porcupine

No more signature lines?

Of course DC has lots of interesting and beautiful gardens, but many people don't think of visiting the Smithsonian as part of their garden tours. The gardens and landscaping there are wonderful; there's always something new blooming in them (in season, of course). Here's a primer, starting with the National Museum of Natural History and moving counter-clockwise around the Mall. The long, narrow space between the east side of NMNH and 9th St holds the Butterfly Habitat Garden, planted mostly with native forbs, grasses, shrubs, and trees (plus a few exotics) to demonstrate how homeowners can attract butterflies to their home gardens. On the south side, west of the Madison Drive entrance, and continuing around the west side and partway along the north side, is the Urban Bird habitat, also a mix of native and exotic plantings. Across 12th St. at National Museum of American History is the Victory Garden, planted with vegetable varieties that were available to Americans planing their victory gardens during WWII. The walled beds that encircle the museum are home to the Heirloom Garden, planted almost exclusively with heirloom cultivars of ornamentals. On the south side are some lovely crabapples (done blooming already, alas) and wisteria along the walls. Across the mall at the Freer (now closed for renovations [Jan 4, 2016 - Sometime in 2017]) is a small decorative garden in front and a delightful courtyard planted with Japanese maples. I'm not sure what will be there when the museum reopens in 2017. Next to this is the big one: the Enid A. Haupt Garden, bounded by the Freer, the Castle on the Mall side, the Arts and Industries Building to the east, and on the south by the Renwick Gates at Independence Ave. The centerpiece of the Haupt Garden is the formal parterre (currently planted with blue pansies and purple tulips), lined on either side with magnificent saucer magnolias. The area to the west, bounded by the entrance kiosks to the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery and the S. Dillon Ripley Center, holds the Moongate Garden, with lovely pink granite hardscaping and a reflecting pool. It's a tranquil space, with only a few well-chosen woody plants and a few grasses. It's a good example of how a garden doesn't have to be entirely about plants. The area to the east of the parterre is called the Fountain Garden, and features more hardscaping and container plantings than in-ground plantings. Proceeding east from the Haupt on the north side, you'll find the Kathrine Dulin Folger Rose Garden, which is about to be renovated. Continuing east then heading south on the other side of Arts and Industries is the polar opposite of the Moongate Garden: the Mary Livingston Ripley Garden is full of antique benches, a fountain, lamposts, and a crazy variety of flowering and non-flowering plants. Really crazy: there must be several hundred different cultivars in there. East of the Ripley Garden is the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, which is much more about the sculptures than the plants, but still a lovely, relaxing space. The actual sculpture garden is across Jefferson Drive from the Hirshhorn building. To the east of that is the Rodney Dangerfield of Smithsonian Gardens: the National Air and Space Museum. Next time you're there, take a walk all 'round the building, on both the sidewalk level and across the expansive terraces. The landscaping is gorgeous. As far as I know it doesn't have a theme like some of the others, but the combination of woody ornamentals with perennial and ever-changing annual forbs is magnificent, especially on the east side. Then there's the National Museum of the American Indian. Currently the north side is closed for construction, but along the south you'll find beds filled with plants that had specific uses for native American peoples. There's a small pond on the south east side, and a much larger pond on the east side. The area around the pond is planted mostly with native trees, shrubs, and forbs, suggesting an eastern US woodland. Also part of Smithsonian Gardens is a magnificent flower arrangement in the entry to the Sackler Museum, created and changed almost weekly by the incredibly talented Cheyenne Kim. And in NMAH there are cases with displays from the Smithsonian orchid collection. Off the Mall is the Kogod Courtyard (inside the National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum). The plantings in the beds change seasonally. Over the holidays they held poinsettias and phalaenopsis orchids, which gave way in spring to hydrangeas and now have azaleas. Now is a great time of year to visit. And on May 6 SG is holding Garden Fest. Say hi if you stop by.

At least one vendor at the Dupont farmers' market is selling tomatoes already, presumably tunnel-grown or greenhouse grown or something. Although I appreciate that advances are made through experimentation, I wish they would stop. I picked up two Brandywines, not so much because I'm a sucker but because I had recently bought a bag of emmer bulgur and was craving tabbouleh. Engh. Seriously, why bother? These did have a flavor somewhat reminiscent of a summer tomato, but with the mealy texture of grocery store rocks grown in Florida that we all know and loathe. Not too bad in this application (the texture wasn't too obvious what with all the grain and parsley). But I wish growers would devote their resources to growing that which actually grows this time of year. Anticipation or immediate gratification? I'll take the former, thanks.

It was a little joke. I hoped that someone would get the reference and have a chuckle. Perhaps I should move it to a more appropriate forum, but you didn't have that forum in 2013.

Not as much as I hate the word "sci-fi". Short answer: because even though I knew exactly how it was going to end even before seeing it for the first time, I was on the edge of my seat with nervous anticipation. And even though I've seen it N times (for some large but single-digit value of N), I'm still always on the edge of my seat with anticipation. And yet it's leavened with a bit of appropriate humor. No idea how far it deviates from reality. It just works.

Overall this movie is too dated and, well, a little stereotypically Irish for my tastes, but SPOILER ALERT it's all worth it for the scene where (iirc, it's been a loooong time), Maureen O'Hara's character opens the furnace door... you know which one I mean? In which it becomes clear what it was all about for her?

Which reminds me, the one thing I don't like about Modern Fan Co. products is the location of the reverse switch. In one model it's inside the housing which means you have to get a screwdriver or something to change it (I don't remember exactly, because I haven't done it in 5 years, because it was such a pain). And yes, having it properly balanced is imperative. This is more difficult to do the longer the rod on which it hangs (which makes total sense from a basic physics perspective). When choosing a fan, make sure you have enough clearance for a tall person to walk under - if a room has a low ceiling, look at flush-mount options (I think that's what they're called). If a room has a very tall ceiling, look at extension rods, but again be sure it's balanced. Choose the diameter that best suits the size of the room (many models will come with different blade lengths for this reason).

Also look at MinkaAire and The Modern Fan Company. We have fans from both and are quite happy with them. I agree with Eric re: creativity but it's easy to get carried away, too. Oh, if you have a really large room, check out Big Ass Fans.

^yeah I always do sign out that way; for a few days it wasn't making a difference. The problem seems to have resolved itself, though.

...as for The Martian, the movie, like the book, was a thoroughly enjoyable bit of fluff. There's nothing wrong with the raison d'ètre of a work of fiction or film being sheer escapism. The book was well researched and thought out - with a few exceptions, most of the scenarios are entirely plausible - but not terribly well written. The movie was very well made, and I really looked forward to seeing it, and I really enjoyed it, and will probably never bother to see it again. "Popcorn for dinner." I've written elsewhere on this forum (Europa Report) about the conflation of action-adventure and science fiction, and how it drives me nuts. The Martian was a little over the action-adventure line for my taste, but to be fair it managed to not include one of my most-hated tropes: the inside bad guy who makes everything more difficult and must be defeated before the bigger problem can be solved. Hat tip to Andy Weir for not using that one, and hat tip to the filmmakers for staying true to the book. If you've never seen The Player, please do. I think your sense of cynicism is developed enough to appreciate it.

Well... yes, it will suffer. Alien really needs the immersive experience a theater provides. If you must watch it at home, draw the curtains, turn off all the lights, shut off the computer and cell phone, and don't interrupt the movie for anything. Hopefully you have a big screen. Pay attention to the details, and the way things unfold. BTW another semantic quibble - I see you tagged this as "science fiction" and "horror". I really don't see it as a horror film. Maybe that's a matter of perception rather than language usage [shrug]. I'd call it a thriller first, SF second. There's the one famous gory scene but all the rest is about the buildup. Remember the scene where one nervous crew member realizes it's just Jones, until...? damn, now I want to watch it again. As for The Martian, I'll do you a favor and answer the question in the correct thread.

I just knew I was missing a big one. Awesome flick. And yes, this is a "favorites" thread, not a "best" thread. Two different concepts. Thanks for understanding.

What are your favorite movies, and why? For the purposes of this discussion, let's define "favorite" as "movies that you come back to, again and again, or years later, and always enjoy." For me, in no particular order and probably left out a bunch of big ones due to "record store syndrome": When Harry Met Sally I surprised myself even considering this one, as it's not really my type of movie. But I recently caught it again on TV and realized that's the third or fourth time I've tripped across it and continued watching. It's a tight film that could work as a stage play. Only a few characters, well acted, doesn't stray from the subject, and not that I'm a sap or anything but what Harry says to Sally near the end always makes me tear up a little. Europa Report Wrote about this elsewhere on this forum. Tom Jones My father was in love with the movies. When I was very young he said once that if he had the money, he would buy a movie projector and watch movies all the time. About ten years later, an incredible new invention appeared: the video tape player. (Beta or VHS?) He did not have the money even for that but I swear we were the first family in town to have one, and by the time he died (about 25 years later) he had amassed an astounding collection of classic Hollywood movies. One of the first he showed me was the 1963 Best Picture, Tom Jones. I can't say why I love it so much. It's goofy, fun, mostly well-acted, I thought Albert Finney was adorable (I was a teenager). All these years later I still laugh out loud at some of the lines. "It's a good night to be [abroad/a broad] and looking for game." I never caught Pop's love of the movies; books were my thing. I went and read the entire novel, unabridged, impressing the hell out of my English teacher, but that's another story. The Usual Suspects What can I say. It works. It just works. That penultimate scene after Verbal leaves the police station, and Dave Kujan looks around his office, carefully, and realizes what just happened... I just love that. The Thomas Crown Affair The remake. The original was one of my mother's favorites; I found it dated. I bet if I had a daughter she'd find the remake dated as well. But I love the kind of story where two smart, resourceful people try to outwit each other. I think this movie sort of fell apart at the end, but I still love it. Alien About ten years ago a restored version was released and I saw it at the Uptown. I can honestly say that it is the only movie I went back to years later that was actually better then I remembered. I don't even like thrillers, but this movie is great. Lady and the Tramp OK so maybe I am a sap. Tremors "Broke into the wrong goddamn rec-room, didn't you?!" Starship Troopers No explanation. Never has such an awful movie been so enjoyable. Denise Richards is hawt. Pass the popcorn. Groundhog Day "Anything different is good." How long did Phil spend in Punxsutawney, anyway? True Stories Sometimes I think I'm the only person in the world who likes this movie, a "celebration of specialness". Porco Rosso I guess I actually am a sap. The scene in which Curtis breaks into Gina's garden, and she reminisces about her and Marco flying... sigh. So beautiful. Millennium Actress Has anyone else even heard of this movie? I rented it from Erol's once on a whim when Mr. P was out of town and never stopped loving it.

I've seen Duel. It's just been, like, 30 years or so. I keep forgetting to re-watch it.

Why is it that even though I've logged off, when I return I'm already logged in? Did I inadvertently fat-finger an "always leave me logged in" feature?

You might enjoy The Atomic Cafe.

yes, kind of, except I wouldn't use the phrase "bucket list." I'm going back to Death Valley next winter, this time with Mr. P and a rented high-clearance 4WD Jeep. And we'll be back in Iceland for the summer solstice this year, twenty three and a half hours of daylight in Akureyri.

Does anyone have thoughts about the Pineapple and Pearls coffee shop? Should it go on the map?

A big thank you to Sundae in the Park for all the tips she sent me. I had an airline credit to use so with little planning hopped on a plane for a solo trip to DVNP last week. A few random observations. It's really hard to find a place to stay in the park itself - plan ahead if you can. If you can't, there are plenty of options in "nearby" Pahrump, NV. Nearby in quotes because it's a sold hour drive from there to Furnace Creek (more or less the heart of the park), which gets old fast. The Best Western was surprisingly clean, quiet, and comfy (I've had good luck with Best Western in the past). There are a few all-night restaurants there, all but one as far as I could tell connected with casinos, which I abhor. The one was a Denny's. Let me tell you, when It's 3 am and you are jet-lagged and wide awake and have an hour's drive ahead of you and want to see the sun rise from Dante's View, Denny's is a fine choice. El Jefe #1 was a fine choice for lunch the day I arrived and dinner the next day. Tex-Mex, not eye-opening but better then most places here in the DC area. Actually the pork carnitas tacos were great, the meat moist and crispy at the same time. Another night I tried to get a carryout pizza from Nicco's. The guy on the phone explained that they were slammed and a pizza would take at least 45 minutes. I thanked him for his honesty and called Carmelo's. I was exhausted and starving and barely able to stay awake. I should've waited the 45 minutes. If one place is slammed on a Wednesday night and the other place has only two parties seated, that's what we call a clue. I never ate at a park facility. They looked dreadful. I did provision myself with a loaf of bread, a jar of peanut butter, a jar of jelly, a roll of paper towels, and 5 one-liter bottles of water (which I refilled at the motel every morning). And some plastic cutlery. This worked well. However, there is a Shoshone village right next to Furnace Creek, and at lunch one day they flew a "Welcome" banner advertising Indian tacos, fry bread, and Hawaiian shave ice. The fry bread was really delicious. Four bucks for a large piece, hot out of the fryer. The park is huge. If your time is limited study a map and plan your excursions. I drove 250 to 300 miles each day (though 120 of those were from Pahrump and back) and only covered a small area. The most interesting looking places can be accessed via gravel roads that you really ought to have high clearance 4WD for. I wasn't able to find any to rent but while there saw a number of Jeeps with the name Farrabee's on them. If you're there for a specific purpose (like hunting wildflowers), stop at Furnace Creek Visitor's Center and chat with the staff. They have bulletins and updates and can make recommendations. As an aside, if you need specific info about weather, sun and moon and so on, because, say, you want to try night-photography but aren't staying in the park, check out timeanddate.com. You can search on a specific place (like Furnace Creek, CA or Akureyi, Iceland) and find out sunrise and set, moonrise and set times for any date (for example, if you want to be in Akureyri for the summer solstice, you can check when sunrise is), as well as hour-by-hour forecasts. Really helpful and interesting, too. Interestingly compared to many East Coast places, in Death Valley you're allowed to hike just about anywhere (not off the boardwalk at Salt Creek, though). The lit says that they're aren't many trails and you're free to go exploring. If you do this, be mindful of destroying crytogamic soils and other delicate features. And carry maps and a compass if you're going far from your car. And always more water then you think you'll need, even in March. One other piece of advice, and I'm not kidding: carry some toilet paper with you. Because of the superbloom, I guess, there were enough visitors that sometimes the few and far apart pit toilets ran out of tp. It was really nice to just reach into my pack for some. And if you're hygienic-minded, some wet-wipes are handy, too. And pardon me for saying, but if you have to drop trou in the desert for the love of pete bury the waste and pack your paper out (bring a few ziplock baggies, too). It won't decompose in the arid environment. Stumbling on a pile of someone else's shit while looking for belly flowers was for sure the low point of the trip. In another month or so I might get some pics up on my smugmug site. If you're interested in wildflowers, please visit my blog (links in sig line below). I've been blogging about DV for a few days now and have material for another month's worth of posts. ps: When planning your trip, check the park website's "alerts" section. The same weather that brought the superbloom also caused major road damage, resulting in closures wit major detours.

The line that will stay with me forever (forgive me if I don't get it exactly right): "if it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a village to abuse one."

I'll take exception to your description of the film in the thread title: this film was not a portrayal of Catholic Church abuse. It was a portrayal of how an investigative journalism group called Spotlight did their jobs to break the story. That might sound like a semantic quibble but it's a big difference. I wish Hollywood would make more films like this. It lacked the typical Hollywood overly dramatized, added love-interest bullshit. It was tightly written with no side plots to distract. Also tightly acted, with realistic portrayals. It was excellent in a quiet sort of way.

Thanks for the ideas. Several other people have mentioned A Wider Circle, but unless they can use this piece for their own offices, it wouldn't be appropriate. It's 9x10 feet - the size of a bedroom in a starter house - and takes a skilled team about 2 hours to assemble . I can't imagine the demographic AWC serves would have any use for such a thing. It really needs to go to a business. Nonetheless, I will contact each of these organizations. Thanks again.

We have a very large piece of office furniture to dispose of. It's a single unit desk, return table, cabinet, book shelf thing (all the pieces hook together and can't really stand on their own) with a footprint about 124 inches by 108 inches (height of shelves about 80 inches). Other than one unfortunate visible piece of cosmetic damage, the unit is in excellent condition. We would love to donate it to a charity or non-profit that could make good use of such a thing. Does anyone have suggestions? Thanks.

Made one of Mr. P's favorite dishes for Valentine's Day: a creole stew with chicken and Andouille sausage. Served with rice and a baguette from Bread Furst (usually I would make cornbread, but I can't waste a Bread Furst baguette). Dessert was deep, dark chocolate brownies with tart cherry sauce and whipped cream.

Just about a year ago Nina Totenberg hosted a discussion with justices Scalia and Ginsburg at Lisner Auditorium. Although both justices were trying not to be overtly political, there were eruptions of clearly partisan clapping from the audience. Ms. Totenberg politely asked the audience to not engage in this kind of "tit for tat" behavior, and the audience complied. I had thought that civilized discussion was a thing of the past. What a fantastic night that was. I left with a tremendous amount of respect for all three of them.