Hunter Biden to Joe Rogan (on X): “Dear Joe (Rogan) I wish I could sit down with you face to face and explain why so many of us were offended by the UFC fight on the South Lawn of the White House. For me, it had nothing to do with the UFC or who showed up for the fights. “The brand you and Dana have built is a bona fide American success story. More power to you. As for the fighters, in my book, anyone brave enough to put it all on the line in the arena is remarkable to witness. Their dedication and discipline inspire me. I don’t understand anyone who can’t admire that. “And as for the people who attended, I, for one, love Shane Gillis. I think he’s hilarious and brilliant. It was a show. A once-in-a-lifetime spectacle. I can’t blame anyone for wanting to witness it firsthand. “My problem is that I believe some of our public spaces are sacred. And unlike many of the great powers that came before us, these American monuments belong to all of us. Not to whoever happens to hold power at the moment. “The White House does not belong to Donald Trump. It does not belong to any President. It belongs to the people. To treat it as Caesar treated the Colosseum is antithetical to everything our founding fathers fought for. “This is not Rome. Presidents are not emperors doling out bread and circuses for the peasants. The White House is the People’s House. This “celebration” could have happened in any stadium within a stone’s throw of the South Lawn. No one would have had an issue with it. “But that was obviously Donald Trump’s whole point. By holding the event on the South Lawn, what he was saying to the rest of us is: ‘This is my house. I own it. I will do with it what I please. I’ll build a colosseum and have the gladiators fight under my gaze. I’ll tear down the East Wing. I’ll pave over the Rose Garden. I’ll cover everything in gold and marble. I’ll erase the names of all the men who came before me.’ “The fights were an exhibition of imperial domination, not a celebration of our 250th anniversary as a democracy. The White House is not Buckingham Palace. It is not the Palace of Versailles. It is not the Forbidden City of Beijing. It does not belong to an emperor, or a king, or a commissar. “The White House belongs to us. All of us. The person who sits behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office is nothing more than an honored guest. A temporary caretaker. The President is our servant. Not our Caesar. Respectfully, Hunter. “P.S. Cage match between me and Don Jr.? Your call on the venue. Anywhere but the South Lawn.” – Hunter Biden, in an X post that has 5.2 million views at this writing.

@Piano-Dad said: I think you focussed on the wrong "protagonist." This is the main character ... In that case, I will happily revise my statements to refer to "the titular character."

@wtg that was a great read, thank you for posting it! My step father was a huge fan of comics in general (and he loved all that merch, the coffee mugs, the t-shirts etc) and he was a pretty big fan of Calvin and Hobbes. I always looked at the Sunday comics growing up and then whenever I had access to a paper. I can't remember when I stopped following Calvin and Hobbes closely (probably when I started studying Japanese and basically stopped consuming English language media of almost all kinds). But I have a vague memory of people talking about the comic ending. I googled and I do remember seeing this last strip. [image: CH.jpg]

@wtg what a great photo!! I'm really sorry to hear about the OTist. The "way" things are said is of paramount importance, and some medical professionals do better than others. There were two people involved in my brother's care who, when delivering a status assessment, were so careless and unkind that I was very tempted to file a formal complaint, but my mother talked me out of it. And btw, their message was basically "give up." It was truly, truly awful. So I am doubly happy that you then had such a wonderful surprise visit! And that his message was "don't give up."

And Trump has also found a way to save Hezbollah for Iran.

Happy Birthday!

My running days were over with the first joint replacement. But yes, I understand your point about peers - Now I find myself trying to be more aware as I walk and move about as I've entered the age where any of the doctors ask if I've had a fall in the last 6 months...

@CHAS said: I am younger than Biden and Trump. I don't find that to be particularly encouraging. Beats the alternative.

@AdagioM said: Food people: here’s a recipe for avocado blueberry quinoa salad

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@jon-nyc It is ok folks. Consider the source. Mr. Purity lol

Don't bother They're here

@wtg said: As you say, better in someone else's yard. Yep! BTW I have been monitoring the lack eyed susan's in the front of our house, and I'm convinced that the animal doing the eating is a deer. The reason I think that is because the spots that are eaten are in the middle of the bunch, as if a large creature walked up and bent their head down from a height, rather than at the edges, as you might expect with a small creature sitting low to the ground and chewing at that height. This is my current "plant detector" analysis. I remain hopeful that there will still be blooms come July

The perversion of unfettered capitalism. It's been plainly clear for years and years and years that the inevitable outcome of this system--left unchecked--is a concentration of wealth into very few hands. Meanwhile, in the US, children are left hungry, 90% of the citizens experience financial insecurity, ad nauseating lib. It's gross. Not because of the people who are rich (although so very many of them can be held up as examples of uncaring greed), but because unbridled capitalism is a seriously flawed system. Some day we will overcome the economic destruction ushered in by Reagan.

In New York City, the common pickle is the half-sour, the staple of the Jewish deli, and perfect complement to your pastrami sandwich. There are still a couple of retail businesses that specialize in pickles, filling your container from a barrel. The half-sour is delicious, and most supermarkets carry the jarred Ba-Tampte brand.

Yea, the Albanians aren't happy about this. At all. https://www.npr.org/2026/06/16/g-s1-128162/albania-resort-protests-kushner-trump

Oh, those crazy Norwegian fans: Link to video View from the top: Link to video

Good advice. I am from Swampeast Missouri. In the early 20th century a project to drain the area moved more earth than the digging of the Panama Canal. Drainage still requires year round vigilance. Mosquitoes love it. The mosquitoes stayed.

https://x.com/realdonaldtrump/status/581171685186994176?s=46