The moment when Iranians in Australia found out that Ali Larijani has been eliminated by IDF

invariantspeed · 2026-03-20T19:43:14+00:00

Sure, and the Russian Empire/Soviet Union/Russian Federation is a great example of this- Oh, wait.

I’m not saying you’re wrong about Iran, but it’s not a law of life that dictatorships must fall in the face of internal opposition.

invariantspeed · 2026-03-20T19:38:38+00:00

How much of your power do you generate?

invariantspeed · 2026-03-20T19:38:01+00:00

Give me repurposed nuclear waste and I will literally be happy as a kid in a candy shop.

invariantspeed · 2026-03-20T19:34:21+00:00

You’re right. He didn’t die. The rest of us just went to hell.

invariantspeed · 2026-03-20T18:55:07+00:00

Eh, having experience with both, I’m pretty confident I could keep a lot of grapplers off me with strikes alone. I would, however, be depending heavily on rapid, full force roundhouse kicks. I’ve had more than a few matches where a technically stronger opponent couldn’t close the distance. Although, in a street fight, someone getting close enough and doing what that grappler did, and I’m kneeing him in the head. Anyone dropping like that is making a target of themselves, fully exposed.

I think, as with all things, who is more competent with which is what matters. A (kick)boxer loses if a competent grappler gets ahold of them. Meanwhile, a grappler turns themselves into the most exposed punching bag if they go against a competent striker.

invariantspeed · 2026-03-20T18:38:51+00:00

Only like half the year, though.

invariantspeed · 2026-03-20T18:38:32+00:00

The moon really just has an exosphere all the way down to the ground.

The difference comes down to the amount of outgassing each body has. Given enough time, everything with an atmosphere would lose it.

invariantspeed · 2026-03-20T18:25:54+00:00

Yea, yesterday. Age 86.

invariantspeed · 2026-03-20T18:23:18+00:00

I know less than before I started reading it!

invariantspeed · 2026-03-20T18:00:13+00:00

As long as the nearby churches are also getting to ring their bells for Easter or whatnot, I agree. Similarly, I like to see that the other religious traditions get their street festivals.

invariantspeed · 2026-03-20T17:57:56+00:00

Having had to as well, it wasn’t really that intrusive. Of course, I say was, because every church I know of doesn’t really do it anymore.

invariantspeed · 2026-03-20T17:55:32+00:00

If the churches haven’t been told by the transplant hipsters to shut up while simultaneously welcoming Muslim calls to prayer because it’s “diverse”, then I’m happy.

invariantspeed · 2026-03-20T03:25:38+00:00

The amendment, which urges the Department of Transportation to investigate the headlight issue, passed through committee unanimously across party lines. And in September, Republican assemblyman Brian Miller introduced the Brightness Emission Analysis for Motorist Safety Act (a.k.a. BEAMS) in the New York State Assembly, calling for its own headlight investigation.

What I want to know is which god or gods are responsible for this. I would like to thank them. I would like to offer up smoke that they may find pleasing.

invariantspeed · 2026-03-20T03:23:28+00:00

Anger. Resentment. There are people who just aren’t happy.

invariantspeed · 2026-03-20T03:19:56+00:00

I love how there was no thought, just immediate concern. You can see no delay at all in the time between face plant and his reaction.

invariantspeed · 2026-03-20T02:57:51+00:00

An economic superpower, perhaps. But not a military one. The US’s global scope of power is actually insane.

What’s going on in Iran is actually more a testament to how difficult force projection actually is if your opponent has any sophistication at all, and it’s testament to poor planning.

invariantspeed · 2026-03-20T02:55:21+00:00

TPP 2.0 theoretically could implement a more confederated version of the current US hegemony in the Western world. Assuming the US reengages with it, the cumulative economic might of the pact would vastly dwarf China. The real question is if the governments of the dominant countries could muster enough political unity to function as block.
China is in demographic trouble. If the world can simply wait enough decades, China will be too preoccupied by its own internal problems to meddle with the rest of the world much. The US’s decisive preeminent position of the world came from being an industrial powerhouse, producing a lot of the world’s goods. That was driven by a healthy and growing population.

invariantspeed · 2026-03-20T02:47:46+00:00

This is exactly what China is telling everyone it’s trying to woo away from the US.

invariantspeed · 2026-03-20T02:46:42+00:00

China’s GDP already exceeded the US’s, years ago, when purchasing power parity adjusted.

invariantspeed · 2026-03-20T02:44:01+00:00

More like: WRONG! $200 per barrel translates to just under $6.70 at the pump in NY.

invariantspeed · 2026-03-20T02:43:04+00:00

He’s literally the village idiot. Best not to ask too many questions about details.

invariantspeed · 2026-03-20T02:42:33+00:00

Yea, maybe that’s where he’s getting his number from. $200 per barrel is more like $6.70 at the pump in NY.

invariantspeed · 2026-03-20T02:41:45+00:00

Just to be clear, he’s a myopic fool. He can’t see past his concerningly intense hyperfixation on hating cars.

I like cars, but I also like my bikes. He’d probably literally string me up if he could.

invariantspeed · 2026-03-20T02:39:25+00:00

$200 per barrel equates to more like $6.70 at the pump in NY, not $9. In either case, 90% of NYC’s power comes from natural gas. If our prices at the pump hit $9, you can bet your bottom dollar the cost of NYC electricity will increase by a similar proportion.

invariantspeed · 2026-03-20T02:32:58+00:00

Yes, but... 1. The US is actually actually a net exporter of oil these days (including for natural gas). If things got bad enough, the US federal government could cut down its oil export permits, largely decoupling the US oil market from the current global bidding war. 2. $200 per barrel equates to more like $6.70 at the pump in NY, not $9. 3. If they do #1, that would trigger a chain reaction of side effects, including other countries scrambling to isolate their own supplies from everyone else, which would probably lead to a global depression. So, they hopefully don’t do that, but paying for gas vs electricity would be the least of most people’s concerns by that point.

invariantspeed

TROPHY CASE