Rain Garden

Pardon the dust

On Hiatus for a little long while...

Rainfall totals: June 2007 = 2.78 inches; June 2008 = over 10 inches

What a difference a year makes.

Last year: "So damn dry"

This year: "Wettest June on Record for Columbus"

Phoenix Opens Its Eyes...

Science/Technology is Frickin' Awesome

100 million miles away. NASA is about to analyze the chemical composition of soil from another planet that is 100 million miles away. Utterly amazing. From time to time I just have to marvel at the scope of our species' technological advancement. A short time ago we were running naked through the African savanna chasing our food - now this:




Irrelevant Update: If we can send machines to Mars why can't HP make a decent monitor? Anyone have a clue as to why the image on my HP w2207 monitor keeps getting worse? Everything 'smears' a couple of centimeters to the right. Get a pencil; write something down on a piece of paper. Now get an eraser and rub it, one time, across your writing. That is what the images and text look like on my monitor. It is subtle but very annoying.

After

Before:

Dear Miracle-Gro Co.,

What's wrong with your chemicals?

'Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. was ordered yesterday to stop selling and using products that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said contain two "illegal and unregistered" herbicides.'

-Columbus Dispatch

Worst. Sales Pitch. Ever.

I received this in the mail a couple of days ago:



Scotts advertising model:
Step #1: Insult prospective customers
Step #2: Profit?

Can you imagine if other companies used this approach?

Jane Doe, why is your face so ugly? Maybelline cosmetics has a new product that....

or

Mr. and Mrs. Doe, why are your children so stupid? Sullivant Learning Centers can help your kids with their...

etc etc etc

Total Snow Accumulation of 20.4 Inches

Wow!

Robinson's Apollo II Proposal

It is refreshing to see a politician offer forth a bold vision for dealing with our nation's systemic oil dependency problem.

More Summer Colors

Re



Moonflower

How not to store a gourd

Remember those birdhouse gourds that I was going to turn into functioning birdhouses? Well, I may have to try again next year. I made the mistake of storing the gourds in my (apparently) damp basement. They were attacked by mold. I sprayed some Lysol on them and tried to clean them up as much as possible. Time will tell if they can be saved.

Ha!

CIGNA's new logo

BTW... The CEO of CIGNA, Edward Hanway, raked in $38.79 million this past year.

Murder by Spreadsheet claims another life

Doctors: This young woman needs a liver transplant to live.

CIGNA: Sorry, we won't cover it. It is an experimental procedure.

Doctors: No, it isn't an experimental procedure. We are the doctors, not you. If we say that it isn't experimental then it isn't experimental. We have a liver available to give to her and we need to do this operation NOW.

CIGNA: No.

Time passes...

CIGNA: OK, we've changed our mind. We'll cover the operation.

Doctors: She's dead now you dipshits.


See:

Following Massive Protest, Insurer Authorizes Transplant for 17-year-old

Girl dies while awaiting transplant