Is an Air Fryer Worthwhile for the Frugal Kitchen?

Biden Met With Alexei Navalny’s Wife‚ Promised Russian Sanctions

Our Sneaky Phones

The MSM Is Corrupt Beyond Repair

If you’re familiar with the Twitter game “flat fuck Friday”‚ then oh boy‚ do we have a treat for you. We present to you one of the flattest fellas around: the Asian giant softshell turtle (Pelochelys cantorii). And‚ with the help of local community knowledge‚ researchers have just discovered both its first-ever nesting female and breeding population.Unfortunately‚ the Asian (or Cantor’s) giant softshell turtle is also critically endangered; its population has been declining due to habitat destruction‚ getting caught up in fishing gear‚ and being hunted for meat. But in figuring out ways to find out more about and protect the species‚ conservationists have encountered a problem – the turtles are notoriously elusive‚ spending much of their time buried in the sands under their native rivers of South and Southeast Asia. So‚ researchers turned to communities local to the Chandragiri River in Kerala‚ India‚ as study author Dr Francoise Cabada-Blanco explained in a statement. “Following several unsuccessful attempts at tracking one down using conventional ecological survey methods‚ we took a different approach by tapping into local knowledge.”“The team‚ led by Ayushi Jain were able to engage the community really effectively‚ so much so that they shared tales of historical sightings‚ provided leads on current occurrences‚ and even aided in the live release of individuals accidentally caught as by-catch.”As a result of this collaboration‚ the team discovered the first evidence of both a female turtle nesting and of a breeding population. They even managed to rescue some eggs from nests that had been flooded‚ later releasing the flat and‚ frankly‚ ravioli-esque hatchlings into the river.A baby ravioli Asian giant softshell turtle hatchling.Image credit: Jain et al.‚ Oryx 2024 (CC BY 4.0)It’s an important step towards the conservation of this secretive species – the team is now setting up a community hatchery and nursery in the area – but the authors were also keen to emphasize just how critical a role local knowledge can play in achieving this goal.  “The community’s willingness to engage formed the backbone of our project‚ allowing us to record not just fleeting glimpses of the turtles but evidence of a reproductive population – a discovery that rewrites the narrative of a species thought to be vanishing from India's waters‚” said Jain.“For years‚ the Cantor turtle’s existence has barely been a murmur against the backdrop of India's bustling biodiversity‚ with sightings so scarce that the turtle's very presence seemed like a ghost from the past‚” added Cabada-Blanco.“Our study is a narrative of rediscovery‚ of finding hope in the stories told by the river and its people‚ and of laying the groundwork for a future where this magnificent species can thrive‚ not just survive.”The study is published in the journal Oryx.

Sometimes‚ science is about discovering new life‚ curing the incurable‚ or sending humanity to the stars. Sometimes‚ it’s about finding the ideal shape for a vaginally insertable plastic penis. Today‚ friends‚ is one of those days. A new study has asked the question that’s secretly been on all of our minds: does size really matter when it comes to dildos?There’s been limited research into people’s preferences when it comes to sex toys. That’s partially because society still has some way to go in normalizing the use of toys in both partnered and solo sexploration.“For example‚ a sex toy endorsement by British celebrity YouTuber Zoe Sugg’s brand website Zoella resulted in her being dropped from the [high school] Media Studies syllabus and prompted conversations about female sexual pleasure and sex education‚” the authors of the new study explain‚ “while sex toy manufacturer‚ Lora DiCarlo‚ had an industry award for a new vibrator revoked at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show for breaking organizer rules around obscenity and profanity.”But despite the imposed taboos around them‚ sex toys have a long and storied history. The Romans (might have) used them. Our closest animal cousins use them. There’s some evidence to suggest they could have actual health benefits. And yet‚ scientists still know very little about what discerning customers are looking for in their mock phalluses.Dr Sarah E. Johns and Nerys Bushnell of the University of Kent acquired data from the UK’s largest online sexual wellness retailer‚ Lovehoney‚ to shed light on this probing question. They looked at the size‚ shape‚ and price of 265 vaginally insertable sex toys to see where consumer preferences lie. All of the products were listed under the website category “Dildo”‚ and only those that were phallus-shaped‚ specifically designed for sexual pleasure via the vagina‚ and whose insertable length could be clearly seen‚ were included.Through a combination of visual evaluation of online photos‚ the specifications available on the website‚ and customer reviews‚ the researchers systematically analyzed each toy. A large majority of the toys (86.8 percent) were made of skin-like material‚ but less than half were a realistic skin tone. Most somewhat followed the morphology of a human penis‚ with veins present in 72.5 percent and a glans/coronal ridge in 81.9 percent‚ but only 36.2 percent had a scrotum. Vibration was only a feature of around a quarter of the toys assessed. There was little evidence that consumers were actually seeking out these realistic attributes. The authors point to previous research suggesting that female customers could be intimidated by hyper-realistic dildos: “[W]omen have reported that they most often chose sex toys which were specifically intended to not resemble a penis.” Price was also found to be a big factor. The average retail price of the toys assessed was £44.61 (about $56.60). The more anatomically realistic models also tended to come with a higher price tag‚ which the authors suggest may put consumers off.And now to the biggest question of all: size. We know how concerned men can be about the magnitude of their member‚ but when it comes to silicone substitutes‚ the results were somewhat surprising.“[W]e found that for toys at least‚ although circumference was influential in predicting product popularity‚ insertable toys of a larger girth in our sample were less popular‚ while length was non-significant‚” the authors write. “In our sample‚ the 5 most popular products had a mean circumference of 4.85 inches [12.3 centimeters] which is just above the average circumference for real penises.”And people weren’t all that bothered about vibration either. “We were also surprised that an additional vibrating functionality did not predict item popularity.”So‚ to sum up: the most popular vaginally insertable toys appear to be those that are not exact replicas of a penis‚ and certainly not a larger-than-life model. Consumers of these products are not interested in all the bells and whistles – they just want an affordable product that’s comfortable to use.The authors acknowledge that there are certain limitations to their research – for one thing‚ they were using a UK webstore for their research‚ so these preferences could be limited to British sex toy purchasers only – but given how little we seem to know about this market‚ it’s a start.As the authors conclude‚ “Studies of sex toy preference‚ such as this‚ can also contribute to future product design and marketing‚ as well as reveal user preference toward features of the phallus (whether real or toy).”The study is published in The Journal of Sex Research.[H/T: PsyPost]

To paraphrase Stalin about the Pope: How many nukes does Greta Thunberg have? On Thursday's The Lead on CNN‚ in a segment he entitled "Biden Unfiltered‚" anchor Jake Tapper reported Biden telling a group of high-rolling San Francisco donors that although Putin is a "crazy SOB‚ and we always have to be worried about nuclear conflict‚" the real existential threat is climate change. Tapper also highlighted Biden saying that he served with a "real racist‚" Strom Thurmond‚ but that today's GOP is worse. Not surprising from Biden‚ given that in 2019‚ Biden waxed nostalgic about the "civility" he enjoyed with hard-core Democrat segregationists‚ like Mississippi Sen. James Eastland and Georgia Sen. Herman Talmadge. And for good measure‚ Tapper played the audio of Barack Obama's infamous "bitter clinger" remarks about the Republican base‚ which coincidentally Obama made at a San Francisco fundraiser. "Something about San Francisco fundraisers‚ I guess‚" Tapper sardonically observed. Tapper relayed all this (and responses from the Kremlin and Speaker Mike Johnson) to underline that Biden's not going before the cameras. He reminded his viewers that Biden failed to accept a softball Super Bowl interview‚ this time from CBS: "If you're running for president‚ and a majority of voters think you're too old to serve another term‚ as polls suggest they think about President Biden‚ avoiding cameras might make it look as though you have something to hide." Over the years‚ NewsBusters has documented Tapper's left-leaning tendencies. Just last month‚ for example‚ we caught him claiming that in an impeachment‚ Republican Senators wouldn't convict Trump if he ordered Seal Team Six to assassinate a political rival. But in this case‚ Tapper showed political balance‚ quoting nasty takes from Biden and Obama -- and even suggested they're offering red meat to San Francisco Democrat fat cats! PS: Tapper quoted Biden saying of Trump analogizing himself to Navalny‚ "If I stood here 10 or 15 years ago and said this‚ you all would have thought that I should be committed." Pro Tip for Biden: Do not speak of people thinking you should be committed. Too many people in the audience would likely nod their head in agreement.   Here's the transcript. CNN The Lead With Jake Tapper 2/22/24 4:00 pm ET JAKE TAPPER: Welcome to The Lead. I'm Jake Tapper‚ and we start today with our politics lead‚ Off script‚ off camera‚ and amongst friends‚ Democratic supporters and donors‚ is where President Biden appears most comfortable‚ leveling some of his sharpest and most direct attacks. Speaking at a fundraising event in San Francisco last night‚ the president took aim at several of his adversaries‚ including Russian President Vladimir Putin. "We have a crazy SOB. That guy Putin and others. And we always have to be worried about a nuclear conflict. But the existential threat to humanity is climate‚" he said. Continuing the back-and-forth‚ the Kremlin fired back today‚ criticizing President Biden for sounding like a quote Hollywood cowboy‚ more specifically‚ Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said‚ quote‚ clearly Mr. Biden is demonstrating behavior in the style of a Hollywood cowboy to cater to domestic political interests‚ unquote.  . . .  But about that rematch in 2024‚ Biden also took aim at the Republican frontrunner‚ and hit Donald Trump over Trump's attempt to compare his legal difficulties to the political persecution‚ poisoning‚ possible murder‚ of Alexey Navalny‚ who died in a Russian prison a few days ago. DONALD TRUMP: I got indicted four times. I have eight or nine trials. All because of the fact that I'm‚ and you know this. All because of the fact that I'm in politics. It is a form of Navalny. It is a form of communism or fascism. TAPPER: Last night‚ President Biden responded‚ "If I stood here 10 or 15 years ago and said this‚ you all would have thought that I should be committed. It's astounding."  President Biden also singled out Republicans in Congress for criticism‚ arguing that this generation is worse than lawmakers he worked with when he first served on Capitol Hill: "I've been a Senator since '72‚ I've served with real racists. I've served with Strom Thurmond. And I've served with all these guys that have set terrible records on race. But guess what? These guys are worse. These guys do not believe in basic democratic principles." In response‚ House Speaker Mike Johnson posted on X‚ "outrageous‚ the least popular president to seek reelection is now so desperate and so under water in the polls‚ he's playing the race card from the bottom of the deck." Now‚ there might not be cameras‚ but there have been reporters at Biden's fundraising events. That's how we know what he said. And politicians tend to get a little looser when they think cameras are not recording what they're saying. You might remember when Barack Obama was recorded in 2008‚ when he was speaking at a fundraiser in San Francisco‚ talking about why working-class voters might be voting Republican: "And it's not surprising then‚ they get bitter‚ they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them." Something about San Francisco fundraisers‚ I guess. But‚ this all does raise a question in this modern era: why is Biden kind of camera shy? Before Biden announced he was running for reelection last year‚ the New York Times had reported Biden has held the fewest news conferences since Reagan. Biden again declined to hold the traditional end-of-year press conference in 2023. And for the second consecutive year‚ Biden skipped sitting down for a pre-Super Bowl interview. A move his advisers allegedly made because quote‚ they wanted to give the already fatigued public a break from politics during the big game.  It was a curious choice by the White House though‚ given that this is one of the most consequential elections ever‚ and the Super Bowl allows the eyeballs for one of the biggest‚ if not the biggest‚ televised event in the country. If you're running for president‚ and a majority of voters think you're too old to serve another term‚ as polls suggest they think about President Biden‚ avoiding cameras might make it look as though you have something to hide.

“How small‚ of all that human hearts endure / That part which laws or kings can cause or cure.” Oliver Goldsmith’s lines — written 260 years ago‚ with help from his friend Samuel Johnson — are worth remembering in an election year. But it’s tough. Congress and the White House are both up for grabs this November. An already single-digit Republican majority in the House of Representatives narrowed further last week when the seat formerly held by George Santos was won back by Tom Suozzi‚ the Democrat who held it before Santos. Donald Trump is convinced the Republican who tried to replace Santos wasn’t MAGA enough — while Trump’s foes say he’s the reason whenever the GOP fares poorly. And the GOP has a daunting loss record in recent years‚ forfeiting the U.S. House and Senate in 2018 and the White House in 2020‚ with Santos’s victory in a lately blue New York district a rare pleasant surprise in the otherwise lackluster 2022 midterms. The trouble with writing the Republicans’ obituary‚ however‚ is that the Democrats hardly seem healthier. President Joe Biden’s party did‚ after all‚ lose the House last time‚ and it holds only a one-seat majority in the Senate‚ though as long as Kamala Harris remains vice-president Democrats can control even a 50-50 Senate. But it’s no safe bet Harris will still be around a year from now — not the way the Biden-Harris ticket has been polling recently. Though certain Republican-leaning pundits as well as Democrats think Trump ought to be a weak‚ even hopeless nominee for the GOP‚ he polls better against Biden than he ever did against Hillary Clinton — and‚ of course‚ he beat her. It’s easy to say that isn’t so much a sign of Trump’s strength as it is of Biden’s shakiness. Yet what it does it tell us that no other‚ younger leader in either party has been able to challenge them? Democrats and Republicans alike have had plenty of choices in recent cycles‚ with presidential aspirants from a panoply of ideological and personal backgrounds. Republicans had Reaganite and libertarian options‚ moderate conservatives and culture warriors. Democrats had a Vermont socialist and a billionaire ex-mayor of New York among their alternatives to Biden in 2020. And not too long ago‚ both parties were actually following different agendas. The GOP was home of the Tea Party‚ Speaker Paul Ryan and 2012 nominee Mitt Romney. George W. Bush‚ self-styled as a “compassionate conservative” and an internationalist‚ was the temperamental and philosophical opposite of Donald Trump. If Barack Obama wasn’t so different from Joe Biden in substance‚ his symbolism — “hope and change” — sent a message radically different from today’s “Too bad‚ it’s me or Trump.” Yet other flavors of Republican and Democrat‚ even when they got a turn in power‚ traced much the same trajectory of rise and fall that the Trump and Biden parties are now on. The details and magnitudes differ‚ but the result after a few cycles was something close to partisan equilibrium. Every president since 1992 has lost the House to the other party during his watch. George W. Bush’s brand of Republicanism still fell short with the popular vote in 2000 and came within a Supreme Court decision of losing the Electoral College‚ too. Buoyed by patriotic feelings after 9/11 and in the early phase of the Iraq War‚ Bush won the popular vote in 2004‚ but by the smallest Electoral College margin of reelection in decades. A Bush succeeded Reagan after 1988‚ but 20 years later Obama succeeded George W. Yet the Obama coalition wasn’t the stuff of permanent majorities‚ either‚ so he lost the House in his first midterms‚ lost the Senate in his second‚ and turned the White House over to Trump at the end of his administration. The differences between Bush‚ Obama‚ Trump‚ Biden and other leaders both hopeful and hopeless are real‚ and they do matter at the ballot box. But there’s a larger pattern in American politics since the end of the Cold War that has held up no matter the differences between candidates and philosophies. Voters as a whole won’t give either party‚ or any set of ideologues‚ full‚ long-term control over their lives — not even enough control for coherent national policy in major areas like immigration and diplomacy. Americans prefer no consistent government‚ rapid-cycling anarchy‚ to everything the two parties offer: neither has made the sale. And if this won’t be the year that changes that‚ it’s time to look for something more appealing than either team has yet come up with — or else accept that governing‚ in any large sense‚ is for now impossible. We still need leaders‚ and wise statesmanship‚ but we might have to live without political consensus — and Goldsmith assures we can. Daniel McCarthy is the editor of Modern Age: A Conservative Review. To read more by Daniel McCarthy‚ visit www.creators.com

If Donald Trump is the threat to democracy that the late night comedy shows claim he is‚ you would think that The Daily Show’s Desi Lydic would put policy differences aside and support Nikki Haley‚ but you would be wrong. On the Thursday edition of the Comedy Central program‚ Lydic argued that‚ on some issues‚ Haley is worse than Trump and has some rather “unmoderate” positions on women’s issues‚ such as protecting the integrity of women’s sports. Lydic was condemning what she claims is a media tendency to portray any Republican who didn’t storm the Capitol or claim the election was stolen as a moderate‚ “Is Nikki Haley the moderate in the race? Because when you actually take a look at her policies‚ they aren't that different from Trump. She also wants to build the wall. She also wants mass deportations. She's also opposed to Obamacare and the Paris Climate Accords and‚ in fact‚ on abortion she's even more extreme than Trump.”     Clearly‚ Lydic needs to watch more of the media if that's what she thinks the media's definition of a moderate Republican is‚ but nevertheless‚ she further lamented that “she supports a national ban after six weeks before most women even know they are pregnant. At six weeks‚ the symptoms are fatigue and stomach issues and women can't take a pregnancy test every time they get bubble guts.” As Lydic tells it‚ Haley is a woman who doesn’t care much about women‚ “It's not that she doesn't care about women's issues‚ it's that she has a very unmoderate idea about women's issues are.” Haley was then shown at a CNN town hall from June 2023‚ declaring‚ “The idea we have biological boys playing in girls’ sports‚ it is the women's issue of our time.” An incredulous Lydic responded‚ “Really‚ Nikki? That's the women's issue of our time? Not abortion access or equal pay or even how to part your hair so teens don't bully you? I never thought I'd say this but Nikki Haley is so bad at knowing what women actually want‚ I think maybe her husband should order for her at restaurants.” Problems with the actual argument notwithstanding‚ if Lydic can’t even offer up a definition for the word “women‚” how can she possibly be upset they don’t receive equal pay or that Haley has a messed up idea of their most pressing issues?  Here is a transcript for the February 22 show: Comedy Central The Daily Show 2/22/2024 11:06 PM ET DESI LYDIC: Is Nikki Haley the moderate in the race? Because when you actually take a look at her policies‚ they aren't that different from Trump. She also wants to build the wall. She also wants mass deportations. She's also opposed to Obamacare and the Paris Climate Accords and‚ in fact‚ on abortion she's even more extreme than Trump.  She supports a national ban after six weeks before most women even know they are pregnant. At six weeks‚ the symptoms are fatigue and stomach issues and women can't take a pregnancy test every time they get bubble guts.  It's not that she doesn't care about women's issues‚ it's that she has a very unmoderate idea about women's issues are.  NIKKI HALEY: The idea we have biological boys playing in girls’ sports‚ it is the women's issue of our time.  LYDIC: Really‚ Nikki? That's the women's issue of our time? Not abortion access or equal pay or even how to part your hair so teens don't bully you? I never thought I'd say this but Nikki Haley is so bad at knowing what women actually want‚ I think maybe her husband should order for her at restaurants. So‚ most of her policies aren't more moderate than Trump and if you ask her‚ she as herself doesn't identify as a moderate. 

Do you have a plan to communicate securely over insecure methods? Low-tech methods can be used to relay and receive messages without them being understood by others who are watching‚ listening‚ or reading The post Old-school Low-tech Covert Comms appeared first on Survivopedia.