Gleaning Facebook: Our President

From Hillary Clinton's Facebook:

You may have noticed a letter that went viral on the internet this week. The letter is from George H.W. Bush’s presidential library. I hadn’t read it in a long time, until yesterday. It moved me to tears, just like it did all those years ago. It’s the letter that President Bush left in the Oval Office for my husband, back in January of 1993. They had just fought a fierce campaign. Bill won, President Bush lost. In a democracy, that’s how it goes.

But when Bill walked into that office for the very first time as President, that note was waiting for him. It had some good advice about staying focused on what mattered, despite the critics. It wished him happiness. And it concluded with these words:

“You will be our President when you read this note. I wish you well. I wish your family well. Your success is now our country’s success. And I am rooting hard for you. George.”

That’s the America we love. That is what we cherish and expect.

 

Gleaning Facebook: Jeremy Salter for District Attorney

Sheila and I are honored to co-host this with our friends Ralph Davis, Donald & Helen Starr, and Governor Roy Barnes and his wife Marie. Y'all come! There will be great barbecue and fellowship and a chance to learn more about how the District Attorney's office can be reformed to make Floyd County safer WHILE we incarcerate fewer of our citizens AND we save taxpayers' money. We have some good folks working in our courts, but incarceration and recidivism rates are too high. Come hear about some ways to change that.

Call Jill Salter at 256-762-5076 to RSVP

Or go to the event page, then choose "Going".

Everyone welcome!

 

Gleaning Facebook: Blackberries and Dogwoods

A big clump of Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)

Richard Ware
This is either Cornus stricta (Southern Swamp Dogwood) or Cornus amomum (Silky Dogwood). According to Weakley C. stricta has 3-4 veins per leaf side and C. amomum has 5 or more... 

...So, you probably need to look at several leaves to make a good id, but it's probably C. stricta, which seems to be more common here in Floyd Co.
Terrell
The leaves are definitely dogwood like. There is a lot of it here. You oughta drive up here and botanize with me from the truck along our trails ... I need a refresher! 

Just when a few blackberries are ripening someone decides to do some major herbicide spraying --- not sure of the target --- so our blackberries should not be eaten. Grrrrr...

 

Gleaning Facebook: Nothingburgers

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I am sick of the right-wingers' failure to deal with real issues but instead trying to smear this good woman. She is not perfect. She will tell you about some of her mistakes. But her so-called "scandals" have all turned out to be, as Mike so eloquently labels them, "nothingburgers".

From Mike Luckovich and Kevin Drum:

For the record: Whitewater was a nothingburger. Travelgate was a nothingburger. Troopergate was a nothingburger. Filegate was a nothingburger. The Vince Foster murder conspiracy theories were a nothingburger. Monica Lewinsky was Bill's problem, not Hillary's. Benghazi was a tragedy, but entirely non-scandalous. The Goldman Sachs speeches were probably a bad idea, but otherwise a nothingburger. Emailgate revealed some poor judgment, but we've now seen all the emails and it's pretty obviously a nothingburger. Humagate is a nothingburger. Foundationgate is a nothingburger.

Bottom line: Don't let Donald Trump or the press or anyone else convince you that Hillary Clinton is "dogged by scandal" or "works under a constant cloud of controversy" or whatever the nonsense of the day is. That constant cloud is the very deliberate invention of lowlifes in Arkansas; well-heeled conservative cranks; the Republican Party; and far too often a gullible and compliant press. Like anybody who's been in politics for 40 years, Hillary has some things she should have handled better, but that's about it. The plain fact is that there's no serious scandal on her record. There's no evidence that she's ever sold out to Wall Street. There's no corruption, intrigue, or deceit. And if anything, she's too honest on a policy level. She could stand to promise people a bit of free stuff now and then.

If you don't believe me, then for God's sake, at least believe Jill Abramson. If she thinks Hillary is "fundamentally honest and trustworthy," then you can probably bank on it.

Comments

Howard Smith
You can't oppose Trump's racist and sexist statements and still support him. He's not your crazy old uncle who thinks the past was the "good old days". He wants to be president of the United States. That's scary.

Ruth Baird Shaw
Hillary Clinton major problem is Pres. Bill Clinton. I am not
up" on Politics but do you think a majority of voters will want to put Bill Clinton back in the White House?

Terrell Shaw
Bill Clinton was re-elected in 1996 with 379 electoral votes a larger total than 1992. His average second term approval ratings were the best of any president since Gallup got started. He left office with 65% approval.
But he isn't running for President. Hillary is.
Remember, you asked. 

Wendy Davis
good stuff!

Ray Barton
Bill Clinton's presidency were the best economic years of my lifetime. I'd love to see him back in the White House!

Terrell Shaw
Hillary has indicated that she would ask Bill to make the economy his primary "cause" as First Gent.

Ray Barton
I think that would be a brilliant idea as I have heard many people express the same sentiment about the economic prosperity of his presidency.

Keith M. Padgett
It's no secret I have no love for Hillary. That being said. I will support her as long as Bernie doesn't run 3rd party. However, I understand that presidential spouses always have causes and are doing things. Which is great. But, I do believe that there should be a nepotism clause stating that the president cannot appoint any family member (including spouse) to an official position. I've heard that she may appoint him to a position which i disagree with.

Ruth Baird Shaw
President Bill Clinton was also impeached. He also lied about it , but it was proven that he had sexual relations in the Presidents office with a girl only a couple of years older than his daughter also...etc...

Terrell Shaw
Mother, I hate to disagree again with someone who is my heroine, but I must respond.
Yes, those things are true. And they are irrelevant to this campaign, in my opinion. Hillary Clinton is not responsible for her husband's misbehavior decades ago.
We have two remaining choices for president and "first spouse".

• We have the personally and publicly honorable Hillary Clinton and her reasonably self-aware and publicly repentant sinner husband.
• Our other choice is the proud womanizer, racist, misogynist, xenophobic ignorant (Two Corrinthians!!) Donald Trump and his publicly nekkid third wife. 

Many of our American leaders, some huge heroes of mine, have been guilty of sexual misconduct. Jefferson, Franklin, Cleveland, FDR, Ike, JFK, John McCain, Newt Gingrich, and (the grand champ of them all) Donald Trump have all been involved in affairs outside of marriage. Bill Clinton is the only one of these who has expressed regret, as far as I know. He & Hillary Clinton managed to work through his infidelity and save their marriage. Bill Clinton was (in my opinion) a near-great president whose personal life was a royal mess. He wasn't the first, nor likely the last. Unfortunately for him he was president during an age of 24 hour news and a very different press corps than the one that looked the other way for Ike or JFK.
I can't believe we are rehashing this, but Bill Clinton is not running, Hillary is.
The real question is whether we want Nekkid Melania's husband, who has spent decades bragging unabashedly about his sexual conquests and who has never to my knowledge expressed regret for ANYTHING he has done, and who has an explosive, narcissistic, and psychologically fragile personality, in charge of the nuclear codes.
As you know I love my country and take my citizenship very seriously. I will not be quiet with anyone, even my beloved mother, who suggests that we allow a man I consider something mighty reminiscent of a fascist to become president. As much as I bitterly oppose his policies, I would vote for a George W. Bush over a dangerous and unstable man like Trump.
Luckily I admire the person and the program I have already voted for in the primary and will vote for again in November.

Ray Barton
I didn't vote for Clinton as the religious leader of this country, only as the business leader. At that, he did an incredible job.

Ray Barton
Donald Trump keeps making lustful comments about his own daughter. I find that much more revolting
TRUTHORFICTION.COM
Donald Trump Joked About Dating His Own Daughter-Truth!
Donald Trump Joked About Dating His Own Daughter-Truth!

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Gleaning Facebook: Pearl Rush

 

This is a fascinating story about a "pearl rush" on freshwater mussels in the Oostanaula River in 1897. At one time the upper Coosa was home to 43 species of mussels. Today, there are only 27, and several of those are federally protected. It is likely that this "pearl rush" contributed to the decimation of mussel populations in the river. Now, mussels can be hard to find, much less mussels with pearls. The article also references accounts from DeSoto's travels in the 1500s in which Native Americans presented him with a six-foot strand of pearls. These accounts make you realize just how much we have lost and just how productive our river systems were before we fouled them up. Coosa River Basin Initiative Coosa River Basin Initiative

Gleaning Facebook: A June Walk at Arrowhead

 

A Sweetgum tree fell across our gravel road near the beaver pond, so a took the opportunity to snap some pics of the immature fruit.

Don't know which black-eyed suzie-Q this is, but she's lovely.

Richard Ware
probably Rudbeckia hirta, the other species here (such as R. fulgida) bloom later in the summer.

The Red Buckeye trees are beginning to bear fruit.

More Sweetgum balls.

The Hophornbeams are beautiful right now with their unusual flowers blooming ... or maybe these have graduated to fruit? Ostrya virginiana (American hophornbeam) (Richard Ware tells me these are indeed the fruit of this tree.

The boardwalk from our new lakeside trail.

Some entomological porn on Queen Anne's Lace.

More Queen Anne's Lace.

Today we cleaned the absolutely yuckified tank of our three very aggressive, if diminutive, gators. I thought I'd expire from the olfactory assault.

Gleaning Facebook: From a Father of Girls

Wow! All the talk we've heard about the "Super-delegates" NO LONGER MATTERS. Hillary Clinton has locked up the majority of delegates even if you do not count the super-delegates at all.

Hooray for Hillary. What a magnificent and well-deserved victory.

And I am very fond of, and appreciative of, the contribution to this campaign made by Bernie Sanders. Not only has he raised the important issues, but he has helped to educate the public about those things, and he has enabled Hillary Clinton to speak more comfortably for progressive causes.

Hillary Clinton spoke to our nation tonight through a beautiful, tough but gracious, optimistic, presidential speech. As a father of girls, it was very emotional for me.

Comment

Laurie Craw

Congratulations Terrell and Hillary! Her presumptive victory is certainly a positive indication that everything is going pretty well for working class Democratic families.. No big change needed or wanted by them. I was wrong about that. Of course Bernie isn't the perfect agent of change, a little too scary for most older folk. My fear is that, starting from the center, a President Clinton would let conservative Republicans drag our government farther to the right whereas Sanders would have at least held his ground. I will wait to hear what she says in the coming months. If she draws a line in the sand about Social Security, for example. She has such a broad agenda that I have no idea what her priorities are, what she will go to the mat for, and what she's willing to compromise when the deal-making begins. My main issue is still healthcare. Still too expensive and complicated. Bottom line, I'm glad a woman made it this far but I'm still concerned about THIS woman's policies.

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Regardless of what comes next tonight is a great night in American history. I have been an outspoken feminist all my adult life. As the son, grandson, brother, uncle, nephew, husband, father, co-worker, friend, and teacher of girls and women I am thrilled to see this day come. Little girls, you too can aspire to a major party nomination for president!

 

To every little girl who dreams big: Yes, you can be anything you want—even president. Tonight is for you.

Gleaning Facebook: Joyce Mink for Board of Education

As a teacher I want accountability. We have goals we must meet. Standardized tests are an important tool in measuring how we are doing in parts of our mission. BUT we must never forget that we teach complex human beings. Tests cannot be constructed that measure all aspects of the job. We need administrators, parents, students, and teachers who work together to evaluate how well we are accomplishing our mission.

Joyce Mink is an outstanding public school teacher, and public school parent, who can now lend her expertise, experience, character, and heart to the decision-making of Floyd County's school board. That will be a big plus for Floyd County Schools. I was very conflicted when two people I greatly admired were pitted against each other in the primary. So I kept quiet. Now Joyce is our nominee. I know Joyce well and I am confident of her character, her expertise, her experience, and her heart. I enthusiastically endorse Joyce Mink to help direct my beloved Floyd County Schools. I ask my friends to please help elect Joyce Mink.

• Comments

  Chandler Gray

  Anyone who questions a teacher's "accountability" has never sat in a room of 28 hormonal 12 year olds who haven't had lunch or PE yet and tried to keep control, much less teach them something.
• Joyce Taff

  Good luck
• Mary Skates

  Good luck Joyce
• Robyn Higgins Teems

  I am not sure what the answer to teacher accountability is going to be. One or two 20 evaluations was not enough. The new system seems like too much. But there has to be an accountability measure and it has to be better than what we had in the past. In the words of the great "Hal David" they are sending us the best that they have got. There has to be a way to measure student and teacher performance. I am just not sure Georgia has the answer yet.
  • Joyce Mink

    A climate of fear surely isn't the answer for teachers or students. And one standardized test isn't the answer either. Best case scenario I know of is to hire good teachers and let them teach. Remember higher level skills? No time for that any more. You know which teachers are teaching. Any administrator does. Teaching is a subjective profession and as such cannot be measured quantitatively. We have spent decades trying it and it doesn't work. Let's try combining a few valid tests with real teaching and serve our customers- the students.

Gleaning Facebook: Today at Arrowhead

The roof in the background is our Nature Center at Arrowhead.

One of the many waterfowl ponds at Arrowhead. These were originally built as fish hatchery ponds in the fifties.

The DNR teeam plowing and planting the pond areas (with rice and other plants meant to help attract waterfowl) turned up this little snake.

I think this guy is a Northern Black Racer (Coluber constrictor constrictor)

Trumpet Vine (Campsis radicans) is in bloom all over Arrowhead right now.

I first knew this as Cow Itch. Trumpet Vine is a much more pleasant name.

Trumpet Vine buds.

Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) and Cloudless Sulphur butterfly.

Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa)

This is a big guy. Eastern King Snake populations are down according to reports while Copperhead numbers are up. At Arrowhead I have yet to see a Copperhead but I've seen lots of King Snakes so far. Yay!

If you look carefully you will see four little Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) nestlings. They occupy one of two nests on the front porch at Arrowhead.