@wtg Thanks for posting that, wtg. I really needed it after the NYTimes' distasteful decision to run Andrew Sullivan's diatribe against the LGBTQ community today. Why they thought publishing a litany of hyperbole and anecdotes attacking the community under the headline "How The Gay Rights Movement Radicalized, and Lost Its Way," on the anniversary of Obergefell was a good idea, I can't fathom. Other than the insatiable desire for clicks. It was the last straw for me. Coming on the heels of their couching an endorsement for Cuomo in their "non-endorsing" editorial, and the general descent of their online front page into bland, very "safe" but clickbait headlines, the sum of which leaves one completely unaware of the horrifying situation the US finds itself in, I decided to cancel my subscription.

@Bernard I pretty much do what these guidelines say to, especially the part about smelling the stem end. I buy the Dulcinea cantaloupes at Costco, which are packaged two to a bag. I try to buy a bag with melons at different stages of ripeness so I don't suddenly have more ripe fruit than I can eat in a reasonable time. https://www.southernliving.com/how-to-tell-if-cantaloupe-ripe-7693521

Frankly, I don't care what RFK gets wrong. This is such a stupid non-scientific and ideological bullshit "debate."

@Steve-Miller said in Trump Mobile: I don’t see American made phones happening very soon. They may have figured it out, too, but aren't quite ready to admit it in public. The Trump Organization scrapped a reference that its recently revealed smartphone will be made in the U.S., amid doubts that such a device can be manufactured on American shores at its price tag. A spokesperson for the Trump Organization, which is owned by U.S. President Donald Trump, nevertheless maintained the handset would be made in the U.S. https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/26/trump-phone-website-removes-made-in-the-usa-tag-for-the-device.html

It got to 102F in NYC the last couple of days. We do have an A/C for the bedroom but we put it in storage for the cold months. Drinking plenty of water. The climate control system under the piano does its thing well. I dare not go out to ride my bike till the temperature drops.

Lights tonight. [image: northern-lights.png] https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/06/24/northern-lights-forecast-aurora-borealis/84331298007/?tbref=hp?utm_source%3Djoin1440&utm_placement=newsletter&user_id=66c4c06e5d78644b3aab4472

@ShiroKuro I think Mik has answered that question.

When my $ watch got saltwater in it, the cost to repair it almost as much as original price. Told them to keep it. Bought a Garmin that is smarter than I am. It counts steps and tells me who is calling plus more than I want to know. Smartwatches and AI could be a scary thing. May have to go back to a Timex. Then again, they are copying some expensive watches, but those look like the cheap copies they are.

That was a tribute to an enduring human spirit. This quotation near the end of the piece seemed to summarize the message. “The essential things in life are freedom, solidarity and respect for every human being.” As some people say, "May their memory be a blessing." Big Al

Oh, damn. I see the listing was removed today. Guess I missed out on another perfect house....

@Piano-Dad It’s rare to replace one of those roofs. What usually happens is they take off the tile, put new waterproofing paper down and put the tile back again. Nice house!

New nightmare: Hertz adopts AI scanner to check for damage. https://www.thedrive.com/news/this-is-what-happens-when-hertzs-ai-scanner-finds-damage-on-your-rental

https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/24/politics/doge-fired-workers-rehired Trump administration scrambles to rehire key federal workers after DOGE firings Federal agencies are rehiring and ordering back from leave some of the employees who were laid off in the weeks after President Donald Trump took office as they scramble to fill critical gaps in services left by the Department of Government Efficiency-led effort to shrink the federal workforce.