Popular Comments

ridski
Discussion: The Rose Garden and White House happenings: Voters have to make a choice

Morganna said:

drummerboy said:



asinine religious (mostly christian)  beliefs are given a pass, regardless of their asininity. e.g. the mormons. or how about the laying of hands in the oval office?

asinine beliefs like believing in bigfoot or flat earth, not so much.

Wait, what? Bigfoot is not real? Next, you'll be claiming Nessie doesn't exist.

They'll take my Nessie from my cold, wooly-gloved hands.

Like  4 Likes
mrincredible
Discussion: National Day Observations

It’s not a holiday or observance here, but today is the 60th anniversary of the US Supreme Court decision in Miranda v Arizona. It was the decision that established the legal requirement for police to inform someone they are arresting of their legal rights in the situation. Such as the right to the presence of an attorney, and the right to keep silent. 

“Read him his rights” has become a pop culture substitute for “place him under arrest”.  

We watch a number of police procedural TV shows which I generally enjoy. But they all seem to frequently rely on suspects making confessions without a lawyer presence. If our teenage daughter is watching with us, I always remind her that if she ever finds herself in any kind of negative interaction with the police, the only thing she should say is “I’d like an attorney present.”  

Like  3 Likes
mrincredible
Discussion: Bees

I walked past our rhododendron just now and the whole bush is abuzz. 


Like  3 Likes
PVW
Discussion: What does Putin want (and whatabout it)

You've pointed to zero evidence backing up Russian claims about bioweapons, and further explicitly stated you have no interest in searching for such evidence. You're right that we disagree --  I find accepting a claim based on nothing beyond a bias toward Russia to be an unreasonable stance.

Like  3 Likes
max_weisenfeld
Discussion: Summer Weather Thread

Tuesday evening 6/17

Still not entirely clear about the risk of storms on Thursday, but here's my best shot

TLDR: Generally nice weather continues this week except for Thursday, which will be hot and maybe stormy

Low tonight around 60

Tomorrow, Wednesday, chance of showers in the afternoon and very slight chance of a thunderstorm, nothing serious though, otherwise cloudy and seasonal, with highs around 80

Wednesday night slight chance of showers, low in the mid 60s

Thursday, chance of showers and breezy, hot with highs near 90. There is also a chance that a warm front cruising through to our north could cause thunderstorms, with a slight chance of high winds and hail. The front though is likely to come through Thurs night, and without the daytime heat the instability will be lower and the risk as well

....and then it gets better...

Friday sun and clouds, lower humidity, high in the low 80s. Friday night mostly clear, low in the lower 60s

The weekend looks lovely, with sunny days, highs in the low 80s, and lows in the mid to low 60s

Like  2 Likes
marksierra
Discussion: The Uncaged Bird- A Hummingbird Returns!

Morganna said:

My friend the Crow, stops by regularly for a cat food snack. As I read about their fondness for shiny objects I tried leaving a key near the dish. So far no interest so I'm looking for something shiny yet safe for him to carry off. 

Try wrapping the key in some aluminium foil.

Are there any nearby hardware stores where you can cadge a small sample of a mirror tile to try.  Also, see if there are any glass cutting or mirror stores in the area where you might be able to relieve them of a small piece of suitably-blunted-edge mirror.  (Tell them you are working on a mosaic and one small sample is all you need.)

Like  2 Likes
nohero
Discussion: What does Putin want (and whatabout it)

tjohn said:

DaveSchmidt said:

nan said:

What was the sidewalk's view of this conflict?

Pedestrian but concrete.

Do you makes jokes like this in front of your children?

I expect he'd be able to curb himself.

Like  2 Likes
tjohn
Discussion: What does Putin want (and whatabout it)

yahooyahoo said:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/world/articles/russia-overwhelming-manpower-advantage-against-040008373.html

Russia’s overwhelming manpower advantage against Ukraine is starting to wane

Lauren Kent, CNN, Sun, June 14, 2026 at 12:00 AM EDT
Russian troops take part in a Victory Day military parade in Moscow's Red Square on May 9, 2026. - Ekaterina Shtukina/Sputnik/Reuters
Russian troops take part in a Victory Day military parade in Moscow's Red Square on May 9, 2026. - Ekaterina Shtukina/Sputnik/Reuters

What would you do with an $80,000 bonus, more than quadruple the amount of an average annual salary? Or with $140,000 in debt relief?

Those are the questions being posed to men in Russia, as the military advertises multi-million-ruble incentives to fight in Ukraine. Ads plastered on roadside billboards and embedded in young men's social media feeds are offering eye-watering sums – more than many people earn in years – alongside promises to become a "hero" or be fast-tracked to Russian citizenship.

And yet military recruitment was down by 20% in the first quarter of this year compared to 2025, and there are signs it's still faltering, according to Russian economy expert Janis Kluge.

The Kremlin's strategy has long been to outlast Ukraine in an attritional war profiting from its immense population and large military industry that can sustain a slow, grinding campaign. And now, with the Ukraine war in its fifth year, President Vladimir Putin's war coffers are getting a much-needed boost thanks to the Iran war increasing oil prices.

The problem?

"Rubles don't fight wars," said Nigel Gould-Davies, a senior fellow for Russia and Eurasia at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). He noted that this is the first war in Russia's history in which the state is paying citizens to fight rather than forcing them – and that is leading to economic strain and manpower issues.

Why did you post this.  Nan has already established that Russia is winning so much that they opted to extend the war so they can keep on winning.

Like  2 Likes
yahooyahoo
Discussion: The NYT Spelling Bee Thread

I set my personal record for consecutive words without a mistake or incorrect guess at 42.

Like  2 Likes