Damn it’s hot out. I hate to see the electric bill next month. However, these guys flourish in hot weather. There are neat sunflowers in several yards on Liberia near Point of Woods. Where are there others? Every year I want to grow them and then I forget to plant them.
Grrrrrrr. I bought little ones one year and set them out on the steps, all neat-like with cute little cans for pots. Within an hour they were headless. I found the gray, bushy tailed culprit walking across the driveway with a nice head of sunflower in his mouth. I don’t know why I even bother. $20 bucks worth of squirrel dessert.
In the unfortunately distant past, I spent a lot of time in France. In the countryside one often sees acres and acres of sunflowers being grown agriculturally for the seeds and oil. There’s nothing quite like driving though fields of 1.5 metre tall sunflowers, all turned to the sun on a beautiful, cool summer day in Brittany.
The summer weather here absolutely stinks. It’s a wonder that the British just didn’t say the hell with it and go home. If I had somewhere else to go I would. I can say, however, that the Spring and Autumn often compensate, and that this summer hasn’t been as bad as some, however brutal the last week has been. I think we still are markedly under our usual pace of 90+ degree days, and that those days that have been over have not been as much over 90 as is usually the case.
I have often thought of moving just because of summer here. I would really miss fall though and to a lesser degree, spring. Hell, I woul even miss winter most of the time.
I grew up in New Orleans.
Don’t knock this weather here.
Picture it 100 degrees, 103% humidity, no breeze…for days
When I came out of A/C, water would condense on your skin.
That’s tough stuff down there, CS. I have to go to Houston on business fairly often. It is only bearable between November and February. Hard to imagine what life was like pre-AC.
I have heard that Houston was one of the worst places under the sun weatherwise.
@Scout
High ceilings, fans, and a lot of alcohol.
@Cargosquid I’ve been to New Orleans three times—all in the summertime. No wonder they let you drink adult beverages in the streets.
@Emma
Its medicinal. Thins the blood…don’t you know.
If you think Houston and New Orleans are bad, try growing up in Beaumont, TX. Almost half way between Houston and New Orleans and the worst of both worlds. All the heat of Texas plus the humidity of New Orleans.
Plus the ever present stick of oil refineries. I was a teenager before I realized that all beaches didn’t have “tar” balls. (You couldn’t go into the water barefoot because you’d have globs of oil stuck to the soles of your feet.)
It looks like the knave is trying to wring a little more mileage out of a tired, dead story that no one gives a sh!t about.
The Knave is wasting away in logo-ville.
So when is the supervisor going to leak the fake foia? Anyone want to place bets?
http://themockdock.com/2013/07/16/you-may-have-seen-this-before/
LOL
The new baby Cambridge has arrived! Congratulations to the United Kingdom and the royal family.
An 8.5 pound baby boy!
Hmmm. Is that TSON speaking. 😉
Just had to.
I thought the SAME thing. The story about the wife caught my attention and reminded me of a few posts. Similar phraseology. Cadence is the same in speech and writing.
looks like there was a big leak out of the closed session at yesterday’s supervisor meeting. One of the supervisors must be the town cryer.
That didn’t stop the Knave from reporting it, great journalist that he is.
WASHINGTON — Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell said Tuesday he has repaid more than $120,000 to a political donor and apologized for bringing “embarrassment” to the state.
“Being governor of Virginia is the highest honor of my 37 years in public service,” McDonnell, a Republican, said in a statement. “I am deeply sorry for the embarrassment certain members of my family and I brought upon my beloved Virginia and her citizens.”
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/07/23/mcdonnell-loans-apology-virginia-governor/2579601/
Resign, governor. You are a disgrace to yourself, your family, your office, your party and your state.
So where did he get that kind of money?
There are a lot of other indiscretions also.
He sent his statement out by Twitter. He didn’t make amends face to face.
Come to think of it, I saw his face and don’t recall hearing his voice. He hid behind his wife.
She will learn. She just isn’t there yet.
Pretty clever, Knave. The 4 comments that were up last night about salary increases have disappeared. Pretty obvious where the leak is.
Destroying the evidence?
Looks like there are some “planted posts” over there trying to make it look like closed session was the talk of McCoart…..or the talk of someone. Small group in closed session. If the rumors of leaks are true that needs to be addressed firmly and swiftly.
The good people of Prince William should be expressing their disapproval by calling for censuring by the supervisors.
The one needs to stop leaking. Small group in a closed session only means one thing.
Wendy is spot on.
Can that be done? Censure a board member?
It happened over in Loudoun Co.
http://www.wjla.com/articles/2013/07/eugene-delgaudio-censured-by-loudoun-county-board-of-supervisors-91550.html
It looks like one of the political losers is becoming quite the know it all in da woods. What a boring braggart.
The Knave is right to show an empty stable. He continues to beat dead horses. Hiiii-deee-hoooo! Away we go!!!!
An empty stable is a good place for a LEEEEEEAK. Whineey
The knavettes can’t even get county sick leave right. What a batch of misinformation.
If the CXO has all that accumulated leave, she should be congratulated not criticized for her strong work ethic.
Just saying.
So what’s the leak of the day? The Knave of the Forest can do better than trying to drag poor old Frank into the knave’s muck.
Are you a CPA? “technical CPA stuff. I know”.
Wow what an insufferable comment. On the other hand if that’s the absolute max of a certain CPA’s capability then SHAZAAM…..
Just wondering why nobody is talking about the DHS investigation into visa selling that involves Terry Mcauliffe’s company. There seems to be plenty of talk about McDonnell’s scandals but nothing on Mcauliffe. Is this a site policy think or just no interest?
McAuliffe isn’t the governor of Virginia….yet.
Also, investigation vs known quanitities….I try to avoid speculation and gossip.
Mcauliffe is running for governor and there is a real investigation going on. Mcdonnell is being investigated too. You’ve had more stories than I can count on Mcdonnell and not a peep about Mcauliffe. That seems a little bit of a double standard. Do you really think there is nothing at all worth talking about with Greentech and GUlf Coast?
I guess the answer to my question is that it’s a site policy not to criticize democrats or at least nobody hear is interested in negative things about democrats. I didn’t realize this was a party site. You should make that clearer like Daily Kos, where it’s stated upfront that favoring any republican over a democrat is against the site’s policy.
Furby, bite me. I am not going to be bullied into posting articles about what YOU want to discuss. Capisce ?
Now if you want to go to the open thread and fill us all in, have at it.
Bite me? What are we 12?
I’m not bullying you about anything. I asked why you weren’t covering an investigation on Mcauliffe when you were covering McDonnell and Cuccinelli so much. You made your answer pretty clear. You don’t want to hear anything about Mcauliffe that’s negative. That’s fine. There’s nothing that says you have to be impartial. I just didn’t realize how partisan you were. My mistake and now I know better. I won’t bring up anything that would offend your sensibilities.
You really ought to make it clear that this is a site for democrats though if you are going to get so worked up about even talking about bad press for democrats.
Cut the patronizing crap.
I would like to remind you that you are our guest and so please take your feet off the coffee table. Elena and I have never made our political leanings a secret.
If anything comes of the investigation of McAuliffe, I will read about it in the papers. I would still vote for him. There is nothing that would make me vote for Cuccinelli.
As I said, you are free to run your own discussion on the open thread. That’s what it’s there for. It is not incumbent upon me to cover anything.
I got an A in statistics.
My earlier self from 30 years ago is headslapping himself going WTF?
Congratulations. Statistics is a difficult course if the wrong person is teaching it. Let’s put it this way, I did a lot better as an older adult in it than I did as a younger near-adult.
What a beautiful day today.
Tonight’s Maddow… Best. Show. Ever. 😉
THIS!
I have to quote it but it comes from here: http://blog.robballen.com/Post/14246/i-was-going-to-make-fun-of-england-for-getting-a
I was going to make fun of England for getting a new “king”….
Then I realized that instead of granting absolute authority to someone who just happened to win the mommy-daddy lottery, we grant a shit load of authority to a committee made up of the lowest common denominators in the fractions of life who then hire underlings to design that authority and do so in a way that we cannot vote away.
At least you can behead a king.
And then this new Brit King really has no authority…he power really only comes from those lowerst common denominators just like ours, except perhaps with even more arrogance, if that is possible.
Its actually a pretty thankless job, being a king.
http://youtu.be/StJS51d1Fzg
It’s good to be the King.
It has been said that in modern times (post Cromwell) the King (or Queen) of England has the right to be informed, to be consulted, and to be listened to by the Government. A good, shrewd, well-respected monarch can do a lot within that seemingly vague ambit. A foolish monarch would have little power. I sense that Victoria and the current Queen have been successful in squeezing about as much influence as is possible out of that construct, and do it rather skillfully.
Here you go…the latest conspiracy:
http://www.chronicle.su/news/edward-snowden-solar-flare-killshot-cataclysm-imminent/
@Scout
I have loved the Queen since I was a little girl. She is a remarkable woman.
I’m surprised to see the royal baby getting such play on lefty blogs since it involves two things they generally hate a.) live births and b.) inherited wealth.
Remarks like that show that you really have no idea what you are talking about.
Anyone else tired of the nasty tone Americans have adopted as our culture? A country of hate and anger in sound bites – McHate…or has the absence of telemarketers left blogs as the sole source of venting on someone you don’t have to face?
I know plenty of lefties with inherited wealth. Jealous 🙂 ?
I’m so tired of seeing people on Facebook and everywhere else complaining about the royal baby–“we fought a revolution against those people!” Oh, do shut up, unless you want to be held responsible for everything YOUR ancestors did.
It was the one bright spot in what is almost always a tawdry mess on the front pages anymore. I loved that pic of William smiling over his newborn son.
Now the weekend is over three sheriffites are over talking to themselves about the evil Lady Peacor. How dare she not know ever bit of minutia going on in the county!!!! Stomp Stomp!
Then the knave supervisor continues to beat the trivia drum trying to prove wrong doing over the logo. Hey Choir Boy! You might want to ask yourself if they were told to report back to the board or if they were told to grt the job done.
Very interesting article in today’s Post about home schooling;
rather shocking in part, actually.
It was a bright spot. New babies just bring our focus to the right place and represent joy. They were both beaming. I loved the hand off – remember doing that hoping it went without a hitch 🙂
@punchak
That article was shocking in its revelation of how little say some of these kids have in the shaping of their futures. The mother was a UVa grad who appeared overwhelmed by the chore of homeschooling 11 children. I admire the son who was the subject of the piece for his persistence in pursuing his education and for his helping his younger siblings.
I see no reason for the state not to guarantee at least oversight of these students who are homeschooled for religious reasons in order for them to get a comparable level of education to what public or private schools provide.
I don’t see much difference between those parents and absent parents who’s kids float through the system moved from grade to grade out of necessity and “graduate” And they barely read, comprehenion is an unknown skill and well, no point to address grammer. Bad parents are bad parents.
There are plenty of remarkable outcomes of children who are homeschooled.
@Lyssa
Of course there are remarkable outcomes. However, this truly exceptional young man, is worried about his younger siblings, as well he should be. I have a neighbor whose children (7) are homeschooled and the older ones are doing well, the younger less well.
Can you imagine what it would be like to run a home with 12 kids and, at the same time, try to teach each one of them, not only the basic ABCs, but math, history, chemistry,…..?
The father is out working in order to earn enough money to support his big family, but the mother is the one who’s in charge of the kids’ homeschooling. Is that a fair division of family responsibility? The way I read it, the father is the one who insists on homeschooling. Wonder whether the mother was consulted.
Play stupid games. Win stupid prizes.
http://wtop.com/109/3404250/Activist-Adam-Kokesh-ordered-held-without-bond-in-DC
About time….
Now if we can get David Gregory charged with a firearms charge….justice will prevail.
Yes that young man has been fortunate to find a way out of that situation. And stubborn. I don’t think I could have homeschooled mine – I recognize my limitations. I don’t think it’s possible to homeschool with 11 children to care for. Teaching kids how to set themselves up so they always have options didn’t seem to be part of that mans plans for his kids.
This quote sums it up –
He was struck by two children at his church who were taught at home. They seemed advanced academically, but he was even more impressed by the life skills they were learning
“The young woman was doing homemaking, sewing, learning to cook, and the boy was doing farming,” able at 13 to raise and sell a bull calf, he said.
I have no doubt that home schooling can sometimes yield superior results. I further have no doubt that there is an inherent inefficiency in the public schools’ delivery of academic achievement – a lot of other stuff goes on in the schools. Having said that, it bothers me no small amount that often the folks most adamant about the superiority of home schooling and the “right” to home school are the least competent, least qualified people to be teaching young people. If they fail to convey essential knowledge competently, all citizens pay the price.
Another element of this is the impact on parent/child relationships. I suppose that being a home-schooling parent can enrich the parent/child relationship. at least in some circumstances. However, I would also think that a parent being able to stand back from the role as academic instructor can be useful at times. I would think that it is not always a good thing, even if the parent is fully qualified to teach a particular subejct, to have the role as parent and the role of teacher conflated in the same person. There is no general rule here. Much depends on the qualities of the parent and of the child. But I certainly can think of some examples where parents and children need a little separation when it comes to academic instruction.
Their intent is neither pure nor positive. They are not homeschooling because they believe this is the best option for their children and they will give it their all. They are acting out a negative, opposing pubic schools and “the government”. It’s not about the kids, it’s about them and ther opposition and their “right”. Intent is powerful.
That is certainly true for some, and within that group I suspect the proportion of parents unqualified to teach is mpm-trivial. But I also think it is a mixed bag of skills. The State, it seems to me, has a legitimate expectation that home-schooled kids meet certain minimum standards of achievement along the way.
I would support a Regents style testing such as NY State has to finalize a HS diploma. And I would support state approved curriculums models from which to choose. I would also like to see parents undergo some sort of evaluation prior to being issued curriculum – the parents should be made aware of their capability to undergo this.
Not much is required in Virginia, that’s for sure. Religious objections. I don’t even think you have to have a high school diploma.