And Now for Something Completely Different...

Bernie or Bust

elasg — Thu, 19 May 2016 14:04:47 GMT

I had to get this off my chest. I doubt anyone reads this blog after all this time, but putting it out there helps me, so I am.

Bernie or Bust –

You know, when this political primary race started, I didn’t have a negative opinion of Hilary Clinton. I didn’t think badly of her when I voted for Barack Obama over her, but I just thought he’d be more progressive than she’d been so I voted for him. That proved not to be the case (he’s quite conservative as we’ve seen though still probably less so than Hilary) but I haven’t regretted my decision. Obama was Mr. 5% change, but that’s better than nothing, I suppose.

So I didn’t particularly have anything against Hilary this time around, I thought she’d be a fine candidate.

But I knew Bernie would be a better one.

Unfortunately, Ms. Clinton has succeeded in making me utterly LOATHE her because of the lies, the cheating, the dirty, underhanded tactics she’s used against this honest and forthright man. Bernie Sanders is possibly the only legitimately HONEST man left in Congress – and that BITCH has the nerve to trash HIM? Unbelievable. I seriously had nothing against her before this, but I can not stomach the unsubtle lies, the utter contempt she has for the electorate, the hubris with which she treats this contest and the completely biased mass media anointment she’s received. Do you know she’s got a paid army of trolls called ‘Correct the Record’ who are going around making shit up about Bernie? Why are they so threatened by him? And what MORON thought that trashing Bernie and crapping on his supporters would get them to support her in November? Newsflash, Hilary, it won’t. It’s just about the most surefire way to insure they won’t. Sorry to break it to you, but the person on your staff who told you they would was a Trump supporter.

I would have thought a bit of humility might be called for when it’s clear that nearly HALF of your base wants someone else. That half your party wants policies that are more progressive than what you propose, but does she consider that, maybe, she should look to including a bit of progressivism in her platform? No, she basically thinks that the progressives, whom she only treats with contempt, have no other choice and must vote for her. Wrong. We have other parties in this contest. Green Party is a very viable alternative, so is writing in a candidate’s name. “B e r n i e S a n d e r s” is easy to spell right, honey.

I am SICK of the pile-on of the mainstream media as they work themselves into a frenzy trashing Bernie. The more they trash him, with laughably disprovable claims, the stronger my support for him grows. The bias was clear from the start, but now it’s even clear to those who aren’t its victims. She’s desperate and lashing out with personal attacks at a guy who has only ever countered her with policy differences. And there were plenty of complaints and legitimate attacks he could have made and didn’t. He’s been a gentleman, acted with admirable restraint, and held back what he could have said right from the start - and she’s treated him contemptibly for it.

My vote was hers to lose and she did a spectacular job of doing it. I will be writing in Bernie’s name even if it’s not on the ballot.

Apparently we DID break the world record, several times over!

elasg — Tue, 26 May 2015 11:48:12 GMT

http://www.sfiprogram.org/media-resources/news/sfi-brings-teams-from-across-north-america-to-break-a-world-record-for-a-cause/

They say official confirmation won't come for a couple of weeks, but I think there is enough of a buffer there to absorb any error. The old record was something like 40,000 trees. One team on this jaunt broke that by itself. ;) The total of all teams this try came out to something like 200,000 trees! I only planted 68 (and that was hard in that soil, believe me!) but they say every little bit counts. :)

My busy week ended with a neat experience

elasg — Sun, 24 May 2015 04:41:19 GMT

So I was heading home Friday when, on my way out of my timber sale, I spotted some guys I knew from the Game Commission. Seems they were out trapping bears and there was one in a trap on the same road I was on. They let me, my intern and our technician (three women foresters working together - not a common event in such a male dominated profession!) watch while they tagged and vetted a very sheepish looking bear. Here are some photos - I hope you like them! I put them in as thumbnails to keep this post from being as image heavy as the last one. Just click the image to be taken to my photobucket page. I'm afraid my previous post I posted from my phone and there aren't too many controls on that app so the pictures in it were HUGE. Eeek!

Sheepish bear thinking 'what have I gotten myself in for?'

Darted and (finally) asleep.

Examined by the vet

Getting jewelery! (Ear tags)

Getting a tatoo - no, nothing fancy, just his number on the inside of his lip.

After the exam, some medical treatment, an antibiotic for broken claws (he tried to dig his way out of the trap), they are getting ready to administer the antidote and release him.

Bear is thinking 'these are some crazy drugs I'm on!'

This one is a video

Bear starting to recover - he's a little woozy and is having trouble getting both the back and front ends to work together. Rest assured, within about 15 minutes of this video, he was moving off under his own (if slow) power.

Breaking a world record for planting trees.

elasg — Wed, 20 May 2015 16:30:42 GMT

Today, at 1, we and the folks from the Sustainable Forestry Initiative are trying to break a world record for the most trees planted in one hour. We're one of 30 crews across the US and Canada who are trying to break this record. We'll each get 50 trees and need to get them in the ground before the hour is over. It's doable, though the soil up here at this old strip mine in Moshannon State Forest is hard as a rock! Might take a bit of elbow grease to get them all in the ground by the time limit. Wish me luck!

Edit: Final tally- 45 planters - 3957!</p>

Got my fan installed...

elasg — Wed, 20 May 2015 14:48:32 GMT

My little greenhouse is getting more and more like a real greenhouse these days! I put insulation and heat in it over the winter and now I've installed this nifty little fan! And yes, there was ZERO male help involved in this production!

The garden (at least the main one) is planted and the first crop of lettuce is being harvested. Ariel is a very happy gardener. :)</p>

This is so surreal; murder in a very small town

elasg — Sun, 12 Apr 2015 03:20:22 GMT

This is just blowing my mind. http://wnep.com/2015/04/11/husband-taken-into-custody-in-missing-woman-case/

This is the town I work in. They found her in a state forest picnic area that I have to drive through almost every day. I know these places intimately. I just can't even...

From her house to the store is no more than a 3 block walk along the main street that I drive every workday. She supposedly 'disappeared' around 6 in the evening, and these days that's while it's still light out. We were on standby (I'm one of the district's search and rescue personnel) in case they wanted to search the woods, but the searches were mainly along the West Branch of the Susquehanna River. I do have my scuba license, but those are jobs for younger folk than me!

The really freaky thing is we all knew the victim and murderer (alleged) to some degree because it is a really small town - seriously, there can't be more than 4000 people living there. Everyone had a theory. I was pretty sure she was dead, but you never expect someone you know, no matter how slightly, to be a murderer. It wasn't that he was an upstanding citizen - he'd been in trouble for stealing in the past, so I'd heard - but this is a way bigger deal.

I just can't wrap my head around this.

All Systems Are Go!

elasg — Fri, 02 Jan 2015 03:06:25 GMT

For all intents and purposes, the greenhouse is now done! Yeah!

I'm not the world's best caulker, and in hind sight, I should have taped the panels in from the inside and then caulked them rather than putting in the manufacturer's clips and caulking around them, but it's done and it's nearly airtight! It's in the twenties here tonight and the inside of the greenhouse is a cozy 62. That's up 20 degrees over what I was able to keep it overnight before caulking. :)

I'm still missing a part - This is the track for the sliding door and it's supposed to have a support that runs up from the frame to support the track. They won't send it to us without the receipt and Hubby is looking for that, but I have to wonder, who on earth would want this one part other than someone who had bought their greenhouse? Whatever, I hope he finds the receipt.

The only thing this kit was lacking was some kind of door latch. I've rigged it with some clamps, but there has to be something better out there.

I finally got the automatic vent dialed in (I think). On Tuesday it got up to 116 degrees inside - and I think the window on the side of the greenhouse nearest my house is sticking and is too difficult to lift for the little piston on the vent. I wanted to be able to manually open the one facing the river so I could have views, but it opens much more easily and since this is a house for my plants not me, I have to think of them first. Today, it got up to 90, but the vent opened and let some air in before the temp could climb higher. Hopefully it will continue to do that when I'm not observing it.

Got my first plants in. These are the poor wretches that were not handling the shift indoors very well. They're my guinea pigs. If they survive, I can start some seedlings. If not, well, they weren't doing well indoors anyway. :o

I've got the solar panel inverter running into the greenhouse and I've put the battery in there. Today, I ran a small ventilation fan on it as well as the light off it, but the minute I turned on heat, the poor little battery said 'no way'! I hope to pick up another small solar panel (a mono-crystalline one) and another battery or two to expand the system. I'd really like to keep the greenhouse entirely solar if I can. Hubby is already making noises about electricity use.

It's lovely in there - just big enough for me, a table and chair and my plants. Cozy, even downright warm at times, and close enough to the house to get the wifi. I think I know where I'm going to be spending more time. ;) I might even get something written. (:O

She’s up!

elasg — Tue, 30 Dec 2014 18:17:48 GMT

I took Monday off so that I could finish getting the panels in. They went together remarkably easily and now I am in the process of caulking the joints to make them water/airtight. It’s a LOVELY little thing.

The greenhouse I had before this was a small tube-framed structure covered by what was essentially a plastic bag. It wasn’t frost proof – and heating it would have been futile and expensive – but it did have some really nice integrated shelves. The plastic bag disintegrated last year but the shelves fit perfectly into my new greenhouse.

This photo shows my progression of greenhouses; the rack that has the equipment on it was part of a single set of shelves that I got from my first ‘greenhouse’. Again, the plastic got brittle but the rack still works. To the right of those are the shelves I got from my last greenhouse – and they’re all working again in my new greenhouse (which I hope lasts longer than either of those did!)

The temperature has ranged from a low of 44 this morning to a high of 98 degrees when the sun was shining. I’ve installed a self-venting kit for one of the skylights so it shouldn’t get too hot inside, but until I’ve let it run for a few days, I’m not putting plants in there.

Next time you see this place, it will be packed with plants – stay tuned!

Another day, more progress.

elasg — Sun, 28 Dec 2014 04:39:07 GMT

Just a quick note to show today's progress. Unfortunately, I found one small piece is missing (which I thought we had when I opened the box!) so I might have to hold off finishing things for a bit. Meanwhile, I'm going to reexamine what parts are left to make sure I didn't misplace something else important. Eeek!

Coming along...

elasg — Fri, 26 Dec 2014 22:35:06 GMT

Well, I got a couple of nice things under the tree, hubby got me a stand for my tablet so I can watch it hands free. It's the ultimate in couch potato luxury! Daughter got me a throw with my delicious Tomoe from Kamisama Hajimemashita on it. Yum!

But the best present I got was the day off the state gave me to work on the greenhouse! I got the solar panels on their little platform over the railing off the porch and today I bought the wood to finish up the raised platform for my greenhouse. Got the platform insulated, sealed in plastic and then decked.

It was a very pretty thing when finished. The platform matches what's on the deck already and looks lots better than the OSB I was considering for a top. I also got to try out the nail gun my husband got a few years ago and never used. It made nailing the deck go MUCH quicker.

After a little confusion over the way the greenhouse frame went together, I finally figured it out and was off and running! Time caught me up so I'm not quite done, but I'm very pleased with the progress so far.

We're supposed to have just as nice weather tomorrow so I'm hoping to get much further along with the structure. So far, I've been able to do it all myself, but the directions suggest getting two assistants to get the roof beams up. Good thing I have two kids. ;)

Hope your Holiday was just as satisfying!

Christmas came early!

elasg — Wed, 10 Dec 2014 01:23:00 GMT

I haven't posted in a while because nothing interesting has been happening lately, but this past weekend I got my Christmas early.

Husband brought home two very nice gifts! First is the one we agreed he'd be getting, a new greenhouse for the back porch.

It's a definite improvement over my last one (which is quickly falling apart). It's got the solid polycarbonate panels and double wall construction. He even got me the heat regulated opener for the vent so that I don't cook my plants. I can't wait to put it up and start growing things in it.

But the surprise was the second gift hubby got.

It's solar panels! Not a big set, only 45 watts, but it's expandable and he got me the entire kit - panels, regulator, battery, junction box and inverter! Now I can put the greenhouse anywhere I want and I can warm it year round! I simply can't wait to get this thing set and cooking!

I put the panels together and am charging the battery. So far, I've not made much power, but once we get some sun around here, I should.

I've been as silly as a kid in a toy store about these presents. Definitely a good year for me!

As for the rest of the family, Kyra got a new, high end digital camera and Ian is about to get an Alienware gaming computer that we were given by a friend of ours. He could never keep it working, but tinkering with it, I discovered the issue had to do with the graphics cards overheating. I got a longer bridge so I could space the two cards further apart and it seemed to work just fine,... well, it did until I accidentally knocked a capacitor off the main board when I put the second card back in. *shrug* Going to try to solder it back on but we decided to put a new board in anyway and keep the fixed board as a backup just in case. The cost of a new board for this is still a bargain. It's a pretty good year for the kids as well. Not sure if I will be able to get something as nice for the husband, but I'm going to try.

Getting sick of the emails...

elasg — Fri, 17 Oct 2014 20:14:26 GMT

I suppose people on the right get the same stuff, but I am deleting about 25 political emails a day, mostly from the DCCC. Here's what I put in a response that one of them asked for.

"Please stop emailing me. Until the democrats start listening to progressives and quit doing EXACTLY what the republicans want them to do, I won't give you a dime nor more than the time it takes for me to type this reply. Progressives are not your doormats. We might be your strength if you had EVER, EVEN ONCE done something that we asked for. At least the republicans did some of what the tea party wanted (even if it was looney tunes). The Democrats have done nothing to encourage the progressives to support them except call us names (thanks Rahm, we think you're retarded too) and ignore our requests. Now we are ignoring yours. Goodbye."

I don't think it will work, but it makes me feel better.

It's Official; Democracy is dead...

elasg — Wed, 16 Apr 2014 01:14:05 GMT

As if we weren't pretty sure of that already, this study out of Princeton University compares the political influence of the common voter (ie. you and me) with that of the wealthy - it's no contest.

Bye, bye, democracy, it was nice knowing you.

What's that, Microsoft? You are going to force feed us Win8? I don't think so...

elasg — Wed, 26 Feb 2014 03:50:43 GMT

So, now that Microsoft has decided to stop supporting XP and their only suggestion is to spend a few hundred or a few thousand on a new PC and move on to their much hated Windows 8 platform, I decided to try another route.

I have a little HP netbook. It’s always been a little doggy, but I only used it for a word processor so it wasn’t a problem that it was slow. Now that the XP software that is on it is losing support, I decided to load Linux on it to see what it would be like.

I’m a Unix admin and I’ve been hearing great things about Linux for many years but haven’t really had the time nor the extra computer to run it on. This little machine seemed the perfect choice to experiment with.

I chose a version of Ubuntu that was designed for netbooks and was supposed to be less demanding of resources so it could run faster on a lower power machine. It took me about 45 minutes to find an operating system, the software to load it onto a bootable jump drive, and then to load that software onto something I could boot my little netbook to. The actual reformatting of the netbook's harddrive and installation of the software took a little longer (maybe 3 hours – but that included reading documentation) but when it was all over, I got a little netbook that runs almost as speedily with 1 GB of ram as my 8 GB Windows 7 PC. The whole operating system is slick, with a minimalist feel and none of the bloatware that comes on any PC you could purchase these days. More importantly, it’s NOT Windows 8.

So far, I’ve found a software package in Linux to do everything a casual user might want to do plus a few that are specifically for my artwork! Inkscape and Audacity – two programs that I already use on my Windows machine – and GIMP, an art program. If I didn’t already have a lot invested in windows programs on my main machine, I’d be seriously considering moving over to Linux on it too. I probably will move my daughter over and my son too – the next time they want new machines. Nobody I know who has Windows 8 likes it, and since windows is determined to force it down everyone’s throats – I thought I’d offer an alternative.

Linux is slick and as professional looking an operating system as I have ever seen. It’s quick, small and clean and best of all, it and most of the apps for it ARE FREE.

I’m sold.

Schools are called off… AGAIN…

elasg — Wed, 19 Feb 2014 13:13:31 GMT

My kids haven’t had a full day of school since LAST WEDNESDAY.

Thursday (2/13), snowstorm – No school.
Friday (2/14) still messy – 2 hour delay
Monday (2/17) – Holiday – No school
Tuesday (2/18/) snowstorm – no school
Wednesday (2/19) Ice – no school

I think I want to switch places with my kids. Let them come to work for me and I’ll be a vegetable in bed.

Pretty Girl and New Art

elasg — Sat, 15 Feb 2014 20:11:00 GMT

I swore I wasn't going to spend more money on my daughter this month... she made out like a bandit at Setsucon this past month and now she managed to con this out of me.... *sigh* I'm a push over. (These are thumbnails - click each to see a larger image)

I've also been working on new art. The first one is an illustration for a friend (HaganeNeko)'s fanfic 'Forbidden Acts' which is available over at AO3.

The second is for an old fandom of mine - Fullmetal Panic! - that recently ended. I really enjoyed the ending and was inspired to do an illo for it. I don't know how many people will like the art or care for the subjects, but I've been wanting to see this for as long as the series has been running (10+ years) and I finally got it! At least in so far as I drew it myself. ;) I hope you like both of them.

Whoa... this kinda tells it all, doesn't it?

elasg — Mon, 30 Dec 2013 05:06:20 GMT

Poverty is not an accident. Like slavery and apartheid, it is man-made and can be removed by the actions of human beings.

—Nelson Mandela

New (to me) manga and new (to you) artwork... (Mature Warning)

elasg — Sun, 15 Dec 2013 18:20:23 GMT

Not sure how many people are still reading LJ who might be interested in my latest faves, but I thought I'd recommend a manga (or rather manhwa) that I have been taking great delight in lately. It's called Ruler of the Land and while it's not well known here in the states, there are almost 450 chapters of it on some sites. The problem is, only the first few volumes were ever officially translated into English - they were published by ADV Manga which has since gone out of business - and a very nice fan is currently translating the rest into English out of the kindness of his own heart. He's only got about 237 chapters done but he's very quick and has a new post every couple of days. I am delighted with it. The manhwa's author also wrote 'The Breaker' and 'The Breaker: New Waves' which are both very popular, but I like the medieval Vietnamese setting of Ruler of the Land much better. It's also far funnier than the more modern (and popular) pieces and much more suited to my tastes. If you like manga and are looking for something you might have missed, I can definitely recommend this one.

I also have been working on a little bit of art lately. RL kind of got in the way for a few months, but the end of the year marks the end of my commitment to be the local SCA shire's chronicler and I am feeling free for the first time in a LONG while! Well, I'm not entirely free - the house still looks like a bomb hit it, but I digress... ;)

Anyway - here is the latest art - you are warned it's a bit more than PG, but as with most of my stuff, I don't get obscenely graphic but you definitely know what is going on...

(Click for a larger image)

Enjoy!

Must share - A treat for Dr. Who fans...

elasg — Mon, 25 Nov 2013 13:29:16 GMT

After you've seen the 50th anniversary special, check out this treat that was put together featuring Drs 5, 6, 7, & 8 (a little) and a whole crew of other cameos - http://io9.com/classic-doctor-who-actors-try-to-join-the-special-in-a-1470442008

It's full of in jokes and it will keep you giggling throughout the 30 min long video. A must see if you haven't caught it already. ;)

elasg — Wed, 23 Oct 2013 02:08:21 GMT

This is one of those days that I thank my stars I'm in the vocation I am in.

PA in autumn is about as beautiful as lands can be.

Here is my current timber sale's view of the West Branch of the Susquehanna River. That bit of blue down there is the river's surface - you can't usually see it from up here when all the leaves are on. The trees in the picture are not to be cut - they are inside the Bucktail Natural Area - a swath of trees along the river that are safe from any cutting ever - or until some politician decides otherwise.

I love autumn sunlight - it just has the perfect balance of joy and melancholy - I don't know - I just love it.

Here's something I did many years ago for just such a day...

I saw autumn sunlight today, glinting sidelong across the mountains. Trees touched with gold and auburn, their wind tossed crowns whispering regrets to the sky. And then I saw you, your hair tousled as the treetops, a halo of umber flecked with that sorrowful light. But you were not sorrowful. You revel in this season - and the light of new adventures was in your bright eyes.

There will be no dangers on this road, for we dwell in the Undying Lands and no evil may make its mark on these beloved shores.

So come. Take my hand and lead me through the hills and valleys of this Blessed Isle. While the sunlight of autumn picks out the fruits of summer's bounty, let us rejoice and taste of them while the warmth still lingers. Winter will come and with it the sleep of long forgetfulness. Let us celebrate the life and renewal we have been given and take our joy while we may.

Had to share...

elasg — Tue, 08 Oct 2013 04:02:16 GMT

I've always liked Mr. Moyers - he comes from an age when journalists had integrity. How I miss it.

For months, nothing... and now two posts in two nights! New car - another proud green moment!

elasg — Tue, 01 Oct 2013 02:25:33 GMT

After refinancing the house, I had enough to actually buy a new car. My old one had 173K and was on the verge of needing some repairs, so I figured rather than putting money into the old car, I'd consider putting something into a new one.

My new (to me) 2010 Toyota Prius.

We've named him 'Grey' after Grey Fullbuster of Fairy Tail fame and his color and he's ours tonight. I've NEVER bought a car so quickly - but I've been looking at this vehicle for three years and it was a choice between this one and the Chevy Volt - and since the Volt is REALLY out of my price range, I settled on this one. Ain't he pretty? And even prettier is going from a measly 25 mpg to very healthy 50!

Making a difference the easy way!

elasg — Sun, 29 Sep 2013 19:01:10 GMT

You could have knocked me over with a feather when a friend pointed this out to me.

Living On Earth: Working Woodlands

The water authority highlighted in this piece is the one that serves my community. I'm on the water authority's advisory board and for years, while the city manager wanted to cut timber off the property, we on the advisory board insisted he get an update to management plan on it first (the old one had been written in 1970 by a fellow BOF employee). We even went so far as to offer to write the update ourselves (since we had the expertise on the board to do so), but the city manager wasn't convinced. Then, one day, my friend Mike Eckley came in to our office to let us know about a program The Nature Conservancy had initiated called the Working Woodlands program. The light bulb literally went off in my brain and I said to Mike, "I've someone you simply MUST meet..."

And the rest was history! What I did was so simple and easy; getting Mike and the city manager to meet, but so much good stuff has come from that meeting! I've certainly not done any of the heavy lifting, but I still feel at least partway responsible for something really good. It's a wonderful feeling!

Possibly the best post I've ever read on DKos...

elasg — Tue, 14 May 2013 01:23:53 GMT

I have to recommend this excellent article from DKos on the subject of the way our society treats people of size. It's possibly the best post I've ever seen on the subject and it says exactly what I always wanted to.

Exerpt -

Second of all, what makes you think it's ok to target obese obese people for "being fat in public"? To concern troll a person for their size when they're talking about education, or the environment, or LGBT rights... or even when they're being an asshole on those topics? The larger somebody is, the less likely it is that they don't get shit for being fat all the fucking time. It's highly unlikely that they don't a) know they are large, and b) suffer from it, in ways that are not the direct result of the weight itself.

It's seriously the last socially acceptable prejudice. You wouldn't tell someone complaining about racial discrimination that there are many commercially available skin lightening creams out there, would you? Why is it OK to tell someone complaining about being dismissed, ignored and considered unintelligent for their size how you managed to drop 10 lbs. with this or that diet?

The author makes her points much better than I do - her post is a definite 'must read'.

How many of these hits are people and how many are bots?

elasg — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 10:43:58 GMT

Someone left me a review on ff.net on one of the very first fanfics I wrote in LOTR - it was really sweet and made me feel good, but when I started looking around at the stats on some of my old stories, I found they all had pretty consistent hits month to month.

OK, for a minute I did think 'hey, these things are still being read a lot!' but then reason reared it's ugly head and I thought that that probably wasn't what was going on - especially when the hit counts stay so consistent from month to month. Now I'm wondering if what are causing my strangely consistent hits are these 'bots'. You know, those things that crawl around the web piling up references for search engines? Wouldn't they would cause a 'hit' on a story too? I'm no web page guru so I'm not sure if they would. Does anyone know? About how many of those 'bots' are out there harvesting links on a monthly basis? I'd love to think that these hits are because of my blazing writing skills *cough, cough* but the humility confirming 'bot' theory sounds a lot more believable. Ever since they canned Frontpage, I'm totally clueless about web anything but does anyone know for sure if bots cause story hits on ff.net?