Is latex paint a safer alternative to oil based paint
March 31, 2008
Latex paint is used in the overwhelming number of DIY projects. Its fast drying time, usually no more than 6 hours, means the project will take less time. Read more
Not Much Else to Say
March 31, 2008
Letter from Langdon: Ryan
March 31, 2008
Homework in St. Paul, Minnesota, "without any footdragging or complaining" Photo: Sharyn Morrow Ryan R.R. Oswald A dirty cap pulled down too far, toes of shoes that are turned askew, Serious eyes that shine like stars- “PaPa, are you proud of me?”Dirty fingers, soiled knees, a smudge on his right cheek, Lessons are learned on days like these- “PaPa, are you proud of me?” Outstretched arms that say “pick me up,” an inquisitive face full of hope, A thirsty mind drinking from everyone’s cup- “PaPa, are you proud of me?” The seedling needs water every day; the puppy needs plenty of care, Warm eggs nestle deep in the hay- “PaPa, are you proud of me?” Coins in the pocket feel awfully cold, possessions don’t fill the bill, They can’t buy joy for a three year old- “PaPa, are you proud of me?” As the twig is bent so grows the tree, it’s someone’s job to do, I wait for the answer to who he will be- “PaPa, are you proud of me?” It’s up to us to plant the seeds, to show that we care for what he can do, An honest answer is all that he needs- “Yes Ryan, I’m proud of you.” All over our nation, an epidemic rages. It’s not a fever brought about by a virus, a bacteria, or terrorist’s infectious agent. It’s a self serving epidemic of greed and illicit drugs. It’s the result of careless attitudes toward personal responsibility and selfishness beyond any reasonable human assumption of accountability. It falls squarely on the shoulders of our government, as well as the shoulders of the people themselves. read more
The Magnificent National Parks of Andalucia
March 31, 2008
Parque Nacional de Donana
Declared a national park way back in 1969, Parque Nacional de Donana or The Donana National Park in Andalucia is one of Europe's most important ecological systems. Of special importance are the wetlands and the marshes that are an important breeding and resting place for migratory and local birds.
This 507 kilometre park is situated mainly in the south eastern part of the Huelva province of Andalucia, with a small portion falling in the Sevilla province.
The Donna National Park has three predominating landscape forms - the marshlands or the marisma, the dry desert like heath with its fixed dunes or coto, and the area near the coastline with its moving dunes or the dunas moviles.
The vegetation that can be seen in the park is determined by its different ecosystems, depending on whether it is dunes, fresh water and lakes or sandy grounds. Rich in flora and fauna, the Donna National Park is home to a large number of unique species, including the Lynx pardina. This exotic carnivore is endemic to the Iberian-Peninsula and has been adopted as the emblem of the Park.
Parque Nacional de Sierra Nevada
Designated as a national park in 1999, the Parque Nacional de Sierra Nevada is the second national park in Andalucia. Almost eight percent of this mountainous National Park lies in the province of Granada and the rest in Almeria.
The snow-covered Mulhacen (3,482 m) and Veleta (3,392 m) two of the highest peaks of the Iberian Peninsula, lie in the middle of the majestic Sierra Nevada National Park. The extraordinary landscape of this area is a result of the erosion resulting from the melting of the glaciers on these mountain ranges as well as the forests and different areas of natural vegetation. While part of the mountainous zone is quite dry and arid, the rest, especially the wooded middle and the upper mountain regions of the park are home to a wide variety of flora and fauna. In fact, more than twenty five per cent of the total species of plants found in Spain can be found in the Sierra Nevada National Park. Apart from this, the park is home to more than sixty plant species that are found only here and nowhere else. One of them is the spectacular Sierra Nevada violet.
The goose vulture, the falcon, the golden eagle are the main predatory birds found here while other feathered species like the great tit, the coal tit, the tomtit, the jaybird, the green woodpecker, larks and finches can also be found in abundance. The wooded region of the park is home to weasels, foxes, civets and badgers. The mountain goat is one of the most characteristic species found in the park.
Special vehicles are available for going up into the mountains while the more adventurous can join a trek on foot to reach the higher regions.
Both National Parks provide tourist facilities, including Visitor Information Centres, marked footpaths, paid camping sites, recreation areas with water and firewood, mountain bike tracks, marked footpaths, viewpoints, observatories and free camping sites.
About the Author
Sandra Lightowler is the owner of Ask Olive the leading online information and Business Directory for Andalucia Spain.
Article Source: Content for Reprint
Field Photos – Preserve the Moment Forever
March 31, 2008
Five Days Hunting The Ghost
March 31, 2008
Sunflowers in the home garden and farm
March 31, 2008
Sunflowers are some of the most enjoyable and easiest flowers to grow. Sunflowers are the nature’s way of saying “thank you” to the sun. Sunflowers are great plants that almost seem to be smiling at everyone who passes. The best thing about sunflowers is they are not hard to grow, and you can easily have them in your own garden to make your house brighter and more attractive.
Sunflowers are annual flowers (meaning they have to be replanted each year) that usually have a large flower head on the end of a tall stalk. There is some varieties sunflowers ranging from tiny sunflowers only a couple feet tall to monstrosities over eight feet tall.
Sunflowers are technically classified as Helianthus annuus. They are a large plant and are grown throughout the world because of their relatively short growing season. Sunflowers are big eaters so plan on enriching their soil with a dressing of compost at least once during the summer. However, compost is more desirable than fertilizer since over-fertilization weakens sunflower stems. Sunflowers are normally harvested when the ‘petals’ (the outer flowers or ligules) have unfolded and are at least vertical.
Sunflowers are a good bee plant, as it provides hive bees with large quantities of wax and nectar. Sunflowers, when the stalks are dry, are as hard as most woods and therefore make an excellent fire; the ash obtained after burning is rich in potash. Sunflowers are planted after frost. If you are using seeds then water them regularly and keep the beds fairly moist until they start sprouting.
Sunflowers are a universally popular choice. They attract cardinals, woodpeckers, blue jays, goldfinches, purple finches, chickadees, titmice, and nuthatches. Sunflowers are native to North America, where they were known to native peoples more than 8,000 years ago. Archeological evidence suggests that sunflowers were cultivated and improved upon as early as 2300 B.C., possibly predating the farming of corn, beans, and squash. Sunflowers are native to North America, and were cultivated for food by native peoples for thousands of years before the arrival of European settlers. The seeds of sunflower are also a preferred food of birds and small mammals, so many people grow them to feed wildlife over the winter.
Sunflower varieties have steadily improved over time. Numerous options are now available, including dwarf types and specialty oil (high oleic) types. Sunflower varieties grown as crops have steadily improved with time. There are many varieties and hybrids available, including dwarf sunflowers with large seed heads and sunflowers that produce oil with unique saleable properties (such as a high percentage of oleic acid).
Dwarf sunflowers grown in hydroponic media accumulate cadmium both by binding it to the submersed root structures and by translocating it to the shoots and leaves. In previous studies with mature plants, we have shown that the partitioning between these two extremes can be strongly influenced by the presence of chelating agents in the aqueous phase. Dwarf sunflowers can be planted in a garden or in pots. Dwarf sunflowers grow 14-to 30-inches tall, perfect for children’s gardens or containers. The ‘Sundance Kid’ variety by Park’s Seed is a dwarf sunflower that features extremely free-flowering blossoms.
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Taylor Swift’s Photo Blog: Dog Days
March 31, 2008
Editor’s note: In the days leading up to the 2008 CMT Music Awards, Taylor Swift is sharing some of her favorite photos she has recently taken.
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IS SPEED A SUBSTITUTE FOR TALENT?-YEAH RIGHT!
March 31, 2008
To most everyone who has ever shot a bow this really seems to be one of those questions better left unasked. Unfortunatly I have been readimg more and more about how archers are buying 70# 80# and 90# limbs so that the buck won’t jump their arrow.
I don’t mean to knock on everybodies hunting stories but seriously when I am shooting 40# and shooting 175 fps there aint no way that deer is jumping my arrow, so why the heck push the extra dollars for a few more feetper second? I couldn’t understand it until an insightful at’er started a post about the many younger shooters that beliee they are invincible and will pull 80# there whole life. Now not every young shooter is like this but as i read more and more about it i see why people generalize in this way and it is extremely dissapointing to see threads that even hint at suggestign that the more speed your bow packs or the more power it has the less perfect your shot needs to be.
Speed is not a substitute for anything, it doesn’t matter if your shooting 400 fps if you shoot the deer in the tail!@!@ all your gonna get for your SPEED is a clump of hair and no deer, heck that deer may even thank you one day for given him the oppurtunity to live another year.
Poundage is the same thing, you don’t need 90# if you hit the animal in the heart, it’s just overkill, i mean 65# easily tears through a deer, all your doin is tearing up the trees as the deer runs away. If anything is a substitute for anything else, skill, and talent is a substitute for speed and power, i’ll bet you for every 5 deer shot in the tail with an arrow shot at 90# your not going to get a single one.For every 5 deer shot in the heart at 45-55 # i’ll bet at least four will be drop dead. (always need to account for the inexperienced tracker or the occasional color blind hunter in the dark).
In my mind you always have a better chance taking a steady shot at 60# that is gonna rip through that deers vitals than a power shot to the tail bone, but lets just see who takes the better buck this deer season.
A Sequel
March 31, 2008
After my earlier rant against the CEO of Pilgrim's Pride, I received an insightful email from a friend in North Carolina who has an upfront and
personal view on how changes in the poultry industry are impacting
local communities and farmers. Hopefully on Monday I'll have something
directly from him to post on the blog. I'm looking forward to it.
Beyond that, his email really made me think about the impacts of
structural change in agriculture. And we're certainly seeing much
structural change in the livestock industry, mostly in reaction to the
increased price of feed grains. It is true that meatpackers enjoyed an
indirect subsidy by purchasing below-the-cost-of-production grain for
several years, and it can be argued that such cheap grain encouraged
consolidation and concentration on both the production and processing
sides of livestock. But those arguments, and many like them, are
luxuries that few farmers and workers can afford. Then again, in many
ways they can't afford not to have those discussions.
As an admitted policy wonk, it is very easy to get caught up in
"intellectual" policy debates. But for those of us in the policy
world, and those of us who really care about the policy world, we
should never forget the real people behind the policy. Because of
things like a renewable fuels standard, hog and chicken farmers will
inevitably go out of business. Because of certain farm policies, real
farmers will lose the farms that have been in their families for
generations.Real people and real families will suffer. And it is not
inevitable that the greater good will be furthered as a result of a
policy such as the renewable fuels standard. It takes good public
policy to make sure the public good is being served at all.
So when I say the opinion of an agribusiness CEO matters little to me,
that doesn't mean I don't care about the fate of chicken growers or
those who work in packing plants. It's because that CEO- and usually
the corporation in general- need the least help in these situations.
They'll be fine (and if they're not, they're really bad at financial
planning). They make millions. But the workers and growers, as
always, will be the ones who pay the price for the public policy whims
of elected officials. And it is incredibly important that those
individuals receive the assistance they need.
I don't particularly
believe most CEOs worry about that sort of thing. To most of them, the market
prevails, and that's the only good you need to worry about. The CEO of
Pilgrim's pride is clearly far more irate over the fact that federal
mandates have screwed up their business model than the increased cost
of food for consumers. And the federal policy that favored made them
rich in the past is simply ignored. Pure hypocrisy. And that's what
really ticks me off.
Structural change in any economic arena is hard, and creates winners
and losers. If necessary, those who are worse off because of
structural change should receive assistance. Obviously, there's a lot
of room in that statement for debate. I would argue that when it comes
to row crop agriculture and livestock production, the government has a
greater responsibility, because it is the driving force behind much of
agricultural economics. That is something that has not changed for
decades, and it doesn't look like it will change anytime soon.
