kersploosh

I'm just trying to shitpost in a meme community here. Though, if we want to split hairs, "subsidies" can include government contracts to purchase goods and services:

A subsidy has a very particular meaning under the Subsidies Agreement and U.S. law (Title VII of the Tariff Act of 1930). A subsidy is defined as a “financial contribution” by a government which provides a benefit. The forms that a subsidy can take include:

• a direct transfer of funds (e.g., a grant, loan, or infusion of equity);
• a potential transfer of funds or liabilities (e.g., a loan guarantee);
• foregone government revenue (e.g., a tax credit); or
• the purchase of goods, or the provision of goods or services (other than general infrastructure).

https://www.trade.gov/trade-guide-wto-subsidies

Fake news! It's actually $38 billion.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/interactive/2025/elon-musk-business-government-contracts-funding/

it's the first I've heard of maybe a US citizen being deported.

It's been happening for years. From the Washington Post:

The U.S. government does not release data on how often ICE wrongfully detains or deports U.S. citizens. But investigations by media outlets, research institutes and oversight agencies have revealed that ICE has arrested, detained, deported and issued detainers — requests to local jails to hold a person in custody — for thousands of citizens since the agency was created in 2003. One 2011 study estimated that roughly 1 to 1.5 percent of deportees are U.S. citizens.

https://archive.is/20250411190043/https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2025/04/05/us-citizens-deported-immigration/

Okay all you generative AI image hobbyists, let's see Legolas with big, shiny eyes!

A third of eligible voters didn't vote. The remaining people who did vote were almost evenly split. So, in rough numbers, 1/3rd of American voters put us all in this mess.

I'm not sure this is a question of ethics. It's a question of whether you agree with a particular parent's world view. A good parent tries to set their child on a positive path in life, and they are going to pick a path based their personal knowledge and beliefs.

Even if you try hard not to "indoctrinate" your child with any particular world view, they will still see you as a model for what to believe and how to behave. You will tend to be your child's baseline for what "normal" is, at least early in their life. Your beliefs and behaviors will affect your kids whether you want them to or not.

Rebel Without a Cause

Requiem for a Dream

Revenge of the Nerds

Materials for a home renovation project. I should have bought it all long ago, but better late than never.

Ethics? That's for philosophy majors. Science and engineering majors already have too many other credits to complete.

Rain falling on a glassy smooth lake.

It can be a very interesting conversation starter. I love hearing about the places people grew up, and how they ended up in the place they currently live. It's a much better topic than the small talk about work or TV shows or whatever else people discuss the first time they meet.

A full, refreshing night of sleep every night.