More info on the 100 mile border zone: https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/border-zone "two-thirds of the U.S. population, or about 200 million people, reside within this expanded border region, according to the 2010 census. Most of the 10 largest cities in the U.S., such as New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago, fall in this region. Some states, like Florida, lie entirely within this border band so their entire populations are impacted." Big Al

https://www.space.com/stargazing/summer-solstice-2025-brings-changing-seasons-to-earth-on-june-20 Read how many hours of day there were added to dawn and dusk in a certain city to see how many hours of darkness remained. Wow.

I wondered how they would react. Good BBQ is not confined to Texas, either. There are a lot of good pitmasters at work around the country. I've tasted more than a few. I had some excellent brisket that one of my nephews smoked for two of his children's graduation party last Saturday. I haven't spent much time in Texas, but I certainly agree that I ate some delicious BBQ there. Big Al

So they have a “debt ceiling” too, the “Schuldenbremse.” I did not know that before.

@dolmansaxlil said in Happy (one day early) birthday, dolmansaxlil!: We went out for dinner with the kid and his girlfriend. Wow. They grow up so soon. Big Al

I almost barfed this morning watching the press conference with Hegseth. Dear Leader redux.

I love that the kiddo is nestled in all that soft stuff on top of the piano.

Months later, still no repairs. Mary Battin’s house was ground zero for the garbage truck fire and explosion that rocked her Arlington Heights neighborhood the afternoon of Dec. 6, 2024. Video that showed the blast in front of her home on the corner of Euclid and Derbyshire avenues went viral online and made international news. But she’s upset fewer people are paying attention now. More than six months later, Battin’s three-bedroom ranch remains damaged — windows boarded up, the corner frame broken, and walls and ceilings cracked throughout — while she struggles to get more than $100,000 worth of repairs covered by insurance. https://archive.is/ADojn#selection-2075.0-2083.248

deep breath Gosh it doesn't seem premature to me at all. I'm not seeing where the levers are to turn this disaster around. I'm going to protests. I'm sharing information. I'm having conversations with my neighbors who voted for Trump. I'm signing up for phone banking to defeat the horrible bill before Congress. I'll continue to do whatever I can. But I'm sorry to report that I'm not seeing how we turn this around. To me, the handwriting is on the wall. The oligarchs have pulled off their hijack, which has been in the works for 60 years. Read the book "Democracy in Chains". We aren't Houdini. I fully expect I'm going to have to implement my own Plan B. Not what I want, but to me it ain't lookin' good.

@rustyfingers that looks great! I'm glad you have your new car back

Superb photo montage. These never fail to make me feel very, very, small. I mean I understand 11million light years, I identify stars and gas in the photo. And then I walk 20 yards from the sitting room to kitchen for a drink and look out the back door at the moon. And it is all somehow not real. I am a centre just as the sun is, all is in motion. And then my head explodes

I also have Merlin. It's great! IDed a yellow warbler, a song I didn't recognize, while hiking along the river.

@Jodi said in NYT article about Brahms Romance in F (with audio): @RealPlayer said in NYT article about Brahms Romance in F (with audio): There’s a Mendelssohn Song Without Words called “Duetto” that is just lovely, a dialogue between the left and right hand. And a couple of Grieg pieces that are just so delightful. So yes, I do this now and then. Duetto is one of my absolute favorite pieces. And the Brahms intermezzo that is in the same book with the one that started this thread. (Can’t remember the number). Op 118 #2 is the one I think you are thinking of (you have played it for me. ) That is my favorite Brahms piano piece. I wish I could play it. I've tried, but the middle section is just too hard for me.

Happy anniversary!

There must be something lower than contempt. ??? I reserve hatred for those I once had respect for.

There's an embedded TikTok video. The people sitting in the truck looked like they were in high school. They looked a bit like they were participating in a challenge we might have in our youth, like how many people can you fit in a VW Beetle.

Appeals court ruling. https://laist.com/news/politics/trump-can-keep-troops-in-la-for-now-appeals-court-rules

I'm not the only one who finds this reprehensible. Statement from the Organization of American Historians: "the historical interpretations presented at National Park Service sites are essential places that offer the public “opportunities to connect personally with the past and to engage with the intricacies and nuances of America’s history and the rich, evolving tapestry of American experiences.” They serve as a critical counterpoint to the current administration’s “aggressive push to flatten history into a single celebratory story.” The OAH rejects these recent federal actions and the systemic efforts to distort the historical record and impose through executive orders and actions a narrow vision of the American past. The suppression of evidence-based history does not restore sanity; it endangers democracy." https://www.oah.org/2025/06/18/statement-in-response-to-secretary-order-3431-and-censorship-of-history-in-the-national-park-service/

Florida is the home of blue tarp roofs. Just fly in after a major storm.