Follow Your Blixt — April 19, 2024

Interesting stuff happening or happened today. Not an exhaustive list. Definite liberal truth bias.

by Janice L Blixt

The 19 feral cats who live on the grounds of Mexico’s Presidential Palace have been declared “living fixed assets” of the government by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. The declaration — usually applied to artworks and cultural/historic pieces — means the cats (who are all fixed and chipped) will be fed and cared for by the Treasury even after Obrador leaves office.

Following the passing of Venezuelan Juan Vicente Pérez at age 114, and the passing of Gisaburo Sonobe of Japan at 112, (RIP, gentlemen) John Alfred Tinniswood, Englishman of London, is the “oldest living man” confirmed by the good people at Guinness. He credits his longevity to “luck, moderation — and fish and chips every Friday.”

According to a study of nationwide satellite data released Friday and published in the journal Science, almost half of China’s major cities are sinking at a “moderate to severe” pace, putting millions of people at risk for flooding. “45% of China’s urban land is sinking faster than 3 millimetres per year, with 16% at more than 10 mm per year, driven not only by declining water tables but also the sheer weight of the built environment.” Researchers at the South China Normal University report that “within the next century, nearly a quarter of coastal land could actually be lower than sea levels.” Seems we have an international flooding theme this week.