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Pansy

red pansy

Pansy. When I was a kid, that was a common insult to someone’s masculinity. I guess because pansies have such floofy petals? I don’t know. Peonies are rufflier. Anyway, growing up in the Sonoran Desert, I was more familiar with the insult than the real-life flower. So I was delighted to discover that pansies are actually really hardy little flowers. Seriously, they’re almost impossible to kill. They come in a bazillion cheerful colors and bloom during the gray days of early spring when everything else is still cowering under a layer of mulch. Pansies kick ass. And they sort of look like they’re smiling the whole time.

ByGD

NEXT STEP: Outside

Kreielsheimer FountainIn the past, my ballet exposure was limited to regular season performances. But this year I busted out of that narrow approach. I attended preview dress rehearsals, lectures, the season encore, and now, NEXT STEP. NEXT STEP is Pacific Northwest Ballet’s annual choreographers showcase. Managed by former PNB soloist Kiyon Ross, NEXT STEP is a one-night-only event where company dancers rise as choreographers, and the PNB School’s Professional Division students take center stage in an all-premiere program. This year it busted out of McCaw Hall, spilling onto the grounds of Seattle Center. Called NEXT STEP: OUTSIDE/IN, it featured (almost) all-new choreography (mostly) by PNB dancers. Appropriately, the evening began OUTSIDE.

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No Export Tax – Constitution Article 1 §9.5

ConstitutionOn Wednesdays we study the Constitution. I thought I’d never finish Article 1, Section 8, which lists the powers of Congress. But I finally got to Section 9, which limits the powers of Congress. It started off weak with a 20-year timeline for denying the importation of slaves, but it’s getting better. Last week I learned about the former ban on income tax. This week I’m on to Article 1 §9.5, which forbids taxation of state exports.

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Music I Liked – CHRCH, Zarraza, Tentacle Wizard

CHRCH Light Will Consume Us Album CoverLast week I had to scramble to come up with music to share, and that made me feel lame. So this week I spent a lot of time digging through the music blogs. I found a lot of stuff that made my ears bleed – in a good way. Stuff like CHRCH, Zarraza, and Tentacle Wizard.

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ByGD

Syringa Vulgaris

lilac

Latin names are necessary because common names are so unreliable. But sometimes they can be so disappointing. The common lilac is properly called Syringa vulgaris. That doesn’t sound proper at all. It makes this beautiful flower sound like a heroin addict. It’s hardly fair for such a traditional shrub.

On the other hand. That deep purple color is almost shocking. And the scent is intoxicating. Hey, does that photo look blurry to you or…