Open Thread – Clouds
Here’s my first delayed post from Netroots Nation. Things have been non-stop and completely crazy here in Minneapolis. I’m hoping to catch up and fill you in on the goings on tomorrow. I have finally figured out how to resize, save, find, and post pictures using my new laptop, so it won’t be long!
The weather in Minneapolis has been really great. Sometimes it’s been just a tad warm and humid, but there have been a couple brilliant thunderstorms. Thunder and lightning is not something one often sees in Anchorage, so I’ve had a great time sort of lurking around near doorways and checking out the show.
Here’s what the clouds looked like from the other side when I flew in.
Why the South, you ask? Check this out:
http://www.healthmetricsandevaluation.org/tools/data-visualization/life-expectancy-in-us-counties-2011
More bad news for the South:
http://www.christianpost.com/news/report-cancer-risk-higher-among-less-educated-americans-51316/
Happy paw paw’s day
Happy Father’s day to all.
I have taken a “vacation” from watching politics on TV. The C. Anthony case in Florida has comsumed my TV viewing.
I feel soooooo sorry for the parents of the woman, and still don’t understand where and when this precious child was last seen.
If my child at this age had been missing for 10 or 15 minutes, I would have been frantic.
In my opinion, this woman was not happy being tied down with a small child, and did “something” to put her to sleep so she could go out and “party”, and something went very very wrong.
AKM, thanks for the clouds. I was thinking Saturday morning, my Dad often took pictures from airplane windows, including lots of clouds; they were an obligatory part of any slide show from his travels. He was an electronics engineer, and odd things fascinated him.
Plus last week Mom and Dad got a batch of old backpacking photos digitized, and they’ve been emailing them a few at a time. Various views of my brother and I hiking the Grand Canyon or the White Mountains of New Hampshire at an early age; generally standing next in front of Mom; Dad is generally a little off-balance, having set the camera on a rock, set the auto timer, and raced over to stand by us. Generally a big smile on his face. His beard is black, not silver.
Late last night I got word Dad died driving home from a friend’s memorial. Clicking back past your open thread this Fathers Day morning, your photo reminds me more deeply Dad’s enthusiasm for clouds, exploring, and life in general, and how lucky I am to have had a happy father!
my condolences…. Sounds like your Dad REALLY enjoyed life !
Sorry to hear about your Father,on this of all days. My condolences to you and your family.
{{{{{Ben}}}}}
Ben i am very sorry for the loss of your dad. may you and your family find a bit of comfort in the photos of happier days.
Ben, I am so sorry. Your Dad sounds like a great guy. Hugs to you and your family.
What lovely memories to carry with you always! Stay with those. {{{{}}}}}
Love and condolences.
Hugs to you. I will remember you and my father in my thoughts and prayers in the days to come. I am deeply saddened that you are spending Father’s Day like this.
{{{{{{{ Ben in SF – ♥ to you }}}}}}}. beth.
((((((((( ben ))))))))))
Oh Ben….I am so sorry.
Here’s a look at our President being a Daddy. I dare you not to smile as you look at these pictures!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/18/obama-sasha-malia-fathers-day_n_870566.html#s294486&title=March_2004_winning
Since it’s open thread, here’s a link to the only video I’ve found that shows the Obama impersonator being “escorted” offstage at the Repub wingding in Nawlins:
http://www.youtube.com/user/BlackAndRight#p/u/6/-hfIrag8eXI
It’s at about 15 minutes in that the repub jokes start in earnest. And that what when he was escorted off…
Dunno, maybe he was a ringer…?
To residents of Southern and Eastern Arizona- you can expect relief fron no rain any day. The no-rain stay has been lifted after I sacrificed another furry varmint to the gods of Nature last evening. You may return to your regularly scheduled activities at once.This notice will not be re-re-re-repeated.
I appreciate it!
It is 4:39 A.M. CST,do you know where your parents are? One more day to get through before Keith O is back up and running Countdown on TV. Been a long wait for me. I have an infestation of Punxatawney Phils on the farm,they are like coming out of the woodwork,so to speak. They are under my old house,in the barn,the corn crib,the old chicken house and just about everywhere you could think to hide one. Never seen so many ground hogs in my life. As of last evening,their numbers have shrunk by three. I’m sure there are replacements waitring to move in. They are like politicians,even when you keep a close eye on them,they still are up to no good. No much else going on. Deer will be coming by for a visit about daylight and it is a little early for the Robins to start bellering. Hope you all have peaceful Sundays today. Carry on,men.
https://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DS8rCy173y7Y%26feature%3Dshare&h=943af
This just came my way, and I thought it could be useful to the “Liar, liar, pants on fire’. !!!!!
There is no news from NetRoots except for a bashing that Obama got via his spokesperson who spoke to the participants of NetRoots. I guess I didn’t know that there were so many upset liberals at the conference. I hope this doesn’t work against Obama getting a second term. It seems that no one is paying attention so I guess that might be a good thing??? I wonder what is happening down there? It certainly isn’t making headlines except for that one article I found.
http://www.henkimaa.com/
Mel’s covering some – quite a bit actually.
We’ll hear from AKM, Shannynand John Aronno and there’s always :
http://www.netrootsnation.org/blog
Daily Kos is featuring diaries of attendees…
It’s just low profile in MSM except for the Brickbat and O’whatizname thingy and the tough time WH press guy got (rightfully)- says a lot about regular news that only blips on the radar are controversies or granstanding stunts , doesn’t it?
I can’t see how bashing Obama works out for dems. People who are frustrated should let their voices be heard, organize and push for what they want. Turning on Obama and the dems and allowing republicans to dominate the narrative serves only the republican/teabag/theocratic party. How do we win by bashing our president?
Sean Hannity had it on his radio show this week, so there are people noticing and they are using the lack of progressive love against Obama already. In other words, your concern is well-founded.
Given what the Republicans have to choose from, we could do a lot worse. I guess we’ll have to wait and see who gets the nomination. If they aren’t careful, they’ll hand Obama another substantial victory.
So far, Ron Paul is the only one I see on that side of the aisle that has remained consistent on his positions over the years, and who, while he is not pro-choice, has some appeal with those on the left. However, as usual, he’s not getting much media coverage or support from his own party. I would like to know more about him. Thoughts, mudpuppies?
Ya know Gabby Giffords and her husband would make a perfect couple to go around the country to show what saying, use your second amendment rights to make change and don’t retreat instead reload cause to happen.
Clarence-Ginny Thomas: “Friendship of Justice and Magnate Puts Focus on Ethics”
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/19/us/politics/19thomas.html?_r=1&emc=na
Maybe Justicky Thomas isn’t so much Black as he is oozing slime.
Remember Devo? I do …lol Well….they’re back.
It’s been 38 years since Devo first played at Kent State University and, if you believe the band, humankind has been devolving ever since. But while their message in the ’70s sounded alien and disturbing, their music is now oddly close to the mainstream. Last year’s ‘Something for Everybody,’ their first album in 20 years, is very much in keeping with today’s electronic pop.
What do you make of Sarah Palin’s bus tour across America to historic sites?
Casale: Say no more. We rest our case. We’ve often said this, but if somebody in 1980 with a crystal ball had showed you the world in 2011, you would have thought it was a cheap, B-movie sci-fi dystopia that would in fact never happen, and dismissed it. Now it’s here, in all of its horror. You talk about stupid, you can’t beat Sarah Palin!
OMG…..I have been reading some excerpts from Bristol Palin’s forthcoming book. It’s all about revenge. The recipient is Levi. The dates are all so muddled in the various accounts that one has to wonder about a lot of things (trying to be good AKM).
The awful thing is that she implies horrible things about Levi. He is supposed to be her child’s father. God help that child when he realizes what his mother has said about his father. It is truly very sick. She has learnt from the master and I have a feeling that she has just gone one step too far.
Reading the comments on the various news articles I have to hope that this trashy family is finally toast.
She las learned from her mother how to use her child for profit, regardless of the harm it might bring to the child.
I really hope she never thought about what reading this garbage might do to Tripp when he gets older, because to think that she was aware of the potential consequences and deliberately chose to write that cr@p anyway just to make some money just makes me cringe.
I also wonder what legal ramifications this might have since I understand that part of the custody agreement states that neither parent is permitted to trash the other within hearing of Tripp. I would think that publishing that kind of nastiness goes far beyond just talking badly about Levi. Of course, as we all know, the rules just don’t apply to anyone whose last name is Palin.
I hope you’re right and the family IS finally toast. Tha sad part is that WE may finally be rid of her but poor Tripp is stuck in that pathetic excuse for a family forever.
I don’t think that family ever has a clue to future consequences….
That would suggest that Levi has an attorney that was giving him good advice, rather than the self-serving kind. (yes, bah humbug)
Didn’t the Queen of mean claim Levy was not living in the Palin household when Bristol was knocked up and didn’t Bristol write that levy had to leave the house after Bristol learned ne was cheating on her?
I am trying to absorb how I would feel if I discovered that my mother publicly said she was drunk out of her mind and otherwise would not have had sex with my father.
I read about her account of her night with Levi. She may have thought that she was avoiding responsibility for making the decision to have sex by saying she does not really remember it. What I read, instead, was 16 year old blackout drunk. A few wine coolers do not create a blackout drunk. A long history of binge drinking creates a blackout drunk.
She has no business raising a child the way she is behaving.
“A few wine coolers do not create a blackout drunk. A long history of binge drinking creates a blackout drunk.”
Thank you for posting that! It’s absolutely true, and made me wonder when I first saw that quote (supposedly) of Bristol’s.
Actually we did have a pretty good downpour a few days ago.
Bummer !
try and look at the bright side…you’ll have plenty of firewood for the coming winter, and you’re alive and kicking to experience it all ! 🙂
Clean-up crew is here. Deck is totaled, as is all the outdoor furniture. They have to bring in heavy equipment to get rid of some of the downed trees. Amazing what lightning can do. This morning, just to make things worse than yesterday, if possible, we had tornado warnings. You have to laugh. Engineers are coming out to check on the back room of our house that is all glass except for the ceiling. It is cantilevered out from the house, and may have structural damage. Groovy.
Oh no. (((jimzmum)))
{{{jimzmum}}}
{{{{{jimzmum}}}}}
Hugs and prayers headed your way. I am grateful YOU are ok.
((jimzmum)) Thinking of your owl…I’m so sorry.
(((jimzmum)))
We’ve heard Orson, but he is not coming near. Who would? The young hawk has not been seen, nor has the twin fawn’s mama. Fish and Game is coming out today to get the babies and take them to a preserve. Heavy equipment can’t get in because of all the rain, so the crew is still working on clearing off the deck using chain saws. They got here at 7 this morning, to clear out enough of a path around the deck (which wraps around two sides of our house – about 2000 square feet of outdoor space) so the insurance guy can come and look at the squish, and the engineer can come and look and tell us if we are going to fall off the world. It is just unbelieveable. We have yet to wrap our minds around how lucky we are. We are taking scads of pictures just to have a record.
Am truly sorry to hear about thisand am hoping you guys are all alright. Mum Nature is all powerful and even beautiful when she gets her knickers in a twist. Hope your insurance guy or gal is fair. Have heard stories both ways. Mostly I’m glad you are unhurt,the weather has been unusual this Spring to say the least.
Mike, he will be fair. He is a friend and neighbor. We trust him.
Fish and Game braved the destroyed woodland found the doe. She was dead. One of the fawns was found alive. The other had died. You know, things matter a little, but not so much in the long run. That poor fawn. That poor doe. That poor woods.
On a hunt:
Do any of you mudpeeps with long-back ties to “Up North” happen to have (ahem) hanging around, any family portraits made by a fellow named: Bennett? The photographs would’ve been made between ’36 and ’54, and were elegant, simple, artistic portraits of babies, children, wedding couples, and etc.; they would’ve most probably been signed (at a slant), in the lower right-hand corner. thanks, beth.
Beth, if “up north” means Alaska, write an email to Museums Alaska and they’ll pass your message on to their listserv of all their member museums/archives in the state. I’m sure you’d get some responses. Some of those folks would know just off the top of their heads.
Excellent suggestion, yukonbushgramma, thanks! The specific “up north” locations were Whitehorse, YT, and Fairbanks, AK — ‘hub’ cities, with lots of folks traveling to, and through. He was at the former location, working for the Canadian Provincial Police as Constable, and at the latter with Pan American Airlines as dispatcher; he, apparently, made hundreds of portraits during those years. I though it’d be neat to see if I could find out how many were still floating around and where they ended up. beth.
–One of them, I know, ended up in SC. About half-dozen years ago, when my elder brother was in Iraq as a consultant with DoD/State Department, a young GI got to talking to him about hobbies and the camera gear brother had. Young GI then said (something along the lines of): “I know this’ll be a wild stretch, but did you ever live in AK and did you know anyone named Bennett up there who took portraits? I have a wedding picture of my grandparents with ‘Bennett’ written in the corner and they were married in AK during the Second World War. The portrait now hangs in our dining room.” Whoa! Talk about finding a needle in a haystack and ours being a small world! In the middle of a war half-way around the globe, decades later, the son of the photographer and the grandson of the subjects met in Baghdad’s “Green Zone.” b.
Yet another reason to like Alaska…no thunderstorms!
Since my uncle was killed by lightning when I was a kid, I am a major chicken when it comes to anything banging and crackling in the sky. I HAVE gotten a lot better over the years…at least I don’t crawl under the covers and shake like I used to! Now, when there’s a really nasty storm and I’m at home, I gather my pillows, flashlight and book, plug my ears with cotton covered with my winter earmuffs, head for the hallway in the middle of my house (no windows or electrical outlets!), hunker down on the floor and wait for it to be over. Hmmm….maybe that’s another reason I like winter!
When I was a young pup my mother took all six of is on vacation to Cleveland to visit old friends over the 4th of July. We had a tornado blow through and wound up huddling in the basement for half the night. The houses on both sides of us were destroyed (and empty) while the one we were in didn’t suffer much damage at all. Took me over 20 years to get over that.
I’ve lived my entire life in part of the tornado belt and have never seen or experienced,first hand,a tornado. Never felt an earthquake,no wildfires or hurricanes,no mudslides,no wars or famines or drought and the blizzards I’ve seen haven’t been that serious an affair. What in god’s name is wrong with me?
Maybe you’re living right. 🙂
I don’t know,Mike,…. I’ve been thru a lot of these events, and I’m simply amazed and awed at the POWER of Nature… while there is a lot of property damage, the ones I’ve personally been thru have had no loss of life; with the exception of the Loma Prieta Earthquake..which I did not personally did not see. I’d like to see the ice break up in Alaska some time. I’ll pass on famines, but to see a waterspout, or experience the raw fury of a hurricane, it’s just simply awe inspiring!!!
*almost* no thunderstorms!
The other day here on the Upper Yukon we had a real doozy. Yep, lightning, thunder, and HAIL about 1/4″ in diameter that came down for at least 2-3 minutes. I was afraid the hail had damaged the plants outside, but guess it wasn’t big enough to do that.
But you’re right, they’re very few and far between.
Mag the Mick-don’t hate me because I’m hateable-the weather channel predicts rain for us for the next five days. I am trying to send this stuff your way,but Congressweasel Steve King is holding up my end by invoking the Mann Act. He thinks interstate transportation of anything means the clouds and rain will be shipped across state lines for immoral purposes. Yup,he is a Michelle Bachmann fancier and is b-s crazy. Hang in there,help really is on the way.
I knew there was someone to blame! If King doesn’t care for immoral purposes, might he be moved by immoral porpoises? I have one living in my bathtub right now, a legacy of the friendship between the Duke and one of the Cousteau boys.
But seriously – thanks for your good wishes.
You weren’t being serious before? Well,I’m hornswoggled by god as ever was.
I,for one,am glad you like thunderstorms, We seem to have plenty and they occur more often at night after the sun gets the temps in the upper nineties and then evening air cools down and the Titans clash with fantastic audio and video displays-volcanic vocalizations,so to speak. As I understand,farther South they have more daytime thunderstorms.
GRRR ……
Just did a Google News search for “Palin emails.” Almost every one said, “hey, she’s squeaky clean! Nothing to look at there. Good girl.”
One of them was written by Bill O’Reilly. I even registered just to be the first to reply:
O’REILLY: “The great Sarah Palin email hunt goes bust” —
MY REPLY —
“just a politician–???”
Good grief! Gimme a break.
She’s not even that right now. She’s just a grifter, taking money from her PAC donors and trying to convince them she’s doing something political.
AND she’s been a grifter since she left Alaska.
I give more credit to Bachmann. At least she’s a real legislator.
As for the “email hunt” —
Everyone in Alaska has pretty much known for the past two years that this “hunt” wouldn’t amount to anything. Why?
Because Alaska’s government is structured in such a way that anyone who would rule on ethics in the State are appointees of the governor – or mostly in this case, former governor. Done deal.
Those emails have had almost 3 years to get scubbed totally clean.
There’s about a month’s worth of emails missing from the beginning of her term. Where are they?
And MOST IMPORTANTLY, where are the emails she sent from her private accounts — all THREE accounts? Someone out there received those messages, and they are most likely employees of the State of Alaska.
The Alaska people — and most importantly, all Americans — deserve better than this.
how long before your reply gets” scrubbed “?????
Keep posting the note about the almost three years to scrub them clean, the gap, the private accounts, and don’t forget all the redacting. People need to know there’s a reason people aren’t finding much – and it isn’t because Palin’s all squeaky clean. If she had been, those emails would have shown up a whole lot faster.
Udder Genius. A tale about an Irish cow (not me). 🙂
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/udder-genius-daisy-cows-great-escape-132759524.html
What a great story and a delightful way to start my day! 🙂
Great story, Irishgirl. We have, although no one talks about it, transgender chickens. Yes. Some hens choose to imitate roosters, although they sound somewhat different, and don’t lay eggs. We love them and respect their cock-a-doodledooing as their choice, and don’t pray for them in any way, other than to keep them alive and clucking, God’s will, you know./ snark/ real chickens that imitate roosters.
/we have about 300 chickens, very few roosters, as when they come as a group of day-old babies, they’re supposed to be rooster-free and you may kill those which become ‘those that don’t lay eggs’ for your farm. We’re not good at that, so the claw-guys and noise-makers remain, and always have. Somehow we cope. Warm eggs from just under the hen are the best, and poulette eggs are so sweet. New Jersey Fresh.
Are you in luck or what? Michelle Bachmann’s husband has a practice that can relieve your confused chickens of their deviant lifestyle. If it works for confused humans,chickens ought to be a snap. Keep the vapo-rub handy for times when chickens discover other chickens taste like……..wait for it………chicken.
Reminds me of a joke: what did one lesbian frog say to another lesbian frog?
.
.
Ready?
.
.
.
Here it comes…….
.
.
.
.
Wow! It’s true! We really do taste like chicken!
That is the funniest joke I,ve heard in a long time. Muchas gracias.
Classic!
A very interesting read on HuffPo —
Japan Nuclear Crisis: Operator Of Damaged Plant Suspends Clean-Up Due To Rising Radiation Levels
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/17/japan-nuclear-crisis-tepco-suspends-clean-up_n_879654.html
I’ve looked at clouds from both sides now, from up and down and still somehow….
Like: Good one. beth.
…it’s clouds illusions i recall
i really don’t know clouds at all
with all that’s going on…
…it’s Life’s illusions I recall
I really don’t know Life at all….
i liked my clouds reference better : )
I like yours better too ! …just having a low day today… 🙂
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4_izLkNwrY&feature=related
We’re standing by you 🙂
or not… 🙂
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9mhsW5aWJM&feature=related
Yup. Not at all, at all, but very much at the same time…
ben, try cloud 9.. 🙂
Hey! You! Get offa my cloud!
Was your papa a rolling stone?
Wherever he’d hang his hat was his home.
Too funny! Papa was a rolling stone is playing the next street over at a neighbors party right now! LOL
Thanks Guys !! A humourous pick me up from all of you helps a lot ! 🙂
Thank you !!