| The Organic Garden- Year One |
[May. 14th, 2008|08:02 pm] |
My first year garden here in Southern Zone 6 is organic of course, like every other garden I've ever grown. But it is the farthest thing from sustainable imaginable. I don't mean sustainable in the full bore Ecology Action, Grow Biointensive Way. Although I support that fine organization financially and have for years, the idea that you must grow your own compost seems silly on a suburban cul de sac where an unlimited supply of leaves can be gathered for free before the neighbors bag them to be carted away. No I mean sustainable from the perspective of little or no purchased fertilizer or soil amendments.
This year I've gone through 12 cubic yards of compost and its barely made a dent in this horrid soil. For long term fertilization I've spread hundreds of pounds of rock fertilizers, which I shouldn't have to do again. But I've also spread bales of non-renewable peat moss, in order to grow decent root crops, and blood and cottonseed meals for nitrogen.
But gosh the yields so far have been wonderful. Asian greens for over a month now, broccioli, cabbage and lettuce tonight. The peas and potatoes are in bloom the cabbage heading up nicely. I should eat every night from this garden for the rest of the season. And for this the first year that will have to be enough.
Next year the berries will begin to yield, the fruit and nut trees two years after that. Life is good. |
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| Last Authentic Traveling Freakshow |
[May. 14th, 2008|06:47 pm] |
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| Plant ID & Diagnosis Questions... |
[May. 14th, 2008|04:15 pm] |
Ok, first, could this be a tomatillo? I planted tomatillo seeds as well as flower seeds in this area, and I have idea which this is:
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| Yes, Kurtis and I are geeky. |
[May. 14th, 2008|03:24 pm] |
We saw Iron Man on Sunday and EVERY TIME Jeff Bridges was on screen...
we made Goldberg jokes to each other. |
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| Citi Announces One Of Its 'Bold Steps': Stricter Rules On Student Loans [Student Loans] |
[May. 14th, 2008|05:33 pm] |
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http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/consumerist/full/~3/290479196/citi-announces-one-of-its-bold-steps-stricter-rules-on-student-loans http://consumerist.com/5009040/citi-announces-one-of-its-bold-steps-stricter-rules-on-student-loans 
Two readers have forwarded us a second email sent out by Citibank today, but it's not another vaguely worded PR blast from the CEO. Instead, this one announces that Citibank is adopting the zero-tolerance approach to late payments favored by the credit card industry—miss a payment due date and you'll lose any interest rate discount(s) you currently enjoy. Sean writes,
Just got this email from Citi's student loan business. Yes, I carry my loans with Citibank, but I consolidated when the interest rate was at rock bottom in spring of 2004. 3% baby!
Looks like if you post your payment one day late, Citibank will terminate any interest-rate deductions you have earned. I guess this is one of the "bold steps" Vikram is taking to shore up profits.
Anyone with loans with Citibank better make damn well sure they pay on time, otherwise it can cost them big time.
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Dear Valued Student Loan Customer,
We are writing to inform you about important changes to the terms of your loan.
To retain your borrower benefits with us, you must make and have your payments posted to your account no later than the scheduled due date. Any payment posted after the due date will result in the termination of such benefit. Interest rate reductions and other benefits do not apply during periods of deferment and/or forbearance and automatically terminate for payments returned for insufficient funds, loan delinquency, default, and/or the purchase of your loan by a guarantor.
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Gosh, Citibank, we were kinda hoping your bold steps would be a bit more consumer friendly, you know?
(Thanks to Sean and Eric!)
(Photo: ElvertBarnes) </p>
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| Shelters create personality test for kitties |
[May. 14th, 2008|10:14 pm] |
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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24628635/  It happens to all of us. You fall in love with someone’s looks... but then he’s not quite what you expected. Even, sometimes, if he’s a cat.
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| Shamful Admission of the Day. |
[May. 14th, 2008|06:16 pm] |
Today a man with deformed hands sat next to me on the bus and he freaked me right the hell out. Not the fact that his hands were deformed but. . . his left hand. . . SCARED ME. He had a thumb and a pinky and one really gigantic finger in the middle. Not three fingers fused together either. One gigantic finger. With a gigantic nail and two gigantic knuckles.
For some reason this frightened me. Like the mutant sunflowers that made my heart thump the first time I saw them. It was like a monster finger and I had to fight the urge to run away. I felt so bad about being scared of the poor man's hand and yet I could not control my fear. I closed my eyes and tried to sleep but I kept seeing the gigantic monster finger in my mind.
I hope he didn't notice my panicked reaction. |
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| Ohio Senate Passes Strict Lending Legislation, Prepares To Punch Payday Lenders In The Face [Payday |
[May. 14th, 2008|04:49 pm] |
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http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/consumerist/full/~3/290450981/ohio-senate-passes-strict-lending-legislation-prepares-to-punch-payday-lenders-in-the-face http://consumerist.com/5009039/ohio-senate-passes-strict-lending-legislation-prepares-to-punch-payday-lenders-in-the-face  The ass-kicking, face-punching anti-payday lending legislation that we've been keeping an eye on in Ohio has passed the Senate. The Columbus Dispatch says:
House Bill 545 would slash the current interest rates charged by payday lenders to 28 percent, down from 391 percent, prohibit loans terms of less than 31 days, and limit borrowers to four loans per year. It would ban Internet payday lending, and it also attempts to encourage lenders to get into the small-loan business.
Payday lenders say the bill would quickly put their 1,600 Ohio stores out of business and 6,000 employees out of work. One industry lobbyist estimated that fewer than 150 stores would remain in Ohio, as some also offer other services, such as pawnshops or check cashing.
“This will, without a doubt, close the industry,” said Tiffany Verderosa, a Toledo-area manager for Fast Cash of America.
It seems that Ohio has finally had enough of the rapidly expanding payday lending industry: "“I think everybody said there is just no way to redeem this product. It’s fundamentally flawed, and it all too often traps people in a cycle of debt they can’t get out of,” Bill Faith, a leader of the Ohio Coalition for Responsible Lending, told the Dispatch. In the past 11 years, payday lending in Ohio has grown from a mere 106 stores to more than 1,600 today.
Senate approves tough payday-lending bill [Columbus Dispatch] (Thanks, Andrew!)
(Photo: eyetwist )
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| I have to refresh? |
[May. 14th, 2008|04:52 pm] |
Sometimes a page doesn't go through as planned so I have to return to the previous page. However, re-attempting what I couldn't do the first time doesn't work. I must first refresh the browser. This hasn't happened with Firefox before, so something has changed.
Anyone have a clue? |
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[May. 14th, 2008|09:33 pm] |
Rangers lost the UEFA Cup Final and I got a 95 on my Contract exam.
Lfe is good. |
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| The Battle of the Boo |
[May. 14th, 2008|05:17 pm] |
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( rages. . . ) |
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