Open Thread – Troll of the Week
Those of you who have been regular readers of The Mudflats are familiar with our occasional posting “Troll of the Week,” which admittedly is a little deceiving but sounds a lot better than “Troll of the Unspecified Amount of Time.” In these posts, we observe the occasional troll that comes wandering across the mudflats and ends up in our little arctic entry, usually thrashing around and making a nuisance of itself. My habit had been to simply fling the little creatures back into the mudflats, where they’d make a satisfying >splat< noise, and I’d be done with it. But then I thought it might be fun to use them as little educational tools, or scientific curiosities before dispatching them.
We’ve seen all sorts of the little buggers over the last few years. There’s the vitriolic troll, the concern troll, the spam troll, the virulent troll, the hand-wringing troll, the common mean-spirited humorless troll, and occasionally my favorite kind of troll – the irony troll. That’s the kind of troll that says things like, “your an idiot.”
Well I have to tell you, after all this time, and thousands of trolls, I really thought I’d seen it all. But tonight is a fairly historic night because I think we’ve actually discovered an entirely new species of troll. Now I know what it must feel like for those entymologists down in Costa Rica who happen across some sort of new beetle just crawling across the brim of their hat. I’m not even sure what the proper system of naming is for a new species, but it seems to me… pending review from the Troll Nomenclature Board of course – that this is a “pointless self-deprecating troll.” I know! Who knew there even was such a thing!
But here is his little plaintive, pathetic, curiosly weird self.
My name is [Name of Troll Redacted] and I live in Calgary, Alberta in Canada and I live myself like a total pig and slob. Actually I am to lazy to ever clean up after myself and for that reason most people say that I am the most useless and lazy little slob and total pig that they have ever met in life.
If you’re wondering, I did in fact check the troll’s location, wondering if it claimed to be a Canadian troll but really hailed from Indonesia, or India, or somewhere else. But no. It is in fact from Calgary. An honest troll, if inexplicable.
So that’s it. A little confessional moment with no spam attached, no linked website to the Russian maid service that now helps him control his slobdom. No political commentary, no Sarah Palin defensiveness, no calling anyone a ‘moran.’
So, let’s not fling this guy. We’ll just turn him around, pat him on the bottom, and scoot him out the door. He seems delicate. And it’s not every day you discover a new species!
Until next time, when who knows what will be banging on the door.
Does every troll HAVE to be fastidious too? (rolls eys)
Instead of “Troll of the Week”:
— Troll of the Occasion
— Troll Diversions
— Trolls for Fun
— Trolls to Put Upon
— Lock and Reload on Trolls {probably too Queen of Meanish}
Just some suggestions. YMVA and all that.
Now there’s your real WTF moment.
Sorry here is the link http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Homeless-couple-in-Green-Bay-wins-trip-to-Super-?urn=nfl-315407
Homeless couple in Green Bay wins trip to Super Bowl XLV
Just to add a little smile to someones face.
WEhy honor him he was no better nor worse than many others who are not honored in fact he put a lot of the crazies out on the streets.
RE: The Alaska Legislature’s proposal to honor the 100th birthday of Ronald Reagan: I propose that for 100 hours, every hour on the hour we read the names of 100 people that died of AIDS because that SoB could not even SAY the word AIDS for many many years . . and the band played on.
Don’t believe I’ve ever met a genuine Canadian for sure. Spent a lot of my years listening to music made by Canadians,especially the guys from Winnipeg,Manitoba,my all-time favorite band the “Guess Who”. I suppose Canada has its share of slobs,trolls,Conservatives and Liberals. Pretty much like everywhere else. I read somewhere that you can do things to people,for people and with people,but, you can’t do a damn thing about them. Works for me. Now if someone could tell me where to find Spring,I’ll be happy. I’m tired of Winter for now. Have a safe and happy February.
Not a huge surprise but take a look at how a Fox news editor tried to manipulate his network to call Obama a socialist:
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/02/fox-news-editor-pushed-emphasis-on-obama-socialism-ahead-of-2008-election.php?ref=fpb
Ya know I am so sick of the your a socialist remarks i try to not read comments on articles because sure enoughe ven if the story has nothing to do with the presidentsoe one is sure to bring him into the mix.numnuts can’t keep on point.
Well, everyone. I’m suffering weather wise right along with you. Got the window open, a nice 68 degree breeze, shoes off, feet up, and we’re BBQing crab legs for dinner (a special from the local fish market). 🙁 Dang. It’s just awful.
Actually, I miss the snow but am just as glad to be missing your latest storms. 🙂
Heavy sigh
Sadist :).
Winds are really picking up here in Chi-town with snow whipping around thinking it’s a hurricane or something. Of course my dog wants a go-see outside before I hunkerdown and go into hibernate … my ears are still prickly-cold after a short romp outside. Brrrrr.
Crab legs? I’ll bring the chardonnay! What time?
Right with ya until today. Now it’s a freezing 58. Brrrrrr!
“Team Up for Autism”
“Today, Samsung’s philanthropic arm, Hope for Children, and former NFL quarterback Dan Marino launched a new social media initiative, “Team Up for Autism.”
The online campaign will help raise awareness of autism and funds for research and treatment programs for children with autism.
All you have to do to help is share an infographic with your Facebook friends or tweet using the hashtag #teamautism. Each time someone shares or tweets with the prescribed content, Samsung has been donating $5 to the Dan Marino Foundation, which funds research and supports treatment programs that lead to autistic children, teens and young adults living independent lives.”……….
http://mashable.com/2011/02/01/samsung-dan-marino-autism-campaign/
So I saw something very odd Sunday. I witnessed a raven burying food in my arena. Has anyone ever seen this behavior? Is it normal to ravens? I have watched them my whole life and never seen that before.
Ravens and crows will “cache” or hide extra food like squirrels do. I’ve never seen them do it personally, only on nature programs. (If they think another bird saw them , they will move the food to another spot… or pretend to then go back and really hide it.)
A Murder of Crows: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/a-murder-of-crows/introduction/5838/
Hope link works. Enjoy! Caw Caw Caw..
Read the comments sections, the people who wrote their crow stories made me really adore these wonderful black birds even more.
I have always thought of them as the clowns of the bird world. We have several pairs in our tall trees that have babies every year. The funniest thing I saw was a male raven running after one of my hens. I was looking out the window behind my computer when the hen came shooting across left to right. The raven was hot on her tail and the rooster was behind him. They all exited stage right. Then the rooster shot across right to left followed by an angry raven. Shortly after, the hen strolled across. They all exited stage left. It was hilarious!
Ravens cache food for later retrieval, sometimes moving it to other locations. I used to think those brilliant corvids (ravens, crows, jackdaws) were the only birds who did so. No. When Harry (of beloved memory), my favorite starling and the Absolute Alpha of the Good Bird Breakfast Club was alive, he would take pieces of the peanut butter and jam on whole wheat sandwiches we fed them, and stash them under (other) windowsills (they eat on the windowsill in the WC). He was the only starling I ever observed who did this.
He used to follow me everywhere. I expected this while on foot, and sometimes thought he’d kept up with my bus. One day, during the worst blizzard to hit NYC until last Christmas, I took the 1st Av. bus from 9th Street to 79th Street (3-1/2 miles). When I got off the bus, I heard his distinct boo-WEE-up call, and looked out from under the umbrella. There he was, on the highest building, flapping his wings at me. When I acknowledged him (singing good BIRD in a high voice), he went bananas, and went into his full repertoire of “cool sounds.”
Had I not met the love of my life 6-1/2 years ago, I’d probably be in deep mourning. I still feed starlings, but there will never again be the equal of Harry.
There was a test of the corvids intelligence by hanging a treat off of a string off of a clothes line.
The corvid is smart enough to pull the string up with it’s bill and then put a foot on the sting to get another pull bringing the treat closer.
I also read that they have been observed robbing snowmachines by unzipping pouches containing food on the vehicle.
Thery’re not doing it not by smell but by watching the people reaching for snacks when the vehicles are stopped.
They have facial recognition and can tell the difference between the same person carrying a stick or a gun.
Truly remarkable birds.
Every morning I see the Breakfast Club meeting at the dumpster behind Pizza Hut. There must be 20 ravens there. I often wonder if ravens can get clogged arteries.
Blue jays are also corvids.
All jays are corvids.
Jay Ramras is not a corvid.
Chevy has produced corvids since the year I was born-1953. Late 50’s/early 60’s were the best corvids ever. British Navy has a specific type of battleship called a corvid. They are grey,not black. ps I have a groundhog named Kenneth,for my late Father-in-law, living under my East porch. It is around 10 below zero and I’m not gonna wake him/her up for a seasonal prediction. At least not until the temp goes up and the snow goes away.
“Machine that converts plastic to oil fuels Bernie Karl’s big dreams”
“It sounds like a science-fiction solution to many of the world’s energy problems — a device that can convert plastic back into liquid fuel.
Local businessman Bernie Karl thinks the concept might not be that far-fetched. The owner of K&K Recycling and Chena Hot Springs Resort spent Friday morning watching it happen in a back room of his Richardson Highway office.
While insisting his newly purchased Blest plastic-to-oil machine is “no silver bullet,” Karl believes it could play a significant role keeping plastic out of landfills while contributing relatively inexpensive fuel to Alaskans.”……..
http://www.newsminer.com/view/full_story/11197906/article-Machine-that-converts-plastic-to-oil-fuels-Bernie-Karl-s-big-dreams?instance=home_lead_story
Thanks scout good article. The hot springs up there always gives me a laugh. So much heat in a very cold place.
ka thud! (boot meeting butt) splat! (butt meeting mudflat)
A Canadian soap dodger? Who knew?!
A “pointless self-deprecating troll”, AKM, you are a gift.
i’m thinking this troll might be looking for some help – hitting all the blogs with the word “mud” in them perhaps? oh well.
Here’s some positive economic news about the US from…Australia.
http://politico-junkie.blogspot.com/2011/02/australia-business-back-obamas-economic.html
I hope all those GOPers who are screaming for small business and screeching against good government (temporarily, without causing bodily harm) choke on her (oops did I write “her”)…I mean “their” donunts.
oops again…”donuts”
Ah, poor little troll. Here’s hoping it finds its way to a cleaner, happier existence. AKM was right to set it free. Good karma, that.
Snow is falling in sheer curtains, gradually thickening to make it more difficult to see across the street. Thank goodness it is the light, fine flakes so our power is more likely to stay on because the winds will be picking up later. We had light icing last night so we are grateful not to have those heavier, juicier (though thoroughly gorgeous) flakes that might have weighed-down our power lines. We are told now that the total accumulation should be under 12 inches. We’ll see.
Hope everyone is safe, warm and happy. Stay healthy/
Sorry, those cute little trolls remind me of Gremlins and the adorable creatures from Galaxy Quest
( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1YFNGuJAo&feature=related ). They’re adorable poor little tr0lls until they eat your face off. No pity for pitiful tr0lls.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1kYFNGuJAo&feature=related
Fortunately, being that it’s February the first and all, there is a new and interesting possible GOP contender to scrutinize. In a twist from other GOP potential nominees, this one is described as “But he is also savvy, serious, smart, and sane.” Lots of articles about him are out there. This is from one of them:
“The scion and namesake of the billionaire businessman whose firm invented the clamshell container for the Big Mac, Huntsman is a 50-year-old Mormon with seven children who served in the Reagan and both Bush administrations before being elected governor in 2004. Aggressively pro-business, he cut taxes, reorganized services, and earned plaudits for turning Utah (according to the Pew Center on the States’ Government Performance Project) into the best-managed state in the country. In 2008, he won reelection with 78 percent of the vote and, in the wake of Obama’s victory that fall, began arguing that the GOP had to improve its standing with young voters by softening its stances on same-sex issues, climate change, and immigration or risk electoral irrelevance.”
http://nymag.com/print/?/news/politics/powergrid/70478/
Though his green and gay stances are encouraging, Huntsman’s anti-choice and slash-taxes mentality is unacceptable to me.
I cannot understand how anyone can believe that continual tax cutting is good for a growing population. We have to provide a minimum threshold of basic services such as infrastructure and protective services (from police, fire, judicial, emergency providers, systems for delivery of water, electricity, natural gas, roads, lighting, and all the rest). How do these less-government-fools think a quality society can exist without these basics?
Plus, why any woman (or man for that matter) wants a government making decisions about reproductive rights is beyond me. It is the ultimate intrusion of the individual aside from controlling one’s thoughts.
But remember, if you campaign on slashing taxes using the Paul Ryan Method, you only slash taxes on the very wealthiest but RAISE taxes on the poor and middle class to make up the difference.
They just forget to mention that last part when they’re actually talking to the poor and middle class who will have to pay for it all. “Oops, silly me, didn’t I tell you folks about that part???”
Huntsman is the only decent one they have.The rest are all gestpo like or like Huckleberry(I like calling him tha) a dunce.
Black History Month.
A much better use of our time than watching Ex govs. Take a quiz.
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2011/0201/Black-History-Month-quiz-Jackie-Robinson-s-secret-contract-and-more/Alex-Haley
Winter temps are brutal this week in E MT – last night we had wind chills of 50 below.
Today:
High: -10
Sunny. Highs around 10 below. Southwest winds around 10 mph. Wind chill readings 35 below to 45 below zero in the morning.
Yikes. Stay warm and safe. (wind chills of 50 below… brutal.)
Glad I don’t live there it’s cold and snowing enought here
A character named “The Troll of an Unspecified Amount of Time” should have had a cameo in the Lord of the Rings movies. (He wouldn’t have been in the books because Tolkien was a purist.)
A self-deprecating Troll? How absurd! Obviously this troll did not go to troll school.
This poor little troll reminded me of the little creature in one of the Harry Potter movies. I think his name was Dooby (?) He would beat himself up if he thought he had displeased “Master.” Harry gave him his freedom by giving him a pair of socks. He was gruesome but priceless. Kinda like the little creature in Lord of the Rings who just wanted his “Precious.”
Trolls do come in all sizes & shapes and sometimes they come in and ingratiate themselves as friends. But when one slips up & calls a friend an Alinsky Troll, the jig is usually up.
Love the post AKM!
Dobby. Although I like the concept of an assistant named Doobie.
This troll is more like Winky than Dobby. Dobby had a pretty strong character and sense of purpose. Winky was lost without her master telling her what to do.
How about this scene from the amazing movie Galaxy Quest: (look at the 1:40 and 2:o7 mark)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1kYFNGuJAo&feature=related
For those of you have not already done so…take a look at last night’s Daily Show (31 January). The second segment is great!
Here’s a link on Huffpo:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/01/stewart-palin-russian-spy_n_816764.html
That struck me as almost perfection. No one has turned the tables on her so completely. Took me a while to stop laughing.
Me to put it on face book Though it was really funny and the point was well said. Love Jon
Thanks, I needed a laugh today, and that did it for me.
“Hey, squirrel…RUN.”
The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show was spot on! Jon stewart goes without saying as usual.
Thanks for the link – that was fantastic. And you’re right, it was perfect.
“The irony troll- that’s the kind of tr0ll that says things like, ‘your an idiot’.” 🙂 the irony trolls always put a smile on my face. It’s like having a pet with with a depth/distance problem that always bumps into the furniture and makes you say “aw, you poor thing.”
Is it possible “self-deprecating troll” is in a “recovering troll halfway-house” at an undisclosed location in Canada? Poor thing. Though I would still squash it like a spider if I saw it crawling around in my abode. Insects (and intellectual insects) mostly creep me out, especially the ones that will bite you when sleeping. (like spiders! I woke up one morning with a huge blister on my thigh and the resultant red mark took a good year and a half to disappear.)
If undiscovered troll-breeds came out of the Galapolos Islands or were recently found to be cohabitating with the Indian tribe “untouched” by civilization in the remote Brazillian jungles of the Amazon, I would still gently squash ’em for having no evolutionary reason to exist. Just a general nuisance-parastic-blob. Or I would feed ’em KFC, Taco Bell and coca-cola with redbull chasers from their corporate creators until their livers give out. What? that’s not humane?
Oh dear! Somehow I have an image of Pigpen, maybe with with Linus’ blanket…….?
and just one “with.”
I had the same image…shuffling along with a little cloud of dust trailing behind!
Ya got that right
Very bewildering. A cry for help? Don’t know what help s/he would expect to get from a political site. At least s/he is at the first step towards change – recognizing a problem. While I agree about turning him/her around gently, I’m not sure about the patting on the bottom part.
Happy February 1st everyone! Spring is a little closer at hand, yeah! Glad to see you back commenting regularly TCW. Hope you continue to be on the mend.
The poor little noodge has an odd way of reaching out in to the world. He also bashed himself over on a baseball discussion thread . He says :
*** … and I live in Calgary, Alberta in Canada and I am not that smart in the first place as basically I am considered a major league idiot. ***
Awaiting the storm that everyone else is also bracing for. Flashlights and candles are ready, phones have been charged, made a pot of soup last night and the wine is in the fridge. Heading out for the “bread, milk and cheese” run. I’m set !
Stay warm and safe, everyone !
Awaiting the storm here in Chicago too and also… thank jeebus I have a yard to let my beautiful shep/husky out so I don’t get lost in a blizzard trying to walk her!
Got organic chicken to make big pot of chicken soup… can’t wait.
Here in Colorado, temp. -14 with wind chill, -34! But only 2 inches of snow. Good luck with the dog, mine refused to go out and instead left a little present in the kitchen for me! I can’t balme her, she doesn’t have shoes.
It is blowing like crazy out there My nephew just came home,he has four wheel drive and he said he had to stop every half mile or so because of white out conditions. My Daughter made it the 10 miles to work.she works 3rd shift and the store never shuts down (Quick trip)we have a fenced in area for the dogs but it is so drifted now it covers them .Son-in-laws(ex ) car is almost covered because of drifting.My nephew snowbloed the drive about 3 this afternoon. Wondering if he will be able to get to work tomarrow or if my daughter will make it home? I would hope they would let them stay if it is still bad.The school called this afternoon and said there would be no school Wednesday.
What you’re all going through reminds me of a nasty blizzard we had once in Lawrence when I was in college. I had a 9 am class with required attendance – yes, in college. We were using the book the professor was writing and all the information was in his hand-outs and lectures. Great class, but that was an awful day. I walked down the hill in the blinding snow and couldn’t tell where I was. I felt like Laura Ingalls when her mother tried to go from the house to the barn and only made it with a rope tied between the two. Alas, I had no rope. The snow was so wet that I was soaked through by the time I got to class – there were only 7 or 8 of us out of the 30. And by the time I got back to the dorm, the governor had declared a state of emergency and closed all the schools in the region.
It sounds like people are really prepared for this storm. Stay safe and warm at home after you stock up.
Pat – What dedication and oomph ! Hope your final grade in that class reflected extra credit for tenacity and ambition! I remember a few nasty treks across campus, trying to force my ( at the time ) 90 lb self through oncoming 45 mph winter gales. But my driving inspiration had less to do with scholastic goals and more to do with a mad crush I had on someone in my psych class. ReSpeCT to you !
I went to a college that had the dorms and parking lots on one side of a 6 lane road and the academic buildings on the other. There was a pedestrian bridge over the road but the entrance was between two sections of the Student Center on one end and two sections of the library on the other. All of that created a lovely wind tunnel that just about swept you off your feet, even on relatively calm days.
As an art major, I carried my art box (like a tackle box) and a large portfolio with me on most days. Boy, that puppy was better than any sail on any boat I’ve ever seen! It wasn’t too bad if I was walking WITH the wind, but trying to walk back into the wind with the portfolio slowed me down to a crawl. Because the art box was usually pretty heavy and bulky, I couldn’t even use my other hand to steady the portfolio. I sure must have been a sight to see trying to cross campus!
I went to graduate school in Lawrence (1965-1969 with a year out in Paris). While I was in Kansas, there were never any serious snowstorms, but I remember some very hot days and scary thunderstorms. In fact i flew home to Pennsylvania the day before the terrible tornado in Topeka (1966 I think). When I arrived in Lawrence I thought the hill was Mount Dread; learned that it was Mount Oread soon enough. Also my office desk (I was a teaching assistant) was in the southeast corner of the room. My sense of direction is so poor that I had to wait until the other three assistants had found their desks before I could claim mine. (Coming from the East Coast I was always better with left and right than compass directions.) It’s funny thinking back to those days – so long ago.
I still am much better with left and right.That’s how I give directions East is the only way I can point to cause it’s by the lake.I always tell people who give me directions to say left or right not n.e.s.or w. That turns me around and I get lost.
Uh, when you give him that pat on the bottom, make sure you sterilize your hand afterward.
Fellow mudflatters, I humbly suggest that we respond to this messy Canadian with kindness and support. We can’t know what prompted that confessional submission, and it is indeed an odd thing to post on an Alaskan political blog, but hey, let’s give ’em the benefit of the doubt. Let’s assume it was sent sincerely.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9xyIGCp7ss&feature=related
In that spirit, here’s my advice to you, Messy Canadian: take it one tiny babystep at a time. Take one teeny area of your space, and one messy habit, and clean it up today. Focus on that cleaned-up spot when you need something to cheer you. Tomorrow, make sure that spot is still clean, and then add another manageable increment. *You can do this.*
I’ll bet it has been a long, bleak winter in Calgary, but Spring is coming. Hang in there.
With gentle good wishes to everyone . . . stay warm and safe in this next storm, Mudflatters.
Perfect!
I take back my hobgoblin comment above and consider myself appropriately chastised! Thank you!
This is so typical…in the before it before against it mentality of today’s politics: How the GOP was enthusiastically for the health care mandate before they were against it:
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2011_01/027584.php
Sounds like someone’s 30 yo son who is still residing in the basement, eating pizza, drinking beer and mooching. The kind who don’t even play RPG’s with friends (or family).
I hope I’m wrong. Let’s hope this person is merely a slob, not a hoarder in danger of losing the home or their life.
I vote for a gnome, not a goblin. Gnomes may finally have been given monster status in one of the more recent D&D updates, but they’re not nearly as scary as goblins.
“I’m a monster! GWarrr!” (Holds up badger minion)
“Sounds like someone’s 30 yo son who is still residing in the basement, eating pizza, drinking beer and mooching. The kind who don’t even play RPG’s with friends (or family).”
Oh, you mean the mayor of Calgary.
Bless its messy little heart…
Expecting “severe weather” later today…monster thunderstorms, apparently, but no snow…possibility of some icing later…
Meanwhile, over in Tallahassee, Governor Crook and company are making plans for, er, Against, public education. This from Mother Jones:
http://motherjones.com/politics/2010/12/rick-scott-florida-education-jeb-bush
and for teachers, librarians, and the folks who love us, this from EdVoices:
http://www.edvoices.com/blog/2011/01/28/no-teacher-is-an-island-why-teacher-education-and-experience-matter/
L’Shalom,
thatcrowwoman
These are for you, Crowwoman!
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Publications/ZooGoer/2001/3/reviledcrowclan.cfm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcxK8JTKwEg
{{{{{Dagian}}}}}
Bless EdVoices!
Sigh…
When they can figure out how to make all children turn out with the exact same skills and abilities, like machine parts off an assembly line, THEN they can talk to me about implementing some of the newest and ‘greatest’ education programs that come from the corporate world and ignore the decades of experience that teachers have accumulated..
We had a charter school in my city that was closed a few years ago because 100% of their students passed the state test. That seemed mighty suspicious to everyone who heard it, so there was an investigation. Turns out, some folks from that school (don’t remember if it was teachers or administration or both) graded the test and told the kids which questions to ‘review’, strongly encouraging them to change their answers after the fact (which they are NOT permitted to do). They repeated the process until the student finally picked the correct answer, and then they submitted the scores.
There is so little oversight with charter schools that the opportunities for corruption are endless and it often goes unchecked for years. It also seems a tad coincidental that the people who are pushing so hard for these so-called reforms are poised to profit significantly from their implementation. Kinda like the donation that Barbara Bush made to the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund and specified that it had to be spent on educational software from a company that belonged to her son.
Bless his/her precious little heart. AKM, you are too funny.
Ahhhhhhh . . . .
Now would this poor commenter really be considered a troll?
How about a goblin?
… a hobgoblin?… hobblin’ right along?… Just a thought.
He actually sounds a little like Gurgi. Going on about all of his ailings and flailings.
Entymologist? One who studies the origin of names of insects?
Exactly!
Beat me to it. Anyone else remember the radio show, Schickele Mix – “Etymology can be fun – if you can remember if it’s about words or insects.” I miss those reruns, even!
I’ve heard the quote before but didn’t know it came from a radio show.
Ah, the poor little guy. Makes up for the other ones, I guess.
It’s not exactly warm here, but certainly warmer that a lot of the country. But when I looked out my kitchen window this afternoon I spotted some iris coming up. They won’t bloom till summer, but they start growing now in their valient attempt to take over the back yard. I love ’em, but every year hubby threatens to dig them all up because they crowd his grass. Hmph, you’d think he’d be happy he has less grass to mow.
Loving your iris from afar!
Completed eradication of lawn in favor of flower and veggie beds a few years ago- am loving it!
Wishing your hubby all the best but rooting for the iris to win! 🙂
So am I. I love them and they are much prettier than the grass – though it is lovely. I did, however, give in on the pansies and we don’t have them anymore. They were popping up everywhere because of the birds helping them to repopulate. But I still like them. We also have grape hyacinths that grow like weeds. Even in places where I have tried to control them, it doesn’t work. But I figure they look a whole lot better than the weeds and several varieties of dandelions.
I love pansies and wish I could get he hyacinths to grow that good that I had to worry about them.My dad had crocus and tulips but when we remodeled and added a garage and driveway they were all covered up.We have iris growing on the lot line.Don’t know who they belong to.Havent seen them flower in a few years though.
Chamomile lawns!
What is it with men and their lawns?
LOL! Maybe extended person grooming. Hey, if it’s easy on the eyes, I’m all for it.
if you can’t mow it and be done with it, it’s a weed….
I am rooting for the iris as well! more hoein’ less mowin’!
Bless his heart. Maybe we should host an intervention and clean-up meet-up at his/her house?
Blizzard warning around here today. Oh, frabjous joy. Guess that squelches my plan of poking around the place looking for crocus and daffs.
I have my first laugh of the morning. I read your post as having a Buzzard warning. Now, I live in the country and am quite familiar with buzzards so I was wondering what a buzzard warning was. Thought maybe Scara (oops, it is Feb 1) was coming for a visit. And I couldn’t figure what they had to do with crocus and daffs. Guess I had better go for that second cup of coffee. We have been fortunate enough to miss the bad weather this time.
In Rockville, MD there is a HUGE rookery that appears annually for the autumn and winter and sets up shop on Rockville Pike. Really torques the residents. But this has been going on for MANY more years than can be easily remembered, back when this was farm country.
So the crows come and stay. The residents pout and whine. Their children learn that it’s called a murder of crows and hassle their parents.
Hopefully people who care about paint jobs remember to cover up their cars.
Montgomery Donuts may be gone (*heaves sigh*) from Gude Drive, but the rookery remains!
LOL, I remember bugging my mom about that when I was little. I live in Baltimore but my mom and sister are photography buffs and love driving down to Rockville for pictures in the fall and I’d always correct them when they would call them a flock of crows. To this day they still refuse to call them a murder of crows and give me nasty looks when I correct them.
Learn something new every day here. I alwayas called them a flock also never heard of them being called a murder of crows. LOL Kind of funny when ya think about it.
I, myself observed said crow gathering when in Rockville a few months ago.
I’m rather fond of the species so was honored at their greetings.
Fed my crows this morning before storm hit. I love my family of crows, around 11 but 4 to 6 daily. (calling them murder of crows is a bit much for me, btw, most researcher/scientists who study crows usually call them a flock or family between themselves. )
Crows and ravens are such amazing birds. ( I ask them not to poop on my deck, and so far so good.) Where they roost in snowy foul weather I have no idea but always wish them warm thoughts.
The ravens in my part of Alaska spend their days down in the forested lands and in town — they’re expert trash pickers — but they spend their nights high in the mountains above treeline. One spring evening in the Independence Mine area I watched 37 ravens, one by one, flying in along the ridgeline to roost in the rocks high above me.
Every winter, the city of Auburn, about 25 miles southwest of Syracuse in Western NY, get invaded by tens of thousand of crows that spend the season. They far outnumber the residents and leave the streets, sidewalks, buildings and unlucky people covered in droppings. Nobody can figure out exactly why they all come there for the winter, but it’s been going on for at least 100 years. In the winter of 2005, biologists counted 63,000 birds.
Wildlife experts have tried all sorts of things to discourage them, but they’re so smart that they soon realize that they’re safe and return to their favorite trees.
I’ve driven through there at dusk several times and it’s really creepy to see these enormous swirling black clouds coming towards the center of town and landing in the trees!
One would think “wildlife experts” would not discourage the crows from roosting in their ancestral lands. Ecology and paint-jobs don’t usually mix. I’m just guessing humans are the interlopers here, there and almost everywhere.
The black clouds of crows covering the skies there are just an ink dot of what our world has lost in birds’ habitats, migrating and roosting patterns. Bird poop is a small price to pay for the continuation of our feathered brothers and sisters. They are the “canaries in the coal mines”.. when they go, we humans concerned about bird poo are soon to follow.
Dagian, when I ride my motorcycle across Alaska and the Yukon Territories I have a game to keep myself attentive: I count the ravens – seven ravens makes a guild.
I do know that seven crows is a murder but our ravens are so big they are actually called “Arctic Turkeys” in Whitehorse, YT. The most guilds I’ve counted in one trip is 31. This is important because Ravens don’t hang out in Anchorage much in the Spring and Summer – there are two main tribes here in the Fall and Winter (tribe is the name the wildlife folks use for the Ravens).
Your story of the Rockville Rookery brings back good memories for getting through this endless wait for Spring in Anchorage, so Thank You.
Do they have many bridges in Calgary? Cast him back under the one from which he sprang!
what is a troll in this context?