SEARCHING FOR FLAVOR FLAV!

Flavor Flav (FLAVORY) of Public Enemy, notorious fashion autoclav and hip-hop trailblazer, wearing his signature clock-reminder of time, do we have some bling for you. GREENSTONEY bling! Come to Charlottesville and bring Public Enemy with you. This town could use some tearing up and you could use some tearing it down with our bling, clean mean GREENSTONEY bling. It has already been OUTLAWED (!yeah!) on some C’Ville property.

FLAVORY, meet Sir Mike Knight wearing his GREENSTONEY bling. (!Yeah!) As evidenced here, Sir Mike is all clean, green and mean...and just like you FLAVORY, women LOVEY* him! After publishing his picture on our GREENSTONEY bling page, we received email inquiry. To answer any questions, Sir Mike is a clean, green construction machine. He means it! FLAVORY, we implore you! Get down to Charlottesville, meet a knight, get GREENSTONEY bling, and clean some clocks!

FLAVORY celebrated his fiftieth birthday at BB King's in Times Square, New York. Won't be anything like that FLAVY here in C'Ville. POG's Parker and VC walked out of the BB King concert at the Charlottesville Pavillion because there wasn't anything happening. We knew it was a loser when local FAVEYEli Cook couldn't get the crowd going with his opening act. Of course, the Pavillion SS were on the job: can't stand, can't get out of one's seat, and nobody parties. BB left no incentive with an opening monologue that put the audience to sleep (an easy accomplishment in C'Ville) so we booked.

FLAVORY beating it down on his fiftieth birthday at BB King’s in Times Square NY.

P.S. FLAVORY, we've taken the hands off our clock to give you plenty of precious time to land in Charlottesville. Image from visualKultur.cat, currently exhibiting at the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida through June 14th.

*P.P.S. Had to show FLAVORY with tennis champion Venus Williams.

LAW OF GRAVITY (LOUNGE)

Sir Isaac Newton's Universal Law of Gravitation: Each particle of matter attracts every other particle with a force which is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them or, WHAT GOES UP MUST COME DOWN. Our own C'Ville Gravity Lounge came crashing down with a huge thud this month, weighted by a ton of $DEBT$ that was the apple that broke Bill Baldwin's head wide open and created another empty space on the Downtown Mall.

According to landlord Ludwig Kuttner rent has not been paid for more than two years on the club and he is owed over a GREEN $200,000$. Of course Mr. Kuttner has personally felt 'WHAT GOES UP MUST COME DOWN.' In October of 2006 Ludwig Kuttner was fired from his position(s) of Chairman, President and Executive Officer of of Hampshire Group, Limited (NASDAQ-HAMP), which he founded, the largest American men's sweater company featuring American brand names as Geoffrey Beene, Dockers, Levi's, Wrangler and Spring+Mercer. OUCH! Shown here with his wife Beatrix Ost-Kuttner; it appears there may have to be a bit of down-sizing at the Ost-Kuttner house, Estouteville* in Albemarle County, Virginia.

POG VC has read the blogs, read the newspapers and listened to the radio broadcasts regarding the Gravity Lounge's demise. There's lots of talk from being a wonderful venue we're losing to Bill Baldwin being 'set up.' HUH? Who couldn't create a wonderful whatever without the burden of paying rent? POG VC rented studio space in Charlottesville for twelve years, paying consistently on time. One (slum) landlord, Mrs. Anne E. Albright, kicked POG VC out of her Elliewood studio after three years of paying rent on time, cleaning (including paying to have the carpet professionally cleaned) and painting, taking her security deposit for nail holes! POG's crime: having the nerve to complain that the building sup was constantly entering the property with explicit instructions not to and stealing. Yep, last thing he admittedly took was a brand new air conditioner. HUH? POG VC shoutout: "Hey, I've got a great idea for a music club . . . Coran or Ludwig or anyone who wants to foot the bill for two years while I create come on down." Couple of $HUNDRED THOUSAND$ capital, yeah!

Studio Valentine, 7 Elliewood Avenue, Charlottesville, Virginia.

*Estouteville is an historic Coles (POG VC's in-laws) family estate. The structure was started in 1827, the year after Jefferson's death, by John Coles III whose family was well known to Jefferson. Coles named the estate after his wife’s ancestor, Robert d’Estouteville, a Norman baron who accompanied William the Conquerer to England. It is an architectural wonder. Rumor has it that the classically detailed doric entabulature with ox-skull metopes in the spacious center hall was painted black by Mrs. Ost-Kuttner. Black ox-skulls, blue hair; the stuff of landlord legend . . . POG VC loves this crazy town!!!

CHARLOTTESVILLE EARTH WEEK ECO-FAIR

Saturday, April 18th is the day Charlottesville holds an Earth Week Eco-Fair at the Charlottesville Pavillion, west end of the Downtown Mall from 10 am to 5 pm. YA'LL COME!

PARADISE RANCH

This morning FOX News’ Megyn Kelly and Bill Hemmer hosted a couple of duffers from the old days at Paradise Ranch (Area 51) known as ‘Roadrunners’ (videmus omnis “We see all.”) who were speaking for the first time of their experiences there. Known as ‘The Grandfather of Stealth’ Ninety-year-old Edward Lovick, (shown here holding a model of the SR-71 Blackbird next to his, what else, Mustang) spoke about the A-12 ‘Oxcart’ aircraft in the context of being mistaken for UFOs. Known as C.I.A. Article #128 (Serial #60-06931), the Oxcart never achieved the operational experiences of the rest of the A-12 Articles, although it was the first operationally outfitted A-12 to reach Mach 3, that is 2,200 m.p.h. at 90,000 feet altitude. Thorton "T.D." Barnes, former CIA electronics expert, said "For many years, we couldn't talk about anything we did. They've taken the lid off it where we can, so while we still can mentally and physically, we're going to get some of the stories out." Stories, indeed.


Lovick was the first radar reduction physicist to work (1957-1990) at the then Lockheed Aircraft Corporation in the SKUNK WORKS facility in of all places Burbank, California, on developing an invisible aircraft, that is, invisible to radar. The A-12 ‘Oxcart’ known as C.I.A. Article #128 (Serial #60-06931) never achieved the operational experiences of the rest of the A-12 Articles. It was the first operationally outfitted A-12 to reach MACH 3. It isn’t for nothing he’s called ‘Radar Man’ which is the title of a book he is co-authoring with Annie Jacobsen. Radar Man claims UFO sightings by commercial and military pilots were attributable to Oxcart's (flying 2,850 missions) highly reflective titanium shell, high altitude and velocity. (Click-on) photo above is of 1997-1998 Aeronautical Chart of New Mexico, published by the New Mexico State Highway and Transportation Department, Aviation Division, bearing a flying saucer glyph above the Corn Ranch north of Roswell and identified as "UFO Crash Site" on the legend at the bottom of the map.

Article 128 being proudly displayed at CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia.

Members of the International Roadrunners all worked at Groom Lake, better known today as Area 51, where House 6, the Groom Lake barracks that became the bar and poker room at the base was located. Sometimes the men would be gone for weeks at a time prompting jokes about second families. Both Lovick and Barnes were very clear in the FOX news interview that members of their families knew absolutely nothing regarding their respective activities in the military. One may ask "How can this be?" H-m-m-m...Stepford wives syndrome, wouldn't you say?

The roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus) is New Mexico's state bird, sometimes called a chaparrel cock or bird. Officially adopted March 16, 1949, in Spanish, it is called "El Correcaminos.” The comical roadrunner prefers running to flying and has been clocked at speeds of fifteen miles per hour. They are approximately twenty-two inches in length and their diet consists of insects, lizards, centipedes, mice and snakes. The roadrunner is quick enough to catch and eat rattlesnakes!

P.S. We love you duffers!

GOOD FIRST DOGGIE BO!

Our First Doggie Bo is creating a world-wide frenzy. He happens to be a Portuguese water dog (Portie) who are known to be independent, intelligent, and loving. They enjoy being petted and are friendly to strangers (Secret Service nightmare). Porties are easily trained in obedience and agility skills: "When the president of the United States got up and walked across the room," says Washington Post reporter Manuel Roig Franzia, "the dog, clearly having a very good understanding of who rules in this town, got up and followed the president!" GOOD DOGGIE BO! There are some who could take a lesson in obedience from Bo.

Bo is a gift from Senator Edward M. Kennedy, who owns three Portuguese water dogs; Splash, Sunny and Cappy. Splash is the fictional narrator in Kennedy's childrens' book My Senator and Me: A Dog's-Eye View of Washington, D.C. It follows Portie Splash as he tries to help his master, the senator, go about his daily life and pass an education bill. It also explains how a bill becomes a law, the roles of Congress and the Senate and other details of the U.S. system of government, plus biographies of Splash and Kennedy. When the puppy's original family couldn't take care of him Senator Kennedy found a new home for the pup with the Obamas. WAY TO GO, BO! The gift is naturally causing controversy in political circles especially within the 'talking head' class. Up for scrutiny is everything from The Washington Post's pooper scoop to the origin of first daughters Malia and Sasha's choice of the name 'Bo' for the little black and white pup.

Karl Rove, often referred to as a pitbull, will be twitterin' and tweetin' about how the White House is manipulating the flow of information to the press. Grumpy Newt Gingrich thinks the dog-press frenzy is 'stupid' and 'who cares?' Newt, we all care! We all need the little bit of sunshine a new puppy can bring to the nation. Top Republican dog Rush Limbaugh reportedly said on his radio show, "Portuguese. The dog is Portuguese. For all we know he's an illegal alien, and, you got it folks, a Muslim. I demand to see his papers." Bo is an all-American, wrapped in the flag patriot!

DOWNTOWN MALL WALL-GREEN

The drawing on the First Amendment Community Chalk Board by Pete O’Shea represents the 'Muzzle' awards presented today by the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression. (Muzzles: A dirty dozen by The Daily Progress staff, Published April 7, 2009.) The free expression monument designed by architects Peter O’Shea and Robert Winstead is winning awards as well. It has been nominated and is in the final-five running for the 2009 Rudy Bruner Award, which recognizes excellent urban places around the country. Among the other nominees is Millennium Park in Chicago.

A Democratic Republican joint Muzzle award was given citing their complete indifference and their lack of speaking out regarding protests and protesters at both 2008 conventions. 'Free speech zones' were created in fenced compounds far from the convention delegates upon whom the protests were to affect. 800 arrests (including journalists with permits there merely to cover the protests) with very few prosecutions indicate an over-zealous reaction by the state.


The Charlottesville downtown mall wall is located directly in front of Charlottesville’s City Hall, next to the city’s amphitheater. The monument consists primarily of a two-sided wall of Buckingham slate, approximately 54 feet long (108’ of writing space) by 7.5 feet high. In addition, the monument’s design includes a podium intended to serve as a contemporary soapbox from which individuals may address public gatherings. It received the 2008 Tucker Architectural Award for best use of natural stone. Now that's Greenstone!

In a feature that sponsors believe is unique, visitors to the site will be able to erase or alter others’ messages. Some like Kevin Cox believe the feature is a weakness in the design of both the slate and the online chalkboards. “It’s not sending an accurate message about what free speech is,” said Cox; “Free speech isn’t about silencing someone who you don’t like what they said...Americans look at free expression as something that embodies tolerance.”

3D GREEN-EYED MONSTER

An Ergotic Orbit by Piers Johnson

A perfect method of understanding and intrepreting is seeing mathematically’an objective way of looking at stuff and it’s all beautiful. Just as an isosceles triangle has two equal sides and two equal angles the tiff among Pundit Ann Coulter (AC/DC), Maverick Meghan McCain (MMM) Laura Ingraham (LILI) is certainly not a regular polygon. The ladies are similar in many ways; blond hair, Republican, each passionate in what she believes, their zones ergodic not erotic, and scrappers all. The differences are pronounced; MMM in her early 20s born to the military manor, while AC/DC and LILI both in their 40s have come up hard in the academic/political world.

AC/DC helped found The Cornell Review as an undergrad, graduated cum laude from Cornell, was an editor of the Michigan Law Review and attained membership in the Order of the Coif at Michigan. After that AC/DC went to work.

LILI was the editor-in-chief of the Dartmouth Review, earned a law degree and her Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia. LILI also served briefly as editor of the Prospect a magazine out of Princeton’s alumni. After that LILI went to work.

MMM received her Bachelor Degree from Columbia University and subsequently went on the campaign with her dad, Senator John McCain. MMM then set up her blog 'McCain Blogette,' saying "We were basically loosely inspired by Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail." Huh? Hunter Thompson? Gonzo journalism? What? MMM is presently a contributor to Tina Brown's 'The Daily Beast' blog.

Who knows the details of the antagonism? It all came to a head when MMM sounded off on the View television show with a Tyra Banks scr-e-e-e-e-e-d "You can kiss my fat a**!" in answer to critics (AC/DC & MMM) of her weight. Lots of accusations, retorts and reports but bottom line it is the dynamic that is important, not the details of who said what. One thing for sure, Tyra has real green eyes and no envy about her.

Looks like a Sierpinski Tetrahedron to POG VC, a 3-dimensional model of a fractal tetrahedron illustrating scaling at different levels. Beautiful, fractal (displaying self-similarity), fractured. No competition, no jealousy, no jive.

GREEN FAERIES & ELVES

There are lots of references to 'The Green Faerie' on Greenstone and for good reason. POG VC, pictured above in her green faerie garb, spent a good deal of time searching for (Amanita muscaria) mushrooms which often grow in faerie rings in the forests near her home. Legend has it that if one finds a faerie ring (also known as a faerie circle, elf circle or pixie) ring and returns to it under the full moon he or she will come upon faeries, elves and pixies dancing and celebrating. The mushrooms of the rings were used as stools for the faeries to recuperate during the festivities.

The Amanita muscaria is a highly poisonous species and if ingested can be fatal. The beauty of the creature, for mushrooms are creatures, far outweighed POG VC's mother's warning "If you get sick from those mushrooms I'm taking your colored pencils away!" The reason for that threat was POG VC was obsessed with rendering the Amanita. In fact, one of the most beautiful drawings POG VC accomplished as a 'Tween was a faerie circle of Amanita which she presented to her mother on Mother's Day. POG VC never found a faerie circle of Amanita but she did revisit her quest upon landing ('cause that's what POG VC does) in West Marin County where there was an amazing population of Amanita muscaria, faeries and elves, who not only danced under the full moon but took bites of the Amanita muscaria when so doing.

The Point Reyes Peninsula in West Marin County, California is a green faerie's dream and is truly an Island In Time. (Island In Time: Point Reyes Peninsula, Sierra Club 1962.) The farthest point west on the Continental United States it has been moving up the coast from Baja for millennia. POG VC lived just outside Point Reyes Station on the Inverness Ridge where the population of the town and surrounding area is a little more than 800. Separated from the continent by the San Andreas Fault, the Point is designated back country and is home to the Point Reyes National Seashore.

A green faerie and elf haven, living there was nothing short of magical. Whales, seals, abalone, egrets, eagles, red-tailed hawks, owls, pelicans, deer, rabbits, POG VC's fave the dusky-footed wood rat (Neotoma fuscipes), and an occasional mountain lion abound. Guided 'mushroom walks' take place in Point Reyes and the Park Service hosts an annual 'Point Reyes Fungus Fair' at the Bear Valley Visitors Center. A mushroom paradise - Amanita muscaria, wild chanterelles (Cantharellus) to die for, the size of a top sirloin steak (and much better tasting), and of course 'Dr. Bob's' (Growing Wild Mushrooms: A Complete Guide to Cultivating Edible and Hallucinogenic Mushrooms by Bob Harris) psilocybin parties. POG VC met an unnamed astronaut who walked on the moon at a Dr. Bob party and it was at the same party that Monroe Grisman a mere boy a the time stated that he would marry POG VC when he grew up (in the top ten compliments this POG has received).

The Daddy of Green Elves lived about fifty miles as the crow flies from Point Reyes through Nicasio past the somewhat creepy Druids Hall, down Lucas Valley Road (already named when George Lucas bought Skywalker Ranch) in San Anselmo: George Ivan Morrison 'Van the Man.' Van's parents ran a little record store there called what else VAN's. Mr. and Mrs. Morrison looked like two little leprechauns with Mr. Morrison smoking his Meerscham pipe. Good Irish stock and my first inkling that they were parents to a green elf (Thank You Falettinme Be Mice elf Agin). In the early '70s Van the Man used to play in a little venue called the Lion Share in San Anselmo. One evening on POG VC'S thirty-something birthday she, her best friend Susan Deixler and a few other people decided to go to the Lion Share. It was in the middle of the week and we didn't expect it to be crowded. We also didn't expect that Van the Man would be playing...but he was...to us and just a few others. I noticed then he had all the qualities of an elf; youthful for his age, diminutive size, living in a natural place of great beauty, immortal and possessing mystical powers. "We were born before the wind, Also younger than the sun...Let your soul and spirit fly into the mystic," Moondance, 1970. From that time until today POG VC remembers that wonderful, magical birthday party with the Daddy of Green Elves serenading the Green Faerie.

And there is LA FÉE VERTE but that's another POST, POGS!

TOM'S GREEN THUMB

Thomas Jefferson was an ardent planter and an agricultural expert, growing hundreds of varieties of vegetables, flowers, herbs and trees at Monticello, his 5,000-acre estate in Charlottesville, Virginia. Jefferson's gardening philosophy, ranging from plant selection to garden design, are back in vogue as more people return to gardening with an emphasis on 'green.' Jefferson knew the value of native species, which require less maintenance and are far more likely to survive. Jefferson's garden journal spanned sixty years and is supplemented by letters about his experiences cultivating the gardens, orchards and vineyards of Monticello. His answer to European criticism of North American native plants as inferior was "The greatest service which can be rendered any country is to add a useful plant to its culture."

The New Garden by Raymond Betancourt.

Vegetables were a favorite of Mr. Jefferson and he cultivated two hundred and fifty varieties of seventy species of vegetables in his 1,000-foot-long garden. He was passionate about peas, growing twenty-two varieties, and challenged his neighbors to a competition every spring to see who could get the first English peas to the table. Jefferson ate little meat, filling his plate with vegetables and using flavorings such as tarragon vinegar and sesame oil. He regarded weeds as green manure and today use of organic fertilizers, natural pesticides and irrigation parallel what Jefferson did in the 19th century. This includes using brush for the staking of peas and building composted hills for squashes, melons and beans. In Notes on the State of Virginia he wrote "Cultivators of the earth are the most virtuous and independent citizens."

"I never before knew the full value of trees. My house is entirely emblossomed in high plane-trees, with good grass below; and under them I breakfast, dine, write, read, and receive my company. What would I not give that the trees planted nearest round the house at Monticello were full grown." Jefferson to Martha Randolph 1793. Well they're full grown now, Mr. Jefferson! While serving as Minister to France between 1784 and 1789 Jefferson proudly distributed seeds of North American trees to friends in Europe. He has been described as "the father of American forestry" for the planting of white pine and hemlock in 1804. Two months before his death, at the age of eighty-three, he designed an arboretum for the University of Virginia. Said Jefferson, "Too old to plant trees for my own gratification I shall do it for posterity."


President Thomas Jefferson also used trees metaphorically, "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." In the years leading up to the war, the British made the Liberty Tree an object of ridicule. British soldiers tarred and feathered a man named Ditson, and forced him to march in front of the trees. During the siege of Boston, about the last day of August 1775, a party of Loyalists led by Job Williams defiantly cut the tree down in an act of spite, knowing what it represented to the colonists, and used the tree for firewood. This act only further enraged the colonists. As resistance to the British grew, flags bearing a representation of the Liberty Tree were flown to symbolize the unwavering spirit of liberty. These flags were later a common sight during the battles of the American Revolution.

It appears Mr. Jefferson was our First Treehugger!

GREEN LEGISLATION

WASHINGTON ~ On March 24th Senators Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and George Voinovich (R-Ohio) introduced legislation to limit the use of phosphates in automatic dishwashing detergents, which would help to reduce phosphates that wreak havoc on aquatic plants and fish in the Great Lakes and other waters. Senator Voinovich said. “This mandated nationwide change to a household product Americans use every day will make a difference in the health of nation’s most important natural resources from this day forward." The Levin-Voinovich bill would limit the use of phosphates in
residential dish detergent by requiring the EPA, beginning in 2010, to ban the sale of residential dish washing detergent that has more than 0.5% phosphorous nationally. A Minnesota study published in 2005 estimated that dish washing detergent accounts for nearly 19 percent of the total amount of phosphorus entering municipal waste water systems each year. Additional cosponsors include Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) Russ Feingold (D-Wisc.) and Ben Cardin (D-Md.).

Phosphorus is a nutrient essential to both plant and animal life, but aquatic plants require far less phosphorus than land-based organisms. Excess amounts of phosphorus in water-bodies accelerate a process known as eutrophication, or the rapid growth of algae, which causes dense algal blooms to occur. Algal blooms also cause severe environmental damage by killing fish and other aquatic organisms and result in “dead zones” that favor the survival of invasive species such as carp over native species; as well, Algal blooms cause human health problems with the formation of blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, which can produce neurotoxins and hepatotoxins, which affect the liver. These toxins are deadly when ingested (or worn) by humans.


A Chinese swimmer removes blue green algae bloom from coastal waters in Qingdao, eastern China, July 2008. A little over a month before the start of the 2008 Olympic Games the venue for the sailing events in Qingdao has been invaded by a forest of blue green algae. City officials say they'll need at least two weeks to clear the coastal waters, mobilizing 10,000 workers aboard 1,000 boats.



The Oregon Senate voted Monday, March 30th to ban dishwasher detergents with high amounts of phosphorous, bringing Oregon in line with other states including Michigan, Ohio, Washington, Massachusetts, and Maryland, that have already adopted a restriction on phosphates in residential dish detergents. Portland Senator Jackie Dingfelder introduced the bill after she learned that states like Illinois, Ohio and Massachusetts had approved bans that go into effect July 2010. Unfortunately there are problems; the low-phosphorous soaps don't work well in commercial dishwashers and for that reason would be exempt from the ban. The soaps also are less effective in hard water. In Spokane, where the ban has already gone into effect, desperate housewives have taken to crossing into Idaho for illicit detergents. Oh my goodness, now we have an illegal detergent market! How much time are these serious Queens of Clean going to get if they're caught using THE ILLEGAL DETERGENT?

Coastal algae bloom is a non-life-sustaining environment to marine and wildlife.

GREEN APRIL FOOL

IT’S APRIL FOOLS DAY POGS!

Behaving foolishly is expected today so here are a few ideas for doing what’s expected:

Frozen mouse - Take a Post-It note and place it over the eye of the victim’s optical mouse. When the victim tries to use his or her computer, the cursor won’t move. Be sure to write “April Fools!” on the note!

Ransom note - Take an item from the victim’s office (something they use a lot such as a special coffee cup, stapler, pencil cup, etc.). Take a picture of the item and leave it on the victim’s desk (in the same spot where the item was located), along with a “ransom” note.

Misplaced coffee cup - Tape magnets to the bottom of an empty coffee cup, and attach it to the top of your car. Other motorists will frantically try to get your attention as you drive by.

If you’re feeling really immature with the victim looking on, pretend you see a fly in the room. Grab a fly swatter and chase it around for awhile. Then make a big swat, reach down and grab the “fly” (actually a raisin you’ve concealed in your hand), and gobble it down.


Or, if you’re feeling really perverse trot yourself down to the nearest Rat Lab and engineer your own glowing green rodent. Just integrate your mouse embryos’ X chromosomes with a transgene that codes for a glowing protein called green florescent protein (GFP).

Or, if you’re one of the rich CEO’s who received millions of dollars in bonuses you can use the new ‘green wall’ product, known as the Core Hydraulic Integrated Arboury panel, on the exterior of your giant skyscraper making it look like a giant gherkin.


Or, if you’re just a poor slob who's lost your shirt in the market then stay at home, watch American Idol, have some mean, green beans and worry about the Conficker worm.