Althouse: The Mystery of the Paint Peel.

June 20, 2026

The Mystery of the Paint Peel.

Link.

155 comments:

D.D. Driver said...: What a fucking retard. So now the contractors will get to bill the taxpayers *twice*, instead of being required to correct its faulty work. Another great job, Donnie.; 6/20/26, 8:01 AM
Big Mike said...: @Dumb Dickhead Driver, contractors are not required to repair vandalism on their own nickel.; 6/20/26, 8:05 AM
Peachy said...: The evil vile hate fueled left would NEVER.; 6/20/26, 8:06 AM
Peachy said...: The same hatred that Fueled the leftist who kill Charlie Kirk is in every leftist.; 6/20/26, 8:07 AM
Peachy said...: hope there are cameras all around.; 6/20/26, 8:08 AM
narciso said...: And is threatening austen metcalfs family; 6/20/26, 8:09 AM
Eva Marie said...: DDD wants Trump to lie. In DDD’s world truth isn’t important. Sticking someone else with the bill, regardless of who’s fault it is - that’s the goal.; 6/20/26, 8:10 AM
D.D. Driver said...: No shit! That's my point! 🤦🏼

This was almost certainly shitty workmanship that the contractor should have to pay to repair. But INSTEAD the conmen contractors (who got a sole source contact) will get to bill us honest American taxlayers a second timethanks to the paranoid ramblings on an eighty year old shit for brains.; 6/20/26, 8:11 AM
Peachy said...: DD

You leftists prefer tax payers get stuck with the bill.
Do tell us about your concern for the BILLIONS of fraud money wasted in Minnesota by Walz and his alliances.; 6/20/26, 8:12 AM
narciso said...: They didnt care it was a putrid cesspool till the President pointed it out; 6/20/26, 8:14 AM
Aggie said...: The link seems to connect to a video of an escaping turtle. I had no idea that turtles could be disposed to such treacherous vandalism.; 6/20/26, 8:14 AM
D.D. Driver said...: I guarantee the government's lawyers would like Donnie to shut the fuck up. There is no evidence of a crime and he's fucking the taxpayers. Awful, awful leader.; 6/20/26, 8:15 AM
Peachy said...: The Tax payer Fraud in California is so rotten - but covered up by one party rule.; 6/20/26, 8:16 AM
Peachy said...: No evidence of a crime? How have you established that?
DD..; 6/20/26, 8:16 AM
jim said...: I do hope the investigation reveals what kind of paint stripper they introduced into the pool. And, what about medicaid fraud.; 6/20/26, 8:17 AM
Peachy said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 6/20/26, 8:17 AM
Peachy said...: Good morning Ann,
Your link on this thread goes to the Turtle.; 6/20/26, 8:18 AM
D.D. Driver said...: Again, not a leftist, you stupid Bimbo. I don't want to spend money on Leering Centers but I also don't want to spend money bombing little girls in Iran. And I think honest American taxpayers should only pay conmen once to fix the reflecting pool. I'm pretty consistent across the board no matter with crappy political party is in charge. I hate Eighty year olds; 6/20/26, 8:19 AM
Iman said...: More DeeDee Drivel.; 6/20/26, 8:20 AM
narciso said...: You wanf to spend it on learing centers and windmills; 6/20/26, 8:20 AM
Eva Marie said...: I’m getting to the point that I’m starting to side with the people who want a divorce. Trump was elected by the majority of the citizens of the US. And DDD can’t muster a tiny bit of respect for us but feels compelled to call the President a shit for brains. And this isn’t a one time outburst this is normal discourse for the Democrats. I’m tired of it.; 6/20/26, 8:20 AM
Freder Frederson said...: It is more likely that pouring pretty concentrated (12% is pretty powerful, the stuff you get at the drugstore is 2%) H2O2 into the pool is what caused the paint to peel.

What does a turtle crossing a parking lot have to do with this?; 6/20/26, 8:21 AM
Eva Marie said...: Your comment at 8:19 made my point.; 6/20/26, 8:22 AM
Freder Frederson said...: "Trump was elected by the majority of the citizens of the US."

Actually, he was elected by less than half of the people who voted.; 6/20/26, 8:22 AM
Iman said...: He gives morons a bad name…; 6/20/26, 8:23 AM
Freder Frederson said...: "DDD can’t muster a tiny bit of respect for us but feels compelled to call the President a shit for brains."

Have you listened to how Trump refers to his two predecessors?; 6/20/26, 8:23 AM
Dave Begley said...: The company that did this job is well known. It is what they do. Hard to believe that they screwed up the single most important job they have done.; 6/20/26, 8:24 AM
Ann Althouse said...: "The link seems to connect to a video of an escaping turtle. I had no idea that turtles could be disposed to such treacherous vandalism."

LOL.

Sorry. Fixed.; 6/20/26, 8:25 AM
Iman said...: Fredo takes the hand-off from Teh Drivel…; 6/20/26, 8:25 AM
Eva Marie said...: His predecessors call him Hitler.; 6/20/26, 8:26 AM
Left Bank of the Charles said...: President Queeg; 6/20/26, 8:27 AM
Iman said...: “Have you listened to how Trump refers to his two predecessors?”

Someone had to. The media still wears brown lipstick from those Reigns of Error.; 6/20/26, 8:28 AM
Indefinitely Extended Excursion™️ said...: The hydrogen peroxide treatment almost certainly worsened or triggered visible peeling by stressing the new coating. But the root problem appears to be flaws in the renovation itself (preparation and application). The peroxide acted more like a catalyst on an already vulnerable surface rather than the fundamental reason for failure.; 6/20/26, 8:29 AM
Peachy said...: DD
Bombing little girls in Iran is leftist-Hamas type propaganda. Then again you leftists love to believe that our military is that stupid.; 6/20/26, 8:29 AM
narciso said...: Its a metaphor; 6/20/26, 8:29 AM
Leland said...: his two predecessors

The guys that called Trump a Russian plant and criminally investigated Trump’s campaign on such grounds? That’s before we get into the most recent predecessor that gave a Presidential pardon to a government official that unlawfully funded research into bio-weapons within other countries and lied to Congress when such a weapon was released killing millions globally. Those predecessors? What mean names did Trump call them?; 6/20/26, 8:29 AM
Iman said...: Drivel to Fredo to Dense…; 6/20/26, 8:29 AM
Peachy said...: Freder - It is offical established history that Crook Joe is Shit for Brains. It's all documented.; 6/20/26, 8:31 AM
Indefinitely Extended Excursion™️ said...: The Green New Deal.

Breaking | The Trump Administration is negotiating a deal to repaint Reflecting Pool to prior color, allow algae to stay.; 6/20/26, 8:32 AM
Peachy said...: Leftist assholes impeached Trump for asking a question about Joe Biden's criminal connections to Burisma and Ukraine.

Impeach!; 6/20/26, 8:32 AM
Indefinitely Extended Excursion™️ said...: Algae to receive $300 billion in reparations; 6/20/26, 8:33 AM
Eva Marie said...: “Your link on this thread goes to the Turtle”
Mitch McConnell back in the news?; 6/20/26, 8:33 AM
Peachy said...: Ann, It was a pleasant surprise to see the Turtle again.
I'd vote for turtle. He's cute and he moves fast.; 6/20/26, 8:34 AM
Peachy said...: Eva- LOL.; 6/20/26, 8:34 AM
Indefinitely Extended Excursion™️ said...: Whether it's China developing an electric car that can charge in 5 minutes or Donald Trump keeping Washington's reflecting pool algae-free for nearly 48 hours, both countries have pushed the limits of their technological capabilities.

Have they tried ivermectin yet in the reflecting pool?; 6/20/26, 8:35 AM
Peachy said...: IEE - too bad that money cannot go to illegals for more vote fraud schemes.; 6/20/26, 8:37 AM
narciso said...: https://freebeacon.com/democrats/james-talarico-who-says-his-faith-requires-him-to-oppose-super-pacs-is-using-his-campaign-website-to-give-them-direction-and-theyre-taking-it/; 6/20/26, 8:37 AM
Peachy said...: IEE - kak-a-bot(D)
China builds crap. Buick had to pull their Chinese production of cars. Many of their Chinese built models where known crap and just sitting em masse on US car sales lots - unsold.; 6/20/26, 8:38 AM
Spiros said...: My first thought was sabotage as well.; 6/20/26, 8:43 AM
Iman said...: “Buick had to pull their Chinese production of cars. Many of their Chinese built models where known crap and just sitting em masse on US car sales lots - unsold.”

Reminds me of the new Buick Regal Sport Coupe I bought in 1978. That POS pushed me away from GM for the rest of my life, lol.; 6/20/26, 8:44 AM
Indefinitely Extended Excursion™️ said...: Trump made a big show of emptying the Reflecting Pool, fixing it, and painting it a bright “American flag” blue. It was unveiled with great ceremony and looked pristine for those first few days. Now it’s already filled with algae.

Who cares? It’s only a pool. In the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t matter. My interest in the reflecting pool is close to zero. Although I do enjoy 'dunking' on failure.

Yet it’s a perfect microcosm of how Trump approaches the presidency. Step one: announce that you will solve a major problem no one else has been able to fix—whether it’s ending the war in Ukraine in a day, eliminating America’s trade deficit, stopping Iran’s nuclear program, or cleaning up an algae-filled Reflecting Pool.

Step two: dismiss all the challenges and constraints your predecessors faced, assuming they simply lacked your strength or intelligence. Then rush in with the first flashy, quick-fix idea that comes to mind, something with plenty of spectacle and watch it fail spectacularly.

That’s exactly what happened with the pool. It’s what he’s done with Iran. And it’s what he’s doing with the country.; 6/20/26, 8:46 AM
narciso said...: When they set half of dc ablaze in june of 2020, the riots on j20; 6/20/26, 8:47 AM
narciso said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 6/20/26, 8:47 AM
Peachy said...: IEE - Kak-a-bot (D) leftwing troll.
in the grand scheme of things - your leftist troll posts are also meaningless.; 6/20/26, 8:47 AM
narciso said...: https://www.malone.news/p/friday-funnies-all-bobs-money?; 6/20/26, 8:50 AM
Bob Boyd said...: I've seen Rhino Liner on pickup truck beds and even used instead of paint on truck bodies in a few cases. I've never tried to peel Rhino Liner off, but it doesn't seem to me that, even if you cut through to the metal, you'd be able to peel it off in sheets.
I admit I don't know much about the stuff, but if it's not strongly adhering to the substrate, it probably means the substrate was not adequately prepared. Obviously preparing the bottom of that huge, old pool was an enormous challenge and the project was under a lot of pressure to get it done fast.
It wouldn't be at all surprising if there were areas on the pool bottom where the liner didn't bond properly. That doesn't mean the contractors are crooks or even that they weren't doing their best under very challenging circumstances and time constraints.
A sole source contract from the government doesn't mean they are crooks either.
There was a nut in the pool pulling up the liner and that would be vandalism, but I don't think he could have pulled the liner up if it was bonded to the substrate as it should be.
Maybe they can repair these problem areas and it will be okay.
I guess it depends on what the contract says with regard to who will have to pay to fix it.
It's always easy to criticize something somebody tries to do if you have never done it and don't have to do it.; 6/20/26, 8:52 AM
narciso said...: https://open.substack.com/pub/donsurber/p/highlights-of-the-week-cb1?; 6/20/26, 8:53 AM
Bob Boyd said...: The hydrogen peroxide treatment almost certainly worsened or triggered visible peeling by stressing the new coating.

I don't know if that's correct or not, but your logic supports Trump's contention that the coating could have been vandalized by putting some chemical into the pool.; 6/20/26, 9:06 AM
Big Mike said...: @Bob Boyd, you sound like someone who knows what he’s writing about — the contrast it Fredo Frederson, Dumb Dickhead Driver, and infinite Expletive Excrescence is pretty stark. What do you recommend the administration do next?

Speaking of the three aforementioned TDS sufferers, I might add that in my experience everything looks easy to people who don’t know how to do it.; 6/20/26, 9:07 AM
Freder Frederson said...: "but your logic supports Trump's contention that the coating could have been vandalized by putting some chemical into the pool."

Yeah, like 12% Hydrogen Peroxide.; 6/20/26, 9:16 AM
mindnumbrobot said...: And just like that, everybody is an expert on pool linings and chemical water treatments.

Maybe it's sabotage, maybe not, but what is so difficult for our leftists trolls to believe it's a possibility, perhaps even likely? Are they not paying attentional to the vitriol from the Left? They cheer attempted and successful political assassinations. Heck, just last week they were praying for the UFC event to be rained out and the President be stuck dead by lightning. TDS is a major mental health issue.; 6/20/26, 9:16 AM
Bob Boyd said...: What do you recommend the administration do next?

Keep calm and carry on.; 6/20/26, 9:18 AM
Freder Frederson said...: "I've seen Rhino Liner on pickup truck beds and even used instead of paint on truck bodies in a few cases. I've never tried to peel Rhino Liner off, but it doesn't seem to me that, even if you cut through to the metal, you'd be able to peel it off in sheets."

There is a huge difference in applying coatings to metal and to granite and concrete. Add to that, the fact that Rhino lining is not formulated to be underwater 24/7, and you are just courting disaster.; 6/20/26, 9:19 AM
Freder Frederson said...: Maybe it's sabotage, maybe not, but what is so difficult for our leftists trolls to believe it's a possibility, perhaps even likely?

Because Trump is a serial liar.; 6/20/26, 9:20 AM
narciso said...: Like rna and ukraine area experts; 6/20/26, 9:23 AM
Freder Frederson said...: "Heck, just last week they were praying for the UFC event to be rained out and the President be stuck dead by lightning. "

Are you accusing the "trolls" here of praying for that or just the left in general. If it is the former, please provide some links to those comments. Because, I have never wished anyone dead, on this blog or any other.; 6/20/26, 9:23 AM
Not an oldster. said...: Pouring hydrogen peroxide on anything strips it...
You wait to think critically and pay an expert to tell you that, 🤔

Can't we get an Ai robot to fix it as we turn off our brains?; 6/20/26, 9:26 AM
bagoh20 said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 6/20/26, 9:27 AM
bagoh20 said...: I can't think of anything awful or un-American that these people would not support, from crime and vandalism, to losing a war, to theft, murder, etc., etc. Your are just ghouls and retards, who have zero good to say about anything, and no ideas or solutions.; 6/20/26, 9:32 AM
Not an oldster. said...: It's cute the guys in the end who show up to tell other men who know what they're talking about that this is sooo complex it is impossible for a non expert to conjecture on. Lol. Oh what these guys must pay/be charged in maintenance costs...

Also dd driver was spot on in comment one. The manufacturer is only liable for the original fix, not any after market adaptations unless they recommended the national park service interns dump the peroxide in the shallow water... it won't take muratic acid to strip a wet recent paint job....

Duh; 6/20/26, 9:32 AM
bagoh20 said...: I use truck bed liner on my pontoon hulls. They spent all last year underwater 24/7 with no peeling. It's really tough stuff. I use the Raptor brand.; 6/20/26, 9:37 AM
Eva Marie said...: The left in general was happy Kirk was dead. The left in general supports treating ICE agents like crap, the left in general hates Jews and Christians. That’s the left in general supports calling anyone they disagree with Nazis and fascists. I’m tired of it. It’s not that I want them to stop or that I’m insulted. I’m just tired of it and I’m beginning to agree with the side that just wants a divorce. Keep spouting crazy talk, keep doing crazy things.; 6/20/26, 9:42 AM
mezzrow said...: We're going to base the new economy on the amount of verbiage spilled into the reflecting pool debate.; 6/20/26, 9:42 AM
Bob Boyd said...: There is a huge difference in applying coatings to metal and to granite and concrete.

No doubt. When I wrote that about trucks, I was just stating the limits of my experience with Rhino Liner.
The contractors obviously knew they were applying the product to granite and concrete, not metal and that is their area of expertise. They didn't come from a body shop.

Add to that, the fact that Rhino lining is not formulated to be underwater 24/7, and you are just courting disaster.

Freder neither of us know how the product they used was "formulated" but it seems reasonable to believe the contractor does and the manufacturer does and the government engineers and inspectors who oversaw the project do.
From what I read, which wasn't much, this product was made for use in primary containments. It was made to hold liquids. Is it different than the truck bed liner? Most likely it is. Apparently Rhino Linings makes products for a range of applications including industrial primary containments.
You seem determined to believe that the contractor was some fly-by-night scammer who tricked Trump into using truck bed liner so he could take the money and run. That seems highly doubtful, but it's your right to believe whatever you want.; 6/20/26, 9:46 AM
Big Mike said...: Don’t you just love how Fredo Frederson lards his bullshit with a thick coating of sanctimony?; 6/20/26, 9:49 AM
mindnumbrobot said...: If it is the former, please provide some links

It was a general characterization, and yes a broad brush, but apt nonetheless.; 6/20/26, 9:50 AM
bagoh20 said...: No liner can stand up to the corrosive effects of TDS.; 6/20/26, 9:51 AM
Bruce Hayden said...: “ Reminds me of the new Buick Regal Sport Coupe I bought in 1978. That POS pushed me away from GM for the rest of my life, lol.”

Just got my 2004 Tahoe back from my step daughter yesterday. Nearing 1/4 million miles on it. Still looks sharp, and her oldest son, who drove it over to me here, wants to buy it from me. Loves the way it still drives, and looks. Taking it to Vegas next weekend, because it’s a lot easier to get into for my partner, his grandmother. And the hotel gives me three parking slots.

I also have a 2000 Chevy 1500 ZL71 (off-road) pickup. Broke a quarter million miles several years ago. Literally almost goes anywhere - though I do have a winch for it - JIC. Only time I have needed the winch though was when my late SIL drove the Polaris ATV into axle deep mud by the river.

Neither Chevy vehicle has ever needed a major repair. They just keep running. And I have to replace batteries and tires periodically.

On the flip side, I have 3 German cars, 2 Audis and a Mercedes. The older Audi has the problematic 2.0T engine, which takes a lot of TLC at the mechanic’s, and the two newer SUVs each lost more money the first couple months I owned them than I have in total in the truck, and in maintenance in the Tahoe. Plus major recalls. All three German vehicles are money pits.

On the flip side, Trump, in Las Vegas has House Cars, which like most hotels there, are high end Escalades. They have them three years, then trade them out. Currently, Trump has 1 of 3 (license Trump2) running. Been this way most of 2026 so far. They have spectacular electronics and a really nice ride. But that comes at a very steep price in availability and maintenance.

Grandson and brother have newer midsize Chevy pickups, and they don’t seem to have problems. So, it’s not all newer model GM vehicles. But I think that I would steer away from anything that has fancy electronics, no matter how enticing (I have never seen anything like the situational awareness that the Trump Escalades give the driver, front and back).; 6/20/26, 9:51 AM
Ann Althouse said...: It would be a pretty easy and clever form of sabotage. In fact, it's so obvious and easy that the whole idea of fixing it up in the first place is a bad idea. The whole "Make American Great Again" thing is sabotage waiting to happen. Even without sabotage, pessimism, like algae, is always there, waiting to grow back.

It makes me think of the last lines of Camus' "Plague": "He knew what those jubilant crowds did not know but could have learned from books: that the plague bacillus never dies or disappears for good; that it can lie dormant for years and years in furniture and linen-chests; that it bides its time in bedrooms, cellars, trunks, and bookshelves; and that perhaps the day would come when, for the bane and the enlightening of men, it would rouse up its rats again and send them forth to die in a happy city."; 6/20/26, 9:54 AM
bagoh20 said...: I deleted the video I posted. The guy they caught was not the one cutting the liner, but another guy who was wrestling away the cleaning hose from a female worker at the pond, and he got arrested.; 6/20/26, 9:54 AM
Wilbur said...: Bagoh, the X link comments say he was arrested for pulling a hose out of the hands of workers who were cleaning the algae out of the pool. Not saying you're wrong but is there another source for the reason for the arrest?; 6/20/26, 9:55 AM
Wilbur said...: Sorry, didn't see your latest post.; 6/20/26, 9:55 AM
Aggie said...: When I ordered my new Ram a couple of years ago, I went without all the electronic add ons because I think automakers have gone chip-loco. If it can conceivably have a chip controller, they'll add one in. I think it's crazy. Give me fabric seats, which are a lot cooler in summer and no slide-around, and basic computing power. But I don't need a 3-D panoramic camera, and I don't need the truck to back my trailer in. Modern cars have become subscription maintenance slaves to the dealership, and it's the chips that are doing it.

Right now I'm restoring a pickup from the late 40s, rodding it out just a little bit and upgrading the braking systems. Trucks the way they ought to be, simple and fun. I've owned it since the 80's, but it's been sitting in a barn for quite a while.; 6/20/26, 9:58 AM
bagoh20 said...: "The whole "Make American Great Again" thing is sabotage waiting to happen."

It didn't use to be this way. Are we going to accept that it never can be again? Beautifying America used to be bipartisan, and we see what happens when letting it go to shit is bipartisan. We could fix every problem in America with one thing. Find and eliminate fraud and waste and use our money like it's our own. Bad people need to go to jail and pay for the damage they do. No place can be civil or decent without that understanding in the people.; 6/20/26, 10:00 AM
bagoh20 said...: Letting the accomplishments of our ancestors go to shit was going to be the legacy of Boomers. MAGA wants to fix that while we still can..; 6/20/26, 10:05 AM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: I'm so tired of the stupid pool, the algae conundrum and everything else about it. Fill it in with concrete and create a pretty mosaic of what should be the reflection of the Washington Monument. Done no more scummy algae.....except that the scummy leftards full of hatred for anything and everything...... will vandalize that too.

This is why we can't have nice things. And why we need to move onto more consequential problems than what has been a failed monument for decades. Focus people!!!; 6/20/26, 10:10 AM
bagoh20 said...: DBQ, it's the broken windows dynamic. You can't fix the big things as long as the little things remind everyone that respect is not expected.; 6/20/26, 10:17 AM
Indefinitely Extended Excursion™️ said...: Dark blue is about the worst color you could paint a pool, especially a shallow one, doubly so in Washington DC. Heats the water up to the perfect temperature for an algae bloom.

But Trump knows everything about everything so no need to ask for advice.; 6/20/26, 10:19 AM
bagoh20 said...: This is simple. Catch the vandals, prosecute and punish to maximum extent legal. It won't take much of that to change things. Lack of prosecution and lack of punishment after conviction is the core cause of all our blight, and why a small percentage of repeat and career assholes are ruining things for everyone.; 6/20/26, 10:21 AM
bagoh20 said...: This has nothing to do with coatings or their color. It's just an example of a greater problem in the country and the world.; 6/20/26, 10:22 AM
Rustygrommet said...: Big Mike said...
"Don’t you just love how Fredo Frederson lards his bullshit with a thick coating of sanctimony?"
What I find interesting re Freder in all thing technical, is that he just assumes his audience is just as stupid as he is.
My opinion is siding on vandalism. The substrate id thoroughly cleaned then chemically etched to get some 'tooth' for the epoxy to grip on. Once cured it's almost impossible to remove.; 6/20/26, 10:25 AM
Christopher B said...: This is a reminder that earlier this year Fredo insisted the Euros chose 999 as an emergency contact number because of supposed Nazi associations with 911 despite 30 seconds with Gemini revealing that 999 was in use in England in 1937 and most European countries using low dial.pull numbers like 100.

In other words, he talks out his ass on the regular; 6/20/26, 10:36 AM
Indefinitely Extended Excursion™️ said...: For the Althouse MAGA crowd -- attributing the primary engineering/maintenance failures (algae + coating) primarily to a vast left-wing chemical plot, without strong forensic backing, risks sounding like motivated reasoning. Similar to how broad "voter fraud stole the election" claims often outrun the proven cases.; 6/20/26, 10:39 AM
mindnumbrobot said...: ...the whole idea of fixing it up in the first place is a bad idea.

With all due respect, this is the United States of America, and if we want a reflecting pool then by God we'll have a reflecting pool. Some even say the greatest reflecting pool in history.; 6/20/26, 10:40 AM
RJW said...: Might be a bit early to tell but it sounds like the vandalized pool claim goes in the stolen election basket.; 6/20/26, 10:42 AM
Peachy said...: RJW -
Sounds like?; 6/20/26, 10:48 AM
Peachy said...: 2020 was obviously stolen.

The fact that cultist leftists are so keen to rush in and say "debunked!" before they even know or care about the facts - is telling.; 6/20/26, 10:53 AM
Peachy said...: DBQ - you idea will also be vandalized by insane lunatic ego-centric rage-fueled entitled leftists and Bernie Bros.; 6/20/26, 10:56 AM
Peachy said...: "No liner can stand up to the corrosive effects of TDS. "

worth a nice hearty bold.; 6/20/26, 10:57 AM
narciso said...: Like molecular acid (captain of the nostromo); 6/20/26, 11:02 AM
narciso said...: https://x.com/johnkonrad/status/2068078516017488053?s=46; 6/20/26, 11:09 AM
bagoh20 said...: The thing about "There is no evidence..." is that it's transitive.

Like the laptop, the China virus, spying on Trump, Best Biden ever, and on and on. It's irritating waiting for some people to catch up, like trying to get somewhere walking with toddlers or Joe Biden.; 6/20/26, 11:09 AM
paminwi said...: Why not pour new concert dyed blue?; 6/20/26, 11:13 AM
Aggie said...: Good John Konrad post, @narcisso. That story didn't look so hard to investigate, but it looks like it took someone new to journalism to write it.; 6/20/26, 11:15 AM
wildswan said...: Reflecting on the Reflections in the Pool.
It really comes across that the leftys want the US to fail. They want the reflecting pool to be algae-filled. They want Iran to win. They wanted a senile old man for president; they want a former VP who did not notice Biden's senility for the next President. They want the military to fail. They want cities to become bankrupt due to corruption. They want Americans to be poor and harrassed. They want antisemitism. And much of what they want, they are getting in the blue region because there the voters don't matter and the taxpayers' money is siphoned into the pockets of the leftys and their friends while the civic environment deteriorates. There the criminal aliens are congregating and murdering and raping amid applause from the leftys.
I have no doubt it could all be fixed merely by stopping the cheating in the vote which would allow reform. But returning to democracy in Chicago and such places might be as hard as gaining democracy in 1776. Yet ... a good project to consider as real Americans rededicate ourselves to the principles of the Declaration of Independence on its 250th anniversary. There was a rotten prancing aristocracy then when we began and there's another one here now.; 6/20/26, 11:26 AM
Jupiter said...: The downside of Trump's admirable attention to every least detail is that he ends up responsible for every least detail.

"The Man In the Arena" meets "The Swimmer".; 6/20/26, 11:26 AM
Earnest Prole said...: Feel free to declare yourself an all-powerful orange wizard, but don’t be surprised when ordinary people are disappointed you can’t deliver.; 6/20/26, 11:33 AM
narciso said...: Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 on X: "The SPLC paid a member of 2 other “white supremacy” groups to recruit more members—including prisoners—and produce racist paraphernalia. SPLC then cited those groups on its “Extremist” Watch list to raise money. But in an ironic twist, according to the indictment, SPLC’s" / X https://share.google/8uOdeWNZMf4Gqzd62; 6/20/26, 11:36 AM
Iman said...: “It would be a pretty easy and clever form of sabotage.”

Fiendishly clever, SOME would say.

The work of moronic assholes, MOST would say.; 6/20/26, 11:40 AM
Earnest Prole said...: If you google ‘Jimmy Carter micromanagement’ you’ll see his Iran trainwreck was preceded by an obsession with scheduling the White House tennis courts and the shade of paint on the White House roof.

History repeats itself, the first time as tragedy, the second time as farce.; 6/20/26, 11:50 AM
Lazarus said...: The link to Memeorandum takes us to all kinds of places those of us who don't read the NYT ever go. Here's Mo Dowd:

"Creature From the Green Lagoon — A historian once told me that the presidency would distill Donald Trump to his essence. — That essence, it turns out, is trillions of microscopic organisms that suck up all the oxygen and endanger life around them. — That essence is slimy …"

Here's the lead-in to another Times article:

"Literal Coverup’: What Is the Kennedy Center Hiding Behind Those Tarps? — The arts center says it pulled President Trump's name from the building front. But the result remains hidden by tarps, prompting questions and speculation. — In the early hours of June 13 ..."

NYT is waiting for Tarpgate, and the tarp itself, to fall. I'm waiting for the paper to finally go out of business.; 6/20/26, 11:51 AM
Lazarus said...: Nice Karl Marx quote. Most of the country thinks Jimmy Carter was a farce.; 6/20/26, 11:53 AM
Meade said...: Without evidence, DDDriver calls President Trump a “fucking retard.”; 6/20/26, 11:54 AM
narciso said...: A joke with no punchline except for persons in managua and tehran and even kabul; 6/20/26, 11:59 AM
narciso said...: Not as long as carlos slims kerps the lights on; 6/20/26, 12:03 PM
hanuman_prodigious_leaper said...: Does the liner have to adhere or just present as barrier film to stop leaks?; 6/20/26, 12:03 PM
Earnest Prole said...: Most of the country thinks Jimmy Carter was a farce.

Bingo.; 6/20/26, 12:04 PM
William50 said...: Democrats used to be all in with making America beautiful. I remember Lady Bird Johnson's Beautification Campaign.; 6/20/26, 12:17 PM
Rustygrommet said...: D.D. Driver said...
"Again, not a leftist, you stupid Bimbo. "

Yeah. You know. That whole duck thing.; 6/20/26, 12:19 PM
Bob Boyd said...: Does the liner have to adhere or just present as barrier film to stop leaks?

I thought about that too. I wondered, could the guy with the knife simply slice through, work his fingers under the edge and then pull the liner up and cut himself off a big piece? Or was the liner already delaminated and partially floating and the knife guy just wanted to cut off a chunk? If it's the latter, the knife guy is still a vandal but there is also a problem with the install. I think it's the latter. If so, that still leaves the question of why it didn't stick. Was it vandalism or inadequate surface prep or something else?
I don't know the answer for absolutely certain, but it seems to me that the liner is must be designed to bond very strongly to the surface it is applied to. Otherwise it would be too fragile. Potentially, air could get under it and float it in places, it could get easily damaged by ordinary hazards like people throwing objects into the pool or falling in, etc. I'm pretty sure the stuff sticks really good if the substrate isn't contaminated somehow . The bottom of that pool is a huge area and it would be easy to miss something that's hard to see, but might affect adhesion.; 6/20/26, 12:25 PM
Peachy said...: Is any one good enough for Prole? no.; 6/20/26, 12:26 PM
Earnest Prole said...: Like it’s remarkable to expect better than Jimmy Carter.; 6/20/26, 12:50 PM
Bob Boyd said...: I would not be entirely surprised if the left started vandalizing pickup trucks that have Rhino Liner in the bed...to fight Fascism.; 6/20/26, 12:51 PM
AndrewV said...: Freder Frederson said...
"Trump was elected by the majority of the citizens of the US."

Actually, he was elected by less than half of the people who voted.

And in 1992 Bill Clinton was elected by 43% of the popular vote, which was only about 25% of the eligible voters that year.; 6/20/26, 12:51 PM
D.D. Driver said...: Without evidence, DDDriver calls President Trump a “fucking retard.”

With plenty of evidence, I call Meade a smarmy little cunt.; 6/20/26, 1:13 PM
Iman said...: They call him DeeDee Drivel
Once he sits in front of screen
He lets his hands sing a song
li’l sausage fingers; 6/20/26, 1:30 PM
Bob Boyd said...: Which breaking story is big news in the MSM?

Documents were released this week proving Fauci funded Covid and perjured himself about it. 20 million people died world wide from a virus Fauci had created in a lab in China just so they could create a vaccine for it that would make billions and he posed as a hero for doing all this.

A report was released documenting how immigrant gangs raped and tortured 250,000 British girls. The authorities and the press protected the gangs and covered it up and are still trying to cover it up.

A Rhino Liner didn't stick good in this one place.; 6/20/26, 1:32 PM
Mason G said...: "Which breaking story is big news in the MSM?"

It looks like if you want to know what's happening, the last place to go for reporting is the MSM.; 6/20/26, 1:42 PM
Aught Severn said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 6/20/26, 2:07 PM
Aught Severn said...: And this isn’t a one time outburst this is normal discourse for the Democrats.

During the next far left* administration, I fully intend to harp on the moronicity, stupidity, xenophobia, racism, general and specific incompetence, and how he/she brings the level of discourse and US international reputation down when in the presence of those who are as you describe. When the complaints about respecting the institution arise, I will ask for contrition regarding their past behavior first. On not receiving it, I will point out the hypocrisy and go on enjoying my day.

*Far left meaning anyone slightly to the left of classical liberal views.; 6/20/26, 2:11 PM
Aught Severn said...: I think it's the latter. If so, that still leaves the question of why it didn't stick.

It would not surprise me if this is at least partly the case. Modern coatings and adhesives can have fantastic performance, but the prep and curing schedule to ensure full bonding performance can be quite unforgiving. Giving the square footage involved, it seems very likely that there will be at least a few spots where something went wrong. No reason to doubt the contractor competency at this point, but the law of averages is a thing... at least in this case!; 6/20/26, 2:21 PM
Meade said...: DDDriver needs a Rhino Liner
In his underpants; 6/20/26, 2:21 PM
Harun said...: Is it just the one piece that is photographed or is it happening more than that?; 6/20/26, 2:38 PM
Howard said...: The pool design: large area, shallow depth, no shade, low recirculation rate and supplied with pristine tidal basin water, is prime algae habitat.

The project was doomed from the jump. A nice, well timed distraction, like an academic argument with high passion over low stakes.; 6/20/26, 2:42 PM
Bob Boyd said...: Dis Grok fella, he say, "It's primarily in one or a few localized areas (not widespread across the entire pool), based on recent reports from around June 18-20, 2026."; 6/20/26, 2:45 PM
Josephbleau said...: “The hydrogen peroxide treatment almost certainly worsened or triggered visible peeling by stressing the new coating.”

Mr. Infinitely excreting aho knows all tells all. He knows what worsened and triggers things from afar without a hint of personal knowledge, investigation, or justification. He certifies causality of chemical processes without being able to balance a redox reaction. And not even with reference to a published paper. A dumbshit among dumshits. A chemical poseur. A purveyor of blather not even qualifying as a lie, due to its stupidity.; 6/20/26, 3:06 PM
Josephbleau said...: “With plenty of evidence, I call Meade a smarmy little cunt.“

D D Dickhead has made his mind known to us. Let us marvel at the depth of its vacuousness.; 6/20/26, 3:13 PM
Peachy said...: lefties skip past the obvious vandalism.; 6/20/26, 3:16 PM
Freder Frederson said...: This is a reminder that earlier this year Fredo insisted the Euros chose 999 as an emergency contact number because of supposed Nazi associations with 911 despite 30 seconds with Gemini revealing that 999 was in use in England in 1937 and most European countries using low dial.pull numbers like 100.

I'm sorry your reading comprehension sucks. That is not what I posted at all.; 6/20/26, 4:13 PM
Jim at said...: I guarantee the government's lawyers would like Donnie to shut the fuck up.

Maybe you could do the same.; 6/20/26, 4:28 PM
Butkus51 said...: always been a problem, but now, its the most important thing in the world.

Funny that.; 6/20/26, 5:44 PM
Mason G said...: "always been a problem"

Democrats didn't act like it was, until Trump got involved.; 6/20/26, 6:10 PM
Aggie said...: Apparently there's been enough vandalous activity at the reflecting pool that they stationed guards there now.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/national-guard-stationed-lincoln-reflecting-pool-after-multiple-sabotage-attempts; 6/20/26, 7:33 PM
Bob Boyd said...: Last night Park Police arrested a man walking around the Reflecting Pool with a pitchfork and a bucket.
Maybe he was going to dig for clams.; 6/20/26, 8:19 PM
Bunkypotatohead said...: Just let DC return to shit. The Dems will be happy with it that way, and the rest of us won't have to waste any more resources on the place.; 6/21/26, 12:58 AM
Tina Trent said...: Those are straight cuts. The water is shallow enough to do the damage fast. The pool-lining, Red Devil-like coating, clings and seals to any weather or surface. If not not vandalized by being sliced, it takes several decades to wear down. I had a pool with a similar coating that didn't need repair after 60 years in Florida sun. Still bright blue. Vandals have been arrested. Probably grad students with trust funds. Make them fix it. Manually, under supervision, with mommy and daddy paying. Maybe then they'll be employable at something useful.

One criticism: also fix the ancient plumbing. But the plumbing did not cause this.; 6/21/26, 4:17 AM
Tina Trent said...: Alage may be in the water, but it could not damage the pool coating.; 6/21/26, 4:19 AM
Tina Trent said...: August and Howard: you don't know what you're talking about. This stuff will turn a room into a fishbowl.; 6/21/26, 4:22 AM
Tina Trent said...: Actually, Bob B, the substance they used will strengthen and fill in even crumbling bricks and other substrates. I've used hundreds of gallons of it. It's amazing.; 6/21/26, 4:29 AM
Indefinitely Extended Excursion™️ said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 6/21/26, 7:25 AM
Indefinitely Extended Excursion™️ said...: I'm really surprised that Trump is refusing to accept responsibility for screwing up the Reflecting Pool while blaming others. So out of character for him.

Truth-seeking favors specifics—test the water/coating, review contractor specs and bids. The pool is a maintenance headache in a politically charged spot, not proof of systemic conspiracy.; 6/21/26, 7:31 AM
Peachy said...: How dare he blame obvious sabotage and vandalism.; 6/21/26, 7:57 AM
Peachy said...: X
"Leftists are getting angry because around 10-15 million Leftists are paid to do cushy high-paid fake jobs, based on credentials and a claim to unique technical authority. If Trump and Chuds can fix problems considered impossible, it threatens the entire managerial caste."; 6/21/26, 7:57 AM
Peachy said...: Bob Boyd said :
"Last night Park Police arrested a man walking around the Reflecting Pool with a pitchfork and a bucket.
Maybe he was going to dig for clams. "

yeah.

Kak-a-bot(D) laughs and lies.; 6/21/26, 7:58 AM
FullMoon said...: "The Obama administration spent $34 million on a massive reconstruction project to repair the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Federal contract spending records indicate that at least $1.3 million more was additionally awarded, bringing the absolute total to roughly $35.3 million"; 6/24/26, 1:02 PM