Here in North Central Texas, I went for a long, pleasant walk in a t-shirt and jeans on a partly cloudy, balmy autumn day. The temperature is likely to be several degrees over 80 by the end of the day.
"From a Looney Tunes perspective—y'know, where everything's usually total mayhem with anvils droppin', dynamite explodin', and folks yellin' "Th-th-th-that's all, folks!"—here's the primary observations of life in Riga:..."
"From a multiculturalist perspective, which emphasizes the peaceful coexistence of diverse cultural groups, mutual respect for differences, preservation of cultural identities without forced assimilation, and enrichment through diversity (often via dialogue, accommodation, and shared norms), the article portrays Riga as a successful, lived example of multiculturalism in practice..."
"From a capitalist perspective, the article portrays Riga's social dynamics as an efficient, decentralized system for coordinating scarce resources in public spaces, relying on voluntary individual behaviors rather than heavy top-down enforcement..."
"From a communist perspective, informed by Marxist-Leninist principles emphasizing collective solidarity, class consciousness, mutual aid, and the prioritization of communal well-being over bourgeois individualism, the article on everyday life in contemporary Riga reveals several key observations:.."
"From a libertarian perspective, the article portrays Riga's public life as a near-ideal example of spontaneous order and voluntary social cooperation in shared spaces, where harmony emerges without heavy reliance on government rules, enforcement, or top-down planning..."
Using the names of the Democratic politicians referenced in this thread.
Create an image based on the names Barack Obama, Bernie Sanders, Bill Clinton, Cory Booker, Gavin Newsom, Hillary Clinton, Howard Dean, John Kerry, Kamala Harris, and Pete Buttigieg.
Since the topic is Japan-related, here's a video on Japan's declining population numbers and its resistance to immigration. The video is a bit lengthy and overwrought, but it addresses the demographic problems Japan is facing, such as a death rate that is approximately double the birth rate.
"This video explores Japan's unique stance on immigration, contrasting it with global trends and examining the nation's internal challenges. We look at the severe Japanese population decline and the resulting aging population, which are central to current societal pressures. Learn how Japan's birth rate decline and shifting demographics are influencing its politics and future direction amidst global issues."
The grammar checker is good at catching most errors. It did suggest that "An unfortunate" should replace "A very sad". But that's a style choice.
But who writes 62-word run-on sentences on a social media platform without grammatical errors? It gives the impression of premeditation, not off-the-cuff.
Gemini says that there's no explicit evidence of AI being used in the past two weeks of Trump's Truth Social postings.
"Based on an analysis of Donald Trump's Truth Social timeline from December 2, 2025, to December 16, 2025, there is no evidence that the text of his posts is AI-generated. Conversely, the text exhibits strong markers of his established human writing style."
"A very sad thing happened last night in Hollywood. Rob Reiner, a tortured and struggling, but once very talented movie director and comedy star, has passed away, together with his wife, Michele, reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME, sometimes referred to as TDS. He was known to have driven people CRAZY by his raging obsession of President Donald J. Trump, with his obvious paranoia reaching new heights as the Trump Administration surpassed all goals and expectations of greatness, and with the Golden Age of America upon us, perhaps like never before. May Rob and Michele rest in peace!"
The only error my grammar checker found was using "of" instead of "with." I would expect more grammatical errors unless whoever the writer is is using a grammar checker.
Who says corporate America doesn’t have at least some sense of humor left?
Ryan Reynolds makes humorous, self-deprecating Mint Mobile commercials. In 2020 and 2024, he was the world's second-highest-paid actor. Now that he's an entrepreneur, he's also a billionaire.
The most recurring dream is of me looking for a toilet but only finding ones that for one reason or other can’t be used (clogged, full of water, built in a way one cannot sit upon them, extremly dirty etc.).
I've had similar dreams, intermingled with the military stuff. Such as trying to find restrooms and functional toilets in a barrack.
I don't remember ever having a nightmare. But I've had anxiety dreams. First, about school, then the military, and work. In recent years, I've had very few of any of them.
I had a friend who, even as a young adult, would sometimes act out his dreams. Once, he tried to stuff his wife behind the headboard of the bed. A few years ago, in the late stages of Parkinson’s, he died after a fall.
On “An inscrutable Merry Christmas”
Infrastructure measurements.
"
Here in North Central Texas, I went for a long, pleasant walk in a t-shirt and jeans on a partly cloudy, balmy autumn day. The temperature is likely to be several degrees over 80 by the end of the day.
On “Welcome to my world”
:)
"From a Looney Tunes perspective—y'know, where everything's usually total mayhem with anvils droppin', dynamite explodin', and folks yellin' "Th-th-th-that's all, folks!"—here's the primary observations of life in Riga:..."
Looney Tunes Analyze Riga's Quiet Courtesies
"
This could go on and on.
"From a multiculturalist perspective, which emphasizes the peaceful coexistence of diverse cultural groups, mutual respect for differences, preservation of cultural identities without forced assimilation, and enrichment through diversity (often via dialogue, accommodation, and shared norms), the article portrays Riga as a successful, lived example of multiculturalism in practice..."
Multiculturalism in Riga: Subtle Coexistence
"
Riga is all things to all ideologies.
"From a capitalist perspective, the article portrays Riga's social dynamics as an efficient, decentralized system for coordinating scarce resources in public spaces, relying on voluntary individual behaviors rather than heavy top-down enforcement..."
Riga's Capitalist Social Dynamics Unveiled
"
"From a communist perspective, informed by Marxist-Leninist principles emphasizing collective solidarity, class consciousness, mutual aid, and the prioritization of communal well-being over bourgeois individualism, the article on everyday life in contemporary Riga reveals several key observations:.."
Communist Analysis of Riga's Social Norms
"
How libertarianish. :)
"From a libertarian perspective, the article portrays Riga's public life as a near-ideal example of spontaneous order and voluntary social cooperation in shared spaces, where harmony emerges without heavy reliance on government rules, enforcement, or top-down planning..."
Libertarian Insights on Riga's Social Harmony
On “The Wiles Interview”
Using the names of the Democratic politicians referenced in this thread.
Create an image based on the names Barack Obama, Bernie Sanders, Bill Clinton, Cory Booker, Gavin Newsom, Hillary Clinton, Howard Dean, John Kerry, Kamala Harris, and Pete Buttigieg.
"
-
On “Weekend music thread #08 How do you get to Carnagie Hall?”
A more viable alternative.
Fall of Civilizations
"
Since the topic is Japan-related, here's a video on Japan's declining population numbers and its resistance to immigration. The video is a bit lengthy and overwrought, but it addresses the demographic problems Japan is facing, such as a death rate that is approximately double the birth rate.
"This video explores Japan's unique stance on immigration, contrasting it with global trends and examining the nation's internal challenges. We look at the severe Japanese population decline and the resulting aging population, which are central to current societal pressures. Learn how Japan's birth rate decline and shifting demographics are influencing its politics and future direction amidst global issues."
Japan’s Clash With ISLAM Is Escalating — And the Nation Is Saying “NO MORE”
On “Author, author?”
A tidbit: Michele Reiner photographed Trump for the cover of The Art of the Deal.
"
The grammar checker is good at catching most errors. It did suggest that "An unfortunate" should replace "A very sad". But that's a style choice.
But who writes 62-word run-on sentences on a social media platform without grammatical errors? It gives the impression of premeditation, not off-the-cuff.
"
Gemini says that there's no explicit evidence of AI being used in the past two weeks of Trump's Truth Social postings.
"Based on an analysis of Donald Trump's Truth Social timeline from December 2, 2025, to December 16, 2025, there is no evidence that the text of his posts is AI-generated. Conversely, the text exhibits strong markers of his established human writing style."
No AI Text, Some AI Media
"
"A very sad thing happened last night in Hollywood. Rob Reiner, a tortured and struggling, but once very talented movie director and comedy star, has passed away, together with his wife, Michele, reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME, sometimes referred to as TDS. He was known to have driven people CRAZY by his raging obsession of President Donald J. Trump, with his obvious paranoia reaching new heights as the Trump Administration surpassed all goals and expectations of greatness, and with the Golden Age of America upon us, perhaps like never before. May Rob and Michele rest in peace!"
The only error my grammar checker found was using "of" instead of "with." I would expect more grammatical errors unless whoever the writer is is using a grammar checker.
On “Cory Doctorow and enshittification”
Grok's take on Doctorow's arguments.
Doctorow's AI Critique: Hype vs. Reality
On “Open Thread”
Who says corporate America doesn’t have at least some sense of humor left?
Ryan Reynolds makes humorous, self-deprecating Mint Mobile commercials. In 2020 and 2024, he was the world's second-highest-paid actor. Now that he's an entrepreneur, he's also a billionaire.
"
To fit the vibe...
"
Set in stone...
On “How are you sleeping?”
The most recurring dream is of me looking for a toilet but only finding ones that for one reason or other can’t be used (clogged, full of water, built in a way one cannot sit upon them, extremly dirty etc.).
I've had similar dreams, intermingled with the military stuff. Such as trying to find restrooms and functional toilets in a barrack.
"
I don't remember ever having a nightmare. But I've had anxiety dreams. First, about school, then the military, and work. In recent years, I've had very few of any of them.
"
None of the acting-out behavior, the normal REM “paralysis” seems to be working just fine.
A couple of times, I've woken and been completely paralyzed. But recovered in less than a minute.
"
I had a friend who, even as a young adult, would sometimes act out his dreams. Once, he tried to stuff his wife behind the headboard of the bed. A few years ago, in the late stages of Parkinson’s, he died after a fall.
On “Open Thread”
Here's a Facebook post with some very nice art. And some photorealistic transformations in the comments.
Rakshy Tarik Kamal - Artist Kate Lewis
On “Site Experiment”
When I've hit Enter or pressed <Ctrl> + Enter, the comment is posted.
But Enter works now, <Ctrl> + Enter doesn't do anything.
*Comment archive for non-registered commenters assembled by email address as provided.