MicroB

New strain of bacteria is the key turn of phrase. Not at all unusual.

99.9% of terran bacteria are unknown. My PhD not only resulted in new strains, but I found new genera of bacteria. In higher organisms, thats like discovering lizard people. Its not a big deal. First I found one brand new genera, and named it. Then I found another brand new one. Named that as well. Seriously whacky looking bacteria at x1000. Super sensitive to metals, I had to grow them using a plant-derived gelling agent from Dupont, normally used in paints, because ultra high purity agar (which is made from seaweed) had too much metals in it. The gel was a thermo-responsive gel, which meant it liquified when I stuck it in the fridge, leading to unique ways to harvest colonies.

Bacteria are ubiquitous; in soil, in water. A mate at Purdue was working in a mine in South Africa, 4kms down, drilling native rock, and found novel bacteria down there. I've worked with bacteria that have required special glassware, as they are so acidophillic, and other bacteria where you have to grow them in a pressure cooker. Up in the clouds, there is a complete ecosystem that directly impacts our climate. Amazing things.

20 hours ago, CallumWK said:

So in short, it would require a huge budget and time to transform the plane and use it for maybe 2 years until the new AF one planes are scheduled to be delivered.

 

I thought MAGA was about cutting the government waste of money.

 

Promises made, promises kept. NOT?

I suspect in 2029, the plane will be handed over the the Trump Presidential Library as a gutted hulk. There was a reason why stinkin' rich bedo were wanting to get shot of this plane.

Ironically, he might be on his deathbed by then, so the plane will be left as some sort of symbolic memorial.

Wonder if we will ever find out about the camera's fitted into the Emir's bedroom for his enjoyment.... Or wonder if the Emir's brother, Sheikh Khalid Bin Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, partied on the plane? Maybe played snooker but without a snooker table, just the cues to hit the spot....

Courts will not receive federal funding to enforce contempt actions. Simply, the President can ignore the Courts. He can ignore Congress. Its the end of Constitutional Law. Of course, he might not ignore the Courts. He might not ignore Congress. He might not arbitrarily arrest opponants and journalists. He might not suspend elections. But he can do all those things.

800 years of Magna Carta undone in 4 months.

Was Bono there?

Reports of Masked ICE in piss soaked scruffy clothes making arrests at immigration hearings. The department really does need more budget to ensure these men turn out in proper clean and smart uniforms.

https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/ice-agents-arrest-immigrants-at-federal-courthouse-in-dallas-across-country/

They deliberately get the case dismissed, without being heard, claiming they don't have any credible fear. "It's basically removing due process because if the person is allowed to enter the U.S. to fight an immigration case, at least they should be allowed to present their case and make a final determination. It is an erosion of the judicial process and system in this country."

Dallas immigration attorney Haim Vasquez said Trump officials are using a loophole in the system, dismissing a person's immigration case, thereby removing their temporary protected status and making them immediately eligible for arrest and deportation. This is happening during what's called a master calendar docket, which is a check-in early on in the immigration case process. Vasquez said this is an effort that the board of immigration appeals recently greenlit under a provision that refers to the arrest and deportation of who they call "arriving aliens."

 

If this is a popular move, why the use of snot rags as masks? Afraid of COVID?

https://www.expressnews.com/news/politics/article/the-crypto-industry-saw-trump-as-a-champion-some-20340246.php

https://news.sky.com/story/investors-descend-on-trumps-golf-club-for-148m-meme-coin-dinner-amid-protests-13373098

The US President's crypto dinner was last night, a reward for giving him lots of money, hosted at his golf club in Virginia so he could pump more money into his business. The White House said that the President was in a private event (Trump v US; official acts are immune & unofficial private acts ARE NOT IMMUNE).

Selling the position for personal profit

“It’s kind of a fund-raiser” for Trump, said a Korean crypto executive who flew in from Seoul for it, “& he’ll always be good to his sponsors.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/22/us/politics/tru...
 

Quote

 

One of those attending was China-born crypto entrepreneur and billionaire Justin Sun.

He won first place in the dinner contest with his $18.5m (£13.76m) wallet of the Trump meme coin and is the largest publicly known investor in the family's crypto platform - which has made them hundreds of millions of dollars.

Mr Sun posted videos of himself visiting parts of the White House complex on Wednesday, and on Thursday of Mr Trump at the dinner event.

 

and they were played

On 5/21/2025 at 7:31 AM, connda said:

All the stuff that is illegal in Europe and the UK is Constitutional in the US

Kneecap?

Ah, the cherubic Tate. Did the young Tate ever think he's grow up to be a slap head nonce.

14 hours ago, josephbloggs said:

This comment didn't age well did it. 

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq855lx87z3o

But its never going to fly again, at least with passengers.

The USAF still has some final due diligence to go through before final acceptance.

Now budget has already been allocated to the two AF1s under construction, so new budget has to be allocated; does the DoD have a slash fund for such projects, or does there need to be congressional approval or something.

Before all that, they need to decide how much money is needed. They need to survey this aircraft, which is an unknown unit to the Air Force. Its been on the market since 2020, and essentially unused for most of that time, and seems to have sat for some time on the Isle of Man. While it will undoubtedly come with a pile of paperwork proving condition, I suspect USAF engineers will employ very high standards, to see if the aircraft does have any inherant faults. That's going to take some time, and they'll probably need to hire outside contractors just to do that. So that job will be put out to tender, after a committee has sat around a table to draw up the tender.

Say in 3 months, they have an idea what exactly they have. Along the way, someone has to decide what do they want; and this will get contentious.

At the one  end of the spectrum is a fully specced out plane the same as what is being built right now. But besides cost, two of the reasons the new AF1s are delayed is lack of security cleared engineers and shortages in the supply chain; nothing is off the shelf. If they pull engineers off the current AF1 projects, then these new builds will be further delayed. Adding a 3rd aircraft will put further strain on the supply chain, unless they mothball the other projects and focus just on this.

The other end of the spectrum is do nothing; te plane was good enough for the Emir of Qatar, its good enough for a US President.

The 2020 For Sale ad gives some idea of the configuration of the aircraft

https://web.archive.org/web/20200905142708/https://www.amacaerospace.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/200707_AMAC_Aerospace_Mini_Tech_Spec.pdf

Clearly, its built for luxury travel, with lavish sleeping facilties, galleys, bathrooms.

In comparison, actual AF1 seems much more functional

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq855lx87z3o

AF1 is supposed to be an airborne command post; capable of in flight refueling , and carrying enough stores to sustain the passengers for a sustained period. On the contrary, Qatari 1 probably wasn't intended to fly more than 14-15 hours at a time, and fridges aboard to carry enough camel heads for the feasts, generally eaten while grovelling on a floor, albeit a nicely carpeted floor. AF1 is supposed to carry 7 days worth of food for 102 people; about 300-350kgs of food

I assume the sustainability requirements are not up for discussion. Adding refueling to the aircraft I suppose is a big job, but not without precedence given used airliners being converted to tankers.

AF1 has hardened electronics, meaning the miles and miles of wiring, and hardware have an additional coating to protect against the effects of EMP, such as following a nuclear blast. Does Qatari 1 need this? That's the risk assessment. The hazard is the President's plane becoming a dead stick following an attack. Is it likely over the next 4 years? There will be a range of opinions. This is where there will be people in the room trying to minimize the risk score artificially. I've been in the rooms where these sorts of discussions occur about new military kit, and frequently "ALARPS" is used, which is weasel code for cutting corners.

AF1 is also armour plated; on the engines, and the fuselage. For this to be fitted, I assume the aircraft really does need to be stripped back. Could they forgo that, or is there an alternative ballistic solution that is "good enough" (the president has a 40% survivability compared to, say, 70%).

Importantly, AF1 has a fully equipped medical suite, with the ability to support surgery in flight (meaning the aircraft also has accomodation for a surgeon, in addition the the President's own physician). Qatari1 does have certification for a medical suite, if the Emir's bedroom is cleared out (certification obtained during COVID), but that's little more than a hospital bed, and room for some monitors and an oxygen bottle. Again, the next discussion is whether they need the full fat mini-hospital or just a bed, for a morbidly obesse octogenarian. Vance, take note, this might be your shot.

Comms; its a flying communication centre, allowing members of the government to communicate reliably and securely, and enabling a president to take that most terrible of decisions. I've see talk of passengers of Qatari1 having to use burner phones. Again, a decision might have be taken whether you need something that is good enough, basically fitted into a strapped down Pelican case. But then you are at risk endangering the United States if an enemy calculates  that a First Strike wouldn't be met a return attack based on an estimation that comms to or from AF1 could be disrupted.

What else could they use Qatari1 for? I suspect a popular choice would be to convert it to ConAir-1; a mega flying prison for all the deportees, MS-13 members, Al-Qaeda, ISIS and any other malcontents. While the actual JPATS aircraft are just regular (clapped out) 737s, a President might like the idea of a plane with actual cages, for all those Hannibal Lectars, because it looks tough. You could probably fit it out for 400 "regular" passengers, 100 more in Hannibal cages and 100 tooled up guards.

Current prison transport

Cages, or some of that double decker seating to sequeeze in 1000 of them

Or the cheap option, rip out the fittings, sling in troop seating.

2029, the President can get the plane back, the original fittings are in the skip at the back.

On 5/21/2025 at 1:33 PM, Yellowtail said:

 

I've had a PSA test and a digital exam every year for the last 15-20 years. 

 

Again, it is possible that Biden just found out, it is just not likely, based on the facts in evidence.

 

 

 

Well done on funding IVD tests. Overuse of the PSA test is a big issue in medicine. It has lead to many thousands of men undergoing unnecessary surgery, that leaves them in a debilitated state.

Hence in the UK, there is no recommendation to provide PSA testing to men without symptoms. I've spoken to doctors in the VA about this, and they are in 100% agreement, but the men read about these tests, and demand these tests.

The PSA test misses many cancers and indicates cancer where there is none.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2817322?guestAccessKey=4f006acb-c40d-46ea-83d9-38c1f5b3815d&utm_source=For_The_Media&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_content=tfl&utm_term=040624

Prostate cancer deaths in the US are about 50 per 100,000, with a fairly aggressive screening programme. The UK, which does not practice PSA testimg for screening purposes, but otherwise has a demographically similar male population, is 40 per 100,000, which is slightly in the top half of European countries

If you have been through 20 years with cancer like symptoms, but no cancer, I sympathise.

Cancer sucks. No one should blame the victim for the wicked disease. Only blame God.

As usual with these diagnoses, there is diagnostic hindsight, often not due to the patient, but due to the physician, and whether they are paying attention.

A couple of real world examples.

My mother had breast cancer 40 years ago. It was quickly identified and successfully treated, thanks to the NHS. However, as a result, she was left immunocompromised, since lymph nodes needed to be removed.

Roll on 30 years. She has a back ache, and like most people, just cracked on with it, until after 2 weeks, she went to the doctor for advice. I don't think its that unusual for people to put up with a sore back for a couple of weeks.

Doc instantly decided it was orthopedic, and prescribed morphine. 48 hours later, mum was a paraplegic. What happened was quite rare, possibly treatable, but accelerated by strange circumstance. Paraplegia was caused by what some call a spinal cord stroke or infarction; the blood supply was interuppted by a build up of pus. Looking at the scans, I could see about 3 vertebrae were dead; when bone is infected, the blood supply whithers, and the bone dies, and a scan shows a change in density. What the doc failed to do, because of confirmation bias, was something very simple, take the patient's temperature. Back ache and a raised temperature should be instant pointers of concern. The doctor could have done a quick PCT test which would have confirmed suspicions, but there was probably no point compared to ordering an ambulance, and a trip to A&E, scan and likely emergency spinal decompression. I suspect that would have saved more function.

Why the whole paraplegia thing happened so fast. Normally, these cases can be resolved through antibiotics. But my mother was immunocompromised and the fever was a sign her body was fighting. Its not well known, but morphine depresses the immune system. Essentially, it was the coup de grace.

More recently and closer to home. I had a few urinary problems; nothing major, but blood spots in my urine were. Off to the GP. No tests were done, just a listen. Upon hearing my wife was Thai, the doctor's instant conclusion was an STD, and said I needed to got there. It wasn't. Then she decided I must have cancer, and I was booked in for an emergency scan the next day. Only I was flying to India shortly after, so I declined, whereupon the Consultant called me a problem patient. F 'Em, I thought. At no point did anyone do a basic measure.

6 months later, in for a boil to be lanced. The nurse ordered bloods. I mentioned the blood in the urine, how it appeared as spots. She said, that's not blood, why did the GP put me on a cancer pathway because of that. What I had all along was Type 2 Diabetes, now firmly in remission.

To the question at hand, President Biden. I've heard his interview about his late son and some dates. That was not forgetfulness, but confusion. On the one hand, a lot of people speculated old man President, dementia. Those answers were not someone with dementia, that's someone with confusion. There is a difference. I gather he has had some urinary problems recently, the nature of which is unknown. Forgetfulness combined with urinary problems does point to a urological issue. A colleague went through this, was told he had dementia, but later changed to bladder cancer. He was relieved, in both senses.

Missed signs perhaps, to the patient, maybe meaningless (did he have a history of stones?), and, common among many hardworking people, a tendency to put things off. It reveals presidential medical exams are just medical exams. te president isn't getting special treatment, the doctors are not infallible, and a critical part of the exam is still listening to the patient (what are they say, what are they not saying). I think as well, irrespective of this case, anything serious is never divulged to the public for well founded reasons. Trump might have been given a terminal diagnosis for all I know. Its none of my business if he does. And its certainly none of the business of America's enemies if they want to exploit that fact.

Wait, he gets an all expenses trip paid to the UK, to go to a debating society to bitch and moan about American law.

When he was in England, he was a very enthusiastic supporter of people protesting against him

“They have a right to do that. Well, I hope they have a right to do that.”

You have a habit pf promoting anglophobic hate media and fake news. You have deliberatelty not reported on Kirk's time at Oxford Union, which he called an A-plus Experience, while defending rapey MMA cage fighters who run prostitute rings, and supporting slavery over abortion.

He's a weasel. happy to take the money and all expenses paid trip. Once back it the US, he's a snake. The berkshire hunt can stay there.

No coincidence that he dined in London with the freakshow called John Mappin. Go stay in his hotel, and you will see what I mean, unless you are also a scientology freak. If you are, I comisserate, and hope you get out alive.

Its political theatre, and the "asylum seekers" are pawns. Note, they are not being fast tracked as citizens, just as refugees. Refugee status is usually canceled  when there is a judgement that the reason to be a refugee is no longer there. This doesn't have to be based on hard facts, but a political determination. Hence. Afghan translators and former members of the ANA being returned to Afghanistan, following assurances from the Taliban government  that they won't be taken to a football stadium and put down like dogs......

https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/news-releases/dhs-terminating-temporary-protected-status-for-afghanistan

Or South Sudanese feeling a civil war being returned to a civil war.

Apparently 7000 white South Africans are interested in becoming refugees in the US; that leaves 4.393 million who are not interested in becoming refugees in the US.

Trump, remember, loved Nelson Mandela, loaned him a plane (apparently).

Its the same nonsense about creating econonmic leverage; Trump doesn't give two hoots about some Afrikaaner who barely speaks any English. His number 1 priority is always America's interests, and its not in America's interests to have non-English speaking Afrikaaner come to America to take jobs away from American farm labourers (presumably these refugees have arrived with barely the shirts of their pink or bronzed backs). But he has seen numbers about how much of the South African economy is controled by that 7%. So he thinks he  can create leverage on South Africa. There's nothing South Africa makes that America really wants. But in the room with them was Elon Musk, putting on his usual constipated look. There was constant reference to him in the conversation. Its about getting Starlink access to South Africa.

Elon Musk isn't an Afrikaaner; his dad came from 1st or 2nd generation English stock. His Grandad was from Minnesota. Afrikaaner kids used to beat him up at school. He "fled" South Africa rather than serving a day in the white South African Defence Force fighting poor black people (and their Cuban/German advisors) in Angola. At least, that's what he says.

He was brought up in a household where his dad was nominally an inclusive, anti-Apartheid South African and a mum who was very much her father's daughter (who moved to South Africa because he thought seperation of the races was a good idea, and he didn't like Jews).

As soon as the Americans get the deal they want; changes in South African company law to allow Starlink to set up, those South African refugees will find their status canceled faster than you can say Afghan Special Forces. They will rue the day they don't have Plan C,

12 hours ago, riclag said:

The saga of UC Berkeley and what was 

a down play of the Marxist  far left

foot soldiers, the mythical Antifa.

 

 

Ah, you you like the idea of Milo Yiannopoulos (real name Milo Hanrahan), a college drop out homosexual foreigner, who has expressed views supportive of paedophillia, potentially anti-semitic, and has now, in his own words, dedicated his life to the "destruction of the Republican Party". He obtained O-1 visa status, which is usually awarded to aliens "who possesses extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics, or who has a demonstrated record of extraordinary achievement in the motion picture or television industry and has been recognized nationally or internationally for those achievements", despite possessing no formal qualifications beyond a few A-Levels, and prior to popping up in America, was completely unknown in his home country. He narrowly avoided being deported after being sacked from his job due to his views of Paedos.

https://www.change.org/p/u-s-citizenship-and-immigration-services-revoke-the-us-o-1-visa-of-milo-yiannopoulos

5 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Both economies are in trouble.

 

You seem to be discounting the ability of the Chinese to develop their own weapons technologies. Due to their obsession with secrecy, no-one knows whether they are ahead or behind.

 

Or not ahead or behind, but if they think laterally. Maybe they'll win a war before its started.

21 minutes ago, jas007 said:

I think you miss the point.  It's not necessarily about economics, but even if it were, China's economy is in big trouble, despite what all the propaganda spin doctors want people to think.  

 

More importantly.  technology evolves and there's no telling how quickly it will evolve over the next ten years or so.  For all we know, the US may possess weapons the likes of which the world has never seen.  Perhaps some are operational now, or in a late stage of development. Not just science fiction hardware, but the real thing. Second, AI will advance at an exponential rate, faster than many people seem to think.  And that technology is the key, in any event.  Not the hardware.  Surveillance, identifying targets, synthesizing data.  Without that capability, you have nothing.  

For all we know, the China may possess weapons the likes of which the world has never seen.

Iron Dome costs $50m per battery, plus other costs. 10 batteries cover Israel. To get the same coverage in the US requires 4500+ type system, so I can see where the estimates of $250-500 billion are coming from. That requires a doubling of the defence budget.

Its all Hot Air. The world knows it. Just like his supposed brilliant deal making powers. Smoke screen.

He bangs on about how broke America is, how its got no money, because everyone took from it, Can't have it both ways.

OP is Daft as a Basil Brush. What, "locals" have to "learn" at Berkeley. Guess he went to the School of Hard Knocks and the University of Life. I can guess which side he was on, on 4th May, 1970. I suppose he is a strong supporter of the CCP's orders to the formerly Royal Hong Kong Police to open fire on protesting students who should have been studying.

16 minutes ago, mogandave said:

The left is up in arms claiming MAGA gives a rat’s about the jet. 

 

If it weren’t for lies, the left would have nothing to say at all. 

 

 

Unless you were one of those voters who was working on one of the actual 747s being built as new AF1s to be told they were out of a job, as they don't need the plane now.

Laurer Loomer seemed a bit put out by it.

Ben Shapiro, I think he's one of them, banged on about it

Mark Levin was somewhat perturbed by reports that the President was getting a plane off people he considered evil incarnate.

3 hours ago, connda said:

We'll never know.  So - why sweat it?  Whether Epstein killed himself or was murdered doesn't have any effect on my life.

Quite. I don't understand the obsessing about where Sars-Cov-2 or Spanish Flu came from either.

15 hours ago, jerrymahoney said:

Qatar's Gift to Trump Is Unsold Plane It's Been Trying to Dump for Years
Published May 15, 2025 at 6:07 AM EDT

 

The jet, a lavishly configured version of Boeing's largest passenger aircraft, has been lingering without a buyer since being put up for sale in 2020, according to aircraft listings and aviation analysts.

 

Despite its luxury interior, the plane has failed to find a buyer since being put on the market in 2020, according to a report from Forbes.

 

John Goglia, a former member of the National Transportation Safety Board, told Forbes that giving the 747-8 to the U.S. would allow the Qataris to avoid maintenance costs that were only getting higher—with the 747 fleet shrinking worldwide and fewer mechanics available who know how to work on them.

 

https://www.newsweek.com/qatar-gift-trump-unsold-plane-2072564

 

 

It gets better. The fact it was for sale isn't coincidental either.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/05/19/politics/trump-adminstration-approached-qatar-jet

Full spec from the Sale ad

https://web.archive.org/web/20200905142708/https://www.amacaerospace.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/200707_AMAC_Aerospace_Mini_Tech_Spec.pdf

But does it still have the Northrop Grumman AN/AAQ-24(V)N Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasure (LAIRCM) system installed?

https://www.flightglobal.com/business-aviation/us-clears-sale-of-ir-countermeasures-for-qatari-bbj-747-8is/134462.article

Even Sam Chui covered it.