WE MADE IT OUTSIDE TODAY!

[conuly]

And we went to the museum. WHAT a beautiful day. I saw what was, without reservation, the tallest milkweed I've ever seen. One tall enough to look Evangeline in the eye is usual. To see Ana, okay. My height and taller? That's tall!

The SICM had signs on the second floor bathroom about the COOL NEW LIGHT SENSORS that will "reduce our carbon profile" - they turn on automatically! And off, too!

Except they *don't* - they aren't any different from the old on-all-the-time system. And anyway, lighting there is totally superfluous this time of year - they've got perfectly good windows. AND any good from the reduced lighting in the bathrooms would be totally offset by the fact that their porchlights were on all day. *sighs*

They also use plastic plates in the cafe instead of paper, they used bleached new paper towels instead of unbleached recycled ones, they don't recycle (Snug Harbor, for some reason, is exempt from NYC's strict laws about recycling), they have a very inefficient heating/cooling system (not really their fault, the building is what it is), and they just this week started using disposable plastic aprons during Kidz Cook - because the kids just need to use aprons. I guess.

So all in all, I'd call the light thing a bit of a wash.

Comments

[marveen.livejournal.com]

That's not milkweed, that's sow thistle. THESE (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milkweed) are milkweeds.

We don't have real milkweed around here, but we do have sow thistles.

[conuly]

I'm sorry, but milkweed is a term used to describe two different plants. That *is* milkweed, although it is not the only plant that uses that name. (And this is why scientific nomenclature rocks!)

Edit: I'm not sorry, and should not claim to be. We're adults, we can disagree without taking offense, and "I'm sorry but" is such an annoying phrase. For that, I actually *do* apologize. Sorry.

[marveen.livejournal.com]

Heh. Regional usage again.

I read about "milkweed pods" in crafty books and references, and never knew what the hell they were until I took a botany class. Around here, the niche that is filled by gilded milkweed pods back East is supplied by gilded teasel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teasel).

[conuly]

I wonder if there's a native plant that'll do the same thing as either of 'em.

[marveen.livejournal.com]

That's not milkweed, that's sow thistle. THESE (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milkweed) are milkweeds.

We don't have real milkweed around here, but we do have sow thistles.

[conuly]

I'm sorry, but milkweed is a term used to describe two different plants. That *is* milkweed, although it is not the only plant that uses that name. (And this is why scientific nomenclature rocks!)

Edit: I'm not sorry, and should not claim to be. We're adults, we can disagree without taking offense, and "I'm sorry but" is such an annoying phrase. For that, I actually *do* apologize. Sorry.

[marveen.livejournal.com]

Heh. Regional usage again.

I read about "milkweed pods" in crafty books and references, and never knew what the hell they were until I took a botany class. Around here, the niche that is filled by gilded milkweed pods back East is supplied by gilded teasel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teasel).

[conuly]

I wonder if there's a native plant that'll do the same thing as either of 'em.