#african asparagus

[morethansalad]

Braai-Grilled Vegetable Skewers with Salsa Verde (Vegan)

[hotvintagepoll]

Propaganda

Humphrey Bogart (Casablanca, Key Largo, Sabrina)—John Huston speaking at Bogart's funeral: "Himself, he never took his work too seriously. He regarded the somewhat gaudy figure of Bogart, the star, with an amused cynicism; Bogart, the actor, he held in deep respect … In each of the fountains at Versailles there is a pike which keeps all the carp active; otherwise they would grow over-fat and die. Bogie took rare delight in performing a similar duty in the fountains of Hollywood. Yet his victims seldom bore him any malice, and when they did, not for long. His shafts were fashioned only to stick into the outer layer of complacency, and not to penetrate through to the regions of the spirit where real injuries are done … He is quite irreplaceable. There will never be another like him."

Buster Keaton (The General, The Navigator, Sherlock Jr.)—For me Buster’s hotness comes not just from his physical beauty but in the constant surprise and contradictions of the man, he’s simultaneously delicate/rough, feminine/masculine, confident/vulnerable, 5foot5 pretty face with an unexpectedly deep voice, at first glance you think oh he’s a cute little thing and then he takes his top off and it’s Superman abs underneath. He was intensely shy in social situations but had no hesitation in jumping off the top of a building. He famously never smiled on screen* but he exudes warmth and joy and laughter. He created some of the most beautiful, intelligent movies ever made but refused to acknowledge his own genius and talent as an artist, instead maintaining that all he wanted to do was make people laugh. If he was here in reality competing in this poll he would give it 100% but he would not be at all bothered if he didn’t win. And that’s why he’s the hottest vintage man. A vote for Buster is a vote for all that is good and decent in the world 💕 (*he did smile on camera occasionally despite his own assertions to the contrary 😄)

This is round 3 of the bracket. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage man.

[enormous amounts of additional propaganda submitted under the cut]

Humphrey Bogart propaganda:

Bogart on why he became an actor: "I was born to be indolent and this was the softest of rackets."

Bogart about his wife Methot [who later divorced him]: "I like a jealous wife ... I wouldn't give you two cents for a dame without a temper."

Bogart, on why he was one of the only cast members filming African Queen to avoid catching dysentery: "All I ate was baked beans, canned asparagus and Scotch Whiskey. Whenever a fly bit me, it dropped dead."

Bogart's advice to a recently-nominated friend on how to write an acceptance speech for an oscar: "Just say you did it all yourself and don't thank anyone."

"the way he looks at Lauren Bacall……"

Buster Keaton propaganda:

"Just look at his freaking face...."

This entire Tumblr page was submitted

This post

This video

"And for those who have never heard it, here’s his lovely voice in action: link"

Submitted: Link to Buster Keaton car stunts

Submitted: BK fancam

Submitted: quotes about BK video compilation

"Ripped body, gorgeous unique face, beautiful personality too"

[bignaz8]

Much of the cast and crew of The African Queen got sick except Humphrey Bogart and John Huston, who said they avoided illness by living on imported Scotch whiskey. "All I ate was baked beans, canned asparagus, and Scotch whiskey. Whenever a fly bit Huston or me, it dropped dead," said Bogart.

[chuck-snowbug]

Picture 1-3: Kankiku(Japanese Sake/寒菊 True White [純米大吟醸/雄町50] 無濾過生原酒), Smoked Sausages(Herb Mixed, Chili, Schwein Wurst & Pork Wiener), Butter-Sauteed Asparagus, Avocado Spread Salad & Home-Grown Wakegi Vegetalbe Mixed with Umeboshi(Pickled Plum) & Katsuobushi - June 2024

Picture 4: Leftover Breakfast feat. African Hippos, Nest Day - June 2024

Previous Post:

[warrior-names]

Warrior Prefixes: African / Ancestor Clans (LeopardClan, LionClan, & TigerClan)

Words that aren't derived from things in Africa aren't included; this list is made based on the Ancestor Clans and naming rules from the roleplay server Call of the Wild!

170+ prefixes under the cut!

A

Aardvark-

Aardwolf-

Acacia-

Addax-

Adder-

Albatross-

Alligator-

Aloe-

Amaranth-

Amaryllis-

Amra-

Anaconda-

Anise-

Antiaris-

Antelope-

Aphid-

Argan-

Artichoke-

Asparagus-

Aye-aye-

B

Babool-

Baboon-

Badger-

Bamboo-

Banana-

Baobab-

Barb-

Barberry-

Bat-

Bee-

Beetle-

Begonia-

Bindweed-

Boa-

Boar-

Bologi-

Bongo-

Bonobo-

Bontebok-

Boomslang-

Boxwood-

Brubru-

Buffalo-

Bushbuck-

Buzzard-

C

Camel-

Caper-

Caracal-

Caraway-

Castor-

Cherry-

Chimpanzee-

Cichlid-

Citrus-

Civet-

Clover-

Cobra-

Cocoa-

Coconut-

Coffea-

Crane-

Crocodile-

D

Dassie-

Desert-

Detar-

Dik-dik-

Dingo-

Dittany-

Duiker-

E

Eagle-

Eel-

Eland-

Elephant-

F

Fennec-

Fennel-

Fig-

Firefly-

Fossa-

Fraxinella-

G

Galega-

Gazania-

Gazelle-

Gelada-

Genet-

Geranium-

Gerenuk-

Ginger-

Giraffe-

Gorilla-

Gowé-

Guava-

Gum-

Gundi-

H

Hanza-

Hare-

Hartebeest-

Hawthorne-

Hedgehog-

Hippo-

Holly-

Hornbill-

Hyena-

Hyrax-

I

Ibis-

Impala-

Iris-

Ivory-

Ivy-

J

Jerboa-

K

Kalanchoe-

Kanna-

Khus-

Killi-

Knotgrass-

Kob-

Kokum-

Kola-

Kudu-

L

Lemur-

Liquorice-

Lily-

Loach-

Locust-

M

Macaque-

Mahaleb-

Mahogany-

Mamba-

Mandrill-

Marshmallow-

Marula-

Meerkat-

Melde-

Mitzeeri-

Mongoose-

Monkey-

Myrrh-

N

Nettle-

Nightshade-

O

Okapi-

Okra-

Oleander-

Olive-

Ostrich-

P

Pangolin-

Pea-

Peacock-

Penguin-

Periwinkle-

Plantain-

Plum-

Pomegranate-

Porcupine-

Python-

R

Ratel-

Redoul-

Rhinoceros-

Rooibos-

Roselle-

S

Sable-

Sambar-

Savannah-

Scarab-

Sedge-

Serval-

Shea-

Shoebill-

Shrew-

Sitatunga-

Springbok-

Spurge-

T

Tamarin-

Tapir-

Tilapia-

Topi-

Tortoise-

Tulip-

Turtle-

V

Vetiver-

Violet-

Viper-

Vulture-

W

Warthog-

Waterbuck-

Wildebeest-

Wolf-

Woodruff-

Wormwood-

Y

Yak-

Yohimbe-

Z

Zebra-

[ruthbancroftgarden]

Lachenalia punctata

South Africa is home to an extraordinary number of bulbs, including many species in the genus Lachenalia. Lots of them can be found in the winter-rainfall region in the west of the country, including Lachenalia punctata, which grows in the area around Cape Town, in the the southwest corner of the African continent. Lachenalia species commonly flower in the winter months, but L. punctata is usually the first to begin, blooming well before the winter solstice. The beautiful tubular flowers appear solid pinkish-red from a distance, but up close it can be that they have darker red speckling on a pinkish-red background. The flowers and the purple-spotted leaves seem almost miraculous when they burst forth after months of total dormancy during the summer months. Though now placed in the subfamily Scilloideae within the larger Asparagus Family, they were earlier placed in the family Hyacinthaceae.

-Brian

[lobstertalesblog]

1799 Prime Steak and Seafood, Alexandria VA.

CRAB CAKES- apple and mango slaw, roasted poblano tartar, asparagus.

This restaurant is rich in history. The Quander Family is one of the oldest documented African American families that have come African ancestry to present day America. I would suggest reading the history of this family because it is interesting! The restaurant itself is beautiful. I loved the cozy bar area with a fireplace and the dining room with exposed brick. The outdoor sitting area will be really nice in the warm weather!

I really enjoyed the cocktails and food at @1799prime_alexandria

We ordered a few appetizers, the fried green tomatoes, braised pork belly and garlic tomato confit. I also got a French onion soup. The food was delicious and the fried green tomatoes were some of the best I have had!

For dinner I got the Crab Cakes that were delicious. The crab cakes were cooked perfectly, with a nice crisp to the outside of the cake. There was a lot of crab in the cake too. I loved the apple and mango slaw with it because it makes the dish fresh and a little sweet. The textures worked well together!

The red velvet cheesecake for dessert was one of the best cheesecakes I have had. I love how there was a sponge cake in the middle. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone who is looking for a delicious meal in a really nice atmosphere!

Based on presentation and taste of the @1799prime_alexandria Crab Cakes I would rate this dish a 10 out of 10.

[nickgerlich]

Going Up The Country

Music is another one of those highly contentious subjects that can quickly digress into argument. Our likes and dislikes are deeply personal, and reflect a lot about our personality, our upbringing, and the randomness of what resonates within.

I cut my teeth on rock music, and like most of my young male friends, the harder and louder, the better. It was probably hormonal rage, given that I was just entering adolescence. Black Sabbath and Deep Purple were my mainstays, and rarely would I ever drift toward—much less admit to liking—pop hits.

Fortunately, my tastes have matured and widened considerably through the last 50+ years, and I now listen to a wide variety. I guess you could say that certain musical genres were like Brussels Sprouts and asparagus. I acquired a taste for them.

I still cringe, though, when I think back to the musically dreadful late-70s, when the Bee Gees were stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive with an endless onslaught of disco records. They and many other artists were stealing all the air time, leaving rock and rollers wondering what hit them.

Some of them figured if they couldn’t beat them, they had better join them. Thus, we found the Rolling Stones, Rod Stewart, and others—gasp—releasing disco-infused songs. They were terrible, embarrassingly so. In an effort to show their versatility, they showed just how afraid they were of losing what they thought was theirs.

The trend of crossover artists continued into the 80s, when rap and hip-hop started exploding. I recall all too badly several white artists trying desperately to include a break-out rap in the middle of one of their pop songs. This was at a time when African-Americans dominated the genre, and, well, white guys trying to emulate the style looked rather foolish. I hear white men can’t jump, either.

Here we are today, and we see crossover artists once again making their statement, with a large group of pop and rap stars going country. One of the most notable among them is Beyoncé, who has seen her popularity escalate, while at the same time raising more than just a little ire among long-time country fans and others. How dare she pretend to be country and just drop in like that?

Then there’s Post Malone, the rapper who just released F-1 Trillion. I am listening to it right now as I write. Wow! What a great album. But I think Mr. Malone is not as likely to draw the disdain of country fans, because he went about things completely differently. Rather than pretty much flying solo like Beyonce did, he partnered with numerous established country stars for duets on the album.

Now that’s a way to endear yourself with the country crowd. If Luke, Blake, Lainey, Hank, Morgan, and the rest were willing to do this, then he must be legit.

I’ll be honest. I never liked Post Malone as a rapper. That’s just not my style of music. The album before this, though, marked his transition as he ventured into a more polished pop sound. And now I hear a twang in his delivery, urban poetry gone to the boondocks. Keep it classy, Post. This is good.

And you might be wondering what an aging rock and roller like me is doing fawning over a country album. While I never started out liking country per se, I did love country rock, as in the Eagles. I also grew up playing Southern Gospel on the piano at church, so I knew the Nashville Number System and could play in any key to match the range of the vocalist or choir.

Today, I love me some Texas Red Dirt Music. Why, just a week ago I saw Band of Heathens and West Texas Exiles in Lubbock, and have seen Blackberry Smoke—too country for rock and roll, too rock and roll for country—six times. Turn it up.

The question is how music listeners will react in the long run, though. Will Beyoncé retain her diva crown? Will Post Malone keep topping the charts? And will all this great new music cause Dr. Gerlich to take up line dancing?

The music we listen to is as much a consumer behavior matter as the kind of products we buy. We build our playlists with what we like, and tune in to satellite radio stations that closely match our interests. Everything else can just keep out.

Beyoncé and Post Malone certainly did not need the money, but they did want to hop on the country train. And 45 years ago, the Stones, Rod Stewart, and others did the same with disco. As much as I hated the latter, I’m OK with the former. Maybe it’s because I like country far more than disco.

I don’t listen to Black Sabbath and Deep Purple much these days. I still like their music, but I have grown far beyond just one item in my musical diet. Sabbath’s front man Ozzy Osbourne was a real trip to see back in ’79. Sadly, I never saw Deep Purple, and now their amazing keyboardist is dead.

All I know is I am enjoying this smorgasbord, and I hope that the country fans whose knickers are in a twist figure out how to lighten up a bit. I’m practically old enough to be Post Malone’s grandfather, but I’m digging what he’s doing. As long as people are humming a happy tune, regardless of who wrote it or performed it, what could go wrong?

Dr “Finer Things” Gerlich

Audio Blog

[alexracheltravel]

Day Seven: A Chill-y Day

It's been a week since we have left New York and every day has been quite an adventure. And at this point we've been tired! After a slow start, we got up and out and hit the city streets. By now, we had our bearings, and walked towards the City Center. We wandered around a few other food halls, many of which were devoted towards delicious fresh ingredients. Stalls had fresh, daily catches, with ruby-colored salmon and glistening shrimp. Hanging not too far from the counter was dry-aged steaks with rings of fat as wide as African ivory. Yum.

But we passed and simply got some banh mi (aka Vietnamese sandwiches, for those who haven't read our blog before) and took the subway up North to a neighborhood we hadn't been before. Up here, the weather was chilly but we were in the "U-District" of Stockholm, yes right by Stockholm University! And the campus was GORGEOUS. Old-style buildings rested on hills, surrounded by lush greenery. The natural history museum was also here, and although we decided not to go, the building was a piece of architectural beauty itself. Instead, we wandered along parks and flowers and ate our lunch in the nearby botanical gardens.

The first photo here was simply a long the side of the road. The second was where we sat. Yes, it was a cold, dreary day, but it was simply nice to be outside, especially when we became aware that NYC was in the midst of a terrible heat wave. "Coolcation" might be added to the dictionary in a few years but you heard it here first, folks!

We only popped our head inside once at the gardens but absolutely LOVED these lily pads! The flora was gorgeous.

That was really all we did this morning! Just hung out and ate and read by the water. Alex finished the book "Stolen," which was set in Sweden. This was the third book he's read in the week, however, the last two books were each under 180 pages.

Rachel went into what became a hectic work day, and meanwhile Alex had...

Alex Fika Time

I hadn't made any progress on my novel today. But that's fine. Sweden is a relaxing place. If there's anything Strindberg taught me, it's trust your genius and just write. So I did just that. The other day, we saw a sign that said "coffee and sneakers." That sounds like me, right? But when I went, it was closed! Damn. So I went to a very mediocre cafe, bought a Cortado (my new espresso drink of choice. Not as lame as an Americano, and not as milky and sweet as a latte) and a cinnamon bun. I'm getting tired of these now. And I wrote. I didn't write my novel. Instead, I began a Kafkaesque short story, and perhaps it'll be good. Or perhaps none of you will read it and I'll burn the whole thing just as Franz intended for his whole suitcase of writing. Of course, it will all be okay. I wrote and I wrote and then it was almost 5:00 and I rushed back home to make dinner.

-

For dinner, Alex made schnitzel, asparagus, and potatoes. It was yummy, albeit a little dry (Alex's words. Rachel loved it.) Rachel was in meeting after meeting. Alex had a meeting as well, with his therapist, who is part-Norwegian. After dinner, Alex stepped back out to grab some beers at the local brewpub and that's all we did today!

Alex: so Rach, one week in, how you feeling?

Rachel: I honestly feel really good about our visit [laughs]. Is work really stressful? Yeah. But knowing that I am prioritizing a full life outside of work is one of the many reasons why I wanted to take this trip. Work has been stressful for many reasons and if I had waited for work to slow down to take trips and have this quality time with you, we may have waited a long time. Can you tell I just finished my work day?

Alex: I don't quite know how to respond to that. But I will also say I am having a great time with you. I don't know who else I would take this trip with. I am glad I got some alone time here and there, some writing time, and some time together. It feels like a really nice balance that I haven't gotten on our other trips. I mean, in Cambodia I had one Anthony Bourdain night and ate bugs but every day this week I went to cafes and wrote, which was great.

Rachel: I think that one of the things about this trip that I am enjoying so much is that we are not running around and instead taking time to explore the city and rest and take care of ourselves in the process. I loved going to a new part of the city and enjoying pretty views and just reading together.

Alex: tell me more about how you felt about those lily pads.

Rachel: Alex. I loved those lily pads so much. They were so big. And they had rims. And all I wanted to do was curl up into a ball and curl up on those lily pads. But i respect nature too much. Tell me how you much you like BrewDog!

Alex: it's definitely an American inspired bar in some ways, especially since their signature beers are all IPAs, which at this point are distinctly American. But it's like my favorite beer bars back at home, and all of the drinks just taste unique. I feel like a good amount of them are beers I've never tasted anything like before. My favorite tonight was a sour that had a hint of vanilla in it. Tasted like a fruity milkshake, which is one of my faves. I'd go back once more. Is there anything you want to try again? Eat or drink.

Rachel: I want another sausage on a baguette.

Alex: good news is we can get that almost anywhere. And I could go for one too. And I haven't had a straight halloumi burger yet (which I think is a fried cheese sandwich). On that note we should go to bed before we get too hungry!

[oneefin]

happy palindromic marijuana day! it's 4:20:24 PM on 4/20/2024. 🌿🌿🌿🌿

according to wikipedia, there are over 2000 terms for weed out there. i compiled a list of all the distinct ones wikipedia lists at time of writing, for funsies

remember that if you're reading a cryptic crossword clue, any of these words could secretly be talking about weed!

10s poof

2 long

25 or twenty-five

30 sack

36 or thirty-six

4 o's

40 sack

420 or four-twenty

50 piece

9 or nine

a draw

acapulco gold

ace

afghani

african

african broccoli

airplane

ak-47

alfalfa

alligator cigarette

ammo

ammy

amnesia

amnesia haze

amsterdam's finest

antiguan rocket

arathi

ashin’ kusher

asparagus

astro turf

aunt mary

baby

bake sale

ball

banga

bar

barney

bc

beenth

benj

benners

bhang

bible worksheets

bifter or bifta

bilge

billy

binbag

bingger

bis

bishop

blaze

blifter

blim

bloop

blue dream

blue goo

blueberry

blueberry diesel

blunt

bob

bob hope

bobatti

bobby brown

bobo

bomber

bone or bag of bones

boner soup

bong

bongo

boo

booboo shit

boof

boogity brown

boone

bottle

bread

brickweed

broccoli

brown buddha

brown frown

bruce banner

bubba kush

bubble kush

bubblegum

bud

budder

buddha

budski

buge

bunk

burger king

c-jizz

cabbage

cactus green

camberwell carrot

cambodian red

cancer weed

cannabidiol or cbd

cannabinol or cbn

cannabis

cannabis edible

cannabis indica

cannabis ruderalis

cannabis sativa

cannabis tea

cannon

caracas

carribean cabbage

catnip

cd's

cess

charas

charlotte's web

cheatham

checkers

cheeba

cheech and chong

cheese

cheg

cherry

chess

chicken

chillum

chiquitty-freddy

chocolate

choof

christmas tree

chronic

chronicles of narnia

climb

clouds

cola

collie

colombian

combustible herbargy

comic books

concentrate

course notes

cousin mary

cow

cripple

critical mass

crop or cro

crunch

curley wurley

cut

cutie pie

d's

da kine

daccha

dagga

dak

dan k. buddinhash

dandelion

daniel nuggetstone

dank

dankinstein

dat sticky icky icky

dave

delta-9

detroit

devil's lettuce

diesel

dime or dime bag

dirt weed

discarded bibles

ditch weed

dives

djamba

dodo

doink

doja

dollar

doobage

doobie

dope

doña juanita

draw

dro

dronabinol

dub or dub sack

dumm

dunce

durban poison

dutchie

dvd's

edible

edwardian morris baskerville

eight ball

eighter

eighth

elbow

electric puha

endo

extract

farmer's daughter

fatty

fatty eight

feral cannabis

feral hemp

fid or fiddy

fifty

fir

fire

flower

forb

forbidden fruit

fossils

fosters

freakus

friendship

frodis

full

funk

funky falafel

g-regs or gregs

gage

gangster gumbo

ganja or ganj

garden gate

gas or gasoline

gauge

george

girl scout cookies

goo

good advice

good giggles

good shit

goofy boots

gorilla glue

grade

grandpa's medicine

grape ape

grapes

grass

green

green badger

green crack

green goddess

green tea

greenery

greenest of the goop

greenest of the green

grefa

griffa

grifo

grizz

guitar hero

guy smiley

gwaai

half

halfer

halfie

half ounce

half quarter

half-o

halfling's leaf

harris

hash

hash oil

hashish

haskell

hawaiian

hay

haze

headies

hemp

henry

herb

herbal jazz cigarette

herbsteins

heyman

hindu kush

holden

holy sacrament

holy weed

houdini

hundy

hungarian hummus

hydro

ice cream

indian hemp

indo or endo

insangu

izm

j

jack herer

jacket

jamaican gold

jay tokenstein

jazz cabbage

jazz cigarette

jean

jibber

jimmy

jive

jobb

jobb the finest there is

joint

juicy fruit

jupiter's beard

kaka

kevin bacon

key

kibs or kibbies

kief

kif

killara

killer green bud or kgb

killer herb or killa

kilo

kind

kind bud

kine bud

krinze

kush

kushempeng

kutch

l pape

la

lamb's bread

leaf or leaves

lef

left-handed cigarette

lemon g

lid

lit

little beasts

live resin

loud

louis

lowes

lula

lye

magic

magic cancer

magic dragon

magical brownie

marihoochie

marijuana

mary

mary jane or mj

mary joanna

matanuska thunderfuck or mtf

maui waui or maui-wowie

mbanje

mecca

method

mex

mexican kilobrick

mexican red

mezz

microwave popcorn

mids

mike vick

morning meds

moss

mota or muta

mother mary

movies

muggle or muggles

mull

nabilone

nabiximols

nay nay famous

newguys

nick

nickel or nickel bag

nixon

nodge

northern lights

nug or nugget or nugs

number

o

o-z or oz

og kush

oil

old toby

onion

onion ozzy

orange bud

oscar

ounce

outdo

pack

pakalolo

panama red

pants

paonia purple

paper

party parsley

phatty

pineapple express

pinner

pipe

pizza

platinum og

plingots

polen

poop

portuguese plant

pot

pound

puff

purple haze

q

qp

quad

quap

quart

quarter

quasimodo

rainy day woman

ramín

recreational drug

reefbuds

reefer or reefa

reggae cigarette

reggie miller

regs

resin

roach

rodeo

romanian ramen

root

salad

sampson

sappad

schwag

schwanal

schweed

schwugs

scooby-doo

scratchy

seed or seeds

sensimilla or sensimillia

sha-bang-a-bang-a

shake

shakira

shamya

shatter

shirt

shit

shizzle

shuzzit

silly spinach

single

sinsemilla or sinse

sister mary

sixteenth or teenth

skunk

slice

smeed

smoke

smookey smoke

snickle-fritz

snoke

snoop

soap bar

sock

solid

sour diesel

space cake

spank

spinach

spliff

square grouper

squirter-farter

stank

stash

stem

stick or sticks

sticky icky or sticky icky icky

stogie

strawberry cough

stuff

submarine

sup herb bowl

super lemon haze

sweet g

sweet galenas

sweet leaf or sweetleaf

tacos

taima

tapes

tea

ten bag

ten bit

tenners

tens

terpene

tetrahydrocannabinol or thc

texas tea

thai stick

thirteen

thrax

tiger fear

tin or tinny

tincture

tochigishiro

toke

tommy chong

tooka

tree or trees

trichome

trizer

tuppence worth

twamp

tweed

twig

twist

viper

wacky tobaccy or baccy

wax

weed

wheat

white rhino

white russian

white widow

widdle

willie nelson

wisdom weed

wizard

x box

yankey-doodle

yarndi or yarndie

zaza or za

zig-zag

zip

zombie

zone

zoot

[totterworks]

7 Surprising Things That are Native to the Americas

1. Bamboo

Arundinaria is a genus of bamboo native to North America. Though in America it’s known as cane. They’ve been used by the Native Americans for centuries in basket weaving and other important crafts. Giant Cane or Rivercane (Arundinaria gigantea), in particular, is considered a precious resource that was used in the making of baskets, flutes, arrows and other weapons, bean poles, and jewelry.

2. Pineapple

Pineapple was first domesticated in South America. I would’ve thought Pineapple grew in some tropical tree like a coconut. But, they actually just grow straight out of the ground on a stalk.

3. Peanuts

Like the pineapple, peanuts are thought to have first originated in South America. Peanut butter—or at least a ground paste—was even recorded by indigenous Mexican and South Americans. Huh. Just think. The Mesoamericans could’ve grounded up peanuts and then mashed up some prickly-pear cactus fruit. Spread them both on a tortilla and boom! Pre-Columbian peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

4. Cassava

Because of its association with African dishes (like the West African fufu), its easy to think this plant sprang from the African continent. But, it actually originated in South America. Side note: I actually got the Cassava (Manihot esculenta) and Yucca plant confused at one point. Yuca (a.k.a Cassava) is not the same as Yucca. They are from two unrelated plant groups, with Yuccas being a member of the asparagus family.

5. The Ringtail

The ringtail (Bassariscus astutus) is a small adorable animal that looks like it stepped out of a tropical Asian rainforest. But, if you live near the deserts in the American Southwest you might not have to look any further than your backyard. The ringtail is a common North American native and a relative of raccoons and coatimundis. Unlike both of its relatives, however, next to no one ever talks about the ringtail in real life or even in nature documentaries. If it hadn’t been for the internet, I’m not sure if or when I would’ve even heard of one. I was absolutely shocked when I found out that you could find these animals in Texas.

6. The Coatimundi

I know this one shouldn’t count because everyone knows the Coatimundi is from the Americas. But most of us North Americans only think about them as “exotic” animals from in the tropics of Mexico and the South American jungles alongside other popular wildlife icons like the sloth and the capybara. Imagine my surprise knowing a random North American can find this animal in their backyard as far north as Arizona. They even share a space with their cousin, the Ringtail.

7. The Pronghorn Antelope

One look at this animal and you'd think you were staring at a photo taken at a South African Safari. In reality, you're staring at the native of the North American Savannah, the Pronghorn Antelope (Antilocapra americana). Interestingly, some of their closest relatives are the Okapi and the Giraffe. But they are the American equivalent of the gazelle being able to clock speeds of up to 55 miles per hour!

[abbyindenhaag]

a whirlwind tour of paris (i’m exhausted)

Never one to let a good trip go to waste, when Bart returned on Sunday to Boston and piles of work (sorry Bart), I sallied forth to Paris. I give the Eurostar a 3.5/5 rating and assume the plane would have been a 2: it was cheaper to get to the train and I incurred less carbon emissions, but I still had to go through security-lite (boo), and there were massive crowds because a train to Disneyland left at the same time.

Franck gallantly picked me up at the Gare du Nord and -- as he did through the whole visit -- narrated the surroundings with anecdotes and founding histories like a professional tour guide. A light lunch (hummus and toasted focaccia bread -- remarkably good) obtained, and then Franck shuttled me over to the nearby Musee Marmottan Monet. I couldn’t find any Monet anywhere in the place, but it had several great examples of the fashion of the times. If your (lady) nips weren’t showing, or your (male) earlobes were, you were in big trouble, apparently.

There were also various decorative pieces since the museum was in a kind of restored 17th-century house/partment. I thought this totally dysfunctional clock was kind of funny:

For dinner Franck made a particular Lyonnaise dish which was braised white asparagus with homemade chive mayonnaise, also with gnocchi and homemade tomato sauce (yum). I helped shave the asparagus and quizzed Franck about finance. Valerie was busy at work sorting out some tax issues (maybe I shouldn’t say this, but apparently she has many, like 20, investment properties in Paris and she had elected not to declare them for about 10 years because of the high wealth taxes, but now has decided that was a mistake and is trying to correct it, but it’s of course complicated to sort out. People seem to bend the rules a bit more in Paris than at home; Franck also told me without any remorse about how they use the parking permit of Valerie’s disabled 90-something-year-old mother because they don’t like how Anne Hidalgo is trying to push cars out of Paris and want to fight back. I too have been known to occasionally park without a permit, but only for like 10 minutes to do some shopping... I wonder if the pushback is because all rules are just somehow stricter in France. At a later point Franck told me about how his downstairs neighbor tried to sue them because they had changed the layout of their apartment so that Franck’s kitchen was on top of the neighbor’s bedroom and it was too noisy. I mean, I’m all for assigning property rights, but it seemed like the property right wasn’t clear because Franck said it might have worked and it might not have, depending on the judge. That definitely doesn’t seem efficient. Also another neighbor in the building is currently suing the rest of them because an intercom system was installed without his consent. What is happening over there?!?!)  

Anyway. Berenice and Philomen were both at home; Philomen is studying for a big exam to get into orthodontic school so she was mostly absorbed with that, but Berenice is in the apprenticeship portion of her education and so had a bit more time to chat. It was nice getting to know them a bit at dinner. 

Monday was May Day, aka Labor Day, which was a surprise to good ol’ America-Centric Abby over here. So everything was closed. In the morning Franck took me and Berenice for a walk in the Jardin de Bagatelle, which is basically a large garden the size of Boston Common with about one-twentieth the number of people and infinitely more peacocks. Also lots of feral cats. It’s tulip season so there were several beds abounding in the stuff, nicely arranged too:

Lunch was an incredibly delicious North African lamb stew plus couscous from a neighborhood takeout place. We had also picked up pastries on the way back but were too impossibly full to attempt them after lunch. A thunderstorm then passed through, so I couldn’t resist briefly napping in my borrowed room, listening to raindrops falling on the skylight with the knowledge that I was practically in a Parisian garret. Franck then gave me some Metro tickets and directed me towards the Petit Palais, which turned out to be closed but it was just as well since it was quite a long walk back anyways. I crossed the Quai d’Orsay, walked west along the Seine, crossed again at Alma, went north along Georges V to the Champs-Elysee, turned south again at the Arc du Triomphe roughly following Avenue Kleber, passed the Trocadero and the Tour Eiffel, then made my way through Auteuil (still can’t pronounce that for my life) back to Rue Mozart. It was fun to see people selling lilies-of-the-valley on the street and know that, as Wikipedia taught me the previous day, this was a special Labor Day tradition.

Dinner was definitely good but unfortunately I can’t remember anything about it except for the (delicious!!!! omg!! brie-like) Sancerre goat cheese at the end, because we finally got ~~the pastries~~ for dessert and they were so exciting. My favorite was the signature of the patisserie, called the Eclipse, which is kind of a cookie with caramel on top, then coated with Chantilly cream and then dusted with chocolate cookie crumble. SO GOOD. (In the photo below, it’s the one there are two of.)

The next day, (are you tired yet? I am) Franck loaned me a helmet and showed me how to use the Velib’ bike rental system, which I took to his office with him. The bikes are all electric, which I tried not to use too much but it was kind of a thrill to see how easy it was to go up hills. The bike route -- along the Seine, then into the fashion district around the Louvre -- was full of bicyclists despite the fact that apparently it is Paris’s holiday week. (In perhaps the most obvious manifestation I saw of secularism, Easter holidays in France are apparently split across different weeks by region, such that Paris has holidays this week and next, while other parts of the country had them earlier. Also, both May 1 and May 8 are holidays so many people take advantage to take 4 days off and have a 10 day vacation. Thus, Tiphanie and her family were in Spain and I didn’t get to see them.) I would be a bit scared to bike that route at another time or at a lower level of expertise -- there isn’t very much room and people operate at very different speeds, so there was lots of passing. Plus very little regard seems to be given to traffic markings or stoplights. But it all worked out in the end.

Franck works, as I mentioned, in a fashion district, so there were several interior design stores and textile shops, and in a nearby plaza there was a fashion shoot taking place all morning (which I of course found exciting.) Franck took me through a very cool tiled gallery to the Museum of the Biblioteque National de France. We saw the reading room, where Sue apparently did a lot of research at one time, and then many many artifacts, which will get their own post. I then met up with Franck for lunch (truffle pasta, yum but I couldn’t finish it sadly) and afterwards took myself over to the Musee d’Orsay.

Oh, Musee d’Orsay, you pool of beauty. Obviously since it’s so large I didn’t get to see everything -- not that it’s possible to spend an appropriate amount of time with each work anyway, if you have the physical limitations of a typical human. If there’s a museum in the world I would like to pull a Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler stunt in, it would be this one, maybe 90% because of the beauty of the spaciousness and light from the train station ceiling, but also because I felt there was a very high concentration of good/surprising art.

Ok, so obviously I exhausted myself with that, but then I biked back to Franck and Valerie on the south side of the Seine this time (left bank??) and then Franck and Valerie took me out to dinner at a restaurant inside another renovated palace (they have so many of them). This one currently houses a museum and showroom for the Baccarat crystal house, which is one of four major luxury crystal producers (all facts due, as always, to Franck). The cuisine was very haute; my first dish was a haddock puree (think something that looks like whipped cream but tastes like fish) piped atop a pea puree, with a candied egg yolk; my second dish was veal with gnocchi; and dessert was a tarte tatin. I got to know Valerie a little better this time because Berenice and Philomen weren’t there; my impression is she is fairly consumed by her work except when it is superseded by her devotion to her family. Their apartment is filled with photographs of all the children at different ages; kids’ toys are piled up behind the couch for Tiphanie’s young ones (Tiphanie lives like a 2 minute walk away); and when I asked what was important about a vacation for her Franck said she liked to have all her family with her, like a mother duck. Aww. Also, she judged the plastic surgery of two heavily-surgeried women who entered the restaurant after us, and asked me how common it is for women in the US to have plastic surgery. Unfortunately, I couldn’t provide much of an answer.

[unbakehisbeans]

I feel like talking to people about my diet and veganism is so frustrating because I’m almost always talking to people who have always had a very different diet than me. Like, there’s honestly just a lot of foods I’m not very familiar with and I wouldn’t know how to veganize them just because I don’t know those foods, I’m not familiar with that way of eating. And then people think that my diet has to be expensive and I’m a jerk for promoting veganism, when like I just do not now and have never really eaten a standard US or European diet.

Like, the idea of eating a meal that’s like a meat, a starch, and a vegetable, all separate (like steak, potatoes, and asparagus or something) is soooo foreign to me and has always felt to me like a luxury you’d get at a restaurant. And it’s strange to me that many people just do eat meals like that regularly. So yeah I’m sure if you eat like that, if you eat the standard US American diet then yes it’ll probably be expensive to veganize. I’m not even that familiar with most pasta dishes, like I’ve had lots of spaghetti with marinara but I never had carbonara until I was an adult and then only once. So, like, if you’re the kind of person who eats a lot of pasta or like grilled cchicken as the base of your meals, I really wouldn’t be able to give you any affordable recommendations for vegan food you’d be happy and comfortable with. I can really only recommend things like curry and Lebanese and west African foods and tacos because that’s what I’m used to.

[levinletlive]

This African Asparagus plant behind my office is in bloom. It's so pretty!

[notquitebilateral]

Look who repotted today! Nefertiti, Fernie, Viola and Ivy II with siblings.

Bonus tubers from Fernie: