WTF-Beta

Don't waste your money (though I love your donation line of thinking!). I soaked cotton balls in fox urine and placed them inside little plastic balls with holes in them. Scattered the balls all around the plants I was trying to protect. I watched the rabbits hop over to the balls, sniff them, push them aside and then proceed to eat at the bunny salad bar I had provided.

Deer aren’t a problem here but rabbits are. They devour black-eyed.susans like crazy; I never got any flowers because they would eat the plants down to the ground as soon as they popped up in the.spring.

I’ve tried everything to keep them away. Stinky granules of every brand,, fox urine, etc. the only thing that works is a physical barrier. I use this kind of product and put it around vulnerable plants and shrubs I want to save.

https://www.menards.com/main/building-materials/fencing/utility-fencing/50-black-welded-wire/w16245023b/p-4364363666240411-c-5768.htm

Has to be metal, they will chew through plastic fencing. Being black metal it sort of disappears at a distance but it certainly doesn’t add to the overall look in the garden up close. But it is the only effective solution for bunnies. Btw, the holes can’t be too large or the baby bunnies get in.

If it is deer that are getting to them, then that’s a much bigger deterrence problem.

This is another one that I saw a few days ago.

https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/scammers-offering-help-with-pumping-gas-charge-victims-cards-after-theyre-gone/4372049/

Anyone walking over and offering to help me with pumping the gas would raise red flags for me immediately, so I don’t think I’d fall for it. But it amazes me that these crooks are so ingenious.

The White House has begun construction on a UFC fighting cage on its South Lawn ahead of next month's event to celebrate 250 years of American independence.
Workers were seen assembling domed arches and a staging area, which based on online renderings, will form an octagon-shaped ring surrounded by a wire-mesh fence and thousands of temporary seats.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz622647eg3o

Texas Republicans nominated scandal-plagued state Attorney General Ken Paxton in their U.S. Senate primary following an endorsement from President Trump, according to a race call by the Associated Press. This effectively unseats Sen. John Cornyn, a pillar of the party's establishment wing.

https://www.npr.org/2026/05/26/nx-s1-5835745/paxton-republican-texas-senate-nominee-trump-cornyn-talarico

@Mik will be happy.

https://www.eatthis.com/ice-creams-without-gums-or-stabilizers/

I may try making my own ice cream at home. I think I'll look into the no-churn or semifreddo recipes, as I don't want to invest in more kitchen equipment like an ice cream maker.

How about "Dog Shoots Woman"?

Dog shoots woman with shotgun at Nebraska convenience store

Police responded to reports of gunfire at store in town of Scottsbluff, and found the culprit to be a dog

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/26/dog-shotgun-nebraska-convenience-store

When most people think of animals that support grueling search and rescue efforts in the wake of disasters, crime, or conflict, they picture dogs. And those canines can really make a difference.

But one thing they can’t do for long periods of time is do this work underwater.

So, Michael Hadsell, president of Florida-based Peace River K9 Search and Rescue, has turned to river otters.

Specifically, Splash.

https://www.goodgoodgood.co/articles/splash-search-and-rescue-otter

@Mik said:

This smacks of an architecture issue.

Indeed it does.

People sure are clever. And dishonest.

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/articles/man-urges-others-watch-gas-121521726.html

Empire builder. Of 7-Eleven.

Suzuki, an honorary adviser at Seven & i Holdings, died on May 18 of heart failure at his Tokyo home, the company said Monday.

Suzuki founded the Japanese unit that operates the seemingly ubiquitous 7-Eleven “conbini” outlets, where busy people can hop in and grab sandwiches, rice balls, drinks, chips and other meals on-the-run, use ATMs, pay utility bills and copy documents.

The 7-Eleven stores, now numbering more than 80,000 worldwide, are the biggest convenience-store chain in Japan.

https://apnews.com/article/convenience-7eleven-retail-japan-stores-shopping-82f19832401a8f37247d557066d45cdd

OK, so I was a COBOL programmer. Even back when dinosaurs and I roamed the earth together, implementing a zero percent sales tax would have involved a user changing the rate from the "terminal" on their desk.

Now, get off my lawn!

@Mik said:

Just planted these yesterday. Canary Wing Begonias.

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fcompletegardening.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2025%2F04%2FBegonia-%25E2%2580%2598Pendula-White.jpg&f=1&ipt=fe1f23a0d17eecbe6ab29199a113a1a5a10b8cb5dbaa322ff6d4e3387ee33718

Those are gorgeous.

My friend plants something similar, a variety called Dragon Wings. Flowers are deep red and leaves are much darker green than yours.

Dragon wings:

Roads and markets have emptied during afternoons and some farmers have switched to nighttime work to avoid scorching temperatures as a heat wave grips large parts of India.

The India Meteorological Department forecast maximum temperatures Thursday of around 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit) in the capital, New Delhi, where authorities have opened temporary “cooling zones” to help people cope.

The weather department warned conditions will likely persist across several northern regions in the coming days, with temperatures staying well above seasonal averages. Authorities urged people to stay indoors during the hottest hours and take precautions against heat-related illnesses.

India declares a heat wave whenever temperatures are above 40 C (104 F) in the plains and 30 C (86 F) or more in its hilly regions.

https://apnews.com/article/india-heatwave-temperatures-3aa179491366cc8a283907392c70c73d

Temperatures are expected to hit 35C in parts of England on Monday, in an “unprecedented” May heatwave.

The Met Office is already predicting that records will be broken. A spokesperson said: “Today will be the hottest day in May in the UK in our temperature records, with highs of 35C expected. The current May record is 32.8C. Records are usually only broken by tenths of a degree, making this heatwave unprecedented for the time of year.”

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/may/25/uk-weather-35c-england-unprecedented-may-heatwave

@ShiroKuro There is a video of the segment, along with extra video they call Overtime.

On 60 Minutes tonight.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/payam-method-piano-lessons-60-minutes/

Definitely overpriced.

Same piano but with a gloss finish.

https://www.klaviano.com/pianos-for-sale/brod-jorgensen/used-brodr-jorgensen-424241.html

Thanks. Readily available around here.

My world traveling neighbor used to bring me something local, often a food item, from the countries she traveled to. One year she went to Hungary and brought back some fabulous paprika.