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Thursday, September 11, 2008
The Ray Bradbury Chronicles - From 2001
Ray Bradbury. The very name will elicit memories of utter amazement and wonder for those who have thrilled to the words of his many fictional tales. To some, this man is science fiction, in all of its glory, and in all of the ways it is able to inspire, captivate, and completely absorb the reader. It's no wonder, then, that a three-volume set of graphic adaptations, or comic books, if you will, are at the top of this columnist's list of works that should be read by those infinitely familiar with the genre, as well as those who simply enjoy a good story.
My friends, allow me to introduce you to The Ray Bradbury Chronicles.
Chronicles is an anthology series, in which the stories are as diverse as the artistic styles used to illustrate them. Some of the greatest graphic story illustrators in the business, such as Tim Truman, P. Craig Russell, Dave Gibbons, Al Williamson and Wally Wood, get to express their artistic impressions of some of Bradbury's most unusual, and memorable work.
It is not, however, all science fiction, as the man whom many consider to be one of the greatest fiction writers of all time penned stories that were as chilling and macabre, as others were brimming with images of rockets, robots, space-travel and aliens. In fact, there may be no better way to experience and appreciate the diversity of Bradbury's work than with graphic adaptations. From his stories of colorful, nearly utopian futuristic worlds, to those futures where mankind's love for war, as well as his most base characteristics lead to utter ruin, Bradbury's sheer imagination shines through the medium of sequential art.
Comic shops, bookstores, and on-line auctions are all good places to look for The Ray Bradbury Chronicles. I have also seen them, in hard and soft-back form, at Amazon.com. For a comic shop near you, call 1-888-comicbook.
The Ray Bradbury Chronicles, volumes 1,2 and 3, published by Byron Preiss Visual Publications, Inc., 80 pages, prices vary.
Review by Mark Allen
Planetary - From 2001
How does one describe a comic book like Planetary? A mix of sci-fi, James Bondish intrigue, a dash of creature feature, and just a smidgen of superhero action is a good start. But it's just a start. This book has to be experienced in order to be truly appreciated.
Elijah Snow is one hundred years old (though he only looks about 40) and has seen a great deal of our world's "secret history" unfold. For that reason, he is sought out by an organization called Planetary (circa issue #1), which is dedicated to uncovering that history.
Writer Warren Ellis does a great job of making the characters (specifically Elijah Snow) "fit" whatever storyline or background he may throw at readers. And, as mentioned above, that's quite a feat, as there are many different ingredients to this delicacy of sequential art. Snow and his teammates, Jakita Wagner and "The Drummer," have been on cases involving a W.W.II quantum computer built by a secret society of superhumans , a literal monster island, the vengeful ghost of a Chinese cop, giant ants, super aliens, and some things that are better read than explained.
Through it all, the characters remain fresh and entertaining, never lost in what is happening around them. Most intriguing is the character of Elijah Snow, who, through flashback stories, has already been shown interacting with the likes of Sherlock Holmes, the Invisible Man, and the lord of vampires himself, Dracula.
The artist for the series is John Cassaday, who does a marvelous job of creating the perfect mood for the stories with his attention to detail, i.e. shading and texture. He also has a flair for characterization; faces and bodies are expressive without being "over the top."
A collection of the first six issues of Planetary has been published, and can be acquired through comic stores (call 1-888-comicbook for the one nearest you), some bookstores, or by logging on to www.wildstorm.com, and clicking on "backlist."
Planetary, published by Wildstorm Productions, 32 pages, $2.50.
Review by Mark Allen
Paleo - From 2001
For my money, only a few comic stories dealing with dinosaurs as subject matter have been fit to print. Masashi Tanaka's Gon, published by D.C. Comics' Paradox Press, comes to mind. Ricardo Delgado's Age of Reptiles (which I reviewed a few months ago), published by Dark Horse Press, is also a pleasing read for dino fans. And now, another title is added to my list, with Paleo: Tales of the Late Cretaceous by Jim Lawson and Peter Laird.
This is the same Peter Laird of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fame, but don't look for any kind of karate-crazy reptiles in this six-issue series; the only reptilian creatures within these pages bear a much closer resemblance to the Jurassic Park variety.
The series tells a different story with each issue (as of issue #3), depicting the struggles of living in the cretaceous period; imagine Wild Discovery with dinosaurs. The stories have a very true-to-life feel to them, depicting the seeming cruelty of the natural world.
In the third issue, a baby stegoceras, having lost it's mother to a pack of dro-maeosaurs, seeks comfort from a nesting quetzalcoatlus, only to be tossed off of the nest, down a rocky embankment, to his death. So, this is not The Land Before Time for those seeking cute dino-comics for the wee ones.
Writer Jim Lawson utilizes narration to keep the story moving, which, I believe, detracts from the story itself. His pencils are excellent, brilliantly rendering the main characters in both action sequences and still shots. For this reason, I believe events could be satisfactorily depicted without the use of the narration box (see Age of Reptiles). This is still, however, a great series, worth picking up all six issues. Highly recommended.
Your local comic store should be able to order Paleo for you. Bookstore chains such as Waldenbooks may also yield results. Call 1-888-comicbook for the comics store near you.
Paleo; Tales of The Late Cretaceous, published by Zeromayo Studios, 24 pages, $2.95.
Review by Mark Allen
Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. - From 2001
"He's Mike Hammer and James Bond rolled into one, a tough-talking, shirt-shucking, gun-toting fireball of a secret agent who attracts bullets and babes in astounding qualities."
This is how Marvel Comics begins the explanatory text on the back of it's newly-released Nick Fury, Agent of Shield trade paperback, and it perfectly encapsulates the exciting exhilarating, and down- right FUN attitude of this book.
The trade collects the first six issues of the original series that began in 1968, and at a time when superheroes were Marvel's standard material, this was something quite different. In fact, it still is. The stories reprinted in this album present readers with a fair amount of action, suspense, science fiction, drama, and even horror. And they are all done in a style incomparable to anything else done at that time, and, unfortunately, to the following issues as well, as writer/artist Jim Steranko departed after the sixth issue.
Steranko kept the dynamic Marvel style alive, but gave it an extra kick by adding then-modern design concepts to characters and scenes. He borrowed from popular media, such as TV's The Avengers, and James Bond movies. Similarly, his page layout style showed great influence from modern graphic artists Andy Warhol and Peter Max. Events flowed through the page, as opposed to the stop-and-go of panel-by-panel storytelling. These innovations, even today, make Nick Fury, Agent of Shield as much fun to look at as it is to read.
Unfortunately, Steranko's early departure from the book gives the trade paperback an unsatisfying ending, leaving the reader to wonder at the identity of the villain, Scorpio. As a result, the book has a beginning and a middle, but no real ending. It is, however, still worth searching out for those who wish to experience what great work can be accomplished in the comic book medium.
Nick Fury, A.O.S., can be acquired through comic shops, bookstores, and by logging on to www.marvel.com.
Nick Fury, Agent of Shield, published by Marvel Comics, 88 pages, $12.95.
Review by Mark Allen
The Nevermen - From 2001
Different is good, right? Well, sometimes. Unfortunately, that can't be said in the case of The Nevermen, by Phil Amara and Guy Davis.
Primary problems with this book are a confusing plot filled with characters on whom no background nor motivation is given (so why should we care about them?), and which quickly creates the feeling that the reader has been dropped into the middle of a very convoluted storyline.
Let's begin with the main characters, the Nevermen; five crime-fighting individuals in hat, trench coat, and goggles, among whom it is impossible for the human eye to distinguish a difference. From the beginning, the reader is treated to various scenes in which one or two of the Nevermen engage villains in battle, for no obvious reason except that they are villains. In those scenes, it is nearly impossible to tell which of the clone-like Nevermen are even involved in the struggle. And, though the story does come together in the final issue, it is a long, baffling ride to a barely-satisfying conclusion. Now, since The Nevermen is supposed to be a mystery, many might argue the merit of this type of storytelling. But background and character motivation does nothing to spoil a good mystery.
Guy Davis' art is one of the few saving graces of this work. His dark, somewhat-sketchy style lends a very menacing atmosphere to the city and it's villains. High marks also go to the artist's conceptions of many of the characters, Manboulian, a chilling villain, much of who's skeleton is exposed, as well as The Murderist, a former Neverman himself, are both visually entertaining. The Nevermen themselves, with their trench coats and strength-enhancing/gadget-laden exoskeletons are an interesting visual blend of pulp detective and superhero.
The art of a comic is important. It is, however, secondary to the story itself. Those wishing to indulge in the empty calories of eye-candy, help yourself to The Nevermen. Contact www.darkhorse.com or your local comic shop for availability.
The Nevermen, Copyright 2000, Dark Horse Comics, 32 pages, $2.95.
Review by Mark Allen
The Mystery of Mary Rogers - From 2001
I love discovering great new things. Something that, upon finding it for the first time, a person muses, "Where has this been? I didn't know about this!"
That's what happened to me when I first read Rick Geary's amazing work, The Mystery of Mary Rogers. One of four true crime stories of the last century presented in sequential art form by Geary, Mary Rogers is a breathtaking example of what can be achieved in this art form.
A beautiful, and well-admired young lady, Mary Rogers' death has remained a mystery since the sunny, summer day in July 28th, 1941, when her body was found floating in the Hudson River.
From the moment of discovery, numerous accusations and scenarios made their way through various New York "news" publications, as well as the public mind, until the case was officially closed early the next year. Suspected of possible foul play were potential suitors, rowdy street gangs, even an unknown doctor, who, it was suspected, may have possibly botched an abortion.
Well-known writer/poet Edgar Allen Poe was even "dragged" into the mix, as he was also an acquaintance of Mary Rogers.
This story proves the statement that real life is sometimes more intriguing than fiction.
Geary does a wonderful job of telling this story in narrative form. As it is a true account, there is not much "creation" of a storyline to laud over, but there is much to be said of his artwork. Geary's art, though simple, is expressive and vibrant. The black and white panels are not muddled, due mostly to his clear line work.
Characters communicate volumes, even without the word balloons which normally accompany them in comic books.
This is a truly fine volume, and highly recommended. Geary's other true crime stories in this collection include Jack The Ripper, The Borden Tragedy, and The Fatal Bullet.
Check comic stores, book stores, and www.nbmpublishing.com for availability.
The Mystery of Mary Rogers is published by NBM Publishing Inc., 80 pages, $8.95.
Review by Mark Allen
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Stock Number: ES1117019
Manufactured by Bosch
(This part fits select Qualcast models)
Rated 5 out of
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Bosch Lawnmowers | Qualcast Lawnmowers |
A dull or rusted blade will leave your grass looking patchy and unattractive. Replace your lawnmower's blade to ensure you get a clean cut every time.
Genuine replacement blade for select Bosch and Qualcast electric rotary mowers.
Replacement Lawnmower Blade 04 July 2010
By - liverpool
Does what it says 18 April 2010
By - Edinburgh
Q Will this fit, or do you supply blade for Qualcast TurboTrak 35 mower? 1 Answer
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Man, I just heard about Black Crusade 2 months ago, and I can't wait anymore for this game. If at least there was more news, info and previews on the products, I'll could take it more lightly... Is there something like a preview schedule we can see (like with WotC) or anything else like that?
Can't wait anymore!
Posted 22 May 2011 - 02:19 PM
Posted 22 May 2011 - 04:18 PM
Well, in the "News" strip right above this there are several previews actually. I've posted some links to them below, I hope they work anyhow.
Posted 22 May 2011 - 07:53 PM
I was quite excited when the news about the preview adventure were out. Then, I was quite anxious when I learned that it wouldn't be released until June 18th.
Posted 23 May 2011 - 03:29 AM
Talked to my FLGS owner and signed up as a GM for the Free RPG Day Black Crusade event. He says if he gets anything in early he'll let me know so I can take a look at it before I walk up with players day-of. Really can't wait to see how this goes.


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Above ground 18 foot from Namco. They sold me a number of addons... ZapVac robotic cleaner Cleaning devices Should I keep those cleaning utensils? Any thought on the ZapVac? How often should I scrub and do you scrub both side and bottom? They sold me 3 different attachments. |
Follow-Up Postings:
Depending on how leafy your surroundings are, you will want a robot. I have an in-ground pool in a leafy, windy area and we run our robot usually once a day, sometimes more if it's been windy and we are in leaf-drop season. During the summertime, like now, we might go a few days between cycles for our robot, if it's not too windy. I cannot comment on your specific tools, but likely you will need to skim daily (for us takes about 5-10 min), brush weekly (takes us about 30 min), and run the vac as needed. We have a very large pool so I would imagine your times needed would be less. I'd encourage you to look at trouble free pool dot com and they have lots of info on maintenance schedules and maintaining your chemical balance. It's a lot easier and less effort and time to keep a nicely-balanced pool clean! Oh, on your skimming attachment - we've found that style doesn't work as well for us, again with a lot of leaves around, and we use one called a "leaf rake" with a very fine mesh that claims to "polish" the water. I don't know that it polishes, but it does lift pollen off the surface of the water which is swell. Good luck! |
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Study the past before using ISA, say experts
- Published: 2 Mar 2013 at 15.39 | Viewed: 3,101 | Comments: 2
- Online news: Security
- Writer: Achara Ashayagachat
The government needs to study the hard lessons learned from the use of special laws in the southern border provinces before it considers expanding the use of the Internal Security Act (ISA), say experts.
Authorities should also gather input from civil society activists who have dealt on the ground with the impacts of special laws, said speakers at a seminar on the decade-long conflict.
The Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc), with the support of the Yingluck Shinawatra government, is considering expanding the scope of the ISA before the emergency decree now in use in the three provinces expires in mid-March.
Somchai Homlaor sees parallels in South with Thamassat 1976. (Post File Photo)
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I grew up in Detroit, Michigan, the oldest son of a fireman and a rollerskating teacher. I ended up in Chicago to study to be a Motion Designer. I worked three years at Digital Kitchen as an animator and a photographer where I made TV commercials and title sequences. You can see that work at my portfolio, CreamyOrange.
I founded an iPhone App company called BananaCameraCo and a motion design education site called Greyscalegorilla. You can see my random bloggy-blog stuff at nickvegas.tv and I pretend to be a musician and a song writer at CampbellandMonson. Lately, I have been speaking to students and creatives about how to be creative and get paid to do what you love.
I work and live in Chicago where I drink a lot of craft beer, play a lot of pinball, and listen to a lot of podcasts.
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The Sad State of Star Wars in the Home
May 19, 2014 9:51 AM, By Jason Bovberg
I have a very fond memory of my 16th birthday party, back in 1984, when my dad managed to get his hands on a bootleg VHS recording of Return of the Jedi—long before its official home video release. He surprised me with it so that I could host my geek friends for a showing of the trilogy on our enormous 25in. console TV. For the next 7 hours, my buddies and I watched pan-and-scan versions of the original Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back, and then that terrible handheld video recording of Return of the Jedi. We had a great time, despite the chopped and squeezed aspect ratios of the first two films, the lack of high definition in any of the visuals, and the especially grainy, shaky image of the final film. I mean, it was Star Wars! And this was the best we could do.
Little did we know that, over a period of 30 years of home video evolution, the home-video presentation of that landmark trilogy wouldn't get much better. In some ways it would get worse.
For a decade after that birthday party, the Star Wars films would be relegated to substandard video treatment, on those horrid VHS tapes and on admittedly forward-thinking laserdiscs that nevertheless required you to flip discs at certain intervals, thereby wrecking the fluid home-video experience. In the early to mid-90s, the films finally debuted in widescreen at home—but still on standard-definition VHS, of course. Sadly, it would be these video representations that would be the pinnacle of Star Wars on home video, because in the late 90s, George Lucas released the so-called "special editions" of his trilogy, essentially aiming to scrub the original versions from the collective consciousness. Every home-video Star Wars release since—from DVD to Blu-ray—has favored the tinkered, CGI-happy special editions, and only once have the original versions graced DVD. And those were tossed out to fans as a bonus-feature afterthought, not enhanced for widescreen sets (i.e., not high-def), with zero image restoration performed.
It's difficult to fathom how, in the age of ubiquitous home theaters, high definition, and extreme media availability, one of the most important and beloved film franchises has been literally absent from high-end home video for years and years. The Star Wars trilogy that you remember fondly from your youth is gone. Out of print. Nearly forgotten! In its place is a rejiggered monstrosity full of early-CG hack work (a new Jabba the Hut sequence that makes even my 9-year-old cringe), bone-headed revisionism ("Greedo shot first!"), poop jokes inserted into Mos Eisley, and scenes deleted entirely. It's hard to imagine this kind of treatment given to any film. It's even more difficult to imagine that such a crime has been perpetrated upon three of the most treasured films of all time.
Wait, we don't have to imagine.
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This league does weird things to you. I've come to expect the unexpected every Sunday, which is generally awesome but also a little bothersome. It's bothersome because I have this strange, borderline-neurotic fear that, one day, I'll become immune to the ubiquitous unpredictability that makes the NFL so unique and special.
Fortunately, that day has yet to arrive. And I'm left bewildered by the Bills and the Lions and the Raiders and the Browns. While I'm not necessarily convinced that any of those traditionally shoddy franchises are for real, their combined record of 10-2 makes things just a little bit more fun.
If that's even possible.
Nineteen thoughts on the third Sunday of the 2011 season…
1. There's something wrong with the Steelers. The pass rush isn't there and the offensive line is truly in shambles (it's worse than it was in 2010). I still can't believe it took that defense 175 minutes to register its first takeaway of the season, and those injuries are going to keep killing a line that already sucked. It's not going to be easy next week in Houston. (The Texans are an early 2-point favorite for that one.)
2. There's something wrong with the Eagles. Tough day for Pennsylvania pro football teams, despite the Steeler victory. Philly is having the exact issues many predicted they would in August. But while we've already discussed the issues the offensive line is having and the tackling problems on defense, we should throw this out there: Nnamdi Asomugha has struggled quite mightily thus far. The world's most famous free agent of 2011 has had trouble adjusting to a new system, which is a little troublesome. You have to wonder if the lockout is playing a role here — a lot of these players simply haven't had a lot of time to adapt.
3. Michael Vick is clearly frustrated. When asked if he thinks he's not getting the calls that other quarterbacks do during his post-game press conference, Vick said "absolutely," adding that he's "on ground constantly. All the time. Every time I throw the ball." But that, of course, is flawed logic. Vick is on the ground constantly because a) he's a running quarterback who takes a lot of hits and refuses to slide, and b) his offensive line is hazardous to his health. Vick should sit next week's game out, rest his hand and his head, and get ready for back-to-back road affairs with the currently undefeated Bills and the currently undefeated Redskins. He needs a breather.
4. Quarterback controversy in Indianapolis? Kerry Collins still doesn't have his timing down and now he's allegedly concussed. After a slow start, Curtis Painter (or "Sunshine") settled in and performed quite well. Jim Caldwell should give some serious thought to the possibility of starting Painter, who is more experienced in the system and may have more chemistry with those receivers, next Monday in Tampa.
5. My favorite stat of the day: Every single team that won in the early slate of games trailed in the fourth quarter. Let's face it, we had our fair share of blowouts in Weeks 1 and 2, but we were spoiled on Sunday with 11 of the 15 games decided by one score.
6. Chris Johnson: 98 yards in three games? Sure, why not. This is why personnel people don't like giving long-term, eight-digit extensions to running backs. I'm not saying Johnson's done, but it's reasonable to wonder if he's already passed his prime. It's not like he hasn't had support from the passing game. And with Kenny Britt likely done for the year, CJ2K might have trouble being CJ1K in 2011. The Titans are in real trouble. But then again, so is the rest of the AFC South.
7. Darren Sproles: 229 yards from scrimmage on only 29 touches. Slightly more productive than Johnson, for $3.5 million this year. Nicely done, Mickey Loomis. Sproles is the primary reason why the Saints have survived injuries to Marques Colston and Lance Moore.
8. Why does Mike Martz hate Matt Forte? Oh, and winning. Because you have to know that you can't win consistently while completely ignoring your running game. Forte had nine carries for two yards against the Packers, giving him a grand total of 35 carries three weeks into the season. Of course Jay Cutler is getting killed…
9. Could the NFC West actually be worse this year than it was last year? St. Louis, which is supposedly the best team in the division, is now 0-3 and completely lost. The Seahawks can't win on the road, like, at all. The Cardinals can't even beat the Seahawks. The 49ers are somehow leading the division after barely beating the Bengals. All four teams are terrible, period. Seven wins might get the job done for the second consecutive year.
10. The most memorable game of the day might have been … Jacksonville-Carolina? Seriously, have you ever seen rain affect a football game like that? That was outrageous and fairly unique. Very fun to watch. Two rookie quarterbacks trying to adjust to the NFL — and then you throw in the complete bitch that was Mother Nature? Sick.
11. Don't overlook the Buffalo defense. Some big stops in crucial situations. New England converted just three third downs all day. The offense is getting all the credit, but no one intercepts Tom Brady four times. There's work to be done, but they've made a lot of progress under George Edwards.
12. And what's with the Buffalo offensive line? It's supposed to be a joke, right? Ryan Fitzpatrick has been sacked once all season and Fred Jackson is averaging 6.4 yards per rush. Demetrius Bell might be a legit left tackle of the future.
13. Was Devin McCourty's rookie season a fluke? Or is this a sophomore slump? McCourty and Leigh Bodden have both been pylon-bad three games in. The same secondary started 2010 in similarly horrible fashion, so there's still hope. But the sudden regression has been shocking. It doesn't matter how good the offense is — you can't win a Super Bowl if your pass defense performs like that.
And while I'm finding flaws in "elite" teams…
14. Atlanta's offensive line is a disaster. Matt Ryan is taking beatings and Michael Turner has nowhere to go. Sam Baker is getting abused. (I defended Baker to my boss last week, stating that it wasn't fair to trash the guy based on the pass rushers he'd been forced to face two weeks in, but I can't make excuses for his turnstile imitation against Adrian Clayborn. Hopefully the boss doesn't read this far.)
15. The Saints still aren't forcing enough turnovers. One takeaway against the Texans, and it was a gimme pick served up by Matt Schaub on third down. This team has to force more fumbles and intercept more passes to win. They were outplayed by Houston at home.
16. The Jets are getting killed on the ground. Inexplicable. The vaunted New York defense has surrendered a ridiculous 4.8 yards per carry thus far. They're ranked 31st against the run.
17. The Ravens lack consistency. Win 35-7, lose 26-13, win 37-7. Too early to get a strong read.
18. The Texans have work to do on defense. The transition to the 3-4 is never as easy as they made it look during the first two weeks. The revamped secondary was trounced by New Orleans Sunday, and the pressure just wasn't there. Now, we're talking about the Saints, but we were also talking about the Manning-less Colts and the Dolphins earlier. Pittsburgh, Oakland and Baltimore are waiting in line. In three weeks, we'll know the identity of Wade Phillips' unit.
19. Don't say the lockout hasn't affected this season. In addition to the fact that some teams are clearly taking longer to adjust to offseason changes because of the work stoppage, we're seeing attendance numbers drop. Um, 43,363 at Paul Brown Stadium for the home opener Sunday in Cincinnati? The smallest crowd they've had for their first home game in 30 years. The Dolphins, Chargers, Panthers and Jaguars are narrowly avoiding blackouts, and the Bucs aren't even coming close. Tampa's blackout streak will likely hit 11 on Monday Night Football (!) next week. And I refuse to believe the economy is to blame, because the economy was in the toilet in 2009 and 2010, too. The lockout has to be playing a role here.


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I was given the gift (?) of this plant a week ago. I kept it in the morning sun at my office for a week and it did fine. I brought it home Friday and noticed many black spots on the leaves. I pinched them all of, repotted it from the cheap plastic thing it came in to a more elegant pot where it has its very own place in the morning sun, away from drafts. I came home from work today and found more black spots on the leaves, and one of the three buds fell off. I just read that flouridated water can cause black spots...is this true? Any other suggestions? |
Follow-Up Postings:
- Posted by hopefulauthor z5IL (My Page) on Sat, Jun 2, 07 at 16:02
Alfie, do the black spots move or embedded in leaves? Make sure not to overwater, or leave pot sitting in water..All you'll find yourself with is a root-rotted plant. Drafts will NOT harm a Gardenia. In fact, they do great in cooler temps. I realize plants look great in ornamental pots, but for some reason, and this is just my opinion, plants do best in the ugly plastic pots they come in..LOL In most cases, when someone wants to plant in a decorative pot, it's best to slip the original growing pot inside the decorative one..If the outside pot doesn't have drainage holes, place something like styrofoam sheets on the bottom so inner pot doesn't sit in water. After a while the water stinks, turns yellow. It's possible your plant has a fungus, but w/o seeing pic it's hard to tell. Did you notice the black spots while at your office? Toni |
I HOPE that you don't have a plant virus. A few years ago, I had about 30 plants that I had grown from seed (got from the plant exchange here, actually). It was great, I had some papaya plants, a bunch of guavas, aloe, dragon fruit and even some tiny finger lime seedlings. Long story short, I went to a wedding shower, the party favors that were given were plants and I got a small coffee plant. I put it in the bathroom and months later noticed black spots on the leaves. I figured it was nothing. Months later I noticed similar spots on all my other plants. Then I had seedlings of artichokes that I noticed had them. I sent some of the artichoke seedlings with spots to the Agricultural extension in my state, they sent me a report saying it's some plant virus. Problem with that is, there is NO way to cure them! It was terrible, I had to throw out ALL my plants! I was so sad about that one. So, I don't buy plants from Lowes (which is where the coffee plant was from), or any other places that sell plants en masse. I just hope that you don't have a virus, but you can send a specimen to the ag extension. They don't charge, you just pay for postage. Good luck, hope it's something trivial. |
They also get white flies real easy. They can cause damage which later shows up as black soot from the mold that grows secondarily. The easy way to tell is to brush at the plants. You'll see the white flies come off the bush. The treatment is with insecticidal soap, and some horticultural oil applied a few times over 2 weeks. |
Hello, My Gardenia is sick, I'm not sure what it has. I got it about two weeks ago. It makes some spots on her leaves, which first are pale green and then turn brown and get bigger. I cut the infectet leaves but other spots apperar. Today I saw in insect on it..which seemd to de trips. I killed it but might be more. Many leaves also have littled dark spots on their back that appear to be trips excrements. I'm afraid it might also have a virus. Do you know, the spots I mentioned at the begining are caused by trips or also by the virus transported by trips? I don't know if here is any posibility to send leaves anywhere for examination... I'm afraid i'll never see it blooming.. |
i just bought a gardenia and am keeping it inside. i am in maryland. it appears tohave buds and i want to know if it will bloom??/ |
Eric, your gardenia will bloom if you treat it like dirt, ignore it and then swear at it incessantly while saying you hope it dies. Then it'll bloom for you for years. :D |
- Posted by Rosa Rocklin, CA(email@example.com) onSun, May 1, 11 at 22:18
My Gardenia is still in pot. Not sure if I am overwatering some leaves are turning yellow? |
- Posted by meyermike_1micha 5 (firstname.lastname@example.com) on Mon, May 9, 11 at 21:04
Yellowing leaves can be from just about anything, usually water related. Only you will be the best judge of that. Mike |
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Pittsburgh Pirates (4-2)
Chicago Cubs (2-4)
Tuesday, April 8th – 8:05 pm
Wednesday, April 9th – 8:05 pm
Thursday, April 10th – 2:20 pm
Wrigley Field – Chicago, IL
Follow us on Twitter @ForbesToFederal.
After a successful 4-2 homestand, the Bucs take their show on the road for the first time in 2014. Before visiting the Brewers and Reds, the Pirates will stop in Chicago for a three-game set with the Cubs, a team they took two of three from last week at PNC Park. Let's get the guns firing…
Probable Pitchers
Tuesday – Charlie Morton (0-0, 0.00) vs. Edwin Jackson (0-0, 1.69)
Wednesday – Wandy Rodriguez (0-1, 4.50) vs. Jason Hammel (1-0, 1.35)
Thursday – Gerrit Cole (1-0, 2.57) vs. Travis Wood (0-1, 4.26)
News, Notes, Storylines
- The last series the Pirates played at Wrigley…
- Good stuff from Travis Sawchik: Charlie Morton throws like Roy Halladay, but can he pitch like him?
- Tom Singer has more on Morton:
- Andrew McCutchen hasn't done much… yet. He's hit .370/.510/.580 hitter in 81 at-bats at Wrigley since 2011, so hopefully he gets something going…
Opponent Blogs
Bleacher Nation | Cubbies Crib | The Cub Reporter
What they're saying:
Player to Watch
Emilio Bonifacio – he dominated at PNC last week, collecting 11 of the Cubs' 28 hits. He currently has 14 hits, five runs, and four stolen bases through six games. Let's see if the Bucs can contain him this time around…
Prediction Time
Took two of three from the Cubs… Took two of three from the Cardinals… Might as well take two of three from the Cubs again. And let's hope for plenty of holstering the double guns.
Go Bucs


text:
LEWISTON, Idaho -- Rocky Mountain College will have 13 runners competing Friday afternoon at the Frontier Conference cross country championships in the Lewiston Orchards.
At stake will be team and individual berths to the NAIA championships, set for Nov. 23 in Lawrence, Kan.
There will be six men's and six women's teams running at the Frontier meet. The women's race will begin at 2 p.m. (Mountain), followed by the men at 3 p.m.
"The goal is to always get to nationals," Rocky coach Alan King said. "Both teams are in that position where it is very feasible for them."
Rocky's women placed third last year in Helena, while the Battlin' Bear men were sixth.
Carroll College's men and women are the defending team champions.
The winning men's and women's teams will receive automatic invitations to nationals. Additional at-large team berths may also be handed out.
Host Lewis-Clark State's men are ranked No. 3 nationally, Dickinson State is 19th and Rocky has been receiving votes. L-C State's women are 12th in the national poll, followed by Carroll 14th and Rocky 18th.
Individually, the top five finishers inside the top 15 and not on national-qualifying teams will also earn trips to nationals. Some at-large individual berths may also be awarded later.
The Bears will have seven men and six women competing.
This is the seventh year for the Rocky program. The Bears have qualified individuals to nationals every year, but will be looking to qualify their first team.
Rocky senior Ana Richter was third among the women at last year's Frontier championships. Junior teammate Rachael Hart was sixth.
Senior Megan Breeding has also been in the mix this fall after placing 18th at last year's conference meet.
Senior Noah Kiprono of Rocky placed 8th individually in 2011, but redshirted last season. Freshman Kyle Olson is expected to be another top performer for the Bears.
The men will run eight kilometers (4.9 miles) and the women will go five kilometers (3.1 miles).
Both Kiprono and Olson have been clocked at under 25 minutes this season. Richter, Hart and Breeding have turned in times ranging from 18:08 to 18:21.
King said his women's team isn't as deep as it has been in the past, but it's his fastest group.
As for the men, "this is by far the best team I've ever had on the guys' side," he said.
Last year's individual winners, Dave Marks of Lewis-Clark State and Rhianna Grossman of Carroll College, are not back this year.
Running for the Rocky men will be Kiprono, Olson, sophomore Shawn Peden, freshman Fred Petsch, junior Cory Berry, freshman Beau Mulvaney and senior Johnny Barnes.
Besides Richter, Hart and Breeding, the Rocky women will also be represented by freshman Jessica Raymond, junior Bailey Eich and sophomore Selene Johnson.


text: (FROM THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER) – Writer Carl Ellsworth (Y: The Last Man, Red Eye) has been tapped to pen MGM's remake of the 1984 adventure drama Red Dawn, and Dan Bradley, a second unit director and/or stunt coordinator on The Bourne Ultimatum, Spider-Man 3, and the upcoming Quantum of Solace, will direct the update. The original movie, which starred Patrick Swayze, Charlie Sheen, and C. Thomas Howell, was about a group of Colorado high school kids who take refuge in the mountains and launch an insurgency after a World War III invasion of America by the Soviets and Cubans. Similar to the way the original played off Cold War fears in the 1980s, Ellsworth says the remake will play off of current fears related to post-9/11 terrorism. ''As Red Dawn scared the heck out of people in 1984, we feel that the world is kind of already filled with a lot of paranoia and unease, so why not scare the hell out of people again?'' Ellsworth told THR. Red Dawn was the first movie released with the PG-13 rating because of its intense subject matter and violent content. At the time, the National Coalition on Television Violence condemned the film as the most violent movie ever made, saying it averaged 134 acts of violence an hour, or 2.23 a minute. (Hollywood Reporter)


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Quoted from funkymuse I've been reading this book "The Carbohydrate Addicts Lifespan Program"
Quoted from funkymuse I'm a little distressed by the whole thing because you cannot have fruit on the two Craving Reducing meals or any carb (good or bad for that matter).
Quoted from funkymuse During my monthly cycle my cravings start to die down [...] Then suddenly I'm back in the dark hole.
Quoted from funkymuse Another thing I think I need to carefully watch is what I'm putting in my mouth that might be triggering the insulin response; and 'when' I'm putting it in. It seems, according to the book, that snacking can also cause the insulin to rise.
Quoted from Victoria Midday meal is red meat and a generous helping of a variety of mixed beautiful vegetables, including both roots (parsnips, red onions, carrots, turnips, rutabagas, etc), leaves (kale, collards, turnip greens, etc.), and buds (brussel sprouts, broccoli, etc.)
Quoted from funkymuse How do you cook those vegies?
Quoted Text some protein gets turned into glucose.
Quoted from apositive For me, it is helpful to bear in mind that some protein gets turned into glucose (which can in sufficient quantities trigger excess insulin). I noticed this when I would be doing something after work and would eat an extra big lunch in anticipation of not eating dinner until late . . . I'd be sleepy in the afternoon and it would have me craving bagels in the morning!
Quoted from lola you mean the protein combos of grains and legumes, etc?
Quoted from lola cause animal protein doesn t raise my glucose levels.
Quoted from geminisue Apositive- It might help if you eat your regular lunch than follow an hour before your regular time of eating with a snack and than follow with your late meal regular amt.
Quoted from Victoria I generally season my vegetables with an olive oil drizzel: Extra Virgin Olive oil with a generous amount of crushed garlic and herbs, kept in a dark bottle with a cork.
Quoted from funkymuse At any rate, anyone with similar experience or testimonies of recovering from carb addiction, please write! This has been going on my entire life and this book has hit the nail on the head as far as what I have been going through since I was a kid with diets and weight and hormones and, and, and... I just want to feel normal and not driven to eat c**p!!! ARGGG!!! sigh.


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One of my favorite features of Silverlight is Deep Zoom, which gives online images depth like you haven't seen before. Zoom in and out of massive, hi-resolution imagery in a bandwidth efficient manner with just the scroll wheel of your mouse… it's great stuff. (See some examples of Deep Zoom in action at deepzoomstudio.com.)
The only problem has been utilizing it. Deep Zoom requires preprocessing of images to create different levels of tiles in order to pull of its magic, and until now that's been a client-side chore with a tool like Deep Zoom Composer. This is fairly lame for your average Joe, who just wants to upload a photo and have it "just work".
Enter zoom.it from Microsoft's Live Labs.
Point zoom.it at a web page or photo and it does all the work for you to "zoom it". You can then host it on your own blog, like so.
The image above is from the Point Montana Lighthouse Hostel, where I stayed a night during my bike adventure from Portland to San Diego last year. (A trip I started a year ago today, coincidentally. :) I would have loved to have something like this available during my trip.
When posting a photo, normally you have to make a decision about the size. Should you post a larger photo so people can make out details better, or should you keep it smaller and conserve bandwidth and screen real estate? With Deep Zoom you get the best of both worlds – viewers only eat up as much bandwidth as what they look at, and if they want to dig into a photo, they can zoom in and even go full screen if they want for the greatest in detail.
Besides Silverlight, Zoom.it includes Seadragon AJAX support so even people without Silverlight installed can still enjoy your images. There are many other cool features I haven't mentioned here, and it's free for you to use – check it out!
Three months ago I was laid off. Believe it or not, I had seen it coming. (The night before I was given notice, presenting for the Portland Data Visualization group, I gave hint of what was to come during my demo by way of the URL.) I had thought for quite some time about what I'd do post-Microsoft… now it was time to set the gears in motion.
The response I received after the announcement just in the first 24 hours alone was incredible. I had a couple job offers right off the bat, several more promising leads, and made the news. One person even offered to work for me if I was in need of a developer. All of this was unsolicited. I still haven't made it through all the messages of support I received. A huge thank you all for the concern, compassion, and recognition – it more than makes up for the doldrums of the last year or three at my previous job.
So what have I been up to these past few months? I've been staying pretty hush-hush until now… so without further ado, allow me to introduce to you my new business venture.
(Oh yes I did just do that.)
Mighty Code focuses on three areas:
Training on a variety of topics, mostly technical (ASP.NET MVC, Windows Azure, etc). One particular area of interest is to help developers tame the beast of concurrency by incorporating more declarative and functional programming into their toolbox. Our first training course is a joint effort with Dawn Foster and the Oregon Training Network on getting organizations up to speed with online communities, social media, and all that jazz. Consulting to get projects back on track, completed on time, and exceeding expectations. I actually started my first contract gig a week after leaving Microsoft and am still on it today. I'm serving as team lead and architect for a web site rebuild project at a prominent local firm. ASP.NET MVC 2, VS2010, the works – it's been going well so far. (I love the smell of production code in the morning!) Development because that's what we do. We're not just a services shop; we're a startup out to build apps and online services, fill some niches, and have fun doing it. We're aiming for the end of March to announce our first project (at Boise Code Camp), so stay tuned.
Training on a variety of topics, mostly technical (ASP.NET MVC, Windows Azure, etc). One particular area of interest is to help developers tame the beast of concurrency by incorporating more declarative and functional programming into their toolbox.
Our first training course is a joint effort with Dawn Foster and the Oregon Training Network on getting organizations up to speed with online communities, social media, and all that jazz.
Consulting to get projects back on track, completed on time, and exceeding expectations.
I actually started my first contract gig a week after leaving Microsoft and am still on it today. I'm serving as team lead and architect for a web site rebuild project at a prominent local firm. ASP.NET MVC 2, VS2010, the works – it's been going well so far. (I love the smell of production code in the morning!)
Development because that's what we do. We're not just a services shop; we're a startup out to build apps and online services, fill some niches, and have fun doing it. We're aiming for the end of March to announce our first project (at Boise Code Camp), so stay tuned.
For a long time I've considered my real promotion at Microsoft to be departing the company and starting something on my own. Here it is, and I couldn't be more excited. (Or busy. :)
What's in a Name? I've had the mightycode.com domain for several years, waiting in the wings for when the time came to set out on my own. At one point I was contacted by someone from Borland interested in buying the domain when they were selling off their developer division. I decided to keep it; the offer was just validation of the name for me. (They ended up going with CodeGear instead.)
Community For my fellow geeks who may have wondered if I'd disappear on them since I no longer have Evangelist on my business card, rest assured I will continue to be active in the tech community. I've since presented at the Corvallis .NET User Group and Fullerton Code Camp, and have several talks planned for upcoming events through the next several months. I'm involved with planning for this year's Portland Code Camp/BarCamp/SQL Saturday conglomerate, and am continuing to participate with the SAO Dev Forum, the Legion of Tech, and 30 Hour Day. In addition, Mighty Code is sponsoring Ignite Portland 8 and hopefully some other upcoming events as well.
Joining the Team I'm proud to announce that two weeks ago I hired my first employee, Beth Murray, to serve as our Director of Consulting. Beth has already started working to expand our consulting practice so we can bring on more talent and pursue some of those crazy project ideas I have.
Speaking of which, if you are in the Portland area, are a development badass, and like the idea of getting in on the ground floor, email me. I know from experience that being pigeonholed can get boring fast. We offer plenty of variety in the work available to keep skills fresh, interest levels high, and people hopefully sticking around for the long term. This is a developer's dev shop, and I intend to milk it for all it's worth.
Keep an eye out for the latest from MIghty Code at mightycode.com or on Twitter as @mightycode. Game on!
The inaugural 30 Hour Day may have come and gone, but we're not quite done with the fundraising just yet.
No Good Jones closed out the variety show with a half-hour set, joined by four local artists who created their respective artworks while we were playing. That's right -- these works of art were created live, on stage, under assault from approximately 5 billion decibels -- and in the span of 30 minutes. And now they can be yours, with all proceeds going to the American Diabetes Association.
(click an image to view the auction for that artwork)
Owl by Rai Villanueva
Universal Mind by Jamie Edwards
Guitarist by Laura Spitze
Whale by Gary Herd
Now if getting a nice piece of art and donating to a worthy cause wasn't enough, Scott Hanselman has offered to match all contributions, which means 2x proceeds will be going to the ADA. The auction runs until the 30th… bid now!
more pictures from the gig at http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/nogoodjones photos by Aaron Hockley and Igal Koshevoy
Hello world. It's been over a month since I posted about being laid off from work. Don't worry about me, I'm doing well – I've been quiet because I've been so busy with my new business. (My first client wanted me to start ASAP, so I ended up having only a week off.) I'll tell you all about it in a bit, but that can wait. This can't.
This Friday and Saturday, a unique event is taking place here in Portland and online around the world called 30 Hour Day. It's essentially an online telethon; 30 continuous hours of live streamed content to raise money for worthy causes. The really innovative part is that the content is being made available through a Creative Commons license, and people around the world are encouraged to use it to raise donations for their own local charities. It's the first worldwide (yet locally relevant) online telethon, and it's happening this weekend.
I'm excited and honored to be a part as my band No Good Jones is closing out the variety show on Saturday from 5:20pm to 6pm PST. If you only have an hour to spare this weekend, be sure to check out the feed at http://30hourday.org/ during that time. :)
Click here to RSVP our gig on Facebook.
We'll be playing a set that is mostly instrumental, and we figured watching us stand there playing wouldn't be all that interesting to watch on the online broadcast. So we've commissioned some artists who will be doing their thing alongside us while we play live. They'll be under the gun to complete their works of art in the half hour of our set, which should be entertaining in of itself. At the end of the set we'll auction off their artwork to raise more money for charity.
The artists collaborating in our cacophony include:
Jamie Edwards, Weiden+Kennedy Gary Herd, Cry of the Wolf Laura Spitze, Solution Film Rai Villanueva
Jamie Edwards, Weiden+Kennedy
Gary Herd, Cry of the Wolf
Laura Spitze, Solution Film
Rai Villanueva
No Good Jones will be making their contributions to the American Diabetes Association and their Stop Diabetes initiative. Diabetes affects friends and family including our band mate Jeffrey's son Reese, who was diagnosed with diabetes in June. Let's do something about it.
For whatever cause matters to you, please take some time Friday or Saturday to participate. Enjoy the entertainment, pledge a few bucks, bid on an auction item… take a load off, get cozy with your computer, and make a difference. I'll crank the amp to 11 just for you.
Yesterday I was notified of my job being eliminated along with 799 of my colleagues, including my teammate and friend Woody Pewitt in San Diego.
I find it fitting that I make my way out in what looks to be the last wave of layoffs, the only one of such scale in Microsoft's history. When I joined in June of 2001, I was part of the last wave of hiring before the dot-com bubble bursting took the wind out of technology's sails for a while. Bookends pretty nicely for me.
(Side note: My hire date was the day when Microsoft's stock hit it's absolute highest… not the day you want the strike price set on your stock options. :)
Why me? Reallocation of resources to better align business priorities is what I've been told. My team (Developer & Platform Evangelism) has been increasing their focus on the Bay area in particular, and has been moving headcount there from other areas in the West. For example, two teammates in Phoenix (one of them my friend Rob Bagby) are leaving Microsoft on their own; both their spots have already been shifted to northern California. Portland (where I'm at) and San Diego (where Woody is) are not as much on their radar… I assume if our headcount still exists after the layoffs that it would be allocated in a similar fashion. Or the jobs might just be gone, I just don't know at this point. (I do know they're not hiring for these positions in the places where people have left.)
Being at Microsoft for the past 8 1/2 years has been a great experience for me and I've learned a lot, both as a development consultant but particularly in my later role as a developer evangelist. The position has felt to me like an entrepreneur in training; I had my own part of the business I was responsible for, and it was largely up to me how to accomplish my goals… but at the same time it's not like the whole company would be going down the drain if I screwed up. :) My career, which had been purely technical up until that point, was now focused on people, relationships, and the challenges of engaging a very intelligent community that at times could be less than friendly (for good reason in some cases). I loved it.
So what's next for me? I'm taking off the training wheels and going into business on my own. I will be providing training and contract dev work, plus nurturing a few crazy ideas on the side. I'll announce more as soon as the dust settles. I was reluctant to do something like this in the past, but now I feel ready for the challenge. And thanks to the severance package I received, I can actually afford to do so!
In closing, I'd like to thank Microsoft for the best job I've had, and for enough runway to hopefully get the next one off the ground. They have been good to me and I wish my teammates and coworkers the best. They were always my favorite part about the job… do stay in touch, you know who you are. :)
Next week Microsoft is holding launch events for Windows 7 in Portland and Seattle. Both events are fully booked, but I just happen to have some extra registration codes to sneak a few more people in. These will go fast with every attendee getting a free copy of Windows 7… if you aren't registered already, sign up now!
Seattle: Monday, October 12 AMC Pacific Place 11 600 Pine Street Portland: Wednesday, October 14 Regal Division Street 13 16603 SE Division Street
Seattle: Monday, October 12 AMC Pacific Place 11 600 Pine Street
Portland: Wednesday, October 14 Regal Division Street 13 16603 SE Division Street
Hope to see you there.
I recently acquired a Zune HD, which I am very much enjoying. I'll write more about it after I've spent more time with the device, but I wanted to share a tip I'd learned about using it with Windows Media Center and recorded TV.
Recorded TV File Formats 101 Media Center in XP and Vista (pre-TV Pack 2008) records to a DVR-MS file format. In TV Pack 2008-enhanced Vista and in Windows 7 a new format called Windows TV (with the WTV file extension) is used for recording.
Why the change in format? The new Windows TV format supports dynamic format changes, such as video resolution, audio compression type, etc. If you think of watching a HD station on TV, some shows on a particular channel may be full HD (1080i) resolution, but other shows (or often the commercials within the HD show) may be of a lower resolution. The WTV format can encode these parts differently to optimize the recording, saving space and bandwidth. It also enables cool features like multiple camera angles and language-specific audio tracks, the sorts of features you'd see on a well made DVD. There's also enhanced metadata, better recording and recovery, and various other improvements. Most of this comes with version 2 of the Stream Buffer Engine in Windows 7.
Why the change in format? The new Windows TV format supports dynamic format changes, such as video resolution, audio compression type, etc. If you think of watching a HD station on TV, some shows on a particular channel may be full HD (1080i) resolution, but other shows (or often the commercials within the HD show) may be of a lower resolution. The WTV format can encode these parts differently to optimize the recording, saving space and bandwidth.
It also enables cool features like multiple camera angles and language-specific audio tracks, the sorts of features you'd see on a well made DVD. There's also enhanced metadata, better recording and recovery, and various other improvements. Most of this comes with version 2 of the Stream Buffer Engine in Windows 7.
That's all techno-gweege though. The Zune software and devices have supported both formats for quite some time, unless they use Dolby Digital AC3 audio. That turns out to be a big gotcha, since that's the audio format used for just about every digital video broadcast in the US and most other countries. This applies to both ATSC (over-the-air HD) and Clear QAM (from your cable connection).
Here in Portland where Comcast has already made the switch to 100% digital for their cable broadcasting, it means anything I record with Media Center can't be transferred to the Zune. Herein lies the suckage.
Beating Your Recordings Into Shape So the format isn't supported, but we can transcode the files to a different format that is. Expression Encoder 3 can do this for us no problem, and even has profiles for targeting Zune and Zune HD devices out of the box. There is a free version available for download if you don't have Encoder already.
Not so fast though… currently Expression Encoder 3 has a bug with AC3 audio in WTV files. On my desktop machine Encoder would crash outright when trying to import a WTV file; on my laptop it would report an error about not being able to find some audio codec identified only by GUID. In short, it no worky.
There are two options to work around this bug:
(Hopefully they'll have this bug fixed in an updated version of Encoder.)
Once you've done one of the two workarounds, you should be able to proceed with Encoder and transcode your video file for use on your Zune.
For output formats you have four choices: H.264 (MP4) or VC-1 (WMV) formats, and profiles for Zune HD or Zune HD (AV Dock Playback) for each respective format. The AV Dock Playback profiles encode 5.1 channel surround sound and a video resolution of 1280x720, which is going to eat up a lot more disk space than the standard Zune HD profile (stereo audio, 480x272). Since I can just watch my HD content via Media Center when I'm at home, I encode my files using the smaller Zune HD profile sized just right for its screen.
I've tried both workarounds and have had success with each. There does seem to be a minor issue when choosing H.264 (MP4) for the output format though; some metadata about the broadcast seems to be lost, resulting in the file not showing up in the TV section of your Zune video library. WMV handles this fine however. If you're encoding your videos to be used on more devices than just the Zune, using MP4 may be more important than the categorization glitch.
I'm hoping to get a script or simple app going to automate this process, but this should get you going in the mean time.
Got up early; definitely excited for the last day's ride. Today I loaded my bike not with food and camping gear, but the clothes/etc I'd be using for the next three days during the work offsite. (Yes, I've been commuting to work this whole time… I have to work today!) I was out the door a bit before 8:30am, which should give me plenty of time to get to the Hard Rock by noon. The meeting starts at 1pm and I'm supposed to be there by noon, and I can't be late.
I had tweeted about my last day and was getting a fair amount of attention that morning from people who'd been following the trip online. I saw Bryan Miller had mentioned on Facebook that I needed to stop at this Mexican place in Solana Beach called Roberto's and try a carne asada taco… don't have to tell me twice.
the taco was excellent, well worth the stop. on the left you can see some Spandex weenies that I destroyed on my way up the hill [mwa ha ha!]
Alright, enough dilly dallying… time to get back on the road. I proceeded on, tackling the one hill heading into La Jolla (I thought I was done with hills!) and towards UCSD. Here is where despite the shorter ride today, I managed to screw up the directions. Naturally this was on the one section of road that I actually was familiar with; I'd been to USCD for more than one SoCal Code Camp. I turned off when I shouldn't have, and ended up riding down a street that was parallel with the one I was supposed to be on. I figured I'd ride it out and look for a cross street to get back since I was going downhill and didn't want to double back. Fast forward a couple of minutes and I'm on the shoulder of I-5 dodging car parts and debris.
I was on the interstate for about a quarter mile, getting off at the next exit (which was another highway). I figured out how to get back on track using the map on my phone. My reward for the mistake was another hill to climb… oh well. Clock is ticking. What started out as a leisurely ride now was a race against the clock to get back on course and make it to work on time.
I found a street that would take me back over I-5 and in the general direction of where I should have been in the first place. There I found a bike path that got me back on the straight and narrow. From that point forward I was pretty much home free, cruising past Harbor Park and towards downtown.
downtown San Diego, straight ahead
At noon on the dot I rode up to the Hard Rock Hotel, my three weeks of riding to work a success. I had stopped at Seaport Village to get an ice cream and stall for time a few blocks short of the goal so I'd pull up right at noon. One of my coworkers who I will not mention was supposed to be there capturing my ride in, but he was too busy eating lunch at the time. (Sorry Tim, no champagne. :) I had a random passerby snag a couple pictures to capture the final moments of my ride.
from Portland to San Diego in three weeks… right on time.
I don't know if it was the helmet-formed double fauxhawk, the imposing stance of the Hulk bike beside me, or my abundance of sweat, but for whatever reason the person at the Hard Rock front desk offered me an early check-in. Why yes, a shower and change before resuming work would be nice. I popped into lunch with my coworkers to scarf down some calories before ditching the jersey for the last time and resuming life as a civilian. In one hour's time I was back to work (in body at least).
The meeting kicked off, and I was surprised to see my face up on the projector as my trip was one of the first things mentioned. (I was also surprised there wasn't a betting pool if I would survive the journey or not… at least I didn't hear about it.) Someone during the first break came up and said, "wow, you rode a motorcycle from Portland to here?" Uh, no… it was a bicycle. "Wha-wha-WHAT?!?" :) It was definitely the main topic of discussion for me while I was down there, both in person and online.
Most Exciting Moment Pretty much the whole ride was a highlight. The Dos Equis party at the hotel that evening took the cake for scenery though. (Free beer too!)
Roadkill Report
Postscript The rest of the work week was spent at the team offsite… they tend to pack the schedules in pretty good at these things. Friday afternoon Woody helped me drop off the Hulk bike at the San Diego Bike Shop for boxing and shipping. (A tough moment, saying goodbye to my steed for a while.) He then gave me a lift back to my aunt's place in Carlsbad, as I would be staying for the weekend to spend some time with family here. This would really be my only "time off" of my whole vacation. :) I ended up partying downtown (blocks from the Hard Rock) with my two college-age cousins and some friends of theirs from England, all of them girls and apparently built with superhuman livers. Not easy keeping up with them especially after three weeks of sobriety, but it was fun trying.
Sunday evening I was back in Portland to be reunited with my son Zach, who I'd missed the most. (Now I just missed the Hulk bike.) Monday was back to the grind; I had an MSDN event in two days' time to present on my own. Cram time. The next couple weeks were a blur of trying to catch up after a month off, dealing with a slew of events, and spending time with Z. (Last week I had six events over seven days, two on the same day, five where I was presenting.) This is why I haven't posted these final updates until now.
I'll have another update or two to close out the chronicles of my journey, but I do want to take this opportunity to say thanks again to everyone who helped support me through my journey, whether it was a place to stay, a lift to town, a riding partner, or an encouraging word to keep the pedals turning. I look forward to rooting you on in your own adventures.
Today is my last long ride (over 60 miles) of the trip. I enjoyed the Westin's Heavenly Shower as I took my time to get ready for the day.
I departed the hotel around 10am and stopped shortly thereafter to get my weekly dose of McDonalds for breakfast. After breakfast I proceeded south down the Pacific Coast Highway to make my way out of the LA area.
As I was making my way out of Long Beach, I rode past a skateboarder who caught up with me at a stoplight at the top of a hill. I paced him down the hill; the dude got up over 25mph on his skateboard! Pretty incredible. (And people think I'm crazy!)
The first hour of riding I was focused on one thing – speed. I was riding with only one pannier (a.k.a. bike bag) as my cousin had picked up the other three the night before, so my bike was about 40 pounds lighter than usual. One of my cycling buddies on the East Coast, Peter Laudati, had messaged me about averaging 15.5mph over 40 miles the day prior, which I took as a challenge. For the first hour I averaged over 16mph, but slowed it down a bit after that as I hopped on the bike path in Huntington Beach. (Taking the pack off the mule doesn't make him a thoroughbred, it turns out. :)
The sky was clear today, the weather in the mid to high 80s throughout. I stopped in Newport Beach for a break and to hydrate with a chocolate Coke and a black cherry vanilla malt, which I guess was my lunch for the day. (I was still full from the double sausage and egg McMuffin breakfast.)
There were rolling hills through the course of the route, particularly in Laguna Beach. San Clemente had me following a bike path through residential streets up and down little hills. Nothing too strenuous… just kept my pace and proceeded onward.
a memorial to John Cuchessi
Past San Clemente, I followed a bike path that led to (and through) a state park/beach, where I was caught by two older ladies flying on their road bikes. We started talking and they eased up their pace a bit (slowing to 18mph :) so I could keep up. I told them of my trip as we headed south to the edge of Camp Pendleton, where their ride ended for the day.
The ride through Camp Pendleton was pretty straightforward. I heard various conflicting reports about what it would take to get through the base; turns out all I had to do was show my drivers license to get past the guard station. I had asked the guard what model of helicopters were flying past us… he hadn't a clue. [sigh]
tankity tankity
It was around 4:30pm or so when I was approaching the road out of the base, a long line of cars slowly trickling out that I zoomed past. Reunited with the PCH, I rode through Oceanside on my way to Carlsbad to my aunt's house, my destination for the evening. It was pretty intense riding up Tamarack, remembering the streets from visiting in years past, but here I was riding them on my bike. Wild.
I arrived at my aunt's house at 5pm on the dot (I seem to be making a habit of that) and was joyously reunited with the box I'd shipped down before I left, which contained normal clothes, my shaver and beard trimmer, and other personal effects. I spent the evening catching up with my aunt and grandma, enjoying the nighttime weather on the back patio.
One more day!
Most Exciting Moment Crossing a bridge in Camp Pendleton, I had a car honk as it cut by me. It was an old 70s-era metal monstrosity that gave me the closest call of the trip. It actually wasn't too bad; were it not for the honk I wouldn't have thought much of it, but the honk freaked me out for a second there.
Besides that, the whole ride through the base with the tanks, helicopters, grunts doing basic training, etc was a lot of fun. Different scenery than the rest of the trip for sure. :)
Okay, let me first state for the record that I hate Los Angeles with a passion. Exhibit A for car culture run amok, filled with smog and smug, all the celebrity crap… I could go on. It was too nice a place on Earth at some point and too many people wrecked it. I hate going there, I hate being there, I wish it would slip into the ocean already. (Are you getting the picture yet?)
Now that you know how I feel, you may be as surprised as I was at how truly enjoyable today's ride through the LA area actually was. Most of it was cruising miles of bike paths by the beach, which were sparsely populated thanks to overcast skies and it being Monday.
my last campsite of the trip… I made an extra big breakfast this morning with the stove
This day on the route had stood out in my head like a ride through Hades. In the morning I opted for my green and white 360 jersey since my other one was orange, and I didn't want anyone mistaking it for red and busting a cap in my ass when I rode through Compton or Watts or who knows where the bike path would be taking me. (I hope there aren't gang wars over game consoles.) One guy in camp that morning talked about the route like I would need the Popemobile in order to survive. The cycling guide itself describes the route as harrowing and extremely challenging, riding without shoulders, etc.
Bah I say! It was fun.
I was in Malibu by 10am, rolling over a couple of small hills and wondering if the thick fog would be sticking around all day. I met two other guys touring at this point who were riding with guitars; they had been on tour for the past couple of months all the way down from Seattle.
the group's name is Bramble… couldn't track down a link. They did a century the day before – impressive!
As I got up towards Santa Monica I was flying by literally miles of backed up cars; turns out they had closed off the PCH for what looked like a fallen tree branch that had hit a power line. I made it onto the start of the Los Angeles Bike Path right before the traffic detour and was cruising along the beach.
I stopped in Venice Beach for a disappointing chili dog (there should be a law as to what constitutes a hot dog, and what chili is) and to refill my Gatorade bottle. I went through Gatorade like crazy today for some reason.
I reached a point where the bike path headed away from the beach and started having to consult the directions in my camera again. I passed two girls on bikes, followed some path I was told to take, and then saw the two girls ahead of me again sometime later. Figuring they knew where they were going much better than I did, I rode with them for the next few miles until Manhattan Beach or so, where I made a pit stop. I passed them again in Hermosa as I cruised along at a decent pace.
oil tankers offshore as I cruise the path
In Redondo Beach I reached a section where I had to walk my bike and lo and behold they have dipped ice cream cones, I'm not passing that up. I grabbed a dipped cone and a churro for more nutrients before the bike path was about to end and I'd be back on the PCH battling it out with the cars.
When I went to throw away my churro wrapper, I heard some guy say "HEY WHITEY, YOU BEST BE EATIN' THAT, THAT ONE'S FOR YOU!" I looked up thinking he might be talking to me (and wondering how this was going to turn out) and saw an I'm-guessing-homeless couple feeding a flock of pigeons, with one white seagull in the middle of them. I laughed and started to talk with them, the conversation naturally ending up about my trip. The guy said "one time I rode my bike from here to San Diego – it took me eight days to get there. I got to that base down there and they wouldn't let me ride through since I'm an ex-felon, so I had to go around." I had a newfound appreciation for my clean rap sheet and was soon on my way.
The ride onto the Pacific Coast Highway and through Torrance was not as scenic as the bike path by the beach was, but it wasn't a bad ride. It was around 4pm and traffic was good, and for the most part I had a whole lane to myself. I talked with some kids on the side of the road at a stoplight who were digging the bike, and had some other people wave and give me the thumbs up as I rode by… some bike supporters even down here as well. Not a single car honk, gunshot, or grenade the whole time as I rode towards Long Beach.
I made it to my hotel at 5pm and astonished the front desk staff with having ridden my bike here from Portland. I brought the bike in so they could check it out, but they were more interested in checking out my legs. [sigh]
After a shower (Westin heavenly shower with the dual shower heads… ahhhh) and some online time I met up with my SoCal buds Mark Rosenberg and Daniel Egan, who treated me to dinner at Gladstone's down by the water a few blocks away. My cousin Vannessa swung by on her way up to Hollywood and she picked up most of my gear; she'd be at my aunt's house when I get there tomorrow, and I don't need my hammock, pots & pans, etc anymore. Tomorrow I will be like a rocket on the newly svelte Hulk bike as I escape from LA and make my way to Carlsbad.
Most Exciting Moment Girls in bikinis playing beach volleyball. When I get home I'm going to have some elaborate letterhead made with the gold leaf and calligraphy and the heavy paper stock and all that, and write a fancy letter thanking the guy who invented it. Now I can see why people would put up with all the other crap in LA in order to live here.


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Sponsored by: Desert Diamond Casino
Mar 10, 2011 12:25 AM
TUCSON - Wednesday Tucson Police Department responded to a deadly hit and run on Campbell south of Irvington.
Police said a drag race ended with a man being hit and killed.
TPD is looking for the people who took off from the scene of the accident.
We talked with one neighbor who said he heard it all from his backyard.
"We didn't even hear any brakes it was just like boom one big bang and that was it," said Sabino Flores.
H has been living in the neighborhood for over 20 years and has watched it change.
"In the last four or five years there has been a lot of racing going on you can always hear the cars loudly. I mean it's not quiet like it was 8 or 9 years ago now it's pretty loud," said Flores.
Police said the racing turned deadly in the middle of the afternoon.
Flores continued to listen moments after the crash and said he heard as the people left the scene.
"They were saying lets go, lets go, lets get away, lets go, lets go. It sounded like a girl's voice, a guy's voice high pitched but they were trying to get away definitely screaming trying to get away. I could hear that clearly from the backyard," said Flores.
Tucson Police said a white car and black Honda were racing when the white car lost control and hit and killed a young man.
Within moments the black car returned to pick up the people in the white car.
TPD said shortly after the accident the white car was reported stolen.
"At this point we don't believe it was maybe somebody involved in the accident who later reported it. We do believe it was a true stolen vehicle," said Trish Tracy with TPD.
At this time police are still looking for those people who took off in the black Honda. They believe there was a man possibly two and a woman in that white car.
If anyone has information they are asked to call 911 or 88 crime.
8 hours ago


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Serial Number: 14187, Year Manufactured: 1974 36" Magnetic Chuck Diameter, 1/2" Chuck Life 24" Range Over Chuck With New Wheel 20" Diameter of Wheel Chuck, Full Ring Style (New Cortland Chuck Available) 720 RPM Wheel Speed (6) Ranges of Chuck Speeds, 6, 9, 12, 18, 25, 33 RPM 30 HP, 3 Phase, 60 Cycle Spindle Motor Automatic Downfeeds Feed 0.004 - 0.080 IPM Dry Base Machine Floor Space 11'8"L x 8'4"W x 9'1"Max./8'8"Min. Height Approx. Weight 13,500 lbs. Thank you for choosing F. P. Miller Company to provide you with a quote on a purchase and rebuild of a Blanchard Rotary Surface Grinder. The work would consist of a mechanical rebuild which includes specific items as follows: 1) MACHINE DISASSEMBLY: a) Completely disassemble machine & inspect parts and castings. b) Clean and wire brush all parts 2) TABLE AND TABLE SUPPORT WAYS: a) Machine as required. b) Precision Scrape, fit the table support ways to the table ways. c) Installation of Moglice wear material in cup if needed. d) Grind magnetic chuck hardened bull gear 3) CARRIAGE AND BASE WAYS: a) Re-grind hardened base ways (Replace if needed) b) Precision scrape and fit carriage to base ways. c) Installation of Amco Bronze wear strip if needed 4) VERTICAL SLIDE AND COLUMN WAYS: a) Machine as required b) Precision scrape and fit the vertical slide ways to the column ways including the gibs. c) Replace or rebuild Elevating Screw and Nut d) Installation of slide way material if needed. 5) CARRIAGE AND TABLE DRIVE MECHANISMS a) Inspect and rebuild carriage drive assembly (including replacing bearings and seals). b) Replace Rack and Pinion c) Inspect and rebuild table drive assembly (including replacing bearings and seals). 6) HEAD FEED MECHANISM: a) Inspect and rebuild head feed as required (including replacing bearings and seals). b) Inspect Feed worm gear and pinion, remove backlash. 7) SPINDLE UNIT COMPLETE: a) Disassemble the spindle unit, clean and evaluate. b) Check spindle taper fit to wheel collar taper, and repair if required. c) Replace the upper and lower spindle bearings d) Clean, bake, and recoat windings. (Main Spindle Motor) e) Reassemble the spindle unit, and test. 8) ELECTRICAL FEED MOTORS: a) Disassemble feed motors, clean and evaluate. b) Replace bearings 9) LUBRICATION SYSTEM: a) Install Automatic oil lubrication system b) Remove all lube lines on the carriage, base and table. c) Replace or reuse all lube blocks and clean oil ports on the carriage, base and table. d) Re-pipe with all new lines and fittings, the carriage, base and table. 10) GREASE SYSTEM: a) Install new automatic grease system b) Replace all lube lines on the column ways. c) Replace or re-use all lube blocks and clean oil ports on the column ways. d) Replace all lube fittings on the column. 11) ELECTRICAL: a) All new wiring on machine b) New magnetic controller c) All new limit switches and push button switches (placed to your configuration) d) Electrical panel components cleaned, wire replaced as necessary. e) Install soft start for table f) Updated Schematics g) Updated manuals 12) MAGNETIC CHUCK: a) Meg Magnetic Chuck b) Install New Magnetic Chuck Controls 13) GUARDING AND COOLANT LINES: a) Repair and replace guarding as required b) Fit to machine c) Install new coolant Lines and External Clean Out Hose 14) PAINT: a) Sand entire machine to original machine surface. b) Clean. c) Prime and paint grey. Will accommodate customers paint specs if possible 15) REASSEMBLY OF MACHINE COMPLETE AND TEST: NOTE: Items not covered in this quote: Resurfacing of Magnetic Chuck REQUIREMENTS: 1. CONTRACTORS RESPONSIBILITY: F. P. Miller will be responsible for furnishing all services, labor, parts and materials necessary to rebuild the machine as described above. 2. DISASSEMBLY AND INSPECTION: -All areas and items of rebuild will be completely dismantled to basic parts and castings. -All parts and castings will be thoroughly inspected for defects. 3. REUTILIZATION OF PARTS: -All parts that will be reused will be in such condition to assure proper part function and fit. This applies to parts which are used as is as, as well as those that are repaired, or replaced. 4. REPLACEMENT PARTS: -Replacement parts will be OEM or a suitable substitute. 5. BEARINGS: -All bearings associated with spindle, regardless of condition, will be replaced with new bearings of the same type and precision class or better. 6. SEALS AND GASKETS: -All seals and gaskets will be replaced with new seals and gaskets of a type equal to or better than original quality. 7. FASTENING DEVICES: -All fastening devices will be inspected and all defective devices will be replaced. 8. ACCEPTANCE TEST: -The machine will be run off at F. P. Miller Company with testing witnessed by customer. 9. DOCUMENTATION: -Two complete sets of machine documentation covering -Electrical diagrams, maintenance and operating procedures, will be provided to customer 10. TRANSPORTATION: -It is the customers responsibility for transportation from F. P. Miller Company, we can assist with arrangements upon request. -F. P. Miller will need Advanced Notice of Shipping Arrangements, prior to picking up machine, for proper time to package and prep machine 11. DELIVERY: -Delivery of the machine will be approximately 17-20 weeks from the receipt P.O. and Down Payment and is dependent on availability of replacement parts and current shop schedule. The delivery will be held unless the lead-time of purchased items causes a delay. WARRANTY: F. P. Miller Company warrants the rebuild of this machine against defective materials and workmanship. The warranty terminates (6) months or 2000 operating hours, whichever occurs first, from delivery (some regional restrictions do apply). This applies only if the machine has been installed correctly and used in normal and proper manner under recommended operating conditions. AVAILABLE OPTIONS: Resurface Magnetic Chuck New Cortland Segmented Chuck Set up and run off in customers facility |
F P Miller Company 420 Ingham St Jackson, MI 49201-1251 |
Contact: Craig L. Ward Tel: 517-787-3100 Fax: 517-787-3116 |
Email: email@example.com In the Surplus Record since 1955 |
Visit our Website: www.fpmiller.com View our Machinery/Equip. Listings |
F.P. Miller Co. is a full service machinery dealership, offering new and used machinery sales, rebuilding, and machine repair services including on-site repairs. They also have a large inventory of used machines including tool room equipment. |
CNC Machinery Coil Handling/Processing Equipment Compressors Air & Gas Lathes |
Milling Machinery Presses Rebuilding/Retrofitting Shears |
Surplus Record All Rights Reserved. https://www.surplusrecord.com Tel: 312-372-9077 Customer Service Mobile Apps Advertise |


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The contents of this personal blog are solely my own opinions and comments, as such they do not reflect the opinions of my employer(s) past, present or future. No legal liability is accepted for anything you do, think, or consider fact as the basis of articles and links posted on this blog.
"Three to one...two...one...probability factor of one to one...we have normality, I repeat we have normality. Anything you still can't cope with is therefore your own problem."
Note: A large portion of content I post on my blog comes from "live blogging" of security conferences. These posts are in notes form and are written live during a talk. As such errors and emissions are expected. I'm only human after all!


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Unusual Features in Hang Tag Printing
Why are you investing in hang tag printing?
Not so that tags can be ripped off your product and thrown away along with the receipt! Hang tags strengthen brand identity, act as an advertising tool, add to the style and appeal of products, and often, they include important product information that the consumer needs to know.
If you're investing in hang tags for any or all of these reasons, then why not have a hang tag designed to stand out? More and more, we are seeing surprisingly large, and/or uniquely shaped hang tags on shelves and racks. Designer clothing lines, in particular, are designing hang tags as large as 6.5 x 8.5. As the average consumer becomes increasing style-conscious when it comes to products, designers and manufacturers are developing hang tags big and bold enough to be part of the product purchasing decision.
The Jumbo Hang Tag
There's virtually no limit to the size of hang tag that can be printed. The only rule to follow when it comes to design is that, generally speaking, hang tags should not be larger than the product itself, unless that product is particularly small or delicate. Jewelry and other accessories, for example, can be displayed on or attached to a tag, in which case the tag becomes a crucial sales feature, much larger than the product itself.
Deciding on extra-large hang tag printing should also be done with consideration of your product's retail environment. After all, you don't want to design a tag so unwieldy that it is awkward to display in-stores. This can make extra-large hang tags inappropriate for food and personal care products. However, things like clothes, furniture, and sporting goods take to well-designed, large hang tags like ducks to water.
If you've decided to invest in large hang tag printing, don't waste the space by simply blowing up an already existing design. Make the extra space busy and fresh by incorporating additional design elements. Differently textured materials, like ribbons, leather, stickers, and vinyl can all contribute to a hang tag that's not just a label, but an experience for the consumer.
The Die-Cut Hang Tag
Many trendy designers and manufacturers are also adding to the tactile experience of their hang tags by having printers die-cut the tags into interesting shapes. Die-cutting in the shape of a logo is popular, as is die-cutting in the shape of the product itself. This approach isn't suited to all products, but can be a great complement to a fun, funky hang tag design.
Die-cutting can also be elegant. Geometric shapes like circles, diamonds, and lozenges are all popular choices for chic clothing lines, eyewear, and personal care products.
The Multi-Page Hang Tag
If you've got a lot of ideas for hang tag design, but don't necessarily want to commit to postcard-sized tags, another popular option is the multi-page hang tag. This can be done as a booklet, an accordion-fold, or even a quarter-fold poster. Choosing hang tag printing with multiple pages gives you room for a mini product catalogue, a printed version of your website, or even a rundown of your business practices and environmental policies.
Whether you choose to super-size, die-cut, or design a booklet, the goal of hang tag printing is to create something valuable and interesting to the consumer. The right hang tag won't just help you sell your product, it will be a gorgeous keepsake for the consumer. Soon, all their friends will want one, too, so don't forget to double your next hang tag printing order!


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"I've made this before, and the cookies are really delicious. I like to make a minor adjustment to the icing though. Instead of butter, I mix light cream cheese into the confetioner's sugar for the icing. This is also really good with mint extract added to it. I made a Valentine's batch by cutting the cookies in heart shapes and adding food col..."
"Very tasty and easy. I wasn't sure if I liked it after the first bite, but after a little salt and pepper it was divine.I doubled up the onions and used about 28 ounces of corn, making the soup thicker, which I enjoyed. I also used shredded cheese because that's what I had, but it worked fine. My boyfriend said this might be the best thing I've co..."
"This was so tasty and pretty easy to make. With the layers, it kind of has a lasagna flair to it. I also believe I will substitute ricotta for the sour cream next time, but this is just a personal preference since the recipe was great as is. Also, this recipe is very filling; I only served garlic bread and fruit with it. Delicious! Thanks for the ..."


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found a new home!
Plenty of my friends are looking
for one too. Find a pet to adopt.
Find a pet to adopt |
My name is Echo!
Facts about Echo
- Breed: Domestic Shorthair
- Color: Calico Or Dilute Calico
- Age: Adult
- Sex: Female
- Hair: Short
Echo's Info...
I am already spayed and up to date with shots.
Echo is a 2 year old, calico kitty. She was found outside and a lady took her in and got her all fixed up. She can be a little shy with new people but warms up quick. She is a cutie!
She is spayed, Leukemia negative and current on shots. Adoption donation is $50.
Contact Mary at 724-423-5571 or email her at firstname.lastname@example.com to schedule a time to come meet her and take her home!
Other Pets at Animal Keepers Rescue
Why Adoption is a Great Option
Echo, a Acme Domestic Shorthair cat was adopted! Here's how you can benefit by looking at adoption as an option to buying a Domestic Shorthair for sale in Acme, or seeking a Domestic Shorthair cat from a breeder in Acme.
- Rescues and shelter volunteers in Acme already know the personality and tendencies of their pets. This means they can match you with the right pet. That will makes it much easier transition to owning a pet for yourself and your new pet.
- On average adoption fees are much less than you'd pay a Acme breeder, or pet store. Plus most often rescue pets have already been to the veterinarian for a check-up, had a round of vaccinations, and are spayed or neutered. That is a lot of savings!
- You will become a hero, and give a needy dog or cat a loving home. In fact, there are even Domestic Shorthair breeders who help with Domestic Shorthair rescue. One puppy or kitten adopted in Acme paves the way for another one to be saved.


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i am very new to this. my neighbor just gave me seed pods from her orange trumpet vine. i have no idea what to do with them. it is mid-sept. days in the low 70's and nights in the low to mid 50's. do i leave the seeds in the pods and plant as is, remove them and plant, or remove them and dry to plant in the spring? she also gave me a cutting with a small root attached. do i plant it now directly in the ground? any help would be greatly appreciated. |
Follow-Up Postings:
A cutting with a 'small root' could be planted in the ground, depending on just how small that root is. If it has barely begun to root, someplace more protected than your Z5 garden bed might be a better place for it, i.e. semi protected porch, cold frame etc. The seeds are removed from the pods. They need a period exposed to cold moist temperatures before they will germinate so you could direct sow now while it's comfortable to be outside, sow in pots in winter and place the pots outdoors for germination in Spring, or sow and use your refrigerator to provide the cold moist period - Campsis radicans: sow 2 months @ 39şF, move to 70şF for germination. If your neighbor is growing the vine you must know in some climates it can get large and have an attitude :) |
- Posted by chrisnance 7 (My Page) on Sat, Sep 19, 09 at 11:16
I actually bought some yellow trumpet vine that I will be planting in containers. If you google it, you will find that it is incredibly invasive and hard to get rid of once it has set in. |
In zone 5, I doubt that Campsis will be very invasive. That is about as cold as they will go at all. They are a horrible problem from zone 8 South but not bad at all for me here on the zone 7-6 border. George |
My yard is zone 6 or maybe 5 (I'm in a frost pocket) and it is very invasive. We have it growing to attract hummers, which it does very well, but I warned my wife "it's beautiful, but you can't get rid of it". My grandmother had it while I was growing up and you had to trim it back severely EVERY year, or "it will pull the shingles off the barn" was the warning. I think it could have pulled the whole barn down if it was left alone. Be careful where you put it. JMO, Tom |
- Posted by karyn1 MD 7 (email@example.com) on Wed, Oct 21, 09 at 7:18
I'm in 7a and it's impossible to get rid of once it's become established. |
I had trumpet vine on 3 sides of my yard for twenty years. My neighbors had it growing in their fence lines because they didn't care about it, they are renters. It is HORRIBLY invasive and when you cut it back, it starts new shoots underground. Even worse than bamboo. I probably spent 40 - 50 hours a season just cutting it back as hard as I could. Then I bought some powdered roundup and mixed it double strength and sprayed those vines about 4 times. That got rid of it. It was the first time (hopefully the last) I ever resorted to using poisons in my yard but it was so worth it. If it comes back in the spring, I'm going to spray it again. It was even coming up as far as ten feet away from the original plants. DON'T PLANT IT or I'm sure you'll regret it. |
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