Reader Interactions

93Comments

  1. 3.

    satby

    Beautiful Schroedinger’s cat! I’m growing a peach hibiscus in a pot right now.

    Good morning rikyrah and everyone! Sultry has been the word for it, and the mosquitoes activity is still “extremely high” according to accuweather, so very little gardening is going on because I hate to wear repellent. And still using my phone for a mobile hotspot because my internet is down.

    But I found a great place in South Bend for me and all the critters, and expect to hear by tomorrow night if I can get it or not. I’m feeling pretty positive about it, and a big enough yard with a raised bed already in, so next year I’ll have pictures!

  2. 6.

    Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism

    @raven: But only on this thread. The previous thread still has the sidebar.

    Win8 and Firefox here. Also no ALT text.

  3. 7.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    @raven: It’s borked on the my Win10 machine with Chrome, as well. Borked on Chrome on Linux as well.

    ETA: Chrome on Linux gives me rollover pop-ups.

  4. 10.

    Elizabelle

    @satby: South Bend? Terrific. Can you register to vote in Indiana? Would you be more useful there than in Michigan? Good luck. And South Bend has such a cool mayor. Plus: college town. Good coffee and culture.

  5. 11.

    raven

    Nice pics. We worked on a granite patio and extending the brick sidewalk in preparation for the garden club event later this month.

  6. 12.

    PurpleGirl

    @satby: Congratulations on the new place. Whatever happened with the insurance claim for the tree claim?

  7. 18.

    JPL

    The New York Post has a nude pictures of Melania . It would not surprise me, if Trump thought the pictures, might change the subject from Mrs. Khan, to how beautiful his wife is.

    Since the pictures aren’t safe for work, you’ll have to find them yourselves.

  8. 19.

    satby

    @rikyrah: yep, hope so. The person who showed up to estimate repairs to my current house is the same nimrod who cut down the tree. He was nicer this time, so we had a civil conversation, but he admitted that the insurance isn’t going to pay to repair anything structural, just the obvious damage. So I’m mailing in the keys and walking.

    Edited to add: still don’t have it for sure yet, but it looks good. I should know tomorrow night.

  9. 20.

    MomSense

    Lovely hibiscus.

    @satby:

    Fingers crossed on the new place.

    Trying not rondeau out about 538 this morning.

  10. 21.

    satby

    @Elizabelle: re: voter registration, maybe not, IN has the ALEC written ID laws and I would be moving in September, so maybe not enough time.

    And I’m still working out going to that wedding in India, so I may just vote absentee because that’s in November too.

  11. 24.

    ThresherK (GPad)

    @JPL: At this point the idea “Trump’s supplying or assenting to nude pix of Melania as a campaign diversion” I can live with. Because I am not fully convinced he wouldn’t deploy nude Ivanka pix if he thought it would help.

  12. 26.

    Raven

    Fig trees I these parts have gone off the rails. The lady has had three “putting up” sessions ” complete with shredded ginger all over the place. We were so shot from working in the humidity that we went to a nice pizza joint and she wanted the fig pizza. I waited in line to order and, right before I was up, they ran out so I got her the sweet tatger pizza instead!

  13. 27.

    JPL

    @ThresherK (GPad): Since Trump had a measured statement about the photos, there is a good chance, he either knew, or didn’t mind.

    When asked about the photos, Trump told The Post: “Melania was one of the most successful models and she did many photo shoots, including for covers and major magazines. This was a picture taken for a European magazine prior to my knowing Melania. In Europe, pictures like this are very fashionable and common.”

    (new york Post)

  14. 29.

    satby

    @JPL: My friend’s daughter is a model and has done tasteful semi nude “art” shoots, the kind her dad wouldn’t stroke out about. Nudes where the body is slathered in oil are for a specific market, and tasteful isn’t the goal.

  15. 30.

    Baud

    @satby:

    Nudes where the body is slathered in oil are for a specific market, and tasteful isn’t the goal.

    Agree. I really regret doing it.

  16. 32.

    Poopyman

    @JPL: Somebody else wrote that. HAD to.

    PS – Good Morning! The spot formerly known as “the garden” continues to be wildly overgrown. At this point there’s no sense in working it until cool weather (aka “November”). Sigh.

  17. 33.

    magurakurin

    @MomSense: I’m not sure about Nate this cycle. Sam Wang is calling it “a snapshot” and not a prediction. Nate is assinging weightings to the polls and adding or subtracting points to the results based on his “secret sauces” in his model. Nate is also using some sort of alogorithm that incorporates national polling numbers into state numbers. And his poll plus model using economic and historical data as well. Sam Wang agrregates state polls, all he can find and applies no weightings or anything. He doesn’t use national polling numbers at all. I guess we’ll see when it all finishes who was better, Wang or Silver. Benchmark has a new and slightly different model that uses 25% polling and 75% demographics and they were pretty good in the primary. Updates are much less often.

  18. 35.

    satby

    Speaking of mosquitoes, there’s a story and poll about using genetically modified mosquitoes to reduce the spread of zika and other disease, and the crunchy granola crowd is mounting opposition. Since they tend to be the same people who don’t want DEET and think essential oils are effective (not so much), it (zika) should get to be a huge problem.

  19. 36.

    Kay

    Donald Trump was trapped in an elevator for 30 minutes ahead of a Friday rally before being rescued by Colorado Springs fire department, multiple local news outlets reported Saturday.
    According to news station KRDO, emergency crews responded to an elevator rescue at The Mining Exchange Hotel where a group of 10, including the Republican nominee, was trapped between the first and second floor.
    “The firefighters were able to secure the elevator, open the top elevator hatch, lower a ladder into the elevator which allowed all individuals to self-evacuate, including Mr. Trump, onto the second floor lobby area,” Steven Wilch, who is with the Colorado Springs Fire Department, told KRDO.
    Within an hour, the Denver Post noted, the GOP presidential nominee was bashing the fire marshal at his rally.

    I just can’t imagine going into a town and attacking the fire department. Reading it, it sounds like there were empty seats at the rally – Trump said the fire marshal wouldn’t let more people in. I think he’s lying and needed an excuse so lashed out- BUT STILL.

  20. 39.

    JPL

    @Kay: Imagine being stuck in an elevator with Trump for thirty minutes. I assume that some of those were government employees. We should honor the Secret Service, because that is above and beyond, the call of duty.

  21. 40.

    Elizabelle

    @Kay: can you imagine being trapped in an elevator for half an hour w Donald Trump? ,Stories. I want stories, of his poise and grace under pressure.

  22. 43.

    Elizabelle

    @JPL: indeed. But, the horror of the occasion. And can you imagine the conspiracy-mongering if DJT had stroked out or had a coronary while in the care of government agents?

  23. 44.

    satby

    @magurakurin: I liked Nate before he went semi-villager; now I wonder how much of his analysis is colored by his own need to stay relevant and get those sweet, sweet clicks. A blowout race has the same disincentive for him as it does for the cable news yappers.

  24. 45.

    Kay

    @JPL:

    Ordinary candidates just go to their pancake breakfast. The Trump Team arrives and tells them how to do their job. They should have left them in the elevator.

  25. 48.

    Kay

    @Elizabelle:

    I can’t stand that honking, competitive way he speaks. It’s talking as combat. It’s an occupational hazard for lawyers but they usually figure it out the first couple of years and STFU occasionally because listening is actually more important in the job than talking. I guarantee he’s a terrible listener. I don’t even think he’s mentally quick enough to do verbal combat well. He gets all bollixed up because he’s not fast enough. In that abortion interview it’s visible- he’s lost. It’s going too quickly for him and he’s too arrogant to delay a response while he figures out the question.

  26. 49.

    debbie

    @Baud:

    No one should freak out about any polls. They’ve become more unreliable with each election cycle. Just listen to what people are saying.

  27. 50.

    Kay

    Everyone will get mad at me but I say this out of support- Hillary Clinton for some reason looks angry when she speaks. It makes no sense- her face doesn’t even match what she’s saying. It’s not essential and maybe it wouldn’t make a difference but it’s not the lack of smiling (which I agree people say to women all the time and is bullshit)- it’s that her facial expression (often) doesn’t match what she’s saying. I wonder if that’s why people feel she’s somehow being dishonest. “Expanding children’s health care!” just doesn’t merit an angry expression. Watch the convention speech and turn down the sound and tell me I’m wrong- I’m not wrong but watch it and see :)

  28. 54.

    Kay

    @debbie:

    Maybe, but it’s her eyes too. I genuinely don’t get it. There are parts of that speech where she should look angry, based on the words. But there are also softer parts where it’s just odd to look angry. It has almost a random quality. I think it probably goes to trust for people- your face should reflect what you’re saying. If it’s “President Obama expanded health care for 20 MILLION PEOPLE” then there’s no reason one would be mad about that.

  29. 57.

    Tee

    Does the angry look correspond to Bernie bros shouting being drowned out by the Hilary chants?

  30. 59.

    Joel

    @Punchy: He’s already doing it. The “snapshot” is if the election were held today. The random drift/bayesian predictions are two models for extrapolating current polling to election day.

  31. 60.

    Baud

    @Kay:

    My guess is that she’s not a natural public speaker, and that makes it more difficult to coordinate everything that’s going on with the body, especially if you’re trying too hard. I agree that it can subconsciously affect trust.

  32. 61.

    rikyrah

    @satby:
    As someone who works elections, I would suggest that you fill out an FPCA from your current voting jurisdiction for November. Get in your FPCA Application now, and you will be among the first voters to receive their ballots when your jurisdiction is first able to send out ballots, which will be the last week in September. Choose the living overseas classification.

    If you will still will be in America during the first couple of weeks in October, then do a regular absentee ballot. Still, get your application in early. I don’t know about your jurisdiction, but ours goes live for absentee ballots beginning August 10th.Call your local jurisdiction and see when they go live.
    The main difference between overseas and regular absentee ballots is: regular absentee is a paper ballot mailed to you. Overseas ballots- the ballot can be sent to you via email, BUT, must be printed out and mailed back to the jurisdiction in order to count.
    When calling the voting jurisdiction, DO NOT tell them that you have permanently moved. Say that this is where you will be for the November election.
    You are correct NOT to trust Indiana. So, wait until AFTER the November election to change your driver’s license and then while at the DMV, tell them that you want to register to vote. You must request it, they will not do it automatically .

  33. 62.

    Schlemazel Khan

    @Baud:
    Nude photos of me slathered in oil would be of very high value!

    They could be used to induce vomiting at emergency rooms across the country saving lives without harsh chemicals. The residual nightmares would create work for many analysts.

  34. 65.

    Kay

    @Baud:

    It isn’t “smiling”. Obama actually smiles infrequently – it’s that when he says “Newtown” he looks anguished and when he says “I want a vote on my nominee” he looks mad- appropriate facial expressions that match his words. Maybe it is trying too hard- she’s a high achiever and this isn’t a strength so maybe she hits it too hard. I like that famous picture of her at the Benghazi hearing because she looks disgusted- appropriate.

  35. 66.

    Schlemazel Khan

    @Kay:
    There is something that some people have, a public ease, a ‘likable’ presentation, for the sake of discussion lets call it ‘magnetism’. People see folks with positive magnetism as friendly and better than those without it. It can’t be taught, it isn’t learned you either have it or you don’t. People with it are no different than those without it in any significant way except having that magnetism, they are no better or worse. Their personality can be used for good or ill but they do use it.

    Look at how BHO can just naturally light up a room, how he draws people to him. Nobody taught him that, the FSM touched him with a noodely appendage when he was born. HRC received no such divine gift. We are about to find out if in this modern world where mass communications projects that magnetism or lack there of to millions at once is willing to overlook the absence of the special affects and elect someone simply because they are competent and capable. We are fortunate that the other side chose such a buffoon or I think the results would not favor the right answer.

  36. 67.

    Kay

    @Baud:

    The part that killed me about Mr. Khan was not his words,although he’s very eloquent. It’s that he’s grieving- his face is so sad. Maybe he’s grieving two things- the loss of his son and the prospective loss of whatever he believed about “America” that made him leave everything he knows and come here.

  37. 69.

    Currants

    Hey, gardeners: tomato problem question: What is the problem when the leaves all look kind of pale grey? (Insect or fungus?). If it were an eggplant I’d have said it was a flea beetle, but I can’t find bugs on it. It’s not the normal fungus (with spots and wilts) that I’ve seen. I have one plant that looks like it’s not recoverable, and two others that now look like the same thing is starting. Any help/suggestions welcome. (A quick google image search wasn’t helpful, but if you can direct me a little further I’ll likely find it.)

  38. 70.

    Baud

    @Kay: It’s not about smiling only. It’s about all the muscles in the face. By analogy, there’s a reason why naturally gifted dancers look more graceful than the ordinary well trained dancers. It’s also why she’s better in interviews than in speeches. She’s more natural in that environment.

  39. 73.

    rikyrah

    @Schlemazel Khan:
    POTUS is a natural.
    Hillary is Tracys Flick all grown up.
    I am sensitive about it because so many haters have used “serious “pictures of FLOTUS to try and float the Angry Black Woman meme, so I am touchy about folks calling Hillary “angry “. I see it as being serious and earnest about the subject.

  40. 74.

    Baud

    @Baud:

    W. was also not a naturally gifted speaker. In his case, it came off in his face as cluelessness rather than anger, probably because he wasn’t trying too hard. He was also better in personal interactions.

  41. 76.

    the Conster, la Citoyenne

    Speaking of plants, I came across this interesting article on ayahuasca. If anyone was a fan of ethnobotanist psychedelic pioneer Terence McKenna – The Archaic Revival was a pretty interesting book back in the 90s – this is his brother’s contribution to the genre. Shorter: you hairless monkeys think you’re running the show. You think wrong – WAKE UP.

  42. 77.

    JPL

    @rikyrah: ABC has the transcript online. Trump seems to be confused about Crimea, also. The comments about the Khan family were offensive, but the rest of the interview, showed his complete ignorance about the world.

  43. 78.

    Schlemazel Khan

    @Baud:
    Boy Blunder had that magnetism thing though. It was expressed as people wanting to have a beer with him. I would gladly have pissed in his beer but that is my reaction to what he said more than the way he came off. I don’t think I am special but I do believe I am less influenced by the magnetism than most people (I assume a bell curve with me on the left slope). I like BHO for what he says more than how his personality makes me feel. I’m not immune but I do believe some people are less susseptable & some are more.

  44. 79.

    JPL

    Since the repubs are concerned about the Supreme Court, someone needs to ask the leadership, if it is appropriate for Trump to appoint judges, who will not defend the first amendment.

  45. 81.

    Baud

    @Schlemazel Khan: Everyone has a different set of qualities, no doubt. Bush I had no magnetism IMHO. Neither did Carter, while that’s really all Reagan had but he had it in spades.

  46. 82.

    I'mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet

    @rikyrah:

    I see it as being serious and earnest about the subject.

    Agreed. It’s Hillary working and concentrating on doing a good job. She’s not a natural public speaker. For years she drove me nuts with her overly . slow . and . clearly . enunciated . speaking . style . Especially when she got to the nut ‘graph. Bill would do some of that too, but quite as not as over-the-top.

    She’s getting much better, but she’s still a work in progress.

    She really lights up when she laughs, her eye switch-on like they’re on fire. But she can’t do that too much when she’s giving a speech.

    I think she’ll relax and come into her own after her second inaugural – when she can finally be in NMFLTG mode. Only about 4.5 years!

    ;-)

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  47. 83.

    I'mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet

    @rikyrah:

    I see it as being serious and earnest about the subject.

    Agreed. It’s Hillary working and concentrating on doing a good job. She’s not a natural public speaker. For years she drove me nuts with her overly . slow . and . clearly . enunciated . speaking . style . Especially when she got to the nut ‘graph. Bill would do some of that too, but quite as not as over-the-top.

    She’s getting much better, but she’s still a work in progress.

    She really lights up when she laughs, her eye switch-on like they’re on fire. But she can’t do that too much when she’s giving a speech.

    I think she’ll relax and come into her own after her second inaugural – when she can finally be in NMFLTG mode. Only about 4.5 years!

    ;-)

    Cheers,
    Scott.
    (Who hates that relax is a “make post disappear” word. Sorry if this appears twice.)

  48. 84.

    Marvel

    @Currants: (Re your greying tomato leaves) Perhaps you’re looking at a phosphorus deficiency — if the leaves actually have a purplish cast to them (especially seen in the underside leaf veins). A trusted website suggested using a seaweed spray or fish extract spray, applied directly to the leaves. Good luck!

  49. 86.

    WaterGirl

    How nice to have lovely photos of gardens in other places. We have really hit the big time with the international photos!

    Anne Laurie, the formatting was borked (in exactly the same way) on one of the garden chats where my photos were featured. So I think the cause is somehow the placement of the photos in the thread. Let me know if you want me to find the thread where it happened before – maybe we can figure out what the cause is.

    Off to swim! Temp here is 70 right now, works for me – the water was getting pretty warm when we had the long stretch of 90+ degree days.

  50. 87.

    schrodinger's cat

    Thanks Anne Laurie. This woman’s gardening skills were most impressive, all these beautiful trees and flowering plants in a postage stamp sized garden. I was most impressed by the curry leaf tree. In North America the curry leaf trees I have seen are spindly and pathetic looking.

  51. 91.

    WaterGirl

    @satby: But is she faithful? :-)

    @schrodinger’s cat: Yes, we have ratings of frequent, valued, loyal, and faithful, to name a few. I’m thinking anything besides “frequent” is probably a win! I got just “commenter” once, but Baud lobbied for an upgrade for me, as I recall.

  52. 93.

    Currants

    @Marvel: THANK YOU for that–I wouldn’t have thought. And I do have some seaweed concentrate I can mix up and apply in the morning. Much appreciated–especially coming from you!

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