A gavel is for marking the precise moment the auction is over and no more bids are possible.
Is that needed in a court?

Russians do world class passive resistance. 67% say they still approve of Putin but what matters is whether they pay any taxes.

While they can still eat, it's nothing. But when their food's exported to pay for the war they'll be foraging not working.

You broke it in 2016 with your bridge that's too low for large ships going to Ukrainian Azov ports, while allowing the smaller ships that are all the Russian ports can take. 😡

In Tuapse the staff of the prosecutors' office planted trees for a green Tuapse. Behind them in their official photo is the "volcano"! 😂

Ukraine is giving Russia a particularly hard time in Crimea, so they assume Ukraine plans an assault on its coast.
They're probably wrong so let them waste resources on this! 😆
bsky.app/profile/mari...

Lovely sky!

Such a long sentence is nowadays considered poor style.

Yes, just as it isn't Ukraine's doing that cement factories appear on FIRMS!

A bull's pizzle...

People often manage to be happy despite grim circumstances.

The Thousand-year Russia was Belarusian mickey-taking! 😆

Sad video from Leningrad
bsky.app/profile/wart...

We do know that vicious dictators have to play the game, keep supporters happy - and be good at it.
Being only vicious makes them short-lived wannabes that we don't remember, or puppets of better players.

Russians evade that, resulting in the usual class structure.

I don't approve of writing words like 'electrico' without the 'c' !
Portuguese is close to phonetic anyway, why spoil the fun? 😊

Hypnum cupressiforme, perhaps Brachythecium rutabulum, and yes Kindbergia praelonga.
For "common" names paste into search engine - for details look at the BBS site.

Does "bullwinkle" mean the same in your language as it does in English?

I have those. They can be folded but only approximately. Put the other, neatly folded bedclothes on top of it to flatten it.

bsky.app/profile/inmy...

Empires don't last, nowadays.

What it takes is a lot more complicated than mere violence.

Time will tell

Someone must pay the executioner, or how will he eat?

However, the plan is sh*t

Rosgvardia are riot-control troops. They could suppress mass protests (if still being paid and supplied) but would be helpless to prevent disseminated resistance.
Or they could become local/regional warlords with only nominal loyalty to Moscow. That's how empires crumble.

Nice picture!

Only the Kadyrovtsi actually matter, hence the constant rumours about Kadyrov's health.
But they can only protect the Kremlin and prevent the army from retreating, they can't be all over the empire at once.

*carcinogenic

Without money the whole state will crumble.
Ivan won't go to Ukraine if the police aren't policing because they aren't paid.
The army won't force him to fight for nothing, and it can't buy boots or ammo or drones without money.