Not the question asked, but relevant: When each individual enterprise considers its own transport needs, road transport is usually cheaper. However, when looking at the collective needs of an entire economy, rail is usually a way more efficient and cost-effective option.

Private rail companies will only invest where there are epic amounts of cargo or passengers to move, which when left to the private sector leads to massive under investment and over-reliance on road transport. There is no coherent argument against having extensive government investment in rail.

I’m not aware of any that are acid, usually they’re strong alkaline, NaOH or KOH which is extremely corrosive, but there are some that are enzymatic that are supposed to break down organic material, not very well in my experience.

That’s what we call damning with faint praise

To be clear it has become popular as a substitute for (or adjunct to) smoking. As a quitting aid it isn’t especially effective, even if slightly more effective than NRT.

I must say in my practice I haven’t seen anyone quit using vapes, it just becomes a substitute.

Thankyou, I have been relying on an article I read several years ago, which in my memory was Cochrane also, I may be able to track it down. Turns out I’m out of date on that stat.

I stand by it having uncertain long term consequences when other forms of NRT are proven safe.

Vaping is about as effective as a quitting aid as other nicotine replacement methods but with an as yet undefined long term risk profile.

Buy them some gum or patches instead.

He leaves office to use his fortune to set up a charitable foundation leaving a JD Vance presidency

a chill person who knows how to find absurdity in a situation

I really like this definition. Being literally able to sense the humour in a situation

Fake news

Shoutout to Tasmania though…

I’m sad to say I have no advice for you but I feel for you, it must be a very hard time. Don’t be afraid to lean on those close to you for support.

Found it

Emperors of Rome: Episode CVIII - A Lesson in Latin II Starting from: 00:08:02

Episode webpage: http://www.latrobe.edu.au/marketing/assets/podcasts/emperors/181128-latin02.mp3

Media file: http://www.latrobe.edu.au/marketing/assets/podcasts/emperors/181128-latin02.mp3#t=482

deleted by creator

Emperor’s of Rome podcast addressed this in a Q&A episode.

From memory the answer is that top level generals would almost always speak Greek and Latin, mid level commanders would speak either Greek or Latin adequately as well as the local language of the troops they were commanding.

Yeah it’s a great visualisation, you would need to do it for each electorate in the house if reps. Maybe you could do one for the whole senate though.

It’s not a bad measure but I don’t think it’s the best, I’m currently working my way through Spirit Level and so I think some measure like the Gini coefficient would be important.

I think that median income, Gini coefficient, poverty rate and something like the human development index would give a decent overall picture. I don’t think a single metric really does the job.

Wondering if you read the linked article which presents evidence that this has changed?

It made me laugh, it’s not silly per se but the idea that such an esteemed title as blue zone was earned through pension fraud is hilarious.

The more schadenfreude version is that the idea of these blue zones has been trotted out ad nauseum by longevity nuts for at least a decade and now they look like fools.

I call myself ‘functionally atheist’. I’m philosophically agnostic in that I hold no strong opinion on the existence of a god/gods as that is fundamentally unknowable but for all practical purposes I act as though there is no god.

I’m a doctor and my partner is a nurse and the size of the difference is straight up injustice. Join your union and vote for militant leaders that will push for better conditions and salaries. If you don’t fight you lose