Saturday, March 31, 2012

Images, Actors and Movie Remakes of Books

In movie remakes of books, do actors need to look anything like the character as they're described in the original book?

"Why, heeellooo Clarice...  Yes, yes I know I'm not a small, fine-boned man with a weasel-like face and eerie violet eyes..."

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Insanity in the American Criminal Justice System

The murder of 17-year-old Travyon Martin has lead me to question the difference between the intent and application of laws in my country.




Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Earth Day Reminder - April 22nd

Just a reminder to all Earth Day fans, Earth Day is April 22nd this year.

Why the early reminder?  Because a big part of Earth Day is planting seeds and little gardens, and to get your herbs and veggies in the ground on time it would be a good idea to start them now.

This year I'm going to be spending the summer up in Alaska, so I picked herbs and plants that should do well in my absence.  I chose thyme, chamomile (got those as a gift of seeds), lavender, marjoram, rosemary, as well as some perennial flowers such as painted daisies.

These plants in my neck of the woods - Chicago - do very well with very little care.  All they need is a little water.

I'm using a Jiffy miniature greenhouse to sprout some.  I started last week, and they're already doing beautifully.  I also am trying a miniature greenhouse with peat pellets, which I've never tried before.  I'm excited to see if it works.

Remember, you don't need to throw away your miniature greenhouse when you're done.  You can actually use it to start sprouting other veggies, particularly those that grow in cycles or are eaten as sprouts.  Mesclun salad mixes sprout beautifully in miniature greenhouses which just have a little layer of dirt at the bottom, and should be ready to eat in less than five weeks.

Happy growing!  Pictures (hopefully) coming soon!

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Third world technological problems, third world engineering solutions...

A simple problem: dark homes in the Philippians and elsewhere in the third world must be lit even in the day by electric lighting.

A brilliant solution, which not only saves money on power in poor homes but also helps the planet:


Wednesday, March 7, 2012

It's the little things...

Sometimes it's the little luxuries that really help me get by.

For example, I bought myself a nice set of 3 CD's for $14 called "Great Classics for Reading."  It's not highbrow at all or diverse.  There's nothing really edgy as far as classical music goes.  It doesn't have a lot of "Sturm und Drang," which I usually like in my classical.

And yet, it's a really lovely CD to listen to while working.  Very calming, a little energy, and a very nice mix.

As classical CD collections go, it's a bouquet of daffodils: warm, friendly, a little elegant, and just puts you in a nice mood.