This is Montana Cox

 

OK, I admit it -- I have not been able to watch the Australian version of Next Top Model.

(Seriously, I think I managed to watch a couple of episodes of the American version, but I'd have to do some research to determine if my vague memories of that are accurate.)

Still, when the Daily Mail had an article about Montana Cox, who is from Australia, not Montana, I did take a look at it, because she was on a beach in a bikini.  And this confirmed she is quite attractive, which models should be, and also has a very slender model body, which not all models have but which is the type I prefer, along with the somewhat curvy but still in pretty darned good shape body. While I understand body positivity and plus-size models, we all have our preferences. 

Montana Cox turns heads as she flaunts her incredible beach body in a VERY racy bikini

I invite you to peruse the article for its educational content. That shouldn't take long.

And then you can peruse this fairly nice picture of Montana, modeling lingerie.

One final note;  like many good Aussies, she also occasionally sunbathes topless on the beach. You can verify that for yourself.

It's pretty and scenic and historic - but swimming in it?

 

Paris is trying to clean up the Seine River so that it can be used as a competition venue during the Olympics, which are getting close. 

Not for rowing or canoeing or kayaking -- but for swimming?  I know that it's planned for open water swimming, and I believe for the water leg of triathlon, as well.

As of April, it wasn't exactly clean. And now we're past mid-May.

They say that it will be fine for the Olympics -- let's hope so.

‘Alarming’ bacteria levels found in Seine River, where Olympians will swim

"Along with select sporting events, the river is to be the centerpiece of the Opening Ceremonies. Athletes will sail down the Seine on cruise boats with spectators lining its banks, in lieu of the traditional parade on land.

In an open letter, Surfrider said it had growing concerns about the risks to Olympic athletes if the water is still contaminated by July, calling its test results “alarming.” "

Surfrider Foundation is described as a nonprofit devoted to waterway conservation.

I have to admit, it will be impressive, as long as it's safe. 

Hopeful sign

 

One of the worst / deadliest cancers that can happen to a person is pancreatic cancer. There are several reasons for this: early on, it rarely provides symptoms that indicate it's happening; it's most treatable early (when it's largely undetectable); and because it's such a killer when it's advanced, it has been hard to develop treatments for it that work.

That might possibly be changing.

Breakthrough in fight against world's deadliest cancer - new drug shrunk up to 70% of pancreatic tumors in lab study

"Dr Olive said: ‘RMC-7977 [name of the new drug] as a single agent outperformed the best combination regimen that has ever been reported in the literature in that model system,’ adding that it was the first time he had seen tumors routinely get small across all models.

They also found that the treatment did not harm other, healthy cells. Many cancer treatments, including chemo and radiation, can harm healthy cells while targeting cancer cells."

That sounds good. Let's hope the success continues.

Something to not look forward to

 

In the past couple of days, and also weeks, Texas has been slammed with flooding rains and a very powerful storm packing both tornados and downbursts that brought down office building windows in Houston.  Meanwhile, strong storms and tornados have blasted through the Midwest and the "northern" Southeast, including Kentucky, Tennessee, northern Alabama and northern Georgia. Driving these storms is above-normal heat, higher-than-normal Gulf of Mexico temperatures, and increased moisture in the atmosphere.

All of which makes this predictive article from the New York Times a couple of weeks ago a bit more alarming. Oh look -- it's even in the headline!

‘Alarming’ Ocean Temperatures Suggest This Hurricane Season Will Be a Daunting One

" It’s the Colorado State researchers’ biggest April prediction ever, by a healthy margin, said Dr. Klotzbach. While things could still play out differently, he said he was more confident than he normally would be this early in the year. All the conditions that he and other researchers look at to forecast the season, such as weather patterns, sea surface temperatures and computer model data, are pointing in one direction.

“Normally, I wouldn’t go nearly this high,” he said, but with the data he’s seeing, “Why hedge?”

If anything, he said, his numbers are on the conservative side, and there are computer models that indicate even more storms on the way."

 

Don't agree

 

As a perusal of my political postings proclaims, I'm a pretty liberal person. But I don't agree with transgender athletes, particularly biological men who identify as women, competing against biological women after puberty and all the physiological benefits it provides to men, which confer an athletic advantage over women. And I say this as a full supporter  LGBTQ rights and against discrimination for virtually everything else. 

(Before puberty, it really doesn't matter.)

It's simply not fair, and that's been demonstrated as pretty obvious in many different competitions.

So I don't agree with this veto by the Wisconsin governor. 

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers vetoes ban on transgender athletes competing in high school sports as Riley Gaines and Libs of TikTok slam politician for not caring if 'daughters get beat up'

Oh, and I pretty much support anything else Tony Evers is for, and I'm likely against virtually everything else he opposes.  Because he and I are liberals. And I'd vote for him every time over whoever the GOP ran against him. 

Still, I agree with this:

"During testimony last year, state Representative Joel Kitchens said: 'Men have major physical advantages. They're bigger, they're stronger, they're faster.'

'Title IX was created so that women can have the same access to the same advantages, the same character building that takes place (in sports) that men always have experienced.' "

Still hot, and now she's single

 

Let's check back with Maura Higgins (who I posted about a few weeks ago).

Maura Higgins flaunts her incredible figure on display in racy bikini snaps as she shows Hollywood stuntman ex what he's missing after shock split

I doubt she'll have any trouble finding dates. 

A higher level of ludicrousness

 

Obviously, I am strongly hoping that this ludicrousness doesn't have a chance to happen.

Sadly, at the moment, at still has a chance of happening.

Trump allies want racism protections for white people: Ex-president's inner circle plotting focus on 'anti-white racism' in civil rights if he is elected to a second term

"A key figure in providing a template for action is [Stephen] Miller, who helped shape Trump's 'America First' ideology and who served as a main driver for immigration policy during Trump's White House tenure, and who has been mentioned as a potential top official in a second term."

Yes, this Stephen Miller.