For Brigid and heather

Coffee fiends, both of them. I don’t pretend to understand the words, I think the point is the play of the sounds. And do I need an excuse to listen to Laurel Masse?

When It Comes Together

For years, I had one forlorn little milkweed plant near the back steps. They get kind of tall and leggy, and fall over if you don’t stake them. It produced about one pod per year. This year, happily I have half a dozen. I think they’re the common milkweed. They are all on the edge of the stone patio.
So, I’ve put in two monarda (bee balm) to keep them company, and sprinkled some of Burpee’s hummingbird and butterfly mix behind them, between the stone patio and the house.
If I’m lucky, I’ll get butterflies and hummingbirds. What I’ll probably get are bumble and honeybees. That’s fine. I rather like honey, and I’ve always thought it would be neat to have a bee hive. The problem is, of course, that I find working with buzzing, stinging insects to be very aversive. I like the concept of owning beehives. The actualality of owning one, not so much.

Now, This Is Just Ridiculous

I know this is Russian Spam, but in English it’s a good example of Word Salad.  Not to be confused with Waldorf Salad, or Waldorf and Statler.

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never personally interacted with one of the ancient brains, her mother Zufa had comline, “To the Cult of Serena, to the jihadis, the mercenaries, and every brother Faykan were also to receive honors for the work they had done here on and misshapen dwarf to a mathematical genius…to a beautiful wife and mother. And “Even if that is so,” Thurr sneered, “I am still within the realm of humanity,
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patients, smelled the stink of sickness. It was night now, and most of the “We are volunteering, Supreme Commander. It’s our last chance.”
smile. “And do you want to keep your business with VenKee? You think there are grand new extermination army drawn from all the Synchronized Worlds. Where had of HuMed. High above them in orbit, Mohandas Suk would be waiting for a return

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“I used to go out for walks,” Quentin said. “I enjoyed stretching my legs. Now Bashar Abulurd Harkonnen. I wish to speak with you.” victim dropped, the tiny machines buzzed upward again and sought new targets. mere human could question them. around and bring them racing back to Corrin, limited as they were by their old-navy john sidney mccain traffic NYC

“Humans themselves often make no sense. The situation is different,” Erasmus Defender of Humanity, Conqueror of Titans.”
The older man bunched his muscles, half raised his hand to strike his stepson volunteers soon blinked. His throat went dry. This couldn’t be! He had always felt proud of his helmet. He didn’t bother to take off the rest of his antiradiation suit.
Zensunnis ran at them howling and slashing, killing one after another. In their midst, Ishmael strode through the camp, looking for enemies to punish. women stopped to listen. “Slavers attacked our village, but we drove them off. When Vor’s technicians narrowed the search to the cargo containers most likely
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Sappy Cat Blogging

Noodle on the porch.

If TV Science was More Like Real Science

Hat tip, Lili.  From PHD comics

Recessional

God of our fathers, known of old–
Lord of our far-flung battle line
Beneath whose awful hand we hold
Dominion over palm and pine–
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget – lest we forget!

The tumult and the shouting dies;
The captains and the kings depart:
Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice,
An humble and a contrite heart.
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget – lest we forget!

Far-called, our navies melt away;
On dune and headland sinks the fire:
Lo, all our pomp of yesterday
Is one with Nineveh and Tyre!
Judge of the Nations, spare us yet,
Lest we forget – lest we forget!

If, drunk with sight of power, we loose
Wild tongues that have not Thee in awe–
Such boasting as the Gentiles use
Or lesser breeds without the law–
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget – lest we forget!

For heathen heart that puts her trust
In reeking tube and iron shard–
All valiant dust that builds on dust,
And guarding, calls not Thee to guard–
For frantic boast and foolish word,
Thy mercy on Thy people, Lord!

–Rudyard Kipling

Beginning of the Summer Season

It is interesting, how things change over time.  In the ancient world, the new year didn’t start until March (Spring).  The late winter and early spring were times of privation, where you ate up the rest of your supplies of meat (carne, i.e. carivale) lest they go bad and had forty or so days of tight rations.

With transportation and all, I we’ve moved away from those times.  It is nice to be able to get fresh fruit in winter-pricey, but nice.

Memorial Day is the official start of summer, though speaking of disconnects, they’re still playing basketball this week.  I thought that was a winter sport.  White shoes and straw hats can come out of storage–like anyone still has them, and be out until Labor day.  The Cleveland Indians will, once again, snatch defeat from the jaws of victory and end up in the cellar.  What else is new.  The Church of the Annunciation is having their festival on W14th st.  It just isn’t memorial day weekend without a visit and picking up some Greek pastries.

There are still memorial markers on South Park and Liberty (now MLK) Boulevard.  I passed Highland Park Cemetery yesterday with rows and rows of flags.  We still enjoy unprecedented freedoms and liberties, thanks to the efforts of those who serve and have served, whom I’m afraid will get short shrift in the coming years.   As the WWII generation is dying off, the people who fought in WWI and the Great Rebellion are forgotten except for oddly-dressed statues in parks.   It is a pity that to honor more recent folks, the older ones are forgotten.

Sappy Cat Blogging

It’s Friday, so it’s time for SAPPY CAT BLOGGING.  Today’s sappy cat folks are the people at Crib Candy who prove that you can spend a whole lot of money on your pet.  I like having your house opitmized for your cats–I kind of like the runways.  I also like the modern cat beds you hang on a wall, AND the in box for cats.  I want one for work.

Remember, too to vote for the Rainbow Connection Animal Foundation at the Shelter Challenge.

On the Road Again

Off to an irritating meeting, in a city I don’t enjoy, in a hotel that doesn’t have the food network or a decent restaurant.  I don’t MIND eating at a steakhouse, but they closed their inexpensive joint, so my choices for dinner are room service or a forty-buck minimum.

I’ll take the room service.  Talk amongst yourselves.

Hecate and Oleg on Self Defense

As a forensic pathologist, I run into people who are having very bad days.  One ME’s office has the motto “Our day starts when your day ends.”  Bad things happen, but how we respond to them is key.  Hecate has an essay that is worth reading. The key grafs:

We cannot always control what happens to us in life, but we are absolutely in full control of how we let it affect us.

And anyone who would take that away from me has a vested interest in preventing victims from evolving into independent survivors.

Oleg Volk expresses it in visual form