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Kamis, 28 April 2016

GAC FRUIT VINE ❍ SEEDS ❍ Turtle from under the tree e

Exotic fruit seeds
So We were stumbling around the internet and think We found a few new seed varieties that would be interesting to grow, some are cold hardy and ready for Canadian winters, while others are packed with nutritional /medicinal benefits and could range anywhere from subtropical to Native Canadian in climate. These are not your regular trees, and the fruit does not show up in your local grocer, Infact, you most likely will not even see these at your farmers market.

Our first newbie is the ? Kaffir plum ?, while it tends to be more on the sour side, it carries many medicinal uses in dermatological ailments. Also, a unique wine cane be made from the berries.

Our second oddity is the » Raisin tree «
while this tree has more of an oriental background it has been proven to grow here in our Canadian climate, with recorded temps of down to -30c. The "raisins" range in taste from bitter to sweet, this all  depends on the lineage/ seed/ source budwood. It has been used as a hangover cure as well as way to reduce blood sugar levels.

Next.... ? Blue Sausgae fruit ?!!, aka dead mans fingers, Another cold hardy fruit tree, this may be used as an ornamental considering the fruit is so vibrant in colour, but being it has deliciously sweet pulp its worth it for the view or the food.

?Cassabanana? was just planted 2 days ago and its already sprouting!!, such a large interesting fruit we thought we would give it a shot, we will post picks of it growing, were also thinking maybe a hydro bucket?.

Another new one is the ? purple apple berry vine ? A small Australian vine found in moist areas from south Wales to tasmania. All I can gather from from my research is the berries are edible, sweet, with a texture and shape like apples. I will update on the exact taste when it comes, for now, Im loving these Australian bush foods.

We have a few more we are starting from seed but I will save those for later, our last one of the day is the ? elephant apple ?. While I have heard it can be an acquired taste, it has been said to be everything from sour and sweet to taste, and with the right amount of sugar, a very refreshing dish. As with most other bitter fruit, there tends to be health benefits, go figure right?.

Our new plant we just picked up is a  ? Gac fruit vine ?. It is known as a superfruit in the health industry, well... maybe the tropical/Asian/ ayurvedic health industry. Im not sure its truly made the way over here other then in a few supplements. Gac fruit is so dense in nutrition it rivals most native fruits and vegetables, With over 70 times the lycopene content of tomatoes and beta carotene levels 10 times that of carrots, in fact, the highest levels of beta carotene in any fruit or vegetable, you can see why we should be consuming a little gac once and a while. While being nutritionally dense, they also carry many medicinal benefits. They have been used to boost the immune system, aid in coronary repair/strengthen eyesight, repair dermatological issues such as burns, psoriases and more, along with benefits to prostate and heart health. We are only listing the tip of the iceberg in what this wonder plant/fruit can do, and so we wish to pass this on to you, We will be taking cuttings once it grows out and will have them available as soon as possible

( we also need to nurse this one to health, as it did not arrive well ?? spider mites, scale, and 1 mealy bug, its ok, theres nothing We cant handle organically ? ??, but with a little care and good food We are starting to see it bounce back now).



Gac fruit vine

Turtle in Holland Landing
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FRIDAY 17th DECEMBER 2010



Well we are in the middle of what could be one of the stories of the century and this is WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and his release on bail and what is going to be THE ongoing saga. But meanwhile we have our own Internet developments to deal with. So........ Here we goooooo.....


"IN AUGUST 2006 FRUITA 8/9 SCHOOL OPENED. AS NEW CONSTRUCTION, IT WAS BUILT "FOR COMFORT" AND WASNT NECESSARILY EVER CONSIDERED TO BE ENERGY STAR QUALIFIABLE. HOWEVER, AFTER THREE YEARS OF GIFTED AND TALENTED STUDENTS EFFORTS COMBINED WITH AN ENERGY AUDIT AND CORRECTIONS, FRUITA 8/9 BECAME ENERGY STAR QUALIFIED ON MARCH 31, 2010.
Colorado Aquaponics is conserving water is by growing greens like basil and lettuce in the same container as fish. They both thrive together. The nutrients..... "

                                        ...oooOooo...

From Growing Organic Food, "Help! Why do leaves curl at the tip?

Does anyone know why baby/young leaves curl in an Aquaponics system? Or just curl in general??"

                                        ...oooOooo...

Next, I made mention of the Disney Grants a short time ago. Now this report. 

ECOLIFE wins Disney grant to build farm in Cameroon

One of two aquaponics systems operated by ECOLIFE, a local nonprofit group.
/ Courtesy of ECOLIFE
One of two aquaponics systems operated by ECOLIFE, a local nonprofit group.
Escondido-based conservation group ECOLIFE has secured funding from Disney to build an unusual farm in Cameroon that combines growing fish and vegetables in a system that recirculates water...

                                        ...oooOooo...

Saturday, December 11, 2010


The end of the experiment

Some discussion first of the effect of the big rains we have had recently . Basically we have had a very wet season

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From Afnan....

Asparagus Update - 11th Dec 2010

Transplant most of the Asparagus to growbed after the first survived 4th Dec ordeal. Left a few in nursery gravel bed and Ill wait and see what happen....


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From 120 things....

Aquaponics - Duckweed growth rate

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I hadnt noticed my duckweed growing, because I tend not to notice such things. But when you compare two photos taken a week apart, i....

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Now for something quite exciting, and make sure you take note of the time from setup to harvest, WOW....

Aquaponic Bananas

Don’t they say it takes 14 months to get fruit from a banana? Well apparently my Aquaponics system and my banana plant didn’t read that book....

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What is Aquaponics?

                                        ...oooOooo...

Aquaponics is a relatively new approach to food production that cultivates fish and plants in a symbiotic relationship. The OrganicNation.tv crew traveled to Flanagan, Illinois where Myles Harston of AquaRanch Industries has been working with aquaponics 1992.....

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 Permaculture and Aquaponics
Perhaps I should mention that one of my primary goals in beginning my aquaponics venture is to include permaculture into the mix.
My ultimate goal is to take the full-boat permaculture course from Permaculture Visions in Australia, but in the meantime....

                                        ...oooOooo...

 Next, Here is a bit of a giggle from Murray Hallums Forum about people who live in or come from Canada

                                        ...oooOooo...

From the "Place Where PDFs Live" a plethera of Pdfs for your enjoyment and edification....

                                        ...oooOooo...

From "Aquaponic-Farm.com"
What is Aquaponics
The simple explanation:? You have a fish and you have the plant (s). The plant will live in some kind of container similar to what you can expect normal (except for not using the land you used to). The fish live in a different container. The plant to get this water from.....

Aquaponics - Decorate Your House With Growing Vegetables

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Grow Fish and Vegetables in Your Garage With Aquaponics

                                        ...oooOooo...

Aquaponics - The New QWay of Growing Plants - Fast

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Basic Things You Need to Know About Aquaponics

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There we go - All done for now
Take Care
OZZIE
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5 reasons why being homosexual is great

This blog will explain some great pros to being homosexual (for both men and women). Im not saying you should become homosexual, just taking some note.

So lets start with women. Why is it great to be a lesbian.
1) no crunchy towels - if you live in a house with a bunch of stupid men, you have probably encountered this once.

2) no facial shavings all over the sink - really guys...really

3) 90% of misses during urination eliminated - 90% cause I know some of you women still fail

4) Similar feelings - men can seem distant...cant they.

5) no accidental pregnancies - cause when youre a female you cant run from them without paying.


Now for men

1) no more bloody laundry or trash - man those nasty females

2) You dont have to run from crazy bitches cause of an accidental kid - damn those bitches

3) 90% of drain clogs are eliminated - unless you are dudes with long hair

4) same feelings - cause those damn women are from Venus

5) less or more private time - go ahead, pee with the door open

with that said...i have tumblr.
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Out of the Soviet Bears Cave

History books...arent they interesting?

I dont generally find history interesting unless you throw in science (such as in my college class Intellectual US History) or you hear it from someone else that was there.  Funny thing is, when you hear it from someone else, you will either do one of two things:
  1. Think that person has the wrong facts
  2. Think the history book is wrong
And Im not saying either is right or wrong but the thing about history is it is a story...his story.  Everyones story is different.

I remember someone some point in my life telling me that the Japanese history books had some things scratched out.  I dont blame them.  The US books probably have a bunch scratched out as well.  Many things are explained in short...many MANY things.  How many people know that Thomas Jefferson actually got to know his slaves?  How many people know that he also wrote about Africans being more efficient in their work due to things like them not having to use the restroom as much (scientifically speaking, Africans retain water due to their native environment not being so water friendly.  This is a hereditary trait much like how a person has pale eyes or a dog has short fur...all due to climate.)  How many people thought that this could further feed racism?  My history books talked about camps for the Japanese and others that looked Japanese, but it was only about a paragraph long.  I imagine a Japanese book really touches on it much like how we really go on about Pear Harbor.

But Im not here to bag on anyone.  I have another story.  Yay for story time!

I have a lot of friends that are either first generation American or that were born outside of the US.  I sort of befriended an older lady named Natalya and I love love LOVE her to death.  She is possibly one of the nicest people I know.  Anyway, Natalya came to the US from Russia probably around 5 years ago with two of her kids.  She has a son and a daughter that still live in Russia.  She grew up in the Soviet Union...oh yes she did.  Of course it isnt the same Soviet Union we hear about in US history books though.

She told me that when she was little, everyone went to school and everyone was forced to keep up and learn (which is why today Russias literacy rate is extremely high.  Even though the US requires children to go to school, were not as strict and our literacy rate is very low.)  Nobody was poor but nobody was rich either (generally speaking.)  Everyone had what they needed and nothing more.  According to her, now there are tons of homeless and starving.  "I love my new home," she would say "but western culture is ruining everywhere else."

Funny story, most of the people I know from outside of the US were poor...poor as in didnt have much money.  However their life stories are so interesting.  Take another friend of mine from Ukraine.  She showed me a picture of her old house with her dogs and her grandmother and aunt (both decided to stay.)  Yes it was small but their yard?  HUGE with lots a fresh fruits and veggies everywhere!  They didnt have much at all but they had one cow and a couple of chickens.  They had what they needed which would be poor according to western standards but well off according to other standards.  Another girl I know, Lyudmila, grew up in Uzbekistan and was also considered poor according to western standards.  What did they have?  A large garden with fruits and veggies, a cow, dogs, cats, chickens, and so on.  Again...well off in some standards!  Of course I know many more from Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Thailand, and so on...most which had a way and seem corrupt by another.  Most of the people I know are young so they were often considered poor, even by their country even though they had the basic essentials...food, water, a house....

Tell me...whats so wrong with just having what you need?

Dont get me wrong, I know they had to work for what they did have and I know they had to get some money to cover what they didnt have.  Here in the western world, you are considered poor if you cant buy a new $100 TV without starving.  Why is that?
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Adafruits 3D Printed Wearable Video Goggles

Im not a gamer, but I still think it would be fun to make and test drive Adafruits recent microcontroller (it uses an Arduino Micro) project titled "3D Printed Wearable Video Goggles."

There are three reasons I think this would be a good project to work on.
  1. The 3D printed goggle housing sounds like a challenge and a great learning exercise because theyre printed with both PLA (polylactic acid) and Ninjaflex (a thermoplastic elastomer) and the two materials are fused together.
  2. There are a couple people in the Humboldt area I know of but havent met who do 3D printing. Working on a project like this might be a good opportunity to meet them.
  3. It seems like having a wearable personal monitor might be a fun change from the normal way to view a computer screen, and for certain applications, such as video, it might be more engaging and absorbing than a standard computer monitor or screen.
Ninjaflex is a relatively new 3D printing feedstock. A May 2014 post on 3D Printing Industry profiled the Fenner Drives material, which seems like a typical maker story.
"Until recently, prototyping flexible components was a time-consuming and cumbersome process,” said Fenner Drive product development engineer Stephen Heston “It was a big gap in the market, because so many engineered products utilize elastomeric parts.  Without materials that closely approximate the properties of the end product, it is impossible to create truly functional prototypes.” After discovering that 3D printing enthusiasts were trying to use existing Fenner Drives belting material as filament, Heston found that while it was not an ideal material in its current form, with a few months of tweaking it soon could become one. The final product has a textured surface that allows it to be used in most 3D printers with a spring loaded extruder...Most impressively however is the replica of a small childs
3D printed Ninjaflex flexible model of childs heart (Channel 11)
defective heart that surgeons in Kentucky recently 3D printed using his CT scans. By printing a model one and a half times the actual size from a highly flexible material, the doctors were able to pre-visualize the best way to repair the defect without having to perform the risky surgery blind. The fact that the model only cost about $600 and most likely saved a small child’s life is actually pretty incredible. It also would not have been useful to the doctors if it had been printed from a less flexible material. You can watch the local news story here.
"
This YouTube video about Ninjaflex gives a pretty good idea of what the material is like. Of course, like all new materials, Ninjaflex is not without its particular challenges. On the LulzBot webpage for Ninjaflex, they say:
"The flexibility of this material makes it nearly impossible to print using a standard extruder, so weve designed the Flexystruder, a Gregs Wade-style extruder that fully constrains flexible filaments like Ninjaflex, which is available for purchase here!"
Both PLA and ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) can be tricky to 3D print with, so I imagine theres a definite learning curve for the Ninjaflex, especially if you are using a standard 3D printer extruder and LulzBot is correct about the difficulty of printing it with a standard extruder. Before trying to print the Adafruit goggles, it would pay to make a few test prints with the Ninjaflex by
Screenshot showing 3D printed parts of goggle (Adafruit)
itself, then a few test prints laying Ninjaflex down on top of a PLA base.

Adafruit did a Layer By Layer post about the goggles, in which they give lots of graphics showing different sections of the 3D build and throw in a few project tips, like:
"Adjust the overall size of the goggle frame by editing the curves that make it up. Measure your forehead, cheeks and nose to adjust the cylinders that make the cuts into the hood...Adjust the goggle hood shape by editing each cylinder. The bigger one controls the forehead shape. Measure the depth and width of your head to get a general size for the hood."
The only 3D printers I know in Humboldt are Justin Tuttle and Shawn Dean of InPrinting. Ive been told there are 3D printers at Humboldt State University and at College of the Redwoods, but I havent met them yet. One or both of them may have already printed with Ninjaflex -- Ill have to contact them to find out if they have, and if not, maybe theyll be interested in getting some and trying it out.

The third reason I think the Adafruit goggles would be a fun project is because Ive never worn a head-mounted personal monitor. Im not so much interested in the gaming aspect, although I would like to check out some older computer games on various ancient emulators such as an Apple II or Apple IIgs. But the main reason Id like to try the goggles is to see how engaging the head-mounted and enclosed display would be when watching videos or movies. It seems like it would be either really enjoyable or very restricting. Who knows -- maybe Ill get the chance to find out!

**********
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Remember


I think its funny how everyone thinks their generation is better than everyone elses.  My sister was born in the early 80s and believes early 80s/early 90s was the best time ever.  Me?  I will always hold the 90s/early 2000 close to my heart.  Even then, I remember things changing around 2003...things were nothing like they were even back in 2000.

I remember when I was 10, my family got a cell phone (a small but fairly bulky one) for whatever reason.  I guess it made my family feel classy or whatever.  I remember we had a house phone still but was randomly being shut off.  Besides, this is back when cordless phones were popular and when the power was out, we only had one phone that would work (corded battery phone.)  I rarely had the cell phone but was still considered a geek.  When I wasnt outside, I was learning to surf the web and planted in front of the TV watching cartoons.  Of course, this was no more than four hours a day inside usually (unless I was sick or it was pouring out.)  Best part about it, my best bud would call my house phone and ask if I was home (now duh!)

My curfew was when the street lights came on or when it got dark.  Suburban traffic was high all the time because all of us kids would be playing in the street.  Forget trying to get home quickly during the summer when the streets were always infested with people (usually younger kids in the day and teens later on.)  When one of us fell, wed go home and rinse it with water and maybe some alcohol or peroxide (or worse..iodine.)

You could buy organic but our local farms didnt stress things being organic.  Yes there were frauds but a good number of small farmers were ok with it.  This meant that they didnt have to jump through hoops to call themselves organic and the prices werent all that bad.  In fact, you could buy organic from a farmers market and it would sometimes be cheaper than regular in the store...at least here it was like that.

Halloween was awesome and nobody came outside till it was DARK.  Some houses had a line you had to stand in just to get candy.  Our parents would be exhausted at the end of the day but would still check our 15lbs of candy (or took the time to teach us.)  Because of this, we knew what it was like to get sick from eating too much of it.

Today, even looking back when I was 13, kids started not coming outside so much.  I mean we still did but rarely any younger kids.  When they were out, they often had some parent with them.  Little kids fall in the street and their parents rush them home and put peroxide/alcohol on it and then top it off with triple antibiotic plus a band aid.

Kids dont have a curfew because they never go outside.

Organic is priced much higher than regular, even at markets.  Of course I live in the wonderful California where organics are usually only $1-$2 more.

Everyone goes out trick-or-treating when it is still light out...assuming they go at all.  Last time I went, it took me 3 hours to get about 4 hand fulls (guessing everyone gave up....)

Im almost curious as to what todays and tomorrows kids will say.  So interesting.
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Tux Alyssa Spyro and jobs


Now what if I told you this blog had nothing to do with either? Well Id be lying.

First we will start with Tux. Who is Tux? Why does he have a name? What the hell is going on that makes Tux so important?

First, lets recap. My friend Ashleys mom found two kittens. Ashley kept one and named him kinky after the kink in his tail. The other one they will continue to feed till he no longer shows up or someone takes him. One night I had severe insomnia and decided to name him Tux. Why? For number one, he is a tuxedo cat...kind of. In general, tuxedo is a black and white cat that is predominately black.

According to wikipedia, A tuxedo cat is a bicolor cat with a white and black coat. The derivation of the term tuxedo cat is because the animal appears to be wearing the type of black tie formal wear commonly known in the United States and Canada as a tuxedo. Most tuxedo cats are also black mask cats, a common name for felines who, due to their facial coloration, look as if they are wearing a black mask over their eyes, and often over their entire head. To be considered a true tuxedo cat, the felines coloring should consist of a solid black coat, with white fur limited to the paws, belly, chest, throat, and often the chin, although many tuxedo cats appear to sport goatees, due to the black coloration of their mandible -- that is, the lower jaw and chin. Bicolor may also appear in the skin color. Paw pads may be black or pink. Bicoloring of the nose and mouth are also common.

Theoredically speaking, he is actually a mask-and-mantle type like the one in the picture. In fact he looks a lot like that.

Now what is so important about him? Sacramento has this wonderful thing called the Sacramento Spay Neuter Commuter which offers low cost altering of animals for extremely cheap. For male cats, its merely $20 to have the operation done. Big whoop right? Well heres the issue. The neuter comes in a package. The package includes the castration, rabies shot, and a license. The problem with this is, Im not sure if I want to own this cat (even though he is cool and Id take him home...doesnt mean I can.) I probably wont attach a license to him unless I get to take him home. So why pay $20 to have a cat neutered that isnt yours?

Well lets talk about why Alyssa is important first. For you readers that dont personally know me, she is a dear friend that I go to school with. So whats so important about her? Well nothing, its her cats. They are unaltered queens (thats what female cats are called for ya guys that didnt know...male being a tom) that are outdoor cats and churn out litters every year. Whats the big deal about this you say? It is estimated that well over a million cats are euthanized each year mostly due to kitten season - a time in the summer when cats produce the most litters. The millions are only the ones turned into shelters. These do not include the ones that are left to die on the streets. My deal is to help spay any cats that she may have when I get the money to (likely when I get a job) and alter any kittens she may have. This will help prevent at least 300 lives from being seized due to overcrowding of shelters. That means a lot to me.



hundreds of kittens like this one will be
euthanize this year by one shelter alone.
Imagine the rest that will die across the
nation.


Now on to Spyro. Spyro is turning 10 next month. What does he get for his birthday? Castrated! Well I will be sure to shower him with love. He is too old to go to the Sacramento Spay Neuter Commuter so I have contacted Sacramento SPCA to see if they will do it. If not, I will just pay extra and go to a real vet where they will probably give him pain meds. I plan on letting him eat canned food seeing as he is old and his recovery time will take longer. I love my dog and I think I should show it more.
My list for things to get Spyro once he gets to live with me again.
-oversized orthopedic bed
-fountain style watering system (where water is always running)
-a new vet...the one I like.
-microchip
-rolled leather collar with license and ID (and possibly microchip tag depending on what chip he gets)

and of course...sweaters because he has long, but very thin fur. I hate watching him shiver around the house.


And jobs...what about em? Well I still need one. I will be calling back and bugging the shit out of every place I applied.

=]

So yup. Then I can have money.

A list of what I will do if I have money

-possibly move out...
-adopt Tux...have him microchipped and buy him cat things including Soft Paws so he wont beat up Spyro.
-Take David, Thim, and King out to dinner.
-Spay Alyssas animals
-take kittens off craigslist and alter them
-BUY TEXTBOOKS
-be cool
-donate to animal shelters (tax write off...yessums)
-new rat cage

and yup
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