The loveliest of all was the unicorn

What D&D character am I?

2010-05-03T09:02:00.001-07:00

I Am A: Neutral Good Half-Elf Ranger (2nd Level)

Ability Scores:

Strength-12
Dexterity-13
Constitution-16
Intelligence-13
Wisdom-13
Charisma-17

Alignment:
Neutral Good A neutral good character does the best that a good person can do. He is devoted to helping others. He works with kings and magistrates but does not feel beholden to them. Neutral good is the best alignment you can be because it means doing what is good without bias for or against order. However, neutral good can be a dangerous alignment because it advances mediocrity by limiting the actions of the truly capable.

Race:
Half-Elves have the curiosity and ambition for their human parent and the refined senses and love of nature of their elven parent, although they are outsiders among both cultures. To humans, half-elves are paler, fairer and smoother-skinned than their human parents, but their actual skin tones and other details vary just as human features do. Half-elves tend to have green, elven eyes. They live to about 180.

Class:
Rangers are skilled stalkers and hunters who make their home in the woods. Their martial skill is nearly the equal of the fighter, but they lack the latter's dedication to the craft of fighting. Instead, the ranger focuses his skills and training on a specific enemy a type of creature he bears a vengeful grudge against and hunts above all others. Rangers often accept the role of protector, aiding those who live in or travel through the woods. His skills allow him to move quietly and stick to the shadows, especially in natural settings, and he also has special knowledge of certain types of creatures. Finally, an experienced ranger has such a tie to nature that he can actually draw on natural power to cast divine spells, much as a druid does, and like a druid he is often accompanied by animal companions. A ranger's Wisdom score should be high, as this determines the maximum spell level that he can cast.

Find out What Kind of Dungeons and Dragons Character Would You Be?, courtesy of Easydamus (e-mail)

Hydroponics

2010-04-08T20:45:00.000-07:00

My basil after 2.5 months

Knowing what hydroponics have done for the home marijuana grower I obviously thought to myself "oh, I wonder how other food crops might do under similar conditions?!?"

Hydroponics is loosely defined as the plantings grown in a soiless medium, in my case, black gravel suspended in a nutrient mix.

So about two and a half months ago I decided to dedicate one shelf in my windowless storage room as a mini hydroponics basil garden, using only a rubbermaid container, two 13W compact florescent light bulbs and six styrofoam containers perforated with a skewer and filled with gravel. This kind of hydroponics system is called deep water culture.

My system is similar to this diagram, but instead of a floating raft, I cut a few holes in the lid and have the styrofoam cups dip into the nutrient mix:

For your interest I've attached this chart showing conventional yields versus those using hydroponics systems (don't ask me why all the data is from Bengal):

	Bengal
Name of crop	Hydroponic equivalent per acre	Agricultural average per acre
Wheat	8,000 lb.	5,600 lb.
Oats	3,000 lb.	1,850 lb.
Rice	12,000 lb.	750-900 lb.
Cannabis	8,000 lb.	1,500 lb.
Soya beans	1,500 lb.	600 lb.
Potatoes	156,000 lb.	18,000 lb.
Beetroot	20,000 lb.	9,500 lb.
Cabbage	18,000 lb.	13,000 lb.
Peas	140,000 lb.	25,000 lb.
Tomatoes	400,000 lb.	12,000-22,000 lb.
Cauliflowers	30,000 lb.	15-35,000 lb.
French beans	42,000 lb. of pods for eating
Lettuce	21,000 lb.	9,000 lb.
Lady's finger (Okra)	19,000 lb.	5-10,000 lb.
Cucumber	28,000 lb.	7,000 lb.

Two weeks

4 weeks

Happy Birthday on the Piano

2010-03-11T20:32:00.000-08:00

Oh look, I'm in love with this kid's version of "Happy Birthday."

Oh look, I'm also in love with this kid.

Creepy?

Hybrid Hit-list

2010-02-26T13:37:00.000-08:00

I'm not necessarily an advocate of strange and unusual inter-species hybrids. However, I can't ignore my not-so-secret god-complex and give these somewhat mythical creatures their due attention.

The animals that follow are just a few of my favorite animal hybrids.

The Zonkey

In South Africa they occur where zebras and donkeys are found in proximity to each other. Like mules, however, they are genetically unable to breed, due to an odd number of chromosomes disrupting meiosis. However, in The Origin of Species,Charles Darwin reported a case of a zonkey that apparently bred with a bay mare to produce a "triple hybrid".

The Zorse

A zorse or zebrula is the offspring of a zebra stallion and a horse mare; the rarer reverse pairing is sometimes called a hebra.The zorse is shaped more like a horse than a zebra, but has boldly striped legs and, often, stripes on the body or neck. Like most other interspecies hybrids, it is infertile.

Zorses are preferred over purebred zebras for riding and drought for several reasons, although they are still not as easily handled as purebred horses and should not be ridden or purchased by novices. Their more horselike shape, particularly in the shoulder region, makes it easier to obtain harness.

The Leopon

A leopon is the result of breeding a male leopard with a female lion. The head of the animal is similar to that of a lion while the rest of the body carries similarities to leopards. They have been bred in zoos in Japan, Germany, and Italy. The leopon has the size and strength of a lion. But, unlike the lion, they have extraordinary climbing abilities like the leopard. The female leopons may be torn between the solitary nature of the leopard and the social nature of a lioness.

The Zho

Zho are a hybrid of a yak and domestic cattle. The word dzo technically refers to a male hybrid, while a female is known as a dzomo orzhom. Alternative Romanizations of the Tibetan names include zho and zo. InMongolian it is called khainag (хайнаг). There is also the English languageportmanteau term of yakow; a combination of the words yak and cow, though this is rarely used.

As they are a product of the hybrid genetic phenomenon of heterosis (hybrid vigor), they are larger and stronger than cattle or yak. In Mongolia and Tibet, khainags are thought to be more productive than cattle or yaks in terms of both milk and meat production.

The Savannah Cat

Okay, so technically this is a INTRA-specific hybrid and not an INTER-specific hybrid, and so is much less notable. However, it's such an interesting looking animal!

Bengal breeder Judee Frank crossbred a male Serval (an African wildcat), belonging to Suzi Woods, with a Siamese (cat) (domestic cat) to produce the first Savannah cat on April 7, 1986.

The Geep

Finally, although technically not a hybrid but a chimera, the Geep, or goat-sheep is of particular interest of me. It was also featured in a 2008 radiolab podcast.

Mad Men Myself

2010-02-11T16:51:00.001-08:00

Thank goodness they had a baggy eyes as an option.

Egg Loaf

2010-02-11T14:59:00.000-08:00

Love it, love it, love it.
I wouldn't even bother slicing

Post-it Property

2010-02-10T13:50:00.000-08:00

My split level bungalow

This 75x75ft residential lot features a cozy 800sq ft 1960s bungalow.

The lot includes:

Greenhouse and vegetable garden in the Southwest corner
Compost at the lots Southern most end
Rainwater collector
Generous patio
Assorted drupe trees, nestled in a bed of pachysandra terminalis in the Southeast corner
An arid / alpine planting on the East side of the house

Courtesy of Fiona

Fiona's 75x75ft residential lot includes:

A spacious and handsomely appointed fortress framed by an impenetrable moat
Unicorn stable
Full sized swimming pool and sauna
Full kitchen where only cake is served
Party room
Bed chamber

DIY Shake n' Bake

2010-02-09T15:30:00.000-08:00

Made my own Shake n' Bake last week.

Worked like a charm.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups flour

• 4 cups breadcrumbs

• 1/4 cup salt

• 2 Tbsp. sugar

• 1 Tbsp. garlic powder

• 1 Tbsp. onion powder

• 1 Tbsp. pepper

• 3 Tbsp. paprika

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

Mix all dry ingredients together well. Drizzle oil over mixture and mix thoroughly until oil is well distributed and particles are fine. Store mix, refrigerated, in a tightly covered container.

The Skinny on Skimmia Japonica

2010-02-09T14:13:00.000-08:00

Well hello, handsome!

Hot on the heels of the winter blooming Hellebore is Skimmia Japonica.

Next on my winter hit-list, this dwarf evergreen promises year-round interest with glossy almond leaves, charming pinkish white flowers and red berries (only assert themselves when a male and female plant are present.)

A home inspector came to my building the other day to evaluate its appropriateness as an Olympic rental property. He opens up my balcony and says:

"What a cheerful little balcony! Is that Skimmia Japonica? I loooooove Skimmia Japonica! You know, sometimes I bring in a few flowers into the house and it just freshens everything right up!"

Then I said "Really? It never even occurred to me to use it as a cut flower"

Then he said "Oh no? They make excellent cut flower. You'll probably have to transplant yours into a bigger pot in a couple of years...when you do, make sure to trim the root-ball."

He then bent over and took a big wiff of my Skimmia Japonica.

After he left, I took an extra long wiff myself, and I would have to say that you'll definitely be seeing some Skimmia sprigs in my home next year. It was a wonderful smell.

Like fresh soap (in a good way.)

Below is a letter that the "discoverer" of Skimmia Japonica wrote to The London Gardener's Chronicle in the 1800.

It appears as though he's totally dissing a rival vareity, Skimmia Laureola.

Although self-proclaimed as the discoverer of the plant, I suspect that the plant was either discovered or developed much earlier in Asia.

********************************************

This fine new evergreen shrub, which is attracting a good deal of attention in your columns, and elsewhere, was discovered by me in the winter of 1848, and introduced to England in 1849. I met with it in a nursery near Shanghae, and it was there the rarest and most prized plant of the collection to which it belonged. The nurseryman told me that it was brought to him from a high mountain, in the interior, named Wang-shan, and consequently the plant is called by the Chinese the Wang-ehan-Kwei. The last term was given it on account of the fragrance of its flowers, which the Chinese consider as sweet as the kwei-whs or Olea fragrant. These scented flowers are produced in great profusion in early spring, and are succeeded by bunches of red berries, like those of the English holly. The plant exhibited to theHorticultural Society, in Regent street, by Messrs. Standish & Noble, a week or two ago, gave but a faint idea of the beauty of the species. The berries of that plant were scarcely ripe; later in the season they become much larger, and are then of a deeper and clearer red.

My own opinion is that this fine bush will prove perfectly hardy in this country. It cares nothing for the cold winds and sharp frosts about Shanghae, and no doubt endures a much lower degree of temperature on the inland mountains already named, where it is found wild, than in places nearer the coast Although this is my opinion, I think your reporter was perfectly justified in "erring on the safe side," and saying that more proof of its hardiness in this country is required. I recollect well when I wrote an account of Weigela rosea, some years ago, in the Journal of the Horticultural Society, I advised the possessor of that beautiful shrub to keep it in the green-house until its hardiness was proved by the Society. Well, there was no harm done in that instance, although every one knows now how hardy Weigela rosea is.

I may now notice the letter of your Liverpool correspondent, in which he tells you that Skim-mia Japonica has borne the "pelting of the pitiless storm" during the last seven years. As you justly remark, your correspondent must be writing of Skimmia Laureola. In my opinion, however, his letter goes a long way to prove the hardiness of Skimmia Japonica, as it comes from a much colder country than Dr. Wallich's S. Laureola. It proves, also, what I have long feared, that many persons in the trade will, by mistake, send out S. Laureola with the name of S. Japonica, as the names have been mixed and confused. Until Dr. Lindley set the matter right in "Paxton'a Flower Garden," an idea had got abroad that the Chinese and Himalayan plants were identical; but in reality no plants can be more different, in so far as their ornamental properties are concerned, although they may resemble each other in their stems and leaves. The Himalayan plant has been in the garden of Mr. Luscombe for Borne years, and yet I am informed by that gentleman that it scarcely ever opens its flowers, and never produces berries. The beauty of the Chinese plant not only consists in its being a nice dwarf evergreen bush, but also in the profusion of its sweet-scented flowers, and in the abundance of its holly-like berries.

The former is a plant of no value for ornamental purposes, while the latter will, no doubt, form in a few years one of the most attractive winter plants our gardens can boast of Fancy if you can our borders or parterres dotted in mid-winter with a little evergreen bush, only two or three feet high, and covered all over with bright red berries, each of which is as large as those of the common holly. In greenhouse, too, it will be invaluable for decorative purposes, where its flowers, although not showy, will fill the air with the most delicious odor, and its berries will be most attractive in the dull months of winter.

Those of your readers who wish to add the plant to their collections, have, in the description I have just given, the means of knowing when the true Skimmia Japonica has been sent them, or whether they have received the Himalayan plant in its stead. I think you will agree with me, that the discoverer of a fine, new, ornamental plant, may justly complain of mistakes of this kind. It is only a very short time since another blunder of this description, was committed with the new Cephalotaxus, discovered by me in the north of China. Sir William Hooker described and figured that plant in the Botanical Magazine, and pronounced it to be quite new, and a tree of great beauty. And yet, notwithstanding that high authority, I find that large quantities of Cephalo-taxus Harringtoni have been sent out with the new name of C. Fortuni attached to them. Nurserymen ought to guard against such mistakes, as they are not only annoying to the purchasers of plants, but tend greatly to confuse our nomenclature,

- R. F., in London Gardeners' Chronicle.

For more information:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/plants/plant_finder/plant_pages/8309.shtml

Mozart 2.0

2010-02-05T15:50:00.000-08:00

I was listening to a radiolab podcast about a composition professor at the University of Santa Cruz, named David Cope, who developed a computer named EMI in the 80s. EMI is an acronym for Experiments in Musical Intelligence.

Apparently you can feed sheet music into this computer and it will interpret the sheet music as data. So if you, for example, feed it enough Mozart sheet music, it will be able to write a symphony in the style of Mozart.

Pretty neat hey?

I'm for sure a fan.

http://www.wnyc.org/shows/radiolab/episodes/2006/04/21/segments/58293

Hell-bent on Hellebores

2010-02-05T15:19:00.000-08:00

Helleborus niger or "The Christmas Rose"

To the dismay of the Vancouver Olympics Committee the weather in Vancouver has been unseasonably warm. However, this unusually warm weather has me itching to get out into the garden, or in my case, out into my 3x8ft Juliet-style balcony of my downtown condo.

One of the first plants I bought for my empty balcony was the Hellebore.

I was looking for a solid winter bloomer for our zone (USDA 8) and my mind went to the hellebore (USDA hardiness 6-9ish.)

I originally became aware of the Hellebore during an episode of Martha Stewart Living. During this episode Martha visits a hellebore nursery where she interviews a woman hybridizing hellebores by provocatively rubbing and twisting two blossoms together.

Interestingly enough, the hellebore has special Olympic relevance too!

Hybridizers at the hellebore factory have been working tirelessly to give us the perfect Olympic bloom. Enter "Vancouver Medallion" or Helleborus x nigercors. This February bloomer was made available for retail late last month...just in time for Vancouver 2010:

http://www.vancouversun.com/life/in-the-garden/Hellebore+flower+power+Winter+Olympics/1332510/story.html

Helleborus x nigercors or "Vancouver Medallion"

My particular hellebore is name Helleborus niger or "The Christmas Rose." It is an evergreen plant with dark, leathery, pedate leaves carried on stems. The large, flat flowers, borne on short stems from midwinter to early spring, are white, or occasionally pink.

I bought mine in November with blossoms and it has been blooming for 3 months straight!

Interestingly enough, the hellebore also has interesting historical significance. Here are a few points scammed off Wikipedia:

Several legends surround the hellebore; in witchcraft it is believed to have ties to summoning demons. Helleborus niger is commonly called the Christmas rose, due to an old legend that it sprouted in the snow from the tears of a young girl who had no gift to give the Christ child in Bethlehem.
In Greek mythology, Melampus of Pylos used hellebore to save the daughters of the king of Argos from a madness, induced by Dionysus, that caused them to run naked through the city, crying, weeping, and screaming.
During the Siege of Kirrha in 585 BC, hellebore was reportedly used by the Greek besiegers to poison the city's water supply. The defenders were subsequently so weakened by diarrhea that they were unable to defend the city from assault.
Some historians believe that Alexander the Great died because of a hellebore overdose, when he took it as medication.

Happy Hellebo-lympics Everybody!

There Goes the Neighbourhood

2009-12-04T14:14:00.001-08:00

Vancouver City council has endorsed a plan to develop North East False Creek (my neighbourhood) into Vancouver's densest neighbourhood of approximately 7200 people.

Vancouver currently ranks as North America's third densest city after New York and San Francisco.

From the Vancouver Sun:

The controversial concept includes a new civic plaza plus four million square feet of residential space and 1.8 million square feet of office space.

What it doesn’t include is the 2.75 acres of park space per 1,000 people that city council holds as a goal.

Coun. Suzanne Anton, who unsuccessfully pushed for changes to the plan to include more park space, said she thinks residents will be shortchanged if the developers don’t provide the expected amenities.

“I am an advocate of density,” Anton told The Vancouver Sun. “I think it makes a city more interesting, I think it makes it more livable, and most important, I think it’s better for the environment.

“However at the same time, if you’re going to ask people to live in high density, you must, as a city, provide the right amenities.”

If the park ratio of 2.75 acres per 1,000 residents was to be met, it would require an additional 19.8 acres of park land for the 7,200 new residents, according to the staff report.

As proposed, densities in northeast False Creek will be among the highest in the downtown peninsula, the report said, noting the high-density push is being driven by the city’s goal of becoming the greenest city in the world by 2020.

Coun. Geoff Meggs stressed that the plan will take years to be implemented.

“This just the first stage of what is going to be a long discussion,” Meggs said. “The onus is now on the developers to bring forward proposals that meet the community test for amenities.”

The new neighbourhood, according to the staff report, would include rental and market housing — and would “appeal to those who want to live in a busy, vibrant area and who have a tolerance for noise, crowds and activities.”

Patsy McMillan, who lives in Citygate near Science World, said she isn’t happy with city council’s decision.

“Everybody’s very disappointed. There was nothing in [the motion] for the larger park or the community,” McMillan said.

“You’re going to get more of a transient, single population, which is okay, except 7,000 of them is not exactly movement towards a stable community.”

“We’re not in favour of that much density without the appropriate amenities and park space,” McMillan said.

The city’s plan for the new northeast False Creek isn’t exclusively for young singles or childless couples — it calls for housing suitable for families with children, including units sheltered from event traffic and noise.

The report also calls for child care centres. A new elementary school in International Village was also discussed by council, but there are no plans now for a new secondary school in the downtown core.

The city will be reviewing height restrictions and view corridors in January. Buildings in Citygate near the proposed development are between 22 and 28 storeys high.

The five owners of property in the area are Concord Pacific, BC PavCo, Canadian Metropolitan Properties, Aquilini Developments and Central Heat Distribution.

The report, Northeast False Creek Directions for the Future, is authored by planners Michael Gordon and Paula Huber.

Piano Man

2009-12-04T10:24:00.000-08:00

Five weeks ago I decided to start piano lessons.

Sure, it's $25 a week but when I think of some of the things I've spend $25 on in the past, such as my brief online Jeopardy tournament gambling addiction, an investment in piano lessons didn't seem like such a bad idea.

I used to take piano lessons when I was a kid but unfortunately I never got beyond grade 3 of the Royal Conservatory of Music series.

So far I'm enjoying my lessons, although my teacher is a little stingy with the stickers.

My lessons are slotted between two four year old kids: Emily, who is a cute half Japanese girl with coke bottle glasses and Téo, a little French-Canadian boy with curly hair.

I usually get in five minutes before Emily is finished her lesson.

Is it bad that I'm competitive with her?

Is it horrible that I get a bit of satisfaction every time she messes up?

I'm learning currently Mark Mrozinski's Turkish Bazaar although this Nathan Chen kid takes the cake:

This takes the biscuit!

2009-11-09T14:11:00.000-08:00

OMG this recipe is so effing simple it'll change your life. Always a crowd-pleaser with about a million variations.

These are so easy your kid brother could make them!

2 cups all purpose flour

1 T. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1/4 cup butter or other shortening

3/4 cup water

Mix dry ingredients and then blend in the butter.
Mix in the water with a wooden spoon
Turn dough out onto a floured surface and roll out about 1/2 in thick.
Cut out biscuits with a cookie cutter or rim of a drinking glass (sometimes I like to use my heart-shaped cutter for that special someone...)

Bake at 450F for 10-15 minutes.

You can also wash the tops with egg beforehand to make them SHINY

Makes about 1.5 dozen.

Try adding pesto, sundried tomatoes, cheddar, jalapenos, blue cheese or whatever else your heart desires.

You're only limited by your imagination!

Idle Hands

2009-06-26T01:56:00.000-07:00

So I've recently found myself with a lot more time on my hands. Now I mean a LOT and you'd think an extra....oh, say, 40 hours a week would be a fantastic opportunity for some personal development.

This is a partial list what I could be doing during my time off:

Get a few muscles on my body and lose 5 lbs.
Draw in my sketchbook
Get to know some of my friends better
Read a book
Call my parents

Instead of doing these things I become a 15 year old, straight boy during summer holidays. My days are typically filled with me in my underwear, video games, Star Trek and complex carbohydrates, all after a 10:30am wake up time.

One video games that I'm spending a lot of time on is Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3, probably the corniest video game I've played...and I'm loving it:

Imagine it: Einstein goes back in time to kill Hitler. The outcome? WWII as we know it never happened, Germany's role as a super power is never realized and the USSR rises to power as the Allies' new enemy.

From Wikipedia:
The game is set in a parallel universe in which World War II never happened (in the original Red Alert, Albert Einstein travelled back in time and removed Hitler in the 1920s. After an Allied victory in Red Alert 2, the Soviet leaders travelled back in time and removed Albert Einstein in the 1920s, preventing the Allies from creating atomic weapons while the Soviet Union rose to power, battling the Allies in the 1950s. In this game, the Empire of the Rising Sun rises to power as a threat as well (an unintentional result of the Soviets time travelling). All three factions are playable, with the main gameplay involving constructing a base, gathering resources, and training armies composed of land, sea, and airborne units to defeat other players.

Along with the severely macho gameplay there are also a number of cheesy female commandos who wear anything from a tight tanktini to pleather booty shorts. I'm not sure whether I want to pull their hair or French braid it and talk about boys. And yes, that's Jenny McCarthy in the last photo.

The Sims 3: Make your ears bleed

2009-06-09T18:03:00.000-07:00

Electronic Arts' third installment of the insanely popular Sims franchise debued only one week ago. Aside from randomly deleting families, helmet-less cyclists and random babies showing up in my families the biggest problem I have with it is the music. Especially when you compare them to the original Sims1 sound track. Have a listen for yourself.

Sims 1 build mode:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bs5QGN-zhwM&feature=related

The Sims 1: Makin' Magic
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qsmBxl7pA0&feature=related

The Sims 1: Hot Date
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5GpQooj3iI&feature=related

Sims 3 main theme and build mode:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T070bcfT-Eg

For boys who like boys who like joysticks and girls who like girls who like rumble pads

2009-06-07T22:04:00.000-07:00

Don't blame me for the title of the post, it comes directly from the http://www.gaygamer.net/ description.

It's nice to know I'm not alone.

Perhaps my Prince Charming awaits on that website, and perhaps he is also a level 30 drawf mage.

One can only dream.

Go Fish

2009-05-12T12:18:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the great sticker book, Rachel.

Clockwise from the treasure chest:

A pair of female guppies

Neon Tetras

Male Guppy

Phantom Tetra

Gourami

The Office Goldilocks

2009-05-05T15:53:00.000-07:00

Someone's been eating my porridge...actually it's much worse.

So I walked into the kitchen at work today and not only did I find that somebody had gone into my box of instant oatmeal but somebody had gone into the box, opened a new package and placed the full, opened package back in the box.

What the eff? Who does that anyway?

Toast of the town

2009-05-04T11:32:00.000-07:00

OMFG....check it out. This is nuts!

The following is extracted from http://www.yankodesign.com/2007/09/06/honey-i-left-it-on-the-toast/:

Nothing gets your morning going like a cup of joe and a piece of toast slathered in your favorite spread. Of course, it can also be the time of day when things are hectic to start. Kids running around, people in and out, everyone trying to remind everyone else about the super important soccer meet after school. Next time, put it on toast.

This toaster by Sasha Tseng incorporates a little message board where one can read quick notes. The message also gets “toasted” into the toast itself so it gives new meaning to “read while you eat”.

Lego Maniac

2009-05-04T09:49:00.000-07:00

Just thought I would share this GREAT photo.

I didn't make this, but I wish I had.

Andrew Lipson is the self proclaimed "professional nerd" and the man behind the Escher inspired Lego creations. Unfortunately, his website is pretty disappointing considering his vocation.

http://www.andrewlipson.com/

If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be?

2009-05-03T14:48:00.000-07:00

I have been looking for an appropriate bonsai-esque plant a while now but I haven't had much luck with them. Unfortunately most "bonsai" are marketed simply as "bonsai" and do not refer to the actually plant species. In reality the word bonsai indicates only to the method of tree miniaturization and can apply to a number of different types plants. Bonsais are typically outdoor trees like, juniper or maple, whose growth is stunted due to a combination of pruning and root constraint. These plants usually do very poorly indoors. Because of these factors I never had much luck with keeping indoor bonsais.

Then one day during lunch I notice this little guy at corner store and I thought to myself "What the hell, let's give it another shot." So I bought this tree for the bargain price of $14 and it may have been the best $14 I ever spent.

Okay, that may have been a bit of an overstatement, truth be told, the best $14 I ever spent was for tickets to the opening of the movie, High School Musical 3, but the tree was a good purchase, nonetheless.

Anyway, thought the tree is thriving I don't actually know what kind of tree it is.

I asked the cashier when I bought it and he ran outside and brought back a tag that said "Chrysan." After a week of thinking that "Chrysan" was the name of the tree I clued in that it may actually be a Chrysanthemum plant.

However, upon further research it is clear that my little tree is not a Chrysanthemum and I have yet to come across a similar plant since. I look over sometimes and think to myself "who are you? What's your story?"

I suppose my tree is have to remain shrouded in mystery.
Maybe I should try smoking it?

Oh, and for the record I was kidding about High School Musical 3 tickets being the best $14 I ever spent (kinda.)

From Russian with love

2009-05-01T12:13:00.001-07:00

The Russian Blue, the sexiest cat on earth and naturally hypo-allergenic (well, practically)

I've contacted a breeder about the Russian Blue, unfortunately it's a little out of my price range, about $600 out of my price range. However, if I was Madonna I would buy 20 of these proud, majestic animals.

Here is what the all-knowing Wikipedia has to say about this beautiful breed:

The Russian Blue is a naturally occurring breed that originated in the port of Arkhangelsk, Russia. It is believed that the first Russian Blues from Russia to England and Northern Europe in the 1860s by Russian sailors.

The Russian Blue is known for being a very intelligent and active animal. They have been known to open doors/windows, play fetch, and are sensitive to basic human emotions. The Russian Blue is also known for getting along very well with other pets and children in a household. They are known also for being quiet and clean animals that are normally reserved around strangers, unless they are brought up in a very active household.

The Russian Blue produces less glycoprotein Fel d 1 and is much less of an allergen source than other breeds of cat. This would suggest that the Russian Blue breed may be hypoallergenic, yet others point out that no cat is completely free of allergens.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Blue

The Dollhouse: Not just another pretty face

2009-04-30T14:24:00.000-07:00

Tahmoh Penikett plays the ridiculously handsome FBI agent Paul Ballard in Fox's new series Dollhouse. He's also the son of former Yukon Primier Tony Penikett, could it get any better?

After a rocky start, I am pleased to say that Joss Whedon's new series Dollhouse has finally found its footing.

For those who don't know, Dollhouse is the creation of writer/director Joss Whedon, the brain behind such other shows as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly and Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-Long Blog. Dollhouse is about an underground organization who imprints young men and women with a variety of skills and memories. The organization then "rents" out these people for different assignments. These assignments can be anything from high end prostitution to assassinations. Once the assignment is finished, those who were imprinted (Dolls), have their memories wiped and default into an automaton-like state. It has not yet been revealed how the "Dolls" came to work for the dollhouse.

Originally 60% of why I toughed out the first four episodes was because of the inclusion of dreamboats Tahmoh Penikett and Enver Gjokaj in the regular cast. However, I now find Dollhouse moves forward each week with charisma and wit that I expect from Whedon. The plot also becomes increasingly compelling as certain "Dolls" begin to remember and hint towards their lives before the Dollhouse.

It's worth checking out, even if it's just because Penikett and Gjokaj are smokin' hot.

http://www.fox.com/dollhouse/

Shake n' Bake the world

2009-04-30T11:20:00.000-07:00

Lately I have not been able to stop singing the praises of a long lost food of my youth. That foodstuff is none other than, Shake n' Bake.

Say what you will about the 33% daily recommended sodium in each serving, nothing can you say can come in between me and my new BFF. Not only is it delicious, it is also versatile. Trust me, it's not just for chicken anymore.

Try it and you'll never look back.

This that I have Shake n' Baked:
Salmon
Tuna steaks
Eggplants

These are things that I want to try Shake n' Baking:
Shrimp
Extra firm tofu
Mashed potato balls
Zucchini

Any other suggestions are more than welcome.