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Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: November 28th, 2023

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  • Nearly 20 years ago, I was in a computer programming class surrounded by clunky towers and desktops.

    Suddenly, a loud popping, then one of the machines starts belching smoke like a budget fog machine. The kid using it is calmly moved to another station while the prof investigates.

    Fifteen minutes later - pop. Smoke again.

    Turns out the kid was jamming a paperclip into the power supply like he was playing Operation: Arson Edition.

    That was his last day.

    On the bright side, computers are a lot cheaper now - and kids are still dumb. So, maybe progress?



















  • The article is a Trump hallucination.

    He’s not wrong that leaders flatter him; but it’s not respect, it’s geopolitical strategy. They’re managing chaos, hedging with China and others, and responding to a weaker US position largely created by Trump himself. This isn’t strength; it’s a soft power collapse that’s opening dangerous doors, mainly for Americans most of all, but likely for everyone else too.

    What Trump sees as deference is actually diplomatic triage. World leaders aren’t engaging him because they admire him; leaders are trying to keep the global order from unraveling faster than it already is. The cost of alienating the U.S. is high, but increasingly, so is relying on it. That shift is the real story, and it’s one that leaves America more isolated with each bluster.