What has Trump done now?

[Jerry_Atrick]

Leave lovely Susan alone. She is a pilot - didn't succeed commercially, which I guess is why she went into politics. 

 

(I haven't watched this, but I remeber reading an article in The Age about it).

[Jerry_Atrick]

OK.. Back to the thread.. though this is more the effects of what el Chumpo has done. 

 

Mark Carney, distinguished economist, ex governor of the Bank of England (RBA equivalent) and now Canadian PM has made a candid speech at Davos: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01-21/carney-blasts-trump-canada-davos-world-economic-forum/106252354

 

OK, he has struck deals with China and Qatar, both not high on the human rights records, but importantly, Canadian pension funds are invested heavily in US government debt, and if they offload it and stop buying it, el Chumpo may need to increase those tariffs a little more anyway.

 

Lucky Canada has successive governments that have taken a fairer slice of the wealth from the resources, unlike successive Aussie givernments that seem hell-bent on giving ours away for almost nothing in comparison (then compare to Qatar, Norway, and even Alaska, which are even better at retaining wealth). 

 

Imagine the leverage we would have if we accunulated the wealth from our resources properly.

 

Anyway, Carney's speech I think officially heralds the beginning of the end of US domination.

Edited January 21 by Jerry_Atrick

[rgmwa]

It was a good speech, as was Ursula von der Leyen's. 

[facthunter]

Picking on Macron's Glasses is a LOW Point. He's apparently suffering a burst blood vessel in the eye..  Trump NEVER misses an Opportunity to be totally DEVOID of CLASS, and entirely CRINGEWORTHY.  Nev

[red750]

He only opens his mouth to put his foot in it.

 

In Davos, Switzerland, he said, "Without us, you would all be speaking German."

 

German is the main language spoken in Switzerland.

[nomadpete]

 

Priceless.

 

I do understand the MC didn't like the profanity.

 

But how else could the Danes deal with a bullyboy?

[old man emu]

Really!

Although it is not the most eloquent phrase in the English language, it has become the common expletive in modern speech. Expletives are words or phrases that add emphasis, but the term most commonly refers to swear words, profanity, or curses used when angry, in pain, or excited. Remember when uttering 'bloody' resulted in a threat to have one's mouth washed out with soap? Until recently it was a difficult word to trace its etymology in usage, in part because it was omitted as taboo by the editors of the original OED when the "F" entries were compiled (1893-97). Johnson also had excluded the word, and fuck wasn't in a single English language dictionary from 1795 to 1965.

 

It is ridiculous that this word is censored when used in the various forms of public media. Who does it offend? I'll tell you. The Bible Bashers of America. 

[onetrack]

Large parts of America were founded by Puritans - and the definition of a Puritan is someone who believes, that someone else, somewhere, is having fun, and that must be stopped.

[facthunter]

IF there's a god HE/SHE /IT KNOWS what you are thinking.. Nev

[old man emu]

I thought it was Santa who knew if you had been naughty or nice.

[facthunter]

He's not as Important as God OR TRUMP. (in that Order). Nev

[red750]

"See You Next Tuesday" is becoming more prolific on the web.

[red750]

[facthunter]

Cretin. Nev

[old man emu]

A rare-earth mineral is a mineral that contains one or more rare-earth elements as major metal constituents. The rare-earth elements (REE), also called rare-earth metals, or rare earths, are a set of 17 nearly indistinguishable lustrous silvery-white soft heavy metals. The 15 lanthanides (any of the 14 metallic chemical elements with atomic numbers 57–70, from lanthanum through ytterbium)  along with scandium and yttrium, are usually included as rare earths.

 

 Rare-earth minerals are rare because rare-earth elements have unique geochemical properties that prevent them from easily forming minerals, and are therefore not normally found in deposits large or concentrated enough for mining. This is the reason they are called "rare earths". The term "rare-earth" is a misnomer, because they are not actually scarce.

 

 

[onetrack]

The problem with rare-earth elements is the dreadfully toxic and extensive processes involved in extracting those elements. They consume huge amounts of energy in the extraction processes, utilise multiple toxic chemicals in the process, and produce multiple levels of toxins and pollution when doing so.

Plus, a by-product of the rare earths extraction treatment is radioactive compounds. All this, to get the necessary elements to produce "green" end products?

[facthunter]

Recycling will Solve a Lot of this. IF we don't go green we will all cook and deserts will grow. Nev

[octave]

I thought I would have a look at what rare earth minerals are used for. 

 

Lanthanum (La)

• Camera and telescope lenses (high refractive index glass)

• Nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries (hybrid vehicles)

• Oil refining catalysts

• Hydrogen storage alloys

---

Cerium (Ce)

• Glass polishing (phones, screens, optics)

• Catalytic converters

• Self-cleaning ovens

• UV-blocking glass

---

Praseodymium (Pr)

• Permanent magnets (with neodymium)

• Aircraft engines (high-strength alloys)

• Yellow pigments for glass and ceramics

---

Neodymium (Nd)

• High-strength permanent magnets (NdFeB)

• Electric vehicle motors

• Wind turbine generators

• Headphones, speakers, hard drives

---

Promethium (Pm) (very rare & radioactive)

• Nuclear batteries (limited use)

• Thickness gauges

• Research applications only

---

Samarium (Sm)

• Samarium-cobalt magnets (high-temperature, defence)

• Nuclear reactor control rods

• Microwave devices

---

⚙️ Medium / Heavy Rare Earth Elements (HREEs)

Europium (Eu)

• Red phosphors in TV and LED screens

• Anti-counterfeiting inks (banknotes)

• Fluorescent lighting

---

Gadolinium (Gd)

• MRI contrast agents

• Neutron shielding

• Magnetic refrigeration research

---

Terbium (Tb)

• Green phosphors (displays)

• Strengthens neodymium magnets for high heat

• Sonar and sensors

---

Dysprosium (Dy)

• High-temperature permanent magnets

• Electric vehicles and wind turbines

• Nuclear reactor components

---

Holmium (Ho)

• Medical lasers

• Nuclear control rods

• Precision magnetic devices

---

Erbium (Er)

• Fibre-optic signal amplifiers

• Laser technology

• Pink colouring for glass

---

Thulium (Tm)

• Portable X-ray machines

• Medical lasers

• Radiation sources (very niche)

---

Ytterbium (Yb)

• Stainless steel strengthening

• Fibre lasers

• Atomic clocks

---

Lutetium (Lu)

• PET scan detectors

• Cancer treatment catalysts

• Oil refinery catalysts

---

➕ Related Rare Earths (Not Lanthanides)

Scandium (Sc)

• Aluminium-scandium alloys (aerospace, sports gear)

• Solid oxide fuel cells

• High-intensity lamps

---

Yttrium (Y)

• LEDs and display phosphors

• Thermal barrier coatings (jet engines)

• Superconductors

• Cancer treatments (Y-90)

---

 

[facthunter]

Trump WOULDN'T KNOW or CARE about that UNLESS you named (at least) ONE after HIM. Nev

[nomadpete]

So, they are rather useful. I just hope that the factories that refine these minerals are going to be careful with their byproduct waste.

[facthunter]

The EPA has been disbanded in the USA by TRUMP. Nev

[rgmwa]

He's upset the Brits and other NATO members by disparaging the contribution of NATO soldiers to the war in Afghanistan. Starmer wants an apology from Trump, but of course, he won't get one.

[Grumpy Old Nasho]

2 hours ago, octave said:

Lanthanum (La)

• Camera and telescope lenses (high refractive index glass)

 

A 1950s camera with Lanthanum glass lens - more than 10 times the price of the same camera with lesser quality glass (AU$1,100)

 

The prices vary from AU$7,000 to AU$15,000 - too much for the average Joe

 

 

 

Edited January 24 by Grumpy Old Nasho

[Marty_d]

2 hours ago, facthunter said:

Trump WOULDN'T KNOW or CARE about that UNLESS you named (at least) ONE after HIM. Nev

There's already a substance that could very appropriately be named after him.

I propose we rename it to "bull-trump".

[red750]

Donald Trump’s niece, Mary Trump, has spoken out about the president’s most significant fear during an interview with The Telegraph. She also highlighted Trump’s fragile ego, claiming he is “nothing of who he claims to be.”

While being questioned by the outlet, Mary Trump disclosed some revealing information about Trump’s vulnerabilities.

“One of the things he’s most afraid of is to have people understand that everything about him is based on a myth. He’s literally nothing of who he claims to be,” she said, "He has to project this idea, he’s the greatest, the best. He’s trying to convince himself as much as he’s trying to convince everybody else.”

 

The interview was initially shared in May 2025, but the clip has begun to recirculate on social media after the president’s strange, explosive speech at Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday.

“Perfectly said. Trump’s entire persona is a fragile myth, loud bravado masking deep insecurity. The fear isn’t criticism, it’s exposure,” replied one user to the clip on X.

Another added, “Mary Trump nails it: At Davos, we watched an old man decompensate on the world stage—rambling, confused, exposed—because no one close to him cares enough to stop the unraveling. The myth shatters; the tragedy is he has no real self left.”

During his already notorious speech, Trump spoke for over 70 minutes about global issues, Greenland, Europe, NATO, while taking every opportunity to big himself up.

At one point, he even bizarrely claimed NATO allies "called him daddy" after he revealed he wanted to acquire Greenland. He also mistakenly referred to the country as Iceland several times during his address to the World Economic Forum.

Onlookers were alarmed by Trump’s repetitive slurring during the lengthy address, fueling further speculation that the president’s health is not as good as he keeps saying.

Last month, Mary Trump added to the speculation by declaring on her YouTube channel, “What seems to be happening is that he’s becoming more and more insecure over time. It seems the more he gets of what he thinks he wants—money, power, chaos—the more insecure and afraid he becomes.”

Mary is the biological niece of the president and is also a psychologist and author. She is the daughter of Trump’s older brother, Frederick Crist Trump Jr., who died at 42 in 1981.

She has been continually outspoken about her uncle’s alleged cognitive decline and has often given unique insight into Trump’s personality.