A Growing Concern
The last time the moon cast its shadow on my part of the planet was in 1979 on a dreary day in Seattle. I noticed that the rain was darker that morning, but otherwise the occasion was uneventful. This time around Ellen managed an invitation to watch the ecplise and make music with some friends [...]
There are a few ways to build multi-band HF antennas. These include multiple resonant dipole arrays, trapped dipoles, resonant loops and the off-center fed dipole, OCFD. I'm going to look at the OCFD because it is relatively simple to construct, yet gets quite decent performance. I also am fortunate to have some nice tall trees [...]
Agricultural pesticides have become part of the chemical landscape that we all live in. To be able to make intelligent decision about the use and regulation of these chemicals, it's important to understand how they work. Almost all modern pesticides are chemicals that interfere in some way with the nervous system. The characteristics of the [...]
I'm often asked which products are OK and which should be avoided. Hence the mnemonic in the title to help you remember I'm getting rid of Imidacloprid. Say it three times out loud, and when you read the labels at the garden store you will remember: I'm getting rid of Imidacloprid. When it comes to [...]
Ellen and I came up with the DateTrike concept after our experience with our Burning Man quadricycle demonstrated the pleasure of side-by-side tandem traveling. What was missing from the quad, cobbled together from a pair of mountain bikes, was performance. The quad was a lot of fun, but it was hokey even before we put the Hokey Spoke lights on [...]
The nature of inequality is a topic that is getting a lot of attention these days. It's worth taking a careful look at how inequality arises in our economy. In fact, inequality is built into capitalism and it perpetuates itself, steadily increasing, even in the absence of greed. Inequality naturally arises whenever future wealth is contingent upon the wealth you [...]
Despite my patterned planting method to help identify the seedlings coming from seeds I plant, I still have trouble with confusing squash volunteers showing up in the hills. This year I clearly noticed the interlopers only after blossoms were starting to set fruit. However, I could have picked up the problems earlier if I had [...]
Of all the grain crops, amaranth has to be the easiest to turn into something that you can eat. If you have ever wondered how to add a cereal crop to your garden, consider amaranth. This versatile, beautiful, and easy to grow plant can add another dimension to gardening. Unlike wheat or oats, where you need [...]
Two years ago, with the price of oil at all time highs, there was concern that we could start seeing run-away inflation again. A few months later, the financial system was on the verge of a total meltdown, credit dried up, and the specter of a deflationary spiral appeared on the scene as oil fell [...]
Squash Practice 