Teensy-tiny one-round grannies. I'm sloooowly building up a collection of them to work into an afghan (with lots of white or cream yarn to join them).
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
148/365 - Crookneck Squash
Look! Look! I grew squash! (One of the easiest-to-grow vegetables ever. But I'm still proud.)
147/365 - Clouds
I love clouds. I've long forgotten anything I learned about their scientific names, but I still enjoy looking at them.
146/365 - Skink Rendevous
I was startled to find this pair of skinks having a moment of passion ;o) near the raised garden bed. The male was a wimp. He ran and hid under the vegetable bed, leaving the poor female to fend for herself. Fortunately, I don't have a taste for skinks.
145/365 - Hand-Me-Downs
This weekend, Aunt Debbie gave me this huge box of hand-me-down yarn. I had a lot of fun going through it and sorting it according to weight and fiber content. Hurray for free yarn!
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Random Music
Just some music I've been enjoying lately... :o)
"Blackwinged Bird", Nina Persson:
"Comptine d'un autre été : L'Après-midi" , from the Amélie soundtrack:
"Long Time Traveller", The Wailin' Jennys:
"Glory Bound", The Wailin' Jennys:
"Blackwinged Bird", Nina Persson:
"Comptine d'un autre été : L'Après-midi" , from the Amélie soundtrack:
"Long Time Traveller", The Wailin' Jennys:
"Glory Bound", The Wailin' Jennys:
Friday, May 24, 2013
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Link: Another Reason
Another reason to care about what's happening in Sweden (and England, and France, and...) is that it should stand as a warning to the U.S.: "I Think They're Trying to Tell Us Something".
More about the situation in Stockholm:
More about the situation in Stockholm:
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Riots in Stockholm
"Riots in Stockholm Spread to More Suburbs":
"Groups of youth", huh? A story at TheLocal.se identifies them also only as "youths". Good try, you guys, but at this point, is there anyone who doesn't know what "youths" is code for, in stories of riots, violence, etc.?
(Incidentally, one thing I will never, ever understand is why these types of gangs always seem to destroy their own neighborhoods. Um, you live there. It might not be the best part of town to begin with, but how is trashing the place going to improve your situation? Come next week, chances are you and your family will still be living and working in the same community-- which you have just further degraded. Of course, the kind of people who do these things aren't exactly the brainy bunch...)
From TheLocal.se:
Yes, of course; it's all Sweden's fault. (...For letting these hooligans into the country to begin with, you mean, right...?) After all, Sweden is so well known for its inequality. It's not like Sweden makes itself ridiculous by bending over backward to avoid even the appearance of inequality. Nuh-uh. Nope. They just revel in a veritable orgy of inequality, in Sweden. Known for it around the world! (Ouch! Concentrated sarcasm burns...)
From the same article:
Well, good luck, because I have a strong feeling you're going to need it. It might help if more people spoke up against the political correctness on steroids that currently has a stranglehold on the nation.
And this shooting that supposedly started the rioting? Yeah, sounds like it was a terrible loss to the community. I'm sure the woman the police were trying to protect when they shot theinnocent individual knife/machete-wielding lunatic would also call it a use of excessive force.
ETA:
'Multiculturalism failing': Swedish PM pleas for order as riots engulf Stockholm suburbs
The headline makes it look (to me) like the Swedish PM says multiculturalism is failing, which is not accurate. It's actually a quote from the chairman of the Swedish National Democrats Party. Still, there's some interesting material that the other articles I linked didn't include.
Al Jazeera, on the other hand, covers the story this way:
Some of you (out there in my vast audience of... two? three? ;o)) are probably wondering why I'm getting all het up about this. I hope I'm not coming across as an obnoxious American trying to teach Sweden how to "do better", because the U.S. is sitting pretty and has it all figured out. (I wish. Goodness knows we have our own problems. Too many to enumerate, too close to home.) I'm well aware that I'm no expert-- yet from what I hear from Donald about current events in Sweden, I feel safe wagering that I know more about Sweden than the average American... and this story just makes me mad.
If you knew how completely, painfully PC the media is in Sweden! You think it's bad here? Ha ha ha... We're getting there, but (on certain subjects, at least) they have it worse. If you heard the ridiculous stories of the "child refugees" who are obviously grown men-- the shameful waste of resources on people who should be taking care of themselves-- the stubborn unwillingness to admit that there might possibly be a problem. And then people have the gall to say that Sweden hasn't done enough for them? That there is inequality? That it's time to shine a spotlight on "how Sweden treats immigrants"? Good ga-rief! Sweden seems to treat its immigrants better than it treats its natives! It. Makes. Me. Furious. And I don't even live there!!
...So. Anyway. That's why I was stirred past my usual "post nothing but the occasional flurry of photos" filter, today. Outrage. Now back to our regularly scheduled photos of plants and drywall. ;o)
STOCKHOLM (AP) -- Groups of youth have smashed shop windows, set cars ablaze and burnt down a cultural center as the riots that started in one Stockholm suburb after a fatal police shooting spread to other low-income areas of the Swedish capital.
. . .
[Police spokesman] Lindgren says 30 vehicles were set ablaze in six suburbs where mainly immigrants live. Gangs of up to 60 youths also set fire to a school and a nursery and hurled rocks at police and fire fighters.
The unrest began Sunday in response to the May 13 shooting, in which police killed a 69-year-old, knife-wielding man in a northwestern suburb.
"Groups of youth", huh? A story at TheLocal.se identifies them also only as "youths". Good try, you guys, but at this point, is there anyone who doesn't know what "youths" is code for, in stories of riots, violence, etc.?
(Incidentally, one thing I will never, ever understand is why these types of gangs always seem to destroy their own neighborhoods. Um, you live there. It might not be the best part of town to begin with, but how is trashing the place going to improve your situation? Come next week, chances are you and your family will still be living and working in the same community-- which you have just further degraded. Of course, the kind of people who do these things aren't exactly the brainy bunch...)
From TheLocal.se:
"You have to see what happened from a wider point of view. It's not the first time something like this has happened, and it's not the last. This is the kind of reaction when there isn't equality between people, which is the case in Sweden," Rami al-Khamisi, a law student and founder of local youth organization Megafonen, told The Local.
On Monday, local newspaper editor Rouzbeh Djalaie said the shooting probably provided the spark.
"There's frustration in Husby and it risks spiralling out of control. People want long-term solutions to social problems instead of an increased police presence," Djalaie told The Local.
Yes, of course; it's all Sweden's fault. (...For letting these hooligans into the country to begin with, you mean, right...?) After all, Sweden is so well known for its inequality. It's not like Sweden makes itself ridiculous by bending over backward to avoid even the appearance of inequality. Nuh-uh. Nope. They just revel in a veritable orgy of inequality, in Sweden. Known for it around the world! (Ouch! Concentrated sarcasm burns...)
From the same article:
Sweden's Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt commented on the matter in a press conference at the Riksdag on Tuesday afternoon.
"We've had two nights with great unrest, damage, and an intimidating atmosphere in Husby and there is a risk it will continue," he said.
"We have groups of young men who think that that they can and should change society with violence. Let's be clear: This is not OK. We cannot be ruled by violence."
Well, good luck, because I have a strong feeling you're going to need it. It might help if more people spoke up against the political correctness on steroids that currently has a stranglehold on the nation.
And this shooting that supposedly started the rioting? Yeah, sounds like it was a terrible loss to the community. I'm sure the woman the police were trying to protect when they shot the
ETA:
'Multiculturalism failing': Swedish PM pleas for order as riots engulf Stockholm suburbs
The headline makes it look (to me) like the Swedish PM says multiculturalism is failing, which is not accurate. It's actually a quote from the chairman of the Swedish National Democrats Party. Still, there's some interesting material that the other articles I linked didn't include.
Al Jazeera, on the other hand, covers the story this way:
Police in Sweden have arrested six people after a second night of escalating riots in a Stockholm suburb.Completely unbiased-- just as you'd expect from Al Jazeera. Ha! "Shining a spotlight on how Sweden treats immigrants"! (!!!)
On Monday night, aboout 200 people took part in demonstrations following the fatal police shooting of a 69-year-old man.
The unrest is shining a spotlight on how Sweden treats immigrants.
Some of you (out there in my vast audience of... two? three? ;o)) are probably wondering why I'm getting all het up about this. I hope I'm not coming across as an obnoxious American trying to teach Sweden how to "do better", because the U.S. is sitting pretty and has it all figured out. (I wish. Goodness knows we have our own problems. Too many to enumerate, too close to home.) I'm well aware that I'm no expert-- yet from what I hear from Donald about current events in Sweden, I feel safe wagering that I know more about Sweden than the average American... and this story just makes me mad.
If you knew how completely, painfully PC the media is in Sweden! You think it's bad here? Ha ha ha... We're getting there, but (on certain subjects, at least) they have it worse. If you heard the ridiculous stories of the "child refugees" who are obviously grown men-- the shameful waste of resources on people who should be taking care of themselves-- the stubborn unwillingness to admit that there might possibly be a problem. And then people have the gall to say that Sweden hasn't done enough for them? That there is inequality? That it's time to shine a spotlight on "how Sweden treats immigrants"? Good ga-rief! Sweden seems to treat its immigrants better than it treats its natives! It. Makes. Me. Furious. And I don't even live there!!
...So. Anyway. That's why I was stirred past my usual "post nothing but the occasional flurry of photos" filter, today. Outrage. Now back to our regularly scheduled photos of plants and drywall. ;o)
Friday, May 17, 2013
132/365 - Clarabel's 2nd Birthday
We celebrated Clarabel's 2nd birthday at a party at Mom & Dad's house. :o)
(There are several more photos from the day on Flickr!)
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Dream Pop
Stumbleine - "Fade Into You (feat. Steffaloo)"
Loving this song, lately.
As usual, I first heard it on TV (The Following). That's just about the only place I find new music I like, these days. Too lazy to go looking for it on my own.
Saturday, May 4, 2013
123/365 - Begonias
I haven't bothered with annuals for several years (or at least, not with any but what reseeded themselves), but this spring we bought several different things, and it *is* nice to have a little extra color.
122/365 - Raised Bed
A "progress shot" of the raised bed... So far, so good! We've been enjoying checking on it every day. Some of the plants (the cucumber and squash particularly) sometimes show obvious change from day to day.
Drywall Progress
One wall down and another nearly finished. They were the two walls with no windows or doors. On the one hand, this may have made them easier to cover. On the other hand, there was more of them *to* cover...
Thursday, May 2, 2013
121/365 - Coreopsis
Supposedly they're good for attracting insects that are the natural enemies of some other insects I'd like to banish from our yard. They're also pretty and cheerful and hardy.
119/365 - Garage Progress
We're putting drywall on the walls, now. There's still a bit of the ceiling left to put up, but that part will be easier to get to once we've used up more of our stack of drywall supply.
117/365 - Radishes
I've never seen radishes in the ground before. Never paid much attention to them in general, since I don't even eat them. (Donald does.) But just look how cute those little heart-shaped leaves are!
Project 365 Update
You may have noticed that I've changed the way I'm updating this blog. Honestly, I've been considering just closing down the whole thing and asking anyone interested to follow along on Flickr (or Ravelry, or one of the two blogs I still actually update), since I never write anything here, any more, but... I guess I'll leave it alone for now.
I'm still trying to take photos for Project 365, though I've missed another day here and there and just taken "make-up photos" to fill in the gaps. Now that I'm a month behind posting the photos, though, I'm going to take an easy route to catching up. To save time and trouble, I'll just share the photos through Flickr's built-in sharing function. The result isn't as pretty as if I took the trouble to post them as I had been doing, but it sure is a lot easier. If you want to see the photos larger, I recommend just heading over to Flickr to do so. (These latest photos should have links, and there's always the link in the sidebar, of course.)
...That's all. Back to our regularly scheduled never-posting-anything-but-photos.
I'm still trying to take photos for Project 365, though I've missed another day here and there and just taken "make-up photos" to fill in the gaps. Now that I'm a month behind posting the photos, though, I'm going to take an easy route to catching up. To save time and trouble, I'll just share the photos through Flickr's built-in sharing function. The result isn't as pretty as if I took the trouble to post them as I had been doing, but it sure is a lot easier. If you want to see the photos larger, I recommend just heading over to Flickr to do so. (These latest photos should have links, and there's always the link in the sidebar, of course.)
...That's all. Back to our regularly scheduled never-posting-anything-but-photos.
111/365 - Vegetable Bed
Donald built this raised bed. We have tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, green onions, chives, dill, radishes, and lettuce.
ETA: Not all of those things are in the raised bed. A few are in pots.
ETA: Not all of those things are in the raised bed. A few are in pots.
109/365 - Cold Front
Via Flickr:
These last few days when the temperature drops down into "good sleeping weather" at night...
108/365 - Umbrella Plant
Via Flickr:
This plant has thrived in its new location by the faucet on the patio.
107/365 - Book Sale
The neighboring county's library system had its annual book sale. We found a few things to take home with us.
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