unicorn

I now know for sure that our phones are spying on us, even when turned off. The couple we're traveling with are travel agents, and one of the luxury hotels in San Juan, PR, invited us to look at their property, and then for lunch. She asked about our prior travels to the enchanted island, and I talked about a trip my previous boyfriend and I had taken to Rincón, a town for surfers and scuba divers, which is 3 hours from San Juan, about 12 years ago. At the conclusion of the meal, one of my friends found ads about hotels in Rincón, although none of us had used to internet to look up anything related to that town in many years. Their phones were not on during the meal. Is there something one can do in Settings to prevent phones from listening in on conversations when they're not turned on? This feels disgustingly creepy to me. This seems to be a new phenomenon,, and I find it rather repugnant.

I doubt Republicans will do well in the midterm elections.

Which also reminds me of the story of a colleague of mine who went through a contentious divorce. His wife was rather nutty, and attacked him with a knife, prompting the divorce. Although she had a Ph.D., she demanded he fully support her, because a doctor testified that she was so obnoxious that she could never hold a steady job! 🫣🙄

I remember once as a physician asking how an apparently able-bodied woman ended up on social security (she was in her early 40s if I recall correctly). She said she was awarded social security simply because her personality was so obnoxious that she couldn't hold down any job in the US! 🫣😬

I'm wondering if these islands have any advantage over similar tropical islands such as Bora Bora or the Seychelles? I'd have trouble justifying going to an island in which homosexuality is punished with serious prison sentences, unless it provided a truly unique experience. There are other countries and islands which have overwater bungalows, so I would be more inclined to go there, all else being equal... https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g15333086-d21287095-Reviews-Nayara_Bocas_Del_Toro_All_Inclusive-Bocas_del_Toro_Bocas_del_Toro_Province.html https://www.sofitel-moorea-kiaora.com/ https://www.guestreservations.com/palafitos-overwater-bungalows-at-el-dorado-maroma-gourmet-all-inclusive-by-karisma-adults-only/booking?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=23351087656&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23351087656&gbraid=0AAAAADiMQMZBMKpzx0rDHcbO97XImSw-9&gclid=CjwKCAiAs4HMBhBJEiwACrfNZZGrQ0i9D7eJu27uwoZHn8KcNbOsaJMOLJesPmBvO5hq-kn7R35QixoC3L0QAvD_BwE&ctTriggered=true

Someone pointed out that people in Australia collect unemployment insurance for many years down there. I just wanted to point out that this situation doesn't occur in the US. If you don't find a job within about 18 months, you get nothing.

In the US, Unemployment Insurance lasts only 18 months, I've heard up to 2 years. Of course, Social Security fraud is rampant. You're only supposed to get Social Security Disability benefits if you're unable to do ANY job in the US, yet there are plenty of able-bodied people who manage to get this. But this is usually only on the order of some $2500/month (depending), so not a path to riches.

A married couple and we were in Miami Beach before we'll be embarking on a cruise tomorrow. One of the couple bought a muscle hoodie at the store. After we'd left the store, his husband asked him if he'd seen that the store also sold MAGA caps. The hoodie-purchasing hubbie said he wouldn't have bought the hoodie had he known. I wouldn't have either (I guess I have to look more carefully). Later that day, I was surprised to walk buy another tourist store which sold both MAGA and rainbow flag caps, and prominently displayed them in the front window! I thought that was a strange combo. One would think that LGBTQ-friendly people wouldn't patronize a store which sold MAGA hats, and that MAGAts wouldn't patronize a store which sold gay-friendly clothing. Would you patronize a store which sold MAGA caps? Isn't this a strange business model?

I just reviewed my post, and realize I wrote in the last sentence "...this has been proven..." when I meant to say "...this hasn't been proven...". 😉

Some people are not aware that "cancer" is not a disease, but rather a collection of many hundreds of different diseases, all with different behaviors and different ways to treat. Even "pancreatic cancer" isn't a single disease, but I will comment on pancreatic adenocarcinoma, by far the most common (the beta cells, which produce insulin, for example, can also become cancerous, although that's very rare, and there are also pancreatic neuroendocrine carcinomas). Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (which I'll call PA for short) is one of the fastest-growing cancers that exists, and therefore cannot be screened for (similar to the fast-growing ovarian cancers). Although on occasion it is caught early from CT scans done for another reason, 80% of the time it's found after it's spread, in which case the prognosis is almost always measured in months, not years. Smoking doubles the risk. Diabetes mellitus is also a major risk factor. A somewhat small percentage seem to be genetic. The biggest risk factor is repeated episodes of pancreatitis (most commonly from alcohol), which greatly increases the risk. I once had a patient who'd had pancreatitis so many times his pancreas had basically turned into a pile of chalk. I already had to treat him with insulin and with the oral digestive enzymes the pancreas normally produces, so I consulted with an oncologist and asked if it would be a good idea to have his pancreas taken out as a precaution, but was advised that even in this case, it wasn't advisable (the surgery has a high risk of complications). High consumption of processed, red, or grilled meat have been associated with a higher risk of pancreatic cancer, but this has been proven as causative by randomized clinical trials, as far as I'm aware.

Another, probably avoidable death of a 19 year-old University of Michigan student: https://www.wilx.com/2026/01/25/university-michigan-student-found-dead-after-search-extreme-cold-conditions/ "ANN ARBOR, Mich. (WILX) - A 19-year-old University of Michigan student has been found dead after a nearly day-long search after he was reported missing on Friday. The Ann Arbor Police Department announced Saturday afternoon that Lucas Mattson’s body was found in the 1900 block of Cambridge Road around noon Saturday. The department posted to social media around 9 p.m. Friday that Mattson was considered missing and endangered due to the extreme frigid conditions. He had last been seen walking by himself wearing a t-shirt and jeans around 1 a.m. Friday in the 1700 block of Hill Street. He was reported missing at 4:30 p.m. Friday, according to the department. Officers spent the night searching for Mattson, but were unable to find him...There are no “obvious signs of trauma” and foul play is not suspected at this time, according to the department. The Washtenaw County Medical Examiner’s Office will determine cause and manner of death....". The cause of death has yet to be announced, and probably won't be until toxicology tests and perhaps an autopsy are done. While there are rare conditions that can cause an apparently healthy-looking young adult to suddenly drop dead, like Long QT Syndrome, I don't know of any medical problem that would cause an intelligent student at a competitive university to go out into -15C weather at 1 AM, other than substance misuse (such as alcohol). My suspicion would be alcohol or some other substance may have been involved. 😢 While there were few people out due to the frigid weather, I wonder how carefully they looked for him, since he wasn't far from the place where he was last seen.

If you're curious as to how comfortable those seats were, there are several places where one can sit on decommissioned Concordes--and it some places even get into the cockpit. In 2021, my husband and I went to the one near Seattle, Washington. Top Locations to Sit in a Concorde: Intrepid Museum (New York, USA): Offers tours of the British Airways G-BOAD, allowing visitors to sit in the cabin and sometimes the cockpit. Runway Visitor Park (Manchester, UK): Features G-BOAC, with guided tours that include sitting in the passenger seats. The Museum of Flight (Seattle, USA): Displays G-BOAG, allowing visitors to enter the cabin. Brooklands Museum (Weybridge, UK): Provides the "Concorde Experience" with cabin access. Sinsheim Auto & Technik Museum (Germany): Displays Air France Concorde F-BVFB, which is accessible to visitors. Musée de l'air et de l'espace (Le Bourget, France): Home to the prototype F-WTSS.

One would have thought that a knock on the door by armed policemen would do the trick. I've never heard of "tranquilizer darts" on humans, so I asked the question to Google's AI: AI Mode what is used in tranquilizer darts for humans Tranquilizer darts are not used for humans in law enforcement or civilian contexts due to extreme medical risks. While fictional media depicts instant unconsciousness, real-world chemical immobilization is dangerous and slow. However, specific substances have been used in medical research or hypothesized for chemical restraint: Carfentanil: An ultrapotent synthetic opioid (approximately 100 times stronger than fentanyl) that has been used in human medical imaging as a radiotracer at extremely low doses (less than 7 μg). It is also famously linked to the 2002 Moscow theater hostage crisis, where a carfentanil-based gas was used, resulting in over 120 deaths due to respiratory failure. Diazepam (Valium) and Midazolam (Versed): These benzodiazepines are occasionally mentioned in theoretical or historical discussions regarding human sedation. Ketamine: Often used in veterinary medicine for sedation, it has been explored in emergency medical settings for "chemical restraint" of agitated patients (typically via manual injection, not darts). Curare: Historically, indigenous groups in South America used curare, a plant-derived alkaloid (active ingredient: d-tubocurarine), on darts for hunting. It works by causing muscle paralysis rather than sedation, leading to death by asphyxiation if the respiratory muscles are affected. Also, while he may have been injected with a sedative to subdue him, he probably wasn't shot with a "tranquilizer dart": Did the Thai military use tranquilizer darts on Billy Idol? AI Overview No, the Thai military did not use tranquilizer darts on Billy Idol. While the rock star has had a rebellious career, there is no credible evidence or documented record of such an incident occurring. The widely reported, severe incident in his life was a 1990 motorcycle accident in Hollywood that nearly cost him a leg . Key Details Regarding the Myth: Source of Rumor: The story is likely an urban legend or exaggerated rumor. Actual Events: Billy Idol is known for his 1990 motorcycle accident in which he ran a stop sign, resulting in a serious leg injury that required a steel rod. Lack of Evidence: Official biographies and news archives from his tours in Asia do not contain reports of him being subdued by the military with tranquilizers. https://www.loudersound.com/features/we-went-there-to-have-a-whale-of-a-time-a-sex-holiday-really-but-it-got-out-of-hand-billy-idol-on-the-thailand-vacation-that-ended-with-a-visit-from-the-army "...According to legend, the army were forced to shoot Idol with a tranquilliser dart, although a more believable version of the story has him being injected with a sedative by a nurse. Either way, Idol almost certainly got off lightly, with Thai authorities able to enforce long prison sentences in the country's notorious prison system for those caught in possession of narcotics...."

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/lifestyle/article-15494335/tiktok-star-ko-tin-zaw-htwe-dead-beaten-thailand-forest.html "A beloved TikTok star with nearly one million followers has reportedly been found 'brutally' beaten to death in a forest. Ko Tin Zaw Htwe, 25, from the Asian country Myanmar, had become a popular internet sensation known online as Irrawaddy or Ayarwaddy. Htwe - described as one of the 'few openly queer creators from Myanmar' - often shared clips of himself dancing, reviewing products, showcasing his outfits and participating in popular trends and he raked in millions of views for his videos. According to Thai publication Thairath, police discovered his body on January 20 in a wooded area of the Mae Sot district of Thailand. There was reportedly dried blood on his face and a 'blood-stained wooden stick was found nearby, believed to be the murder weapon,' per Thairath...".