Set Out a Feast for Your Feathered Friends
May 31, 2007
February is "Feed the Birds" month in much of North America. And what great timing! If you’re going through a cold winter, you can help the wintering birds that are going through it with you. If you live further south, you’ll have not only year-round feathered friends to feed, but also an influx of migrating visitors from colder climates.
If you grow native plants in your garden, chances are good you already have quite a few feathered visitors already. If you’d like to supplement that, or if nothing in your garden attracts birds, here are some tips for successful birdfeeder use.
There are three main factors to consider when you choose where to place a feeder:
- There must be easy year-round access. You’ll have to clean and fill the feeder in all types of weather.
- There will always be debris under a bird feeding station, such as discarded shells, bird droppings, and so on. Choose a location where this can be easily cleaned up.
- If there are squirrels in your neighborhood, you’ll want to place the feeder where they can’t reach it. Sure, they’re cute but they won’t share their food with the birds. The best solution for this problem is a pole-mounted feeder (the pole should be a least 10 feet from the nearest tree limb or trunk) that is either "squirrel-proof" or protected by a baffle.
The first priority with the seed in a feeder is to keep it dry. Seed will spoil quickly when it gets damp or wet and can breed diseases like salmonella.
Writing Without Style
May 31, 2007
Style manuals are all well and good, and in fact, highly desirable for newspapers. The average reading level of newspaper readers is the sixth grade. Over the years it became imperative that newspaper writing be simple, consistent, and use basic punctuation, even when that violated some elementary rules. The end result has been that borderline idiots may now understand today’s papers.
I feel that these manuals should not be taken as carved in stone for fiction writers. Imagine, if you will, someone dictating to Picasso, Dali, or the French impressionists which colors of paint they may use, which strokes, which perspective, etc. Unthinkable, yet there are many people who insist that fiction writers must abide by the (sometimes) arbitrary grammar and style rules in the popular style manuals.
Make Your Own Lampshades
May 31, 2007
When redecorating your room, you may be faced with looking for new lampshades (or perhaps a lampshade you currently have has gotten damaged). So why not make your own!
If your lamp currently has a lampshade on it, half of the battle is already won! You have a base to start building your new shade. When selecting a material for your new shade, you can use paper, fabrics, plastic, or any heat-resistant material. Do keep in mind though, that the surface of a 100-watt light bulb can reach over 200 degrees and could cause a fire hazard. Make sure the material you choose for a lampshade is either far enough from the light bulb, or is fire-resistant.
Next, have fun! Take a trip to your local craft store or fabric store and get some ideas for your fabric or other material for your shade. Remember, the more transparent the material, the more the color of your light will change by the material. If you use a lightweight, transparent green sheer material, your finished lamp will give off a greenish glow. On the other hand, a heavy piece of velvet (or how about some thin strips of tree bark) won’t allow much light through at all. Light will escape from the top or bottom of the lamp only. Keep this in mind as you plan your new lampshade.
Dogtra: Superior Dog Training Equipment that Performs as it Claims
May 31, 2007
Dogtra
When looking for a dog training collar or containment system, consider Dogtra as an option. This brand of training collar is exceptional in its quality and ability to perform as it claims. Dogtra has many choices and options for pet owners who are looking for a way to control their animal or to find a way to make the dog behave as it should.
Dogtra has many types of systems to help you achieve your goal. They provide systems to contain the animal, as well as bark collars. These products have been utilized by many industries as well. In industries where animals can serve people, teaching them the correct behaviors is key. These industries include firefighting and police departments, hunters, farmers, and even service dogs. These dogs can be trained to sniff out information or find people, or even to help the blind or deaf.
Dogtra’s products are versatile to fit the dog’s size and weight. Dogtra manufactures dog training collars for just about any dog. Most Dogtra systems come with a money back guarantee to help ensure customer satisfaction. Dogtra products are water resistant and many even have rechargeable batteries to limit your costs. Dogtra is a trusted brand in dog training collars.
Vital Verbs
May 30, 2007
Remember back in the dark days of your school years when you had to learn the parts of speech? A noun is the name of a person, place, or thing. When asked what a verb was, you smugly answered, A verb is a word that indicates action, or some such definition. Fine. You got that straight. Since then, you’ve uttered or written verbs in the hundreds of thousands.
Verbs are great words. They enable us to describe actions or states of being or feelings we’d be hard pressed to convey without them. “John outside the house. John inside the house. John in bed.” Primitive, to say the least. With the help of verbs, we can say, “John came home and went directly to bed.” Still, if verbs are indispensable in our speech and in our writing, why do we neglect them so?
Yes, we neglect them terribly. There are countless verbs just sitting in our dictionaries that are rarely taken out and used, seldom get to feel themselves flowing out of our mouths or proudly sitting on the paper on which we write. You have to feel sorry for them.
Shock Collars: Teaching Your Dog Basic Obedience and Breaking Bad Habits
May 30, 2007
Shock Collars
Are you at a loss as to whether or not to purchase a shock collar for your pet? Yes, you love the little guy but the neighbors don’t want him in their yard. Or, maybe they are complaining about the dog’s barking? You need to do something and you are thinking about getting a shock collar? Here’s some information to think about regarding shock collars.
When you are looking into shock collars you should think about what your goal is. Is the ultimate goal to keep the dog from barking? Perhaps you wish to limit the aggressiveness your dog shows? Even more so, you may need to ensure the animal stays on your property. There are different types of shock collars to accomplish these tasks.
While it may seem cruel to shock an animal into submission, the actual shock the dog receives is small. It will not leave a lasting mark or pain. There are always stories of shock collars malfunctioning and by doing so the animal gets hurt. But, the risk is much smaller than allowing that same animal to run into a busy street. So, the pet owner will have to decide if they want to use a shock collar or not.
Five Steps to Protecting Your Music and Your Money
May 30, 2007
There are a lot of independent labels out there waiting to use a talented musician to make quick money. The offers may seem hard to refuse, especially if you are a struggling artist or band that has struggled to get a record deal. A little money and exposure may seem great for the moment, but you run a high risk of getting contractually bound to that record label for the rest of your life. If a better deal comes along later, you may not be able to accept it, or you may get robbed of your rightful percentages.
All of this I learned the hard way. I was very fortunate to be able to get myself out of trouble and get a fresh start in the music business. I also took time to educate myself through books and the experiences of others, as well as mys own, to conceive a plan on how to avoid a repeat of what happened once before. This plan I believe will be very helpful for you ambitious artists pursuing your dreams. It is put into five easy steps, but make sure to read the details listed within each step.
1. Copyright your music
What Would Plato Think of Prozac?
May 30, 2007
Each person is unique and it is that individuality that we as a whole draw strength from. We should use such advantages to our benefit. Plato often wrote about this in The Republic, that each member of a society ought to do what they are best at and be alleviated from responsibility of those things they are not good at, which can be done by others. The individual and the society gain the most using this methodology. Why have we not considered this wise advice in our culture? Instead we often put people into jobs they are unsuited for in patience, competence and ability. Who benefits? Would a Football team, which actually wants to win the game do that? After all; the guy with the strong foot and lanky build ought to be the kicker, not a lineman, for he would only be good for one play.
Yet as our world becomes more PC, we seem to be too worried about hurting feelings in the real world and try to make everyone equal, people are not equal; not genetically and certainly not through different experience of nurturing. For instance I am a terrible accountant and could be good at that but it would be a living hell for me to try. This would serve no one if I were assigned to that position, would it? An accountant may be less suited for the activities that I tend to excel in.
Reducing Wake Turbulence and Wing-Tip Vortices Using Contoured Winglet Designs
May 29, 2007
Some Taiwan scientists have figured out a way to reduce the wake from ferries crossing the harbor, most harbors and lakes, many rivers have speed limits to reduce the wake which cases hardships accidents, inconvenience and damage to other craft. We have all heard of the gentleman who ended up between the dock and hull of a large boat and was crushed to death, so obviously it is a serious matter. Yet speed on the water saves time and means greater profits more movement in less time means more efficiency. In places like Taiwan with the insanely high populations, there are serious needs getting all the people where they need to be.
By redesigning the hulls in a wavy fashion they are able to reduce significantly the wake. Mr. Cheng-Hung Huang has come up with a wavy design, which reduces wake. Here is the design.
http://www.newscientist.com/data/images/ns…/99996368F1.JPG
Here is the premise:
http://else.hebis.de/cgi-bin/sciserv.pl?co…87_atihcphfbcgm
Now then let’s take this concept and apply it to a winglet on a heavy airliner, cargo aircraft or military troop transport. We know the winglets help reduce drag and wing tip vortices and wake turbulence, which is quite a violent disruption, which moves a lot of air. For instance if you google NASA’s LARC project you will see the studies done.
Seeding Flowers Indoors: An Inexpensive Way to a Beautiful Summer Garden
May 29, 2007
Every year you plan that THIS will be the year you have pots and pots of lush plants on your balcony or deck. Then you visit your local nursery in the spring and reality hits -? the cost for your fantasy is just outrageous! Sound familiar?
But you can have the planters of your dreams at a fraction of the cost and with a choice of varieties far beyond what the local garden center offers. How? Start your own flower seeds now.
If you’ve never grown from seeds indoors before, it’s best to begin with just a few types. Easy starters: Trailing lobelia and petunias make a bright and simple garden for sunny spots. Licorice plant and dwarf nasturtiums are also attractive.
Once you’ve decided on your plants, you must know two things to determine when the seeds should be started: the last frost date for your area, and the time required before transplanting.
