I ordered 2 cubic yards of black mini-mulch delivered to my driveway from a building supply place. They told me it would come between 9am and 11am. The guy was ringing my doorbell before 8am. I told him it was mulch too early.
I spent the whole day spreading mulch of it around my yard, but there is still so mulch piled in front of my house --- I think I ordered too mulch. Next time I'll know how mulch to buy, and I won't get so mulch.
One good way to figure out how mulch to get is to measure the length and the width of the yard and then decide how deep you want it to be. Then use your mulchification tables.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Man Gets Shot to Avoid Work
Apparently this guy got his frined to shoot him so he didn't have to go in to work.
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20080301/D8V4D90O0.html
This dumbass has to be disappointed that he didn't get a Darwin Award out of this. With better aim, his "friend" could have killed him outright or at least shot his balls off so we could keep the gene pool clear of his stupidity mutation.
Honestly though, your job has to be pretty crappy if you'd rather be shot than go in to work. And if it is that crappy, who cares if you lose your job over a drug test? I guess I'm just going to make myself crazy if I keep trying to find any logic in this.
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20080301/D8V4D90O0.html
Police: Man Gets Shot to Avoid Work
Feb 29, 10:56 PM (ET)
PASCO, Wash. (AP) -
What happened to faking a cough? Sheriff's detectives in Franklin County said a man had his friend shoot him in the shoulder so he wouldn't have to go to work.
When he first spoke with deputies, Daniel Kuch, of Pasco, told them he'd been the victim of a drive-by shooting while he was out jogging Thursday. But detectives told KONA radio that Kuch later acknowledged that he asked his friend to shoot him so he could get some time off work and avoid an upcoming drug test.
The friend, Kurtis Johnson, of Burbank, has been arrested for investigation of reckless endangerment. Kuch was booked into the county jail and is expected to be charged with false reporting.
Detectives declined to say where Kuch works, or whether he still has a job. It wasn't known if he had obtained a lawyer.
This dumbass has to be disappointed that he didn't get a Darwin Award out of this. With better aim, his "friend" could have killed him outright or at least shot his balls off so we could keep the gene pool clear of his stupidity mutation.
Honestly though, your job has to be pretty crappy if you'd rather be shot than go in to work. And if it is that crappy, who cares if you lose your job over a drug test? I guess I'm just going to make myself crazy if I keep trying to find any logic in this.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Kinds of Worms
Apparently there are millions of kinds of worms. Of those millions of species, about 7000 species are earthworms. And of those, only a few species of earthworms are composting worms that are good for vermicompost. Here’s some info about the various kinds of worms.
Eisenia fetida
These are the best worms for vermicompost. They are often referred to as red wigglers, redworms, brandling worms, or tiger worms. They don’t actually live in soil the way most other earthworms do. They live on the surface of the soil under layers of decaying organic matter. They can consume huge amounts of organic matter, they do not require soil, and they can tolerate some disturbance, which is what makes them ideal for composting. These kinds of worms that live on the surface of the soil are called epigeic.
Aporrectodea caliginosa
These are common earthworms. They live in shallow lateral burrows in the soil that run parallel to the surface. They are not suitable for composting because they must live in the soil and must eat mineral soil, but they are good for gardens because they help aerate the soil and bring organic nutrients into the soil. These kinds of worms that live in shallow lateral burrows in the soil are called endogeic.
Lumbricus terrestris
These are the amazing Nightcrawlers. They live in deep burrows in the soil. They come up to the surface at night to drag decaying organic matter down into their burrows. They are not suitable for composting because they must live in deep soil, and they dislike disturbance, but they are good for gardens because they bring organic matter deep into the soil and provide aeration and drainage. These kinds of worms that live in deep burrows in the soil are called anecic.
Space Slug
These worms live on asteroids in a galaxy far, far away. They eat mostly spaceships. The photo shows the Millennium Falcon spaceship barely escaping a space slug. They are not suitable for composting, except when the compostable material consists primarily of spaceships. These kinds of worms that live in asteroids are called fictional.
Sandworm
These worms are native to the planet Arrakis. They are about a mile long with a mouth 100 yards wide, and they favor dry, desert-like conditions. They are not suitable for composting because of their large size, and the fact that they do not survive on our planet, but they do make an excellent form of transportation. These kinds of worms that live on distant planets are called fantasy.
Eisenia fetida
These are the best worms for vermicompost. They are often referred to as red wigglers, redworms, brandling worms, or tiger worms. They don’t actually live in soil the way most other earthworms do. They live on the surface of the soil under layers of decaying organic matter. They can consume huge amounts of organic matter, they do not require soil, and they can tolerate some disturbance, which is what makes them ideal for composting. These kinds of worms that live on the surface of the soil are called epigeic.
Aporrectodea caliginosa
These are common earthworms. They live in shallow lateral burrows in the soil that run parallel to the surface. They are not suitable for composting because they must live in the soil and must eat mineral soil, but they are good for gardens because they help aerate the soil and bring organic nutrients into the soil. These kinds of worms that live in shallow lateral burrows in the soil are called endogeic.
Lumbricus terrestris
These are the amazing Nightcrawlers. They live in deep burrows in the soil. They come up to the surface at night to drag decaying organic matter down into their burrows. They are not suitable for composting because they must live in deep soil, and they dislike disturbance, but they are good for gardens because they bring organic matter deep into the soil and provide aeration and drainage. These kinds of worms that live in deep burrows in the soil are called anecic.
Space Slug
These worms live on asteroids in a galaxy far, far away. They eat mostly spaceships. The photo shows the Millennium Falcon spaceship barely escaping a space slug. They are not suitable for composting, except when the compostable material consists primarily of spaceships. These kinds of worms that live in asteroids are called fictional.
Sandworm
These worms are native to the planet Arrakis. They are about a mile long with a mouth 100 yards wide, and they favor dry, desert-like conditions. They are not suitable for composting because of their large size, and the fact that they do not survive on our planet, but they do make an excellent form of transportation. These kinds of worms that live on distant planets are called fantasy.
Monday, March 3, 2008
What do Worms Think About?
In my Master Composter class, I've been learning about vermicomposting, which is the practice of using worms to compost kitchen scraps. Certain kinds of earthworms can live in a small bin and can eat half their weight in kitchen scraps a day. A pound of worms can eat up to a half pound of kitchen waste each day. They produce a very rich, nutrient-packed compost that is great for plants.
These are the kinds of worms that would ordinarily be found in nature living under piles of cow poop, or in deep layers of fallen leaves --- they need a very rich organic environment. They live for about one year in the wild, or maybe as many as four years in a bin. They have both male and female sex organs, so they can reproduce sexually or asexually. And according to one of my class instructors, they have a brain.
A brain! So what do worms think about? My guess is that that they are fairly introspective and spend a lot of time in self-examination --- worms are their own harshest critics.
"Man, I am pathetic! I'm nearly a year old, and I'm still living in the same bin where I hatched! I'm going nowhere! I've got to get out of this place. Just look at me. I eat nothing but garbage and spend most of my time reproducing asexually. There's got to be more to life than this!"
I feel like reassuring him, "Awwwwww, little worm! You do very important work! You process half your own weight in kitchen waste each day, keeping it out of the landfill and turning something worthless into valuable fertilizer for plants! You help to save our natural resources. And you should be happy with your bin! If you were in the wild, you would probably be living in a cow pie, eating crap for lunch instead of nice delicious banana peals and gourmet coffee grounds. And don't be in such a rush, worm! They say the early bird gets the worm, so what's the point in being the early worm? And, yeah, you do spend a lot of time reproducing asexually, but you've got both sets of sexual organs, so why the hell not? You're being too hard on yourself, worm!"
I hope he feels better about himself.
These are the kinds of worms that would ordinarily be found in nature living under piles of cow poop, or in deep layers of fallen leaves --- they need a very rich organic environment. They live for about one year in the wild, or maybe as many as four years in a bin. They have both male and female sex organs, so they can reproduce sexually or asexually. And according to one of my class instructors, they have a brain.
A brain! So what do worms think about? My guess is that that they are fairly introspective and spend a lot of time in self-examination --- worms are their own harshest critics.
"Man, I am pathetic! I'm nearly a year old, and I'm still living in the same bin where I hatched! I'm going nowhere! I've got to get out of this place. Just look at me. I eat nothing but garbage and spend most of my time reproducing asexually. There's got to be more to life than this!"
I feel like reassuring him, "Awwwwww, little worm! You do very important work! You process half your own weight in kitchen waste each day, keeping it out of the landfill and turning something worthless into valuable fertilizer for plants! You help to save our natural resources. And you should be happy with your bin! If you were in the wild, you would probably be living in a cow pie, eating crap for lunch instead of nice delicious banana peals and gourmet coffee grounds. And don't be in such a rush, worm! They say the early bird gets the worm, so what's the point in being the early worm? And, yeah, you do spend a lot of time reproducing asexually, but you've got both sets of sexual organs, so why the hell not? You're being too hard on yourself, worm!"
I hope he feels better about himself.
What Separates Us from the Animals
Some say that what separates us from the animals is our huge noggins stuffed full of brains.
Others say it is our opposable thumbs, which allow us to text message on cell phones, that sets us apart.
And there are those who say the difference is that we walk upright, which makes our opposable-thumb-equipped front paws available to hold those cell phones up to our big, fat, brainy heads while we tap dance down the street.
I say the difference mostly comes down to slurping versus lapping. Put a saucer of water in front of any beast, and it will lap it up with its tongue. Lap, lap, lap, lap. But put the same saucer in front of a human being, and (if you don't allow the use of opposable thumbs to just pick it up and drink it) the human will pucker its lips together and slurp. Sluuuuuuurp. Have you ever seen a cat or dog slurp?
Others say it is our opposable thumbs, which allow us to text message on cell phones, that sets us apart.
And there are those who say the difference is that we walk upright, which makes our opposable-thumb-equipped front paws available to hold those cell phones up to our big, fat, brainy heads while we tap dance down the street.
I say the difference mostly comes down to slurping versus lapping. Put a saucer of water in front of any beast, and it will lap it up with its tongue. Lap, lap, lap, lap. But put the same saucer in front of a human being, and (if you don't allow the use of opposable thumbs to just pick it up and drink it) the human will pucker its lips together and slurp. Sluuuuuuurp. Have you ever seen a cat or dog slurp?
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Master Composter
I'm taking a class to become a "Master Composter."
I quit my job some time ago and have been out of work for a while, so now when people ask me what I am doing, I say, "I'm working on my Master's."
"What? Are you getting an MBA or something?"
"No, I'm getting an MC --- Master Composter!"
Some people find this amusing and interesting, while others think I should apply myself more diligently to finding a job, but those people do not understand the importance of what I am doing.
A Master Composter not only becomes an expert in making compost, but also masters the art of teaching others how to compost. A Master Composter is something like the Yoda of compost. He is a powerful Jedi of compost, but he also teaches his apprentice to compost as well.
"Master, how shall I turn this pile of compost?"
"The fork must you use."
I quit my job some time ago and have been out of work for a while, so now when people ask me what I am doing, I say, "I'm working on my Master's."
"What? Are you getting an MBA or something?"
"No, I'm getting an MC --- Master Composter!"
Some people find this amusing and interesting, while others think I should apply myself more diligently to finding a job, but those people do not understand the importance of what I am doing.
A Master Composter not only becomes an expert in making compost, but also masters the art of teaching others how to compost. A Master Composter is something like the Yoda of compost. He is a powerful Jedi of compost, but he also teaches his apprentice to compost as well.
"Master, how shall I turn this pile of compost?"
"The fork must you use."
Pictures of the Moon I took through My Telescope
Here are some pictures of the moon I took through my telescope using my digital camera.
The telescope uses different interchangeable eyepieces that give different magnifications. I bought an adapter that allowed me to attach my digital camera (just a regular Nikon Coolpix) onto an eyepiece. With something like the moon, you can use the camera's zoom to get the image framed the way you want, and then get things focused as well as you can with the telescope's focuser, and then the camera's auto-focus will automatically do the last bit of focusing.
There are a lot of different ways to take pictures through a telescope. Some of them use very specialized equipment. Some people use the digital camera method like I did. And then there are some systems that are based on web cams, and you use a laptop to capture and process the images.
The moon is a very easy thing to image, because it is very bright, so it does not take a long exposure. And it is big and has easily visible features, so it gives your camera something to auto-focus on. Star clusters and distant deep-sky objects are harder because they take very long exposures, and you have to have a system for tracking them very precisely as they move across the sky. For planets, people get good results with web cams and using a process called "stacking" that uses software to "stack" a lot of short exposure images into one single image to build up the details.
The telescope uses different interchangeable eyepieces that give different magnifications. I bought an adapter that allowed me to attach my digital camera (just a regular Nikon Coolpix) onto an eyepiece. With something like the moon, you can use the camera's zoom to get the image framed the way you want, and then get things focused as well as you can with the telescope's focuser, and then the camera's auto-focus will automatically do the last bit of focusing.
There are a lot of different ways to take pictures through a telescope. Some of them use very specialized equipment. Some people use the digital camera method like I did. And then there are some systems that are based on web cams, and you use a laptop to capture and process the images.
The moon is a very easy thing to image, because it is very bright, so it does not take a long exposure. And it is big and has easily visible features, so it gives your camera something to auto-focus on. Star clusters and distant deep-sky objects are harder because they take very long exposures, and you have to have a system for tracking them very precisely as they move across the sky. For planets, people get good results with web cams and using a process called "stacking" that uses software to "stack" a lot of short exposure images into one single image to build up the details.
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