Archive for June 2016
If you have not walked among the giant sequoias, then you have not experienced one of the unique and wonderful experiences in California. Three quick facts:
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Sequoiadendron giganteum trees have been found to be 3,500 years old by counting their rings.
- Sequoia trees are the largest living things, growing to an average height of 164 – 279 feet and 20 – 26 feet in diameter. Record trees reach over 300′ in height.
- Mature trees are estimated to have 11,000 cones at any one time, and are thought to distribute 300,000+ seeds each year. In spite of that, the trees occur naturally only in groves on the western slopes of California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Giant sequoia trees in the Kings Canyon/Sequoia National Parks. Photo by Tiffany Nguyen. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 10/19/15.
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Kings Canyon National Park
Sequoia National Park
Sunset lights up the water and sky at Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin. The refuge, known to early homesteaders as the Great Wisconsin Swamp, provides important habitat for endangered species like the Karner blue butterfly and whooping crane. Of the experience, photographer Darlene Martin says: “The sanctuary is spectacular and surprisingly large. It was a beautiful spring evening, and the brilliance of the sunset was quite unexpected.” Photo courtesy of Darlene Martin. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 5/13/16.
A golden sunset, cool mountain air … what else do you need in Tennessee’s Great Smoky National Park. Photo by Chris Mobley. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 5/9/16.
The sun sets over Arizona’s Horseshoe Bend. Photo by Adam Jewell. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 6/17/16.
Wispy clouds float over Jackson Lake as the sun slowly sinks behind the Teton mountains at Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. Photo by Shelley Davault. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 5/14/16.
California’s Death Valley National Park at sunset. Photo of Mesquite Flat Dunes by Steve Perry. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 5/14/16.
Fresh snow, fog & pastels make for a magical sunrise in California’s Yosemite National Park. Photo taken in April 2014 by Matt Walker. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 5/20/14.
Cape Hatteras National Seashore in North Carolina will engage your senses. Shaped by the forces of water, wind and storms, these islands are always changing. The plants, wildlife and people who live here adapt continually. Whether you are walking on the beach, kayaking on the sound or climbing up the lighthouse, there is something for everyone to explore. Sunrise photo by Dennis Kowalewski. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 6/9/16.
A dreamy picture of a sunrise along the Ohio & Erie Canal at Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio. Last fall, photographer Wookie Kim went on an epic 45-day trail running road trip, driving to more than 30 national parks – from Cuyahoga Valley to the Grand Canyon – and running a trail each day. Wookie says: “In all, I ran almost 500 miles of trails, gained 70,000-plus vertical feet, hit 33 states and had one unforgettable experience. It was the trip of a lifetime.” iPhone courtesy of Wookie Kim. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 5/25/16.
Sunrise, as seen from the mouth of the Santa Elena Canyon in Big Bend National Park in Texas. An explorer’s paradise, Big Bend is a great place to paddle, hike and marvel at the 1,500 foot tall cliff walls. There’s also world class bird watching this time of year because of the park’s diverse set of ecosystems. Photo by Howard Lawrence. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 5/24/16.
Sunrise over Arizona’s Grand Canyon National Park. Photo by Scotty Perkins. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 5/15/16.
Bison at Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge in Colorado. Photo by Jim Carr, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. From the US Department of the Interior blog, published 5/9/16.
A bison walking by the Grand Prismatic Spring at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Photo by Jennifer Michaud. From the Department of the Interior blog, published 5/9/16.
A resting bison at Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge. In 1907, the American Bison Society and the New York Zoological Society donated 15 bison to the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. Today the refuge’s herd includes an estimated 650 bison. Photo by Nils Axelsen. From the Department of the Interior blog, published 5/9/16.
Bison herd on the move. Photo by Neal Herbert, National Park Service. From the Department of the Interior blog, published 5/9/16.
Bison standing in the snow at the National Elk Refuge in Wyoming. Photo by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. From the Department of the Interior blog, published 5/9/16.
A bison charging through a river at Yellowstone National Park. Photo by Donald Higgs. From the Department of the Interior blog, published 5/9/16.
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15 Facts About Our National Mammal
I don’t trust anybody.
Really.
When it comes to news, I trust NO ONE to tell me the truth. I think it’s as likely that Bill Maher tells me the truth as Katie Couric. Both work in media, after all. Both are known to stretch the truth to make a point.
So I don’t trust them to tell the truth.
My recommendation is don’t get your “news” from a cable comedy show. And, don’t get your “news” from a journalist that freely admitted she edited an interview to make a point … while misrepresenting the people she was interviewing.
Today, I read Pew Research’s latest finding about where people are getting their news today, and it saddens me to report that more and more people are getting their news from … online providers with no proven journalistic integrity. You know, companies like Google. Facebook. Verizon.
Big tech companies, every one. Proven to skirt the truth, every one. Pushing their agenda over truth, every one.
In the case of Google, they were investigated by the DOJ, who found that they were slanting their search algorithm to favor their profit over quality information. The specific case was about travel providers: they put their in-house company above outside providers even when the outside provider had better options for the traveler.
Did they disclose this? No.
Then, they were found to have skewed search results so that if you were using the auto complete function for searches, you might miss that Hilary Clinton was being investigated and might be indicted. Specifically, if you typed in “Hilary Clinton Ind” the auto complete suggestions were Hillary Clinton Indiana and Hillary Clinton India. The result that was actually 8 times more popular was “Hillary Clinton Indictment,” and that wasn’t an autocomplete option.
Facebook employees have gleefully disclosed that they made sure conservative news stories were de-emphasized in their member’s news feeds. Was this sanctioned by management? By some management? No one is admitting it, of course, just as the IRS never admitted that it targeted conservative non profits. It just happened. Oops.
Verizon’s case is just as insidious, and it’s rooted in the idea of “net neutrality.” Verizon believes that it should be able to sell its piece of the information superhighway to the highest bidder … so, if, for example, they can get more money from Fox News or CNN or ABC, then they should be able to provide that information to their subscribers in a powerful way. They want news that you get on “their” devices to be controlled by their profits. You, the subscriber, committed to a 2-year contract, should get no say in the matter.
According to Verizon.
Fortunately, that concept was just shot down – resoundingly – by the US District Court of Appeals. Perhaps Verizon won’t get their way.
And that’s a very good thing, as more and more people are getting their “news” from these high tech companies, and those companies are getting an ever-increasing share of the advertising pie … meaning that traditional media companies have fewer and fewer resources to provide good journalism that’s vetted by multiple sources and untainted by a secret political agenda.
Here’s how TechCrunch describes Pew’s findings about our news consumption habits:
Pew found that nearly four-in-ten U.S. adults (38%) said they often get news from digital sources, including news websites or apps (28%) and social networking sites (18%). That still trails the 57% who often get news from a television source but outpaces both radio (25%) and print newspapers (20%).
Instead of news media benefiting from growth in digital ad spending, Pew notes how tech companies such as Facebook and Apple have succeeded in supplanting the choices and aims of news outlets with “their own choices and goals” as their platforms have become the dominant sources for content distribution, taking over the role that used to belong to newspapers.
And while the concentration of digital ad spending in the hands of a handful of tech giants began on desktop platforms, Pew says the data shows it “quickly took root in the rapidly growing mobile realm as well” — which the report also notes accounted for slightly more than half of all digital ad spending last year.
So, beware of who you trust in the information game. High tech companies have no legal responsibility to be “agenda neutral,” and yet more and more people are trusting them to give them (key word: GIVE) information with a minimum of fuss.
Journalism, I mourn for thee.
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New York Times: Court Backs Rules Treating Internet Like Utility, Not Luxury
Tech Cruch: Pew’s 2016 News Media Report Is A Tough Read For Journalism
Wall Street Journal: How Google Skewed Search Results
Fox News: Google Helping Hillary Clinton
Gizmodo: Former Facebook Workers….
FierceWireless.com: MoffettNathanson: Net Neutrality Ruling….
Towering mountains, glaciers and icy-blue waters meet at Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska. Captivating scenery and the chance to see wildlife like bears and whales await adventurous travelers, who can explore the park by boat, kayak, or hiking the iconic Harding Icefield Trail. The park is named for fjords, or long, narrow valleys with steep sides carved by glaciers. Photo by National Park Service. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 6/12/16.
Montana’s Glacier National Park. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 6/13/16.
On May 11, 1910, Glacier in Montana became the country’s 10th national park, protecting a scenic landscape of rugged peaks, clear waters and glacial-carved valleys. Photo of the Highline Trail by Tim Rains, National Park Service. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 5/11/16.
Photo by Michael Evans, 1982
Washington, DC — The official portrait of President G.W. Bush – the 43rd president of the United States. White House Photo, digital copy of printed photograph
Official portrait of President-elect Barack Obama on Jan. 13, 2009. (Photo by Pete Souza)
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US Flag: Common Display Mistakes
US Flag Code
US Flag: The First
US Flag: The Second
US Flag: The Third
US Flag: The Snake Flags
Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub: Flag Day 2016
The Board Chronicles is an ongoing series of articles about the adventures of Mrs M’s Handmade as a vendor at community festivals & craft fairs. Mrs M’s subsidiary, Mr M’s Woodshop, has been approved to create this chronicle for the good of vendorkind.
The West End Artwalk came to my attention just a few weeks ago … it was an interesting little event promising artists with handmade goods in a neighborhood setting. Live music. Local restaurants doing the “Taste of Chatsworth.” Artists. Community.
It fit into our calendar.
Mrs M declined the opportunity, wanting to spend an open weekend day to make more soap, but I decided to throw the dice and be a part of this inexpensive, largely unknown event. Our friend Jan also committed, so she and I asked to be neighbors at the event. I was in booth 7; she was in 8.
New Ideas
- Another rare solo event for me.
- It was never clear to me what the booth size was (it would either be a 5×15 or a 10×10, it seemed). Most booths were on a sidewalk paralleling Devonshire, with the music set up on Jordan Street, I learned. Exhibiting my legendary flexibility, I just went with it.
Observations
- What information I did have was confusing, and I misread that all booths would have tables & chairs provided. I took tables anyway (Be Prepared), but neglected to bring a chair. I had to borrow one, when I discovered I had a 5×15 space with a provided shade umbrella. And nothing else.
- I arrived at 8:30am, and was able to park right behind my booth. This was a wonderful thing. Load-in to the booth was easier than the one waiting for me when I got home.
- Best fun idea: the event gave a box of chalk to a couple of young ladies, who proceeded to decorate the sidewalk with footprints, flowers & creativity. Loved that, and I wish I had thought of it first!
- There was an associated bike ride with this event, so there was a parade of bikers by the booth pushing their bikes while wearing their cycling togs. No buyers in that crowd (some had saddlebags or baskets, but most did not).
- People did keep strolling by on the sidewalk, especially after the food opened up at 1pm. The traffic was never overwhelming for this sidewalk narrowed by 20 artist booths, but there was a good flow.
- One customer enjoyed looking at my work, and wanted to, apparently, tell me a riddle in compensation. She said, “Inside a lumberyard, Hardwood and Redwood were fencing.” And then, her riddle delivered, she walked away. The end.
- Things I was asked to make: a bartop, chess pieces (x3), wine-themed gifts, an RV cutting board and a custom sink-fit cutting board.
The Food
Sunday Breakfast: McDonald’s # 4. Hello, old friend.
Sunday Lunch: A peanut butter sandwich from home … and an offered bacon-laden sandwich from a food vendor who bought a board, too. The sandwich had bacon in it. Yum.
Sunday Snack: Frogurt and pound cake from vendors offering samples to everyone.
Sunday Dinner: Velda’s pulled pork BBQ with the family. Life is good. She should stay home more. (Go with the humor, folks. Don’t get snarky. And please allow me to compliment good food when it is offered.)
The Facts
- Total miles driven: 58
- Booth cost: $50
- # of people we met during the event from the producer: 1
- Visits in our booth by a promoter’s representative: 3
- Total sales: $620
- # containers of product taken: 9
- # boards available: 88
- Sunday alarm: none needed
- # transactions: 9
- # soap & lotion vendors: none
- # woodworking vendors: just me
- Edge grain vs. end grain: 10:1
- Returning next year? Maybe
Boards sold: 11
Magic Bottle Openers: 5
Small Surfboard: 2
Chess Board: 1
Medium Surfboard: 1
Lazy Susan: 1
Small Board: 1
Lazy Susan 16 – 006. Bloodwood & Hard Maple. 17-1/2″ diameter.
Small Board 16 – 016. Black Walnut. End Grain. 10″ x 11″ x 1″.
Small Surfboard 16 – 05. Black Walnut, Hard Maple & Purpleheart. Sold in its first showing.
Magic Bottle Opener 16 – 078. Jatoba, Cherry & Black Walnut. Double magic, so it will mount to your attractive refrigerator. Approximately 5″ x 11″ x 3/4″.
Magic Bottle Opener 16 – 040. Goncalo Alves & Hard Maple.
Magic Bottle Opener 16 – 017. Wall mount. Cherry, Bloodwood, Bubinga & Hard Maple. Approximately 5″ x 10″ x 3/4″.
Magic Bottle Opener 16 – 081. Wall mount. Black Walnut, Canarywood & Yellowheart. Approximately 5″ x 10″ x 3/4″.
Magic Bottle Opener 16 – 082. Wall mount. Purpleheart, Hard Maple, Canarywood & Black Walnut. Approximately 5″ x 10″ x 3/4″.
Small Surfboard 16 – 02. Birds Eye Maple, Black Walnut & Canarywood.
Medium Surfboard 16 – 03. Cherry, Hard Maple & Black Walnut.
Chess 16 – 06. Playing surface is Purpleheart & Hard Maple, with the squares framed in Cherry. Board is framed in Black Walnut. Squares are 2-1/8″ across.
Big end grain cutting boards are the best cutting boards you can get. When made with the hardwoods that I use, they will last for decades with proper care.
And they’ll look good doing it.
End grain boards do not show knife marks as much as edge grain boards. The marks you do make are “between the grain,” as you’re cutting into the ends of the boards. Then, when you oil these boards, many of the marks will self-heal, leaving you with a beautiful board.
I’ve found that few people make heirloom-quality end grain cutting boards in Southern California – even the woodworkers I know that make cutting boards don’t make these big boards. I do understand: they aren’t made quickly. These boards were started in early May, and it took me several weeks to do the glue-up, smoothing, 2nd glue up, 2nd smoothing, sanding … these boards take time.
With 7 of these boards now added to my inventory (the 8th ships out for Indiana next week), I am now officially at 150 boards available. Remember how I was up to 160 before the last event, and then added more? It’s a good problem to have, but I really want to see 250 someday!
Finally, I’m again frustrated with the quality of these photos. Most of these boards are very dark, and my lighting just didn’t do them justice … especially after I knocked one of my photo lights over and broke the bulb. I needed The Intern back so I don’t make stupid mistakes. Alas, she’s gone for the summer. I’ll have to wait for September for her help again!
Most of these boards will be with me at a rare solo event today: the 5th Annual West End Art Walk in Chatsworth, 11am – 6pm. Drop by if you’re out and about to take a look at these beauties in the sunlight.
Cutting Board 16 – End 035. Hard Maple & Jatoba. End Grain, Juice Groove. 16″ x 21-1/2″ x 1-1/2″. $275.
Cutting Board 16 – End 037. Black Walnut, End Grain. 16″ x 21-1/2″ x 1-1/2″. Commissioned piece.
End Grain 16 – End 030. Purpleheart, Hard Maple & Jatoba. End Grain, Juice Groove. 14″ x 20″ x 1-1/2″. $250.
Cutting Board 16 – End 032. Cherry, Padauk, Yellowheart, Bubinga, Bloodwood, Canarywood & Purpleheart. End Grain. 14″ x 18″ x 1-1/4″. $225.
Cutting Board 16 – End – 031. Purpleheart, Canarywood, Cherry & Bloodwood. End Grain. 15″ x 20″ x 1-1/4″. $240.
Cutting Board 16 – End 034. Black Walnut. End Grain, Juice Groove. 16″ x 21-1/2″ x 1-1/2″. $350.
Cutting Board 16 – End 033. Purpleheart, Black Walnut, Bloodwood & Jatoba. 16″ x 21-1/2″ x 1-1/2″. $375.
Cutting Board 16 – End 036. Black Walnut, End Grain. 14″ x 16″ x 1-1/8″. $150.
Even the mountains are stylish in California, like this one wearing a cloud as a hat for a beautiful sunset. Lassen National Park. Photo by Karly McCrory. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 6/7/16.
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Lassen Volcanic National Park
Snow!
