Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Stamping your little feets and demanding that they see how important you are? Not working anymore.

If you’re looking for someone who’s young and athletic, go watch a fucking movie.

Hi god, it’s us. Thanks a heap, you’re having a great week and it’s only Thursday!

Narcissists are always shocked to discover other people have agency.

I see no possible difficulties whatsoever with this fool-proof plan.

Hot air and ill-informed banter

DeSantis transforming Florida into 1930s Germany with gators and theme parks.

I did not have this on my fuck 2022 bingo card.

… gradually, and then suddenly.

Good lord, these people are nuts.

Authoritarian republicans are opposed to freedom for the rest of us.

I am pretty sure Katy Tur wasn’t always such a bootlicking sycophant.

“Cheese and Kraken paired together for the appetizer trial.”

“I never thought they’d lock HIM up,” sobbed a distraught member of the Lock Her Up Party.

There is no compromise when it comes to body autonomy. You either have it or you don’t.

I’m just a talker, trying to find a channel!

Dear Washington Post, you are the darkness now.

This isn’t Democrats spending madly. This is government catching up.

The Supreme Court cannot be allowed to become the ultimate, unaccountable arbiter of everything.

Perhaps you mistook them for somebody who gives a damn.

Historically it was a little unusual for the president to be an incoherent babbling moron.

Within six months Twitter will be fully self-driving.

Jesus, Mary, & Joseph how is that election even close?

The willow is too close to the house.

You are here: Home / Photo Blogging / On The Road / On The Road

On The Road

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On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.

From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.

Submit Your Photos

Good Morning All,

This weekday feature is for Balloon Juicers who are on the road, travelling, etc. and wish to share notes, links, pictures, stories, etc. from their escapades. As the US mainland begins the end of the Earth day as we measure it, many of us rise to read about our friends and their transient locales.

So, please, speak up and share some of your adventures, observations, and sights as you explore, no matter where you are. By concentrating travel updates here, it’s easier for all to keep up-to-date on the adventures of our fellow Commentariat. And it makes finding some travel tips or ideas from 6 months ago so much easier to find…

Have at ’em, and have a safe day of travels!

 

Should you have any pictures (tasteful, relevant, etc….) you can email them to [email protected] or just use this nifty link to start an email: Start an Email to send a Picture to Post on Balloon Juice

 

We have Poco!

Another from quinerly:

Certainly nothing exotic. Poco looking out the window of the house I grew up in in Pitt County, NC. He watches his “mother” all day packing, sorting, organizing….50 plus years of her memories and at least 5 generations of “stuff.” His mom took a break to watch him. Poco is an ex inner city street dog from the mean streets of St. Louis and there is a lot of nature out front in rural NC. “Luckiest ex street dog EVER.”

 

A little set from me:

From Madam Butterfly Monday night at the Washington National Opera at Kennedy Center, in Washington, D.C.

It was truly fantastic in so many ways. As a big fan of set design, costumes, materials and fabric, and as a huge fan of Japanese takes on these things, I loved the production beyond words. And the topper was that the designer had some of his art – head sculptures that I forget the details of – on display. The designs on the surfaces of the heads was the same style/type as the kimonos on the curtain, and as many of the costumes that women wore. God I love silk! The heads remind me of one of the neatest museums I’ve been to, the Hakone Open-Air Sculpture Museum. Should you ever be in the Tokyo region, DO NOT MISS IT. Sometime soon, I’ll share some photos from trips there to show you what I’m talking about.

First, the view from my (fantastic!) seat. This was the curtain that was used and the horizontal lines were used and transformed so many different times and ways. The set was fantastic, simple, and perfect. The video tech was a great enhancement and a series of drawn art during a musical interlude was powerful. The tenor will be a big star if he plays his cards right – he had the whole package. And the Albanian soprano – WOW!

One interesting note – the singer playing Suzuki had a bad case of DC allergies, so although she acted the part, it was sung by a rising star in the Young Artists program who was at the side of the stage, reading the music to get it right.  She had prepared the role for a different production from the Young Artists for next week, but it was slightly different, so she had to read along to ensure she synced up with…the opera  LIP SYNCER! It was great both the acting and the fill-in singing were just divine. The Young Artist will be a huge star – she too has it all and this was the third time I’ve seen her this season, and each time she’s owned it. I can’t wait to see and hear how she matures!

And now three shots of the “heads” that were displayed in the Hall of Nations in Kennedy Center:

 

Finally, just a quick reminder of the mystery and glory all around us: have you ever seen what an infantile ladybug looks like? I was shocked last year when I looked up these critters and found out what they were! They shrink/bunch up and transform into the lovely domed creature we know and love! Nature is just so crazy beautiful.

 

To finish up the morning, even more from Rlchina  大芒果 and the talented Mrs. Mango:

Where it was taken: Fuzhou China Cultural Museum Silk Road 450-700 CE exhibit
When: February 2017
Other notes or info about the picture:  photos taken by the lovely Mrs Mango while I was at work….

 

As always, thanks! Such amazing pictures, I know this museum is now on the must-see list! RL – I know I’ve got a few more sets from you, so we’ll run those next week.

 

Have a great day, everyone. It’s a crazy neat, beautiful world out there, and not so far away, just look around. And share those sights and quirks of nature and weather and physics that make life so oddly wonderful.

Friday will be a big treat, after all the teases, a huge set from Europe from JRinWV.

Reader Interactions

24Comments

  1. 1.

    laura

    These are all lovely, especially the Poco, pensively pondering the world outside the window.
    I was lucky to take in the Whitney Biennial yesterday and took one last long walk on the Highline. Heading home this morning.

  4. 4.

    OzarkHillbilly

    I like the heads at the Kennedy Center, very interesting, photographically speaking.

    I also like Rl’s pics…. even better the 2nd time around. ;-)

    And of course, POCO! I think he’s looking for the beach.

  5. 5.

    raven

    @Alain the site fixer:
    What’s pleasing to the eye
    In the delusion of my sight
    Is not what I find when I reach into the light
    I have lost my mind
    I’m walking through time
    Deluded as the next guy
    Pretending and hoping to find
    That distant peace of mind

  6. 6.

    Elizabelle

    Good morning, all. Poco! And laura, you travel safe, hear.

    We had a few updates (that I saw) from greennotGreen’s family overnight on yesterday’s Tamara thread. How’s Everyone Holding Up? with the photo of the mouse.

    First one: from 12:23 am

    gnG’s sister reporting: Sorry to not report earlier today, and thank you to everyone for your good thoughts and wishes. The last 2 days have definitely been downturns. gnG is not often lucid now, and when she is, she gropes for words. She has expressed the idea that she is ready to move on. It’s not a pleasant time – she retches fairly often and indicates that both her throat and her abdomen are uncomfortable. This morning, she decided to take a full dose of lorazepam because she was so sad, and that knocked her out for most of the day. She has has an amazing attitude throughout the ordeal, at peace with her approaching death; however, her extreme weakness has made her vulnerable to the lassitude of spirit which is normal in these circumstances.

    Adding to the emotional turmoil of the day, our mother said goodbye to gnG today. Our mother was hospitalized due to sudden failure to walk or stand when gnG entered home hospice. I brought her by my sister’s house on her way to inpatient rehab. So difficult for a parent to go through.

    So, all-in-all not a good time. Sorry this report is so disjointed – it’s late, but I wanted to keep everyone (who is interested) updated.

    Second one, from the niece at 1:10 am

    Niece’s turn! gnG went to the bathroom, passed out from pain (throat pain from the NG tube, slight abdominal pain as well). Got her back into bed and gave two morphine doses (1 cc total) in quick succession. She doesn’t want to be in pain, and wants the NG tube out. She and my mother had a tearful goodbye, and now my brother is sitting with her, as are three of the dogs. Her main thought after pain was that someone needed to be blogging!

    Update: gnG told my brother to put more ice in her mouth and less on the floor. Glad we all still have some humor!

    A third entry:

    greennotGreen
    May 11, 2017 at 1:36 am
    Niece again: rotating between dilaudid and morphine now. She asked for ice since her throat is still (not literally) killing her. I was not quick enough on the draw so my ice-giving privileges were revoked.

    And then niece sister addressed an email to cckids about cystic fibrosis, and addresses others who have lost loved ones before their time. Such empathy and strength:

    greennotGreen
    May 11, 2017 at 1:57 am
    @cckids: (gnG’s sister writing) I’m so sorry to hear about your son. As gnG may have mentioned, her nephew (my son) has cystic fibrosis, and we have consequently worried about that eventuality since he was born. Nevertheless, I can’t imagine how difficult that would be. Nor do I really want to try. My heart goes out to all who have lost loved ones, but especially those who have lost ones “before their time.” (You could argue that everyone dies at their time, but I think you know what I mean.)

    I will try to copy this into the eventual morning thread. Did I miss any other comments from the family?

  7. 7.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Alain the site fixer: It’s kinda nice to know that even the experts can flub up every now and again. Makes a totally incompetent Luddite like me feel like I might survive this brave new computerized world after all.

  11. 11.

    Elizabelle

    Alain: loved your story about the Madame Butterfly opera, and the opera singer in the wings. How cool.

    Did you tell us how we pronounce snowcat’s name? She is a beauty.

    We had a refreshing rainstorm through the Raval neighborhood in Barcelona an hour or two ago. Flashed through, now it’s sunny.

    Turned a nearby corner out of curiosity yesterday and found a dogpark (with sand and a water fountain) and a heavy metal music bar within maybe 20 yards of each other. And across from a 17th century(?) wall, with a garden and old church beyond. And, look up the street, and you see the top of Montjuic hill. And then, walking around at dusk, and outdoor cafe patrons’ faces are bathed in green light from the bar bigscreen televisions, tuned to the Real Madrid football match.

    Unfortunately, my camera skills are not up to conveying any of this! But if I get anything good, I will send.

  12. 12.

    Quinerly

    @Elizabelle:
    Good morning, Elizabelle. Thanks for the updates re qreennotGreen. I’m without WIFI right now and am unable to poke though all the threads and comments. Have been wanting to know. Have a great day.

  13. 13.

    satby

    @Elizabelle: so good of you to repeat them, I was long asleep by then and I’m going to be leaving for the market in just a few minutes. It sounds like the end is drawing closer. Wishing as easy a transition as possible to gnG, and love to her and her family.

  15. 15.

    rlchina 大芒果

    love the heads and poco…I will have the Mrs send some pics of Rugby and Ajax (aka Adolph Kitler)

  16. 16.

    Elizabelle

    Ah, and Real Madrid won. From the FTF NY Times: Champions League: Real Madrid Holds Off Atlético Madrid to Reach Final

    MADRID — In the first leg of their Champions League semifinal last week, Real Madrid’s fans unfurled a banner meant to remind Atlético Madrid and its fans of Real’s recent dominance over their city rivals in the tournament. “Decidme qué se siente,” it read. “Tell me how it feels.”

    Just before Wednesday night’s second leg at Vicente Calderón Stadium, Atlético’s fans gave their response: “Orgullosos de no ser como vosotros,” their banner said. “Proud to not be like you.”

    For the next quarter of an hour, at least, Atlético’s players did much more than make their fans proud. They also created a belief that they all might be celebrating the mother of all European farewells to their cherished stadium by staging a spectacular comeback. But despite two goals in the first 16 minutes, Atlético had to settle for a 2-1 win on the night that was not enough to overcome their 3-0 deficit from the first leg.

    … In their most recent encounters in the Champions League — including last year’s final — Atlético has come tantalizingly close to beating Real. This time, however, Atlético left itself with a mountain to climb after producing an uncharacteristically meek performance last week, when they allowed Cristiano Ronaldo to score three times.

    A decade ago, a Madrid derby at this stage of Europe’s main club competition would have been unthinkable. But since taking over as Atlético’s manager in late 2011, Diego Simeone has rebuilt the team with a budget that is dwarfed by that of Real. What Atlético has lacked in individual talent, it has made up for with team spirit and structure, built around a tough defense and a counterattacking style …

    For Atlético, however, it is the end of another European run at the hands of their city rivals. As Wednesday’s game entered its last stretch, the weather turned and the final minutes were played amid lightning and in a downpour. Still, a large section of Atlético’s fans stayed in the stadium for a quarter of an hour, coaxing their players to come back out onto the field for a final round of applause.

    Wednesday was not the remarkable victory that Atlético had hoped for, but the win wrapped in defeat still felt like a fitting farewell to European matches at the Calderón.

    Reminding me that sportswriters often have a lot more grace and fire to their writing than other beats. The win wrapped in defeat. No doubt, more accuracy too. You cannot misreport the plays or final score.

    And gotta root for the underdog, showing style and strength and heart against a better-funded hometown opponent.

  18. 18.

    Alain the site fixer

    @Elizabelle: her name is pronounce Inks, or lynx without the L. Not sure a Greek would approve, but then we call the other one a Echo and not eeecho so it seems to be a theme. My previous two were Hannibal and Mimi, both easy to pronounce!

  19. 19.

    Alain the site fixer

    @Elizabelle: yes, thanks for the updates. I hope greenNoGreen has an easy day! I so hope that some of these pictures have brought smiles to her face!

  20. 20.

    laura

    @Elizabelle: thank you for the update on greennotGreen. It’s going to be tough sledding for her family in the transitioning.
    Peace and Grace, and righteous pain management.

  21. 21.

    Aleta

    That’s really nice what you did, Alain. Five generations of family, zooming out to the world in nations as mere heads. Out to the celestial, Buddhist pantheon, tracing back in time to Hindu background, while going inward to peace.

    Quinerly’s representation in one spare shot! of time moving in a vacant house, and rlchina 大芒果 and wife’s offering of a view from the serene are healing.

    大芒果 = large mango?

  22. 22.

    rlchina 大芒果

    @Aleta: @Aleta:

    大芒果 is big mango; my roommate’s Chinese girlfriend could not remember my name and stated the big man go fast…and viola Big Mango is my Chinese name

  23. 23.

    Juju

    @Elizabelle: it’s so nice that you are keeping track of things in regard to gnotG. I haven’t been able to read much of what’s been going on lately and I wondered how she was doing. Thank you.

  24. 24.

    Juju

    I enjoyed all the lovely pictures, especially Poco. It sounds like he won the doggie powerball.

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