Births and marriages in Germany hit lowest level in a decade

The number of births and marriages in Germany has hit its lowest point since 2013, according to new data released by the Federal Statistics Office, known as Destatis. The birth... | Continue reading


@iamexpat.de | 6 minutes ago

A guide to navigating customs regulations when moving to Germany

Moving to Germany in the near future? This guide, put together by AGS Movers Germany, explains what is and isn't allowed through customs in Germany (Zoll), and other regulations... | Continue reading


@iamexpat.de | 6 minutes ago

Proud homeowner shows off 'lush' backyard that requires almost no maintenance: 'Absolutely gorgeous'

This low-maintenance, eco-friendly alternative to conventional grass lawns offers several benefits for both the homeowner and the environment. Proud homeowner shows off 'lush' backyard that requires almost no maintenance: 'Absolutely gorgeous' first appeared on The Cool Down. | Continue reading


@thecooldown.com | 6 minutes ago

Discover Rotterdam's top international school at their Virtual Open Day

Nord Anglia International School Rotterdam (NAISR) is a small private international school for students 3 - 18 years of age, located in Rotterdam. In addition to being a proud... | Continue reading


@iamexpat.nl | 6 minutes ago

Monday Poem

Blink … In a blink the sun comes up over mountains sublime and the sea laps it’s brim like a pup . . . regal elms come and go . . . splayed trunks broken by blight, . . . limbs corrupt future and past together abide, winds whistle side by side, bodies touch… | Continue reading


@3quarksdaily.com | 11 minutes ago

UK Tories perform badly at local elections; Labor still narrowly ahead in Australian polls

I covered the May 2 United Kingdom local government elections for The Poll Bludger. The Blackpool South parliamentary byelection was also held, at which Labour overturned an 11-point Conservative margin at the 2019 general election to win by 41 points. These local elections will … | Continue reading


@theconversation.com | 26 minutes ago

The Other Big Project [me, update]

The other big project that I've been working on in my personal life, in parallel to getting married, was finding a place where Mr Bostoniensis and I could live together. Yall. The housing market here in Massachusetts is berserk. "Boston, Massachusetts came in at no. 3 on the list … | Continue reading


@siderea.dreamwidth.org | 43 minutes ago

What does the new Commonwealth Prac Payment mean for students? Will it do enough to end ‘placement poverty’?

The federal government has announced a “Commonwealth Prac Payment” to support selected groups of students doing mandatory work placements. Those who are studying to be a teacher, nurse, midwife or social worker will be eligible to receive A$319.50 per week while on placement. Thi … | Continue reading


@theconversation.com | 48 minutes ago

Hundreds of cities have achieved zero road deaths in a year. Here’s how they did it

Matthew Mclaughlin It’s National Road Safety Week and it comes on the back of a year in which 1,286 people died on Australian roads. The rising road toll – up 8.2% for the year to March – included 62 children. Tragically, road deaths remain the number one killer of children in Au … | Continue reading


@theconversation.com | 1 hour ago

Hiker shares photo of frustrating scene at secluded waterfall: 'It's always been like that'

"I still have no idea why people think they have the right." Hiker shares photo of frustrating scene at secluded waterfall: 'It's always been like that' first appeared on The Cool Down. | Continue reading


@thecooldown.com | 1 hour ago

Helldivers 2 Removed For Sale On PC In 177 Countries After PSN Account Linking Requirement Enforced

Helldivers 2, one of the best multiplayer games of the year and a surprise PC hit for PlayStation, is now taking a hit in its reputation. The publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment (PlayStation) is starting to enforce all Helldivers 2 players on PC to link their Steam account w … | Continue reading


@gamermatters.com | 1 hour ago

Jack Dorsey is No Longer on Bluesky’s Board of Directors

In a surprise update, Jack Dorsey has departed from Bluesky's board of directors, in pursuit of his other projects and ventures. The post Jack Dorsey is No Longer on Bluesky’s Board of Directors appeared first on We Distribute. | Continue reading


@wedistribute.org | 1 hour ago

Researchers use superconducting material to make clean fusion energy breakthrough: 'Virtually limitless power production'

"[This is] the most important thing, in my opinion, in the last 30 years of fusion research." Researchers use superconducting material to make clean fusion energy breakthrough: 'Virtually limitless power production' first appeared on The Cool Down. | Continue reading


@thecooldown.com | 1 hour ago

Music Monday: The real May the 4th

With thanks to Boots Chantilly! It even works with ISO-8601. For those who need a refresher, Dave Brubeck’s most famous work was Take Five, performed in the unusual 5/4 time signature. You might not know the name, but I’d wager dollars to doughnuts you recognise the tune. Or bage … | Continue reading


@rubenerd.com | 1 hour ago

County officials greenlight massive solar farm project after prolonged deliberation: 'Start walking the walk'

"We do need to take advantage of our new opportunity." County officials greenlight massive solar farm project after prolonged deliberation: 'Start walking the walk' first appeared on The Cool Down. | Continue reading


@thecooldown.com | 2 hours ago

Helldivers 2 Steps On Rake, Rams Stick In Bike Wheel, Makes Wet Fart Noise

None of this needed to happen, and yet, it has happened The post Helldivers 2 Steps On Rake, Rams Stick In Bike Wheel, Makes Wet Fart Noise appeared first on Aftermath. | Continue reading


@aftermath.site | 2 hours ago

Big Boxes

Thirty years ago, I used to work at Toys’R’Us. I really enjoyed that job and sometimes consider returning to a life of stocking shelves. It’s become a bit cliché at this point to hear another tech bro wax on about how they’re going to quit and open a coffee shop, start woodworkin … | Continue reading


@snook.ca | 2 hours ago

Millions of people to ration water and electricity as severe drought persists: 'Each kilowatt and each drop of water that are not consumed will help us face this reality'

The reservoirs have been depleted, reducing hydroelectric power output significantly. Millions of people to ration water and electricity as severe drought persists: 'Each kilowatt and each drop of water that are not consumed will help us face this reality' first appeared on The C … | Continue reading


@thecooldown.com | 2 hours ago

Bipedal forest walker takes far more abuse than is necessary

Somebody better break it to the Ewoks: crafty log tricks aren't gonna cut the mustard. LimX Dynamics has released video of its P1 Biped – heavily inspired by the AT-ST walker from Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, taking an absolute pounding with ease. Continue Reading Category: Rob … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 2 hours ago

Officials announce progress in launching nation's first 200 mph trains: 'Creating new industries and economic opportunity around high-speed rail'

When the trains are finally usable, they will be a major convenience for people traveling around the state. Officials announce progress in launching nation's first 200 mph trains: 'Creating new industries and economic opportunity around high-speed rail' first appeared on The Cool … | Continue reading


@thecooldown.com | 2 hours ago

State officials offer thousands in grants to solve concerning issue in local waterways: 'It's imperative'

"The impact of invasive species cannot be underestimated, nor can we delay action to address the damage they are causing." State officials offer thousands in grants to solve concerning issue in local waterways: 'It's imperative' first appeared on The Cool Down. | Continue reading


@thecooldown.com | 3 hours ago

Advanced Ruby: The Chainable Request Pattern

In the previous article of my series on error handling and fault tolerance, we discussed how to run external API requests in a transaction while handling errors and making it fault-tolerant. That article is not a requirement to understand this one, so read on in either case! Here … | Continue reading


@thoughtbot.com | 3 hours ago

Problems with Japan's writing system, pt. 873

My, my, my!! Who'da thunk it? Japanese beef brand faces marketing mess as kanji creates confusion Japan Today (5/4/24) The government of Ibaraki Prefecture has hit a marketing snag in the promotion of its local Hitachiwagyu Beef specialty after a survey showed a significant perce … | Continue reading


@languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu | 3 hours ago

WeblogPoMo2024

I discovered WeblogPoMo2024 a couple of days ago. The goal is to write as much as possible in May. It’s like the 100 Days To Offload challenge, but compressed in only one month. I’ve already completed the challenge created by Kev Quirk on four occasions. I didn’t do so in the thi … | Continue reading


@lazybear.io | 3 hours ago

Sunday 5 May 1661

(Lord's day). Mr. Creed and I went to the red-faced Parson's church, and heard a good sermon of him, better than I looked for. Then home, and had a good dinner, and after dinner fell in some talk in Divinity with Mr. Stevens that kept us till it... | Continue reading


@pepysdiary.com | 4 hours ago

Me, talking falling felines in LiveScience!

Recently, I was interviewed for a LiveScience article about how cats land on their feet, and the article came out today! Here is the link for those who are interested in hearing me talk falling felines, yet again! | Continue reading


@skullsinthestars.com | 4 hours ago

EVs At 24.3% Share In France — BEVs Grow Volume 45% YoY

The auto market saw plugin EVs at 24.3% share in France in April 2024, growing from 21.1% year-on-year. Full electric volume was up by a strong 45% YoY, while plugin hybrid volume was flat. Overall auto volume was 146,979 units, up 11% YoY, though remaining below 2017–2019 season … | Continue reading


@cleantechnica.com | 4 hours ago

Photo of the Week: Winter Sowing 2024 Results

When I started my winter sowing project in mid-February this year, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had never done any winter sowing before. I had a few scares with deep cold spells in late winter and spring, concerned whether the native plant seedlings in the milk jugs would make … | Continue reading


@lireo.com | 5 hours ago

Homeowner shares progress photo after ripping out grass lawn for low-maintenance alternative: 'Thrilled with the results'

"I'm having quite the bloom right now after a few good rains last week." Homeowner shares progress photo after ripping out grass lawn for low-maintenance alternative: 'Thrilled with the results' first appeared on The Cool Down. | Continue reading


@thecooldown.com | 5 hours ago

“Bionic eye” discovers Plato’s final resting place

Plato’s final resting place has been identified thanks to a “bionic eye” built to read the Herculaneum scrolls. | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 5 hours ago

How Kissinger played both sides

The Behind the Bastards podcast is one of my guilty pleasures. Hearing Robert and his guests absolutely eviscerate terrible people with meticulous writing and humour is balm to a troubled soul. With the welcome passing of Henry Kissinger last year, the team released all six episo … | Continue reading


@rubenerd.com | 5 hours ago

Misconceptions about CSS Specificity

To remove some of the confusion, here’s a list of misconceptions about Specificity in CSS … | Continue reading


@bram.us | 5 hours ago

The personal website returns: the good, the bad, and the ugly of it

Kyle Chayka, writing for the New Yorker, in an article heralding the demise of the platform era: Now digital-distribution infrastructure is crumbling, having become both ineffective for publishers and alienating for users. Social networks, already lackluster sources for news, are … | Continue reading


@disassociated.com | 6 hours ago

Mac Power Users #743: The Current AI Moment

This week on MPU: AI is suddenly everywhere, from online services and software to bespoke hardware products. This week, David takes Stephen on a journey to talk about the tools he has found useful, as well as what’s not ready for prime time yet. | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 6 hours ago

Photo sparks backlash after careless tourist tempts fate in bison encounter: 'It's not a zoo'

"Some people just think the rules do not apply to them." Photo sparks backlash after careless tourist tempts fate in bison encounter: 'It's not a zoo' first appeared on The Cool Down. | Continue reading


@thecooldown.com | 6 hours ago

The Sam Altman Playbook

Fear, The Denial of Uncertainties, and Hype | Continue reading


@garymarcus.substack.com | 6 hours ago

Dogecoin Maxi DonAlt Posts $1 Price Prediction – Risk On For Meme Coins?

DonAlt, A crypto veteran who has been in the industry for many years and witnessed previous bull runs, tweeted yesterday… Continue reading Dogecoin Maxi DonAlt Posts $1 Price Prediction – Risk On For Meme Coins? The post Dogecoin Maxi DonAlt Posts $1 Price Prediction – Risk On Fo … | Continue reading


@readwrite.com | 6 hours ago

He Sold His Startup for $130 Million, Here’s What He Learned, and Questions to Ask When Considering Whether a New Job is a ‘Fit’ for You, Plus Other Great Reads [link blog]

More stuff for you to enjoy…. What I Learned Selling My Company [Harry Glaser/then: Periscope Data, now: Modelbit] – Harry sold Periscope Data for $130m and is back building again with Modelbit, an ML engineering platform. Here he provides actionable advice for founders who are b … | Continue reading


@hunterwalk.com | 6 hours ago

Week Notes 24#18

Another busy week at work We've postponed on-call changes to next week to finalise a few things But, as it was Labor Day in most parts of the world on Wednesday, I was effectively the only one in on my team to support a high-priority, internal-only incident so felt like I was on … | Continue reading


@jvt.me | 6 hours ago

Storm Front Over Hanging Rock Oil Painting

I had my sandwich at this spot earlier in the week, and a friend (hi, Margaret!) said I should paint it. She’s bossy,… The post Storm Front Over Hanging Rock Oil Painting appeared first on Appalachian Ground. | Continue reading


@appalachianground.com | 6 hours ago

The baby stack at 20 months

When our son reached nine months old, I published this UsesThis-style list of products and services we were using; I had previously published one before he was born. He’s twenty months old now: walking around and using words. He straddles the worlds between being a baby and a lit … | Continue reading


@werd.io | 6 hours ago

I have been following the Gaza student protests across the US, starting at Columbia University (AP timeline, FOX5NY TV timeline). As a graduate of the University of Texas, I have been saddened to see its students being harrassed and intimidated by local and state police, with the … | Continue reading


@andysylvester.com | 6 hours ago

Volunteers heroically rescue seal constricted by garbage for years: 'The circumstances were perfect'

"Waiting for a rescue to be organized is hugely stressful." Volunteers heroically rescue seal constricted by garbage for years: 'The circumstances were perfect' first appeared on The Cool Down. | Continue reading


@thecooldown.com | 7 hours ago

Fall Guy and Phantom Menace's Muted Opens Kick Off the Summer Season

Last summer was pretty packed with big movies, from the likes of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 to Across the Spider-Verse and Barbie. 2024's summer movie season began this weekend with The Fall Guy and a re-release of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. With two throwback movies comi … | Continue reading


@gizmodo.com | 7 hours ago

TABlog 1

How many tabs do you have open right now? What are they? And why do you have them open? The post TABlog 1 appeared first on thejaymo. | Continue reading


@thejaymo.net | 7 hours ago

The First Thing to Do When You Open a New Roll of Paper Towels

By doing this every time I open a pack of paper towels, I won't forget to do a task that's out of sight and out of mind. READ MORE... | Continue reading


@thekitchn.com | 7 hours ago

Before and After: A Dark and Dated Kitchen Gets a Fresh New Look for $2500

"I’m most proud that we did this all ourselves and saved so much money!" says homeowner Astin Hancock. READ MORE... | Continue reading


@thekitchn.com | 7 hours ago

Week Notes 18-24

My mood and focus did not improve this week, and I know something needs to be done. Things came to a head , and E and I concluded that I have many symptoms of burn-out. This week Y had free from school so it was a mixture of some work, doing things together and reflecting […] | Continue reading


@zylstra.org | 7 hours ago