Jimmy Kimmel has been returned to air after Trump’s attacks on free speech, and the men of MAGA crash Grindr in Arizona during the Charlie Kirk memorial.
This last week started badly with Hailey having another case of meningitis, but ended incredibly, with Hailey bouncing back and me finding absolute treasures at Shelley Duvall’s house. (Long story. It’s on my blog.) And it was sprinkled with little bits of insanity as internet rapture jokes (did you know it’s supposed to rapture?) made me laugh while also lightly triggering my past religious trauma. Ah, the complicated pleasures of being alive!
I’m trying to focus less on the loud bullshit in the world that I can’t control, and focus more on the quiet good in the world that inspires me to keep going and to do small things to make the world better. It is really hard though because I tend to hyper-focus on “SOMEONE ON THE INTERNET IS WRONG AND/OR MEAN” rather than “Someone on the internet is kind and calming and has a good plan to help others that I can support.” How long will this well-intentioned plan last? Probably 4-6 hours, with my record. But it’s worth a shot.
And that’s what this week’s doodle is about.
“Teach me how to give no fucks about assholes. (Please.)”
I super crazy love you. Thank you for being a bright spot to focus on in a sometimes dark little world. You make a difference.
Trump says Ukraine can win back territory from Russia, shifting his tone on the war
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Ukraine could restore its borders from before Russia’s invasion and that he believes NATO member countries should shoot down Russian aircraft if they enter their airspace, escalating his rhetoric against the Kremlin as its war in Ukraine drags on.
Hello Everyone. I hope all are having a grand day. We had the car taken to a garage to have it repaired. The engine did seize but the timing chain did not break as we thought. Ron asked why the engine locked up and the guy couldn’t tell why yet. It had the correct amount of oil but the anti-freeze which had been full was way down. The mechanic seem to think the engine block could have cracked. Either way it would have to be replaced. The needs a different engine … but new engines for that car are hard to get and the cost has jumped because they are made in Mexico and tRump’s tariffs are jumping up the price. The good news is after calling a dozen different places the man was able to find an engine for it that had only 5,000 miles on it. Basically new. The car it had been in was totaled so he could get it for us for 2 grand. Ron told him to go ahead. He will get back to us with the labor cost.
On the bathroom well all good plans of … Ron got the pipes in for the water lines both hot and cold also the shower drain, we got the toilet taken off, the new floor put down which due to the tiles no locking heeded to be glued with corners ones being brad nailed, the toilet replaced with a new seal. All good. Ron rechecked his measurements and we even set the shower where he wanted it to check the alignment of the water and drain pipes. We moved the shower back out and Ron built half the wall going across the two bathrooms and which would be the side wall of the shower. He installed the vent pipe in the wall. He ran the electric needed for the exhaust fan through the 2x4s.
Then life got in the way of it being easy. This morning we moved the shower in front of where it was to go. Ron had for some reason made the drain pipe far too high from the floor decided to block the shower up so we could slide it back in place and lower it down over the pipe. We got it blocked up and several times the blocks fell sideways so we scrambled to keep the shower from doing any damage like braking a water pipe. Then as he got it back nearly to the wall reality made itself clear.
The shower did not fit between the wall and the water pipes and the shower drain was off center of the hole in the shower itself. Ron tried so hard to force it to wedge it in place until I reminded him that if he broke the pipes then the floor would have to be taken up and as it was glued that means all new floor tiles. So we stopped for the day. Tomorrow we move the shower out of the way and he will need to move the wall. I hate to take even a couple inches out of the master bathroom but I guess if we have to do it to make getting both bathrooms done, then we do. Below are the current pictures. Best wishes for all and hugs for those that want them.
A secret Russian-funded network is attempting to disrupt upcoming democratic elections in an eastern European state, the BBC has found.
Using an undercover reporter, we discovered the network promised to pay participants if they posted pro-Russian propaganda and fake news undermining Moldova’s pro-EU ruling party ahead of the country’s 28 September parliamentary ballot.
Participants were paid to find supporters of Moldova’s pro-Russia opposition to secretly record – and also to carry out a so-called poll. This was done in the name of a non-existent organisation, making it illegal. The results of this selective sampling, an organiser from the network suggested, could lay the groundwork to question the outcome of the election.
The results of the so-called poll, suggesting the ruling party will lose, have already been published online. (snip-go read it)
The crowning of the new Miss International Queen ignited social media outrage, with viewers calling out racism and micro-aggressions among fellow contestants.
When Miss USA, Midori Monet, a statuesque Black trans beauty, was crowned Miss International Queen 2025, her victory was met with a frosty reception from her fellow contestants. What should have been a moment of celebration devolved into an awkward scene as the other contestants, all transgender women, largely ignored the newly crowned queen, instead flocking to Miss Cuba, the visibly displeased first runner-up.
And to make matters even messier, Miss Cuba, Olivia Lauren, later spoke out about Monet’s alleged behavior, and social media is sounding off about it. Grab a seat because it’s a lot to unpack.
The Miss International Queen, held annually in Pattaya, Thailand, is the world’s largest and most prestigious beauty pageant for transgender women. Since its launch in 2004, the competition has provided trans women with a platform to showcase their talent, raising global awareness and celebrating inclusion. But according to social media, Monét’s crowning moment was anything but celebratory.
In a now-viral TikTok clip, Monét and Cuba’s Oliva Lauren waited for the winner to be announced. When Monét was named Miss International Queen 2025, the stage erupted in excitement but not for Miss USA who was named the winner.
Social media immediately reacted. “The fact that most of the women ran to the runner-up and not the winner speaks volumes to their character,” one TikTok user wrote. This is an absolute representation of what Black women encounter daily.”
Another pointed out that Lauren had now lost to Monét twice — first at Miss International Queen USA, then again on the international stage.
Then things began to escalate. In a post-pagent interview, Miss Cuba openly called out what she described as “bullying” throughout the competition. “The two that you see standing next to me have made it impossible for me to enjoy 100% of it,” Lauren said, referring to Miss USA and Miss Vietnam. “They have tortured me throughout the whole thing, as well as my other sisters, each and every single day.” She described her experience as “very sour” and claimed she would continue to stand her ground to speak her truth.
But Monét, The Black winner kept it classy, offering a different perspective. In her own interview, she urged people to focus on love rather feeding into negativity. “There is so much hate going around. There is so much envy, bitterness, jealousy, all the things that plague this world. I want you to know that it’s okay to believe in yourself.”
Not missing a beat, the winner ended on a positive note: “Karma is real. Love is real. It’s not about what you do, but about your actions are about how you make people feel.”
The drama became a viral online conversation. While there were a few who questioned if Miss USA really did bully Miss Cuba, but most were like TikTok creator Timothais, who highlighted potential racial undertones in the way the drama unfolded, noting, “Now is it sour grapes? Who knows. But I can guarantee you if Miss Cuba had won, we wouldn’t have known anything about what happened to her backstage.” (snip-embedded on the page linked in the title above)
Some tiktokers accused Miss Cuba of being the real bully. “I really think Cuba was the bully, probably with micro aggressions,” one TikTok user wrote. “And Miss USA and the 2nd runner up was not having it. So, why not be the victim.” Others argued that the cold response toward Monét reflected deeper issues in pageant culture.
Still, another TikTok user chimed in: “Cuba was very messy and distasteful! Especially in the interview! That’s why she didn’t win.”
Others celebrated Miss USA for carrying herself with grace beyond the controversy. As one fan summed it up: “Style and grace transcends it all. She won for that reason. Congratulations to that beautiful Black queen.”
In the end, Miss Cuba apologized calling it all a … misunderstanding.
Scottie's Playtime 