My Twitter Feed

March 28, 2024

Headlines:

No Time for Tuckerman -

Thursday, August 3, 2023

The Quitter Returns! -

Monday, March 21, 2022

Putting the goober in gubernatorial -

Friday, January 28, 2022

Open Thread – Stress Reduction

This actually works really well.

Comments

comments

Comments
36 Responses to “Open Thread – Stress Reduction”
  1. Zyxomma says:

    Good news from the Senate floor: The STOCK act just passed!

  2. Baker's Dozen says:

    Mt Cleveland about to blow? Perhaps a new home for Sarah?

    http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2012/0201/Is-Alaska-s-Cleveland-Volcano-about-to-erupt-again

    • ks sunflower says:

      Yikes! Our daughter’s Air China flight just went over that area this week as she traveled back to Beijing for the Spring semester.

      What is the direction of the prevailing winds over Mt. Cleveland? Other than air traffic, what negative impacts would a big eruption have for Alaska, Anchorage in particular?

      • slipstream says:

        Mt. Cleveland is 940 miles from Anchorage. Unless it does a repeat of the Krakatoa explosion, not much to worry about in southcentral Alaska.

        Warning, though . . . southcentral is in an avalanche cycle after this big warm storm. Avalanches come in swarms, just like salmon. Watch out.

  3. Zyxomma says:

    Happy Groundhog Day, pups! It’s midway between solstice and equinox, and is known in pagan circles as Candlemas. Here’s more:

    http://wild.enature.com/blog/how-can-a-groundhog-predict-the-end-of-winter?utm_source=eNature+Master+List&utm_campaign=e626bd9bde-On_The_Wild_Side_February_2_20122_1_2012&utm_medium=email

    • ks sunflower says:

      Loved reading that article. I didn’t realize they were really woodchucks. Poor babies – getting so rudely awakened and thrust into the spotlight.

      Kind of reminds me of how Sarah looks in one of her Fox interviews – oops, that would be looking crudely and jumping into the spotlight for her, my mistake. Still, their fur looks better than her wigs. Just saying.

    • AKPetMom says:

      It’s Marmot Day here in AK. Our esteemed State Senator Linda Menard took up important Legislative session time a few years ago to realized her deceased father’s dream of officially change the name of a day whose concept would never be realized in Alaska as it’s a foregone conclusion that on February 2nd, we are definitely looking forward to at least 10 more weeks of winter and possibly more. So, Happy Marmot Day Alaskans, at least we’re halfway to the Equinox and the season of light, if not necessarily warmth. The most ironic part of Marmot Day is that the namesake creature is still hibernating, in alpine areas under 15-20 feet of snow and is very unlikely to make an appearance.

      • mike fom iowa says:

        Do you call ot whory Marmot Day in honor of Alaska’s official prostitute,SP?

  4. OMG says:

    Another slam for Palin from another conservative (who has actually slapped her before):

    Egomaniacs R Us: Trump to pick Newt
    By Jennifer Rubin

    Herman Cain, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Sarah Palin and now, it seems, Donald Trump have lined up behind Newt Gingrich. It’s convenient to have a candidate like Gingrich who attracts the unserious, the unpresidential, the uninformed and the unpalatable all in one convenient locale. It saves the time and effort needed to determine who is a credible Republican and who is not (Gingrich supporters). The move is yet another boost for Rick Santorum, who definitely is in the category of responsible and credible candidates (whatever you think of his views) and has been struggling to wean the base off its attraction to Gingrich.

    Gotta love: “unserious, the unpresidential, the uninformed and the unpalatable ”
    Also noteworthy is that on the main page for the Washington Post, this opinion is titled: The Freak Show Rolls on.

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/post/egomaniacs-r-us-trump-to-pick-newt/2012/02/01/gIQA5iC8jQ_blog.html

    • Mo says:

      OMG – thx, that is indeed a trenchant quote.

      But, Santorum is a “responsible and credible” candidate? Oh, please. The mere spectre of an Opus Dei Catholic winger in office outta be enough to scare the pants off nearly everyone with memories of that monk in The DaVinci Code. Especially normal couples who use birth control…

      And I’m speaking as an EX-Catholic.

      • ks sunflower says:

        Hey, it worked for Kansas Governor Brownback. Of course, few here knew he was converted to Catholicism through an Opus Dei contact. I, too, wonder if had they known if he would have been able to step over from Senator to Governor so easily. BTW, he is implementing many OD policies as quickly as he can. Imagine what Santorum would do as President. As a woman, it makes me shiver.

      • bubbles says:

        i agree absolutely Mo. Opus Dei is scary. and it is real.

  5. merrycricket says:

    Think I will destress in the yard. Buckeye Chuck is predicting an early spring for Ohio – as if the current winter wasn’t already a clue. We aren’t complaining. I went to a gathering last night to shake the hands of the local organic farmers. One of them in particular was quite interesting to talk to. He presented at a symposium regarding the use of certain bacteria to control some diseases in crops. Some big muckity-muck from Monsanto asked him what he does for some disease or other and the farmers reply was “nothing unless and until it shows up.” The Monsanto guy was stunned, like it was sacreligious not to pretreat. I have lettuce and spinach seeds to start. Have a great day all.

    • Alaska Pi says:

      I hope the Monsanto guy was more than stunned. Those creeps have used one of the most effective organic farming tools in their creepy GM corn and are in danger of ruining it’s efficacy as a topical, safe way to control a lot of wormy, caterpillary crop pests.
      http://www.gmwatch.org/latest-listing/1-news-items/13394-monsantos-bt-corn-reported-failing-in-several-states
      He should have been ashamed, concilatory, and apologetic about the chances that organic IPM
      (integrated pest management) will lose a tool because of their tying of Bt-K into a GM product seed.
      Please ! Tell about your early spring and garden!
      Mine is frozen solid and under foots/feets of snow and will be for quite awhile yet… am getting spring fever way too early. Hoo…!

    • UgaVic says:

      I am right there with AlaskaPi on Monsanto and the Bt issue…so pisses me off (OK, not the best language :-)!!
      We are getting clobbered for the second straight day of high winds (40-60 mph) and snow. The drifts are starting to take on proportions of entire buildings!!
      Please do share garden progress….it helps the stress in this house greatly!!

      • Zyxomma says:

        I am a member of a community garden in the middle of my block, and there’s another (much larger) directly across the street, where I can see it from four of my apartment’s six windows.

        Winter here has been a non-starter. We’ve had a few cold days, and about three inches of snow (not counting the Hallowizzard). When I went out today, I saw crocuses coming up (green shoots, not flowers). I’m quite upset by the lack of winter. I hope, at least, that it’s snowing upstate, or our reservoirs will be empty.

        UgaVic, if you can figure out how to send some snow/winter weather to NYC, I’d welcome it.

        • leenie17 says:

          Nope…not snowing here in Rochester! We’ve had a measly 25 inches so far this winter and usually have about 60 by this time, with an average of about 100 for the season. Buffalo and Syracuse are also well below normal with Syracuse just barely breaking 31 inches and Buffalo below 25. Even the infamous Tughill Plateau, near Watertown, has only gotten a little less than 60 inches and they average about 200 inches a year.

          I wore my spring jacket AGAIN today and it’s not supposed to dip below 30 for the next week at least. The weather has been so unseasonably warm with only very brief spurts of cold that the parsley in my garden is STILL green! If this keeps up, our famous Lilac Festival may be in trouble.

      • mike fom iowa says:

        For us ex-Iowa farmers,Monsanto and Bt is a life saver. They helped get rid of milkweed,the nectar of the gods for them damn Monarch butterflies that migrate through here from Mexico to Canada and back again(if they live long enough). Have you ever noticed the brilliant orange and black colors of butterflies hanging upside down on trees in the fall. Disgusting to anyone who loves the color green. No more milkweed=no more Monarchs. Man once again triumphs over nature.(TIC)

  6. I See Villages From My House says:

    Trump, Cain and Palin. . .the face of the 21st Century Republican. Goldwater and Reagan wept.

    1% Clown Car more like it.

    Antidisestablishmentarianism, the new Tea Party meme that can be poorly spelled and executed in a county near you.

    • OMG says:

      Enjoy another great conservative take-down of Mrs. Palin:

      http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2012/02/01/palin-myth-influence-florida-primary-gingrich/

      • ks sunflower says:

        That was a fun read, but really how credible can that author he believes that one of “the smart people” was “the Weekly Standard’s William Kristol?” I mean, honestly, doesn’t that in and of itself discredit his opinion.

        It might, I guess, if it weren’t for the fact that he also says he thinks Palin is still out there because of ” . . . her desire to try to hog the spotlight for as long as possible . . . .”

        That moment should be over in 3 . . 2 . . 1″ just after Fox kicks her off the network.

      • I See Villages From My House says:

        I groaned out loud at “Michael Timothy Griffith’s” defense of Sarah. Really stale old talking points issued from the RNC in 2008.

        Worse, he works for an Alaska Native corporation out of Washington, D.C.

        I’m surprised that as a Mormon, he is defending her against Mitt.

        But then again, you can never judge a book by its cover.

    • fromthediagonal says:

      Antidisestablishmentarianism! Have not had that word in my head in probably four decades!
      Thanks for the reminder! Good one! Had to practice the pronunciation a couple of times before it would roll of my tongue again!

  7. ks sunflower says:

    With Trump scheduled to endorse Gingrich this afternoon, perhaps I will wait to reduce my stress this way. I will be laughing too much to hit the circle.

    Gosh, how will I restrain my excitement? Tick tock, tick tock, anticipation . . . .

    That it comes within 24 hours of Romney’s latest verbal goof, is so delicious.

    • OMG says:

      I know what you mean…an endorsement from The Donald awaits the eager minions of the GOP. Sadly, it looks like, although she is clawing desperately to stay relevant, Ms. Palin is losing her clout (and her PAC donations from the look of things). Oh my Golly, if she loses her Fox contract too and her speaking engagements trickle away, how will she be able to fly in private jets and eat $600 meals?!

      http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/02/influence-of-palin-and-tea-party-wanes-in-early-contests/

    • Lacy Lady says:

      Yea!!!!!Trump to endorse Romney. “Kiss of Death”

      • ks sunflower says:

        Yeah, isn’t that weird? This morning at the crack of dawn, it was to be Gingrich, then later Romney, and now, one politico said Trump might be announcing his own candidacy.

        No one knows how to promote like Trump and no one promotes Trump more often than Trump.

        I also heard that a study was done about Trump’s endorsements and it was found that an endorsement from Trump was indeed like Sarah’s kiss of death. In fact, voters are more likely not to vote for anyone Trump endorses, so this makes his announcement this afternoon at least mildly interesting.

    • Jag27 says:

      Why do they endorse? I always envision the person endorsing having a huge ego trip, thinking that their opinion matters that much.

  8. GoI3ig says:

    This is almost necessary after the recent barrage of network coverage of the GOP primary race.

    • benlomond2 says:

      ….but only if you are a Republican !!! I’m just sitting back , eating popcorn and laughing my head off !!!! of course, there is some deja vu; Romney reminds me of McCainwith the flip-flop to get votes….now, if he’d only pick Bachmann for his VP candidate….