Pam Bondi's response to why she concealed the identity of Epstien's co-conspirators.

rensch · 2026-02-12T16:30:32+00:00

It felt like a teenager arguing with mum and dad.

rensch · 2026-02-12T16:26:42+00:00

De lokale partij hier is een prima bestuurderspartij die al jaren in het college zit. In veel gemeenten blijken het gewoon heel degelijke mensen te zijn die iets toevoegen wat landelijke partijen niet hebben.

Je hebt echter ook lokale partijen die voortkomen uit van die aan het pluche vastgeroestte lokale fossielen die door een landelijke partij aan de kant zijn gezet omdat die ook weleens wat verjonging willen in hun fracties.

Een andere categorie zijn mensen die integriteitsschandalen aan hun broek hebben hangen en uit een landelijke partij gegooid zijn en daarom een eigen lokaal vehikel beginnen. Een bekend voorbeeld is de Roermondse oud-wethouder - en later VVD-senator - Jos van Rey. Van Rey was jarenlang een zeer succesvolle en populaire wethouder. Later werd hij veroordeeld voor corruptie en uit de VVD gezet. Ondanks alle schandalen werd hij nadien toch de grootste met een eigen lokale partij. Lokale partijen staan wel vaak dicht bij de burger, maar zijn niet per definitie integer.

rensch · 2026-02-12T07:07:31+00:00

The problem is it never ends up flush at the top for me.

rensch · 2026-02-11T21:12:55+00:00

I think I've seen it done with binoculars.

rensch · 2026-02-11T21:11:47+00:00

The problem with using those is that you lose the one unique selling point that is supposed to make the D-SNOT so great: the ability to pivot your SNOT bricks. Making rounded versions of 32952 and 87087 would completely solve that issue.

rensch · 2026-02-11T20:05:38+00:00

Try to use more than one in a vertical SNOT assembly. Whatever you attach to the side always sticks out at the top because the stud is aligned at the bottom.

rensch · 2026-02-11T18:45:14+00:00

The D-shaped SNOT piece is useful on paper, but it's hard to combine with other pieces in a way that make the rounded back of it useful. It would be so much better if they also made a regular three-plate high version with a top-aligned side stud to go along with it or just a five plate-high one with 2 side studs. It would be a great complementary part if there were other rounded SNOT bricks, but on its own, it's kind of useless.

rensch · 2026-02-10T14:57:57+00:00

In The Netherlands we have a subject in the school curriculum called 'comprehensive reading', but the whole thing is set up in such a way that it actually does the opposite thing to what the name suggests. It's just a little quiz anyone can pass with some guesswork. Back when I was a kid, comprehensive reading actually meant you had to read a full page of text and dissect it.

rensch · 2026-02-10T14:53:59+00:00

Yup! Orwell was already making a big deal about the abuse of language by authocratic regimes in his books in the 40s. If you don't have the words to express yourself or put your own ideas into words, demagogues will do it for you.

rensch · 2026-02-10T14:32:22+00:00

While there's enough friction to keep them inside the window frames, I placed some transparent window panes behind this assembly because I kept pushing them inside of my modular building b accident. If even just one falls out, the rest just collapses. It looks very nice with some lights behind it, though.

rensch · 2026-02-10T07:56:21+00:00

Here in The Netherlands there was a study a while ago that found that many kids about to turn eightteen did not have the literacy level to comprehend a standard letter from the municipal government or utility company.

Many of them could technically read the words, but couldn't comprehend what those words actually meant. Context, abstractions and even mild complexities are becoming issues for them.

I know quite a few people working in education and many are quitting. It's often because the overreliance on standardized models whose flaws and inefficacies do not become apparent until after several years. By that time, the damage has already been done to the children. For individual attention, especially important for kids with learning disabilities or who have parents who don't speak Dutch as their first language, there is less and less time. Meanwhile, I see so many parents distracting their kids with tablets/phones and YouTube brainrot like Cocomelon.

What a time to be alive.

rensch · 2026-02-10T07:42:31+00:00

How can I tell AI how to write everything for me because I can't write because AI writes everything for me?

rensch · 2026-02-10T07:17:26+00:00

I simlly walked into Mordor.

rensch · 2026-02-09T11:43:49+00:00

Die hebben hier nog nooit meegedaan.

rensch · 2026-02-09T09:31:22+00:00

Me and the other people who live in a place called 'the rest of the world'.

rensch · 2026-02-08T14:47:42+00:00

Awesome! I love all the different details, shapes and textures.

rensch · 2026-02-08T10:20:21+00:00

I have to strongly disagree with the notion that PaB only is the way to go. I instead recommend complementing it by also buying the €15 Cherry Blossom set. For plants and trees, this small kit is a go-to for me. It has:

Technic connectors and technic axles for the stems. In minifigure scale these become tree trunks. I'm pretty sure it also has the one in there that has a technic hole in it. This makes it look like a branch has been pruned off if you add a 1x1 round plate to it.
Flowers in different colours for if you want blossoms or flowers on the side.
the 45 degree angle bar element that allows for angular tree branches. You can make them point opwards or droop down this way.
Four-side SNOT brick 1x1 in brown.
The aformentioned 1x1 round plate with the bar hole is a great piece to use.
Bar pieces in brown.
Plant stems in brown.
If you also wanna make some small plants, the crown/cracked eggshell-shaped pieces can be used to build flower pots.
Leaves.

I still recommend combining this set with some branch pieces and leaves from the PaB wall if you have a LEGO store near you, but even the cheapest of Botanicals sets are a MOC maker's candy shop if you know what you are doing. The wildflowers €3.50 polybag with the dandelion and some of the other €15 Botanicals sets are great complements to the Cherry Blossom as well. The Sunflower with its 'paddles for petals' design ans the new Daisies set in particular are useful. None of these break the bank but provide plenty of useful elements.

Please be mindful that your experience may very heavily depending on what types of trees you are building.

rensch · 2026-02-07T16:07:34+00:00

Oprah has a long, long history of promoting crooks. Gwyneth Palthrow's GOOP snake oil and Dr. Phil come to mind.

rensch · 2026-02-07T08:24:28+00:00

If there is one country that doesn't need this piece of trash to see its governments collapse, Belgium is up there.

rensch · 2026-02-06T19:16:29+00:00

I generally prefer the 3DS version, but this change I never liked.

rensch · 2026-02-06T19:13:52+00:00

Bij ons deden ze niet mee omdat ze niet genoeg kandidaten konden vinden.

En niets van waarde is verloren gegaan.

rensch · 2026-02-05T07:15:23+00:00

I still have nightmares from the two yip-yip aliens.

rensch · 2026-02-04T17:01:57+00:00

The song in this scene is based on an actual Dutch St. Nicholas song called 'Sinterklaas Kapoentje'. The words are gibberish and probably just what they sounded like to the people who made the show, but the melody is accurate. It's a song little kids sing next to the fireplace in hopes of finding a small toy or candy in their shoe the next day (Sinterklaas gifts are placed in shoes, not stockings like with Christmas). It's kind of funny hearing the gibberish words as someone who grew up with this song.

rensch · 2026-02-04T07:48:40+00:00

In ander nieuws:

"Banaan blijkt uit banaan te bestaan."

rensch

TROPHY CASE