Saturday, October 31, 2009

Cheating



Will bean sprouts do anything in an AeroGarden? We're about to find out. I'm starting with lentils. They are still alive after one day.

At a snail's place



I went down for a walk by the river as I am wont to do as I pass by the place when returning to town. I noticed dozens of snails just above the waterline on the rocks so I scooped some up for my aquarium, which only has plants in it now. I took them home in an abandoned bait container which also had an earthworm in it which I put in one of my pots outside. Hey, free worm and snails. Everybody seemed to survive the trip home and they are active and moving about. I'm really thrilled to be the custodian of these beautiful creatures now.

Next I'm going to check at bait shops to see if they have any live crayfish.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Holy crap, Tersano's gone MLM on us


Tersano is starting a multilevel marketing program: MyTersano.com. I'm seriously interested, as I am a fan. But I'm no Billy Mayes.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

EV-maker Fisker buying GM plant


From CNET: Fisker buying a GM plant in Delaware.

Is this ironic? That GM threw away its pole position in EVs (think "Who Killed the Electric Car?") and instead focused on ridiculous SUVs, such as the Hummer brand they just sold to the Chinese? (That wasn't meant to rhyme.)

Unfortunately, the project is doomed to failure, because the car is ugly. Why did they turn to Buick for design inspiration? EV-buyers want something high-design looking, like a Prius or Honda Element. Am I right? Also, why call the family model a Nina? That is too girly for something that is designed to shelter and protect.

Atlanta aquaponics


Thanks to Treehugger I see there is an aquaponics supplier in Hotlanta: Sustainable Design Group.

Their system uses fish, but I think crayfish would be better, as they are scavengers. They are also eminently cookable and possibly more profitable?

Before I dived in I'd need to learn more about the microbial and food-safety implications of all of this. It could be much safer, though, than dragging dead seafood hundreds of miles from the sea, per SOP in most restaurants.

I do not like the recycled white barrels they used in one of their installations. I'd rather see more agrarian-looking vessels. Of course this stuff gets expensive very quickly. This is a potential new market for potters . . .

I am excited to see some work in the aquaponics arena. It seems like such an obvious idea. And so sustainable, even the algae has the potential for being harvested for biodiesel.

SEO triumph

If you google "Aerogarden" and "aquaponics," this blog is the #2 result! And Red Icculus is #3!

Of course, to do that you have to know what aquaponics is, and be wondering if you can do it with an AeroGarden! I must have at least three or four readers.

Nevertheless I feel like an (accidental) SEO genius. I think Barrack Obama, Megan Fox, Snoopy, Madonna, Sting, Elvis Pressley, Theodore Roosevelt, Kings of Leon, Death Cab for Cutie, Billy Mays, the Beatles, Balloon Boy, Katie Couric, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, the LOLcats, Miley Cyrus, Twilight, Adam Sandler, and Oprah Winfrey would be proud!

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Aquaponics dry run


Well I replaced the basin on an AeroGarden 3 with a glass bowl I found at World Market for $8. With some extra tubing I was able to plop the air stone into the bowl and theorhetically create a habitable environment. I couldn't get peas to sprout in the thing, though, probably because my growing medium was a just couple of old corks. After a couple weeks I pulled the plugs; the dried up useless old peas were starting to get moldy. On the plus side, there was no algae in the bowl, and it looked pretty cool.