Carsten Franke

@carstenfranke
618 Followers
1,045 Following
153 Posts
German Chemist living in the USA. American since 2024. Former 3M engineer and inventor, working on plastic films and adhesives for LCD displays, now running my own temperature measurement business. Democrat, fighter for democracy. Too many hobbies.. gardening, house plants, high power rockets, 3D printing. (He/Him)
Profile picture is the skinny Alien from Wes Anderson's movie "Asteroid City". It holds said asteroid and stares with wide googly eyes into the camera.
Posts now delete after 2 weeks
Born at326 ppm

When it's Easter weekend, and you want your cat to murder you.

#Caturday #cat #cats #catstodon #catsofmastodon #humor #humour #easter

Every morning, Galena jumps on my lap and drapes herself over my right hand, pinning it down so that I can't type. #cat #cats #katzen #caturday

Ho Chi Minh City plans to spend $280 million annually to make all 135 intra-city bus routes permanently free, aiming to reduce traffic and pollution by shifting riders from motorbikes. The plan, targeting approval this month, projects a 30% ridership surge and requires boosting bus frequency and tracking passengers to manage the budget and demand.

https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/traffic/ho-chi-minh-city-to-spend-280m-a-year-to-make-bus-travel-free-for-all-5058105.html

#Vietnam #news #publictransit

Ho Chi Minh City to spend $280M a year to make bus travel free for all

Ho Chi Minh City is preparing to allocate around VND7 trillion (US$280 million) annually to make bus travel free across the city, with authorities aiming to finalize the policy by late April.

VnExpress International

Fun announcement by the postal service. 8% fuel surcharge for all postage

#inflation #postalservice #trump

Spring in Minnesota... We are barely above freezing and the first blossoms are out.
#minnesota #spring #bloomscrolling

I went on Facebook (I know I know I know) and they are selling tinfoil hats.

The "Wavestopper" costs $88 Free Shipping!

(I checked. It is not an April Fools joke. Selling to people with "brain fog" feels a little predatory to me.)

First #POW.

A channel affiliated with Iranian state television claimed Friday that a #US fighter pilot ejected from their aircraft over southwestern #Iran.

It was not clear what may have happened to the plane, including whether Iran was claiming it was shot down or there was another issue. If the claim is confirmed, it could lead to yet another dramatic escalation in the #war, nearing the end of its 5th week. The #Trump admin did not comment.

#IranWar #MiddleEast
https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-israel-trump-lebanon-april-3-2026-a6365c6123cc8a696474f576d4ce7668

2 US aircraft shot down. 1 crew member rescued in Iran

Two U.S. military planes were shot down in separate incidents on Friday, escalating tensions in the ongoing conflict. One fighter jet was shot down in Iran. A U.S. crew member was rescued, but another remains missing. Separately, Iranian state media reported a U.S. A-10 attack aircraft crashed into the Persian Gulf. The incidents occurred as Iran launched attacks across the Middle East, targeting Gulf energy infrastructure and the Strait of Hormuz. This has disrupted global oil markets and increased economic pressures. The U.N. Security Council is expected to address the situation.

AP News

They pay $34 for burgers. Should their fire department service be free? Opening a new fire department in one of NYC's richest neighborhoods has some of America's pettiest journalists asking silly questions in headlines again.🤡

The article acknowledges the fire department analogy, then blows past it.🤷🏿‍♂️

The solve for "Sometimes when a service like free childcare is available to all, marginalized communities get squeezed out," is "Address that racism."

It's not "Therefore waste incredible amounts of time and money trying to means test something that society should just make available to all.🤡"

4:10 am... A smoke alarm starts the low battery beep. Getting up, chasing down which of our 6 units it is. Why don't they have an additional little end of life LED? Waiting for the beep and then triangulating where it comes from is hard at 4 am... Back to bed
5:30 am... Sound of cat throwing up a hairball. As I get up cat comes happily running towards me. So where is the hairball? Searching the house, cat follows me around. Hairball located in the kitchen. At least it is on the tile floor....

@MissConstrue When the news broke I told my wife that the dude should have been a Democrat because (in general) we don't give a shit.

I will laugh because of the hypocrisy but i don't care what he does in private as long as he stops trying to hurt people for also doing what they want in private.