1/. I've been doing DDD for over 10 years, and have posted some pretty disturbing articles about the way we are treating our planet, but this piece by Angus Peterson "The Silent Collapse" is perhaps the most worrying I have ever posted.
And everything Peterson says is true.....we are completely distracted by all of the noisy outrages around us, and just don't notice the quiet stuff like biodiversity collapse. Wait till you get to the windshield issue.
Again, boy are we glad we are the age we are......
Let’s be honest — biodiversity loss has become the neglected stepchild of environmental disasters. You’ve probably heard of climate change . We’ve got a constant drip-feed of global warming doom porn, ice caps melting, oceans rising, cities sweating, and billionaires buying bunkers in New Zealand. Climate gets the headlines. Pollution gets the silver medal because it’s mostly outsourced to poor countries. But biodiversity? The death of birds, bugs, beasts, and everything else that doesn’t look cute on an Instagram reel? That barely scrapes the media’s bottom shelf.
We pretend we care. We build butterfly gardens next to six-lane highways. We say “save the whales” while wolfing down factory-farmed beef. Meanwhile, entire species vanish and few notice unless the last one dies on a live stream. There are still plenty of rabbits in the park. Squirrels are doing backflips on the power lines. Things can’t be that bad, right? (Cue laugh track.) That’s the suburban fallacy: if wildlife, in the form of a random squirrel or a couple of rabbits, is still interrupting our barbecues, then the natural world must be doing fine.
It’s not. Not even close.
Biodiversity loss is hemorrhaging beneath our noses, and we act like a paper cut is the real problem. It’s not just about loving animals — it’s about survival. Nature isn’t an accessory to human life. It is life. Every web we unravel weakens the whole damn net. And yet, here in the land of infinite Amazon boxes and $5 throwaway gadgets, we’ve devalued the essentials so much that even the idea of resource overshoot doesn’t get airplay. If you can buy a phone charger for $1.99, how bad can things really be? https://medium.com/edge-of-collapse/the-silent-collapse-you-wont-see-on-the-news-450388defe32
2/. If you read the story above, this ain't so funny.....
3/. The Democratic party is headed by elites and complete wankers.......time for a change.
One-hundred days into the Trump administration and the left flank of the Democratic Party delivered a message to its politicians: Do something or risk a tea-party-like revolt from within your own ranks.
Last week, Justice Democrats, the left-wing outfit that helped powerAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s upset primary-election victory in 2018, announced its first endorsement of this election cycle, getting behind Michigan House of Representatives member Donavan McKinney in his challenge to Shri Thanedar, a first-term congressman from the Detroit suburbs. This followed David Hogg, the outspoken gun-control advocate and the new vice-chair of the Democratic National Committee, announcing his own plan to raise upwards of $20 million to unseat what he terms as “ineffective” Democratic incumbents, a decision that was endorsed by Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers and a Democratic power broker. (The DNC is considering various measures to remove Hogg from his position.) Meanwhile, across the country, a record number of well-financed progressives are gearing up to take on Democratic incumbents who have been in office for decades.
4/. Tom Tomorrow - on and on and on and on.......
5/. In case you are wondering if Trump's $5000 bonus to mothers will encourage more births, read this......spoiler alert - it won't.
Mother’s Day is here, and while Donald Trump may seem an unlikely celebrant of the occasion, his administration has recently floated several proposals to incentivize motherhood – or, more accurately, giving birth. There’s the $5,000 “baby bonus” for every American mother, free classes educating women on their menstrual cycles and a National Medal of Motherhood for moms who have at least six children. (Want to guess which regime also awarded such a medal?)
As usual, the president has offered ridiculous solutions to a very real problem. He’s certainly right that every American should be able to afford to raise children, and that programs like social security depend on stable demographics. But of course, every other action he has taken to undermine gender equality would suggest that this sudden interest in the wellbeing of mothers is less than sincere. That’s exactly why progressives have an opening to break up what the Republican party believes to be its ideological monopoly on pro-family policies.
6/. He definitely wears every one of these.....
7/. The Qatari Royal Family is donating a $400 million 747 to be Air Force One, and Trump gets it when he is out of office.
The Attorney General has determined this is legal....but guess who Pam Bondi was a lobbyist for? Yup, Qatar.
The corruption is now blatant, they don't care how it looks any more.
The Trump administration plans to accept a luxury Boeing 747-8 plane as a donation from the Qatari royal family that will be upgraded to serve as Air Force One, which would make it one of the biggest foreign gifts ever received by the U.S. government, four people with knowledge of the matter said.
The plane would then be donated to President Trump’s presidential library when he leaves office, two senior officials said.
Democratic lawmakers and good government groups expressed outrage over the substantial ethical issues the plan raises. They cited the intersection of Mr. Trump’s official duties with his business interests in the Middle East, the immense value of the lavishly appointed plane and the assumption that Mr. Trump would have use of it after leaving office. Sold new, a commercial Boeing 747-8 costs in the range of $400 million.
8/. Apparently there is an influx of wealthy Americans to the Cotswolds in England.....I wonder why?
Thanksgiving in the Cotswolds is no small affair. Every November, Americans flock to the English market town of Stow-on-the-Wold to collect glazed turkey breasts, green bean casserole and a traditional sweet potato dish covered in marshmallows.
It is, by Jesse D’Ambrosi’s own admission, “bizarre”. The chef, owner of D’Ambrosi Fine Foods, is one of the many Americans who have made the Cotswolds their home in recent years. Here, her Thanksgiving and Fourth of July food hampers are highly coveted.
Now as Donald Trump settles into his second administration, the lure of the rolling hills of Gloucestershire and neighbouring swathes of the Cotswoldshas grown stronger for many of her compatriots.
“I’ve seen a lot of Americans scoping and checking out the area,” she said. “Obviously it’s political. Why wouldn’t you want to leave where that guy is in action? It is very scary times, especially for women.”
9/. Amazing AI vision of the future.......
How do they do this stuff?
10/. What is driving RFK's lunatic agenda?
Interesting article about their goals, and their philosophy which can be summarised by "Only the weak get sick".....
English polymath Francis Galton formulated the concept of eugenics in 1883. Inspired by animal breeding, Galton encouraged people with “desirable” traits to procreate while discouraging or preventing those with “undesirable” traits from doing the same. As social and intellectual qualities were hereditarily “fixed”, he thought some groups were naturally superior. Galton constructed a racial hierarchy, with white Europeans at the top.
Eugenics has since played out in varying, always tragic ways. Attempted genocides and forced sterilization are first to mind, though the 20th century brought about the concept of soft eugenics: non-coercive methods of reducing certain conditions through individual choice and medical advice. Popularized in Nancy Stepan’s 1991 book, The Hour of Eugenics, “soft” eugenics is accomplished by indirect, environmental, and educational interventions while “hard” eugenics is marked by direct biological interventions (such as sterilization). The term has since been expanded in discussions of genetic technologies, prenatal screenings, and physical fitness.
Enter Robert F Kennedy Jr, the US secretary of health, who regularly laments over the “back then” of his youth when he says that diabetes and autism was almost unheard of and obesity rates were far lower. (In his campaign videos he would often do this over vintage footage of white bodies splayed on a beach.) Kennedy champions living harmoniously with nature, free from the burdens of “poisonous” food additives, fertilizers, cooking oils and the most toxic chemistry of all: vaccines. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2025/may/04/maga-soft-eugenics?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
11/. Sophie Buddle [Canadian comedian] on Instagram.
Bob Lefsetz likes her......2 minutes
12/. Thom Hartmann on how we are constantly being lied to, and why. Our media has become a propaganda machine.....
Donald Trump has been lying to us ever since he came down that escalator. He just never stops lying because, as a lifelong con man, it’s all he knows how to do.
He’s still insisting he won the 2020 election, despite having lost by about 7 million votes and being wiped out in the Electoral College. He lied at the State of the Union about having a mandate to cut Medicaid, as congressman Al Green pointed out. Along with over 100 other lies he told that day. And now he’s lying about his trade deals with the UK and other governments. Every single day he adds to the pile of lies he’s inflicting on the American people and the world.
Science, it turns out, explains why this works for him.
Not the science of elections: the science of propaganda. https://hartmannreport.com/p/how-the-republican-party-became-americas-ac5?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=302288&post_id=158466420&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=false&r=2cwgv&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email
13/. When the tariffs really kick in, here's what's coming. BTW I love turnips....
14/. Summer TV to watch....from Vanity Fair....
Do we really need a full slate of summer 2025 TV shows when we already have a new season of And Just Like That… to look forward to? (An early contender for the best TV show of 2025, period!) Possibly not—but it can’t hurt to diversify. This year, warmer weather will bring the return of not just Carrie Bradshaw, but Wednesday Adams and Carmy Berzatto as well. We’ll also see a non-Succession sequel from a bunch of the minds behind Succession; a historical epic about Hawaii from Jason Momoa; and a spiritual successor to Girls, created by Lena Dunham and starring Meg Stalter. Below, read more about the 20 summer shows—that is, debuts between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend—we’re putting on our queue.
15/. The Times lists the best books of 2025......so far.
We’re more than a third of the way through 2025 and we at The Book Review have already written about hundreds of books. Some of those titles are good. Some are very good. And then there are the following.
16/. Rolling Stone with some of the most anticipated movies of the year to come.......
Some really good ones here, but I have put two of the trailers below.....
Listen — can you hear it? That murmur of excitement as people begin to prep for a season best known for air-conditioned multiplexes, IMAX screens the size of city blocks, and the sort of big-tent, four-quadrant crowdpleasers that inspired people to turn moviegoing into a collective cultural event? Thankfullly, we’ve had Ryan Coogler’s runaway hit Sinnersrecently remind folks of why actually going out to a theater and seeing a movie with an audience, projected as big as possible, is still capable of being a lifechanging activity (though best of luck getting tickets). And with Marvel’s Thunderbolts* having already kicked May into gear before that shebang with Tom Cruise and the plane officially opens the season next week, it’s already beginning to feel like this may possibly be a summer for the books. https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-lists/most-anticipated-movies-summer-2025-1235301647/the-roses-august-29-1235303743/#recipient_hashed=fbbe473f5037f7de779a9b352866aaa97ce40dede88d542358cbe645dd211019&recipient_salt=72f9aae92f438bcc1f8948b09959b8992e4c153d9d01266946bf43b0824dab99
Remember the "War of The Roses"? The vicious divorce movie with Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner?
There's a remake with Benedict Cumberbach and Olivia Coleman....trailer!
This is a much anticipated horror movie - "Weapons"...trailer!
17/. If you're a fan of "Tiger King", admire toxic masculinity, or maybe an incel [whatever that is], you'll love this documentary.....
I've included it because it sounds beyond weird......
The Liver King – this hilarious exposé is like Tiger King … but with way more genital eating
The sly wit of this documentary shines through as it follows a toxically masculine fitness influencer who consumes so many raw animal organs you can almost taste the salmonella. It is frequently hilarious
Today's video - a classic from the Johnny Carson show - Steve Martin with "The Great Flydini".....it builds nicely....
Today's mental health joke....
Ralph and Edna were both patients in a mental hospital. One day while they were walking past the hospital swimming pool, Ralph suddenlyjumped into the deep end.
He sank to the bottom of the pool and stayed there.
Edna promptly jumped in to save him. She swam to the bottom and pulled him out.
When the Head Nurse Director became aware of Edna's heroic
act she immediately ordered her to be discharged from the hospital, asshe now considered her to be mentally stable.
When she went to tell Edna the news she said, 'Edna, I have good newsand bad news. The good news is you're being discharged, since you were able to rationally respond to a crisis by jumping in and saving the life of the person you love... I have concluded that your act displays sound mindedness.
The bad news is, Ralph hung himself in the bathroom with his bathrobebelt right after you saved him. I am so sorry, but he's dead.'
Edna replied, 'He didn't hang himself, I put him there to dry..
How soon can I go home?'
Today's zen jokes
1. Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead. Do not walk ahead of me, for I may not follow. Do not walk beside me either. Just pretty much leave me the hell alone.
2. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a broken fan belt and leaky tire.
3. It’s always darkest before dawn. So if you’re going to steal your neighbor’s newspaper, that’s the time to do it.
4. Don’t be irreplaceable. If you can’t be replaced, you can’t be promoted.
5. Always remember that you’re unique. Just like everyone else.
6. Never test the depth of the water with both feet.
7. If you think nobody cares if you’re alive, try missing a couple of car payments.
8. Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you’re a mile away and you have their shoes.
9. If at first you don’t succeed, skydiving is not for you.
10. Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.
11. If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.
12. If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.
13. Some days you’re the bug; some days you’re the windshield.
14. Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.
15. The quickest way to double your money is to fold it in half and put it back in your pocket.
16. A closed mouth gathers no foot.
17. Duct tape is like ‘The Force’. It has a light side and a dark side, and it holds the universe together.
18. There are two theories to arguing with women. Neither one works.
19. Generally speaking, you aren’t learning much when your lips are moving.
20. Experience is something you don’t get until just after you need it.
21. Never miss a good chance to shut up.
22. Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.
OK OK a couple of blond jokes
A blonde goes into work one morning crying her eyes out. Her boss, concerned about his employee's well being, asks sympathetically, "What's the matter?" The blonde replies, "Early this morning I got a phone call saying that my mother had passed away." "I'm terribly sorry to hear that. Why don't you go home for the day... we aren't terribly busy. Just take the day off to relax and rest." The blonde very calmly explains, "No, I'd be better off here. I need to keep my mind off it and I have the best chance of doing that here." The boss agrees and allows the blonde to work as usual. "If you need anything, just let me know," he says. A few hours pass and the boss decides to check on the blonde. He looks out over his office and sees the blonde crying hysterically. He rushes out to her, and asks, "Are you going to be okay? Is there anything I can do to help?" "No," re plies the blonde, "I just got a call from my sister, and she said that HER mom died too!"
A young ventriloquist is touring the clubs and one night he's doing a show in a small club in a small town in Arkansas. With his dummy on his knee, he's going through his usual dumb blonde jokes when a blonde woman in the fourth row stands on her chair and starts shouting: "I've heard enough of your stupid blonde jokes. What makes you think you can stereotype women that way? What does the color of a person's hair have to do with her worth as a human being? It's guys like you who keep women like me from being respected at work and in the community and from reaching our full potential as a person, because you and your kind continue to perpetuate discrimination against, not only blondes, but women in general...and all in the name of humor!" The ventriloquist is embarrassed and begins to apologize, when the blonde yells, "You stay out of this, mister! I'm talking to that little idiot on your knee!"
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