109 thoughts on “National Tell a Joke Day”

  1. Good morning, Pat and Filly! Thanks for the laughs! And as always, for your encouraging words. You are both great truth warriors!

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  2. Good morning, Pat! I was planning on mowing my lawn today but when I stepped out to put the tuna out for Wheezer, I had to reconsider that possibility. Sheesh! It’s so humid out there, it’s almost dripping off the eaves and already 76! The sun hasn’t even shown itself yet and the moon is almost hidden by the haze! We’ll have to see how the day goes whether I do ANYTHING outside today!!! Maybe I’ll try spraying for short periods off-and-on. I’m beginning to wonder if the old weed killer had lost it’s mojo after so long since I’m not seeing many of the weeds dying out there…..sigh….I may have to re-spray everything I did before…..that will suck! On to my e-mail…..

    Just The News: “President Donald Trump on Friday evening announced that his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska was “extremely productive,” and that they made some headway toward a deal.

    Trump admitted that some points still need to be resolved before an official deal is reached, but that there were many points the two countries agreed on. He did not go into specifics of what those outstanding points were.

    “There’s no deal until there’s a deal,” Trump said in a press conference after the meeting. “I will call up NATO in a little while. I will call up the various people that I think are appropriate, and, of course, call up [Ukrainian] President Zelensky and tell him about today’s meeting, it’s ultimately up to them.”

    Putin also addressed the press in the news conference, encouraging NATO leaders and Zelensky not to “torpedo” the progress that was made during the meeting and said he viewed the situation in Ukraine as having to do with “fundamental threats to our security.”

    The Russian leader also agreed with Trump’s repeated statements on the campaign trail that if Trump had been president in 2022 when the war began, it never would have happened.

    “I’m quite sure that it would indeed be so,” Putin said. “I can confirm that. I think that overall, me and President Trump have built very good business like and trustworthy content and have every reason to believe that moving down this path, we can come to the end of the conflict in Ukraine.”

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    1. Morning Filly!

      Hubby mixed up our home remedy and sprayed last weekend around the garden edge outside the fence) and everything is dead there. you can see everywhere he sprayed. he used a mixture of vinegar, dish soap, and epsom salts.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I tried something similar years ago and it didn’t do anything for me. What were the amounts of each? I can give it a try on my fence line! I have all of the ingredients, that’s for sure!

        Liked by 1 person

          1. Yeah – 1 gal vinegar, 1 cup salt, 1 tablespoon dish soap – I used Epsom Salt. Now I need to get more vinegar and Epsom Salt! LOL

            Liked by 1 person

            1. I’m not sure what you mean. we have a small garden–I pull the weeds that pop up in there. but he sprays along the garden fence line…along the woodshed sides, around the burn center. anywhere it’s a pain to weed eat or mow. if there are weeds in the grass, the deer eat them.

              Liked by 1 person

  3. Just The News: “President Donald Trump said Saturday he believes the best way to end the Russia-Ukraine war is to move to a direct peace deal rather than try to negotiate a temporary ceasefire.

    The American president made the comments on his TruthSocial platform hours after meeting Russian president Vladimir Putin in Alaska and then securing a meeting Monday in Washington DC with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

    “A great and very successful day in Alaska! The meeting with President Vladimir Putin of Russia went very well, as did a late night phone call with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine, and various European Leaders, including the highly respected Secretary General of NATO ” Trump wrote.

    “It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up,” he added. “President Zelenskyy will be coming to D.C., the Oval Office, on Monday afternoon. If all works out, we will then schedule a meeting with President Putin. Potentially, millions of people’s lives will be saved. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

    Liked by 1 person

  4. Just The News: “Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Saturday he has accepted an invitation to meet with President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday, a fresh signal of progress in the U.S. bid to end Russia’s war against Kyiv.

    Zelenskyy’s announcement came just hours after Trump finished an historic summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, where both men said there was progress towards a peace deal without offering specific details.

    “On Monday, I will meet with President Trump in Washington, D.C., to discuss all of the details regarding ending the killing and the war,” Zelenskyy posted on X. “I am grateful for the invitation.”

    Trump told reporters at the end of his summit Friday with Putin that he had to make calls to world leaders, including Zelenskyy, and that some issues remained unresolved, but that good progress had been made in his push to get a ceasefire and eventual peace deal between Ukraine and Russia.”

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  6. EXCERPT: “As President Donald Trump has achieved historic peace deals across the globe, media treatment of his presidency is on track to resemble the pre-determined critical nature shown in Trump’s first term. Near the 100th day of his second term, Media Research Center, a conservative-leaning media watchdog, found that 92% of mainstream media coverage of Trump has been consistently negative. The contrast to former President Joe Biden, who enjoyed 59% positive news coverage, shows a glaring double standard when it comes to recognizing White House success, particularly in the area of foreign policy. 

    A Google search yielded no footage of U.S. news networks covering the historic landing of an El-Al jet in the UAE in 2020, after the adoption of the “Abraham Accords.” In fact, only the BBC and the CBC in Canada appear to have covered that event as breaking news. The UK-based BBC called it “a major step in normalizing relations after the announcement of a peace deal,” and noted that the UAE became only the third Arab country in the Middle East to recognize Israel since its founding in 1948.

    Russia and Ukraine: “A good chance of getting there”

    On Friday, Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin conducted a press conference at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, after discussions aimed at resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict. 

    On a stage featuring a “PURSUING PEACE” banner, both leaders signified their intent to broker a ceasefire, though no concrete deal was revealed. Furthermore, Putin ended his remarks by affirming what Trump has alleged for many years, which is that the Russian-Ukraine conflict would not have transpired if Trump was in office in 2022 when the war broke out. 

    Trump characterized the talks as “extremely productive,” saying the two men made “great progress.” “We didn’t get there, but we have a very good chance of getting there,” Trump told the press. 

    Thailand and Cambodia: Using trade as a leverage towards peace…..

    Armenia and Azerbaijan: Decades of ethnic cleansing stopped….. 

    Pakistan and India: Tensions and violence since 1947…..

    Expansion of Abraham Accords in the offing…..

    Biden’s Afghanistan disaster….. 

    Obama’s “aspirational” Nobel Prize given as a boost for Obama…..“

    https://justthenews.com/government/white-house/foreign-policy-double-standards-trump-wins-perpetually-downplayed-opposition

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  7. Morning All!

    it’s about 60* here–another hazy sky. but he bunnies are back! we hadn’t seen much of them since the hawk was in the area, and feared the worse. but they were munching clover by the huge woodpile, so that makes me happy. boy do we need rain though. the pond is back to levels before we got all the rain in one month–where it filled back up. feast or famine this year with the weather.

    Like

  9. Just The News: “The Department of Homeland Security on Friday confirmed reports that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was moved into military housing for safety reasons after she was doxxed by the media and faced death threats.

    Noem was moved into the home earlier this year, which is normally occupied by the United States Coast Guard’s top admiral, according to the Washington Post. 

    Assistant Department of Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin slammed the outlet for publishing where the secretary resides, stating that she had been moved previously because the media had reported her location.

    “The media doxxed Secretary Noem’s precise apartment location as she faces daily death threats, including from the terrorist organizations, cartels and criminal rings,” McLaughlin posted on X. “Due to the increased threats and safety concerns, she has been forced to temporarily stay in secure military housing. 

    “As the DHS officers Secretary Noem leads face a 1000% increase in assaults against them, the Washington Post chooses to again publish where she lives,” she continued. “A revealing lack of basic humanity for another person’s safety.”

    Noem’s move spurred a backlash from Congressional Democrats who accused her of taking advantage of federal resources to avoid paying for housing. The Democrats claimed she should have requested assistance from Congress instead of taking over the Coast Guard Commandant’s residence.

    “Federal government coffers are not Noem’s personal piggy bank, and Coast Guard service members are not her servants,” Mississippi Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson told The Hill. “Noem must pay her part. If she requires accommodations for her security, she should brief Congress and request appropriate resources—not take over property from the Coast Guard.”

    Liked by 1 person

  10. wonder if this is true or just rhetoric?

    Charlotte99

    August 16, 2025 2:53 am

    Thank you, Congressman. @RepFine

    A group called Heal Palestine is working with Islamic, pro-HAMAS 501c3 tax deductible groups in the United States that are affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood and funded by Qatar to help bring Palestinian GAZANS to the United States.

    I just spoke to Congressman Fine on the phone and he agrees that we need an investigation into WHO approved the visas for these Palestinians who are working with pro-HAMAS 501c3s.

    I also spoke with @SenTomCotton’s staff and they are also looking into how these GAZANS got visas to come into the US.

    Truly unacceptable. Someone needs to be fired at @StateDept when @marcorubio figures out who approved the visas.

    Also, Qatar transported these GAZANS into the US via @qatarairways. Qatar is our enemy. Not our friend. They are literally flooding our country with jihadis. This is not America First.

    https://nitter.poast.org/LauraLoomer/status/1956475516250358184#m

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  12. I found measurements for the weed/grass killer w/vinegar, salt & dish soap and tried it on the west fence line. The recipe said sunshine is important so I hope the sun comes out soon…..it’s filtered right now by all the moisture in the air. It is temporary, tho, and it doesn’t kill the roots so I will probably also use the Spectracide Weed Stop concentrate that allegedly kills over “470 weed types.” We’ll see if that’s true…..

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  13. was out with hubby–picking tomatoes before he watered the garden. got a whole bowl full–he grows the little cherry ones. while he watered I checked out the grape vines–severely stripped of succulent leaves in the front. but in the back corner which is overgrown at the moment (we didn’t touch it at all to weed eat or prune, i found 3 in tact hands of grapes still growing. these are catawba grapes–pinkish grapes when they mature. these are still green and growing.

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  14. “Report: Left-Wing Bureaucracies Are Quietly Subverting Red State Governance”

    The Federalist, By: Shawn Fleetwood, August 15, 2025

    Texas state capitol building.

    ENTIRE ARTICLE: “Left-wing bureaucracies are quietly undercutting the will of Republican voters in so-called “red states” across the country, according to a new report.

    Published this week by the State Leadership Initiative (SLI), the group’s “Shadow Government” analysis reveals how “Republican voters elect Republican governors and legislatures — only to find their states governed by the same DEI mandates, ESG principles, and left-wing administrative orthodoxy that prevail in blue states.” The end result of this dynamic, the report notes, is “a subversion of self-government.”

    “When unelected associations dictate how agencies operate — and do so in lockstep with federal bureaucracies and activist NGOs — the will of the people is rendered moot,” the report reads. “Republican officials are not merely thwarted; they are trapped in a system designed to resist course correction.”

    According to SLI, left-wing actors are able to accomplish this feat through the use of “national associations of state officials,” which often masquerade themselves as “nonpartisan” while advancing “progressive governance.” In turn, these organizations “issue policy templates, draft regulations, broker federal grants, and shape the internal culture of government agencies” — all of which SLI notes are “rarely scrutinized by voters or elected officials, but … are treated as gospel by career bureaucrats.”

    “Through this mechanism, leftist policy becomes the baseline for red state governance, without a single vote cast,” the report reads. The analysis highlights several state-affiliated associations and how they have each sought to further left-wing orthodoxy in state governments across the nation.

    This includes the infamous National School Boards Association (NSBA), which, as noted by SLI, gained widespread fame in fall 2021 after asking the Biden administration to use domestic terrorism laws to go after parents protesting unscientific Covid policies and racial indoctrination at school board meetings. The report also documents the NSBA’s past support for “racial sensitivity training and DEI-aligned curricula” and “expanded federal oversight of local education.”

    Other organizations highlighted in the analysis are the Environmental Council of the States, National Association of Medicaid Directors, and more. SLI includes several recommendations for elected Republican state officials on how to “reclaim control over their bureaucracies.”

    Among them are to conduct a full-scale audit of which national organizations their respective state is partnered with and issuing executive directives “instructing agencies not to adopt external model policies without in-state review and justification.” The group also advised GOP officials to go on offense by creating “alternative institutions committed to political neutrality — or better, to accountable governance.”

    “The problem is structural, but the response need not be timid. States possess both the authority and the tools to reclaim control over their bureaucracies,” the report reads. “The only requirement is the will to act — and a refusal to accept ‘professional consensus’ as a substitute for constitutional government.”

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  15. Liked by 1 person

  16. “We’ve always suspected as much, but here it is in a nutshell. Crowds on Demand CEO Adam Swart (crowdsondemand.com) told “Fox & Friends” on Friday that his company has received 400% more paid protester requests this year than during the same period last year.

    Fox News’ Lawrence Jones asked the Crowds on Demand CEO how much the paid protesters that he curates for political protests typically make for their services.

    “We don’t comment on specific protests, but generally the range can be from the low hundreds, the low one hundreds, into a few hundred,” he told Jones. “It really depends on the location, the duration and any challenges, for example, cold weather or early morning. You guys at ‘Fox & Friends’ know all about getting up early in the morning. We tend to pay people more for that.”

    The full interview can be seen here.”

    Liked by 1 person

  19. Whew! It’s bigly hot and humid out there! The sun is just now starting to show, temp is 78. Worked up a good sweat trimming the willow tree – had to get that done before I mow again, otherwise the low branches will either get caught up in the blades or hit me in the face and knock me off the mower! LOL – all picked up and in the back of the truck, nice and neat!

    Liked by 1 person

  20. “Disaster Strikes As Trump Accidentally Rips Putin’s Arm Off With Macho Handshake”

    Politics · Aug 15, 2025 · BabylonBee.com

    Image for article: Disaster Strikes As Trump Accidentally Rips Putin's Arm Off With Macho Handshake

    ANCHORAGE, AK — Peace negotiations to end the war in Ukraine were reportedly off to a bad start after President Donald Trump accidentally ripped Russian President Vladimir Putin’s arm off with a super macho handshake.

    “Oh, wow! I’m so strong. I tried to tell you, Vlad. I tried to tell you, but you wouldn’t listen,” witnesses heard Trump say. “My hands are just so large and manly. Not like other hands. Not that you have to worry about them anymore. To tell you the truth, I did you a favor.”

    According to witnesses, the incident occurred as Trump came out to greet Putin on the tarmac at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. Senior officials reported being in awe as Trump appeared to gently take Putin’s hand and rip it off with a casual shake of the arm.

    Trump was reportedly unapologetic following the encounter, though he said he wishes Putin well. “You can tell a lot about a man by their handshake, and Vlad, oh boy, Vlad, he doesn’t have a very good one. I hate to say it, but it’s true. I tried to lower myself to his level and use about 10% force. It’s true, just 10% of what I’m capable of. But it was enough,” Trump said at a brief press event while Putin was rushed to the hospital. “I wish him well. ‘Vladdy,’ I told him, ‘you spend too much time with malnourished Russians. You gotta’ eat your vegetables and have your steak well-done with lots of ketchup.’ It’s what men do.”

    The Russian president was rushed to the on-base hospital, where he was treated for severe blood loss with a blood transfusion. His arm is currently on ice pending surgery once his condition is stabilized.

    At publishing time, doctors reported that Vladimir Putin’s arm was reattached successfully, though he would never be able to ride on the back of his pet bear ever again.

    Liked by 1 person

      1. I still have a couple of rolls of film from waaaay back in the early 2000’s!!! Wonder if I can still get them developed??? LOL

        Like

  25. Like

    1. The State Department on Saturday abruptly halted issuing visas for foreigners seeking to travel to the United States from Gaza.

      Officials said they suspended the visas until the issuing process is revamped.

      “All visitor visas for individuals from Gaza are being stopped while we conduct a full and thorough review of the process and procedures used to issue a small number of temporary medical-humanitarian visas in recent days,” the State Department announced on X. 

      Like

  27. Betsy jones

    August 16, 2025 11:50 am

    North Carolina has just passed a law allowing doctors from the following countries to practice WITHOUT COMPLETING US TRAINING OR PASSING A US QUALIFYING EXAM.

    Be on alert, North Carolinian Treepers.

    A short list.

    Algeria
    Iraq
    Morocco
    Egypt
    Libya
    Palestine (!!!)
    Syria
    Sudan
    Tunisia
    Comoros (?)
    Mauritania
    Lebanon
    Pakistan
    Jordan
    Djibouti
    Yemen(!!!)
    Somalia (!!!)
    Kuwait
    Qatar
    UAE
    Bahrain

    Liked by 1 person

  30. yet another gov’t official abusing the privileges of her office with her boy toy.
    FTA
    These trips, totaling over $70,000 in taxpayer-funded expenses, were not legitimate city business—they were personal excursions disguised as official duties.

    The indictment goes further, charging Cantrell with a dozen counts of wire fraud. Prosecutors allege she obtained money and property “by means of false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises.”

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/08/democrat-mayor-caught-fraud-shes-not-alone/

    Liked by 1 person

  31. I am worn out! It wasn’t bad when I was mowing since there was a stiff breeze – I was hardly sweating at all. But by the time I was done, the wind had dropped a lot and the heat cranked up while I was weed eating! But it looks soooo good and is incredibly satisfying! The old All Kill is working, thankfully. I can see the weeds/stickers turning yellow! Yeah!!!

    Liked by 1 person

  32. Not The Bee: “The best medicine for tense meetings between world leaders is laughter. I think.”

    Things were already put on edge when a moose, likely named Bullwinkle, tried to enter Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, ahead of the meeting there between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

    President Putin touched U.S. soil, ready to face his most difficult challenge yet: Navigating the maze of white senior citizens who gathered along Anchorage roadways with a dazzling display of N-95 masks, cardboard signs, and Ukraine flags.

    Trump, for his part, did a little trolling by flying a B-2 bomber right over Putin’s head as they met (extra credit points if that was one of the B-2s that blew up Iran’s nuclear program this summer!).

    Liked by 1 person

  33. “Trump Administration Partners With BRAVE Books”

    “Today marks the third annual See You at the Library Day. And this year, it’s making history. BRAVE Books, alongside Kirk Cameron, has been leading the charge to reclaim America’s libraries from radical ideologies seeking to corrupt our children.

    Now, the fight has reached the nation’s Capitol. The U.S. Department of Education, under the Trump Administration, is officially partnering with BRAVE Books to host a story hour inside the Library of Congress, the very heart of our public library system.

    Just two years ago, Kirk Cameron was denied access to more than 50 public libraries. Now, the doors of one of our most iconic institutions are opening wide. That’s not just progress. It’s a cultural shift.

    If you haven’t joined the BRAVE Book Club yet, now’s your moment. You’ll get Kirk Cameron’s canceled book for free. Plus, you’ll be directly supporting the movement to restore childhood innocence and push back against the Left’s grip on our public spaces.”

    FIGHT BACK TODAY WHEN YOU JOIN THE MOVEMENT -> Sign Up for the BRAVE Book Club

    Liked by 1 person

  35. Went out to pull some weeds in the asparagus bed and the garden beds and a hummer was buzzing my head – they love the honeysuckle!

    Liked by 1 person

  40. we’re back. weirdest thing. we went south–to go to a little local hardware store a few towns over. on th way back (going north on the highway) we saw several caravans of packed cars from Virginia, Maryland and other states headed north as well into NY.

    Liked by 1 person

  43. (Video)

    “Fight Like a Flynn — What Does It Mean To, “Fight Like a Flynn”?

    Michael T. Flynn LTG USA (RET), Aug 16, 2025

    “I know what we’re up against, and I’m asking for your support, please consider making a contribution to my PAC at http://www.FightLikeaFlynnPac.com

    I NEED YOUR SUPPORT

    Our Mission

    We will protect and defend our constitutional and God-given rights. We will advance the idea of American exceptionalism. We will be unapologetic standing up for American values and principles. We will not back down from anyone or anything when it comes to saving America.

    Our objectives include:

    1. Fighting for America first issues and leaders.
    2. Expanding the voices of all Americans.
    3. Advocating for and standing firmly in support of family values.
    4. Focusing on local actions that create a national impact.

    We are fundamentally responsible for securing the future of our people and we can pursue this goal boldly in the knowledge that doing so has the derivative effect of improving the lives of people around the globe.”

    https://genflynn.substack.com/p/fight-like-a-flynn

    Liked by 1 person

  44. “Codenamed Operation Meetinghouse, which occurred on March 9-10, 1945, during World War II. 

    Here’s a breakdown of the information: The raid, carried out by 279 B-29s dropping 1,500 tons of bombs, destroyed 16 square miles of the city and is considered the single most destructive bombing raid in human history. Estimates of fatalities range from 80,000 to over 100,000, and over a million people were left homeless.

    The number of people who died in the firebombing of Tokyo exceeded the combined death tolls of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Hiroshima’s immediate death toll was estimated at 70,000–80,000, while Nagasaki’s was about 35,000.

    Operation Meetinghouse, while less commonly known than the atomic bombings, represents a devastating event in WWII and highlights the destructive power of conventional firebombing campaigns.”

    Liked by 1 person

  45. “At some point we really have to have some kind of impeachment process (that works, anyway) to get rid of jugheads like this broad, another leftie loonie who actually believes she is ‘impartial’. Of course she’ll be overturned in appeal – as most of their ridiculous rulings have been – but we really do have to figure out a way out of this whole ‘judge shopping’ nightmare. 

    And, to address another complete jerkoff as an aside to this mess, how many of you would want to have a beer – on me – the day Randi Weingarten drives off a cliff?”

    Liked by 1 person

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