Real Pretty Sunset + About that big tree seen in my sunset photos . . .

[George McGovern]

What may look like one tree is actually three Lombardy Poplars. They live
in our neighbor's yard and I just can't help but include them in pictures.

[jfz9580m]

1. So that's what poplars look like

I have only read about them in books. Looks like a bunch of twigs , which somehow was my impression.
Very pretty as always George McGovern .

[George McGovern]

2. Mine too jfz9580m, a bunch of twigs that grew up. Thank You :)

[eppur_se_muova]

4. TBOMK only Lombardys are tall and thin like that. Most poplars look more like 'normal' trees.

Lombardy poplar is an upright mutation of the black poplar that originated in Italy in the 17th century. Thanks to its yellow fall foliage, the tree is often used to line walkways, paths, to act as a windbreak, or as a hedge. The roots of this short-lived tree can be quite shallow causing damage to paving and concrete work.

https://www.thespruce.com/popular-poplar-trees-5093743

Lombardys are often planted in long, straight rows for visual effect, especially along sidewalks and driveways. Years ago, we had a bunch of Lombardy poplars along our driveway. It looked pretty impressive after they grew to height, but they tended to get struck by fungal disease, and then you had one or two or ... that were missing or replaced by newer, shorter saplings. Kind of a nice idea in principle, but hard to keep up.

[jfz9580m]

6. Interesting - thanks eppur_se_muova

I had somehow pictured Poplars to look like this:



Very pretty images on that site
(And I learnt a new acronym).

Btw as a scientist do you feel your handle is unfortunately prophetic 🫤? I have been thinking of Galileo’s example when I support people in shitty systems who still have jobs and families and cannot be as outspoken as they would be normally:

According to popular legend, Galileo muttered this in 1633 after the Roman Inquisition forced him to recant his claims, though this is likely apocryphal.

Orwell’s Julia and Winston were pretty unsentimental about the realities of living in police states. I don’t have much to lose so I say what I want to when I feel more confident of anonymity and of not being identified/located by the public at large or connected to people who still have jobs behind the new Iron Curtain. I have no idea what is going on with other people and I don’t want my crusade against creeps to inadvertently bump into other people’s lives.

This is a somewhat overly condescending defense of P. G.Wodehouse by Orwell I have thought of lately:

http://george-orwell.org/in_defence_of_p._g._wodehouse/0.html

My own impression of a lot of the scientists and doctors I respect is that they are not at all actually insipid - just not disposed personality wise to dive into the society of the spectacle (a concept I learnt about via Yasha Levine’s work. I recognized then why I myself find it so objectionable to stray outside the conventional when I am not craven, but not disposed to needless theatrics. There is enough kayfabe - repellent concept - out there). But the sheer nuisance and creepiness levels of the emerging police state makes it hard for a woman who does not have self-hatred programmed into her to not pushback.

I frowned over this a bunch, but does it always apply? It is an excellent piece, but it applies in a different context.

https://thetyee.ca/Culture/2020/03/26/Nerds-We-Trust/

A lot of stuff does not apply to the specific challenges of having your livelihood and health laid to waste via some aspects of reality that negatively affect women disproportionately. And I can now admit, affect female loners even worse. That has to be a common personality across the board in stem.

Anyway, as a DUer and fellow scientist you must be shell-shocked as well. Three more years of this? But still I do feel society had to maybe hit rock bottom? This has to be rock bottom. What could be lower than this? I never had a second thought about posting on DU in the Bush years ffs. It is the scale. I feel a coupe has been carried out against civilian publicly funded science by the tech private sector. I am starting to post about it in the Writing Forum more. But it never coming out quite right.

I would never bore people about what is personal where I cannot connect it to the scientific and political. It is not a bore in people inclined to share freely, but I never even talked to friends and colleagues about personal stuff unless wasted or superficially. But to outline what is so offensive about the Panopticon/inquisition forced ubiquitously without clear informed consent norms, IRB or
I can tell you eppur_se_muova, the old NIH (Dr Fauci and Dr. Collins) I did take on the system of trust - screw Beaglegate/lab leaks (such a load of bs given factory farming/wetmarkets). But Google etc and well …you know..lol..now..

I have no connection with the NIH! I am an internet troll! lol..it is awkward. I was never very good at lying. I am very fond of my postdoc mentor, but I just contact him anymore. Mostly because I only contact scientists with actual work. But DU and my ex husband (we are amicably divorced but we used to bitch about politics. He is an DUer as well..though he doesn’t post) aside I don’t contact people over there anymore.

And my ex and I mostly try to sound like Trumpers since it’s WhatsApp. Many of our comments since 2025 are along the lines of “President is doing amazing work!!!!!” But it is a strain to keep that up. Lol..

Usually I end up deleting comments like these.
But they are representative of this point in history.

[calimary]

3. Just reachin' for the sky!

[George McGovern]

7. Great line calimary! Indeed. Thank You!

[brer cat]

5. That is a very pretty and peaceful sunset, Allan.

[George McGovern]

8. Thank You brer cat.

[LoisB]

9. For me, TheTree can be included in every photograph. That is a beautiful

sunset.

[George McGovern]

10. Thanks Lois, I figured so. Thank You.