The first Trump presidency was a complete failure domestically but extremely successful in foreign policy.
The second Trump presidency is very successful domestically and a complete failure in foreign policy.
Yesterday, we had a meeting in support of the Physics program. The department Chair started off well by saying that a university without physics is a glorified community college.
Unfortunately, then he immediately proceeded to spoil the mood of solidarity and support by saying that there are many other departments that are less profitable than his and that should be eliminated first. The audience that consisted of Chairs of other departments experienced an immediate cooling of supportive feelings for physics.
“I have a list of the departments that I think should be eliminated right here,” the physicist ranted. “I can read it out if you want!”
Everybody sat there, feeling embarrassed and very lacking in solidarity.
On the positive side, the student newspaper came out with an excellent article covering the preceding meeting (yes, too many meetings, for sure) regarding the evisceration of physics. The last sentence of the article is now repeated by everybody on campus. We now greet each other with it.
The administration asked us not to talk about this to anybody outside the university, which is why I’m doing the exact opposite.
P.S. Since the publication of this post, the linked article was censored and the last sentence which was “Fuck the Chancellor” was removed.
I talked a woman out of an abortion once. I never met her. She was a blog reader. And I actually convinced her to have the baby. She sent me pictures. It’s a little girl.
I cried like a beluga the whole time I was corresponding with her. She had an appointment for the abortion. Everybody she knew was pressuring her to abort.
I’m really proud of this.
Honestly, getting very tired of the ceaseless prattle about the Middle East.
As for the actual Russian war, if this readout is correct, Trump conceded everything that Russia wants and got absolutely nothing in return. This is Trump’s first-term kind of ineptitude. Why it’s not possible to let Europeans deal with it and concentrate on domestic affairs has not been explained. The kind of a “deal” where the US facilitates that there’s no damage done to the Russian oil industry is no deal at all.
This is sad ineptitude and lack of seriousness.
This is verbatim the argument that Putin made 20 years ago. We have seen where this mentality led. You want the same crap in Australia? Why?
My mother is preparing for a very serious oncological surgery today. I called her, and she’s very chirpy.
“They just weighed me,” she said excitedly, “and I lost 8 kgs. And I didn’t even have to do anything!”
Women are such women. It’s really cute and gives me hope that if she can still care about losing weight, the surgery will be fine.
If you speak Russian, do yourself a solid and go read the replies under this tweet featuring a “social ad” in Russian subway:
I wept with laughter, and now my face is swollen and I’m hiccuping. People give the wittiest, most entertaining explanations of what the picture means.
This is completely apolitical and simply very funny.
I knew in early January of 2020 that COVID was leaked from a lab and wrote it on this blog. It is not my responsibility or my job to know. But I knew. So I have no compassion for people who pretend to be shocked by the realization that the official COVID narrative stank of lying.
Canadians are about to step into it hard:
Honestly, Canadians, can you find nothing better than a mini-Musk with his own messed-up child? At least, our Musk is the original. Yours will be a pale copy.
Yes, it’s a mystery why men in girls’ changing rooms and women’s jails aren’t wildly popular. And why calling everyone a racist isn’t driving favorability ratings. And why eliminating borders isn’t hugely attractive.
All Democrats do is name-calling and guilt-tripping. That it’s not attracting crowds of supporters isn’t as shocking as we are told to believe.
Those 29% who are still supportive are probably in a drug-induced stupor or completely disengaged. Give them some time to catch on, and Dem favorability will drop to single digits.
P.S. Just saw this:
Strange that this kind of thing isn’t attracting large majorities. Just incomprehensible.
A conservative literary critic and college professor
It’s 100% the quality of the ingredients.
Clarissa “I have no idea what it is.” LOL, Kid, we’ve had this dance before, and we know bloody well…
Its not the actual cooking, though would you agree? Like we have talented chefs and cooks here. Or maybe more…
Jan Smuts knew that. That’s why he lost because he was focused on the global rather than local issues.
Frankly I know food is grown in America, heck there are farms all over where I live, but I also…
I hate SYSCO.
Its likely not made with the same food. I can’t speak for Canada, but America upwards of 80% of all…
Yes, it’s also very noticeable in Europe. And absolutely, the health effect is instant and very noticeable. I have no…
I’m glad for SA, don’t get me wrong. Somebody should get some mileage out of this, and why not SA?…
I haven’t spent much time in Canada. So I can’t comment there specifically. But I have noticed that with US…
I’ve never heard of her either. This is actually a big deal for SA politicians. You can get a lot…
By the way, my sister visited SA recently and LOVED it.
It’s a little naive to think that this can be stopped locally. The economy globalized. Nobody has an off ramp.
You think the Nobel lady inspires people? It’s great if she does but it’s hard for me to believe anybody…
“have to find inspiration somewhere. Obviously with Trump” I hadn’t thought of that but the Nobels are always political as…
Actually, in SA people talk about Ramaphosa economy. So at least they are focused on who to hold responsible.
People have to find inspiration somewhere. Obviously with Trump the US is a failure.
It’s kind of bizarre that some no-name lady nobody heard of got the Nobel but the prize has been going…
https://midwestchick.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/3dd3ffca-29c9-48d2-b77e-7a7c1186f4ca.png
We just got a Nobel peace prize on the topic of the UN and international law, which isn’t that surprising…
In SA the old far right have mostly reformed themselves into a respectable if minor conservative position. The issue is…
We are totally fine! We lost electricity and cel service for three days and internet for five, but… it was…
Oh, my friend, I missed everything. Was this because of the storm? I’m so sorry you suffered. Yes, it’s extremely…
I agree, and that’s precisely why I’m not into modernist art. On the positive side, this was a short-lived moment,…
Hope the journey home goes well.
May be, it is my limitation, but I do want some kind of thinking re human nature, society, etc. from…
And yet. Some of us don’t want to have sex with a bunch of strangers, and think stability is nice.…
May her memory be eternal.
This is very possible. I have definitely become a vector of travel neuroticism for a while here. I’m working on…
I’m sorry I’m late with a reply, but this is horrible news. My condolences to your family, losing both parents…
“very neurotic about flights” Toward the end of my short vacation in Greece I began feeling very, very nervous about…
Thank you. She was 91 and not in great shape. It was time.
I’m so sorry to hear this, Vic!
I haven’t read her either. Something to correct.
I lost my own mother a few weeks earlier. She passed on what would have been the first day of…
Trump is panicking really badly. Internal polling must be atrocious. If he hadn’t gotten himself into the Iran quagmire, we’d…
“one of her compositions. Atrocious” It’s like temu Dr. Seuss….
OT: In other terrible news… Musk is severely limiting Starlink in Ukraine (probably at Trump’s request since his jihad to…
“Cage a Swallow Can’t You But You Can’t Swallow a Cage Can You” is one of her compositions. Atrocious.
Another literary AI scandal: https://www.theatlantic.com/books/2026/10/caine-prize-winning-short-story-seems-be-ai/688967/ Telling line: “the writers implicated in three major literary scandals this year were all nonwhite…
