Open Thread – Purple
More from a beautiful garden. Purple coneflowers, I think.
January 5, 2025
Thursday, August 3, 2023
The Quitter Returns! -Monday, March 21, 2022
Putting the goober in gubernatorial -Friday, January 28, 2022
More from a beautiful garden. Purple coneflowers, I think.
A Quick flashback to September 2010:
https://themudflats.net/2010/09/21/a-write-in-is-a-write-off-in-the-alaska-senate-race/
A Write-In is a Write-Off in the Alaska Senate Race
Republican Lisa Murkowski has decided to attempt a write-in bid for the United States Senate, after having her head handed to her in the Alaska GOP primary. She thinks this is a great idea and that her bid will knock off an extremist candidate, Joe Miller, and keep Alaska from going down a dangerous path in which the national Tea Party agenda is paramount, and Alaska’s actual best interests get thrown under the bus.
You see, in Lisa’s world, all the sane moderate Alaskans are going to remember to go in to the voting booth, and spell her name right, and put it in the right place, and fill in the oval, and make her the only statewide write-in candidate in history from Alaska to actually win an election. And she’ll go back to Washington D.C., and continue selling out Alaska’s best interests to gain power in her party, and make sure that the outside interests that traditionally fund her campaigns keep on doing it. The senate seat will continue to be sat upon by the posterior of a Murkowski, and the dynasty lives on. Lisa happy. Corporations happy. Alaskans just relieved they ended up with anyone but Joe Miller.
It’s a nice dream. If you’re Lisa Murkowski.
Way cool! Alaska sea monster!!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43801173/ns/technology_and_science-science/
Oh, my … there seems to have been a bit of a reality disconnect in Australia. beth.
[linked directly from $Ps twitter page]
Palin doco wins public praise (01:25)
The Undefeated, a documentary tracing Sarah Palin’s rise to political power, has opened in US theatres to overwhelmingly positive opinion.
16/07/11
here: http://tinyurl.com/6hsvryb
I have never heard of this parrot flower, but it is sooooo beautiful
http://www.exoticrainforest.com/Rare%20Thailand%20Parrot%20Flower%20buy%20one%20SP.html
Bubbles, anyone following the San Diego thread in the forum, go there.
As this is a gardening thread, I feel no guilt whatsoever in letting people know about a gardening and JUSTICE blog out of Oak Park, Michigan. This lady was prosecuted for having a vegetable garden in her front yard. The prosecution seems to be in limbo right now, but she could sure use your love and support. https://oakparkhatesveggies.wordpress.com/
Fake News asked watchers what happens to the economy if the debt ceiling is not raised? 60% said it would be okay.
Here is what I know–Clinton made 139 recess appointments and Bush 171.
Been reading this morning (good lord it’s already 2:43). Have you noticed how the time just goes away when you start looking at things of interest? Anyway, Re(hensible)publicans are planning on doing all they can to gut the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau by fillibustering a director nomination. Elisabeth Warren is so great, she will be effective wherever she goes. Some talk of her running for Congress. Bush did some recess appointments didn’t he? I’m with nswfm’s Mom on this. Loved the picture of the Obama family watching the game yesterday.
Even my very nice and proper mom said Pres O needs to just start making recess appointments. She’s a retired teacher and introverted, so if she’s at this point, believe me, he needs to just do it.
Great idea except for one thing.
Republican members of the Senate are now keeping Congress in ‘pro forma session’ in order to block recess appointments. A pro forma session happens when a member (usually someone who lives nearby) opens the session and then immediately closes it. The session lasts literally seconds. Nothing is discussed or accomplished except to keep Congress technically in session. The freshmen are promising to keep Congress technically in session continuously for the next 18 months.
No recess…no recess appointments.
If the Republicans expended a tenth the amount of energy actually doing their jobs as they do in blocking the President, they would accomplish a historical amount of legislation.
Isn’t that special? (channeling the Church Lady)
I wish and hope that the Democrats are taking notes how to take down the Republicans next time they have the House. The Teapers have totally hijacked the Republican Party and it is shameful for this country. I bet there isn’t an 8th grade education between all those idiots. All those tea party freshmen who signed their silly pledges are going to take our country down.
Sorry….just a bit miffed here. Grrrrrrrrr! No recess…no chance for our President to resort to an option that all Presidents before him have done.
So the Republicans want to block President Obama’s pick to head the consumer protection agency? They are “worried” about the budget deficit but they refuse to consider having the wealthy pay a little more of their fair share?
What’s that all about? Why do so many working folks on the losing end of taxes and consumer issues vote Republican?
Because they are stupid. My comment below was supposed to be a reply to you.
uh oh.
this ain’t good folks. or maybe it is.
yes, i think it is good. very good indeed.
http://www.businessinsider.com/former-fox-news-producer-claims-the-networks-brain-room-led-to-hacking-2011-7
now what can we annoying Mudpups do to hasten the day when Murdoch and his Murder Inc. gang get what’s coming?
“The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice have launched their own investigations into whether News Corp. participated in the hacking of 9/11 victims or U.S. officials.”
IMO, that’s the best part of the article. I’ve been signing petitions to Eric Holder to get the DOJ involved, as I’m sure other mudpuppies have.
Sunburn, you say? I just read this today….
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/18/sunburn-remedies-natural relief_n_897103.html#s304241&title=Aloe_Vera_
Oy! As if the Crazy Train to the White House wasn’t packed with enough bat-poo insanity already, Governor Goodhair says he feels a “calling to run” for President. He apparently believes that he hasn’t done enough damage to Texas with its economic chaos, tanking education, warped history curriculum and attacks on women’s health care. Now he wants to share all that fun, and more, with the entire country.
Governor Perry, I also felt that ‘calling to run’ last week. Then I realized it was just an intestinal disturbance caused by eating too many sweet cherries. PLEASE, for all that is holy, head for the bathroom instead of the campaign trail!
Y’know how it’s fun to mess with a puppy by picking up a toy and pretending to throw it ? The puppy gets all excited and full of himself, running off to capture the prize , only to get waaay out there where he ends up running here and there, wondering how he could have been so wrong ? And then how he’ll fall for it a good half dozen times before he starts to catch on ?
Perhaps God’s having similar fun with the GOP crazies ?
One, two , three – GO get that ball !! ( Look at ’em run ! )
Don’t mess with a Democrat!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/17/leonard-boswell-iowa-armed-intruder_n_900919.html
Fox reports The Undefeated was a smash hit while other report it as a flop:
http://thinkprogress.org/media/2011/07/18/271534/while-palin-documentary-flops-fox-touts-packed-theaters/
It has already been established Fox and Murdoch are liars. The artist whose flickr I posted above has gone after Murdoch, too. Worth going to look at the flickr stream.
Found on the “Staff Recommends” rack at the library:
“The Lies of Sarah Palin” by Geoffrey Dunn
Have I mentioned I love my library? Power to librarians everywhere!
A artist friend of mine did this for me, but it’s too funny not to share:
http://m.flickr.com/photos/expd/5949740770/
wonderfully hysterical.
Where our governor and Republican legislators are getting their marching orders and legislative proposals [you didn’t think they thought them up all by their own little brains, now, did you?]:
http://alecexposed.org/wiki/ALEC_Exposed
Check out the names on the list of governors:
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=ALEC_Politicians
Whoops! Missed Dum Young in Congress, who of course is also on the list.
I thought echinacea grew on the prairies–surely it could survive Iowa heat?
howstuffworks.com/define-coneflower-purple.htm
.
Random ‘Discovery’:
When taking eggs out of a dozen-egg carton, take them out: left front, right back; right front, left back — working towards the center. This keeps the weight in the middle and prevents that horrible momentary second-guessing of: “Do I have enough one-handed ‘hold’ on the carton to keep it from flipping out of my grasp when it takes that grand ‘dip’ because all the weight is on the far end?” With the weight in the center, that dip ain’t never gonna happen; problem solved. Woo-hoo!
Oh!, I just get so tickled with myself when I make such monumental ‘discoveries’ all on my own!…[in a small voice: even if they are of things everyone else has known for ages and ages.]
I really must see about getting myself a life that’s a tad more exciting. beth.
Lol… I do that, too! But since I always seem to use only multiples of 4 whenever I make eggs, I don’t have to think about it as much as you do! 😉
I do the opposite–I take from the middle, first. Probably to make a design of some sort . . . 🙂
That’s a fine specimen of a purple cone flower. I have a few of those growing in my garden. I have some of the hybrid ones with other colors. There is a new one called Green Envy that I am looking to add.
We had q bit of the wrong kind of excitement in the neighborhood yesterday. Seems an entire family got all bent out of shape over some thing one of my neighbors said to rhw father of her child over the phone. The whole family piled into two vehicles to come racing over here to start a fight. They jumped out of their cars and all of them (I counted 9) started screaming and making threats to the one adult sitting outside watching rhe two toddlers playing in the yard. One of the men came up on the porch and hit rhe woman standing there. About three of us called the police and no more than 30 seconds after this gang of bullies drove off the police show up. Now, I don’t know about you but since there were two small children in the yard and there was violence, I think every member of that family that was involved should be charged with child endangering. Those kids could have been hurt with the way the adults were behaving in that mess.
Cricket – that’s truly scary! Luckily, the names of the families who came calling is probably known, so justice may be done. I hope so. What in the world was said over the phone to provoke that much reaction? Ha, Ha, they must be thin-skinned Palin-bots!
Oh yeah, every last one of them is known by name and one of them will be getting slapped with assault charges. I’m sure his whole family will show up in court. What a horrible way for kids to grow up. These are not my favorite neighbors but this incident wasn’t deserved. Usually there are 3 or 4 toddlers over there. The mothers are sisters and it is actually grandma’s rented home. Historically, the daughters haven’t kept a very good eye on the kids and children’s services has been involved. Many of us are frightened that one of these kids will get snatched, hit by a car or drown in the pool in the back yard. The rest of us try to keep an eye out as much as possible.
I have some purple echinacea in my garden also and I love how they provide color for such a long time AND encourage the goldfinches to hang around in my yard. I discovered some new sprouts this spring and I’m curious to see what they look like when they flower. I read that, depending on the variety, plants grown from the seed will look very different from their parents. Can’t wait for them to bloom and see what colors I have!
Scary stuff going on with your neighbors. Hope it all gets settled peacefully and quietly for everyone’s sake. I recently overheard my next door neighbor’s brand new husband talking to someone on his cellphone right outside my window. He identified himself as “___ from Hell’s Angels”. I’ve been a little apprehensive about all the motorcycles and rather intimidating looking, leather and tattoo clad people frequenting the driveway, but I met him last week and he seems very nice after all. He even offered to help me with any muscle-y stuff I needed if I “didn’t have a man around”, which I found rather quaint and amusing. He is taking very good care of the property so I suppose I need to re-evaluate my former prejudices about bikers in leather!
Good luck with your neighbors and your flowers!
I have almost always found that bikers in leather are misunderstood and in general are quite loving, caring people. Sure could use some muscle-y helpful souls around here. 🙂
The few Hell’s Angels I’ve ever met have all been large, fierce-looking teddy bears. Of course, your mileage may vary, but in general, they don’t seem to live up to their old hype….
I was trying to explain the idea of Hell’s Angels to my great niece over the weekend. She’s 9 and had never heard of them.
As I was explaining, it occurred to me that my perception of the group comes from my memories of them from the 60s and 70’s when they were a rather more anti-social group that one tended to avoid if at all possible. I realized that most of the original members are probably collecting Social Security right about now. Leather and chains look much less intimidating when their AARP card is sticking out of their pocket!
our local chapter sponsers a Girl softball team every year in the local rec league, and has had them “ride” with them in the annual Memorial Day parade. They do a lot of charity runs… but they DO have a rough side to them also… in the same tradition they’ve always had… Don’t EVER touch their jackets….
Or their bikes
They have an interesting relationship with the greater Santa Cruz community, don’t they! Then again, it’s always been a great place for them to grow their cash crop.
Had a teacher that indulged in growing crops in his basement for fun and profit. It was interesting when they busted him. Pictures of the basement full of lush greenery, but not a word about his daytime profession. Somehow, he got to voluntarily resign for health reasons and it never got mentioned. Personally, I think he was ratted on by a young male protégé. He always did seem to like to mentor young men in a personal way, and I think one finally had the guts to turn him in. Glad whoever it was didn’t get drug into the whole mess. They probably hushed it up to protect the kid.
Cash crop? Ummm . . . . peaches?
I’m hoping this generalization holds true. We are getting new neighbors (moving in shortly) who ride motorcycles. I am feeling quite depressed in anticipation of how this might impact us.
I became alarmed about them when they visited the property and the loud exhaust noise from the motorcycle exhaust literally rattled the windows in my house when they sat in the driveway revving their engine. There is a perfect echo chamber created by the close together brick houses, a long asphalt driveway and a garage at the end.
Leenie – just got back from a grocery run and when I stepped out from the nice a/c of the store and in to the invisible wall of water that is our air, my glasses fogged up so much that I couldn’t see. Had to toddle part of the way home with my glasses off, pretty much blind. I realized at one point that I was talking to myself and thought, “well there ya go. I’ve officially moved in to the Mr. Magoo phase of my life ”
I was wondering if you were getting socked by this heat nastiness too. My theory is that if you live in Buffalo / WNY and have to deal with 10 ft of snow for 5 straight months, we should get a waiver on the heat waves. Maybe you could you bring that up at the committee meeting ?
( Hope you’re on the mend, AKM. )
What ever happened to the Mr. Magoo’s Christmas carol? I sure would love to have that on dvd. I got a chuckle out of you talking to yourself. Now I don’t feel old and crazy by myself.
http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Magoos-Christmas-Carol-Backus/dp/B00006HAWI
I loved that special, and still remember some of the songs: “When you’re alone, alone in the world,/When you’re alone in the world./ Blown away leaves get blown through the world,/Swirled away leaves get swirled…” Yikes, after watching Snape’s death scene in DH II this weekend, I am a blubbering mess.
Snape? dead? say it ain’t so Mag!
From reading the book only, one sees that he might not be and that he could’ve faked it. But the movie makes it very, very clear. Alan Rickman just aces the part. Sorry, bubbles!
Ooh, ooh, ooh…I LIKE that waiver idea very, very, VERY much!!! :
As someone who moans and whines pathetically whenever the temperatures get above 75 (when I finally hit the delightful stage of hot flashes, it is NOT going to be pretty!), this weather just knocks me on my not-so-insubstantial posterior. I strongly believe that any temperatures that cause glasses to fog up should be outlawed immediately. Who do we call about that?
Of course, then I heard on the weather channel this morning that someplace in the central US was potentially having a heat index of 124 today and I felt very guilty kvetching about 90 degrees. But, then again, most of the places that have those kind of temps don’t have large quantities of snow from Columbus Day to Mother’s Day so, based on your excellent theory, I guess I’m allowed to complain after all!
It’s still only in the low 80s here, heading for 88 later today, but the latest predictions for Thursday are for 100 degrees. If I wanted weather that hot, I would have moved south instead of north 12 years ago!
Stay cool Buffalogal and everyone else who’s suffering from this blasted blast furnace of a heat wave!
(p.s. – One of the neat things about sign language is that I talk to myself all the time and people don’t even know it. They just think I have some odd kind of twitch in my right hand! 😉 )
I’m afraid we got the waiver out here in Santa Barbara. Seems the post office misdelivered it after I changed the zip code. Not worth it to send it back and have them deliver to you.
Suggest you request a replacement. Only 4-6 weeks for delivery! 🙂
BD – Leenie and I will be driving out there to recover the waiver. I’ll happily pack a mega basket full of delicious Western New York corn, melons and squash but, once delivered , we will be taking the waiver back with us. Mark your calendar ! ( and ps: we’ll bring some nice NY wine to smooth things over )
Ooh, maybe a nice bottle of Bully Hill’s Love My Goat or Le Goat Blush! We can even put in some Dinosaur Barbecue Sauce or some Wegmans cookies (the chocolate chocolate chip crispy ones…yumm!) to sweeten the deal.
But that waiver is coming back with us, Baker’s Dozen, or else!
Or else what, you might ask?
Remember that ten feet of snow we were just talking about? (evil laugh)
Come to think of it, Buffalogal’s got her ten feet in Buffalo and I’ve got my ten feet in Rochester…
Sigh>>>>
Buff and Leanie,
I had to move away from my beloved snow a few years ago. We didn’t get ten feet, though. It was more in the 15-20 foot range–had to shovel up to get it off the bedroom balcony so we had an escape route just in case of fire.
Dry snow, though. None of that wet stuff.
If you come out with some NY yummies, you’ll be more than welcome, and I’ll give you the waiver just for the pleasure of meeting you. Maybe you can pick up Mike on the way. I want to teach him to body surf. Lake Miowa doesn’t have big enough waves.
However, keep the wine for yourselves. I’m afraid mine will have to be soft lemonade! 🙂 But thanks for the offer.
P.S. Sometimes our evenings are coolish. Bring a sweater 😀
I love these flowers. Always seem so happy to be blooming. Lovely pic, AKM.
Today is stay the heck in the house day, except for one errand. Heat warning all week long! I may be driven to clean closets or something. Okay, not really.
Finished a gift book last night, and am letting the icing set up on the cookies. In just a couple of minutes, I will put sugar glitter on them, and that will be that. I will take them both up the street to welcome a new baby. We haven’t had a baby on our street for a long time! Grandchildren, yes. Wonderful family moved here a few years ago, and gifted us with small children. It is especially nice to have an 8 year old boy who actually enjoys taking tomato worms from our plants. I think those things are eechy. He has an “insectariium” set up in his garage (his parents are obviously saints), and loves to observe all the different bugs he can find.
AKM, I hope you are feeling better from your sunburn.
Something is going on with our City Council. Rumblings and moaning from a few factions about growth, and how growth is destroying our town. Well, no. I am disagreeing with them. So far, the growth has been carefully planned, and has been beneficial. Committee meeting on Tuesday night, so I will get more info there, or if I can’t stand to wait, I will venture out for coffee this afternoon and hear eleventy-jillion versions!
Beautiful. Afraid it would wilt in Southern iowa’s heat today. Going to be another scorcher.
Seriously beautiful.
you are correct. i love cone flowers, especially the ‘white swan’. they make beautiful cut flowers for arrangements too. btw, jeanne i love your blog, keep up the good work.
Indeed, AKA Echinacea. Maybe that will help your sunburn!
I lost my echinacea over the winter, along with some coreopsis. Luckily, I have some seeds from the echinacea and will throw them down when the plants around the ‘hood start to drop.
Ripley, those echinacea are pretty sturdy. The seed should work but they’re an easy start from the plant store, too.