Word for the Day, Monday, August 4, 2014-- halcyon

8/4/14 | xs

[xsmommy]

me too! I like to feature words that sound or look cool to me. I recently featured FESTOON because I love that word!

[xsmommy]

well no loss since I am not recommending it! so what’s shakin down in the selva? ; )

[FrdmLvr]

May your all days be halcyon and your nights festooned with revelry.

[xsmommy]

what a lovely sentiment! thank you!

[FrdmLvr]

You’re welcome. And thank you for providing this fine thread. I always read it, but I don’t always participate, although the vocabulary does tend to stick with me and I find myself using some of it precisely because of recent encounters with it on the thread.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

Haven’t read it - but will go look it up and see what is being said

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

I need an Agency of Invasive Species for my yard though...

[xsmommy]

if you have any suggestions for words for us to feature just let us know, there are 5 of us and we are always looking for new and different words!

[xsmommy]

that’s precisely what the fictional agency supposedly regulates!

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

Yes I read a couple of reviews... lol

[xsmommy]

so yeah, this is going on a few blocks from me here. and while people fulminate over treating the poor Samaritans purse workers at Emory, we have an entire delegation of potential carriers just wandering loose here. AND WHAT in the world do we need to confer with African leaders about when the rest of the damn world is up in flames and we are doing squat?

[secret garden]

I cannot imagine the halcyon job descriptions that keep these union slackers employed. Also, can anyone give me a single reason why there should be any union worker in government?

[xsmommy]

what's to explain other than that he's a muslim who advocates for the destruction of Israel.

[xsmommy]

A+++

[mikrofon]

A comfortable lawn chair ... curly nachos & other snackies ... your favorite alcohol ... cyan, cloudless skies, with only a chance of rain ... great company – all the makings for a halcyon mid-summer day!

[xsmommy]

sounds delish! A++++

[xsmommy]

this floored me.

[SAJ]

For the "rainy" season, most of Panama is dry as hell. Just 2 days with rain in July (a rainy season month). Luckily, we had a shower 2 days ago, then a good rain yesterday. Been watering the garden with 2-liter bottles. Again, luckily, I'm only growing 7 herbs and some sweet peppers. Rosemary is virtually invulnerable to drought in a semihumid climate, as is the Panamanian variety of oregano. Panamanian basil (WAY more flavourful than Genovese, which is preferred by American restauranteurs) needs water, but much less when it is planted in half-shade.

Thyme is tricky here, but grows. Sage is a real PITA, have to germinate it in a wet paper towel vacuum (sort of) sealed in a Ziploc bag; however, once germinated, just plant the seedling in the garden in RAISED soil and you're good to go. Wet roots is about the only thing that will kill sage here; no natural pests or diseases to speak of. Dill, of course, which I grow and sell, needs a lot of water...so I see to it that my dill GETS the bloody water, and it grows like crazy.

We have a new presidente, Varela, who is very pro-business, but has just imposed price controls on 25 popular staples. This will, of course, backfire as price controls always do, but they are popular temporarily. More heartening is the fact that in the May national election, the socialists got clobbered. Panamanian economy is growing at 7+ % per year, so things are pretty good.

The canal widening is pretty much on schedule (shocking, considering Panama), and will bring in stacks of revenue when complete. To the government's (temporary, I'm quite sure) credit, the pols aren't (yet) falling all over themselves to spend the future revenue. The new subway system in Ciudad Panama has a big chunk complete, but doesn't yet run to Tocumen Int'l Airport (important because it will break up the ripoff taxicab cartel). Here in El Valle, we are having water shortage problems w/o the rains, not surprisingly. The various alcaldes have finalised a plan to increase water storage by 40-50 per cent, which will (WILL, the funds are already appropriated) be built next year. Have to have it, because (drat the luck), this province (Cocle) is growing in population very quickly, mainly I think due to the fantastic (usually) weather.

And that's all the news that is news, and (best Dennis Miller imitation) I..am..outta..here.

FReegards!

[secret garden]

If I was Barney, I’d hire a bodyguard.

[Fightin Whitey]

Great catch on the Adm. Halsey lyric.

I had forgotten about that one.

Those were the halcyon days for the Fab Four, yes?