Hello night owls and early risers!
If you’re not following WeRateDogs on one of their many platforms, well, why the heck not?! They bring joy daily.
Here are this week’s top 10 dogs:
Equal time for our feline crew:
Willow, giving me attitude as I interrupt her precious outside time. She’s adapted well to the harness, and it has done the job of keeping her in the yard. Her outdoor time is still strictly monitored. Much to her annoyance.
This is an open thread, have at it…
War for Ukraine Day 1,143: What Capitulation Looks Like
gwangung
Non dog related, but, on top of getting ready for retirement, I have bought a condo (while my nephew takes over my current house).
Am now in an interminably long process of moving and assembling furniture. That, too, is a game for younger folks…
Kristine
I love We Rate Dogs. I get their daily post and bought a couple of the “Tell Your Dog I Said Hi” stickers. Still need to put one on the car. They sent me a bonus magnet that I stuck on the fridge.
Part of their proceeds go towards medical care for shelter dogs. They’re a good group.
Jackie
@gwangung: You could ask @Nukular Biskits: for help! ;D
eclare
Cute doggies! Was Miss Willow escaping the yard?
brendancalling
Iron stomach or not, that cheese-eating dog gonna be Hershey-squirting all over the place.
Gloria DryGarden
Willow is a truly beautiful cat.
A woman from anywhere (formerly Mohagan)
OMG, that “we rate dogs” video is hilarious, and I’m a tough room usually. Thanks, I needed that! The deadpan aplomb showed by Roadie Joe swimming in that woman’s arms was too funny.
J. Arthur Crank
Willow looks like she is biding her time, waiting for the right moment to launch her nefarious plan.
NotMax
Nugget I learned today.
After the success of 2001, the next project Kubrick was hot to tackle was a historical epic about Napoleon.
His first choice for the lead? Jack Nicholson.
JoyceH
I’ve been exercising and regaining some energy so I’ve started walking the dogs, even though Whimsy is a work in progress in the training department. I walk them together, which is challenging. I always imagined that walking two Samoyeds would make me feel like a Grand Duchess. Instead I feel like that guy on YouTube trying to clean the baby panda enclosure.
eclare
@JoyceH:
When I had two dogs I walked them separately so that I felt more in control. Plus they had very different walking styles: one was full steam ahead, and the other preferred to mosey and meander.
JoyceH
@eclare: I had intended to just walk Whimsy to burn off some of her energy but when I made obvious walk taking moves Jazzy showed up at the door looking so bright-eyed that I didn’t have the heart to leave her behind. She’s pretty old and always enjoyed walking but we haven’t walked in ages. I don’t have the stamina to take two walks so I just walk them together and make the best of it. We might reach the Grand Duchess stage when Whim gets a bit older.
NotMax
@JoyceH
Already got the tiara? (Opera gloves optional.)
:)
eclare
@JoyceH:
I couldn’t leave one behind in that situation either.
Baud
Baud
Reddit title isn’t accurate, but in the clip Duffy does challenge DOGE cutting government.
Baud
Violent libs
eclare
@Baud:
That is terrifying.
lowtechcyclist
@Baud: That song fits the Trump 2 era even better than it did the Dubya era that inspired it.
lowtechcyclist
@JoyceH:
My best friend has had Samoyeds for about the past four decades. They’re such wonderful dogs, but they definitely have minds of their own! Which is why a cat person like me loves them.
ETA: Can’t keep up with everything in this zoo; what are you recovering from?
Baud
Princess
@Baud: Trump needs to fear his own followers.
I believe it is also an inconvenient truth that Luigi is also on this end of the political spectrum, though not as far gone.
Baud
@Princess:
That wouldn’t surprise me.
JoyceH
@lowtechcyclist: I got COVID back before Thanksgiving. I wasn’t in any danger and not really particularly uncomfortable, but I just drowsed in the recliner every day for weeks and while I was sleeping my muscles evaporated. So I was pretty geriatric for a few months there.
Geminid
Deir Ezzor, on the banks of the Euphrates River, is the largest city in eastern Syia. DeirEzzor24 is a local news site; a couple recent headlines:
Some better news from Syria: efforts to clear mines from roadsides around the country are progressing, and the government has initiated a campaign to plant one million trees to replace forests lost during Syria’s civil war.
Erbil is 225 miles east of Deir Ezxor, in the more peaceful Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Headlines from Erbil-based Rudaw English are more cheerfull:
Some pictures showing processions of colorfully dressed people had this caption:
Dorothy A. Winsor
Loved the We Rate Dogs video. I especially liked the throwback one with the woman panicked about a “wolf.”
Baud
Jackie
@Baud: OMG! Per your link:
How many more like Casap are “out there” willing to use FFOTUS to incite violence?
lowtechcyclist
@JoyceH: Glad to hear it wasn’t anything serious!
First time my wife got Covid, it was like that: she pretty much lived in her recliner for a week and a half, and wasn’t exactly a bundle of energy after getting over the worst of it. Can sympathize!
zhena gogolia
@JoyceH: I hope they’re both well!
zhena gogolia
@Dorothy A. Winsor: Me too, that one cracked me up.
p.a.
Food questions:
For convenience, I try using frozen veggies (not sauced etc, just frozen, individual veggies or mixed) when possible, regular bagged or steam-in-bag. Except for peas & corn kernels, I never like the textures. I’ll follow directions, or I’ll cut the microwave time in half, or I’ll let them defrost naturally. Mush and/or styrofoam. Roasting or sautéing after helps as some water is burned off, but I’m spoiled and would like them to be the same as cooked fresh veggies. And I know they are probably more nutritious than “fresh” unless fresh was picked that day. Any suggestions for my 1st world problem, or the next one?
#2: Thanks to the great tRump economy, one modest way I’m saving a little cash is switching back to megamart teas instead of tea from my local woo herbal market, where teas are $5+ per ounce. No problem with the switch to black teas that I can note, but the mass market bagged green tea isn’t green when brewed. My the water from my woo sencha and green gunpowder looked green. The water from the market green tea… isn’t green. Kind of rusty. Few grassy notes, that’s for sure.
Princess
@Baud: Polestar is advertising its EVs (at least in Canada) by dissing Musk. Not by name but it is unmistakable.
Baud
@Princess:
“Polestar EVs: Because you’re not an asshole.”
sentient ai from the future
@Princess: theyre offering direct trade in incentives in the US. how good those are in practice i’ll never know, i clocked musk as a fascist years ago and only had the ability to buy an EV after biden’s introduction of SAVE (i was in default).
i rented a polestar 2 last year, they are pretty nice.
eta: i’ve also commented to my kid that buying a used tesla might be the least expensive way to build a powerwall in the near future, assuming current trends towards reputational crash continue.
sentient ai from the future
@p.a.: frozen veggies are great when you are making a dish that calls for longer cooking times, precisely because of the issue you identify.
maybe make stews, casseroles, baked dishes (mac/cheese with broccoli), etc (i’m working on a decent pressure cooker veg biryani lately)?
NotMax
@p.a.
This page
offers some tips for frozen veggies.
Princess
@Baud: This is not the one I saw. But it’s the same mood.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jkY4a1IG8DA
eclare
@p.a.:
Except for asparagus, bell peppers, and onions the only veggies that I buy are frozen. I find the little Green Giant boxes turn out well, especially the antioxidant blend. I don’t eat peas or corn, so I’m no help with those.
2liberal
dogs have owners and understand the importance of this person. Cats have staff and are plotting to murder you once they get an AI operated can opener.
Sally
@p.a.: Peas and corn kernels do seem to work well frozen, and I agree that many other veg do not. In the great internet tradition, I don’t know what I’m talking about, but (!), my theory is that the cell walls of veg break down when frozen. Hence the ones with no drier outer structure, and more water content, like peas and corn kernels, turn a bit mushy. Frozen veg are healthy. I use them sometimes in casseroles and soups, particularly if I puree them. In steamed, stir fry, or risotto, etc, they are no match for “fresh”, or as fresh as you can get. They can’t remain crispy. I freeze lemon and lime slices from my trees, and use them in drinks, salad dressings, to squeeze for juice. But if I want a nice looking slice that will keep its structure, I have to use fresh. The cells of the citrus fruits collapse on freezing, as they expand (water expands when frozen), breaking the cell walls
Ed. I see I am a day late and a dollar short!
p.a.
Thanks. Glad to see it’s not a me problem!
narya
@Baud: You’re bringing the Rachel Maddow “look at all the people resisting” energy this morning, and I’m here for it.
Baud
@narya:
I’m more of a “the people are revolting” kind of guy.
narya
@Baud: I’ll accept that . . . in both of its meanings, depending on about whom you’re talking. Less flippantly, I AM a tiny bit heartened by the continuing pushback, even if I fear it’s not sufficient.
prostratedragon
Bergstrom on science as a calling:
comrade scotts agenda of rage
@Baud:
It’s interesting to drill into brand EV sales.
Yurp in general saw a 64% sales jump. BMW, not exactly a budget brand across it’s product line, delivered 86.5K units worldwide, a 9.9% jump:
https://www.just-auto.com/news/bmw-ev-sales-rises-in-europe-and-us/
So while Yurp EV sales are booming, Tesla’s nosedived 37% and that’s down from a relatively down year for the company in 2024:
https://electrek.co/2025/04/09/tesla-sales-are-down-in-every-single-european-country-except-the-uk-heres-why/
Good US numbers were finally released at the end of last week:
https://electrek.co/2025/04/11/gm-porsche-honda-evs-drive-us-sales-growth-q1-2025/
EV sales here still lag behind Yurp in total numbers. I’ve wondered why but haven’t found any analysis on that. There are a ton more charging stations but they’re these tiny, Level 2 things that aren’t great for traveling. There are some non-binding regs that highlight how the EU is committed to this tho:
https://autovista24.autovistagroup.com/news/what-is-current-state-europe-ev-charging-infrastructure/
JML
Put up a new bookcase yesterday, lifting something heavy for the first time since surgery. (they took my restrictions off 2 weeks ago, but I’ve been staying cautious) Happy to report that I did not rupture myself and have been joyously reorganizing books this weekend.
It’s a great way to avoid finishing my taxes.
Matt McIrvin
@Baud: Green Day ain’t never gonna change and at this point, yeah, I’m happy for that.
prostratedragon
@JML: Nothing like righteous procrastination, eh?
Glidwrith
@prostratedragon: The way I think of it (and yes it is a calling or you wouldn’t be in the lab at 2 am in the morning) is you simply won’t find a more stubborn SOB than a PhD.
Who else will spend their lives hunting down one factoid?
My personal hero is Judah Volkman. He hypothesized that primary cancer tumors secrete a factor that inhibits metastatic tumors growing elsewhere in the body.
He was laughed at. For decades.
He was right and created a whole new line of ant-metastatic drugs.
My hero!
MCat
TaMara, I had never heard of WeRateDogs until today. Thank you. You made my day. And Willow is clearly miffed. Gorgeous cat.
Gloria DryGarden
@Baud: it’s s been removed from Reddit