Nerd Pride Radio

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Gnu moos. Sick.

AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills, #6:
Alien, directed by Ridley Scott, 1979

Trees, ranked. 41. Loblolly Pine

What is a loblolly, you wonder? I trust the internets despite unknown veracity when they say that a loblolly is a mudhole, and this pine gets the name because people in the Southern US started referring to it based on its frequent appearance in mudholes. Sounds legit but who knows. Another fact a superficial survey has offered is that this was the first pine to have its genome sequenced, and for a while it stood as THE largest genome sequenced (far larger than, for example, human), until it was displaced by the axolotl. What is an axolotl, you wonder? A kind of salamander, probably. The important thing is that this tree is important because there are so darn many of them. Our cursory internet review says that only the red maple is more common in the US (and where they are found, they are found in great number).

A single one is not much to look at, nor even a group of a few, but en masse they are responsible for making many lovely landscapes greener and lovelier, and we need them. So here they are. I wonder if I should rate this tree lower on the list because most of that DNA is repetitive anyway, so why would I be so impressed? Still, this boring tree impresses, which drives home the point that even a boring tree is quite awesome.

AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills, #5:
The Silence of the Lambs, directed by Jonathan Demme, 1991

Good morning!

Hello!

Oh hell.

On a plane again.

Which one? I like The Abyss.

Crazy Taco

Trees, ranked. 40. ASH

One of the learning experiences resulting from this small project is that the internet is far from awash in excellent, readily available photos of trees. The ash is a case in point: I live surrounded by a mind-bogglingly large number of these trees, and almost without exception they are round, full, lush, gorgeous, and part of a delightful shade canopy in every tree-filled neighborhood. Yet where are the photos of these big old ash trees on the internet? Come on!

The desirability of these trees has created a problem because eventually some will doubtless succumb to a boring (like drilling) insect that destroys their trunks, if they haven't begun to succumb already. Treatment is expensive and only postpones things and might not work. So there are problems with the Ash but it's not the Ash's fault!

Since the absolutely kickass name of FRAXINUS (name your next character this) attaches to ash trees, you might wonder why this tree is called an ASH - one reason is that in specific season they produce a kind of, well, ashy stuff. It's kind of cool but also a little bit gross? The black ash is not my favorite because of this. However, most of the other kinds are awesome and the ashy stuff passes quickly and doesn't cause lawn issues or anything worrisome. The important thing is that you want a big ol' shade tree with a swing in it like this one, unless you prefer some of the other big ol' trees further down this list that are even better for that purpose.

Fall color - exactly like the ASH trees I see here:

Ketchum!

AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills, #4:
North by Northwest, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, 1959

The best movie ever

Never seen it.

poorpete wrote: ↑Sat Apr 30, 2022 7:33 am The best movie ever

Clearly, it's the fourth best movie. It says so right in Tahlvin's post.

Trees, ranked. 39. Dogwood

The cornus florida is delicate and lovely, with a beautiful flower. It's a classic front-yard ornament. What's not to like?

Eliahad wrote: ↑Sat Apr 30, 2022 9:39 am

poorpete wrote: ↑Sat Apr 30, 2022 7:33 am The best movie ever

Clearly, it's the fourth best movie. It says so right in Tahlvin's post.

Um actually... it's the fourth best thrill. According to Tahlvin's earlier list, it is only the 55th best movie.

Eliahad wrote: ↑Fri Apr 29, 2022 7:10 pmKetchum!

Well done.

Poke

Huh?

Thanks for saving the thread, Pete! I was at state solo & ensemble all day yesterday, and wasn't able to check the thread.

AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills, #3:
The Exorcist, directed by William Friedkin, 1973

So close!

AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills, #2:
Jaws, directed by Steven Spielberg, 1975

AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills, #1:
Mac and Me, directed by Stewart Raffill, 1988

Trees, ranked. 38. Elm

The epithet most commonly joined with these beauties is Stately, and you can see why: tall and elegant, their gracefully arching upper branches form a shade canopy that still allows lots of light and the feeling of spaciousness. Find a road lined with elms and you will have a relaxing, uplifting walk/bike/drive. Some varieties now offer resistance to elm disease, so the elm is staging a comeback. It's an ideal choice for parks and it's not a messy tree.

The ones in this picture are a little more straight-upright than the ones I see, which have more of that arch, but it is tough to find good photos I can share, I tell you! Very strange. Anyway, this gives you the idea:

Booger

Picker

Mike wrote: ↑Sun May 01, 2022 9:18 am AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills, #1:
Mac and Me, directed by Stewart Raffill, 1988

Thank you, Mike.

Nerdz

AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills, #1:
Psycho, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, 1960

Trees, ranked. 37. Weeping Willow, Salix babylonica

I struggled with the ranking for this tree because so many people complain about it and the complaints got into my head a little. However, behold its magnificence! It's an amazing, unforgettable tree! Kids are drawn to them - you want to grab on and swing from the branches that seem to be reaching down like hands and arms. They are especially good when planted near water, where they thrive, like this one pictured below. Sometimes if you are out canoeing you will see a place where such a tree is reaching down into the water and it's really cool. The color of the leaf is also a little silvery and the sound they make in the wind is so soft and whispery. A wonderful tree that enriches the world:

Pretty nice!

Trees, ranked. 36. Tupelo / Nyssa

The Tupelo is a gorgeous tree with orange fall color and little white blossoms that, as you might guess, are very nice food for bees. Unfortunately I don't see too many of them - we should spread more of these around.

Psycho is worthy. Revolutionary and still holds up.

Trees, ranked. 35. Sorrel / Sourwood / Oxydendron arboreum

Small but so pretty, this tree has long and delicate blossoms like decorative fringe and can blaze out into impressive red fall color. Here are some examples:

Hard pass

Trees, ranked. 34. Southern Magnolia

Although many people cherish this tree for its large, curving, creamy blossoms, I like it for the glossy deep green leaves and powerful presence. The down side is that the blossoms brown as they fade, and the leaves can brown as well, leading to a messy look overall. But when this tree is at the height of its glossiness and bloom, it is so impressive. Pictures do not do it justice; I struggled to find a good picture, and most magnolias I've seen looked about twenty times better than this in person:

Okay.

Trees, ranked, 33. Live Oak

This tree is a native of the deep south and has a root and branching system adapted to the extremes of weather it might experience there. A live oak can be immediately recognized by its wide, curving branches and a massive width even greater than its significant height. The catkins are long and the leaves tend to be glossy, thick, and evergreen, adding to the luxurious appearance of the whole tree. Apparently some of these trees, depending on location and climate, can lose their leaves earlier, but in most cases a year's growth of leaf falls away as the next year's takes its place, so they stay green year-round.

Good morning.

Good morning, Tahlvin!

Good morning, Kyle!

Aye, Captain!

Good morning, Mike!

NYT's editor's choice books for 1998:
Lorrie Moore, Birds of America
Russell Banks, Cloudsplitter
Richard Fortey, Life: A Natural History of the First Four Billion Years of Life on Earth
Alice Munro, The Love of a Good Woman
Barbara Kingsolver, The Poisonwood Bible
David Gates, Preston Falls
Ron Chernow, Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.
Richard Holbrooke, To End a War
Hilary Spurling, The Unknown Matisse
Graham Robb, Victor Hugo: A Biography
Philip Gourevitch, We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed With Our Families: Stories from Rwanda