I'm currently in Denver for a wedding so of course I had to go check out the local fish stuff! Too bad I'm a weekend early for the local fish club meeting :(
We went to the downtown denver aquarium yesterday evening and it was truly amazing. I took a bunch of pics from my camera phone and some of them turned out pretty awesome. The link is here if anyone wants to see them.
We also went to a couple different aquarium stores today that I would recommend if you are in denver, nice selections at both. Lots of plants at Fish Den AND they gave me the fish club discount with my HAAS card! They said they were low on plants and fish cause of the holidays and they STILL had a great selection! They had a ginormous flowerhorn there, biggest I think I've ever seen. Then: Some plants, a few unusual fish, and some neat salt stuff at Todd's Tropical Fish.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Blogging from my phone and some new years goals
Mostly I'm far too lazy to go find the laptop, set it up, log in, post, balh blah blah blah from the computer. Usually by the time I do all that I've forgotten what I wanted to post anyway. I downloaded the google Blogger app for my Android phone...so we will see how this works out for me. Hopefully it will lead to me posting more, especially since I originaly intended to keep track of progress in the garden and with other things urban sustainability like....and that has been a complete and utter fail all around. My total of posts has been completely lame in the last couple years now(!) This blog has been up.
There's been a lot going on. A lot. I expanded the garden after the season ended this year...and considering expanding it further before the ground freezes. I learned a lot this year from it. Built a pond....expanding that this spring now. Built a solar heater....planning on v2 now that I've seen v1 in action. Haven't used my dryer since spring....and not planning on using it any time soon. Much more I can't think of right off the top of my head, which sucks because its all stuff that would be awesome on the blog.
I don't do new years resolutions, however, I do have some goals for this coming new year (in no particular order):
1. Actually blog
2. Start eating a more paleo diet while still applying the ethics of why I went vegetarian in the first place.
3. Actually harvest and eat what I grow in the garden
4. Obtain chickens
5. Talk fate into rabbits
6. Build v2 of solar heater
7. Minimize watering in the garden
8. Year round use of the clothes line
9. Better note keeping of garden progress
10. Get the greenhouse up and running
11. Grow all annuals for the garden from seeds
12. Get healthy through food, not drugs
13. Buy local for what I can't produce myself
14. Visit my bff in california at least once this year
I think that's a good start...I know there are a bunch more things I've been kicking around but most of them fall under those kind of general goals for the year.
Merry (late) Christmas
- Fin
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Fate's 2011 Resolutions Recap
2011 has been something of a rough year, rather have in the "bad times". Things are looking up now, and looking back, I see a lot of Fin and I supporting each other. It's weird how nasty happenstance can make a relationship stronger. But, that'd be the subject of another blog post.
I'm going to make this recap short.
1. Better manage eating out and bringing lunch to work
EPIC FAIL. I'm getting slightly better at the end of the year, but Sept-Nov were really awful on this.
2. 3 camping trips for 2011 - with 1 in a new location.
FAIL. We did however take a few trips across the country. Seeing Nashville was fun. Sadly, our vacation time was largely nuked by family challenges.
3. Pay off one more loan.
WIN. The "Dave Ramsey Plan" is working well.
4. Do more writing / more blog posting.
FAIL. I've actually been far more focused on piano this year.
5. Ship something at work or home.
WIN. I hope to post the press release about this when it's out.
6. Improve garden and yard care.
FIN - WIN. ME - FAIL. Fin made a lot of progress on the garden this year. I'd like to say I did more, but I worked a lot this year. Garden looks a lot better now.
7. Return to Martial Arts.
EPIC FAIL. I've been thinking a lot about this, and most of my return is directly related to money. I'm considering some alternatives on how to make this inexpensive, but the reality is this is an expensive hobby.
8. Unpack office, file 'to file pile', and unpack 1 garage box.
Mixed. A couple boxes have FINALLY been unpacked. Office still needs unburied and shit needs filed.
9. Start making molded soap.
Partial WIN. I made one batch of molded soap, it turned out ok. Need to continue on this.
10. Complete at least one carpentry / wood working project solo.
FAIL. Never really had a solid idea that panned out.
I'm going to make this recap short.
1. Better manage eating out and bringing lunch to work
EPIC FAIL. I'm getting slightly better at the end of the year, but Sept-Nov were really awful on this.
2. 3 camping trips for 2011 - with 1 in a new location.
FAIL. We did however take a few trips across the country. Seeing Nashville was fun. Sadly, our vacation time was largely nuked by family challenges.
3. Pay off one more loan.
WIN. The "Dave Ramsey Plan" is working well.
4. Do more writing / more blog posting.
FAIL. I've actually been far more focused on piano this year.
5. Ship something at work or home.
WIN. I hope to post the press release about this when it's out.
6. Improve garden and yard care.
FIN - WIN. ME - FAIL. Fin made a lot of progress on the garden this year. I'd like to say I did more, but I worked a lot this year. Garden looks a lot better now.
7. Return to Martial Arts.
EPIC FAIL. I've been thinking a lot about this, and most of my return is directly related to money. I'm considering some alternatives on how to make this inexpensive, but the reality is this is an expensive hobby.
8. Unpack office, file 'to file pile', and unpack 1 garage box.
Mixed. A couple boxes have FINALLY been unpacked. Office still needs unburied and shit needs filed.
9. Start making molded soap.
Partial WIN. I made one batch of molded soap, it turned out ok. Need to continue on this.
10. Complete at least one carpentry / wood working project solo.
FAIL. Never really had a solid idea that panned out.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Black Friday Suggestion
If you're going to do some shopping tomorrow, why not support locally owned businesses instead of mega-chains?
http://kansascity.about.com/od/shopping/tp/HolidayGiftsKC.htm
http://www.kckidsfun.com/2008/11/kansas-citys-toy-stores/
Eden Alley notes on Plaza
Consider stopping by the "HMS Beagle" in Parkville, MO or "Brookside Toy and Science" in Brookside. If you're shopping online, consider using a smaller online store, Etsy, etc... And remember when shopping for yourself, most of these super awesome "black friday deals", can be met and then some at local thrift stores - with the bonus of supporting various charities.
Happy Thanksgiving All!
http://kansascity.about.com/od/shopping/tp/HolidayGiftsKC.htm
http://www.kckidsfun.com/2008/11/kansas-citys-toy-stores/
Eden Alley notes on Plaza
Consider stopping by the "HMS Beagle" in Parkville, MO or "Brookside Toy and Science" in Brookside. If you're shopping online, consider using a smaller online store, Etsy, etc... And remember when shopping for yourself, most of these super awesome "black friday deals", can be met and then some at local thrift stores - with the bonus of supporting various charities.
Happy Thanksgiving All!
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Politics of Anger: Introduction
I promised myself to never really discuss politics here. Political discussions often devolve into shouting matches on the internet. Still, the whole "occupy wall street" and "tea party" crowd have grown in such popularity that I can't seem to turn around without seeing something new from them. Fin and I started this blog with the goal of expressing our journey down a different lifestyle, and these two groups converge at a portion of that journey for us.
As a country, we are in the midst of a sudden and dramatic shift in politics. For years, we've seen the politics of fear. Now, we're seeing the politics of anger. When OWS started, I strongly sympathized with the protester. I saw people out there making a statement. They say something isn't right, but never what. Now, the rallying call against elites brings many together, all with different agendas.
This of course, made it easy for the media to distort and misrepresent the goings on. In turn, other supporters of OWS make post destroying strawman arguments in themselves based on earlier strawman arguments."Official" voices (as much as a decentralized protest could have) didn't help matters either - contradictory statements, sometimes intelligent, sometimes idiotic, sometimes angry, sometimes obscure... In any case, this post isn't about any of the "output" from the OWS or Tea Party crowds. It's about "the problem".
Previously working in consumer electronics, I've seen the decision processes large corporations use. Products are designed for what the company thinks will sell, at the price they think they'll sell for, all based on the current "market". Anymore that means, frankly, cheap shit. The "market" here wasn't someone in a dark room making calls for everyone - it was the sales figures coming in at the end of the day. People wanted widget A for $69.99, so by God we'd deliver.
And what the people want, they got. Screw the consequences, or the poor 10yo kid that gets to drink lead poisoned water after you trash toxic electronics in a bargain bin "recycling program". Doing procurement now in a new industry with lower cost constraints, I'd figured I'd look at "buying American". Try to find someone that produced stuff in the states with provable ethics. You know what? They don't exist. Why? Because we drive them out of business.
If I'm making the next whiz-bang electronic device, I grab a catalog of manufacturers of various parts. They give me prices, and a minimal bit of info about the company. I call up the company, and find out about the part, make sure it'll meet whatever requirements I have. I hope that when I order these parts, they're produced ethically. I might even ask for information about the company, or make sure they meet various materials safety standards. At the end of the day though, I have to trust them and still figure out a way to get widget A down to a price people will pay.
The buck doesn't stop at the producers though. The big box stores purchase from the producer, with the aim of keeping overhead low enough to hit the price point people will buy at. Perhaps this means hiring minimum wage workers, or gouging people unpaid overtime.
It's hard to see until you take a step back from it, but the middle class works and toils endlessly to have a never ending supply of bigger and fancier toys - smartphones, high definition TV, video game systems. The same mindset extends to food, as we choke down "all you can eat steak" at the local buffet without any consideration of quality. And when we run out of money? Put it on credit.
Our government reflects our society. Willing, in large part, to mortgage our future and work to further the development of toys. I can't really blame the government much either. If people woke up tomorow forced to pay 10x as much for a phone, TV, or food, there'd be a rebellion. I have no doubt in my mind that there are some of the "1%" crowd that plot to expand their empires without regard to anyone. For that crowd to do ANYTHING, however, requires the implicit support of everyone else:
The engineer that picks a part while overlooking the suicide rate of a factory. The business owner that hires unrealistically low bidders for services. The consumer ignoring quality in favor of cost and advertising. The voter willing to vote for the crooked candidate because they pay lip service to a single issue (here's a hint for both sides - they don't give a DAMN about the big-A word). The shopper financing everything without concern for never-ending payments.
There's a lot of noise coming from the OWS and Tea Party crowds, but mostly I hear anger. Some of that anger is directed positively, but a lot of it simply floats around splashing randomly. I'd like to point out where that misdirected anger needs put:
Look in the mirror
As a country, we are in the midst of a sudden and dramatic shift in politics. For years, we've seen the politics of fear. Now, we're seeing the politics of anger. When OWS started, I strongly sympathized with the protester. I saw people out there making a statement. They say something isn't right, but never what. Now, the rallying call against elites brings many together, all with different agendas.
This of course, made it easy for the media to distort and misrepresent the goings on. In turn, other supporters of OWS make post destroying strawman arguments in themselves based on earlier strawman arguments."Official" voices (as much as a decentralized protest could have) didn't help matters either - contradictory statements, sometimes intelligent, sometimes idiotic, sometimes angry, sometimes obscure... In any case, this post isn't about any of the "output" from the OWS or Tea Party crowds. It's about "the problem".
Previously working in consumer electronics, I've seen the decision processes large corporations use. Products are designed for what the company thinks will sell, at the price they think they'll sell for, all based on the current "market". Anymore that means, frankly, cheap shit. The "market" here wasn't someone in a dark room making calls for everyone - it was the sales figures coming in at the end of the day. People wanted widget A for $69.99, so by God we'd deliver.
And what the people want, they got. Screw the consequences, or the poor 10yo kid that gets to drink lead poisoned water after you trash toxic electronics in a bargain bin "recycling program". Doing procurement now in a new industry with lower cost constraints, I'd figured I'd look at "buying American". Try to find someone that produced stuff in the states with provable ethics. You know what? They don't exist. Why? Because we drive them out of business.
If I'm making the next whiz-bang electronic device, I grab a catalog of manufacturers of various parts. They give me prices, and a minimal bit of info about the company. I call up the company, and find out about the part, make sure it'll meet whatever requirements I have. I hope that when I order these parts, they're produced ethically. I might even ask for information about the company, or make sure they meet various materials safety standards. At the end of the day though, I have to trust them and still figure out a way to get widget A down to a price people will pay.
The buck doesn't stop at the producers though. The big box stores purchase from the producer, with the aim of keeping overhead low enough to hit the price point people will buy at. Perhaps this means hiring minimum wage workers, or gouging people unpaid overtime.
It's hard to see until you take a step back from it, but the middle class works and toils endlessly to have a never ending supply of bigger and fancier toys - smartphones, high definition TV, video game systems. The same mindset extends to food, as we choke down "all you can eat steak" at the local buffet without any consideration of quality. And when we run out of money? Put it on credit.
Our government reflects our society. Willing, in large part, to mortgage our future and work to further the development of toys. I can't really blame the government much either. If people woke up tomorow forced to pay 10x as much for a phone, TV, or food, there'd be a rebellion. I have no doubt in my mind that there are some of the "1%" crowd that plot to expand their empires without regard to anyone. For that crowd to do ANYTHING, however, requires the implicit support of everyone else:
The engineer that picks a part while overlooking the suicide rate of a factory. The business owner that hires unrealistically low bidders for services. The consumer ignoring quality in favor of cost and advertising. The voter willing to vote for the crooked candidate because they pay lip service to a single issue (here's a hint for both sides - they don't give a DAMN about the big-A word). The shopper financing everything without concern for never-ending payments.
There's a lot of noise coming from the OWS and Tea Party crowds, but mostly I hear anger. Some of that anger is directed positively, but a lot of it simply floats around splashing randomly. I'd like to point out where that misdirected anger needs put:
Look in the mirror
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Fate’s Piano Adventures - The Forgotten Moments
William Tell Overture Part 1
In general, classical music exists in little tidbits on the web and radio or as background music for movie trailers. Most performances and recordings show off the ‘popular part’, but leave the remainder of the song out.
Today, I’m not feeling much for writing a long blog entry, so I’ll leave you with two of these ‘forgotten moments’. The start of the William Tell overture (aka theme to Lone Ranger), and the end of the Moonlight Sonata, a popular piece for beginners to learn provided they completely ignore the second half…
Excellent performance of 3rd movement of Moonlight Sonata
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