A thing I like to contemplate when watching fireworks is this: visually, it appears that the firework is coming at you, maybe like a fountain, with a source and direction. But of course, it's actually more like a dandelion, where the source is in the center and the firework is spherical around it. It's a neat little visual illusion to flip back and forth between the two perspectives when you're watching them.

I already watched my fireworks, yesterday. So there.

This feels like it was written by the same people who did the Gamestop Reddit Stonks thing. In other words, extremely smart people are trying to make a super deep dive into the pixels of something, and claiming that there is a pattern, and it's equally plausible to me that they're seeing something real in this twisted, mixed-up world, or that they're wishful-thinking their way to a conspiracy.

Anyway: She Won. They Didn't Just Change the Machines. They Rewired the Election.
(I am not capable of evaluating such things.)

Mossy Character writes: I would say the genocide is the point, but I doubt your republic even knows it's a genocide.

Higher levels of USAID funding--primarily directed toward LMICs, particularly African countries--were associated with a 15% reduction in age-standardised all-cause mortality (risk ratio [RR] 0·85, 95% CI 0·78-0·93) and a 32% reduction in under-five mortality (RR 0·68, 0·57-0·80). This finding indicates that 91 839 663 (95% CI 85 690 135-98 291 626) all-age deaths, including 30 391 980 (26 023 132-35 482 636) in children younger than 5 years, were prevented by USAID funding over the 21-year study period. USAID funding was associated with a 65% reduction (RR 0·35, 0·29-0·42) in mortality from HIV/AIDS (representing 25·5 million deaths), 51% (RR 0·49, 0·39-0·61) from malaria (8·0 million deaths), and 50% (RR 0·50, 0·40-0·62) from neglected tropical diseases (8·9 million deaths). Significant decreases were also observed in mortality from tuberculosis, nutritional deficiencies, diarrhoeal diseases, lower respiratory infections, and maternal and perinatal conditions. Forecasting models predicted that the current steep funding cuts could result in more than 14 051 750 (uncertainty interval 8 475 990-19 662 191) additional all-age deaths, including 4 537 157 (3 124 796-5 910 791) in children younger than age 5 years, by 2030.

Heebie's take: It seems even worse with the commas.

Moby Hick writes: I couldn't find any razor cartridges with two blades in the stores and I'm only using Amazon if I can't find an alternative. So, I was in Costco about to buy a new razor with five-bladed cartridges. Then I remembered that twenty years ago, a razor with five blades was in The Onion, not the store. It couldn't possibly take five blades. I ordered a safety razor and it seems to work just fine even though it only has one blade. It's not quite as close of a shave as I got with two blades, but I figure I need to get used to the new razor.

Lots of people are probably rethinking their grooming routine today, because for the first time since Reconstruction, a sitting president is selling a perfume.

Heebie's take: In my head, I've merged the five bladed razor and the seven minute abs bit from There's Something About Mary. (Transcript at that second link, not a video, you're welcome.)