Laguna comments

I've done a couple of "adventure" cruises on small vessels outfitted with Zodiacs so one can visit pristine shorelines and professionals in fields such as zoology and anthropology to give lectures between stops. Those were well worth it.

This? A floating shopping mall. I'd rather die.

Disposable diapers are the biggest expense. Here's what we did: we knew our babies' BM timing, in which case we'd spring for disposable; otherwise, we'd use cloth and just rinse them out in the sink. Cut diaper costs by 80%.

C'mon - it's baseball! It's not like they're exercising.

"If you describe (the water release) in one word, we can say ‘no worries.’”

Sheesh. Can't even get that right.

Zero chance. Ya dance with the devil once, and you're done.

Putin is the dog that caught the car.

Imagine if Kim Yo Jong's face was the last you ever saw.

I'm a rather slim guy at about 155 pounds (71 kilograms, or 12 stone), yet I get charged for excess baggage while a co-flyer twice my weight but with less baggage is not. (That's not to mention overflowing the seat and hogging the armrest.)

Airfare should be charged on total weight brought aboard.

Memorize your wife's shopping list (I do it twice, by total number and item) rather than writing it down. Fear of making a mistake is great motivation.

If Trump really is as rich as he says, he could easily cover the bulk of these legal expenses.

One almost feels sorry for the defendants: they were so easily duped.

Turkey's inflation rate is down to 44%, down from 86% two years ago - that is, if one can find anything worth buying.

A drowning man clutches at straw.

The sanctions don't seem to be working.

Sanctions take time to bite. Also, those on retailers, which are more easily evadable, are far less important than those on oil and gas producers and other tech-heavy industries such as airlines. Russia has neither the knowhow nor the equipment to keep them operating over the medium-term. Within a few years, their bite will be felt, and Russian living standards will revert to those of the Soviet days.

The "rising sun" flag and the naval ensign are close but not identical. Their histories can be read here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rising_Sun_Flag

Y'see, your opinion in and of itself sheds light on the problem. As Wikipedia notes:

In 2019, 69.4 percent of all individuals arrested were White, 26.6 percent were Black or African American, and 4.0 percent were of other races.

And these stats don't take into account the bias towards arresting blacks over whites.

Texas is also considering banning no-fault divorce. It's all about men controlling women's bodies.

The US Navy has a useful site for tracking typhoons. https://www.metoc.navy.mil/jtwc/jtwc.html Click on "warning graphic" to see its expected path (he current one looks to be going towards southern China) and wind strength.

I visited thinking it would be similar to my home state of California.

Instead, I found it is much more akin to Georgia.

Kinda like wearable binoculars, I'd be embarrassed to be seen with this.

Pathetic. Japan managed to wreak havoc without nuclear weapons, and Ukrainian cities are being pummeled into dust without them as well.

Also, Ms. Takahashi might do well to look into the Budapest Memorandum, under which Ukraine gave all nuclear weapons on its soil to Russia with assurances that Russia would never attack it. Look how well that's gone over. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budapest_Memorandum

Among the proposals the GOP objects to are policies that would enable Medicare to pay less for prescription drugs. Republicans also have refused to roll back Trump-era tax breaks on corporations and wealthy households as Biden’s own budget has proposed.

Those - and that Repubs have also taken defense off the table - shows their utter lack of seriousness.

Right. Better to just surrender your island.

Let's see how Republicans not agreeing to tax increases on the wealthy yet slashing domestic programs and maintaining almost a trillion dollar budget for the Pentagon goes over in November.

Providing weapons, training pilots, and now delivering Zelensky to a crucial meeting: France has really stepped up its game. Good on them. It will take a world of cooperation to return Ukraine to its proper borders.

Good question! I asked ChatGDP the same question, and she (he?) said:

As an AI language model, I don't possess personal opinions or views. However, I can provide you with some considerations regarding the use of artificial intelligence, such as ChatGPT, as a judge in a criminal trial.

Using AI as a judge in a criminal trial raises several important questions and challenges. Here are some key factors to consider:

Impartiality: Judges are expected to be impartial and unbiased in their decision-making. AI systems, including ChatGPT, can be designed to be neutral and objective, basing their decisions on available data and legal principles. However, ensuring that the AI is free from any biases or discriminatory patterns can be a significant challenge and requires careful training and evaluation.

Legal expertise: Judges need to have a deep understanding of legal principles, case precedents, and relevant statutes. While AI models can be trained on large amounts of legal data, including court cases and legal literature, they may still lack the nuanced understanding and contextual comprehension that human judges possess. The legal system is complex, and human judgment based on experience and interpretation is often required.

Accountability: Judges are accountable for their decisions, and they must explain their reasoning, legal interpretation, and application of laws. AI systems can provide explanations to some extent, but they typically lack the ability to fully articulate complex legal reasoning and may not be able to provide satisfactory justifications for their decisions. This raises concerns about transparency and the ability to challenge or appeal AI-based judgments.

Ethical considerations: The use of AI as a judge raises ethical questions, such as the potential for errors, unintended consequences, or the perpetuation of biases present in the training data. It is crucial to ensure that AI systems used in such contexts are thoroughly tested, regularly audited, and designed with fairness and ethical guidelines in mind.

Human judgment and discretion: The legal system often requires judges to exercise discretion, consider mitigating factors, and weigh various legal arguments. While AI systems can analyze data and provide insights, they may struggle with understanding the complexities of human behavior, emotions, and moral dilemmas. Human judges bring a unique perspective to the decision-making process that AI may not be able to replicate.

In summary, while AI systems like ChatGPT can assist in legal research and provide insights, completely relying on them as judges in criminal trials raises significant challenges and ethical considerations. It is important to carefully evaluate the limitations, biases, and potential consequences of AI-based decision-making in such contexts. Human judgment and oversight remain essential components of the legal system.

EFD, good points.

Raising the debt ceiling and cutting the budget are two very different things, akin to threatening not to pay your credit card bill if your partner does not agree to reign in future spending. The former is water under the bridge; the correct forum for the latter is budget discussions.

McCarthy is more worried about retaining his precarious position than of the wellbeing of Americans, particularly the less well-off.

The man with one facial expression.

Back when he was known as "Beat," he was in a scooter accident (yes - scooter!) which left the left side of his face paralyzed.

And, yes, I've been here long enough (!!) to remember that happening.

I was impressed that Biden got off his plane and went straight into a meeting with Kishida. Biden may be old, but he wastes no time.

The European Union has a per capita income of USD $39,940 (and that includes countries such as Bulgaria), while that of the PRC is $11,188 - less than a third.

China has a very long way to go to catch up with the West, and with a rapidly aging economy and stubbornly low birthrate, its economy is feared facing a crisis similar to Japan's in the '90s.

For the Repubs to argue against making payments against the national debt is dangerous and disingenuous. Many do not realize that payments on the debt are for money that has already been spent and has nothing to do with future debt (aside from the danger of higher interest rates arising from a default). Defaulting on the debt is like defaulting on one's credit card debt - it will only result in higher interest rates down the line.

If Repubs want to lower debt in future, only two approaches are possible: reduce the budget or raise taxes. Problem is that budget cuts are easy to see so become personal - will it be infrastructure (sorry; that dangerous bridge is gonna hafta do), healthcare, veterans, the military? As for the latter, restoring the Clinton-era tax regime would produce large results, but good luck getting the Repub-dominated House to go along with that.

Forcing Biden to cancel his Asia trip to deal with such tripe is a global embarrassment not lost on such centers as Zhongnanhai and the Kremlin. All thanks to Repubs who should - and likely do - know better.

DeSantis is doing his all-but-announced presidential run no favors. Oh, and I've been to Disneyworld. Disney is a wonderful steward of its land, most of which is pristine swampland full of wildlife.