Sunday Overnight Open Thread - September 28, 2025 [Doof]

Sunday ONT time has arrived. How was your weekend? What's on your mind tonight? Please share your wit and wisdom - or your wackiness - in the gray boxes. Oh yeah - there's content to check out, too!

Quote of the Day

Scott Jennings

No responsibility for the radicalization on the left that’s causing this violent outbreak... So it’s Trump’s fault?

I want you to understand that we are in the middle of an epidemic of left-wing violence. They’re attacking ICE. They shot Charlie. It’s happening all over the country. We have these free Palestine people running around trying to burn down the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion, on and on and on. It’s not Trump’s fault that the left has radicalized to the point of saying, we’re done talking and we’re gonna start shooting.

Wholesome Stuff

Doctor Dresses His Young Patients In Superhero Costumes Before Surgery

For many children, the idea of surgery is scary. But one doctor in Brazil has found a heartwarming way to turn fear into courage — by letting his young patients enter the operating room dressed as superheroes.

Dr. Leandro B. Guimarães, an ear, nose, and throat specialist, began this practice after a difficult moment with a little girl named Allana. Just two years old, she cried uncontrollably as he carried her toward the operating room. That day, he made himself a promise: no child would ever go into surgery in tears again.

“I let the child choose which one they want to wear,” Guimarães explained. “I tell them we will go in ‘flying’ or running and that we are going to clear their nose and ears. I enter the surgical room when they are ready and engaged in the game.”

He even encourages parents to join if a child is still nervous. The goal is always the same — to make the experience calmer, lighter, and a little bit magical.

The doctor records the joyful entrances, sometimes running alongside kids dressed as Batman, Spider-Man, or Wonder Woman, and shares the videos with parents. “They love it because they can show their children how brave they were!” he said.

Check out the whole thing.

Need Some Cash?

People in China Are Selling Their Fingernail Clippings Online

If you’ve been saving your fingernail clippings and need some quick money, you should consider selling them as traditional medicine ingredients in China.

Fingernail clippings are usually discarded as disgusting pieces of trash, but according to Chinese traditional medicine, they are valuable ingredients in concoctions used to treat conditions like abdominal distension in children and tonsillitis. Companies producing traditional Chinese medicine reportedly purchase fingernail clippings from schools and villages, which they then wash thoroughly before drying and grinding them into a fine powder that gets mixed into various medicinal products. Because human adults only grow about 100 grams of fingernails per year on average, collecting enough to keep up with demand is a difficult task and the price of clippings is relatively high.

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And before you even think about it, no, you can’t sell your toenails. Fingernail processor make it very clear that they check their stock very carefully and toenails are not accepted.

'Ette Couture (Courtesy of Piper)

It's that time of the week - when we turn the ONT over to our good friend Piper for a bit. Here's this week's fashion pr0n.

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(This edition of ‘Ette Couture is by request)

The White House Palm Room: From Tropical Retreat to Trump's 2025 Glam Overhaul

The White House Palm Room, a storied space with a vibrant history, has undergone a dramatic transformation in September 2025, courtesy of President Donald J. Trump. Let’s dive into its sunny past and explore the glitzy face-lift together!

Originally a conservatory in the late 19th century, the Palm Room was a verdant haven filled with exotic palms, ferns, and potted plants—a tropical escape for presidents needing a breather. In 1902, Theodore Roosevelt’s renovation, led by architect Charles McKim, replaced the old greenhouses with a formal sitting room. The space gained elegance with arched doorways, skylights, and two stunning Brumidi frescoes—Union and Liberty- originally painted in 1869 for Ulysses S. Grant’s Entrance Hall ceiling and later relocated to the Palm Room’s end walls. Potted palms kept the room’s namesake alive, nodding to its botanical roots.

The Palm Room evolved over decades, reflecting each administration’s style. In the 1960s, Lady Bird Johnson leaned into the garden vibe, adding treillage wallpaper (a chic faux-lattice design) on the side walls and hanging flower baskets, echoing her passion for beautification projects like wildflower-planted highway medians. Nancy Reagan’s 1980s touch brought gray slate tiles, sleek benches, and more palms, balancing sophistication with greenery. The Bushes kept things low-key (save for adorable photos of their dog Millie), while the Clintons and Obamas leaned rustic with distressed wooden tables and Michelle Obama’s addition of chrysanthemum-filled baskets for a cozy, lived-in feel.

On September 23, 2025, President Trump unveiled the revamped Palm Room via Truth Social, proclaiming, “New lobby leading to Oval Office—Magnificent marble floor, compliments of President Donald J. Trump!” Designed by Tham Kannalikham, Melania Trump’s trusted interior designer for both presidential terms, the renovation channels the opulent aesthetic for which the Trump’s are known. Gone are the gray slate tiles, replaced by gleaming white marble floors, possibly sourced from Alabama, reflecting Trump’s penchant for luxurious materials. The subtle light fixtures? Swapped for dazzling crystal chandeliers that scream glam. Stark white walls amplify the brightness, while the Brumidi frescoes and treillage wallpaper remain untouched, anchoring the space in its historical roots.

The elaborate chandeliers are a mystery—no brand or supplier has been confirmed, though speculation suggests they could be custom-made, possibly from a high-end vendor tied to Trump’s Palm Beach properties. Most potted palms and benches are currently MIA, however the White House hints at their return to soften the sleek vibe. Privately funded by Trump and “patriot donors”.

Reactions are polarized, of course. Personally, I’m obsessed with the marble floor—it’s a bold, timeless statement. The chandeliers add undeniable glamour, and the preserved mid-century treillage wallpaper (a Southern design staple seeing a 2025 resurgence) keeps things sophisticated. I’m hopeful the promised return of greenery will balance the dazzle, and I’d love to see benches with a glam Chinoiserie flair over generic glitz. Something like this:

What’s Your Verdict? Is this a sparkling triumph or a soulless hotel lobby? Let me know your thoughts, and I’ll keep digging for any updates on those elusive chandeliers should a foyer lobby renovation be in your future!

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Thanks, Piper - needs more elbows, though.

Retro Corner

Some great photos here!

20 Traditions ‘70s Dads Lived By

Among the list:
Assigning Chores to the Kids
Fixing Everything Themselves
The Traditional Dad Chair
The Family Fishing Trip

Check out the rest at the link.

DJ Doof - This Date in History Edition
(from thisdayinmusic.com)

Born on this date in 1952: Andy Ward from British rock band Marillion

On this date in 1976: Stevie Wonder released his eighteenth studio album, Songs in the Key of Life. Considered to be one of his greatest masterpieces, the double LP featured such hits as “Isn’t She Lovely,” “I Wish,” and “Sir Duke.”

On this date in 1991: American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer Miles Davis died of a stroke and pneumonia. His 1959 album 'Kind of Blue', is a major influence on jazz music. Davis is considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century.

Weekly commenter stats for week of 9-28-2025

AoSHQ Commenter Statistics:
Number of posts: 112
Number of comments: 27335
Number of unique hashes: 2176

Top 10 commenters:
1 [553 comments] 'TheJamesMadison, in a world of gods and monsters with James Whale' [78.54 posts/day]
2 [421 comments] 'whig'
3 [413 comments] 'Bulg'
4 [388 comments] 'Oldcat'
5 [371 comments] 'qdpsteve'
6 [354 comments] 'rickb223 '
7 [349 comments] 'gKWVE'
8 [300 comments] 'Ice-T'
9 [300 comments] 'toby928 '
10 [291 comments] 'Boss Moss'

Top 10 sockpuppeteers:
1 [297 names] 'Ice-T' [42.18 unique names/day]
2 [160 names] 'The Orkin Man'
3 [86 names] 'Prof. Dr. Miklosov Miklosevich'
4 [75 names] 'Duncanthrax'
5 [49 names] 'Quarter Twenty '
6 [38 names] 'Count de Monet'
7 [35 names] 'I am the Shadout Mapes, the Housekeeper'
8 [33 names] 'toby928 '
9 [32 names] 'Zombie Warren Zevon'
10 [24 names] 'fd'

Tonight's ONT brought to you by outsmarting the city

posted by Open Blogger at 10:00 PM

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