Why is it so hard to go from the earth to the sun? (Asking for Elon who lives for adventures...)

https://www.nasa.gov/solar-system/its-surprisingly-hard-to-go-to-the-sun/

I might have done an art :3
It is not much, but it is mine.

I've been working on this puzzle since shortly after my #NewKnee surgery. I do it while practicing bending my leg. It was one of the most difficult puzzles I've done, resorting to grouping the pieces by shape and then trial and error for the sea and the sky. Even the skyline was harder than you'd expect. But it's done now.

Here's more info about the Tom & Jerry film:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt37185884/

I don't think it's going to fill the theaters here...

@j

Strap him in his big rocket and send it in the general direction of the moon. All the possibilities are good:
a) Rocket blows up on the pad. Fiery end and it'll look dramatic on the news.
b) Rocket goes up and gets lost in space. How sad.
c) Rocket crashes into the moon. How sad!
d) Rocket wanders off course and floats to Mars delivering Musk's dessicated corpse. How sad!
e) Aliens abduct him and don't return him. World-wide celebrations!

@j
I don't remember the details, but I was listening to an astronomy podcast recently and someone mentioned that it is actually quite a challenge to get from the earth to the sun. I suppose it has to do with orbital mechanics or somesuch, but for such a big gravitational source, getting there from here isn't easy. Who knew?

My Mexican businessman student told me this morning that he took his family to see a new Tom & Jerry cartoon film this weekend. He was hoping for some old-fashioned American humor and instead got a film created by Warner Bros in partnership with China. Computer graphics and totally intended for a Chinese audience. He said it was boring, incomprehensible, and he felt totally ripped off. The future is here.

I am amused but not surprised to read that Mr. Musk has given up on going to Mars and is now mooning us--I mean, focusing on getting people and whatnot to the moon. This will be followed by giving up on the moon and getting us to high earth orbit or hiho earth orbit. He's already crammed low earth orbit with flying trash_ellites, so no joy there, although launching a million more might keep him occupied.

Personally, I still think he should go to Mars asap.

One more excellent albeit depressing article about how America screws its citizens:

#giftlink

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/02/ai-annoyance-economy/685894/?gift=jDw299G8PAYpd8-JGed7UfRYFBWDSXAYaEHO4VZru9g&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share

Here's a sample:
"The American government lets insurers deny necessary medical procedures, just as it lets hospitals make up prices and hide them from patients. It lets employers foist extortionate contract terms on workers. It lets airlines and gyms and multilevel marketing companies and landlords and time-share businesses and auto companies and banks and telecoms swindle their customers with fine print."

#GiftLink

Public health is about more than public health:

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/2026/03/american-public-health-democracy/685727/?gift=jDw299G8PAYpd8-JGed7UawcWiVhrVyDyjx2_Lio7Fo&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share

Daughter: Did you know there's only 12 seconds in a year?
Dad: Trust me there's more than that.
Daughter: If I can prove it to you can we go to Mcdonalds?
Dad: Ok.
Daughter: January 2nd, February 2nd, March 2nd....
Dad: (At the McDonald's drive through) One happy meal please.

"As AI enters the operating room, reports arise of botched surgeries and misidentified body parts"

> One FDA report in June 2025 alleged that AI software used for prenatal ultrasounds was misidentifying fetal body parts.

https://www.reuters.com/investigations/ai-enters-operating-room-reports-arise-botched-surgeries-misidentified-body-2026-02-09/

The push for the adoption of "AI" in healthcare and education is a push to dismantle healthcare and education for the masses.

JD Vance arrives in Armenia. People there boo him too.

Just kidding, just kidding.

"Mommy, why are people booing?"

"Don't worry, honey, they're not booing us. Just your daddy."

I am confident that Melania the film will live on. Why? Cause I have grandchildren and there will be:
Melania the cartoon
Melania the 12-year-old sitcom star
Melania, nurse to her aged wealthy hubby
Melania as court-room judge (move over, Judy!)
Melania dog-trainer
Melania lion-tamer
Melania the naturalist
Melania star cook
Melania science teacher

Really, with the help of AI there is no limit at all. None. In five or six years there will be nothing on TV but sports, gambling, and Melania shows.

(And with that rigid face and scary accent, she'll probably win the poker tournaments--especially when the other players find out what happens to them if they win. She'll ICE them for sure.)

No shit.
#USpol

“President Trump is the most serious threat to America’s national security. No U.S. president or foreign adversary has done so much to weaken our ability to anticipate, prevent and respond to attacks by hostile nations and terrorists.
Like the proverbial bull in a china shop, Trump is rampaging destructively through the security infrastructure that has protected America and our allies since the end of World War II.” - Scott Bolden

https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/5727430-weakening-us-security-trump/amp/

A good perspective to keep in mind.

one reason it would be pro-capitalism and pro-innovation and yadda yadda to institute a wealth tax so no one could be worth more than like $10b maximum is its very obvious that once these guys reach truly mind-melting levels of wealth they get lazy, decadent, druggy, and just generally washed-up.

No, no no it’s pronounced “super bowel”.

Documents Reveal Florida Paid Over $573 Million to DeSantis-Connected Immigrant Detention Contractors in 2025

https://unicornriot.ninja/2026/new-documents-reveal-florida-paid-over-573-million-to-desantis-connected-immigrant-detention-contractors-in-2025/

Imagine if trump went to a supermarket.

Never mind. Do you think he's ever taken a list and shopped for food at a market?

No, I don't think so either.

Imagine him trying to find scallions or fresh dill or well, anything.

Do you think he knows that supermarkets have similar floor plans (at least the ones in Maine) with the dairy always as far from the entrance as possible?

So when he announces that food prices are waaaaaayyyyy down, he's talking through his butt as usual. Pure methane-scented lies, that's our leader.

💩