More on climate change & controversy

So, I'm a proponent of both environmentalism and science. I also promote a "proceed with caution" approach when it comes to accepting facts about Climate Change and Global Warming. That said, I believe Climate Change threatens life as we know it--perhaps human existence--and has been influenced in unprecedented ways by human activities.

Enter Australian geologist, Ian Pilmer. This article introduces Pilmer's view "that man-made climate change is a con trick perpetuated by environmentalists." It continues:

While environmentalists for the most part draw their conclusions based on climate information gathered in the last few hundred years, geologists, Plimer says, have a time frame stretching back many thousands of millions of years.

The dynamic and changing character of the Earth's climate has always been known by geologists. These changes are cyclical and random, he says. They are not caused or significantly affected by human behaviour.

Polar ice, for example, has been present on the Earth for less than 20 per cent of geological time, Plimer writes. Plus, animal extinctions are an entirely normal part of the Earth's evolution.

...He says atmospheric carbon dioxide is now at the lowest levels it has been for 500 million years, and that atmospheric carbon dioxide is only 0.001 per cent of the total amount of the chemical held in the oceans, surface rocks, soils and various life forms. Indeed, Plimer says carbon dioxide is not a pollutant, but a plant food. Plants eat carbon dioxide and excrete oxygen. Human activity, he says, contributes only the tiniest fraction to even the atmospheric presence of carbon dioxide.

There is no problem with global warming, Plimer says repeatedly. He points out that for humans periods of global warming have been times of abundance when civilization made leaps forward. Ice ages, in contrast, have been times when human development slowed or even declined.

So global warming, says Plimer, is something humans should welcome and embrace as a harbinger of good times to come.

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Enter evolution and Homo sapiens, 400,000 years ago.
Our species has been present through one ice-age (20,000 years ago when ~5 million people inhabited Earth), and as far as I can tell, it was far less impressive than the "Snowball Earth" of 635 million years ago. We are currently riding the tail end of the latest ice-age ("glacial retreat").

Soo... to say that global warming is pretty rad and totally natural, Pilmer is basing his argument on lots of time before humans existed. Flowing further down this stream of thought, if we are to accept Global Warming, we are to accept lots of extinction (which has been predicted... by environmentalists) and possibly the end of Human existence... sorry, that was redundant. Yeah, the end of Homo sapiens as well as nearly everything else that currently exists is pretty inevitable--just look back in history. Sure, climate changes naturally, up and down, which is also evident.

I haven't read this guy's literature, but based on this article, I've read nothing that provides evidence that humans aren't speeding up the process through Industrialism, etc.

And when you start charging environmentalism as a conspiracy by "urban elites" you've pretty much surrendered yourself as a conniving douche-bag.

Done.
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Sorry these last few posts have been fueled with so much negativity!

Hahahahahahahaha

Just caught this bit o'news (as reported by the AP):

[Glenn] Beck made the statement during a guest appearance Tuesday on the "Fox & Friends" morning show. He said Obama has exposed himself as a person with "a deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture."

Glad I don't have to worry any more about what Glenn Beck says. I can cast him away in the same mental trash bin where I've put Rush Limbaugh and other popular extreme-Right radio/talk-show hosts.
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And what is "white culture"? Somebody let me know if "white culture" isn't just stewing in racism and a history rich in imperialism and slavery.
(found at GetBuck)
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While we're on the subject, I'll mention that yesterday I was listening to NPR's Talk of the Nation on the radio and the subject was "This American Moment for Black Men." (Listen here).

"More to Love"

Well, last night marked yet another ending--the finale of the nth season of ABC's The Bachelorette. C watched only the last few episodes with half-hearted interest, but I still managed to suffer through the part where the two finalists pick out engagement rings that outshine the one I has picked out, and the magical and poetic ocean-side proposals that make the few words I spoke on our apartment balcony seem pretty worthless...

Where there is an end, there is a beginning--this reincarnation being the new series on Fox, More to Love--which is similar to The Bachelor, but it's for people that are overweight. It has been pitched as if they were leveling the playing field or something: "Sure, skinny people find love with skinny people. But guess what? We just figured out that fat people can be loved too--by other fat people!"

Here is the network's version of the show's premise:
MORE TO LOVE, the new dating competition show from Mike Fleiss ("The Bachelor"), follows one regular guy's search for love among a group of real women determined to prove that love comes in all shapes and sizes.

So, instead of mixing up the pool of candidates, combining people that represent a normal spectrum of weights, the producers decided to keep them separate.

Reading words like "regular" and "real," one might be tricked into thinking that "regular" and "real" people are somehow equal to the others who find themselves in the other shows (The Bachelor/Bachelorette). "All shapes and sizes"? Hardly.

My problem resides with the fact that the producers think they are doing some sort of favor for big people. (Here is an article discussing More to Love, sort of in light of feminism and size-ism.) (Here's another that pins the show to "Fatsploitation".)

This is not my realm of expertise. Anyone else have thoughts?

Sport

The Tour de France is over. I'm just glad I don't have to Americanize the name any more.

I never got to see any of it, other than a few minutes of silent footage from across the gym. We don't have real cable so I never got any updates either. I didn't care too much. I just don't know anything about the sport of cycling.

I love riding my bike. I am obsessed with bikes. But I just don't understand competitive cycling. Riding my bike is similar in many ways to riding my skateboard. It's something you can do alone... or in a group. There are a lot of people who are into it and care to share their passion, despite the independent nature of the "sport." Large industries are built around each. And we all like to feel like cool, misunderstood lone-wolves pitted against mainstream sports like basketball and football. I almost said baseball but realized no one really likes baseball.

But the big difference between the ESPN X-treme skateboarders (which is as close as skateboarding can get to being a "sport") and the Tour de France pedal pushers is money and investments in equipment and training. Even the top professional skateboarders (think: Tony Hawk) skate on the same $50 deck (at best made with some hidden air chamber between maple wood plys), $50 trucks (perhaps with a hollow body chamber), $35 wheels, $50 Swiss bearings, and $80 shoes you'd find at your local skate shop.

Meanwhile, your favorite pro cyclist is wearing crazy space-age spandex (I priced out some bibs at the local bike shop for $150 which is the economical choice for your average enthusiast), $500 carbon fiber soled shoes, riding a carbon fiber bike worth (I'm guessing) $10,000, and I don't even know how to price out coaches...

Where's the sport?

When you consider all the technology and training and money together as the common demoninator, at least all these athletes are competing against each other with human energy--an inspiring thing--which makes it leagues better than Nascar.

Summer Planting: Kale, Chard, Spinach; Mint

One thing I need to get better about is the realization that planting in a vegetable garden doesn't happen just once, in the spring. It can and should be a season-long activity, just like weeding, but better.

Today, in the place of the previous sugar snap pea stand, I "directly sowed" in four kale "pits" ~2 ft apart in a zig-zag formating. In the spaces between, I planted 2 rows of spinach and 2 rows of swiss chard. I confirmed that at least one other Midwest gardener plants kale in July--the reason being that kale likes to be alive in Spring and Fall, it can survive temperatures down to 10-below (supposedly), and frost makes the leaves taste sweeter. Sounds pretty perfect for Ohio. My friend Allison also lovingly describes kale as the "toothbrush of the colon." What can be better?
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Also, I've been regretting not planting any mint early this year. It's got a ba-jillion uses. Long story short, I was at the grocery store and found a small mint plant in soil in a 4" tall plastic container. The grocery store sells a few select planted herbs (basil, cilantro, parsley, mint). They are pretty small plants with up to maybe a dozen leaves. I'm not sure if the intention is to provide fresh herbs for a single meal, such that the container and stem are disposed after the single use; or if the plants are to be kept in a kitchen window to grow and be used as many times as possible... Anyways, I bought the plant for $2.99 and planted it in a bigger container using soil, potting soil, and a little bit of "plant-food" fertilizer pellets. I pinched a couple of the stems just above pairs of leaves, hoping to spur new growth in both the shoots (stems) and roots. Hopefully I'll be able to use mint in the next few weeks.
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I'm considering adding a few elements to the garden to extend our growing season. I've been reading about people using "hoops" (think metal hula-hoop halves placed in the garden) over which they can put shade cloth to keep things like lettuce cool in the summer, or clear plastic to keep things warm in the cold and frosty months. Another useful resource might be a cold frame, basically a box made of wood and glass which similarly protects plants from frost in cold months. I've got a couple months to consider these things...

"To a certain extent, the sky's the limit."

words of a Chevron employee while standing on a floating oil rig, 160 miles from the coast, 7000 feet above the ocean floor in the Gulf of Mexico, that pumps 65,000 barrels/day from depths to 32,000 feet below the platform
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Americans constitute 4% of the global population, yet we consume 25% of the world's oil (which is 2 times more than China and India combined).
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"We operate like we have oil because we used to have oil." - T. Boone Pickens
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(stuff I learned from a T.V. special about oil consumption on ABC)
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Sounds like we have to turn a lot of stuff around.
Go ride a bike this weekend.
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A political cartoon for the weekend:

Reblogged on GetBuck

Things Fall Apart (Tomatoes, Squash...)

Tomatoes:
Yesterday, on my way out the door, I found two of my tomato plants had fallen over due to the previous day's rain, worthless metal cages, and the burden of many large and unripe fruits. C had used some bricks to prop the cages up temporarily. After work I had used some tent stakes to anchor the two bent cages in relatively upright positions. The fall had resulted in a couple large, lateral branches snapping, so I decided to completely remove those. As of sunset today I counted three near-ripe fruits.

Lesson learned: no more shitty $3 cages. Next spring I will invest in heavy-duty metal cages or a nicer looking wooden setup.
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Squash:
I found a few more Squash Vine Borer worms in the yellow squash this afternoon. I was tipped off by the lower leaves that had become flaccid and small holes in the main stem of the plant. I was encouraged by the two fruits that are growing, but I'm afraid they won't mature fully. I might pile up some more soil tomorrow and hope that helps keep the plant nourished.
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I decided to remove the dessicated sugar snap pea plants from the garden bed. I'm not sure what to do with the void--I'm thinking about adding some lettuce and more spinach, hoping they can handle the summer heat... More to come on that space soon.

Longer

Been trying to find something to write about. Today I rushed out of the house in a terribly grumpy mood after finding that two of my tomato plants had fallen over due to pouring rain, worthless metal cages, and the burden of so many large and unripe fruits.

C called me at work to say she had managed to prop the plants up with bricks. It's a temporary fix, but it reminded me that she loves me so much and wants to take care of me, if only to reverse the direction of my shitty moods.

I also found these photos on J&M's photo-blog of C and me. I usually hate pictures of myself but I'm obsessed with Jess's editing talents. She knows how to make it work.
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I'll also mention C's dad has been staying with us since Monday to start finishing our basement. He's banged out so many great projects around our house. This one is more than a bite and I'm excited to get my hands in on it--even if my part is only hanging drywall and slinging mud.
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This week has been a stress: lots of rain that seems to dump only when we are trying to get work done and gray clouds that have lingered all day long; C's work schedule has been a bit off; not been riding my bike much--which tends to be my main form of exercise; and work around the house has kept it a mess and has inhibited much needed down time. None of it is really bad--just minor things that are keeping me feeling a bit exhausted. I'm pining for the weekend.

Updates: Tomatoes, Chard, Squash, Peppers

Tomatoes:
As of yesterday (7/21), one tomato is starting to turn red. I suspect it will be another week or more before it will be ready for the plate. Looking back through my notes I see the seeds were started on March 30. So, roughly 4 months from seed to fruit for those.
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Swiss Chard:
The seeds have sprouted and are poking out of the ground. 50 more days until we eat them...
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Squash:
Yellow squash seems to be recovering from the Squash Vine Borer larvae. One fruit is growing steadily and might be ready to be picked in about a week. Two butternut squash plants are getting huge, but still seem to be a long way from the large, hard, and golden fruits we find at the grocery store.
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Peppers:
My "mariachi hybrid" jalapeno peppers are getting big. I thought they would be a variety of colors. I'm wondering if I should have clipped the first fruit when it started to develop--I think this strategy helps promote stronger growth in all other fruits... I'll pick the oldest one to try very soon. (This seed was also started on March 30th)

B-day, Patio, Photos

(I apparently didn't take photos of the most complicated steps: leveling the sand...)
We owe you big, DanS'mores

New Life: Swiss Chard

Since my last post, I've pulled the dying zucchini plant from our garden (and discovered more Squash Vine Borer larvae within the stem), lamenting not only it's loss, but the new void in its mulched bed.

Pondering the Circle of Life, yesterday (7/15), I quickly realized my new opportunity to plant the Swiss Chard seeds that I have so far ignored this year. Seedlings are expected to emerge in no fewer than 10 days and the plants should be ready for harvest in about 60 (approx. mid-September).
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The yellow squash seems to be hanging on and may very well be able to produce more fruit.

One positive note is that we did eat one small zucchini from the plant before it died. A packet of 25 seeds costs $3.75 (or $0.15/seed). I planted 4 seeds, hoping for 50% germination, and got one plant out of it after thinning--and, unfortunately, only one fruit from that one plant. Thus we paid $0.60 for that zucchini... Probably the same it would cost at the grocery store.
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NOTE: Regarding economic stats, I don't factor in the time I spend (and the cost of my time for) preparing soil, planting seeds, and watering--as this turns out to be a pleasurable activity in my mind, not work...

Oi Polloi

This morning--amidst being really busy at work--I was considering some of my hard-line theories regarding environmentalism. What came to mind was an old favorite band from Scotland named Oi Polloi who's motto was "No Compromise in Defense of Our Earth." I decided to post up the band's logo--and was considering not including any other commentary, until...

As usual, I turned to the almighty Google to fetch the image. To my dismay, the first listed result for "Oi Polloi" was Oi Polloi. No, not the band, this store in Manchester, England. Apparently, as seen in this photo of the store front, their motto is "Talent Borrows, Genius Steals"--which is the ironic sugar in my bitter tea.
A gentleman's outfitters, filled with expensive, delicately crafted garments mixed with random camping and cycling accessories. Funny, because the name is a spin off of the phrase "hoi polloi" which is a derogatory Greek phrase that means "the many" and refers to the masses, or unwashed, proletarians of the working class. I want to puke (metaphorically) and embrace everything they sell at the same time. I love art and design and things that look great. Undoubtedly. I love vintage things and, to a certain degree, "masculine" things. At the same time I hate expensive things that are only expensive because they evoke some symbol or image [esp. when that image is of the working class, when the thing can only be afforded by the rich] or status rather than performing like they should. Or maybe, in some cases, these things would perform but aren't used in they way should... Get it? It all goes back to my love for dirt and believing things should get dirty and people should be doing useful things which probably involve getting dirty... It kinda doesn't make sense and in many ways I'm a hypocrite, oh well...

a;lsdkfaskfnasd

I've managed to ignore talking about TLC's champion debacle, Jon & Kate Plus 8, that had recently claimed the media spotlight just before Gov. Stanford's jaw-dropping stunt, then Michael Jackson's fake death, took over.

Today, Today announced that Jon has reemerged on the media radar which is apparently centered on the French Riviera, where he was spotted with his (not) new girlfriend, holding hands, sipping champagne, and suggesting he is considering starting a fashion line. Images of these activities were juxtaposed with photos of Kate, still wearing a wedding band, shopping at the grocery and taking their eight children on a picnic.

Originally, I was pretty satisfied when I heard TLC had put the show on hiatus, personally hoping it would turn into a permanent decision. My opinion as a largely disinterested observer was that the attention was driving the family to its breaking point (for whatever reason) and that dissolving the fame would allow them to heal. I was unhappy to hear that the network expects to resume the series this Fall.

Since when did family friendly documentary-style shows cater so eagerly to the gossip hungry media?

I was furious to see this asshole Jon trying to regain his media attention through infidelity and arrogance above all things, including the family he conceived, once loved, and has consistently insulted. Or maybe he's not trying and the media is seeking it out, which is the more likely scenerio. Either way, it appears Jon has chosen to betray his wife and family, and pursue "sins of the flesh" as it were.

Why do I care? I guess because it's in my face and it disgusts me, like a fly. I watch more TV than I need as it's cheap entertainment or, at least, background noise to whatever I'm doing around the house. And because we only have 20 channels or less, I find myself watching The Today Show every morning and TLC most evenings. When "J&K+8" morphed from a mild-mannered show about raising babies into a media circus centered around a breaking marriage, I got annoyed that all the attention seemed to inflame this sad story. I guess the point is the show was stressed for material and may have been destined to crack into the shit-show it became.

But I, like many others before me, just want this show off the air. Kate will rise above in some other way and the children will seek out some sort of normal that they haven't yet had. Jon will probably continue to pursue terrible things, trying to live out the second decade of his life that he feels was robbed from him.

Meanwhile, this will hopefully be my last written word on the subject; that is, unless this thing flares up like unwanted jock-itch after wearing one's padded spandex cycling shorts for too long...

Squash Vine Borer

For the past two weeks I've noticed our young zucchini and yellow squash plants looking surprisingly pathetic: lower leaves were wilting or completely dessicated; flowers were not producing fruit...

Saturday morning--being a lazy one when I could spend some time paying more attention to the plants--I was disappointed to realize how droopy the two squashes were, even after I had given them a lot of water the day before. I got down on my hands and knees and shoved my face down into the base of the zucchini. What I saw was a stem that was yellow and chewed up; it looked as if something were chewing around the base and leaving a trail of moist yellow sawdust.

Also, at the base of each of the yellowing, prostrate leaves, I noticed a single hole where the leaf attached to the stem with more of the crumbly, yellow sawdust. When I detached the sickly leaf, I noticed the head of a fat white worm poking out of the hole in the stem. "Awww sh*t!" is what came out of my mouth.

In a panic, like some Veggie EMT--I rushed into the house, grabbed some tweezers, and yanked out the one worm I found.

Long story short--I found another worm in the yellow squash plant, and the next day another four or so worms. Fortunately, according to OSU Extension, this worm--the Squash Vine Borer--finds Butternut Squash relatively distasteful. I say "fortunately" because out of the three squash plants we have, one is Butternut--and it seems to be doing well.

By Sunday, the zucchini had almost totally succumbed to the damage caused by both the worms and my attempt at removing them. I piled up soil around both plants, as it was suggested this might encourage secondary root production--allowing nutrients and water to be taken in by the plant. As of this Monday morning, the yellow squash seems to be doing okay and I have hope that it will survive.

I'm not sure what to do with the void that will be left by the zucchini. I might try to go to the local nursery and see if there are any small zucch' plants that might serve as a replacement.

(Climate) Change we can believe in

Just cruising through good ol' Facebook and getting incensed over small quips making fun of President Obama.

Okay, okay, okay. Karma, right? I did my share of taking jabs at Dubya over the past eight years. Now my pride is on the receiving end.

But I realize, it's not about Obama. Things I'm reading are attacks at Obama because these people don't believe or understand Climate Change and Global Warming. What?! Are you kidding me?! They are protesting undeniable scientific evidence and concern for our future.

"Wednesday's 65-degree high the coolest July 8 in 118 years in Chicago... Isn't that Obama's city??? How's your global warming?"

"The cool temperature is directly proportional to the amount of hell thats freezing over as the socialist "change" continues under the name of liberalism. So see our fearless leader really is doing something to halt climate change. Ha."

"Changing the light bulbs in the White House has really improved the climate!....His cap and trade bill will cost the average family of 4 an extra $3000 a year. Do you think American families can afford this???"

WHAT?!!! Wow. WOW.

I guess it's not surprising as lots of people still refute evolution. Evolution!

I'm not prepared to argue that cap-and-trade is a good solution, but f*ck it--how are we going to control the emissions that are unquestionably polluting our air, warming the globe, driving plants and animals toward extinction, and altering our way of life in irreversible ways? isn't this is a relatively market-friendly solution towards alleviating one of the problems? Maybe not. Maybe we're realizing there is no market-friendly solution that will curb our carbon emissions when we can't count on other countries to do the same, save for adopting new, cleaner technologies at home and assigning true costs to things like pollution and waste.

There will be no easy answers, that's the one sure thing. But denying the problem is only making the situation worse. Denial. These people are the alcoholics of carbon emissions I guess. And there needs to be a 12 step program for that addiction.

Introduction, 2007-2008

Almost two years ago exactly, my wife (who was then my fiancée) and I moved into this, our first house: a cookie-cutter Ranch built in 1950 that looks nearly identical to the five houses that sit alongside it. Very basic in many ways; very poorly designed in so many others.

One of the cornerstones of the Post-War housing boom--I'm sure of it--was the sterile, manicured lawnscape. Previous tenants had put some effort into sprucing up the landscaping: a few boxwoods here; a cluster of tulips, daffodils, or Stella D'Oro daylilies there. Hostas and grape hyacinths were used to fill in a lot of gaps. A few bleeding hearts, two lilac bushes, and a couple clumps of irises were really exciting in the Spring following our arrival. My favorite things however were planted in a raised garden bed along the garage: a hearty lavendar bush and a happy crop of strawberry plants! It would be the start of our backyard farm. Almost everything was limited to beds that hugged the house's exterior walls and extended no more than 4 feet deep.

My driving force for owning a house with a sunny yard was the ability to grow vegetables and a native plant garden and this was the perfect blank canvas. The back of our house faces the south and the yard slopes down as much as 10-degrees in the same direction (i.e. good drainage). Fighting back my disdain for lawns and mowing, I reluctantly bought a crusty old lawn mower that I found on Craigslist for $20 and mowed the lawn no more than three times during the rest of 2007. (The mower still lives today.)

Skip ahead to 2008, my wife, C, helped me start removing lawn from the backyard. I had no clue how to start or where to go with my plan, but knew that I wanted a garden and didn't want lawn. I think we barely exposed 100 square feet of garden space--but it was perfect. We raised three monster zucchini plants, five or six tomato plants of two varieties, a lettuce mix, spinach, peppers, and a potpouri of herbs--all from seed.

Without going into too much detail and writing a book about them, I learned a lot from the mistakes of that year. The most important lesson was to plant less of more, different things and not all at once. Over-ripe zucchini invited terrible bugs to infest the garden; cilantro was burnt out long before the end of summer; and we're still fighting the invasion of tomato seedlings--the result of a million rotting cherry tomatoes that weren't harvested quickly enough.

I chalked the mistakes up to "experience" and was excited to plan our 2009 garden. This year C and I got a lot more ambitious. I can tell you this years mistakes I've noted so far, but it'll have to wait.

"Do me a solid..."

Stop talking about Michael Jackson. I thought his over-hyped memorial service would end it, but they were still talking this morning on the news. Gah! I won't be surprised when we find out that he Tu-Pac'ed himself and will be making a comeback soon... and the media is in on it.
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Urban Outfitters is trafficking customizable single-speed/fixed gear bikes for $400+ on their website. Check out Prolly is Not Probably for details...
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Kings of Leon's song "Sex On Fire" is great. Go find it. I would've embedded the video for you but that ish was disabled on Youtube. (Link to video here)
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I bought myself some Levis 512 slim jeans, clean rinse, with an inseam that is 4" longer than I need, and they are awesome. Straight up great jeans.
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Another early B-day present to myself: some Vans 106 SF shoes. "Brown" hemp, with bamboo/anti-microbe insoles, water-based inks & glues, and an injection-molded (no-waste) outsole = relatively earth friendly. Very classy.

Let Go

I'm facing a delimma. I apparently can't spell "dilemma." No, that's not it.

I have choices to make, and there's nothing I despise more than making choices. Really it's a stupid choice, one based on mundane things, and the outcome of which is not life-altering. But I tend to get caught up on small things, based partly on my frugal ways and also my pride.

Here it is: Should I sell my new(ish) bike for close to what I paid to buy another good bike that is more expensive and different in many ways?

Currently I have two bikes: A '95 Fuji road bike (once converted to single-speed/fixed gear, and recently restored to multi-geared road bike) and a 2007 IRO Mark V fixed gear. I am reluctantly starting to admit to myself that a nice (i.e. expensive) fixed gear bike is not worth what it cost. I've enjoyed riding a fixed gear/single-speed bike, no doubt. It's fun to ride, it's a challenge, and you can do things on a fixed gear bike that you can't do on others. While it is practical in many ways (e.g. less maintenance, easy maintenance), it is a pain in the ass in other ways (e.g. no coasting, no shifting to lower gears). Ultimately, there's a "bad-ass" factor at work here. No doubt. I feel cool and sleek; part of... something cool and... unspeakable (::cough::).

Lately I've been filled with the desire to travel further than my 1.5 mile ride on a flat bike path to work. I signed my dad and me up for an organized 17-mile bike ride through Cincinnati--a ride with a notoriously long and steep ascent followed by an equally thrilling descent into Eden Park. I'm excited, but it has left me wondering: on what bike will I ride? It won't--It can't be my nice new fixed gear. Not possible. But the Fuji? It works, for sure. But every ride on that old steel steed is questionable. Should I upgrade the brakes? The gears and derailleurs? The wheels? No. Not worth it.

If I were to sell the IRO, should I buy another bike? That's what I don't know. I've had my eye on a couple bikes and have zeroed in on one in particular... It's dreamy for sure.

Maybe it's worth selling the IRO just to recoup my money, and seeing how far the Fuj' can take me. I really hate to let it go, though. It's so nice, so smooth. Nicer than any bike I've ever ridden...

Good Life Garden Journal

I don't mean to muddle things here, but I'm starting a second blog. Currently, I'm calling it "Good Life Garden Journal" and intend on it being a garden journal which should prove to be useful to myself, but hope that it's useful to other people as well. Unlike this blog, I can organize entries by plants and dates so I can reference entries in the future. Starting a calendar in July is a goofy choice, but I wanted to get the blog rolling and figure I still have plenty to talk about during the rest of this year. I'm posting a link on the blogroll you'll find to the right under "I creep"... Enjoy!

First

Welcome to this journal; a virtual garden calendar with details, instructions, photos, comments, and reflections to keep me on track as well as others, that will hopefully serve to motivate and inspire.

I am starting this in July--an unreasonable date to start a calendar, when my first tomatoes are nearing maturity on plants that stand three feet tall in their cheap metal cages; a day after I picked my first yellow squash; and as sugar snap pea plants are slowing down fruit production while the whole stand is starting to desiccate from the ground up...

This is the second year of our garden--our backyard farmstead--and while I've learned a lot from Year One's attempt, this season is still riddled with mistakes and small misfortunes as well as modest successes, notable harvests, and huge potential.

I'll spend the rest of this year following the life of our garden as well as offering links to pertinent resources about specific plants, methods, tools, philosophies, etc. as we continue to refine our techniques and expand our gardens as much as our knowledge and imagination.
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Organization.
I am keen on organization. In the garden, in the garage, and on my blogs. For that reason I will try to be meticulous about how this journal is structured. Where a plant is mentioned, I intend on giving that post a label that identifies the plant(s) in question. At the same time, an archive will be arranged by year, then month, so we can follow the calendar's linear path across the seasons, when that is appropriate. Word?
Word.
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Participation.
Please, please, please! feel free to get involved in this. I welcome all advice, questions, constructive criticism, and thoughts regarding the topics at hand.
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Amendments, editing, and other house-keeping.
While I appreciate the integrity in abstaining from post-publishing edits, especially those without notice, I anticipate that I will be amending many posts over time. In fact, I've edited this post numerous times. In most cases, I'll try to include a note if I amend something or make an update painfully clear. For the most part, in this journal, I am keeping away from politics, current events, controversial opinions, and my obsession over bikes--those will be banished to my other blog.
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Anyways, I am excited about embarking on this journey through the garden and discovering where it leads. - David

Fourth of July (amended)

This day comes around every year, full of spectacle and national pride. That's right: the day of Nathan's Annual Hot Dog Eating Contest.

Now, I'm not too cynical to think that all of America is really invested in such an event. It symbolizes a gluttonous and bored society. Granted, these competitive eaters are in "traditional athletic condition" (or something to that effect) and have found a job at which they are successful and can apparently make a lot of money. That's the good part about capitalism, for them. What about us? It's hard to believe this gets much support but I guess there is a whole circuit of competitive eating: funnel cakes, ice cream, deep fried asparagus, clams... the list is as long as people are stupid. And these people make a LOT of money!

Well today a skinny white American male won for the third year in a row by eating a record-shattering 68 hotdogs in ten minutes. Awesome. And he looked an appropriate amount of miserable afterwards. I know where he's coming from though. In weaker moments, I have eaten inordinate amounts of bad food from a few cheap Chinese-food buffets, and I will probably do it again. But no one celebrates me for it.

I guess as long as people are finding reasons to be proud to be American, and no one is getting hurt, it's alright by me.

On the other end of the spectrum however, is the recent rise of domestic terrorism--something that was recently reported on NPR. The collision of a shitty economy and election of a half-black Democrat is just a lot for some crazy people to handle. This trend is up mainly within extreme right-wing circles, as unsurprising as that is to hear. So, groups of people that are generally characterized by nationalism and pride are going nuts because they feel like everything to which they have an inherent claim--perhaps instilled by God--is being threatened or has been stolen. The most chilling thing to realize is that white supremacy is alive and well in America. I'm not ignoring all the other racism, etc., that plagues other nations, but I'm reflecting on the U.S. of A.

Ok, sorry about the little tangent. Be safe this weekend. Happy Independence Day. Go be independent!

Tomato

I have the day off of work so, after waking up around the time I'd usually be leaving for work, I was able to get some easy chores done and treat myself to a long bike ride, a cup of good coffee on the corner of our main thoroughfare uptown, some antique store perusing, and bike shop gawking...

Back home, almost as quickly as I sat down to the computer to check my blogroll, I noticed that Colin at Seattle Urban Farm Co. had posted literally only minutes before about pruning tomato plants. Great luck!

Our four tomato plants have been on my worry list for a little while now. Up until this past week, I still didn't know which plants were my "paste" tomatoes and which were my "salsa" tomatoes--believe me, there will be a difference between them--due to a little mix-up in the transplanting process... Ooops. Fruit has been growing for a couple weeks, but only a few days ago did the fruits start growing slightly differently on two of the plants--which was a relief to know we would have two of each variety, rather than three of one and one of the other... Garden drama.

The plants are getting huge and the two salsa plants appear to be very "indeterminate"--meaning that instead of just growing up as one massive stem with some smaller fruit-bearing branches, they put out some huge lateral stems that grow out then up so you end up having this crazy 4-foot wide bush of tomatoes and it gets out of control. So, despite my attempts to constantly tuck these branches into the metal cages, the branches were content to grow out, beyond the garden bed, and lay in the grass, disregarding both the mower and Alden's penchant for eating plants.

Ok. I open my blog, scan through my list of favorite blogs, and notice SUFCo wrote about the importance of pruning tomatoes. Bingo. I was out the door quicker than you could shake a stick at something, dismembering the lowest branches and anything that looked like it should be destroyed. It was a blood bath. I suspect it's a little late in the growing season to be butchering plants as I did, but I figure the plants were screwed if I left them on, so what's the harm? Best case scenerio is the fruit will be sweeter and come in smaller quantities so we won't be overburdened like last year...

Health Is Stealth

My 26th birthday is coming up and I'm trying to crank out a few life-errands before that day hits. Not sure why, but I figure that I've come to the point where I have to start acting like an adult that takes care of himself. Also, I like setting deadlines so if I complete something simple I feel like I'm one step ahead of myself.

Last year I went to the dentist. Twice, even. That was pretty cool until my health insurance mucked everything up. I went to an eye doctor who pointed out my eyes have gone rogue and prefer to not stay in place for long periods of time.

Today I became a new patient at a nearby Family Practice. Is that what it's called? A doctor. I saw a doctor. For as nervous as I was, it was a pretty underwhelming experience. I really like filling out questionnaires, so that was fun. I also enjoy answering questions to which I know the answer. It was gratifying to be reassured that my blood pressure and pulse were in good places. The best news was that my moles, although plentiful and eye-catching, were of no serious concern. Sweet. Other than that, nothing. I guess I was hoping for some sort of receipt to show that I was completely healthy, like you'd get after a 120 point inspection on your car. I mean, the doctor didn't draw blood and perform all sorts of tests. No x-rays. No "Turn your head and cough." Not even a wooden stick down my throat to look at anything there either--and that's gotta be the simplest thing to look at. Just one tetanus shot and I was out the door. Check.

One step closer to being a responsible and healthy adult. Next up is a car inspection. That, or starting a retirement account for myself...