I'd probably hesitate a moment or two if the rose name evoked a negative reaction. And the marketers are aware of this. They don't want to have a namesake which most people would avoid. For example, years ago there was a cute lil' rose bush named after someone in the royal British family. "Fergie" to be exact. Welllll, soon after the introduction of that rose the real Fergie was photographed poolside while having her toes sucked by someone (not her husband). Needless to say this created a hubbub in the news and a somewhat negative association with the rose shrub. The marketers quickly changed the name of the shrub to "Sunseeker". That cracks me up every time I think of it. But while we have grown accustomed to the names of our roses, non-rose fanatics are simply unaware and my friends find it wildly amusing when I say something like, "That's George Burns! Isn't he looking good this year?" What IS in a name anyway? My last name is Butcher and it's prevented me from seeking employment as a baby sitter, veterinarian or even a medical examiner. But it is a great name for a hockey player.

thanks for the poem - I love it - and the ideas for the record hole I have made 2 or 3 different styles of record bowls. The old 78's are so much more thick than the 33's. I have used the 78's and just barely fluted the edges so it is more of a tray or a plate. The 45's make cute little candy dishes. I have paid as much as 99 cents for some of the 33's. How much do I charge for these at a craft show? I want to sell them but I know people will say "I can do that". Also, how much do you charge for darn it dolls? Thanks

Kath, I'm sure that Hiphop (Hip Hop, hiphop, hip hop), as with many things, comes in varying forms: some relatively mild, others extreme. I think it's the latter that unfortunately attracts the most attention in the US -- anything extreme seems to be a craze here these days. I'm probably just a fuddyduddy; but musically I'm into melody, although I enjoy a good beat -- but not just a beat and staccato vocalizations (I've never cared for the Beatnik style of the 1950s and early '60s, either). It's said that Jimi Hendrix "spoke" rather more than he "sang" songs; however, I like his vocal style (as well as his innovative guitar style). If he was a progenitor of hip hop, as he is said to be, all I can say is I like the roots but not all the fruit. Come to think of it, some of Hendrix's lyrics were decidedly misogynist. It's peculiar that I'm not particularly offended by them, though, the way I am some of the hip hop stuff. Kath, I will listen to the Aussie hiphop examples. Good luck to your son! There's nothing to help more appreciate something heretofore unappreciated than when there's a personal connection. I have a neighbor whose son likes to race cars. I have never cared one iota for car racing, but I attended one of this young man's meets out of courtesy to his parents. Suddenly I got into it and I was screaming encouragement as much as any fan. :-) Oh! The 'this Friday' and 'next Friday' thing drives me batty. So does the phrase 'quarter of' as in: Let's meet at a quarter of three. I always ask: Is that fifteen minutes before three or after? I think a quarter to three is clear, but I've found that a quarter of can go either way. But whichever way the speaker means it, I've had some react as if I was a shade weird for asking such a silly question.

I'm bringing this thread back, because I mistakenly called one of my favorite things "lemon coral sedum". It is actually called "[Sedum japonicum Tokyo Sun[(https://www.houzz.com/products/sedum-japonicum-tokyo-sun-stonecrop-prvw-vr~30937770)", although my nursery labeled it "De Oro". It is a bright chartreuse color and has a low mounding habit. Unfortunately, it's more tender than other sedums. It did fine when temps reached 27 degrees Fahrenheit in my garden, but is listed as only hardy to zone 8. It has shallow roots that pull out of the ground easily, so I don't consider it "walk-able", but it seems to recover when I accidentally step on it.