Shrieking and running away in terror, residents of one local community...

The idea that The Donald should get the Nobel Peace Prize is at best premature.
1. The fact that Israel, which needs the US to stay afloat in its hostile environment, has of course agreed, is not peace.
2. The principal terms of the proposal are essentially the same as those proposed early in the war by the previous administration.
3. Hamas has yet to agree.
4. "A decent interval" of, e.g., five years, would be an appropriate wait to see if anything real results from these announcements.

In the longer term, IMHO it would be a good idea to limit candidacy for the Prize to deceased persons, omitting thereby all those with a proclivity to turn the medal into the backdrop forn photo ops.

Here's a thought. Gut the Qatari bribe airplane and use it to ferry food, medicine and other supplies to Gaza. The payload of that aircraft, fitted out as a freighter is about 140,000, according to official specs. Allowing for a crew of 20, with a remaining payload of 120,000 kg, approximately 200,000 MRE (Meal, Ready-to-Eat) meals can be delivered, based on an average MRE weight of 625 grams per meal. Assuming 5 cycles per day from any of several possible staging points in Europe, such a project could provide one meal per day to 1,000,000 people. Instead of millions of Gaza residents hating us for generations, millions would remember who helped them in their time of need.

The projected cost of retrofitting a new AF1 from the Qatari bribe, presumably including a golden toilet in the master suite, ranges depending on whom one asks from $400 million to $1 billion. I will use an estimate halfway between those extremes, $700 million.

Perplexity estimates the cost of a round trip from Berlin to Cairo (surrogate from "generic European city" to the major airport nearest Gaza) at $175,000, including all the basic elements. so for the $700,000,000, approximately 4,000 trips could be financed, delivering a total of about 800 million meals, enough to feed Gaza one meal per person per day for 400 days. This number could be increased by creation of any number of high-turnaround industrial sites, similar to the maquiladoras that line the US-Mexico borders, with the intent of putting Gazans back to work with real wages ASAP. Products could include a myriad of assembly work or packaging, etc., jobs that require only brief training and can be performed in temporary shelters, followed by longer-term investments.

IMHO Israel should be "encouraged" to contribute to that development, given its—shall we say—overzealous prosecution of the current war, during which they have failed to accomplish their stated objectives across the board.
Such a modern Marshall plan would be cheaper and more effective than a lifetime of the current crop of little man-boys playing King of the Hill. It might even pull Gaza out of its cycle of isolation and poverty.

Every aluminum can in my fridge knows more about medicine than does Donald Tr$mp.
The idea that he has any concept of the influence of medications on pathologies that exist years or decades after treatment is ludicrous, exceeding only the fantasies expoused by RFK Jr. They both reveal their lack of expertise every time they open their mouths.
This acetominophen claim is being touted only to take the light off other spurious, unproven claims this administration has promoted and anti-public-health measures it has imposed.
I have little doubt that my late father-in-law, a confirmed Republican and lifelong physician and public health professional, is spinning in his grave and spitting nails at rapid fire.
When will the US just give these fools the horse laugh they deserve? As John Snow might say, "winter is coming" for them.

—A. R. Clark, Ph.D. Not a physician, but a reader of scientific literature for over 65 years.

BTW: Here is the query and results from a brief AI-assisted web search on the topic. Feel free to replicate the exercise, which is how actual science is done, not by listing to podcasts and watching Faux News.

Q: Act as a medical conultant. Review medical literature on co-effects of acetiominophen. Is there any evidence that it causes autism? Cite examples. Summarize the consensus view of that hypothesis in the medical community?

A: There is currently no definitive evidence in the medical literature that acetaminophen (paracetamol) causes autism, though some studies have explored potential associations. The overwhelming consensus in the medical community is that any observed links are small, likely due to confounding factors, and do not prove causation.

Review of Medical Literature

• Large-scale population studies, including one using data from 2.5 million Swedish births, found a very slight increase in autism diagnoses among children whose mothers used acetaminophen during pregnancy (1.42% vs 1.33%), a difference researchers call “very small.”
• Critical sibling comparison studies, which control for genetic and environmental factors, have shown that this small association disappears when comparing siblings—one exposed and one unexposed—implying that family or environmental background, not the drug, likely explains the observed association.
• Meta-analyses and systematic reviews (e.g., Mount Sinai, 2025), even those synthesizing dozens of research articles, conclude that evidence for causation is lacking: “correlation does not imply causation” and more rigorous research is needed.
• Most studies that report any link are observational and acknowledge potential biases, such as confounding by parental mental health, socioeconomic status, and other unmeasured variables.

Regulatory and Expert Consensus

• The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) and other medical societies continue to recommend acetaminophen as the safest pain reliever during pregnancy when needed, emphasizing that current evidence does not justify avoiding it completely.
• Medical experts, including leading researchers and autism advocacy groups, have repeatedly stated that the evidence for a link between acetaminophen and autism is weak, inconsistent, and insufficient for policy change.
• The FDA began the process for a label change to reflect that more research is ongoing but has not concluded that acetaminophen causes autism.
• Research groups stress that pain and fever during pregnancy, if left untreated, also carry risks, and alternative drugs like aspirin and ibuprofen are generally riskier in pregnancy.
Examples from Recent Studies
• The JAMA 2024 study found a slight increased risk in exposed children, but this vanished in sibling analyses; unmeasured confounders were likely responsible for the association.
• The 2025 Mount Sinai review of 46 studies found a slight correlation between heavy, prolonged acetaminophen use and neurodevelopmental problems, but could not confirm causation, stressing the need for caution and further studies.
• Ann Bauer, author of a study linking acetaminophen to autism, herself cautioned that her findings should not be regarded as conclusive and advocated balanced, judicious use.

Summary: Medical Consensus

The current consensus is that evidence does not support a causal link between acetaminophen exposure (including in pregnancy) and autism. Associations found in some studies are weak, likely attributable to confounding, and are not grounds for a change in medical advice or public health recommendations at this time. Research continues, but current guidance is to use acetaminophen as needed, at the lowest effective dose and for the shortest required duration, while consulting healthcare providers for specific concerns.

Citations

These resources provide in-depth scientific reviews, news coverage, and official statements regarding acetaminophen and autism risk.

Frankly, I never heard of Churlish Krik before last week. (Name changed to frustrate web searches by wingnuts, an unfortunate requirement of our times.) The current attempt to present CK as a latter day embodiment of Benjamin Franklin, Horace Greeley and H.L. Mencken begs exception.

Interestingly, an AI or web search brings back descriptions of his self-vaunted "free speech" posture, which one might better call posturing. In fact, a review of a half-dozen or more of his campus outings reveals a victim-baiting pattern in which a well prepared, experienced debater invites 18-year-old college freshmen to ask questions, whereupon he challenges, recites a talking point from memory, berates the student to tears, declares himself vindicated, and takes a victory turn.

Sometimes being, shall we say, extra mature, has the advantage of relevant examples. I am reminded of the 1960s when an early practitioner of this art named Joe Pine did the same shtick on syndicated radio. He would lure people to his call-in show with a "sujet du jour," and proceed to exercise his erudition with the goal of making the caller seem foolish, often falling back onto the traditional "what about this...!" excursion.

Once again there is nothing or little new under the Sun, and sve for acknowledgment of personal and civic tragedy in one family, nothing save "every man's death" to be lamented, and little likelihood of lasting sainthood religious or civil. It seems more likely that history will record this latest incarnation in the same chapter as Rush Limbaugh and Father Charles Caughlin.

Yagottabe fascinated by the scramble among (R)eactionaries to distinguish "good slavery" from "bad slavery" in US history. The very idea of good slavery is of course a pure oxymoron, the etymology of which I take to be indicative of the adherents' moral and intellectual prowess.

Here's a review of his nibs' view of the subject. (Apologies if it's behind a paywall for you, but if you download a news reader application you can probably bypass.)

BTW, JD Vance's grasp of historic detail is similar. In a recent interview about peacemaking efforts in Ukraine, he recently stated that World War II ended with negotiation.

In fact, the war ended due to weather conditions in Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. The summary: 4,000ºC and very bright. (Sorry to be flippant, but as Santayana pointed out, those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. The Vance corollary: Those who gloss over history and elect fools are doomed to suffer by their ignorance.)

Other US wars that ended by negotiation, of course, Include the American Revolution, the Civil War, WWI, the Iraq War, and the list goes on; just ask Gen. Cornwallis, Gen. Lee, Gen. von Hindenburg, Sadaam Hussein, et al.

Actual exceptions to the rule were the Anglo-American War of 1812, the Mexican-American War (1846-48), The Spanish-American War (1898), the Korean War (1950-53), and the Vietnam War (1964-75), all of which ended with negotiation.

One concludes that Mr. Vance's vast knowledge of history is in fact half-vast.

Source at Forbes

An old (2008) post-war movie in French and German titled ("Women of the Shadows") about WWII spies explains almost everything. One speculates that the original was a Nazi battle decoration, the Ohrmedaille, to which many aspired but few earned. Only the brave and true...
Studyin' them thar furrin langwiges finally paid off.

View the movie, I laughed, I cried...

Historians have found early drafts of the Bill of Rights that had lain undiscovered for over 230 years. The text is largely as eventually proposed, but includes a stronger statement protecting ownership of nearly all types of armaments by individuals.

A comparison of the original and eventually proposed text reveals a dynamic between the era's true patriots and their less-committed neighbors.

The documents were found in a locked box inside a closet at Sheboygan Technical University's Permanent International Depository. [MORE]

Rob Picheta, writing at CNN, advises that only two Navajo Code Talkers remain alive. They want America to remember.

Thomas Begay and Peter MacDonald, the last two surviving Navajo Code Talkers, recount their experiences during World War II. Their unique role, using the Navajo language to send encrypted messages, proved invaluable to the US military. Despite their significant contributions, their legacy faces challenges, including the Pentagon’s deletion of webpages honoring their service and the ongoing struggle to establish a dedicated national museum.

Image after CNN.

Read more at CNN

The current water crisis in Tehran and Iran generally could lead to a humanitarian crisis that would dwarf all but the most extreme drought events in history. See the linked articles for the details.

Our Fearless Leader's natural — and, as always, worst — impulses will lead him to seek a "deal" in which the USA or some other cabal of interested parties "wins" at the expense of Iran. This will be in every way the least beneficial approach for both parties.

Iran will lose by what could theoretically be vast numbers of deaths from thirst and famine caused by the underlying drought. The USA and others internationally will lose by appearing to value "winning" above virtue.

This is a soluble problem, though it is likely that many will suffer. That suffering has less to do with climate than with men of underdeveloped morality all playing King of the Hill. We need a better way.

Who might help?

ISRAEL: The main fresh water source near the Mount of Beatitudes is the Sea of Galilee (Lake Kinneret), which lies entirely within Israel. This large freshwater lake is located immediately below the mount and is renowned for its clear, drinkable water. Additionally, the nearby area of Tabgha features the historic “Seven Springs,” which are also sources of fresh water, but the Sea of Galilee is by far the most significant and prominent fresh water source in the region. One might imagine two steps in an assistance package:
(1) a truck convoy, however small it might be;
(2) a pipeline (see following discussion) with two way pumps, because some day the shoe might be on the other foot.

(Though the above might seem counterintuitive, Israel's quarrel is not with the thirsty masses but with the fanatics of the revolutionary guard. Fearless prediction: If a convoy of Israeli trucks full of water should show up at the border between Iraq and Iran, they would be admitted in a heartbeat with smiles all around.)

CHINA: China has under its flag the world's largest number of tanker ships, over 1,700 as of 2025. If one percent were to be assigned to draw water from glacial melt in polar regions and carry it to Bandar Imam Khomeini, a convoy and later a pipeline could carry it to the populous regions to the north.

RUSSIA: Iran's northern neighbor and some of the former Soviet republics share the Caspian Sea with Iran. Though the Sea is brackish in the south, it is only about 1/3 as salty as the ocean. Russia could help Iran build desalination sites and pipelines in the north. Of course Iran could do this internally from a planning and technical standpoint, but it does not have the manufacturing capacity to do it rapidly enough to address the current situation. The water draw sufficient to take the pressure off major urban areas in the north would probably not make much of a dent in the Sea. (Right now I'm examining that metaphor trying to recall ever seeing an actual dent in water.)

USA: According to recent articles on the water shortage, one of the underlying problems is the inefficiency of Iranian agriculture, which uses too much water relative to production. Hydroponic gardening could supply a large part of the Iranian diet, especially in urban areas.
The country that produces the most hydroponic gardening equipment—and does so with the most varied technological solutions—is the United States. The U.S. is home to many of the world’s leading hydroponic technology manufacturers and innovators, offering the widest range of hydroponic systems, from basic kits for hobbyists to advanced, highly automated, and sensor-integrated solutions for large-scale commercial growers. Major American companies include ScottsMiracle-Gro (Hawthorne Gardening), Hydrofarm Holdings Group, American Hydroponics, and AmHydro, which collectively supply everything from nutrient films and recirculating water culture systems to high-tech vertical farming setups and smart environment controllers.
The USA also has a large number of tankers that could supplement the Chinese fleet.

OTHERS: If nothing else, the world could make sure that every Iranian child had a cup or a bottle.

All this would cost a tiny fraction of one percent of world GDP. The population of Iran is currently estimated at 92.4 billion persons. If it should cost $1,000 per person to accomplish the above and if it were financed over 40 years, that would amount to $214 billion in principal and interest. Divided by 40, the annual cost would be $5.35 billion, which, divided by four billion adults worldwide, would be $1.3375 per year or $0.0037 per day per adult. That's Average global income for employed workers is around $19,000. In the USA it is $66,622, about 3.5 times as much, so if income were equalized each American would pay (3.5X1.3375/365=) $1.28 per day to fix this.

For comparison, the estimated cost of the bombing of Iran's nuclear facilties in July was $200 million, or $1.42 per taxpayer — just sayin'...

Why would these and other countries do any of this?

Permit me to return to the Mount of Beatitudes. After the Sermon on the Mount, when the conjured loaves and fishes were distributed, the Bible does not say that only those who agreed with it were fed.


https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/31/world/video/iran-water-crisis-weir-live-073109aseg2-ctw-cnni-world-fast

https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/31/climate/tehran-iran-water-crisis-day-zero

IN A DEVELOPMENT that has surprised many of his supporters, Donald Tr$mp will sue Christianity over the actions of its founders, Jesus of Nazareth, Saul of Tarsus (AKA St. Paul), and the generally acknowledged founder of the Roman Catholic church, Simon (AKA Cephas, St. Peter). The lawsuit demands recompense to Tr$mp in the amount of $1 trillion.

Tr$mp alleges that the three conspired to deprive him of his right to assert spiritual descent from the biblical prophets of the old testament, claiming that these actions caused him both financial and emotional damage.

The claim of financial damage arises from the story of Jesus overturning the tables of the money changers in the Temple of Jerusalem. As a consequence, those who deal in money (AKA financiers) have subsequently had a nefarious reputation, and since Tr$mp needs them to lend money for his various "deals" his options for acquiring ever more vast wealth have been compromised.

The claim of emotional damage stems from his opposition to programs benefitting the less fortunate, based on the story of the treatment of those who hungered and thirsted after the Sermon on the Mount, which it is claimed have resulted in public portrayal of Tr$mp as an avaricious and niggardly skinflint, leading to the exclusion of himself and his family from polite society, because nobody likes him.

The suit does not make clear how the purported conspirators identified or selected Tr$mp as their victim, given that they all died almost two thousand years before his birth. Questioned on this, lawyers for the plaintiff stated that these matters would be explained at trial as soon as it is decided where to file, while denying that they were venue-shopping.

Film at 11.

Sources

Tom Lehrer, who died this weekend at 97, was surely the greatest satyrical song writer of the mid-20th Century. In the 1960s one had to be living in a hole under a rock in a cave not to have heard his works, which dispatched diverse sacred cows with equal enthusiasm. A brilliant mathematician, he exemplifed the goal of not taking oneself too seriously. The name Lehrer means "teacher" in German, fitting for any/all of his careers. His parting gift was to leave all his work to the public domain. Enjoy!

Wiki

Obit

Anthology

PS: We're happy to give him credit for certain stylistic elements of SSG.

Le Monde reports that the US administration will destroy "several tons" of enriched, nutritious "cookies" that would have gone to malnourished children in Afghanistan and Pakistan from storage in Dubai and elsewhere.

The items are not American-style sweet treats but rather nutritious biscuits that provide much of the daily requirements of children — essentially to ward off starvation. The intended destruction of these products is a consequence of the DOGE closing of the US Agency for International Development earlier this year*.

"Why?"

During questioning about the matter in a senate committee, Michael Rigas, the person charged with administering the program, replied "I have no good response to that question."

One excuse for the action to waste the food has been that the expiration date on the packaging has past. This is not because the product is unsafe or no longer nutritious but rather because the delivery was delayed by Pres. Tr$mp's DOGE kiddies.

* Lest you be worried about this or other aspects of the DOGE process, it's OK. Elon Musk's sports car, launched in 2018, is apparently steady in an elliptical orbit around the Sun, where it will no doubt be a beacon of consolation to mothers in Afghanistan and Pakistan as they bury their children.

As anti-war protesters chanted to another president in the 1960s, "the whole world is watching."

NOTE: SSG is not able to independently verify this news. However, it has been reported in numerous other publications worldwide. (For example...)

Read the source

According to Joanna Thompson, writing in Science. a species of mite might be the perpetrator in the great bee die-off around the world.

Read more

Pure poetry? Well, perhaps not, but surely apropos the moment. Members may suggest new verses.

Plastic Donnie*

I don't care 'fit's foul or bonny
Long's I've got my plastic Donnie
Lyin' on the dashboard of my car
While he's on the dashboard lyin'
Our democracy is dyin'
He grabs what he wants cuz he's a star.

Donnie thinks that or'nge is tan, that
Bluster marks a real man, and
Mocking others needn't end with youth
When I say he's up there lyin'
Let's be clear that I'm implyin'
Nothing that he says resembles truth.

Women are his constant gripe, their
Lawsuits all are merely hype, and
After all they really weren't his type
Whether criminal or civil
Accusations are just drivel
Easily refuted with a swipe.

He's been judged a guilty felon
Far too few are out there yellin'
How is he still free to dance and roam?
Alcatraz may soon reopen
I can't keep myself from hopin'
He'll be number one to call it home.

Oh, I don't care 'fit's foul or bonny
Long's I've got my plastic Donnie
Lyin' on the dashboard of my car.

* Lyrics by Alex Rees Clark
23 May 2024 rev July 2, 2025
* To the tune of "Plastic Jesus"
By Cromarty & Rush.

Out of Action figure by FCTRY.

Claims that US President Donald J. Tr$mp is in cognitive decline have recently circulated. We asked AI (Perplexity) whether this could be true.

PROMPT: Act as a gerontologist. Evaluate concisely any convincing evidence that can be adduced suggesting that US President Donald J. Tr$mp is suffering from cognitive decline. For each item, offer rebuttal evidence that questions the assertion. Limit the answer to 300 words or less.

Read the reply