Open Thread – Likin’ the Lichen
The snow is melted from the lower elevations of my little valley, but it’s that strange inbetween time. There is still a hard frost at night, but days are getting increasingly sunny and warm. And we’re still waiting for the emergence of any kind of significant green things from the ground and on the trees.
But, you can always count on the lichen. Once the snow is gone, all the fallen trees and stumps reveal their secrets. Somehow through the dark cold winter, all this miraculousness survives. And in the spring, out pop mosses and lichens, and fairy cups and fungi, and all sorts of interesting tiny things. You often have to stoop down to see them, and really make an effort, but it’s so worth it.
Later in the summer, all this will be overshadowed (literally) by tall grasses and wildflowers and leafy trees. But right now, in mid-May, the stage is all theirs.
http://www.readersupportednews.org/off-site-opinion-section/72-72/5900-gingrich-enters-gop-freak-show
This is Matt Taibbi’s take on the GOP hopefuls-for-president lineup. It’s an insult to Tod Browning’s “Freaks,” but otherwise excellent.
Mag-As soon as I can find some tis-win I will be there and we can drink and commune with the Great Spirits and bring down the wrath of Apache and/or Navajo gods on the evil ones.
One member of the five person regulator board of the FCC that voted to allow Comcast to merge with NBC,is leaving the FCC for a job with NBC/Comcast. She is one of two rethug regulators on the FCC board.
And I’ll tell you the story about Coyote and his invention of tiswin and how it changed things pretty significantly.
Would that coyote be named the “trickster”?
He’s one of many!
Standing back and taking the long view of current events.
http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/editors-blog
I hadn’t known anything about the rapper called Common until the grizzled rabid faux political pundit Pay-me-to-lie-and–spew-venom Palin weighed in…but I do now. Once again the Fox crowd has gone around the bend on another vile assertion about someone who has done more for the betterment of society than any of the Fox crowd could even dream of doing.
http://music-mix.ew.com/2011/05/11/common-white-house-fox-news/
If you didn’t see Jon Stuart last night, you’ve got to watch this. He nailed it, as usual, with precision and humor:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/12/jon-stewart-fox-news-common-outrage_n_860956.html
Thanks for that. I’ll watch asap!
That was great!
If you are in Anchorage Thursday afternoon (tomorrow) there’s a chance to see Mr. Whitekeys at his old stomping grounds on Spenard. Formerly the Fly By Night club, now the Taproot. Whitekeys is appearing on the panel of Shannyn Moore’s taping of “Moore Up North.” 5:30 to approx 7:00 p.m. Bring a can of Spam.
See the complete lineup at Shannyn’s site, http://shannynmoore.wordpress.com/
Alas, Slipstream hisownself has a schedule conflict. Funny how you never see Whitekeys and Slipstream at the same time.
I think I know where this is going……..
ah hah!!! lessee. tall Slip= tall Mr. Whitekeys. talented Mr. Whitekeys=talented Slip. handsome Slip= handsome Mr. Whitekey.
i think i might be on to something. a clue. a thought…. Hmmm.
oh well. it’ ll come to me ’cause i got a mind like a steel trap.
Ooh! Now I am beginning to associate certain funny things Slipstream has come up with to another old Alaska comedian. My very best wishes to Slipstream and Mister Whitekeys!
You calling me old, Mag?
Now Whitekeys . . . he is ancient.
So last night I was browsing the documentaries on Netflix. I’ve been watching a lot of those lately like Ken Burns Baseball and stuff on national parks. I came across one called Building Alaska from 2005. I was going to add it to my instant queue but then I checked the cast. Good thing I did, otherwise I would have to listen and watch SP. So now I will have to get my Alaska fix from here until I find another documentary 🙂
watching a piece by Rachael Maddow, followed by an Ad for the oil companies….. found it Ironic as the piece by RM was about the cutting tax breaks/subsidies for the oil companies……. 🙂
also a bit about how Republican party nut jobs have forced many moderates out/away…in effect, the candidates for Pres have take a hard right wing stance, as those remaining are the Christian Evangalical Right….. It’s not Herbert Hoover or Abe Lincoln’s party anymore !!
Sad to hear of your victimization Mag the Mick, never nice when that kind of thing happens. I hope you can recover the more cherished pieces. Very disturbing that.
I always liked the way David Attenborough pronounced the word Lichen, lich everything in the natural world he had a certain reverence for its niche in the overall scheme of things. It is ancient stuff, a symbiont, two organisms living in cooperation, an algae and a fungi. The fungi provides then neccesary root like threads and acids to dissolve solid rock and anchor to it tenaciously. The dissolved rock provides nutrients to the algae that allow them to build up their colonies and photosynthesize compounds that feed the fungi. They are remarkable in their diversity as well, many many different orders geni and species. They can endure the most extreme conditions of cold and dryness. Certain species can live in glacial ice.
We should not, however, overlook the incredible multitudes of microscopic, sub-visible organisms that populate every corner of our planet. We tend to think of bacteria as being “bad”, but the fact is we could not survive ourselves without them. The list is endless, we do not know, we are not even close to knowing the total diversity of life on this little world which is our only refuge from the deep cold and harsh radiation of everything a hundred miles above our heads.
Over the past two or three decades sophisticated satellites has found compelling evidence that of all the stars we see at night (and those are only a tiny fraction to the whole) virtually everyone probably has some sort of planetary system. Yet we cannot now and may not ever in the future, predict whether there is any single world similar enough to our own to have developed life similar to that which we know here. Whether we aspire to and eventually obtain such knowledge depends on the duration of our future. Over that same span of time we have also learned that the very existence of nearly 7 billion human beings is beginning to threaten the seemingly invulnerable ecosystem which we enjoy. In fact, for all we know, we might have already passed the point where we have harmed its delicate balance to a degree we cannot undo. At least with respect to sustaining the continuation of our own species. And many thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of others.
It is well to be aware of the lichens, because they are not aware of us.
Hmmm . . . the lichen on the rock outside my window . . . are they watching me?
Did I say they were?
No, you didn’t say they were. But they are always there . . . patient . . . unmoving . . . I think they’re watching me!
yes. they are watching and listening Slip. i, myself, and me have been aware of them for quite some time now. them bacteria too also. they are watching and waiting ready to wage war against our species.
don’t worry Slip. i got a plan to save us.
Yaaaayyy! Bubbles is going to save us!
bubbles – I am waiting with baited breath to hear your plan. Please, please elaborate it here.
Just to make it perfectly clear in case the context has been blurred too much, I am only trying to add to your snarky reply.
I kind of have the impression slipsream has stuck his foot in the creek and got carried away.
The Florida legislature may have just put a serious cramp in Spring Break and tourism, not to mention turning Florida residents into criminals. No more honeymooning in the Sunshine State!
The obsession that the Republicans seem to have with anything related to s@xual activity or body parts may have inadvertently caused them a bit of a legal problem. Apparently, they have been so focused on passing legislation outlawing b@stiality (who knew that was SUCH a problem in Florida?) that no one analyzed the wording thoroughly.
“A person may not:
(a) Knowingly engage in any s@xual conduct or s@xual contact with an animal”
Guess they forgot that human beings are considered animals too. Oops! 😀
I think their real plan is to cut down on state expenses by eliminating the need for public school teachers, juvenile detention centers, emergency room births, and state family welfare. They’re forgetting the income for local businesses in areas such as “Best Grandmother” bumper stickers and all those T-shirts grandparents buy their grandchildren. And the Disney Family Cruises and Disneyworld just aren’t going to be the same, are they!
I think the government can come up with ways to cut spending without hurting local businesses. Come on, guys! You can do it! Knuckle down and come up with a better plan. Perhaps something like processing all the rodents municipalities catch for welfare families and school lunches. Cuts food costs and provides some local jobs, too! 🙂
ok, OT since it’s not about lichens, but this is funny:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/11/floridas-bestiality-law_n_860836.html#s277668&title=Fak
Be sure to read the Twitters 😉
Guess we have the same sense of humor and find this highly amusing! I just posted the same thing!
Mag, I’m so sorry to hear that. (((HUGS)))
Mag I send you warm vibes and best wishes your way!!!!
Mag the mick @ 17
So sorry about the robbery. I have a Zuni braclet that my mother bought for me when I was only 17 years old, and I would be very upset if someone stole it from me. Hopefully you will find out who took your property and get slam-dunked for the crime.
Since you were robbed during the time you were at work, it sounds like this was done by a person or persons who are young—no job—-time on their hands.
Could it be that the computer can be traced—-if used ?
Good Luck in finding your possessions!
Wow…just wow…
Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour told the people living in low-lying areas of the state to leave and informed them that the state would NOT assist them with evacuating when the area flooded with water from the Mississippi River. Apparently, they should just all help each other and not bother him because he’s MUCH too busy moving the furniture out of his lake house.
http://thinkprogress.org/2011/05/11/haley-barbour-on-your-own/#disqus_thread
I do wonder about people who choose to live on a flood plain and I know the poor rent what no one else wants, but still maybe we should make riverbanks parks instead of building housing.
My house was broken into yesterday while I was at work, and I wuz robbed. I’m past feeling violated and am well into the “good and pissed off” phase. They took my computer, which means I’ll be accessiing the Flats via the library computer until the insurance claim comes through. They also took all my jewelry, including many Navajo, Zuni and Hopi pieces I’d been collecting for the last 40 years, including several items I will never be able to replace. As this is a relatively small area w. limited pawn shops, there’s a chance I might see some of it again, though I’m not real hopeful. I welcome any and all good wishes, prayers, or good vibes sent my way.
I am so sorry! Don’t forget to watch eBay.
(((Mag)))!!!
“I welcome any and all good wishes, prayers, or good vibes sent my way.”
Done. And some virtual hugs too! {{Mag}}
Mag. i am so sorry.
Mag, good wishes and vibes coming your way, I’m so sorry.
{{{{{{{{{{{ Mag }}}}}}}}}}} Remember, to paraphrase Ntozake Shange (nee Paulette Williams): stealing my stuff doesn’t make it yours, it makes it STOLEN. I hope you recover some of your Native pieces.
{{{{{Mag}}}}}
So sorry for your loss of privacy and all your cherished items.May Karma be a bitch for the bad ones.
((Mag the Mick)) May Bad Karma visit those who robbed you. Especially the chindi…
Thanks everybody! CO – I appreciate the chindi reference! The good lesson I got from this is that friends (even friends I’ve never met in person) are a lot more important than “stuff”. And that one can’t move on if one gets too hung up on losses. And that “stuff” comes and goes, but I’m still here. (Okay, that’s three things.)
Obladi, obladah, life goes on. Or so the Duke used to sing to me…
Nice recap:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mitchell-bard/its-been-a-bad-week-for-g_b_859023.html
Yet another reminder as to why it’s become immoral to vote Republican.
I love this picture.
Also, I just got back from picking up the puppy I’m sitting over the next week… the cats are NOT happy. He’s a German Shepherd, 3.5 months old… extremely curious. The cats are plotting his murder as I write this. I suspect the crate will be his best friend when I’m not at home!
chortle! don’t be surprised to come home and find the CATS in the crate, and himself sitting outside it guarding them ! Shepards are such COOL dogs !!
God not obsessed with money!
OK……Catholic God.
http://thinkprogress.org/2011/05/11/catholic-scholars-letter-boehner/
Jennifer Rubin takes on Green:
“But one can’t really call it a “tragedy” as Green does. She’s attained fame and fortune and she has as loyal a following as any popular figure. But she made a choice — to bear grudges, to forgo serious policy study, to reject the advice of all but a handful of advisers. It is a shame for those who saw a star-quality and enviable political talent. But tragedy? No. She simply chose a different path. ”
You can read her entire column at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/post/what-went-wrong-with-palin/2011/03/29/AFxukFqG_blog.html
As far as I’m concerned, Rubin gave too much credence to Green’s absurd assumptions about Palin.
Love the lichen. Don’t have much of that going on here, but my tomato plants are about 4′ tall and have several 2″ tomatoes on them. I also, too, have some teeny weeny peppers. Had some radishes last night and peas will soon be here.
Hope to hit the slopes this next weekend, but I fear I shall not get in any more skiing this year.
“miraculousness” ! What a great word and concept for that tiny world. Thanx
Great picture! Most of our lichen are still buried under record snowfall in the Rockies- down here we’ve had drought, but today is rainy, and it’s trying to snow. The doggies are depressed, but the lawn and garden are cheering 😉
Happy spring, everyone…
Lawrence O Donnell lets his Atlantic guest, Joshua Green, state that Palin was an “up and coming Republican legislator” before running for governor.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3096434/#42982373
That was disgusting. Joshua Green seems to have fallen for the fraud.
Yes, and quite curious that it came out on 10 May. I think he’s wrong about how taxing the oil companies is not really taxing the private sector, but I’ll let people up there that know more than I do, address that topic. Green tried very hard to say that “no, she didn’t raise taxes”, and the whole part about her trying to get independent democrats to go along with it…the way I heard it was that the plan had always been proposed by dems but overridden by republicans. And, the way he said “independent democrats” as though just plain old democrats did not vote for the tax raise? I’ve never heard of that guy before, but to me it was a tossup as to who knew less, Odonnell or Green. I have NEVER heard of Palin being a legislator, “up and coming” or otherwise.
Luckily Andrews Sullivan is on the case with today’s post:
http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2011/05/the-comedy-of-sarah-palin.html
Wow. That’s supposed to be a picture of Sarah? I looked at it and thought, “What’s wrong with this?” Then, it hit me. No, not the halo; her hair is clean! Yes, you all know that I perseverate on this point. You probably think I wash my hair 10-12 times a day. But this picture of her with clean, combed hair really makes a difference. Whoa!
Oh, and the halo sure is flattering, too.
Gotta go. Time to wash my hair. 😉
Check out the story behind the painting, and a similar set the artist did on Obama. 3 of 6 of Obama with back turned. http://www.joemcginniss.net/that-amazing-robert-hunt-illustration-atop-the-atlantics-palin-story/Joe%20McGinniss
Thank you both for those links. Whoof. [sometimes my dog speaks for me]
Andrew Breitbart did it again! Slimeball. Really. Here is a link to the article in this morning’s St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
http://tinyurl.com/3f6lhn5
Here is a link to the doctored video that was placed on Push Back Now (gag). The link is to YouTube so we don’t up PBN’s site count.
http://tinyurl.com/5rgwpkt
Somebody needs to give this crudhead a very stern talking-to.
Love lichen and love you, sweetiepie. That’s my girl. Sunday held it’s own heartache for me, but I thought about you; the first year is so hard. You’re a brave and courageous woman with lots of kindness and dignity; an admirable combination. Always checking in…
(((MinNJ))) glad to see you!
Have a look at the shameful Republican candidates:
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20061623-503544.html
The author got the piece about Palin wrong in saying that she has maintained her political stand on just about everything. Did they not know that she promoted taxing oil companies as governor but now says oil companies should not be burdened by being taxed, that she was for bridges to nowhere and federal spending (when ever she could get her hands on the money), and that she was not exactly the fiscal conservative that she says she is since while mayor of Wasilla she led the town into massive debt.
Good article on black bears which mentions grizzlies and polars:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/11/science/11bears.html
Great so when I run into a bear I am supposed to give it a personality test on my own time,at my own expense and might still get eaten? That sucks.
Old joke. Many years ago when I started doing wilderness alpine climbs by sister gave me this large (the size of a golf ball) sleigh bell on a short lanyard. I asked what it was for, she said, it’s a “Bear Bell”. Great I said, how do I get the bell on the bear?
I hear some bears are actually reasonable and would probably wear the bell and become fashion moguls in the woods. Other bears-not so much. I have to hope if you encounter a bear,it has a sense of humor.
Well, that would be part of the personality test would it not?
Whole worlds go on all around us all the time, whether we notice or not.
When I was just a little bird, I spent most of my waking hours in the forest. Spun stories for years about the miniature kingdom thriving on a fallen tree that was slowly decomposing in a clearing. What a sweet blast from a simpler, but maybe more imaginative, past this morning. Thank you, AKM; I needed that.
Oy! I’m not sure who’s more manic at the end of the school year: high school students or high school staff?! We survived high stakes state testing, and are now in the second week of computerized “end of course exams” …final exams for seniors will be week after next, then underclassmen the week after that. The library is pretty much closed for the year except for testing. Meh. Making notes and plans for less testing and more equitable access for next year…
rambling there, also, too, and easily distracted and scatterbrained which is driving me just a little crazy…and it’s a pretty short trip from here. 😉
I spent 3 or 4 days trying to get past my email password at home, to no avail. Finally came to me in a dream last night that I’ve been trying to use my work password(s) and variations thereof. Yikes. Talk about operator error!
Littlebird will be here for most of May, though, and that makes every day brighter. :).
I’ve got to get to work
fumble fingers, too? Already?
So keep a good thought for me and my sanity. I’ll be reading daily, but commenting may be sporadic. Just assume (I know, I know) that no news is good news and that on or after June 7th I’ll be back with plenty to say.
Coral reefers, anyone?
If the phone doesn’t ring, it’s me:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9liAK2uUUA
L’Shalom and lots of love,
thatcrowwoman
‘So keep a good thought for me and my sanity’
I sure will, TCW! Enjoy (as much as is possible) the winding down process, and I feel sure you will help the students find their way through the panic and stress that comes with exams, particularly those who come to write theirs in the library. Also, think often of the ‘break’ that is around the corner.
always thinking good thoughts for you lady. enjoy yourself.
So glad littlebird will be joining you soon! Health and peace.
Sending happy and peaceful thoughts winging your way for an easy end-of-year. Please send them back when you’re done with them because I’ll be needing them too, especially this year!
We are in our second week of state testing…three days of language arts last week and two days of math this week. Last week brought the delightful experience of administering the listening section of the language test to a profoundly deaf child…THAT’S always an adventure!
District testing is coming up the end of the month for the first and second grades and state science testing the beginning of June for the 4th grade. Six more weeks of school before I can call it a day.
Everyone is getting tired and cranky and ready for the end of the year. Those of us who work with the deaf and hard of hearing kids are even more stressed because of some major changes the district has decided, in their infinite wisdom(?), to institute for our program next year. Unfortunately, the people making the decisions have no experience or training in the field and have not visited the program in action or asked the experienced staff for their input…typical bureaucrats!
What they’re proposing will be a disaster for some of our kids and there’s nothing we can do about it beyond hoping that the parents realize what’s happening and protest the changes. The staff has been told that they WILL support the changes, and two have been reminded that they do not have tenure. They don’t dare call the parents and tell them the whole story because the administration will know exactly where the information came from and the teachers could very well be joining the unemployment lines. One good example of why tenure can be SO important to teachers who care about their students!
I don’t yet know what these changes will mean for my position and, although I’m support staff provided by a separate agency and I will have SOME kind of a job somewhere, I’ve put my heart and soul into this one for ten years and don’t want to leave.
Nothing like adding even more stress to the end of the year!
{{{{{leenie}}}}}
I’d ask why teachers and librarians and other educators don’t have whistle-blower protections,but,then I’d just be beating my head against a rethuglican wall now wouldn’t I? Way past time to get more compassionate educators in charge. As a former fool who didn’t take advantage of my education and under-appreciated what I had, I want to say thanks to you Leenie 17 and thatcrowwoman and all the rest of the educators who do what you do for the children of today who will be leaders and parents of the future.
Beautiful picture! There is a whole world of little things that are only noticed when we are about flat on the ground.
It was 90* here yesterday. We don’t like that at all. Way too early for that stuff. We’d like a bit more Spring around here. A huge saucer magnolia in our yard had just started blooming when we got our big last snow that killed all the buds and blossoms. Nothing sadder than a bunch of dead buds on the ground around an embarassed tree. Well, now the tree is blooming! Just beautiful huge pink blossoms covering the whole tree, peeking through the leaves. Silly thing.
Gee, that kind of temperature means spring is really, truly here in the desert! Some trees and plants don’t even begin to leaf out until we have a few days of temps that high.
Just kidding, Jimzmum, I know the frustration of inappropriate temperatures well, having grown up in the Pacific Northwest and watched things bloom, only to have a frost or two take care of all that ‘nonsense.’
Here in far southeast Arizona it is rather different. We have lichen, but it hides high up in the mountains, so more abrupt signs like high temps are what tell us we’re in the season. That, and high winds and dust blowing all over… 😉
I can smell the fresh air in that picture. Ahhhh……..
Yay……I just checked Amazon to track where Dunn’s book was and saw that it was in Dublin. The next thing there was a knock at the door and now I have it!
Love the lichen.
Looking forward to your review.
Cool! Give us your review soon, please.
I thought it was thorough, informative, and for once the whole picture in one place. Most of it was already familiar to me except for the early years. He got a few details wrong, like Tim Treadwell being killed by Grizzlies in Kodiak instead of Katmai. Also, he threw me for a loop every now and then by referring to how people were reacting in “south western Alaska” and then he would talk about Wasilla, just that to me south west alaska is way out to the west.
I hadn’t heard the quotes where Palin was claiming that her husband kept going back to live in his “village” after a week on, a week off from the slope. That whole scene from when she went out there with that extremist Graham is also an eyeopener, the whole bit about leaving the villages for work and not believing the leaders of the villages, a smear without specific details from her, but pretty much the same MO.
All in all, I think it will be useful to people who, like Lawrence O’Donnell, have clearly never even read up on Palin. Last night he let that Green fellow go on about Palin having been an up and coming Republican legislator. O donnell didn’t have a clue.
Anyway I am mixing up 2 things, so back to the book, I was impressed that it was so even handed, it wasn’t like a list of the most glaring 250 of her lies which is what I had expected. It is the overall impression of one falsehood and misrepresentation after another. This would be a good book to recommend or buy for your relatives or friends who are tired of hearing about Palin, but really don’t know much about the history.
PS the review in CSM: I don’t think the reviewer read more than a few pages.
There are 3 excellent comprehensive reviews on Amazon.