04/05 - It's Dandelion Day - Don't Laugh

Today is day 95 of the Gregorian Calendar year,
Setting Orange, Discord 22, 3187 YOLD
And let us not forget 13.0.8.7.7 mlc (the Mayan Long Count)

Dandelion

Dandelion - Arches National Park

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Dandelion Day One helluva plant, as it turns out.  The English is a mispronunciation of the French dent de lion or "lions tooth", though sometimes (folkish) piss-a-bed, pee-a-bed or wet-a-bed, from the strong diuretic properties of the root.  It has been used for food and in folk medicine in various cultures since antiquity and was brought over on the Mayflower just in case there wasn't any already here.  As it turns out, at least one species was already here, but now there were more.

There appear to be a metric boatload of subspecies world wide, with at least a couple of imperial tons in Britain alone, which, oddly enough, is sort of where Britain is these days.  Zo, the full taxonomy is full of clades*, a whole newfangled thing brought about by the endless march of science, but the old school bottom end is:

Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Subfamily: Cichorioideae
Tribe: Cichorieae
Subtribe: Crepidinae
Genus: Taraxacum

    - from da wiki, of course

The two most common species globally are T. officinale and T. erythrospermum, both of which were introduced from Europe (natch).   Taraxacum officinale is, it would seem, the "official" dandelion.  All parts are edible (I've actually seen the leaves at retail grocers and farmers' merkets) and chock full of vitamins, minerals and other good stuff like inulin (a prebiotic) and lutein a carotenoid.

Beyond that, I refer you to da wiki, 'cause who is gonna take the trouble to lie about dandelions:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taraxacum 

Clade is a whole newfangled taxonomic category not to be confused with clave an Afro-Cuban rhythm best known as The Bo Diddley Beat, which, though seemingly first popularly recorded by Johnny Otis (Willie and the Hand Jive), was, per Mr. Otis himself something he had already heard twice, first by some latin group and second by Bo. 

OK, back to Dandelions  ---

On this day in history:

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1242 – Prince Alexander Nevsky and a mixed force of Novgorodians and Russians stopped the Crusaders and the Teutonic Knights, defeating them so thoroughly as to put an end to the Northern Crusades.  The Battle on The Ice was dramatized and celebrated in Sergei Eisenstein's  film Alexander Nevsky which everybody should see at once in their lives.

1566 – Two hundred Dutch noblemen, led by Hendrick van Brederode, forced themselves into the presence of Margaret of Parma and presented the Petition of Compromise, denouncing the Spanish Inquisition in the Seventeen Provinces.

1609 – Daimyo Shimazu Tadatsune of the Satsuma Domain in Japan, completed his successful invasion of the Ryukyu Kingdom in Okinawa.

1710 – The Statute of Anne received the royal assent and thereby created the Copyright law of the United Kingdom.

1722 – Jacob Roggeveen "discovered" Easter Island. and its then 2,000-3,000 inhabitants.

1900 – Archaeologists in Knossos, Crete, discovered a large cache of clay tablets with hieroglyphic writing in a script they called Linear B.

1910 – The Transandine Railway connecting Chile and Argentina was inaugurated.

1922 – The American Birth Control League, the forerunner of Planned Parenthood, was incorporated.

1933 – FDR signed executive order 6101 creating the Civilian Conservation Corps, and executive order 6102 "forbidding the Hoarding of Gold Coin, Gold Bullion, and Gold Certificates" by U.S. citizens.

1956 – Fidel Castro declared himself at war with our close ally and dear friend Fulgencio Batista.

1969 – Massive antiwar demonstrations occurred in many U.S. cities to no avail.

1976 – China's April Fifth Movement led to the Tiananmen Incident.

1977 – The US Supreme Court ruled that congressional legislation that diminished the size of the Sioux people's reservation thereby destroyed the tribe's jurisdictional authority over the area regardless of the fact that it was a blatant treaty violation. (Rosebud Sioux Tribe v. Kneip)

1992 – Alberto Fujimori, president of Peru, dissolved the Peruvian congress by military force making him an obvious ally and dear friend of the US warranting our aid and support.

1998 – The Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, the longest bridge span in the world, opened to traffic
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Born this day in:

It is not wisdom but Authority that makes a law.

~~ Thomas Hobbes

1279 – Al-Nuwayri, historian
1588 – Thomas Hobbes, philosopher
1622 – Vincenzo Viviani, mathematician, astronomer, and physicist
1732 – Jean-Honoré Fragonard, painter and etcher
1752 – Sébastien Érard, instrument maker
1761 – Sybil Ludington, heroine of the American Revolutionary War
1769 – Sir Thomas Hardy, 1st Baronet, as in "Anchor Hardy, Anchor!"
1811 – Jules Dupré, painter
1827 – Joseph Lister, surgeon and academic
1837 – Algernon Charles Swinburne, poet, playwright, novelist, and critic
1839 – Robert Smalls, ship's pilot, sea captain, and politician
1842 – Hans Hildebrand, archaeologist
1850 – Enrico Mazzanti, engineer and cartoonist
1856 – Booker T. Washington, educator, essayist and historian
1872 – Samuel Cate Prescott, microbiologist and chemist
1882 – Song Jiaoren, revolutionary
1899 – Alfred Blalock, surgeon and academic
1904 – Richard Eberhart, poet and academic
1922 – Gale Storm, actress and singer
1923 – Ernest Mandel, Marxist economist, Trotskyist activist and theorist
1925 – Janet Rowley, human geneticist
1928 – Tony Williams, singer
1929 – Joe Meek, songwriter and producer
1931 – Jack Clement, singer, songwriter, and producer
1934 – Stanley Turrentine, saxophonist and composer
1935 – Donald Lynden-Bell, astrophysicist and astronomer
1938 – Nancy Holt, sculptor and painter
1939 – Ronald White, singer and songwriter
1941 – Dave Swarbrick, singer, songwriter, and fiddler
1942 – Allan Clarke, singer and songwriter
1944 – Evan Parker, musician
1950 – Agnetha Fältskog, singer, songwriter, and producer
1952 – John C. Dvorak,  author and editor
1960 – Larry McCray, singer, songwriter, and guitarist
1972 – Nima Arkani-Hamed, theoretical physicist
1973 – Pharrell Williams, singer, songwriter, and rapper

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Died this day in:

 We must make Boogie Music an essential factor in the life of all. In presenting this song to the world, we must then explain and justify our position by formulating a definition of Boogie Music and setting forth its main principles in such a way that all may understand instantly that their souls, their lives, and every relation with every other human being in every circumstance depends on Boogie Music and the right comprehension and right application thereof

~~  Bob Hite

1512 – Lazzaro Bastiani, Ipainter
1612 – Diana Scultori, engraver
1900 – Joseph Bertrand, mathematician, economist, and academic
1921 – Sophie Elkan, writer and translator
1923 – George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon, archaeologist and businessman
1932 – María Blanchard, painter
1933 – Earl Derr Biggers, novelist and playwright
1937 – José Benlliure y Gil, painter
1964 – Aloïse Corbaz, artist
1967 – Hermann Joseph Muller, geneticist and academic
1974 – A. Y. Jackson, painter
1981 – Bob Hite, singer and songwriter
1994 – Kurt Cobain, singer, songwriter ,and guitarist
1995 – Emilio Greco, sculptor and engraver
1995 – Christian Pineau, French Resistance fighter
1997 – Allen Ginsberg, poet
2005 – Saul Bellow, novelist, essayist and short story writer,
2006 – Gene Pitney, singer and songwriter
2012 – Barney McKenna, musician

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Holidays, Holy Days, Festivals, Feast Days, Days of Recognition, and such:

Piano Day

Dingus Day
Sweet Potato Day
National Caramel Day
Dandelion Day
First contact Day
National Flash Drive Day

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Music goes here, iirc, well, With apologies Wink

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Tony Williams

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Joe Meek

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Stanley Turrentine

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Ronald White

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Dave Swarbrick

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Allan Clarke

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Agnetha Fältskog

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Larry McCray

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Pharrell Williams

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George Herbert

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Bob Hite

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Gene Pitney

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Well, I tried to avoid this, up above, but just can't, so here's some bonus Refried Boogie

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It's an open thread, so do your thing, got it? Below this point this is a public forum, your forum, nothing is off topic, so go for it


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Comments

Lookout's picture

I like dandelions, both as a flower and food/herb.

The root can be charred to make poor man's coffee, and the leaves are edible...
really lots of good qualities.
https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/herbs-and-spices/health-ben...

Thanks for the OT and music, and hope you all have a good day!

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8 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

enhydra lutris's picture

@Lookout

eschew dandelion root since I learned that it exudes latex when cut, enough that somebody in (Germany?) has bred cultivars with sufficient latex content that they are using them to make rubber.

Thanks for reading.

be well and have a good one.

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4 users have voted.

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

shaharazade's picture

@enhydra lutris Dandelions roots and leaves and wine have been around forever.People eat and drink them and their good for the blood and liver.May have latex? but so what. Thir tasty and healthy both greens and root. If some idiot scientist wants to make latex out of them so what. Scientists are really irritating the crap out of me these days. Lets cook up some nasty shit cause we can. As the dude from Monsanto once said 'Who better to play God' Not you fucker.And who pray tell cooked up this virus hummmmm. Oh yeah not from a lab that does bio-warfare. A bat on a stick did it. Latex my ass. Plus the bee's love dandelion the first food in the spring. All in all a boon to nature those pesky non-weeds.

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enhydra lutris's picture

@shaharazade

anyway, though I have tried the leaves. We generally don't let ours get big enough to get a meaningful amount of greens easily, though I might make another try at it. As for the latex, I have no doubt that it does exude minute amounts that bother nobody and that somebody has bred one with more intending to be able to make natural latex in a place or places where rubber trees don't or won't grow. That isn't really why I don't eat the roots, but is just a factoid I wanted to put out there.

As to the virus, I find the lab story likely to be anti-China propaganda. Virii not only mutate, but they exchange genetic matter freely. Certain bird species, bats, pigs and other critters, when forced or allowed to live communally are always churning out new ones, most of which, if they kill anything, only kill their hosts and near relatives. Places like China with non-industrial animal husbandry are constantly suffering new outbreaks of new strains forcing them to cull large numbers of fowl and pigs and such, but it doesn't get much attention beyond its possible effects on markets for the related animal products.

be well and have a good one

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2 users have voted.

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

mimi's picture

we have still Easter here in Germany on Monday and it makes me so frustrated that I even would eat some dandelions. Because they are yellow flowers, my sister can't stand them. They are cut short with each lawn mowing.

It is a cold and stormy Easter Monday here with some hailstorms, Weather to stay in bed for.

What are the mild long-term covid symptoma again? I have a self-test in my drawer but thought I keep it for later usage, when I get so annoyed about some symptoms I have that I will use it then at a later date. What the heck does it help me to know I have covid anyhow?

When I was a child I was vaccinated against measles, rubella, and mumps. I got all three of thee of them still and measles quite heavy. So, why the heck do we have to get vaccinated at all? (heh I am just frustrated and need to vent a bit).

ok, happy belated Easter to you all. I am glad when it is over. On Saturday I couldn't fine ANY Easter Eggs (chocolate ones) in any of the few stores that are open. What is Easter without Easter Eggs in Germany? Like a lawn without dandelions. Let it be spring !

or may be not ... these are so not the songs I would need right now, but if you insist...
[video:https://youtu.be/-w-OFPl2He4]

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enhydra lutris's picture

celebrate Easter Monday, but that's really a bit much for me, when you include all tha prelims tha damn holiday runs for nearly a month which is truly excessive. Here, of course, there is so much mass produced candy that they will still be discounting it for weeks to come and a huge fraction of it isn't even chocolate.

As for the music, well I'll just say that the movie industry spewed vast quantities of rather saccharine tunes, no doubt fitting for spring through the lens of candy laden Easter celebrations. For me, I'd lean toward the real classics, like this one -

be well and have a good one

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4 users have voted.

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

mimi's picture

@enhydra lutris
just had to tease you with something that I knew you wouldn't like so much, meany me.

I am so glad that tomorrow for me Easter is over. Hopefully it will be a bit warmer.
Have a nice evening and yes, I laughed, you made it happen. Thanks.

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4 users have voted.

what more could you want. I know better than to click on ABBA, but I did it anyway.
So... to refresh... this helps;
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkzKw1erF_Y]
(and the Vivaldi as well).

Don't take too much dandelion root, you'll be OK.

Too bad about the poison we're dumping into Tampa bay though.
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/04/05/epa-needs-step-florida-work...
You would think we would learn.

Thanks for the OT, have a good one.

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6 users have voted.
enhydra lutris's picture

@randtntx

Read about Tampa Bay, yet another externalized expense or mining, the endlessly regenerating pollution because of the lack of any real reclamation.

Thanks for the Taj + Tedeschi-Trucks, though I thought Canned Heat would've been enough of a chaser for the ABBA.

be well and have a good one

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4 users have voted.

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

@enhydra lutris , about the extended-play Canned Heat. I do admit to some affection for ABBA, kind of like the same feeling as towards the Monkeys (I was a kid!).

Yep about the "externalized expense". Creative accounting where the mess that is made becomes the responsibility of others to pay and to clean up.

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3 users have voted.

@randtntx

grew up just north of here...

Taj Mahal was born in Harlem, New York on May 17, 1942. His father, Henry St. Clair Fredericks, was a jazz pianist and composer from Jamaica. His mother was Mildred Shields, a gospel singer, and teacher hailing from South Carolina.

At an early age, Fredericks moved to Springfield Massachusetts with his parents and sister, Carol, where he grew up. As his parents were active in music, the Fredericks home was filled with inspiration and led young Henry to master the piano, harmonica, clarinet, guitar, and bass.

What a wonderful sound!

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5 users have voted.

@QMS , and yes wonderful sound. TY.

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2 users have voted.

Just for shits and giggles...

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@JtC

it is your site

drop it wherever you like!

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enhydra lutris's picture

@JtC

Mind if I drop this here?

Just what part of "open thread" do you fail to understand?

be well and have a good one. Wink

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

@enhydra lutris
I hereby invoke the Sergeant Schultz defense. I refuse to be entrapped by your rhetorical sophistry. So there!

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dystopian's picture

Hi EL, and all,

Hey EL, gettin' any spring birds or flowers?

I always quite liked the Stones' Dandelion. Great song. Not a bad plant either, but a lot of folks have wars with them as a weed, in true American fashion, against what is probably the healthiest for you plant in their yard.

Canned Heat was top notch awesome. I loved 'em. Blues and boogie masters.

Here is my favorite Gene Pitney cover:

apologies if I posted it before...

Our Golden-cheeked Warblers are just arriving back on their breeding grounds here in cent. TX now. We saw 3 fairly near the house yesterday.

Have good ones all, if real good, have one for me.

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4 users have voted.

We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein

enhydra lutris's picture

@dystopian

Had a flock of waxwings drop into the redbud out in the back yard for a bit, but they're an erratic here, show up several times a year out of nowhere,and then go elsewhere.

Dandelion is one of those songs that never seemed to get the attention it shuld, but one can say that of so many Stones songs that it may be because there are so many Stones songs.

Our daffs have blooming for a while, and the poppies, and the apple, pear and apricot trees (the orange too, of course, but that is almost constant). What else, all the salvias and the ceanothus as well as the redbuds.

be well and have a good one

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5 users have voted.

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

dystopian's picture

@enhydra lutris The song Dandelion by the Stones actually has some of the best Charlie Watts drumming the last minute he does some thunder that is awesome. You are right, never got the credit it deserved.

Ceanothus!?! I haven't heard the word in 18 years since I left California. What an awesome chapparal shrub. I love the smell of the flowers, and it is great for insects and birds.

best

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2 users have voted.

We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein

enhydra lutris's picture

@dystopian
all over the place in its various shades. On our recent trip we even went through some places where whole hillsides and canyons were covered with it.

be well and have a good one

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1 user has voted.

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

magiamma's picture

Thanks for the dandelion dossier. Buy them greens at the market. Great with eggs. Windy here and cool again. Gardening happening. Where’s the rain?

Take good care y’all.

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enhydra lutris's picture

@magiamma

that I could probably have them with eggs now and then, maybe I'll give it a try.

be well and have a good one.

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3 users have voted.

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

is that city park departments don't try to eradicate their dandelions. The yellow flowers shine line small suns against a background of green grass.

Baker Creek seeds is selling seeds for pink and white dandelions from Asia.

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Mary Bennett