Belgium?

One Brussels at the suggestion.

Belgium Is Becoming a Narco State
Hotair | 12/03/2025 | David Strom

Belgium?

Really? Of all the places in the world you would not expect to be a cesspool of nearly open corruption, Belgium pretty much tops the list.

But there it is.

Belgium is basically a narco-state, a top Antwerp judge has warned.

https://t.co/zH0fSm2mfR— POLITICOEurope (@POLITICOEurope) October 27, 2025

Like so many things that sound insane when you say them, the claim that Belgium is now more akin to Mexico than a land of peace and chocolates is easy to dismiss as the fever dream of a cranky conspiracy theorist than a reflection of reality. But, according to an Antwerp judge, who published a warning on the official website of the Belgian court system. 

Yikes

Drug-trafficking is turning Belgium into a narco-state and the rule of law is under threat, an Antwerp judge wrote in an anonymous letter published Monday asking the federal government for urgent help.

“What is happening today in our district and beyond is no longer a classic crime issue. We are facing an organized threat that undermines our institutions,” the investigating judge wrote in the missive published on the official website of the Belgian court system.

“Extensive mafia-like structures have taken root, becoming a parallel power that challenges not only the police but also the judiciary. The consequences are serious: are we evolving into a narco-state? No way, you think? Exaggerated? According to our drug commissioner, this evolution is already underway. My colleagues and I share that concern,” the judge added.

Americans tend to think of Europe in rather gauzy and nostalgic terms, which is, in a way, weird. After all, European dysfunction has dragged us into two world wars, cost us trillions in an effort to prop up a continent that seems too tired to defend itself against outside threats, and is a huge pain in the patootie when it comes to interfering in our own politics and policies. 

The majority of Americans are descendants of people who fled the continent for many good reasons. 

Bunch of Hercule Pyros.

Reading Between the Lines: Tacit Omissions on Emissions

Trump plans to weaken vehicle mileage rules that limit air pollution
The Associated Press | Dec. 3, 2025 | Matthew Daly, Alexa St. John

Saying “rules that are claimed to limit global warming but don’t” would alienate a bunch of people.

Let’s instead say “weaken rules that limit air pollution,” because more people will be against that.

And — we consider carbon dioxide that plants breathe to be “pollution.” But we don’t have to say that out loud.

President Donald Trump is expected to announce a proposal Wednesday to weaken vehicle mileage rules for the auto industry, loosening regulatory pressure on automakers to control pollution . . .

There’s that scary word again. Specifically what pollution?

. . . from gasoline-powered cars and trucks, according to several people familiar with the White House plans.

You can trust us to honestly report the words of the unnamed sources of our news organization. Really, it was several hundred people, but “several” will do.

The move would be the latest action by the Trump administration to reverse Biden-era policies . . .

i.e., they were going forward, and Trump is going in reverse . . . That’s bad, right?

. . . that encouraged cleaner-running cars and trucks, including electric vehicles. Burning gasoline for vehicles is a major contributor to planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions.

Where do electric plants get their power to charge up these electric vehicles, again?

The Republican administration says the new rules would increase Americans’ access to the full range of gasoline vehicles they need and can afford.

Hurrah!

12-Year-Old Scotch in a Juice Glass

Half empty. Check!

Uses telegrams. Check!

She’s hired, as my new assistant!

Other detective magazines are cheaper than 15 cents, though. She’d better be good.

Bonus points because Scotch usually has a twist-off cap, not a g-damned French cork. Some brands have a cork with a bulbous plastic top, which is both very cool and easy to pop out while looking like James Bond.

Consumer Corner

A totally idealized image:

In reality, I have found that those little pointy prongs, no matter how much you wiggle them against a very solid cork, only succeed in pushing it halfway into the bottle. If you stop and try again, it gets worse.

I’ve had some occasional success with this tool, but I don’t need this kind of extra uncertainty in my life.

I give it an F for its unreliability. Or mine.

Oh, and regular corkscrews can shred a cork, without even removing it one iota, so they kinda suck, too..

News You Can Use: Cobalt-Doped Carbon Quantum Dots

A Smart New Spin on Vinegar Could Help Stop Superbugs
Food and Wine | November 21, 2025 | Stacey Leasca

By blending vinegar’s active ingredient with cutting-edge nanoparticles, scientists created a solution that wiped out nearly all MRSA bacteria in lab tests—without damaging healthy cells.

-Scientists in Norway and Australia have developed a “nano-boosted” vinegar solution that enhances acetic acid’s antibacterial properties using cobalt-doped carbon quantum dots.

-In mouse studies, a single topical dose of the solution eliminated 99.995% of MRSA bacteria within 24 hours and completely cleared infections within a week.

-The research could lead to new non-toxic treatments for wound infections and is a promising step in fighting antimicrobial resistance, which causes millions of deaths annually.

Vinegar is undoubtedly one of the most versatile tools in both the kitchen and the rest of your home. Not only can you use it in dressings, marinades, and more, but it’s also an excellent cleaning agent, helping to keep everything from your countertops to showerheads sparkling. And now, thanks to a few very smart scientists, it might be used to help heal wounds.

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