Links: Hot Dam!

Beaver swims in water

And finally: A Friend In Low Places

Andrew Y. shares an example of the value of having a short friend.

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14 thoughts on “Links: Hot Dam!

  1. 6Rabbits July 4, 2025 / 9:51 am

    YAY for the Beavers! I have always thought they were awesome and loved seeing inside their dens.
    Plus, they are CUTE!๐Ÿฆซ
    Love the Dachshund ball rescuer! Better than a long arm๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ

    • allein ๐Ÿพ July 4, 2025 / 11:19 am

      That was me as a kid. Always the smallest one sent into the bushes to get lost soccer balls.

    • DEBG July 4, 2025 / 12:53 pm

      That dachshund is my spirit animal. I always relate to critters with short stubby legs for some reason.

  2. Dana July 4, 2025 / 10:17 am

    Agree, YAY for the cutie beavers!
    And, doggies show why itโ€™s always beneficial to have friends who are different from us.

  3. N. Fritz July 4, 2025 / 10:19 am

    Happy Independence Day, to those who celebrate!

    • allein ๐Ÿพ July 4, 2025 / 11:27 am

      Not feeling very celebratory, but I will be going to my parents’ house for burgers and corn on the cob (first of the season!). I also had yesterday off and didn’t get any texts from my coworker (this weekend is month-end so I told her to text me if there were any data issues we need to get fixed), so that’s a good sign. Just listened to the NPR Politics Podcast’s annual reading of Bill Pullman’s speech from Independence Day. ๐ŸŽ‡

      • N. Fritz July 4, 2025 / 12:19 pm

        fried chicken, potato salad, corn on the cob, biscuits, broccoli salad, Arnold Palmers and my family’s secret dessert recipe (seriously, I’ve never even seen a recipe on the internet!). I will look into the Independence Day speech!

        • allein ๐Ÿพ July 4, 2025 / 12:50 pm

          It’s at about 15 minutes into yesterday’s episode.

          Oh, now I’m really hoping my mom made potato salad… she said we could bring dessert if we want it. I was at Target yesterday and was going to pick up some ice cream. I was at an appointment nearby just before and we heard a loud noise, thought maybe a car backfiring or something. Apparently it was a transformer blowing near the next intersection (Target is on the next road over). When I got there I could see flashing lights (I thought it was an ambulance and figured we had heard a crash, but I came from the opposite direction so I didn’t pass it; by the time I left any emergency vehicles were gone) and heard a loud buzzing, and I could just see a bright flashing/flickering light above some trees. While I was in the store half the lights went out and I could hear someone on an employee’s walkie-talkie saying that the Starbucks fridges were out and not to open any of the doors. Then when I walked past one of the freezer sections I saw they had run yellow tape through all the door handles so no one would open them. So I didn’t get ice cream. Their backup power keeps the registers running (but not the conveyor belts, apparently). The lights came back on while I was bagging my stuff after paying but by then I didn’t want to go back just for ice cream. Maybe I’ll stop on my way to my parents’ house.

          They also did fireworks at the racetrack (which actually closed for racing last year), which is a mile and a half from my house. When I was leaving Target the sky out over the library across the street was very dark and it followed me home; wind was picking up as I was pulling into my complex. Festivities started at 6 and I could see the stands at the racetrack from the side as I drove past on the other street, and they were full of people. The fireworks were supposed to be at 9:20 and at 8:45 it was pouring rain with some thunder. I’m not sure if they actually did them; I did hear some fireworks later but it didn’t seem like a full show. Unless I’ve just learned to tune them out more than in the past, so I’m not sure if they got cancelled or not.

    • Dana July 4, 2025 / 1:22 pm

      After yesterday (especially), not celebrating this year. Itโ€™s just a Friday I have off from work. Trying to focus on more positive things for today, like currently cat sitting and enjoying the kitty time!

      • DEBG July 4, 2025 / 2:38 pm

        I’m in the same boat. Determined to enjoy my long weekend despite the news.

    • Ricky & Bibi's Mom July 4, 2025 / 4:22 pm

      I wish I felt celebratory. I’m comforting myself (if that’s the right verb) with old movies on Turner Classic Movies, while researching German history 1932โ€“1933 for the next play I’m working on. (Yes, it’s timely. That’s why we’re doing it.)

      Later I’ll take myself out to a seafood restaurant for dinner (if they’re open).

  4. Georgiana July 4, 2025 / 12:24 pm

    Dachshund ball rescuer is the perfect example of the fable of The lion and the rat from Jean de la Fontaine that we learned in school “On a souvent besoin d’un plus petit que soi” we often need someone smaller than us.

    • DEBG July 4, 2025 / 2:38 pm

      I like this attitude very much.

  5. DEBG July 4, 2025 / 12:57 pm

    Camping kitten reminds me of my dear next door neighbor back in Kansas. He and his adult sons were headed out in their camper for a hunting trip, and somehow their cat hid in the camper and went along with them. My neighbor said his kids never let him forget about the time he brought a hunting cat.

    Love the beaver story so much. They need to be declassified as nuisance animals. There are great videos that I can’t find right now about farmers in the Pacific Northwest introducing them to help mitigate flooding. Here in Colorado, they ‘re more useful for drought management.

    Larry is my favorite politician ever.

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