds.
I love capturing them or any bird in dappled #LightAndShade created by foliage. This guy looks like he has something serious on his mind.
#birds #BirdoftheDay #photography
For @alan678.bsky.social alt #BirdOfTheDay theme of #LightAndShade a Green Heron stalking its next meal. I also happen to think these guys are #photogenic
With the right lighting, even a common bird is spectacular.
A tranquil landscape photograph of a river flowing through a woodland. In the foreground, water rushes over dark, moss-covered rocks, creating a small white-water rapid. To the right, a large tree trunk is covered in green moss and ivy, with a small shrub displaying copper-coloured autumn leaves at its base. The river continues into the background, surrounded by a dense forest of bare and evergreen trees under a soft, overcast light.
Afon Llugwy
#betwsycoed #cymru #photography #shootGR #GRist #GRsnaps
There's a profound arrogance driving Pete Hegseth and Stephen Miller. They simply don't think voters have deeply held convictions of any kind and can be manipulated into believing anything: Dropping bombs on children and deporting grandmothers is strength, video game war is real life, etc.
Trump somehow found someone even dumber than Noem.
The conflict has already led to the suspension of almost a fifth of global crude oil and natural gas supply.
There was a recent Pew Research poll about how many people thought the morality of their citizens were good or bad. In Canada 97% of people rated their fellow citizens as somewhat or mostly good. In the US (last among 26 countries) 53% saw their fellow citizens as somewhat or mostly bad.
