China states that it is to cut off supply for military applications. More likely it was a tit-for-tat response to the CHIPS act. Cut China off from the most advanced chips, they cut the US off from the raw materials to make chips.

If it is actually about military applications that’s more worrisome. US generals have predicted war with China in the near future as a foregone conclusion.

Trade war is one thing. Military conflict between the two global superpowers would be disastrous.

Until they got a taste for skin and things took a dark turn.

Putin is openly anti-communist.

What about the fact that many large VPNs are owned by (the same) ad companies / data mining companies? Despite the technical discussion, aren’t we ultimately placing our trust in the hands of the untrustworthy?

If it happened to billionaire submariner, it will happen to billionaire spaceman.

I’m in too deep on Dome Keeper. It’s a good little game.

He was smoking the reefer, too! He sold that film for drug money.

You can still be a middle-aged Tiktok star complaining about the high prices compared to the good old days.

That option remains. Seize it. Dominate the airwaves. Organize a rebellion.

Alive oil comes from the fountain of youth. For a canister that’s a great deal!

Geekandmisandry. Misandry ie. someone who hates men.

Well at least you’re open about it. Many aren’t when they attack men.

Here’s the thing about “toxic masculinity”. Some people are toxic. Women and men tend to express that toxicity in different ways. Attacking an entire gender for the behaviour of the worst is stereotyping.

More broadly it’s part of the modern notion that we are on teams and that the other team is bad.

Tariffs can be paid by the export country, indirectly. They usually have to lower the price of the commodity to make it competitive under tariffs.

Under Fordist economics the domestic industrial boost would lead to increased wages and buying power.

Under neoliberalism the domestic industrial capitalists gain a larger market share and then don’t pay their workers more. Then they are faced with the problem of what to do with products that are unaffordable.

Friendly reminder that VOA, aka Voice of America, is a subsidiary of the US Agency for Global Media. It was established to convince people in the Soviet sphere that the US was better in every way. It continues that mission with America’s allies and enemies today.

The process of opening up a country’s media space is integral to getting those State department messages in there.

DDT is an extreme way to get rid of mosquitos. Seal up the gaps in your window screens. Keep the bedroom door closed. It’s working for me during mosquito season on the subtropical island where I live.

I realize I’m giving advice to a comic about a banned chemical.

I grow old, I grow old

I wear my trousers rolled

Shall I eat a peach?

Nah, it’s 3:00 pre-boiled egg time

Then some Wheel of Fortune QI and a nap

Aglets. You can buy replacement aglets if it really bothers you.

They knew what they were doing here.

It really was. I’ve watched it several times.

I’m not really sure what’s well known unless it’s enormously popular.

I’ve looked up the director, writer and actors from Rubicon to find similarly great work but this seemed to be a special convergence.

Rubicon

If you like espionage but from the analytical side.

Counterpart

If you like espionage, JK Simmons, and parallel dimensions

Berlin Station S1

If you like espionage and postwar Germany

BRICS is taking great strides forward. The rapprochement between China and India is necessary for that.

They have a new designation, partner country, allowing countries to take part without full agreement on all BRICS policies. Turkiye is joining as a partner despite its membership in NATO.

A grain exchange is being created, with other commodities exchanges to follow. Discussions on resisting sanctions, guaranteeing food security and energy security.

We are seeing the emergence of the new global organization.

Agreed that it likely depends on the region it was bought in. For most businesses and government services I have found the quality of customer service has dropped through the floor in North America as compared to 20 years ago. I worked in customer service for years and it’s always been a horrible job. But it can be made better or worse by how the department is managed.

Lenovo Canada’s customer service, shipping, and possibly quality control teams appear to be overworked because the result is slipshod work, ignoring the customer, and general incompetence. Again, I worked in the field and don’t blame the individuals.

They are trading on their good name, and eroding it at the same time. Glad to hear it’s better in Europe.