This is Maggie after I cut a ton of fur off of her, brushed for an hour and then gave her a bath.  She wouldn't let me use the blow dryer on her.

I like Maggie.  She looks sweet.

Bren - curious about your windows.  Might bump out a wall and thinking about windows.  Do you have a full length pic of those?

Kay - I, too, marvel at the difference a season can make in this part of the world. From winter to spring makes the scene so completely different.

When my son was billeted with a Costa Rican family during a high school trip, I sent him with photos of our house in both seasons. I think they still didn't "get" snow. 

Perhaps there is a moral there in how people without multicultural experiences view "the other".

Missed quite a bit of the discussion of previous pages, but if blocking someone on BCO equates with "supporting" FGM, I'm glad I did I missed it.

Simplistic thinking, avoidance of the truth...

on to more interesting subjects, sweet woodruff was a favorite of V. Sackville-West, and thrives at Sissinghurst.

Interesting conversations about hate.  Due to many upsets with several people......I've thought about the emotion of hate a lot.  It just isn't in me.  Dislike, some disdain....but hate is just too harsh, and very small minded.  Interesting about the N word as well.  As a small child...I heard the word a good deal.  It was not said in hate what-so-ever.  So, while I know it is not proper......and I would never use the word because it is also rude and disgusting, it was at that time in my very young life more of a term used to differentiate those who were of color from those who were not.  It had no more ring to it then using the word stout, tall, frumpy.  It just wasn't said in a way to denigrate anyone or their race. 

Still I just didn't ever care for the word and there are more that I try not to use.  Like fat, etc.  I just think there are better words over-all. 

No problem with using some descriptive phrases.  Limbaugh for instance is a looney toons period.  Many of that ilk, and it bothers me not too much to say so. 

No rain here for a change....more may come but for now just some icky humidity.

Jackie

If any of you actually read what I said - I did correct my statement and say hate was the wrong choice of word. I also said I work with people of that faith and they are lovely people. One guy was having trouble with his new born not sleeping and crying a lot and I gave him advice about comping him with formula - it worked and he was so grateful.

Thankyou to those who still consider me a friend.

Sweet woodruff seems to thrive everywhere.  I use it to weave through my perennials to cover the bare patches, it has a wonderful bouquet ( is also good in white wine, 3 flower heads in a glass of well chilled Ontario Chardonnay is a lovel thing to try).  You really have to be ruthless though. It can smother some plants.  But weeding it out means you get to disturb it and release it's fragrance .

I have a brother who lives in Melbourne Australia. ( I think I have said that before). He only travels here in our winter, his summer, because while it is really quite lovely there year round except for heat waves, and they at least in Melbourne, usually end spectacularly with a "cool change", he misses having 4 distinct seasons.  I send him photos taken from the same spot on my back deck as the season's change.  They are his screen saver at work.  His work mates are astounded by what happens so quickly once spring arrives. 

My mother had Frontotemporal lobe dementia.  She was a wonderful, educated, politically and socially engaged woman.  She took to insulting random people and giving thousands of dollars to anti choice groups who preyed on her.  When we asked them to stop contacting her because if she had been in her right mind she would never, ever support these people, they stepped it up. I am still bitter about that and she died in 2006. 

- 

Fascinating study from the Pew Research Center about polarization in the United States. It is too long and too many charts (which won't copy) to copy here.  I recommend clicking through and reading the whole thing.

http://www.people-press.org/2014/06/12/political-polarization-in-the-american-public/

Political Polarization in the American Public

How Increasing Ideological Uniformity and Partisan Antipathy Affect Politics, Compromise and Everyday Life

Republicans and Democrats are more divided along ideological lines – and partisan antipathy is deeper and more extensive – than at any point in the last two decades. These trends manifest themselves in myriad ways, both in politics and in everyday life. And a new survey of 10,000 adults nationwide finds that these divisions are greatest among those who are the most engaged and active in the political process.

. . . .

But far more liberals than conservatives think it is important that a community have racial and ethnic diversity (76% vs. 20%). At the same time, conservatives are more likely than liberals to attach importance to living in a place where many people share their religious faith (57% vs. 17% of liberals).

Kay, that is awful - the way your mother was taken advantage of by those groups. I can understand that you still feel bitter over that. If Hell exists there should be a special place there for those who prey on others like that.

Edited to fix one grammatical error - who knows how many I missed. Following the situation in Iraq and rather distracted.

I do not find "I hate Islam" a viewpoint worthy of respect.  People are entitled to their points of view, but they are not entitled to have me listen to them or read them, and they are not entitled to my respect for their views.

ETA - in the U.S., the First Amendment means that the government doesn't make laws restricting lawful forms of speech (speech is regulated - i.e., slander, libel, defamation, hate speech, incitement to violence or riot).  It does not guarantee freedom from consequnces of one's speech - you can be fired for trashing your employer, for example.  It also does not guarantee that people will respect what one says, or that people will not unfriend, dislike or ignore one for their speech.  

I want to share a Youtube how do I do it? 

This is a test:

Funny cats

I can share a youtube link by clicking on share under the youtube and copying the url - clicking on the link icon in the tool bar here copy that url into the url spot and give it a name down on the other line. I can't get one to embed here. Not sure if it's possible.

It worked, RR.

Thanks Libby .. yes, then they are all double-hung and double glass.  Easy to pop open to wash the outside too.  They are very energy efficient.

hugs,

Bren