Thursday, November 5, 2009

[Exceptionally] Pretty pictures: transmitted light -- Part XXI

Having a really bad day so far (I'm writing this on Wednesday night), and frankly Tuesday wasn't anything to get real excited about either. The election results from Maine are a lot of this, but it also turns out that at some time in the last two weeks, I've lost a plant (a couple Ficus maclellandii cuttings I managed to root, which were starting to really get going in a 6-inch pot). And by "lost a plant," I don't mean that it died: I mean I have no idea where it is. It's just disappeared. This has never happened before. (UPDATE: Ficus was located around 11 AM local time, hiding behind a large Asplundia. In retrospect, of course, I totally remember putting it there.)

As far as the Maine stuff goes, I don't know what I could say that wouldn't be completely obvious. It's hardly the definitive answer about Maine or anything else, it worries me w/r/t Iowa, and I am angry and disappointed on behalf of the gay and lesbian Maine residents who were looking forward to being able to marry their partners. I can only imagine how devastating.

Can pretty pictures cheer me up? Doubtful. But they're unlikely to make stuff worse, so we may as well try. Limited commentary, compared to previous batches, because I kinda ran out of time. But given my mood, you don't really want the commentary anyway.

(The previous transmitted light posts can be found here.)

Selenicereus chrysocardium.


Abutilon theophrasti (velvetleaf). Big Iowa cornfield weed: lots of money is spent on killing these. I like the plant, personally. My dad, memorably, informed me once that if you find yourself in a cornfield with an urgent need to go to the bathroom, velvetleaf works well as a toilet paper substitute. I have, thankfully, never needed to check this out, though I wouldn't be surprised, I guess. Considerably more detail is visible if opened in separate window.


Zea mays (corn).


Peperomia obtusifolia 'Gold Coast.'


Dracaena reflexa 'Song of India.'


Furcraea foetida 'Medio-Picta.'


Callisia fragrans. Not particularly difficult to grow, and the purple color it turns in full sun is pleasant enough. Weirdly impossible to find for sale.


Dieffenbachia 'Sterling.'


Aglaonema 'Brilliant.' A really delightful plant; one of my best-behaved, prettiest, and all-around wonderfullest varieties of one of the best-behaved, prettiest, and all-around wonderfullest plants.


Caladium 'Carolyn Whorton.'


8 comments:

James said...

I don't think you can look at Maine without also considering Washington where voters did vote to bring their civil unions law closer to true marriage.

And when that doesn't cheer me up, I watch the Iowa State Senate Leader Gronstal's video again. Which is still the most moving thing I've ever seen on youtube. If you haven't seen it before:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2s2R5qKhbo

Anonymous said...

A sad day here when the results came in. Sad and a litle frightening as well, since I have never had any interest in living in a theocracy and abhor any result that depended more on big lies than thoughtful consideration. My heart hurts for my friends who saw this as a longed-for chance to stand together and affirm their lives.

Lucy Corrander said...

I don't know enough except to offer respectful . . . don't know what to say . . . sympathy is wrong, condolences seems closer but still not right . . . but something to say that although I have not been in a situation like this and have to imagine myself into the pain of it, I recognise that kind of hurt and . . . can only think of cliches . . .

Photos like these, I find very special, generally because they draw me to the detail - but there is something about the colour and comparative blankness of the top one which I find peace-inducing.

Lucy

our friend Ben said...

What a crime, Mr. S.! And in Maine of all places. I really didn't expect that. I have friends who are crying in Virginia, too, as you can imagine. Ugh.

liza said...

Your pretty pics cheered me up, thank you!

Thomas said...

Yeah, it so sucks. But R-71 WILL pass to confirm what was already legislated. (Almost) Marriage by vote!

So much drama and confusion around this, and it might be days before we know for sure (vote by mail). Some days it sooo feels like non-consensual Hokey-Pokey.

Anyway, glad you found your MIA plant. Like the pictures - the Callisia fragrans almost looks 3D. And I just learned another name for Abutilon theoprasti is Toilet Paper Tree - pretty AND useful.

Thank you!

R said...

Do you still have this Aglaonema?

Oh, and forget this sad day...it's history. The Supreme Court has spoken. Gay people are people too! Yay!

mr_subjunctive said...

R:

I do (still have the Aglaonema) and had (forgotten the 2009 stuff).