I often hear science-adjacent folks stating that a tree needs to be 30 years old before it starts absorbing CO₂, usually paired with the statement that it’s therefore pointless to start planting tons of trees now for slowing climate change....
They are related, because the energy they use and the mass they grow both come from absorbed CO2.
In other words, every molecule of CO2 expelled by a tree was previously absorbed by the tree. Unlike humans, energy use by trees is carbon neutral. Which means trees cannot grow unless they absorb more CO2 than they expel.
Probably because the writer is not reporting her own original research. She is reporting work done by others, they often used metric, and any metric units were converted to common US units because the article was intended for a general American audience.
And why isn’t there a button to restore the original metric units? Same reason why when a newspaper reports a translated quote from Macron or Putin or Xi, there is usually no button to restore the original French or Russian or Chinese: the editor decided that it wasn’t necessary for the intended audience.
I tried to buy the LE on launch day, and couldn’t get through the payment page. When it was listed as sold out, I bought a regular deck without much difficulty.
Then I saw the LE was available again, and decided to try to buy it again. I was planning to cancel my original order if I could get the LE.
I tried to check out dozens of times over the next 24 hours, but on the final page I kept getting the “something went wrong” error.
About an hour ago, I decided to cancel my original order (you can do this by requesting a refund on the order page). The refund was issued 15 minutes later.
I went back and tried to order the LE again, 30 minutes after the refund was confirmed. Went through on the very first try.
So from my limited experience, I think Steam might be blocking all LE orders (and maybe even regular deck orders?) if you already have an active order.
Donald Trump got caught red-handed during his $250 million New York bank fraud trial on Monday when lawyers for the New York attorney general’s office revealed Trump had long ago signed financial documents with the clear intent that they would be used to curry favor with banks....
The NY case is going to end up with hundreds of millions of fines and the dismantling of Trump’s real estate business. Which is a pretty big deal.
There is a common sentiment of “just send him to jail already” but that’s not how due process works. He’s not going to get sentenced to jail before he’s been convicted in the Georgia case or the federal cases.
And despite the common sentiment, people aren’t generally thrown in jail for the first violation of a gag order, or even the second one. They generally get fined a few thousand dollars the first few times, which is exactly what happened to Trump.
Jailing Trump for two gag order violations might be briefly satisfying, but it would be immediately reversed on appeal and throw the whole case into question. So the judges need to do everything by the book.
He’s going to lose hundreds of millions of dollars and control of his real estate properties. That’s a serious consequence, particularly for someone who is not actually a billionaire and is seeking office mainly in order to drum up business for his real estate properties.
There’s a reason why is acting so outraged right now, and it’s because he’s not acting.
If you want Trump to face more than a fine, then you’ll have to wait for him to actually be convicted of a crime. That won’t happen until next year at the earliest. And while conviction is the most likely outcome, it’s not guaranteed.
So if you make an AI generated movie and then add one voice actor, then I can copy and sell everything except the voice actor.
I can copy the movie replacing the voice actor with another, edit them out entirely, write and sell a novelization, use the images from your movie to make action figures and T shirts…
Let’s say you have 100k in the bank. The equivalent purchase for you
Not necessarily a good comparison, because most people with 100K in the bank have a higher income/savings ratio than Bezos (whose income is basically just the return on his wealth).
So it would be more accurate to say, “Let’s say you are retired with 100K in the bank. The equivalent expense for you would be $50.64”.
Well, there has certainly been a change in tone from the US, with new calls for a pause in fighting. And this is likely to affect the shape of the current aid package.
But Israel is ultimately a sovereign country. Biden doesn’t support Israel unconditionally as some have accused, but he also can’t force Israel to do what he wants.
The US hasn’t sent any military equipment to Israel since the attack on October 7.
Biden requested a package, but Congress hasn’t yet approved it. It consists mainly of missile defense systems, not weapons for the current offensive. And it includes an almost equal dollar amount in humanitarian aid.
If you’re referring to the US, they haven’t sent Israel any weapons since the October 7 attacks. They have already warned Israel to obey the rules of war. And currently the US is not considering sending bombs, only anti-missile systems for Israel alongside humanitarian aid for Gazans.
First of all, Biden hasn’t sent any weapons to Israel since October 7. And he’s not planning to send “guns and bombs”, he is asking Congress for anti-missile systems accompanied by humanitarian aid for Gaza. Which I think is appropriate.
Second, I don’t think Bibi interpreted that as a blank check. I think Bibi is an idiot who doesn’t care what Biden thinks. In a follow-up speech on 10/19, Biden had much more to say:
President Netanyahu and I discussed again, yesterday, the critical need for Israel to operate by the laws of war. That means protecting civilians in combat as best as they can. The people of Gaza urgently need food, water and medicine. …
As I said in Israel, as hard as it is, we cannot give up on peace. We cannot give up on a two-state solution. Israel and Palestinians equally deserve to live in safety, dignity and peace. …
When I was in Israel yesterday, I said that when America experienced the hell of 9/11, we felt enraged as well, and while we sought and got justice, we made mistakes. So I caution the government of Israel not to be blinded by rage.
However, Israel is a sovereign country and unfortunately isn’t taking orders from the US. The US is trying its usual approach of attempting to bribe a foreign government into better behavior, but success is hardly guaranteed.
Biden’s aid package consists of anti-missile defense systems and humanitarian aid to Gazans. I have no problem with either of those, and neither should Gazans.
The aircraft carrier and other naval forces aren’t doing anything except trying to keep other countries from entering the conflict and shooting down missiles. Which again I have no problem with.
If you must draw a silly analogy, it’s like showing up to the bank robbery and opening a suitcase full of bulletproof vests.
Some of the tactics are questionable, namely dragging in students who never signed the letter in question.
But if you did sign an open letter, then I think you basically doxxed yourself. I mean, the purpose of signing an open letter is to publicly endorse whatever it says.
Doesn’t matter if it’s a student or otherwise. If you sign a public document, then you should not be afraid to be associated with the document. Otherwise what is the point of signing it?
And again, student or not if they didn’t sign it then they should be left alone (even if they are indirectly related to someone who did sign it).
I don’t think so. To summarize, a bunch of students signed a letter on their own behalf or on behalf of the student organizations they lead. Their names were collected and published on a website. I don’t see any problem in that. If you sign a letter, you should own it.
The website further denounces the letter as well as organizations like al-Jazeera as anti-semitic. That’s fine too. Public debate naturally involves people in the debate accusing each other of all sorts of things: anti-semitic, fascist, racist, sexist, whatever. If you don’t like that kind of negative feedback, don’t make public statements - such as signing letters.
The website further drags individuals who had nothing to do with the letter into the debate. That’s inappropriate.
The did include faces, but so what? If you sign something in public, why would you expect strangers to be unable to associate you with what you signed?
And being misconstrued is also part of public debate. Always has been. You can’t expect to denounce something in public and not get yourself denounced in return. You can’t expect everyone you publicly oppose to be fair or open-minded when they clap back.
The FBI did question some people on that website, but not necessarily because of that website. For example, they questioned one person on that website because of his Facebook post:
Everything McCarthy did, he did to please Republicans. Most Republicans privately don’t want a shutdown, they know it’s electoral poison for the GOP. Especially for Republicans in vulnerable districts, like Boebert (ever wonder why she voted to keep government open? Now you know).
Likewise, apart from a few loudmouths Republicans generally want Ukraine aid - in fact McConnell insists on it - and that’s the only reason McCarthy included it.
McCarthy wasn’t doing Democrats any favors. On the contrary, he backstabbed Democrats when he thought he could get away with it. No reason for Democrats to support someone like that.
Johnson isn’t deaf, Republicans will privately make the same demands to him that they did to McCarthy, he has to do what they want just like McCarthy did, and Democrats know it. Hopefully with less backstabbing this time.
I was trying to find some games the other day, using advanced search and filters, and I’ve noticed some categories feel not so useful. This is the actual main categorization:...
I think they are pretty useful. Especially when you use them to filter out by checking (-).
For example, if you are looking for games that play with 7 people but you don’t want to see party games. Or a game about animals, but not a children’s game. Or games set in ancient Rome, but not wargames.
“Not guilty” doesn’t necessarily mean “innocent”. Often it just means “not confessing”, ie the prosecution has to go through the motions to prove he’s guilty.
Not exactly. It’s more like asking the defendant, “Do we have to prove you are guilty, or are you going to save us the effort?”
You are free to answer “Not guilty” even if you did it. It doesn’t mean “I’m innocent”, it means “I’m not admitting guilt”. In other words, “Prove it”.
If you plead “no contest”, the prosecution does not have to prove your guilt and the court will proceed to sentencing just as if you had pleaded “guilty”. Functionally, it is identical to a guilty plea.
no contest: A plea by a criminal defendant that they will not contest a charge. A no contest plea does not expressly admit guilt, but nonetheless waives the right to a trial and authorizes the court to treat the criminal defendant as if they were guilty for purposes of sentencing.
“Not confessing” and “not contesting” are different things. So, as I originally said, someone who doesn’t want to confess can still plead not guilty. Which, as I said, has a completely different function than pleading no contest.
You seem to equate a plea of ‘not guilty’ with ‘not confessing.’
That’s not what I said. I said that “not guilty” does not necessarily mean “innocent”. One can plead “not guilty” if one is not innocent. If so, that can be understood as “not admitting guilt but contesting the charges”. But that is still not the same as “no contest”, which can be understood as “not admitting guilt but not contesting the charges”.
Functionally, the only thing that matters is whether one contests the charges. Which is why “no contest” (not admitting guilt but not contesting) is functionally the same as “guilty” (admitting guilt and not contesting).
A judge tossed two of the claims against Afroman, finding that “the issue appears to be the humiliation and outrage that the officers feel at having their likenesses displayed and mocked.”...
it isn’t defamation if the defendant genuinely believes it to be true
No. Truth is an absolute defense to defamation, but this means that the defendant must prove to a jury that what they said is actually true, not merely that they believed it was true.
If the plaintiffs can prove that what the defendant said is false, then the defendant can defend themselves by showing that they were supported at the time by a reasonable body of objective research/investigation.
So for instance if you publish a story about “My neighbor, the murderer”, you could cite the court case that found them guilty. Not just police accusations or your genuine belief that they committed murder. That’s why reporters usually say “X allegedly committed a crime” before they are tried.
Note that a different standard is used when plaintiffs are celebrities, but that won’t apply in this case.
Walt Disney's share price has dropped to its lowest level in nearly nine years as the company struggles in the age of streaming, causing concern among investors. Throughout its history, Disney has adapted to new technologies and challenges, from embracing sound and color in the early days to later embracing computer-generated...
Remember when people wouldn’t buy garbage that didn’t last, even if was cheaper?
Even today, you can choose to buy products that last longer than their competitors. But they will be more expensive and harder to find, so many people won’t make that choice.
Maybe they knew who to ask first, but I think it would be inappropriate for government officials to publicly point fingers at the “crazy guy” without first asking some questions. Like, for instance, was the crazy guy somewhere else at the time? Nobody wants a repeat of the Richard Jewell fiasco.
They immediately released a photo, so it’s not true that they “had no idea” who did it. Everyone knew it was a white middle-aged male. And I don’t recall them saying “we have no leads on this man’s identity”. They simply didn’t want to publicly identify the person in the photo without corroborating evidence.
decided to slow walk it for at least 24 hours
Even as we discuss this, it’s been less than 24 hours since the shootings.
Of course. But if we want to reduce CO2 emissions then buses will still need electrification - and therefore require PFAS.
Furthermore, public transportation will not be able replace all private vehicles. Or at least, it cannot replace them all quickly enough to avoid catastrophic climate change. By the time the necessary infrastructure was built, it would be too late. Therefore, electrification of private vehicles will be necessary, which will also require PFAS.
Basically, we are at a late enough stage of CO2 emission that the only realistic hope of avoiding catastrophic climate change requires mass production and adoption of EVs.
Many parts of the world currently depend on cars, and that cannot easily be changed. While it’s not impossible, eliminating cars will require a long time. Much longer than the amount of time we have left to avert catastrophic climate change.
Electric vehicles add demand to the power grid. These days, increased demand is met by increasing renewable energy production (mostly wind turbines). Nobody is building coal plants any more.
So saying “we can’t replace all” is completely irrelevant.
I think it’s relevant to the person you were replying to as well as the original point of the article.
PFAS are critical to some modern technologies. In some cases, they cannot be replaced. Any time we replace cars with buses, we will need PFAS to electrify the buses. And likely we will need more PFAS in the future than we are using today.
You’re right, you were quoting the article not another person.
Regardless, you asked for a critical look at the necessity of PFAS and whether it is possible to reduce usage. My original answer is the same, namely:
One of the main uses for PFAS is electric vehicle batteries. So if “modern day life” means reducing CO2 emissions, then it will inevitably mean increased use of PFAS.
[Solved] Trees supposedly take 30 years *before* they absorb CO₂. Why?
I often hear science-adjacent folks stating that a tree needs to be 30 years old before it starts absorbing CO₂, usually paired with the statement that it’s therefore pointless to start planting tons of trees now for slowing climate change....
Good Times (news.idlestate.org)
So long limited edition OLED deck.
Australian man survives crocodile attack by biting reptile’s eyelid (www.independent.co.uk)
An Australian farmer bit a saltwater crocodile on the eyelid to save himself from being killed by the reptile....
Bingo: Trump Admits Intent to “Induce Lending” With Financial Statements (newrepublic.com)
Donald Trump got caught red-handed during his $250 million New York bank fraud trial on Monday when lawyers for the New York attorney general’s office revealed Trump had long ago signed financial documents with the clear intent that they would be used to curry favor with banks....
Donald Trump's colossal admission during trial (www.newsweek.com)
Legal analysts say Trump admitted that the intent in financial representations he made was to convince lenders to loan him money.
Actors’ Union Says It Receives ‘Last, Best and Final’ Offer From Studios (www.nytimes.com)
What the fuck are the studios gonna do, make movies and shows without actors?...
Jeff Bezos Is Moving to Miami After 29 Years in Seattle (www.businessinsider.com)
Judge Tells Ivanka She Can Probably Afford a Babysitter (newrepublic.com)
Ivanka Trump lost her appeal and is officially set to testify in the fraud trial against the Trump Organization.
Biden officials alarmed by soaring Palestinian death toll in Gaza (www.nbcnews.com)
The Canary Mission’s doxxing needs to stop (dailycollegian.com)
Speech is being discouraged and student’s futures threatened
Biden would veto any Israel-only aid bill, White House says (thehill.com)
To experienced players: are BGG categories good?
I was trying to find some games the other day, using advanced search and filters, and I’ve noticed some categories feel not so useful. This is the actual main categorization:...
Illinois man charged with murder in the fatal stabbing of a Palestinian American boy pleads not guilty (www.nbcnews.com)
Defamation Lawsuit Against Afroman Filed by Ohio Cops Will Partially Proceed (reason.com)
A judge tossed two of the claims against Afroman, finding that “the issue appears to be the humiliation and outrage that the officers feel at having their likenesses displayed and mocked.”...
With an uncertain future, will Disney pull off yet another magic trick? (www.reuters.com)
Walt Disney's share price has dropped to its lowest level in nearly nine years as the company struggles in the age of streaming, causing concern among investors. Throughout its history, Disney has adapted to new technologies and challenges, from embracing sound and color in the early days to later embracing computer-generated...
Maine resident: People knew to 'stay away' from Robert Card (www.nbcnews.com)
Robert Card is now officially a suspect....
‘Forever chemical’ bans face hard truth: Many can’t be replaced (www.japantimes.co.jp)
As lawmakers around the world weigh bans of 'forever chemicals,” many manufacturers are pushing back, saying there often is no substitute.