"India's fertility rate has fallen substantially - from 5.7 births per woman in 1950 to the current rate of two.

Fertility rates have fallen below the replacement level of two births per woman in 17 of the 29 states and territories." - BBC

The replacement rate is 2.1 births per woman, just for accuracy. So the country's rate of 2 per woman on average is below replacement level.

Ha! Gym mat! I can feel the toughness and taste the salt; that is a grim picture you paint.

My wife and I never really went to steakhouses that often, but now that we can cook a better steak than anyone else, it's once in a blue moon that we go out for one. Marcel in Atlanta is the only place we go for steak and it's an incredible experience. I just want to put that out there so that people know it can be done right, just rarely is.

I envy you, but only because you have so much fresh Trek to watch.

Wordle 1,442 4/6

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If you haven't read The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende, put it on your list. Please and thank you.

Speech makes the case we can save a lot of money paying the unhoused to teach us about life instead of universities. Anti-college before it was cool.

Connections Puzzle #719

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My niece suggested this place for lunch today and was quickly shouted down by the rest of the kids here. They know!

Everyone's going low, but Ruth's Chris is the worst fucking restaurant experience I've ever had. And I've been a couple of times, once with family and once because we were given a gift card. Shit apps, shit sides and an acceptable steak for way more money than it should be. The wait staff was creepily servile, like the "how may I pleasure you" that Chick Fil A used to force. And the lights were a cool 5K color temp like I was eating dinner in the parking garage. Fucking garbage.

About 2 weeks on jury duty (USA). The defendant was accused of molesting a little girl. He was the mother's boyfriend and the breadwinner of the household. They were all immigrants and a guilty verdict meant definite deportation (this was years ago).

The case was in court because the little girl, 9 at the time, had changed her story about the abuse. The mother was the first to come forward to the cops about the abuse, but then also changed her story. We started the trial hearing the prosecutors reading all the original interviews with the witnesses. Then we ended the trial with all of the witnesses (and the accused) being interviewed in front of us jurors.

We had to decide the truth. What happened to this little girl? I took notes. You can't talk to the other jurors about the trial until the end when you have to make the decision. So I was trying to be diligent and unbiased and come to this very murky conclusion on my own with enough evidence to swing other jurors to my side if need be. It became clear to me that the statements made upon the arrest were concise and corroborated, and the statements made on the stand were awkward and contradictory.

The time came. We were ushered into the deliberation room to do what we came there to do. Someone who has done the juror thing before started with "okay, show of hands so that we can get going, who thinks he is guilty?" Everyone raised hands in unison. I thought I would have to convince people of his guilt with a heroic string of logic and it turns out everyone saw through the bullshit.

Putting the girl on the stand sealed it. Those of us with kids or that had experience with kids knew she'd been coerced. It strongly reinforced the concept of trial-by-your-peers, that due process was integral to the functioning of society, that justice was attainable. I hope she and her mom found some sort of peace and that she's healthy and happy.

I get called for jury duty all the time but have not served since then.

I just started a TNG rewatch last night after finishing DS9. Worf looks so weird.

Well, that's one area you definitely don't want dandelions growing.