Yes, I actually said that. Blindly fomenting controversy with nary a clue as to why or how. Still laughing at my own jokes.
About 3 posts per day
Daughter is in the Twin Cities for another week+. She received an email from one of her Art professors asking her to pick up her artwork from the studio or it will be 'tossed.' Daughter emailed me and asked me to pick it up. I've been to the Fine Arts center twice since yesterday. No one. NO ONE has been in the building.
Parking lot. Empty. Departmental offices. Empty. Studios. Locked and empty. It's really creepy to walk through an entire 3 story building and not see another soul. Now, given that it is Memorial weekend, no one will be around until Tuesday. I will call the departmental office first thing Tuesday morning and say something like "IS ANYONE GOING TO BE THERE AT ANYTIME DURING THIS COMING WEEK?" (This assumes, of course, that someone will be there to answer the phone.)
- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
UCLA tossed my art once. I didn't even have it in there at the wrong time. In general, art departments could not give two shits about students' artwork.
- Spidra Webster
Here's what I learned today: 1) No matter how much 'extra' potting soil you think you have, you'll need more. 2) "River rock" is not a term that connotes any particular size of rocks. 3) You can have window/deck planter boxes up (out?) the wazoo, but that doesn't mean you'll have an easy way to 'hang them." --more-to-come--
4) Even at a 30 - 50 percent off sale, you can spend $100 really quickly, and still barely make a dent in your intended landscape configuration.
- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
5) The plants that people *want* invariably cost a lot more than the plants they can *just as easily do without.* #gofigure
- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
6) Lilac bushes are pricey. Taking some cuttings from a neighbor's bushes (with permission) seems a lot smarter. (Just no instant gratification, if such a thing exists in the shrubbery world.)
- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
7) Just because a garden center/nursery in your area sells a plant/shrub/tree, you can't/shouldn't assume that it will actually tolerate/survive the climate in your area.
- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
I'm sure I learned a lot more, but that's all my tired brain can muster right now. Feel free to contribute any pearls of wisdom you may have acquired in your own botanical exploits.
- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
8 months (and a long long winter) later my deck is exhibiting a severe splinter danger condition. I'm not sure if the best way to deal with it is good ol' sanding, or if I should try one of those handheld planer do-jobbies. Open to advice from FF deckxperts.
Not that I'm a total expert, but I'd opt for sanding. Any new cuts you make are likely to splinter as well so I think doing things on a finer level is needed.
- Spidra Webster
My vote would be test one part with sander first going from really rough to at least 200. With planer you would still have to sand after. A hand held router also an option if it's just corners, again still have to sand after.
- SteVe C
Do it with gloves on. I've had it happen where a splinter came at me right through some sandpaper once...
- Spidra Webster
I've never used a planer of any type (handheld or benchtype or whatever) so I really have no clue as to when their use is appropriate. Given that, I figured I'd go with sanding, and like Steve suggested, use a router to round the corners. I'm pretty disappointed with the quality of wood the contractor used, but I didn't specify and he went cheap. I guess I should've known better. #liveandlearn
- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
Having sanded our entire deck two years ago - rent a commercial sander. I burned out the three we had here and tore many belts of our very old craftsman.
- Janet:#TeamMonique
I just received an official looking envelope in the mail from a 'Financial Services' company. I went into panic mode because I recently discovered that I still owed about a $100 to Mayo Clinic from a couple months ago. I opened the envelope and they are offering to loan me $1500 at ONLY 35.99% APR. How GENEROUS of them!
That breaks down to payments of $88.56 for 24 months. Crazy. "Don't do me no favors!"
- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
Of course I should point out that they also offered me $7500 at an almost giveaway rate of 23.99% APR. Over 48 months that works out to about $245 a month... or a car payment on a decent (aka not too shabby) used car Crazy. These people ought to be ashamed of themselves.
- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
U.S. acknowledges killing of four U.S. citizens in counterterrorism operations | Washington Post...
"The Obama administration Wednesday for the first time acknowledged killing four U.S. citizens in “counterterrorism operations” abroad. The deaths of three of the Americans — Anwar al-Awlaki, his 16-year-old son Abd al-Rahman Anwar al-Awlaki, and Samir Khan, all of whom were killed in drone strikes in Yemen in 2011 — had been previously reported. The death of the fourth, Jude Kennan Mohammad, a Florida native apparently killed in Pakistan, had not been."
- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
This headline and article bothers me because the suggestion seems to be that this is only important because innocent *U.S. Citizens* were killed while in other countries. In my mind that point of distinction is essentially irrelevant. If innocent people are being killed by U.S. drones, in other countries or here in the U.S., *that* is the critical point. The fact that they are U.S. citizens doesn't magnify the already tragic nature of the abusive deployment of force. #neededtobesaid
- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
I have six large plants to re-pot. I have never re-potted even one small plant. The only reason I'm forging ahead is that I lost 4 smaller shrub plants over the winter. (I didn't get them planted for real last fall, and they got root bound in their small containers.) I have to do something or I'll get a bad rep as a plant murderer.
I just repotted a bunch of things last weekend. So far, everything's looking good.
- Kirsten
Well, I have relegated an old drop leaf table as my potting bench (in my garage.) I have my potting soil, some sort of moss stuff that I bought last year and am not sure how/when to use, some river rock to place in the bottom of the pots/planters for drainage... oh, and some Vigoro stuff that (I believe) is plant food (also purchased a year ago.)
Tomorrow is going to be a "happenin' day" around here! Of course, they're also forecasting an overnight low in the mid-30's, so I won't be setting them out for another day or two.
- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
Also, am I missing anything? (Yes, I have pots.)
- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
Last evening/night, between thunderstorms, I decided to start burning the branches from my storm damaged trees. After about 3 hours, having made only a small dent in the pile(s), my neighbor came over and insisted that we haul the rest into a compost heap behind his house. 3 loads, 20 minutes, and we were done. Gotta love my neighbors.
I had one large pile that took up half of my driveway, and another in my back yard about half that size. I would've been trying to burn stuff in my 36" fire ring for 3 or 4 days, as weather and fire ban conditions would allow. I didn't realize how much this issue of branch/tree disposal had been weighing on me until they were gone. WHAT A RELIEF! My neighbor's yard backs up to the wooded area in our neighborhood (which mine doesn't) and there's a spot where several of the neighbors place their leaves and brush. Since my backyard is fenced in by 6 foot wooden fences, and the yards of my neighbors on either side box me in, I don't have access to the woods as they 'wrap' around our side of the cul-de-sac. Plus, I haven't been able to meet either of them (one on either side of me) since the seem to be working ALL THE TIME! The neighbor across the street is the one who came over to help me (at 9 o'clock at night!) He's the same one who comes over and clears the bank of plowed snow from the end of my driveway in the winter. Neighbors like that are hard to find!
- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
Also, I'm exhausted. Cutting up evergreen branches is a crappy crappy task, even with a small chainsaw. The just don't cooperate like 'normal' branches do. It was like being in a 3 hour long wrestling match. At that point I was 'wiped out' and when my neighbor came over with his offer I was tempted to say thanks but no thanks, too tired. But he insisted, and by the time we'd hauled the...
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- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
Two days later and I'm still sore and stiff. Seriously, I'd rather chop and haul firewood any day. Wrestling with bendy, scratchy, pokey, sinewy evergreen branches, and trying to get them down to a size that fits a 36" fire ring is no fun. NO.FUN. I'm never gonna let that many branches accumulate before I do something about 'em. Kind of like letting dishes or laundry pile up. The longer...
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- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
Due to a certain someone's appellation modification, I looked up "Hieronymous." The two most notable bearers of the name (based on Google results, at least) are Saint Jerome (Latin: Hieronymous) and Hieronymous Bosch, a Dutch painter known for using fantastic imagery to portray moral concepts and religious narratives...
but what I was most surprised to learn is that Hieronymous is the source of the derivation (in Spanish) of Geronimo. Didn't see that one coming.
- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
Some of us are old enough to recall when our politicians were tools of justice, protectors of the everyman, regardless of power and wealth. (Well, most of 'em, anway.) Now it seems they've morphed into just bald-faced tools, available to the highest bidder, protectors of unbridled corporate hubris with absolutely no regard for the everyman.
When I was a kid Wisconsin had William Proxmire and Gaylord Nelson as our U.S. Senators. That seems almost unimaginable now. Proxmire was a spending watchdog, offering up his "Golden Fleece" award to mark particularly notable instances of wasteful government spending. But he was doing so as a champion of the common man, his true constituency. Gaylord Nelson was a champion of the environmental movement, the founder of Earth Day, the protector of our natural resources in the face of rampant, mostly unchecked industrial pollution. My how times have changed.
- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
Question for FF gardeners: Do you line/treat the inside of your new wooden planter/window boxes with anything before putting in the dirt and such? Signed, Clueless in Eau Claire.
Do the planter boxes in question have drainage holes? If so, you'll probably want to line it with landscape fabric to keep the soil from running out.
- DAMMIT, MR. NOODLE
The bottoms with hardware cloth for the gofers. Generally you don't want any nasty chemicals though.
- Todd Hoff
Mr. Noodle, there aren't drainage holes, but I was thinking that I'd add some. (I usually kill plants by watering too much and then their roots sit in a swamp at the bottom of the pot.) I thought about the landscape fabric, as well. It seems like a good idea. I just wondered if I should use something like linseed oil (or whatever they recommend for wooden cutting boards) to add a bit of moisture resistance. The wood appears to be cedar, but I'm not sure, so I figured I'd add a little insurance.
- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
Todd, I figured I couldn't use something like the rubbery car undercoating spray, or deck treatment stuff. I'll be using the boxes for flowers, rather than growing vegetables, but I don't want the flowers to become toxic and grow into something like "the Thing"! I'm not sure what 'hardware cloth' is. Is it similar to landscape fabric?
- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
Ah, flowers, then I don't think it matters so much. If it's cedar you should be golden, it's already quite resistant to critters. Hardware cloth is metal a metal mesh, something like wire fencing. But if you don't have gophers there's no reason to bother. My understanding is landscape fabric is just a thickish paper you lay down to prevent weeds. If you put on a thick mulch to keep in the water you probably don't need it, but it's hard to say.
- Todd Hoff
i have lined winebarrels with poly film just to protect the wood and prevent evaporation, but make sure you punch a few holes around the bottom !
- daveeza
Well, I do have some gophers in the backyard. I was planning to situate the boxes on the railing of my balcony deck. I know I've seen squirrels get up there once in awhile, but don't think I've seen any gophers do so. Also I checked the boxes and they are cedar, so I'll just drill a few holes for drainage and lay some sort of mesh down there, and maybe some poly film (read: trash bag plastic) for good measure. Daveeza, how do your chardonnays get their 'oaky' color and flavor finish? ;)
- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
"Don't die a virgin. Terrorists are up there waiting for you(!)" #PunctuationAdded
My nun friends are always remarking about this enigma. Thankfully they are all in their early 70's. I don't believe age was specified, right?
- Janet:#TeamMonique
from FFHound!
I'm pretty sure a virgin nun could take on a terrorist any day of the week (up there.) A terrorist in 'Nun's Heaven' is like a snowball in Hades... way out of his element.
- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
It's been around awhile, I know, but the very concept of a Beano windbreaker strikes me as inherently funny. I seem to be the only one who feels this way. #blankstaresfrommykids
Also, they were oddly *unamused* when I held up my pocket-sized Beano-To-Go dispenser in a popular (and crowded) local restaurant. Like I said, inherently funny.
- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
I just received a response to my inquiry made via http://beanogas.com/ that, alas, they no longer produce them as a promotional item. Dang.
- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
And now for something totally different (and waaay less serious): Select images from "Best of Cannes" | Reuters http://www.reuters.com/news...
Paz Vega's dress looks like her 'poofy' half-slip slid down around her thighs. Like I said, I don't get it.
- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
from Android
The good news is that all of the tree-thinning and culling that occurred (thanks to that last big snowfall) prevented any further damage during yesterday's intense storms. I thought for sure I would lose another tree or two (of the ones that survived the snowstorm but were looking pretty rough) but not so.
Whenever we have severe thunderstorms and/or tornado warnings/watches, local TV breaks into their broadcast with an alert. Basically the alert says as follows: Go to a basement or room is the center of your home; stay away from windows; don't use electronic devices; stay tuned to this channel for continued updates...
Of course, the device you're using to view 'this channel' is undoubtedly electronic, and at some point in the delivery chain there is an electrically powered device involved. But obey all rules always (or you'll be sorry.)
- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
A robin redbreast just landed on the deck rail a few feet from where I'm sitting. He paused to look at me for a few seconds, then causually walked the 30 feet or so to the other corner. Then he turned and walked along the rail on that side. #outforaSundaystroll
Ok, maybe not the most exciting thing I've ever posted, but it was entertaining (to me at least.) Welcome to my life.
- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
I like the imagery. :) One of my favorite things to do is watch the birds at our feeders. There is a woodpecker that often visits and it's quite entertaining.
- Running Slow
He was a sorta chubby robin, so we felt a certain camaraderie right from the start. We exchanged knowing looks in those first few moments.
- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
While in the Twin Cities yesterday, I helped my son change out a motor mount on his '93 Toyota Camry. I've never done a motor mount before, nor has he. I wouldn't have tried it except I was impressed that he was "game" to give it a shot. Two hours later and the job was done. Can you say "Winning!"
It would have gone much more quickly but we spent at least an hour trying to loosen/"break" the nuts holding the mounting bolts. We assumed they were corroded since the car is 20 years old. After trying everything from a 'breaker bar' to various penetrating lubricants, we realized that the frozen nuts were actually welded in place, which meant that we only had to focus on the bolts, which were much easier to loosen ('cuz they WEREN'T WELDED!) All in all, very satisfying, and I'm proud of my son for being willing to give this a try.
- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
My oldest son never showed much interest in learning from my vast 'trial-and-error-built' knowledge of shade tree auto repair. #2 son has been much more inclined to gain some DIY knowledge, though today's cars offer fewer opportunities to practice those techniques. All the more reason that I'm glad it went well. That plus we saved him ~$250!
- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
Here is his TED talk from '07, where he talks about this and other projects. http://www.youtube.com/watch... Amazing stuff. Edit: He discusses what happens if it walks into the surf. (It turns around and walks away.)
- Gimminy
Pretty much all I've accomplished today is to take a nap. #icallthatagoodday
Petition | Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries: Stop telling teens they aren't beautiful; make clothes for teens of all sizes! | Change.org - https://www.change.org/petitio...
"“In every school there are the cool and popular kids, and then there are the not-so-cool kids,” “Candidly, we go after the cool kids. We go after the attractive all-American kid with a great attitude and a lot of friends. A lot of people don’t belong [in our clothes], and they can’t belong. Are we exclusionary? Absolutely.”-Mike Jeffries Abercrombie & Fitch CEO"
- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
from Bookmarklet
"Anyone who’s been to Abercrombie & Fitch in the last few years has probably noticed that they don’t carry XL or XXL clothing for women and their waist sizes for men leave room to be desired. Why? Because, they don’t want overweight young people wearing their brand! According to this popular teen clothing retailer "fat kids" will never be a part of the “popular crowd” and will therefore...
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- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
Daughter told me about this, and added that there's someone leading a protest movement that involves buying up Abercrombie & Fitch labeled clothing from thrift shops and distributing them to homeless people. This helps clothe the homeless while perhaps taking some of the wind out of A&F's "elitist" sales strategy. #iloveit
- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
Have you seen the Improv Everywhere they did at Abercrombie & Fitch? "... 111 men of all shapes and sizes shopped shirtless in the Abercrombie and Fitch store on 5th Avenue here in New York. Enjoy the videos first and then go behind the scenes with our mission report and photos.. http://improveverywhere.com/2007...
- Betsy #TeamMonique
Haha. That's awesome, Betsy. No small amount of hypocrisy there! Also, the dudes trying to hustle out the "Improv Everywhere" guys don't appear to meet the elitist standards either. (Not sufficiently *model-like* y'see.)
- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
Well, had an interesting stay at the family (formerly my) home last night. I generally crash on a sofa sleeper in the (finished) basement. On my way down the steep carpeted steps, my stocking feet slipped out from beneath me, and I bounced down 4 or 5 steps on my heretofore 'good' hip. I guess the good news is I'll be more 'balanced' now.
Thankfully there don't seem to be any lingering after effects of the fall. I'm surprised because my hip came down really hard on the edge of the step, and then I sort of 'bounced' in quick succession down the remaining steps in exactly the same way. It happened so fast that I couldn't brace myself or try to change position. (Not sure if any other position would've been better anyway. Not really *any* good choices in that scenario.)
- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
Daughter is away for 2 weeks, but after moving all of her stuff into my place until her apartment becomes available June 1st, I am now awaiting the arrival of more "stuff" from one of her friends in the same "limbo" between the end of campus residence and the start date of an off campus lease.
"I was supposed to be at a dinner event that evening...but I was having the most incredible beaver experience of my life." #iSeriouslyDoubtThat
- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
Cut down two more trees today. It was clear that they just weren't going to make it. Also lopped off various branches from other trees/shrubs that were hanging way too low from storm damage. I now have 3 'brush piles' that are big enough take out half the neighborhood if they catch fire. #GottaTakeCareofThat
Also, I'm a veritable lumberjack with my 16" electric chain saw! Sure, it sounds barely more powerful than your typical electric kitchen knife, but I'm cutting trees, branches, firewood... you name it! Where's my flannel shirt and suspenders?!
- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
Thankfully I (and you) said nothing about my array of feminine undergarments, Greg.
- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
Ok... that doesn't sound the way I intended. I didn't mean to imply that Greg would have any direct knowledge about any feminine undergarments that may or may not exist within my possession. Trust me. He doesn't. I'd never tell anyone about that! Oh wait! ...
- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
Just mowed my lawn. Because it needed it. I believe that may be the first time since mid-July of last year that it actually grew enough to *need* a mowing.
I admit that it was kind of nice not having to mow from mid-July until October (and that was just to mulch the leaves) but I think I prefer having the lawn green rather than a dusty yellow and brown.
- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
After getting daughter moved out of her campus dorm/apartment and finishing up her last final yesterday, I drove her home to the Twin Cities. Normally I don't fill up in Eau Claire, waiting until the much cheaper Twin Cities to do so. Not so this time. Prices in the north suburbs were $4.39 yesterday, likely to climb higher today.
I know this is nothing compared to European prices, but when you have the crappy intercity passenger (non-auto) transportation system/infrastructure that we have in most of the U.S., it's a shock to the system. An increase of nearly a dollar in about 3 weeks, because of some 'maintenance' at multiple refineries that just happens to coincide with the onset of heightened summer travel? I...
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- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
There's a major refinery in the souther Twin Cities metro that supplies gas to much of Minnesota and western Wisconsin. They're claiming reduced capacity due the fuel mix changeover, but won't disclose any details due to "anti-trust issues." Senator Amy Klobuchar is calling for the Dept. of Energy to review that whole thing.
- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
It's $3.99 - $4.09 for 87 here. I saw it as high as $4.39 in the Valley.
- Anika
When I filled up my tank on Thursday it was $3.94 for 87 (or 89) octane. The previous time I filled up it was $3.54. After the drive to/from the Twin Cities (I'm back in E.C. now) it's likely I'll pay $4.20 or so. (We're not quite up there where Minneapolis is.) I'm just glad I can ride my bike most places that I need to go, and only use the car for out of town trips, etc.
- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
Also, my Kia Soul averaged 28.3 mpg with a mix of city and highway driving, fully loaded down with daughter's stuff. This equates to about 6 gallons consumed to do the round trip to the Twin Cities. That's about half what I used with my previous vehicle.
- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
"Welcome to the University of Gas, the only university dedicated to teaching you the "ins and outs" of gas! Laugh along with Mindy, lesson by lesson, as you learn all about the wonderful world of gas and how to prevent it. When you're through with the little gas tootorials, you'll have your Masters of Gas Preventionology, which is a degree everyone can appreciate."
- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
from Bookmarklet
If you're really dedicated to your Beano education, you may be able to obtain a coveted Beano Windbreaker! Make a fashion statement, people!
- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ