A federal judge has turned back the Democratic National Committee’s attempt to mount a legal challenge against Sen. John McCain for his decision to withdraw from the presidential public financing system.

The reason is explained in the Washinton Post story

h/t Cute Overload

Some good news out of China …

^kjdrill

Giant Pandas survive earthquake

Authorities confirmed Tuesday that captive animals in two of China’s major panda reserves were alive, according to Xinhua, China’s official news agency.

The Wolong Giant Panda Reserve Center in southwest Sichuan province is home to about 86 giant pandas, who were reported safe Tuesday.

Staff and critters at neighboring Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Center were also reported safe, according to a spokesperson for the Atlanta Zoo, which has two pandas on loan from the wildlife reserve.

^kjdrill

~~~Do not Rec the Pony Panda Party.  This is Open Thread.~~~

Neil and Peggy, ‘Four Strong Winds’

According to this Yahoo!News story, a scientist who discovered a new species of trapdoor spider has named it for Neil Young.

The new species is called ‘Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi’.  

I should mention that I don’t believe in miracles, except that I have two to report.

First and foremost, I think both of my pups will be okay. Considering they were at death’s doorstep a mere two weeks ago, and that I had been convinced no less than four times that we were going to lose them, I would consider this a miracle. Not in the religious sense, mind you, though I can understand how some might feel that way. Instead, I consider it physiologically miraculous that they survived kidney failure, liver failure and loss of nearly 30% of body weight (while they were on fluids, I should add). They’re mostly back to normal, though we’re still trying to get them to eat appropriate dog food, as opposed to roasted chicken, kielbasa and bacon. Oh, and carrots. They LOVE carrots.

The second miracle to report involves my passport application. Specifically, I sent it by snail mail on a Thursday (can’t use a courier to send to a PO box). I received my new passport just eight days later. Granted, I did have it sent back by courier and I paid extra to expedite processing. But eight days? Especially when it had to traverse a border in both directions? I’d call that a miracle. I mean, this is the US government (and Canada Post) we’re talking about!

BTW – I’m going to be travelling (for work, alas) over the next few Mondays (and many other Mondays this summer). So, while I hope to have the foresight to set up a Party ahead of time, I will apologize in advance if I miss one!

I’m including a movie trailer in this pony….but not to tell you about a movie, but to ask about one.

Below is the trailer for the movie ‘Faubourg Treme: The Untold Story of Black New Orleans’, also mentioned on the San Francisco IFF website.  Apparently it is, as the title would suggest, a discussion of the history of the Faubourg Treme section of New Orleans, called simply ‘Treme’ by its residents, and otherwise known as the 6th ward.

Simon and Garfunkel II

Mrs. Robinson

Simon and Garfunkel I

Sound of Silence

Years ago when I was young and broke, I used to work my way through music festivals that interested me because I could never afford the tickets. I always enjoyed the Mariposa Folk Festival held in various locations near and around Toronto. As a kid, I was dragged there by my semi-hippie Mama.

As a young adult, I worked my way through college as a bartender and waitress, so I always go stuck in food services when I volunteered. One year, my job was to organize on foot delivery of food to the performers, a most excellent assignment because the performers were quite happy not to have to stand in a line up. They tended to invite the food workers in to whatever party they were having.

One year our shower facilities on site were two tents. A boy tent. A girl tent. And a garden hose. Spray and wash.

So I always had some affection for dirty, smelly, music festivals marked by debauchery, crowds and sunburns.

But a funny thing happened this year. Even though the crowds at the Beale Street Music festival were pretty well behaved and it did not rain the entire time, I lost the love. I might take a break next year and go to an actual blues or jazz fest.

In the past some of the headliners have caused public finger wagging. Three Six Mafia local boys from the Frayser area in Memphis, a once thriving now somewhat blighted area of town were accused of encouraging nudity and drug use when they did their shows. The thing is nobody huffed and puffed when the smell of herbal cocktails wafted around during Parliament or KC and the Sunshine Band in past years, or at Santana this year. My guess: because the people doing the grooving were old folks and they didn’t whip off their clothes to show off expanded waist lines and beer bellies. So. For some reason in the south the young ones engaging in illegal substances and flashing their hot bodies is way more offensive than Mom and Dad stepping out.

I do have a word to the Tall people of the universe. In my case, that means almost everybody. I like Tall people. I socialize with them regularly. But…..

In crowded social situations, elbowing the shorties in the head and stepping on their feet just to create some space and pass by is fucking rude. On the off chance that I am reincarnated as a sumo wrestler, I will remember you. And if you actually notice I am trying to take a picture, deliberately standing in front of me just because you can is also very fucking annoying. Thank you.

Despite my mother’s sincere efforts to introduce me to culture, I was fairly apathetic about the whole exercise until I went to the Prado in Madrid. Going back there is on my list of things to do before becoming too old and arthritic and addled to enjoy it again.

At the time some Goya paintings were on display, some of his paint for the royals stuff.

Given my limited knowledge about painters, I will soon run out of artists I have actually heard of or artists whose paintings I have actually seen.

One thing I really like about this next poetry piece is the way it makes you want to frolic with puppies in green dewy fields…..

I am the sentimental type, I guess.

Tomorrow I’m chaperoning the band trip to the Music in the Parks exhibition/competition with the Cab Calloway School of the Arts middle school band, where thing 2 is the lone bass clarinetist.

Thursday,  I  Think  Seriously,  About  Stupid  Shit

So we’re discussing getting a couple chickens….