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The walls are closing in on former President Trump.
In an explosive bombshell unprecedented star witness testimony yesterday, Cassidy Hutchinson told everyone that she heard Mark Meadows say that a Secret Service agent’s friend’s cousin’s husband once heard that one of Trump’s other aides said she thinks she heard him say he wanted to “do an insurrection.”
“Yes, that’s totally what I heard someone say Trump said to someone who told it to them,” said Cassidy Hutchinson. “He literally said ‘Let’s do an insurrection.’ And then he threw a plate at the bust of Martin Luther King.” Hutchinson then started sobbing uncontrollably.
The committee confirmed that the Secret Service agent’s friend’s cousin’s husband who heard the aide say what she thought she heard is “an upstanding witness of the most unassailable character.”
“This is looking really bad,” said conservative folk hero Adam Kinzinger. “This might finally be the beginning of the end for Trump, who we are discovering was the evilest president to ever be elected.” Kinzinger then started sobbing uncontrollably.
The hearings are expected to heat up even more next week when the committee brings in Johnny Depp to testify – according to sources close to Johnny Depp’s agent’s cleaning lady’s great aunt.
Sorry, not true. Just satire from The Babylon Bee.
Source: Jan. 6 Committee Says Cassidy Hutchinson Told Them That She Heard Mark Meadows Say That A Secret Service Agent’s Friend’s Cousin’s Husband Once Heard That One Of Trump’s Other Aides Said She Thinks She Heard Him Say He Wanted To ‘Do An Insurrection’ | Babylon Bee
LONDON — The British parliament has convened for an emergency session to investigate the events of July 4th, 1776 in the colonies across the Atlantic. Sources indicate an illegal insurrection took place there that cost many lives.
“Blimey! These cheeky colonists are quite literally — and I’m LITERALLY not exaggerating here — an existential threat to democracy!” said MP Peasley Peckinposh III to a chorus of “hear hears.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has directed the House of Commons and the House of Lords to form a committee that will hold televised hearings on the matter every night for at least 100 fortnights. “We have to get to the bottom of this, and find out what these dodgy Americans are up to,” he said.
The commission is already prepared to read the 250-year-old testimony of an American defector who claims George Washington grabbed the reigns of his horse and assaulted him on his way to Independence Hall in Philadelphia.
The commission has also sent subpoenas to thousands of Americans who promptly dumped them in Boston Harbor.
(Oh, not a bit true. Sorry, had to get your attention somehow.)
They may be cute, but rabbits can quickly decimate a vegetable garden. Try our safe and low-cost ways to keep these critters out!
Sometimes it’s better to see a pest problem as the normal way nature enters and adapts to a particular niche in the environment created by things like availability of food, cover, and absence of predators. Animals don’t appear magically on the scene for no reason, they simply exploit available food resources and habitat. Once we understand this, we can learn about them and adapt ourselves to their habits. That way, we not only enjoy wildlife but can minimize its impact on our homes and gardens.
Protecting Plants
There is no better or more economical way to keep rabbits out of the garden than good chicken wire, or wire mesh perimeter fence, bottom bent outward and sunk to a depth of at least 6″ under the soil, and at a height of about 3 feet. You can also protect individual plants or rows with cages, or mesh. Physical barriers are the most effective solution to keeping cottontails from destroying your crops.
You can also remove brush piles and other escape cover, which rabbits find attractive. Anyone who has done spring yard cleaning often has stories of coming upon a nest of baby rabbits while moving brush.
One strategy which is highly effective is fake snakes placed in the garden. They work like a charm!
Another strategy is to create meals for rabbits which they will find irresistible, or at least more enticing than the plants in your garden. It takes nothing more than some disposable chopsticks, a few lengths of kitchen string, and green cabbage. Try this inexpensive trick: Tightly roll a tender inner leaf of green cabbage around a chopstick (or bamboo skewer), like a cigar, leaving about half of the stick exposed at the bottom. Secure the cabbage with a piece of kitchen string. Take a few of these and “plant” them in a grassy area away from your garden. They will concentrate on the easy meal, and hopefully leave your plantings alone because trying to defeat your fence would require too much effort.
Your blood pressure will be probably be taken at a checkup, so avoid coffee right before your appointment: it could affect the results. “Using coffee or other caffeine such as energy drinks or colas within an hour of having your blood pressure measured can make the number artificially higher,” says James Dewar, MD, vice chairman of family medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). “The same goes for tobacco products and over-the-counter decongestant medications.” Don’t miss everything you should know about coffee and high blood pressure.
Don’t eat a high-fat meal before getting blood drawn
You should also skip the fettucini alfredo before a regular blood workup. “If you wouldn’t normally have a high-fat meal, then don’t do it, so your physician can get an accurate picture of your health,” says Deepa Iyengar, MD, associate professor of family and community medicine at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth and an attending physician at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center. Unusually large meals could skew test results. In fact, you may need to avoid eating in general. “If your blood work will include a measurement of cholesterol or other fats, it is best to avoid any calories for eight to ten hours before the test is drawn,” says Dr. Dewar. “Your blood sugar and certain fats in the blood called triglycerides can be increased for a bit after you eat.” And you may not have a choice: you’ll probably be told to fast and only drink water before a regular blood workup, says Dr. Iyengar
In general, it’s a good idea to hydrate before seeing the doc for a checkup. “Being well hydrated at the time of a physical will make your pulse and blood pressure at their best,” Dr. Dewar says. “If you are having blood work or urine testing done, being mildly dehydrated can cause artificial abnormalities in the testing that can confuse the results.” You do want the doctor to picture your normal lifestyle, but you should be drinking lots of water anyways.
Do eat as you normally would before a checkup
You don’t need to change your eating habits before an annual appointment, even if you want to seem healthy. “Your providers would like you to be honest and upfront about your lifestyle and diet so they can have an accurate history of your health and provide you with the best possible care,” says Gregory John Galbreath, MD, a PIH Health physician in Whittier, CA. After all, a few days of healthier eating probably won’t matter. “It takes a long time for a diet to change cholesterol and blood sugar, so a dietary change of a few days or meals isn’t going to do much,” Dr. Dewar says. Changes occur over the long term, so just eat healthy as often as you can.
Read more about what to do or not do by clicking the link below.
Independence Day, also called Fourth of July or July 4th, in the United States, the annual celebration of nationhood. It commemorates the passage of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. Independence Day is celebrated on Monday, July 4, 2022 in the United States.
If you’re fed up with pushing the mower around every weekend or just want to save water and maximize the ecological capacity of your lawn, a no-mow lawn is a great choice.
Fed with lawn fertilizer, sprayed with hundreds or thousands of gallons of water, and trimmed with lawnmowers that often release dangerous pollutants, most traditional lawns are not ecological. And to maintain what is effectively a large monoculture of one or two species of grass, which are often non-native, traditional lawns usually rely on fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and at the very least, frequent maintenance.
Photo by Daniel Watson on Unsplash
What is a No Mow Lawn?
Unlike the closely cropped lawns of suburban America, no mow lawns are slightly more unruly. Instead of the usual varieties of grass, no-mow lawns are grown with drought-tolerant perennial grasses, which are often mixed with bulbs and wildflowers to create a meadow-like appearance. This makes your no-mow lawn grow longer than the average neighborhood lawn (exactly how long depends on the species) but also requires minimal amounts of water, little if any fertilizer, and much less maintenance than the traditional lawn.
You can still carry out most of the usual activities you would on a lawn — picnicking, playing, and relaxing in the sun — but don’t expect to be able to host a croquet tournament or a putting championship! This functionality is swapped for low maintenance and enormous ecological benefit — for the insects, birds, mammals — and ultimately the planet.
Ecological Benefits of a No Mow Lawn
While traditional lawns are ecological deserts, no mow lawns can be ecological havens—providing a natural home for a wide variety of species of flora and fauna. The nectar and pollen provided by wildflowers and grasses, so often lost during the mowing process, is once again available to the bees and butterflies that have become so rare in many suburban areas.
The native grasses in a no-mow lawn also provide breeding locations for these insects and nesting materials for predators higher up the food chain. With insects to feed on and long grass for nesting, birds are likely to enjoy making a presence close by, along with potentially even small and large mammals (depending on your area).
Planting a No Mow Lawn
No-mow lawns are fairly easy to install, and over the long run, cost less than the traditional lawn. But, you will need to invest in grass seed which shouldn’t cost more than 7 dollars per pound and will need to be distributed in accordance with the instructions on the bag of seed.
Grass Species to Use in a No Mow Lawn
There is a wide range of potential grass species to choose from for your no-mow lawn. Depending on your preferences, you might select native meadow grasses for maximum ecological benefit or more ornamental grasses that are more visually appealing.
For smaller areas, like borders and the oddly shaped sections between pavers, Dwarf Mondo Grass is a popular choice and requires no mowing at all.
For larger lawn areas, Fescues are often used. And some no mow lawn mixes like this one rely on a range of different fescues to form a robust, disease-resistant, low-maintenance lawn.
If you are worried that the lawn will look too unruly, you can try creating a xeriscaping border around the lawn.
Maintenance for a No Mow Lawn
Though no-mow lawns are significantly less work, you will still have to do some maintenance. You’ll have to spend a little time controlling invading species, and it is a good idea to actually — despite the name — mow it occasionally (or burn depending on the species involved). Exactly how often you will need to mow depends on the species, but you may wish to maintain the grasses at a certain level to prevent them from going to seed. Despite this, no mow lawns do not require nearly as much mowing as a traditional lawn, and some species require little to no maintenance.
Depending on your local climate, no mow lawns may also have to be watered occasionally, but fertilizer is not generally required. If you want to learn more, I recommend picking up a copy of Beautiful No-Mow Yards: 50 Amazing Lawn Alternatives by Evelyn Hadden. The book is full of inspirational no-mow lawn designs, along with practical tips to help you get started on the path to no mowing.
By Guest Author Laurence Bennet for the big blog of gardening
Source: Tired of Mowing? Consider a No Mow Lawn (msn.com)
This holiday commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. It became a national holiday on in 1938. Grab your favorite beverage and read about this most important day in American history.
Clovers are making a comeback in lawn seed mixes. Today many families want to attract more pollinators to their yards. They are searching for ecologically sound ways to grow grass, including adding white clover back to the turf seed mix. Clover adds diversity to lawns and provides food for bees.
If you are looking for an eco-sustainable alternative to lawns, try adding clover to your lawn. The short growing, self-fertilizing, low maintenance, long-living micro clover species will provide more a more biodiverse, durable grass lawn.
White clover, Trifolium repens, was common in lawns before the introduction of broadleaf weed herbicides in the 1950s. Although broadleaves weeds were typically the target of these chemicals, white clover was often damaged or killed.
All clovers are in the legume, or pea, family. Legumes are very useful plants for our environment because they pull nitrogen from the air and convert it into nitrogen in the soil that helps feed plants. Unlike any other plant, legumes create their own fertilizer. Because of these characteristics, there is interest in using microclover in lawns to enhance turfgrass growth and reduce nitrogen fertilizer applications which helps limit fertilizer runoff into waterways.
Unfortunately, white clover sometimes forms clumps and competes with desirable turfgrass, resulting in a non-uniform lawn appearance. Microclover (Trifolium repens var. ‘Pirouette’ and ‘Pipolina’) is a selection of white clover with smaller leaves and a slower, less aggressive growth habit.
Preliminary research finds that microclover mixes better with most turfgrass species than common white clover when seeded at appropriate rates. The microclover seed often comes coated with a Rhizobium bacterium – a natural organism that the plant needs to fix nitrogen, sometimes lacking in residential lawn soils.
There are many benefits to adding microclover to a lawn. It mixes well with turf grasses and provides a uniform appearance while its flowers are a food source for bees. Microclover is competitive with weeds, so less herbicide is necessary. And it helps prevent soil compaction which reduces nutrient runoff.
Lawn clippings that include microclover are a natural organic nitrogen source, which means you can reduce how many times you apply nitrogen.
But microclover may not be suitable for every lawn. It does not tolerate high heat and drought and does not do well in shady conditions. Microclover may require reseeding for long-term growth in the lawn and its top growth dies back in the winter, which can leave bare spots and lead to erosion. Its seeds are expensive and not readily available in retail stores. Most broadleaf herbicides labeled for use in lawns will kill microclover
To establish micro-clover in a lawn, plan to plant between early spring to late summer. No tilling is required. Mow the grass low before seeding. Set the mower to the lowest setting to reduce competition with existing grass. Rake and core aerate the soil.
Sow microclover seed by hand or use a broadcast spreader for a more even distribution in larger areas. Water the area every day for the first seven to 10 days because the soil needs to stay moist until the microclover has sprouted. White clover typically blooms in mid-March and grows slower during the summer months.
By Horticulture Educator Nicole Flowers-Kimmerle
Source: Gardeners Corner Summer 2022: University of Illinois Extension
Sorry, Thanksgiving. 4th of July is maybe our top favorite eating holiday now. After all, who would we be without hot dogs, hamburgers, potato salad, and corn on the cob?! We don’t care to imagine it.
Best-Ever Burger
There are about a million ways to top a hamburger, and we’re not here to tell you what goes onto your patty. It is our duty to make sure that you’re cooking burgers as best as you possibly can. Our golden rules: Be sure to let the meat come to room temperature and season generously with salt and pepper before you grill up.
Here at Delish, we think anything can become a charcuterie board, including the iconic combination of berries and cream. This DIY spread is an ideal summer treat for feeding a few friends on a warm weekend afternoon or impressing a crowd during your next big party. The only thing better than fresh, sweet berries is piling them on angel food cake with sweet ricotta or whipped cream.
Let’s be honest: grilled chicken may not seem like the most exciting meat out there, but it’s affordable, crowd-pleasing, and a snap to cook. You won’t want to sleep on the sauce, which is a classic BBQ jazzed up with honey and lime.
