President Obama is visiting the Everglades today and will call attention to the damage caused by climate change. I hope he sets a record for working the phrase “climate change” into his speech, since our shitty governor allegedly banned it. And if the ambulatory dildo who is our governor bothers to attend the speech, I hope he winces like a salted slug each time the president utters the phrase. Happy Earth Day!
[Photo source: Florida-everglades.com]
Elizabelle
Ambulatory dildo. LOL. And the return of the salted slug.
Let me know if you hear what time the speech is. Would love to see it. Maybe it will stream, or MSNBC will carry it …
Violet
Will Governor Salted Slug try to fine the President if he says “climate change”?
Cervantes
Free association: Obama as Lincoln Vail, “the man on patrol in the Everglades.”
Mustang Bobby
@Elizabelle: From the local NBC affiliate in Miami:
But check local listings…
satby
Reposted from below because YAY!
And, totally off topic but you all have been my lifeline: tax refund has landed and in 10 minutes the Quicken Loans offices open and I can bring the mortgage current!!! Woo-Hoo
The long dark winter is over… though we just had a hailstorm that looked like snow on the ground. But that’ll melt!
Punchy
Not sure what my responsibilities are on Earth Day. Do I need to hug a compost pile? Re-use my underwear? Save tap water and only drink beer?
NotMax
Earth?
Is that old thing still kickin’ around?
OzarkHillbilly
Wow, quite the mosquito breeding ground in that photo. Still pretty tho.
Baud
I’d settle for a single “ambulatory dildo.”
Cervantes
@Elizabelle:
You can expect the speech around 3:45 or 4 this afternoon. I am told it will be carried live on C-SPAN, at least on their web-site.
Mike J
It’s April 21st[1] and everybody knows today is Earth day.
[1] Or not.
MomSense
@satby:
YES!! I’m going to send you a message on Etsy. Your products are wonderful.
Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism
@satby: Yay!
BillinGlendaleCA
@Mustang Bobby: See, King Obummer is closing another National Park.
Cervantes
@Punchy:
Those are things you should be doing every day, and some of them more frequently than that, even.
Elizabelle
@Cervantes: Excellent. Thanks.
OzarkHillbilly
@satby: WOOHOO! is right. Good for you and many more to come.
Baud
@Punchy:
Or someone else’s.
Belafon
He needs to include the line “Now, I know some people don’t want to talk about climate change, and they won’t even let those around them talk about it.”
Morzer
“Governor Rick Scott and I discussed climate change today.. or as he prefers to call it REDACTED.”
NotMax
@Baud
Sometimes one is forced to improvise when out of coffee filters…
BillinGlendaleCA
@Baud: I’ve seen some for sale on the intertubes, but they’re kinda pricey and they might not fit you.
ThresherK
I just want to see Joe Biden zoom by in one of these.
We all know he’s thinking of it.
chopper
would love it if O added something to his speech like “I know this is crazy-pants land where they shoot ‘mud-pooters’ from swamp boats and deep-fry old spray paint cans, but even the boil-backs and yard sleepers here in the Everglades can see that climate change is real”.
PurpleGirl
On one of my trips to Florida, my friends took me on a tour of the Everglades. The guide made a point of saying not to put our hands in the water because of alligators and sawgrass. My friend pointed out he’d never buy a house on land from the drained areas because mosquitos still come back every year to spawn. But I did find the Everglades to be beautiful.
I saw a science show on the Everglades and learned that it is not swamp land but a very wide and shallow slow-moving river. The tour made that real to me.
Baud
@chopper:
That is totally Obama’s style.
Vtr
It’s 8:45 am here, and virtually everyone in the neighborhood is celebrating Earth Day as they celebrated yesterday and the day before – by running their gasoline powered leaf blowers. Am I the only one who remembers rakes?
NotMax
@ThresherK
Rode on one of those 50+ years ago.
Strepitous doesn’t begin to describe it.
satby
@Baud: No way! Isn’t that how people get knocked up? I know the nuns told me in the 60s that just touching a boy’s drawers could make me pregnant.
satby
@MomSense: Oh, thanks! Only animal they’re tested on is me!
Edited to add: well, the dogs tested the dog shampoo bars, but they’re human shampoo bars with different essential oils.
Violet
@Punchy: If you’re a white person, your responsibilities include turning on all the lights and electrical appliances all day and all night to give the big middle finger to Al Gore (he’s fat, you know) and those soshulist nanny state lieberals.
Baud
@satby:
I suppose it’s possible depending what part of your body you touch them with.
Phylllis
@satby: Yay indeed!
satby
@Baud: the nuns implied hands… too dirty to think of anything else.
There’s a reason they call it “Catholic guilt”, but it does give us lots of funny stories.
Gin & Tonic
@chopper: What language was that written in?
Violet
@satby: Congratulations! What a relief!
How’s the shop going? Did you implement any of the redesign stuff people mentioned here? Mother’s Day is coming up. Seems like a good time for a promo.
MomSense
@satby:
I’m going to try the shampoo bars next-one for the dog and a couple for the rest of us.
Germy Shoemangler
@Vtr: There is a special circle of hell reserved for the man who invented the leaf blower.
rikyrah
Luvvie’s written about the Michael Eric Dyson/Cornel West Beef
as only Luvvie can….LOL
…………………………
Love and Hip Hop Academia: The Michael Eric Dyson Takedown of Cornel West
CHILEEEEEEE… listen. You know I love me a good read and wig snatch. Well it was served up on a platter last night when The New Republic released an essay, penned by Dr. Michael Eric Dyson. It was title “The Ghost ofCornel West“ and it was a 10,000 word epic takedown of the Afro’ed Intellectual that many respect and some revere. It is the talk of social media right now because so much tea was spilled.
Let the record show that I am neither Team Dyson nor Team West. I am Jon Snow (I know nothing) to the intricacies of Black Academia. I am not in that space so I am going off what I read here and the little I’ve known before.
What are my thoughts on the whole thing? I’m glad you didn’t ask, because I have questions.
* What made Michael Eric Dyson write this piece right now?
Again, I know I am not on their jock to know what both are up to enough but what made Dyson drop this ETHER at this moment? I know that West has come for him hard in the past so it ain’t crazy out of the blue but I’m trying to figure out what made him do it right now.
http://www.awesomelyluvvie.com/2015/04/michael-eric-dyson-cornel-west.html
satby
@Violet: I have been able to implement some suggestions and I have more to do this weekend. The downside of more hours at work is less hours for the online stuff, and making, staging, taking decent pictures, writing good descriptions, and posting the whole lot is more time consuming than I expected, especially when there are animals demanding attention too. But slowly I’m getting the suggestions done, they were a big help.
WereBear
And today is Eddie Albert’s birthday:
How Earth Day & the Hapless Farmer from Green Acres Are Related
He made a specialty of playing bombastic fools and sniveling cowards, and he was neither one.
satby
@satby: Speaking of: keep watching the Etsy shop, I will have Mother’s Day baskets available for shipping May 1 ready this weekend. And a promo just for Juicers. Thanks Violet!
Germy Shoemangler
@rikyrah: Chauncey Devega posted some interesting thoughts on the subject, comparing it to professional wrestling feuds.
http://www.chaunceydevega.com/2015/04/what-are-drums-saying-booker-michael.html
Violet
@satby: Yeah, running your own one-woman business is hard work. Lots to do. Some you probably love like making the soaps. Some you may not like perhaps the marketing or something else. Lots to do for sure.
rikyrah
Campaign cash becomes early differentiator between parties for 2016
Rachel Maddow contrasts the rush to court billionaire among Republican hopefuls for 2016 with the Democrats’ and Hillary Clinton’s campaign posturing against the role of big money in politics (though obviously no less willing to spend to win).
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/watch/campaign-cash-becomes-early-2016-difference-431827523774
currants
Related Question: not so long ago I saw an old movie/documentary in a Natural Resources class about the Everglades, and their filtration function. Great maps (and wildlife images)–showing how water moved all through central FL down to Everglades, and how development was cutting off that water flow. It was from the 70s or 80s, and I don’t know who made it. Does anyone here know anything about that or of any similar film/video that does a very meticulous job documenting the water pathways? (I’m lookin’ at you especially, Betty!) I have to go out and can’t hang around here but will scour the thread later for any suggestions you may have–and thank you in advance.
mainmata
Is that a photo of the Everglades or a close-up of a Chia Pet plant?
South FL is ultimately doomed with respect to salt water intrusion. Until about 23 million years ago, FL was under the ocean and it is mostly made up of limestone and sediments from the erosion of the Appalachians. With sea level rise, this porous geology leaves the state irreversibly vulnerable. Short of a massive building of energy intensive desal plants or piping in water supplies, the long-term future of South FL is not good, I’m afraid.
raven
@mainmata: I was interested to learn that the white sand of the panhandle beaches was just that sediment from the erosion of the Appalachians
raven
@WereBear: It was always hard to shake his role in Attack.
“Was an active participant in the battle of Tarawa (Nov. 1943), one of the bloodiest battles of World War II and in the history of the U.S. Marine Corps. Albert was credited with rescuing up to 70 wounded Marines while under enemy fire. He was awarded the Bronze Star with a combat “V”. He did not speak about this publicly until it was mentioned in several television documentaries about the battle in the 1990s.”
Betty Cracker
@rikyrah: OMG, that was hilarious!
@currants: I have a friend who is something of an expert in the field. I will ask her and let you know!
PaulW
the good news is I always feel a thrill when Obama happens to be in the same state I’m in.
the bad news is he’s not here to arrest Rick “No Ethics” Scott for his many and varied violations of state sunshine laws and federal electioneering and finance reporting laws.
WereBear
I love that movie, and he’s one of the main reasons. There’s no reason for it to be as obscure as it is!
Violet
@rikyrah: I did not know there was a feud. That article was funny. Man, did Michael Eric Dyson really go after Cornel West. Ouch.
raven
@WereBear: I’m glad you brought him up. I looked for more info and he was a boat officer on the USS Sheridan. Their website included this picture of the ship and the destroyer in the upper right is the kind my dad was on. They were in several actions together so it might be the Crosby.
japa21
April 22nd is always a special day in our household. Second because it is Earth Day. First, because it is Mrs. Japa’s birthday. And this year she is thrilled that the weather has cooperated here in Chicago by spitting snowflakes from the sky.
Well, maybe thrilled is not the right word.
Tree With Water
I’d like to see Obama rake that idiot governor of yours over the coals whether he’s in attendance or not. The president could and should call him out as someone without the sense to dig latrines downstream, unworthy of the power invested in his office by the people of Florida. Obama won’t, of course, but just once I’d like to see him unleash his inner Chang.
Cervantes
@currants:
Take a look at Water’s Journey: Everglades by Karst Productions (2006).
Mike in NC
@Tree With Water: “Obama vs Florida Man”, coming soon on SyFy channel.
Cervantes
@Tree With Water:
He is going to Florida to beat Rick Scott about the head with climate change.
That is his “inner Chang.”
OzarkHillbilly
@Cervantes: I shoulda known, Wes Skiles. A great cave diver, died way too soon.
the Conster
Jeebus, I’m going to miss this president’s style and grace. It’s remarkable that he’s been able to retain his equanimity after the rafts of shit he’s been given for 6 years.
shortstop
@OzarkHillbilly:
The third baseman and I are huge fans of the Everglades — love the birding, the gators, the other wildlife, the peace once you get off road — but we never get bitten as much as we do there, even during the winter months. We’ve even been deep into Amazonia and the Pantanal, and those were mosquito cakewalks compared to the ‘glades. Still worth it, though.
Tree With Water
@Cervantes: I’m telling you Obama will pull his punches. I don’t doubt that he possesses one of the meanest mouths (in the best sense of the term) in American political history, but he’s only allowed the American people brief glimpses of it as POTUS. Which might be all for the best. I shall ever remain a “go for their collective throat 24/7” type of guy where the GOP is concerned.
shortstop
@rikyrah: That was a combo platter of tasty and delicious.
Betty Cracker
@shortstop: I am so looking forward to West’s inevitable retaliatory screed too! I can’t abide either one of them, so watching them club each other like baby seals will be an unmitigated pleasure!
J R in WV
Closest I’ve ever gotten to the Everglades is driving to Miami across Alligator Alley.
Have visited other FL state parks with swamps as the core attraction, and enjoyed seeing the wildlife. On the whole, I prefer skeeter-free natural wonderlands.
Even the Arizona deserts.
Betty Cracker
@J R in WV: You’ve been right in the thick of it, then. Skeeter repellent with a high DEET percentage is the key to enjoying the Glades.
Cervantes
@OzarkHillbilly:
Yes.
National Geographic published a lot of his work. Here’s an example from around the time he died.
Southern Beale
Welcome to America, NRA-style. Can’t wait to see how this lawsuit plays out.
Betty Cracker
@Southern Beale: Jesus Tap-Dancing Christ! I hope the lawsuit utterly bankrupts every organization and official involved in approving, designing and implementing those drills.
shortstop
@Betty Cracker: The mosquitoes I’ve met in the ‘glades are all, “Oh, you’ve got Deet? FUCK YOUR DEET!” Then one of them gets under each elbow and they lift me off my feet and carry me through the air before unceremoniously dropping me.
Still, like I said, totally worth it. It’s a magical environment. Unlike our friend JR, I feel very at home in swampy surroundings, which probably says something about my level of evolution.
Felanius Kootea
@rikyrah: You know, the whole thing leaves me embarrassed for both West and Dyson. And publishing it in the New Republic 20 years after Wieseltier’s takedown of West in that same mag was a dick move! But something terrible is going on with Cornel West and I hope he has good friends that he listens to. I hope the higher power he believes in gives him the strength *not* to reply.
Cervantes
@Felanius Kootea:
Could not agree more.
JustRuss
Going to Florida on Earth Day to speechify about climate change. Brilliant. I have to say Obama is about the best lame duck ever, I wish he’d gone into “I drank your milkshake!” mode sooner.
Original Lee
The end of the world is near. I actually agree with McMegan almost completely on something.
EthylEster
@OzarkHillbilly: think pythons!
currants
@Betty Cracker: THANK YOU! It was a grainy, old video, but nonetheless visually incredibly powerful.
currants
@Cervantes: Thank you–will do. I’m sure that is much more recent (by decades) than the one I saw, but it still might be useful. Much appreciated!