Here's a funny way to keep track of who's racist against whom and how in Europe.
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See more posts by Alex Balk
V.w.verweij
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03 Jul 18:07
Wildlife Week Continues – Wild Turkey(?) Spotted in 16th Street Heights
by Prince Of Petworth
Quite a few weeks for wildlife in the District – snakes falling from trees (twice!), red pandas on the lam, bears on the parkways and now wild turkeys?
@joeddjd tweets us the photo above:
“@PoPville Cool! A wild turkey (I think) in a tree in my backyard. #16thStHeights”
Leahgates likes this
03 Jul 14:53
Birth of the Cocktail at the Palo Alto Hotel?
by Ghosts of DC
Palo Alto Hotel and Saloon – September 19th, 1899
Source: DC Public Library
Above is a great photo that we dug up on Flickr. The saloon above is the famous old Palo Alto Tavern, formerly located in Bladensburg, Maryland. It was across the street from the George Washington House (still standing), also known as the Indian Queen Tavern.
According to a Washington Post article published on May 11th, 1956, the Palo Alto Tavern was frequented by President Andrew Jackson, was famous for cock fighting, and its claimed that the cocktail was born here. The historical newspapers also cover numerous Republican Party rallies and meetings being held in the hotel.
Here’s another shot of the saloon that we found on Flickr.
Palo Alto Hotel
Source: Bladensburg Archaeology Project
We were a little skeptical about the claims of the hotel being the birthplace of the cocktail. It may or may not be true, but we did find a great article from the Washington Post, published on December 20th, 1908. Below is an excerpt from the article and you can click on the image after it to read the whole thing.
…
Meanwhile you are probably recalling my statement that the modern cocktail was invented in 1846, and wondering how I will prove it. Attacking the subject in the scientific manner, we find that it breaks up into definite questions, to-wit:
1. When was the cocktail invented?
2. By whom?
3. Where?
4. Who was present?
5. Who drank the first cocktail?
6. Who gave it its name?My answers to these questions are as follows, viz.:
1. On the 17th of April, 1846, at 8:15 a. m.
2. By John Welby Henderson, a native of North Carolina
3. At the old Palo Alto Hotel, at Bladensburg, Md.
4. Colonel Denmead Maglone, U. S. A.; Hon. George William Mattingly, member of Congress from Georgia, and Messrs. J. Upton Benson, Frederick G. Allison and John A. Hopkins, besides the aforesaid Henderson.
5. John A. Hopkins, of Fairfax, Va.
6. I don’t know
Click the image below to read the full story.
History of the Cocktail: Intellectual Bartender Recalls Duel That was Responsible for its Invention
The post Birth of the Cocktail at the Palo Alto Hotel? appeared first on Ghosts of DC.
03 Jul 03:39
Romo the Amazing Adams Morgan Dog is Alive and Well! It’s Just a Name Plate Not a Memorial
by Prince Of Petworth
Photo by PoPville flickr user ekelly80
Despite the popularity of Ernie the Flying Dog, Romo from Adams Morgan is the most photographed dog to appear on the site. I was very upset to read the following post from the forum:
Hey guys! I live in Adams Morgan and love seeing the big white dog, whose name is apparently Romo, hanging out his window on Calvert people watching in the summertime. I haven’t seen him recently, though, and noticed his owners put a plaque outside their window that says his name, Romo. I wonder if he passed away? That would be terribly sad!
Upon investigation I am happy to report Romo is alive and well! I stopped by yesterday and could see him looking out the window:
He just got a nice new name plate. So now when you walk by Calvert Street and see a big dog relaxing by/out the window – you can say – what’s up Romo?
03 Jul 02:05
Your Afternoon Animal Fix
by Prince Of Petworth
If you have any animal/pet photos you’d like to share please shoot me an email to princeofpetworth(at)gmail(dot)com with ‘Animal Fix’ in the title and say the name of your pet and your neighborhood. Your photos will go into the queue (usually 3-4 weeks wait) and will be posted in the order I receive them. If you’ve already entered your pet and would like to do so again – that’s no problem – just space the entries out a bit.
“This is my dog Lady Gugu we live in Adams Morgan….she always has one ear up and one ear down…it is so cute!”
“This is Kolt from Adams Morgan. We rescued him 6 weeks ago but has become quite comfortable in his new house and is always looking for the next belly rub!”
“City Dogs Rescue alum, Buck, of Mount Pleasant, enjoying the pride parade.”
Leahgates likes this
03 Jul 02:00
A Love, Supreme
by noreply@blogger.com (Justin Bower)
Today two historical rulings came down from the Supreme Court[i], striking down a key provision of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and vacating a decision upholding California’s Prop 8[ii]. A long hard road makes a brief rest stop for justice. The devil is still in the details, and we can look forward to weeks of pontification and prognostication[iii]from the news show talking heads. For the moment though, if I could virtually fist-bump Justice Kennedy and the other Justices of the majority, I would totally do so[iv].
I am an unabashed supporter of gay marriage. Love is Love. (I know it’s easy to say that on a blog read by a total of 3 people, maybe 4 if someone got lost on their way to Banana Republic’s website. It’s certainly a lot easier than being one of the people out on the front lines[v].) I also know some of my friends and family disagree. I don’t write this to offend you, but at the same time, I am not worried about offending you in writing this. I love you, and I understand why you may not agree, and I understand that not all disagreement necessarily comes from a place of hate and intentional bigotry. But for me this is not a matter of relative interpretation. I respect the right to different views on gay marriage in general, but the legality of gay marriage is something I truly believe there is only one correct answer on because it is rooted not in emotional or moral arguments, but in the underpinnings of our legal tradition. This is a matter of what it fundamentally means to be an American citizen.
The one enduring and fundamental pillar of the American democracy is the equality of all persons. It’s reflected in every aspect of a citizen’s standing before the government (one man one vote, etc.) We believed in this so much we carved it directly into the highest court of the land. On the façade of the Supreme Court are found four perfect words: “Equal Justice Under Law”. There is no more important aspect of the American way of life than this cornerstone principle. It is the foundation of our system of law and society as a whole. We came to this country in part to escape tyranny and to uphold the essential value of the individual. We fought wars, foreign and domestic, to throw off the yoke of elitism and inequality. Time and time again we have upheld the principle that if all are not equal under the law, none are. Without the bedrock of our equality before the law, our entire system of government and society collapses. Rule of law falls away. Liberty cannot cohabitate with tyranny.
Marriage involves two aspects; the “sacred” (comprising the religious, emotional, spiritual or other facets of personal and community values) and the “secular”[vi](comprising the tangible legal and financial recognitions of the union). The opposition to gay marriage seems focused on the sacred, which is part of why those arguments are inherently incompatible with our democracy. The “sacred” aspects are important, but they’re not where this debate really pivots. They are not irrelevant in the greater sense, but they are irrelevant to the legal question at hand. It’s not because they don’t matter to us as a nation, but just that they are secondary to the legal protections of our system of law. Whether or not I disagree with what you say, feel, write, chant on the public green, wear, cook, read, or tattoo on your bicep is irrelevant to the question of whether you should be able to do those things. From the First Amendment on down this has been the mainstay of our consideration of the relationship between the individual, the community, and the state. I have a right to think what you’re expressing or doing is wrong. I don’t have a right to stop you from doing it as long as it doesn't tangibly impact me. You want to say my favorite band is crap? You’re dead wrong, but I will always support your right to express your horrible music tastes. There is no legitimate argument that gay marriage tangibly impacts anyone[vii], so it is inherently a matter of personal liberty. Yes, it may very well offend you, or you may think it violates your conception of the sacred aspects of marriage. You have every right to think whatever you care to about it. What our society has continually upheld in virtually every other aspect is that while you have the right to decry it, you don’t have the right to impose your opinion on someone else’s exercise of their liberty.
It’s tempting to devolve into a repudiation of the moral and pseudo-legal arguments against gay marriage, and I’m not suggesting that this discussion isn’t important. But the fundamental equality of all American under the law trumps any concern raised, even if one found them legitimate[viii]. I’ll simply say I have yet to hear a single cogent argument against gay marriage which, well-intentioned or otherwise, doesn't stem ultimately from either bigotry or religious precept. Neither are acceptable reasons, absent any tangible harm, to deny someone’s liberty. To do so is legislating tyranny over liberty, which is antithetical to our Constitution and the rule of law.
The secular aspects of marriage are where the debate truly should be taking place[ix]. No one is forcing churches to marry anyone; that would be an intrusion into the sacred aspects of marriage. No one is forcing you to sing gay marriage’s praises. Civil marriage is a service provided by the government. It does not assume nor require adherence to a given religion or moral precept. Despite traditional language, it is solely recognition by the state of two consenting adults entering into a binding legal relationship. Churches have a right to decide who they provide their services to based on arbitrary distinctions. The government does not. We would be up in arms if the government denied fishing licenses to redheads, or if only Presbyterians were allowed tax-exempt status for their church properties. We've fought wars, real and social, to ensure that the color of one’s skin isn't a determinant for access to government and exercise of liberty. Neither separate-but-equal or straight out discrimination are acceptable alternatives for equality.
The argument is simply this: gays and lesbians are Americans first before anything else. They, like every other American, are guaranteed a relationship to their government based on equal standing before the law. They have a right to do, say, feel, and take actions we may think are wrong, just as every other American can. They pay taxes, they serve their country, and they have just as much to expect equal access to government services as anyone else. More importantly, they have just as much right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness as anyone else. To deny them an aspect of that based on a subjective opinion is wholly un-American. It doesn’t matter that I think there are compelling moral and ethical reasons why gay marriage is a good thing, or why you may think it is the work of the devil, or anywhere in between. What ultimately matters is that we all get to think whatever we want, but we all get to go on with our lives and exercise our liberty DESPITE those opinions.
Today we took a step in that direction, but we’re not done walking.
[i]For some reason the popular acronym SCOTUS just sounds dirty to me. I blame Scalia. Not because of any rational connection, but just because I pretty much blame Scalia for everything because he’s so blamable in general.
[ii] I previously posted a short but vitriolic bit about Prop 8 some time ago. How amazing is it that within the scope of a few years I am able to proudly say it has been relegated to the dust bin of history.
[iii]Also, probably pondering, politicking, pandering. From Fox “News”, paroxysm and polemic.
[iv]And not just an anemic little fist bump….the cool kind where you each spread your fingers out afterwards and make a sound effect like “kapow” or something similar…as if the occurrence of the fist bump was so intense that it burst outward in sheer awesomeness on contact. You’re the man now, K-dog.
[v] I hope I have supported those people to the best of my ability over the years, but I can’t claim I have shared their experience No matter how strident my support, I don’t have skin in that game…I’ve never had anything tangible at stake like many of my friends have. I got to marry the person I chose. I have no problem getting the full range of state and federal benefits recognition of my marriage. I get to be with her without being heckled, harassed, or my life put in danger. I can’t even begin to comprehend what it has been, and continues to be, like for these folks and millions more across the country.
[vi] I’ve argued before that government has no business muddling about in the sacred, and should stick only to the secular. Give us all civil unions; gay, straight, or what have you. Let people seek the sacred wherever they want to. If you want to be married in the church, go for it. If you want to call yourself married through a ceremony with friends at a Taco Bell, do it. If you want to be married by a minister, rabbi, good friend, swami, Ben Folds Five, or a particularly animate ficus tree, that’s your choice. People can agree or disagree about who’s married. You don’t have to recognize the marriage of the conservative couple next door, and they don’t have to recognize yours. But everyone has to recognize everyone’s civil unions. It separates the secular from the sacred. The government has no business in the sacred, and should stick to the secular and let people find the sacred for themselves. Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s, and so on.
[vii] Especially any more than straight marriage does.
[viii]Which, yet again, I do not in any shape or form.
[ix] Though, again, I think there is an insurmountable moral/ethical argument to be made for gay marriage. It simply should be unnecessary because of the legal argument.
01 Jul 05:08
Sometimes I reblog things like this just to give Vincent...
by areshoekiddingme
Sometimes I reblog things like this just to give Vincent something to write about on his weird twitter
28 Jun 04:24
lunarprincessyue: As my father so eloquently put it. “I don’t see you pushing out an 8 pound...
by areshoekiddingme
As my father so eloquently put it. “I don’t see you pushing out an 8 pound fucking miracle through your dick. So you don’t get to make the fucking decisions.”
man some people have the best dads
26 Jun 21:31
Your Afternoon Animal Fix
by Prince Of Petworth
If you have any animal/pet photos you’d like to share please shoot me an email to princeofpetworth(at)gmail(dot)com with ‘Animal Fix’ in the title and say the name of your pet and your neighborhood. Your photos will go into the queue (usually 3-4 weeks wait) and will be posted in the order I receive them. If you’ve already entered your pet and would like to do so again – that’s no problem – just space the entries out a bit.
“Nola of Logan Circle enjoying some R & R in Rock Creek Park”
“Cody and Grady from Logan Circle chillin”
“Lucy of Adams Morgan enjoying a rainy day at the dog park!”
26 Jun 20:58
And Now Video of the Bear and an Awesome Closeup Photo, Ultimately Released in the Western Part of Montgomery County, MD
by Prince Of Petworth
V.w.verweijI want to hug it and I know it's wrong
And now an update from the The Washington Humane Society:
“Earlier today, the Washington Humane Society (WHS) reported that WHS Animal Care and Control Officers, in partnership with the District of Columbia Department of Health (DC DOH) and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), successfully tranquilized and trapped a black bear spotted near the intersection of 49th Street and Glenbrook Road, NW.
WHS received a call early this morning reporting the black bear sighting. WHS Officers immediately responded to the scene where MPD Officers had surrounded the area they believed the bear to be hiding.
The bear appeared frightened and proceeded to run through the backyards of many residential homes in the area. WHS Animal Care and Control Officers followed close behind, and after an approximately two hour chase, WHS Officer Peter Martel was able to get a clear view of the bear and darted him with a tranquilizer. Once hit, the bear ran a short distance and was recovered safe and sound in the backyard of a nearby residence.
The bear was evaluated and determined to be healthy. With the assistance of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and DC DOH, the black bear was transported to the wilderness in the western part of Montgomery County, MD and released.
In general, black bears pose no threat to the public. If you spot a black bear in the District, do not approach, call DC Animal Care and Control (202-576-6664).”
Photo Courtesy of the Washington Humane Society
26 Jun 20:57
Your Afternoon Animal Fix
by Prince Of Petworth
If you have any animal/pet photos you’d like to share please shoot me an email to princeofpetworth(at)gmail(dot)com with ‘Animal Fix’ in the title and say the name of your pet and your neighborhood. Your photos will go into the queue (usually 3-4 weeks wait) and will be posted in the order I receive them. If you’ve already entered your pet and would like to do so again – that’s no problem – just space the entries out a bit.
“This is Winston from Homeward Trails Animal Rescue (his siblings were adopted but his adorable mom is still available). He currently lives in Dupont but will always reside in our hearts.”
“George Orwell lives in Kalorama”
“Orbit from Logan Circle”
26 Jun 01:39
Proposed Kennedy Center Metro Stop Too Expensive
by Ghosts of DC
Interesting. Imagine if the Kennedy Center had its own Metro station. The walk from Foggy Bottom is kind of a pain in the ass. Unfortunately for the Kennedy Center, they’re still stuck in no man’s land without easy access to public transit.
Here’s an article that we dug up in the Washington Post from February 18th, 1966, a full ten years before Metro opened up.
Rerouting Washington’s proposed subway system to provide direct service to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts would cost at least $12.3 million and cause a myriad of problems, the National Capital Transportation agency chief has reported.
In a letter to several legislators who had requested a study, NCTA Administrator Walter J. McCarter said putting a basement station in the Center “would increase construction, operating, maintenance and land acquisition costs.”
The closest station under the plan approved by Congress would be at 23d and H streets, nw. about a 6-minute walk from the Center, McCarter said.
“In their own interests, the Center may wish to enhance the relationship to the station by constructing a pleasant, above-ground walkway from the station to the Center,” affording “a stimulating view of the building and its riverside setting,” he said.
Changing the subway route would require other station shifts and a resulting decrease in service for the system’s riders “to sreve [sic] the modest additional number of Cultural Center patrons, who might ride rail transit if a station were in the basement” instead of where it is planned, McCarter noted.
Rep. William B. Widnall (R-N.J.), who has been urging that the Center be shifted to a downtown location, cited McCarter’s report as support for his argument that the Center’s plans should be reviewed.
Though, such a review would be costly, he said, “It would save millions of dollars in an effort to bail out an economically infeasible location.”
McCarter’s repor dealt only with the problem of changing the subway route and did not comment on the merits of the Center site. One issue in the controversy has been the accessibility of the present site, particularly for the poor.
Construction for the Kennedy Center had only started the previous December, and wasn’t completed until 1971. How different do you think things would be if there was a stop in the basement?
Kennedy Center from the Potomac River in Washington, D.C.
The post Proposed Kennedy Center Metro Stop Too Expensive appeared first on Ghosts of DC.
25 Jun 23:38
YES! Organic Market Now Selling Growlers in Petworth
by Prince Of Petworth
The YES! Organic Market at Georgia and Taylor St, NW in Petworth started selling growlers over the weekend. Anyone know if the other YES! stores are selling growlers? It’s a nice selection:
Though one reader though is concerned with the prices. He writes:
“Has anyone been questioning the proposed outrageous cost of growler sales at Yes! on Taylor and GA ave. 64 oz (8 ounces less than a six pack) is sometimes 70-100% more expensive. Seems ridiculous. Or am I missing something?”
25 Jun 23:35
Your Afternoon Animal Fix
by Prince Of Petworth
If you have any animal/pet photos you’d like to share please shoot me an email to princeofpetworth(at)gmail(dot)com with ‘Animal Fix’ in the title and say the name of your pet and your neighborhood. Your photos will go into the queue (usually 3-4 weeks wait) and will be posted in the order I receive them. If you’ve already entered your pet and would like to do so again – that’s no problem – just space the entries out a bit.
“This is Lucy, on her throne in Mt. Vernon Square.”
“Tootsie shares a home with me and my fiance near H St. NE. Tootsie is a rescued former ally cat turned good and spoiled rotten.”
“Foster, an Australian Cattle Dog from Mount Pleasant, learning to drive.”
25 Jun 21:53
Lost Turtle in Cleveland Park
by Prince Of Petworth
From the Cleveland Park listserve:
“We lost our terapin turtle Scratchy sometime last Thursday, June 20 from our home on 3400 block of Lowell before going away for weekend. She is about 10″ diameter with a green paint smudge on her shell. She does not bite, but will scratch when picked up.”
I don’t mean to be disrespectful but how do you lose a turtle?
If you’ve seen a 10 inch turtle with a green paint of smudge you can let the owner know here on the Cleveland Park listserve.
25 Jun 21:12
Antiquities of the Republic
by noreply@blogger.com (Justin Bower)
V.w.verweijSome gems in here
Along the vast expanse of Highway I-10’s 24-lane wide corridor in Houston are a dense jungle of commercial enterprise. If it can be bought or sold, illicitly or otherwise, it exists somewhere along the barely penetrable tangle of feeder roads and strip malls along I-10[i]. It’s a bizarre, unplanned scramble of commerce falling over itself to tempt the traveler[ii].
We like roads…
One of the places I’ve passed a thousand times but never stopped at before now is a massive antiques and collectables mall. I’ve never been an antiques sort of guy[iii]…I appreciate the history and interest in pieces of the past but usually don’t feel the need to own many. Curiosity, however, got the better of me, and I decided to stop by this weekend and check the place out.
I have browsed through little antique stores in tourist towns, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like this. It was an essentially a massive urban warehouse packed to the rafters with a combination of kitsch, furniture, and more kitsch[iv]. On opening the doors, I was met with a heady smell of dust, mildew, and desperation. Undaunted[v], I steeled myself and headed in.
Warehouse, Don’t Just look Buy Something, Treasure of the Pharoahs
What struck me first was the seeming lack of patrons in such a vast space. In the middle of a busy weekend, the place seemed mostly populated by a few vendors[vi]. I roamed up and down the deserted aisles, feeling more like a latter-age archeologist than a consumer. The vendors peered at me through piles of vintage coke bottles and knick knacks, like vultures waiting for prey to come near enough to be of interest.
While some shops were themed and organized, the majority were a dizzyingly dense yard sale mélange of items. Stalwart old tools slowly rusted against the flanks of vast beanie baby armies. Armadas of knickknacks sat in shelved dry dock under rusted tin signs. Unrecognizable vintage machines patiently waited to fulfill their functions once again. Velvet Elvis stood regally watching over all.
Some of the items were awesome in their sheer ugliness. Some simply didn’t translate well to the modern era. Some just defied comprehension altogether.
Creepy Elfin Heads
Hookah Lamp makes smoking pot an illuminating experience.
Shakespeare watches disapprovingly while you drink from his skull.
Only $170 for a framed charcoal bag? Steal!
Let’s put the whiskies in the kid-friendly, cartoony containers….nothing can go wrong here.
Yup, still racist.
Apparently Produce and Pornography evolved from a common ancestor.
Internet 1.0
Those early iPhones sure were clunky…
Plymouth Undies: They’re the Sneeriest!
Welcome to the Eagle’s Nest (Hitler’s mountain chateau in WWII).
I SHOULD NOT BE.
There was a whole 360 degree view room filled with these creepy dolls. And their dead, dead eyes.
I am Hilde! I am from Holland! I EAT SOULS.
Historical Bears. Sadly no Theobear Roosevelt.
Working 9 to 5? Come relax on Dolly.
Native American artifacts from the Neversleepagain tribe.
Among the empires of junk, there were actually a few interesting relics (though still not interesting in the “this needs to be in my home” sense).
Columbia Grafonola Record Player
Well preserved Singer sewing machine with table
Stained glass in reclaimed wood
These dowels were from a Houston yarn factory, I believe
Poster from a Soviet Propaganda film
Old school rocking horse
By the time I’d made my way through the main warehouse, my mind was already pretty overloaded. I had actually found two items that were kind of cool; an old wood and metal pulley (for hanging a flower basket or bird house) and a small sheesham wood and metal table for the patio[vii].
Old pulley, Sheesham table
After successfully haggling them down to reasonable prices[viii], they advised me I could not use credit card, but that there was an ATM in the “other building” and directed me toward a back door. A small desolate lot had a trail to an unmarked entrance which promised “More Shopz”[ix].
Back Alleyway, More Shopz!, No more shops today please.
If the large open primary building seemed densely packed, this annex was nearly a rat’s warren of small, secluded shops. I crept through tunnels between the overflowing stock of Coin dealers, stamp dealers, a dealer of antique Japanese swords, vintage radio repairmen and some bored twentysomethings selling unopened action figures[x], to the ATM. Already burned out on the sheer mental onslaught of the place, I left these shops for another day[xi].
I haven’t told my wife yet about my antique purchases. We’ll see how that goes over.
NOTES
[i] Want a three-tiered driving range or high-end gun club? Are you a SCUBA enthusiast, giant palm tree lover, or Vietnamese grocery afficianado? We got you covered.
[ii] It reminded me a bit of the armies of old with the vast retinue of whores, peddlers, cooks, blacksmiths, etc. following in their wake. A vast wagon train following I-10 on its march through Houston.
[iii] I appreciate nice antique furniture or the odd piece here and there, but more often than not it’s mostly a long game of sorting through tons of never-to-be-sold trash for the hope of finding a diamond in the rough. I understand why some people like it. There’s a sense of history/mystery/capitalistic voyeurism in peeking about in the collected debris of ages past. I appreciate artifacts of the past, I just don’t feel an overwhelming need to own them. For me, antiques stores are much more akin to museums than shops. They’re also a source of unbounded potential to revel in the hilarity of the poor purchasing decisions of the past. It would be fair to say that I approach antiques semi-ironically.
[iv]It was like the warehouse in the final scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark, except this is where they send the stuff they have their less-than-top men work on it. Or like the hoard of a dragon with a pronounced lack of discerning taste.
[v] …and recognizing the blog post potential…
[vi] And just like people resembling their pets, the inanimate items were not the only antiques here. Most of the commercial activity here seemed to be vendors buying and selling from other vendors. Maybe it’s a Highlander thing…like eventually there can be only one, and they’re all desperately trying to accumulate the biggest pile of junk on which to survey their holdings in their future reign.
[vii]I almost felt a little guilty as I bought the table from the older lady at the booth. I could tell this may have been someone’s sentimental possession, and it was all but guaranteed I was going to stick it out in the Texas elements with a level of disregard that could only be called wanton.
[viii]My wife hates haggling, but I have no problem with it. In the world of antiques, I think it’s like the “three cups of tea” principle. It lets you know you respect their culture.
[ix] “I came here because the spelling on this sign appealed to me”, said no hip young urban person ever.
[x]There is nothing quite so sad as action figures mint in box, never opened, never to be opened, never to be played with.
[xi] I put it on the calendar for 10: AM on “that day in which there is absolutely nothing else to do in the world, including alphabetizing my socks”.
25 Jun 05:46
Researchers say that after six long decades, an extremely rare Right whale has been spotten yet again off the Canadian coast -- a species many suspected would never return again.
First Right whale in 60 years spotted off the coast of Canada
by Stephen Messenger
Researchers say that after six long decades, an extremely rare Right whale has been spotten yet again off the Canadian coast -- a species many suspected would never return again.
25 Jun 00:18
Gardening After the Apocalypse
by noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Rainer)
The very nature of nature is changing. What then about our gardens?
I’m no doomsday watcher. I scoffed at Y2K, ignored the Mayan calendar, and can’t even bother to keep a Homeland Security-endorsed emergency supply list. But lately it has become increasingly hard to ignore the fact that something is stirring in the waters.
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| Derek Jarman's Prospect Cottage at Dungeness. Photo by Michael Peters |
First, there are the climate-related problems: the continuing drought in the Midwest; hurricanes like Katrina and Sandy; and the fact that 13 of the warmest years on record have occurred in the past 15 years. Zone maps are changing, species invasions are increasing, and extinctions are rising. I don’t care whether you believe climate change is man-made or just some temporary blip; there simply is no normal anymore. Gardeners more attuned to seasonal changes are the first to notice a difference. In my own garden last year, I noticed several bugs I have never seen before; I lost several perennials because the winter was not cool enough; and my daffodils started to emerge in December.
Throw in some global political instability (the American fiscal cliff, the European debt crisis) and there’s only one reasonable conclusion one can make about the future: the only certainty is a whole lot more uncertainty.
Ok, ok, so maybe the sky is not falling yet, but it is reasonable to say that the threats we hear about in the news lately are particularly ominous. Perhaps more catastrophic in nature. Globalization has linked us in many wonderful ways, but it has also exposed the fragility of world systems. Thus, a single financial firm (Bear Stearns) declares bankruptcy, and the global economy collapses. A water shortage along the Mississippi River causes food prices to skyrocket in China. Volatility breeds volatility.
Ok, ok, so maybe the sky is not falling yet, but it is reasonable to say that the threats we hear about in the news lately are particularly ominous. Perhaps more catastrophic in nature. Globalization has linked us in many wonderful ways, but it has also exposed the fragility of world systems. Thus, a single financial firm (Bear Stearns) declares bankruptcy, and the global economy collapses. A water shortage along the Mississippi River causes food prices to skyrocket in China. Volatility breeds volatility.
It’s with this context in mind that I think about gardening. What does it mean to garden in an era when the threats we face are apocalyptic? The very nature of nature is changing. What then about our gardens?
Or to put the question more pointedly: Do we continue to grow marigolds even as the emergency sirens blare?
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| photo by Michael Peters |
I've been thinking lately about the garden of the late Derek Jarman near Dungeness, England. Jarman was a British film maker and writer. Toward the end of his life, he created Prospect Cottage, a simple wood house that stood on the shingle beach of southwest England. For me, the garden is prophetic. The cottage is one of several fishermen’s shacks, wedged on the beach between the English Channel and the Dungeness nuclear power plant. It is a brutal landscape. Nature is overwhelming: sun, wind, and sea salt continuously scald the beach. The horizon stretches in all directions, only interrupted by power poles or the flashing lights of the power plant. Yet within the sunbaked shingles, a garden grows. Sea kale and poppies bloom among the flotsam that Derek arranged throughout the garden.
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| Dungeness nuclear power plan on the horizon. Michael Peters |
To attempt to create a garden—a paradise of sorts—in one of the bleakest corners of the earth is one of the most optimistic acts I can imagine. Frivolous? Yes. Pointless? Of course. But what a joyful, life-affirming act of defiance! Prospect Cottage’s poignancy is sharpened by the fact that Jarman created it while dying of HIV. Jarman’s imminent death did not stop his act of creation, but instead infused it with new vitality. It is a testament to the irrepressibility of love amidst the cruelty and indifference of nature.
A garden is an extravagance. So creating and maintaining any extravagance seems particularly silly in an age of dire threats. We weed, dig, and plant all while the storms gather on the horizon that will wash it all away. We are helpless to control nature and the weather, yet we gardeners still engage in acts of care for our plots. We live in a post-Edenic world, yet as Robert Pogue Harrison writes, “Fortunately for the gardener, there is enough of Eden in the mortal earth that despite the vagaries of the weather, the miracle of life erupts and blossoms year after year.”
And that's just it, right? We are addicted to that miracle. From the miracle of compost, to the miracle of a seed germinating, to the miracle of a bud opening, we are hopelessly hooked to shepherding life into the world. “Gardening is an opening of worlds,” writes Harrison, “of worlds within worlds—beginning with the word at one’s feet.” Whether the weather supports our plans or destroys it, the point is that we become most fully human when we engage in thousands of acts of care and love. It is why we need the garden more now than ever.
Perhaps focusing on cataclysmic doom is really a way to put my own mortality in perspective. I may survive mega-storms and mega-recessions, but my time is coming. And when it comes, I want to be in the garden. Not under trees, with their cloak of longevity. Not with the shrubs, who promise another season. Instead, you will find me pondering the annuals. These one-season wonders understand it best: that time is merciless.
Yet at the nadir of their existence, they choose the ultimate act of defiance, an irrepressible impulse to live:
They bloom.
23 Jun 18:14
http://johnkenn.blogspot.com/2013/06/blog-post_21.html
by noreply@blogger.com (john kenn)
Daniel.steger1 likes this
22 Jun 14:55
Put Peanut Butter on Both Bread Slices to Prevent Soggy PBJ Sandwiches
by Eric Ravenscraft
Creating meals ahead of time can save you a lot of money and stress, but it may also leave you with soggy sandwiches. Reddit user m_bia suggests putting peanut butter on both slices of bread to prevent this problem.
By spreading the much drier peanut butter on both bread slices and putting jelly in the middle, you create an insulation layer between the moisture of the jelly and your bread. You can also double up this method with the jelly pocket to prevent dripping. When you reach for your sandwich hours or even days later, you'll find a clean, unsullied meal.
Photo by bark.
21 Jun 21:37
Telegram From Ho Chi Minh to Harry Truman
by Ghosts of DC
V.w.verweijWell, that worked out well.
This is an interesting bit of history that we dug up at the National Archives. It’s a telegram from Ho Chi Minh to Harry Truman from February 28th, 1946.
telegram from Ho Chi Minh to Harry Truman
The post Telegram From Ho Chi Minh to Harry Truman appeared first on Ghosts of DC.
21 Jun 21:27
Good Deal or Not? “Catwalk leads to cool den/office” edition
by Prince Of Petworth
This condo is located at 2601 Sherman Ave, NW:
The listing says:
“Stylish and hip loft. Very well-designed with lots of natural light, beautiful exposed brick and hardwood floors. Tall ceilings, skylights, great for entertaining. Walkable to U Street and Columbia Heights metros. Catwalk leads to cool den/office. Sits atop vacant retail which can be made available for purchase. Sits right in the wave of future developments. Tremendous appreciation potential!”
I’ve been super curious to see what this looks like on the inside.
You can see more photos here.
This 2 bed/2 bath is going for $649,900 ($150 monthly fee.)
21 Jun 21:26
The Clintons Practice Throwing the First Pitch
by Ghosts of DC
What an awesome candid shot of Bill and Hillary Clinton throwing a baseball in the Rose Garden on April 3rd, 1994. They’re practicing for the Opening Day ceremonies they were going to participate in that year.
William Jefferson Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton play catch in the Rose Garden. They are practicing for upcoming opening pitch ceremonies that both of them will participate in. 4/3/94.
Source: The National Archives
The post The Clintons Practice Throwing the First Pitch appeared first on Ghosts of DC.
21 Jun 21:24
From the Events Calendar – Great American Square Dance Revival
by Prince Of Petworth
Great American Square Dance Revival:
“June 22, 2013 8:30 pm
St. Stephens Church
1525 Newton St. NW
Cost: $5
The summer solstice is almost here! Since we can’t celebrate with a barn dance in the country, we’ll do the next best thing – a square dance right here in the heart of the city. Join us for a delightful solstice soiree with sweet, stompin’ fiddle tunes and all the best folks in town (that’s you!). It’s the shortest night of the year, so make it good.
We are so excited that Will Mentor will be traveling down from Vermont to call for us! And live music will be provided by West Virginia darlings, Lars Prillaman on fiddle, Matt Metz on banjo, Evan Ball on guitar, and Melissa Wright on bass. Hot damn, y’all.
All are welcome – young and old, brand new and experienced dancers. No partner, lessons, overalls, or fancy dress needed.”
Ed. Note: You can see all events here and you can schedule your own event listing here.
21 Jun 00:05
At this year's Kwita Izina, 12 recently arrived baby gorillas will be celebrated and named. And oh my, are they adorable.
In Rwanda, every newborn gorilla baby is given a name and thrown a party
by Stephen Messenger
V.w.verweijWhat
What..
Rwanda.
At this year's Kwita Izina, 12 recently arrived baby gorillas will be celebrated and named. And oh my, are they adorable.
20 Jun 19:23
A new study shows that getting out in the sun during the day will help you sleep more soundly at night.
Want to sleep better? Get more sunshine!
by Jaymi Heimbuch
A new study shows that getting out in the sun during the day will help you sleep more soundly at night.
20 Jun 19:22
This helmet uses lights to help you navagate to the nearest bike share station--and you can make it yourself.
DIY helmet will lead you to nearest Citi Bike station
by Margaret Badore
V.w.verweijThis is what you needed last night, Leah
This helmet uses lights to help you navagate to the nearest bike share station--and you can make it yourself.
20 Jun 19:22
Not the best time to go to Singapore if you have lungs...
Singapore's record-breaking smog is so bad, birds are falling from the sky
by Michael Graham Richard
V.w.verweijSilent Spring 2
Not the best time to go to Singapore if you have lungs...