Quixjote.com

So, when I started "Money Matters" the goal was to spend 10% LESS overall this year. as it stands, I am currently about 4% over what I spent last year in bills and such. Inflation and a green lawn is making things a bit difficult.

I need to do a shout-out to my friend Ben, who introduced me to Mint.com . This site is free to use and was developed by Intuit. It is great for breaking down current transactions and helping with budget creation. I have only been using it for a few weeks, but it has been a great tool for helping me analyze my spending and break things down... all without a lot of effort on my part. This allows me to spend more time on other things.

One thing I have noticed over the last few weeks as I have been doing more BBQing is that the leftovers tend to stay preserved slightly longer than normal cooking, especially if frozen afterwords. This has led to me BBQing more at once and then freezing the leftover.� It is also nice because I can buy a lot of food that is either in bulk or clearance and cook it up while it is still good, for up to 50% off the regular price!

I am expanding upon my garden this year as well. As soon as my new planter box is done I will be checking out the clearance plants at the local stores to see what needs help. I am hoping to have a good yield this year, if I can ever get the stuff planted.� Otherwise, everything will be ready for next year, or I may try to make a clear cover for my new raised bed that I can do some winter gardening in.

One nice thing is that all medical bills are paid off. Luckily I have good insurance so it wasn't that much to begin with, but it is nice to know that I do not have major medical bills looming overhead.

Well, I think I have all of the parts that I need to make the planter box now. The only 'optional' thing that I did not grab was the landscaping foam. Seeing as I don't need that part yet, I will wait until the box is assembled until I get it (I can pick it up from the local Fred Meyer, seeing as Home Depot for some reason did NOT carry this type of spray foam stuff.)

As mentioned, the box will be about one foot deep, 2 feet wide and 8 foot long. I am going to attempt to slant the base on the interior so the water will drain off at one side of the box, thus allowing for "drier" plants, and account for plants that require more moisture. At the end of the box I am installing a faucet so I can drain off the excess water and re-use it to water other planting areas.

Overall, all of the materials only cost $75.00, which accounts for all of the lumber, bricks and fasteners... as well as the faucet and black plastic lining. If I get the can of landscaping foam, it will add $10 to the price.

Since I plan on having this planter against the house, the 2ft depth will come in handy when it rains. The overhang on my house is only 1 ft, so it will allow for at least a foot of width to get watered evenly when it rains, and since I will have the option of WHEN to drain the planter, the water will have time to wick through the rest of the dirt to allow for even watering.

I know it is a bit late in the season, but I have finally started getting around to getting my planter box put together. It should allow for quite a few different plants to be efficiently planted and grown.

The finished bed will be 2 feet by 8 ft and will be 28" high to make it easily accessable� for the weelchair. The planter bed itself will be 12" deep to allow for plenty of solid root structure.

Rather surprised that I am still getting as much traffic as I have been getting. About a month ago I manually shut off Guest commenting on my Blog (The difference being is that you just have to have an account here to post or comment, big deal), and I have been greeted by mostly silence in email inbox.

Let me be clear: I love comments. I lover interaction. I HATE SPAM. I was getting 10-30 spam comments a day that you all never saw, because I have my account set to set the comments as pending upon review. So each day I had to delete all of those comments, Just wasting my time.

My blog system also doesn't have a soft-switch to turn off commenting if someone is not logged in so I had to go and find the locations manually and build a hard switch.

So much programming over the last few weeks, and none of it seems to have been for myself. Fabricline.com is keeping me very busy right now, as we are working on tying in the ordering process right now.

Till next time

Q

Well, with the shed mostly up, it was time to get back to preparing the rest of the back yard. First step was power washing the patio and re-building the BBQ Fire Pit.

I went pretty much with a basic Cinder Block design I found online. Eventually I want to do a poured fine-top cement slab to make it more like a BBQ with built in dining area for outside, but for now it is just the Cinder Blocks with the Brick trim.

I have already used the BBQ once the other night for some small Tri-Tip steaks. They came out amazing! A individual size of Charcoal and 2 logs make for a nice and hot cooking area inside the BBQ, but thanks to the cinder blocks, the outside was cool to the touch!

Going to modify the design a bit to allow for some steel sliders for the grates and a front "gate" and cover to allow a controlled smoke release.

Good evening, everyone! I write this update as I am laying in bed; getting ready to enter dream land. Before I do though I just had some thoughts that I wanted to share from today.

First off: Anyone keeping up on the news? Apparently today the US capped out it's deat ceiling. Meaning things ought to start getting interesting real fast.

Been working on a few projects as of late... Building a shed, closing down the office, getting ready for the garden, laying fresh data cable (CAT 6 Even!). Overall things have been going alright. Breaking internet protocal though: Have not been active this last week on here due to the fact that my 11 yr old Kitty passed away last Tuesday rather unexpectedlyBeen trying to do a little more each day though, getting back into the swing of things.

Anyway: Bought a few books and magazines today on gardening and sustainable living. Should provide some interesting articles at least and get some good ideas for my garden. My goal is to have the boulders out within a year and replaced with cinder blocks. When I built my house, I was strongly encouraged to go with the boulders because of their visual appeal. They are very nice to look at, but with the wheelchair, they make gardening very impractical.

The Shed is almost done: have some trim work to do, attach the exterior felt, and then side and paint it to match the house. It is a nice little shed thogh: 8'x10' by 9' tall.

Okay: Short update done.... Still alive, still here... better posts to come shortly.

�

References: Oregon Live Article, Oregon Live House Bill Information, News Radio 1190 KEX Live Interview

I agree with most Adult these days in that the Youth of today do not appear to be as motivated, or educated as generations prior. Having a plan for after High School is a great idea for kids today, but making a few more forms required to graduate, is not.

Having gone through the paces myself already almost 10 years ago, I honestly can say that the approach that the politicians in Salem, OR are proposing to "encourage" our youth to graduate, are almost "Dronish". I am sure at some level they care about the future of our state, but they have a funny way to show it. While listening to the interview on the radio last Tuesday (1 week ago), I remember that I became very disheartened when a statement was made in the tone of "Even if they do not go on to college, the ability to fill out forms is valuable in any industry". It truly appears that we have become a nation of Form Fillers.

While it WAS mentioned, I do not believe enough emphasis was placed on "What IF" current students didn't plan on attending a 4 or 2 year college, trade school, or military. What if, say, they wanted to continue the family business, or start their own? Sure, many aspects of these endeavors would benefit from some college or trade courses, but depending on the industry, not required.

For instance: To get into the landscaping industry, you can go through and get your associates in the related field, or in Oregon at least you can in place of that, work for two years first in just general Lawn Care before submitting the required applications.

I understand that the public school system is government funded, but there is so much bloatware in our education system that it could use some thinning.

You want to really learn some new material, from Science to Literature? Try reading through the Book of Knowledge (If you can find them). Highly informative and entertaining. Sure, it's supposed to be a Children's encyclopedia, but with as much as our current education system waters down information, 10 to 1 says that by going through these books, and just updating current events with them, a child could receive a better education as a whole than the average that is produced in our current k-12 system.

And for the most part, this has nothing to do with the educators. Most of the educators that I know are top-notch. They have a passion to teach, but are often limited by the current system and regulations in place... Now the different districts will have to keep track of who applied to where as well, If House Bill 2732 passes all the way through.

Do we really need this? Curiously, what would happen if an entire graduating class DID NOT complete the requirements willingly? Would the entire year not graduate, or would the state get the message?

It has been a great last two years at my Retail office in Newberg. However, I just have not been there enough to warrant keeping it.

For those of you that have been out of the loop or just do not know: I have had a office in Newberg for the last two years where I ran Quixjote's Computers and Services. QC&S is still in operation, but just not from that location anymore. Over the last 3 or 4 months I have only been at my office enough time to collect bills, pay bills and collect payments that have been mailed in.

The plan now is to run my business from my house in Newberg Oregon (Also where all of the legal aspects of my Business are tied to anyways, just have to update this years City of Newberg business registration to reflect the change). I still do web application development, but as my business morphs over time, I see myself doing less of it.

As many of you know (or didn't know, although I am not sure how with all the blurbs that I have made over the last year), I have been working with Darren and James on a Lawn Care business. With this, we have been very fortunate so far. We have a few profitable contracts and are actively looking to extend the business for lawn care. In a couple years we have talked about expanding, taking the courses required and getting the licensing necessary to go more into landscaping instead of just lawn care.

Anyway, back to the plan; As I mentioned, I see myself doing less programming over time, expanding a bit away from the "Computers" portion of Quixjote's Computers and Services to just be "Quixjote's Services". Basically being the administration aspect to many small "start-ups", like I am with the lawn care portion of my business. This will allow others on a small scale to build their business under the Quixjote's Services name, and then when they have a solid foothold in their market they can grow apart from Quixjote's Services, either paying a flat "finders fee" one-time, or a percentage of their business for "X" amount of time.

Moving out of the office right now is the best thing that could have happened, because I will be able to focus on building my business in the ways that it NEEDS to grow, and not have to worry about the extra expense that it incurred while I was at the office.

Somehow, right now, people of a particular political party are saying that the High Gas Prices are good for us... Good for us because it promotes families to be together. Good for us because it promotes people to drive less. Good for us because it will put less pollutants into the air.

Yet... Somehow, back in 2008 before the election these same people were blaming Republicans, President Bush and his "Gas Buddies" of causing the High Gas Prices and how it was not good for anyone.

Why the change in tone? The Shoe is only on the other foot.

Oh, also: Back in late January I was going off about $5.00/Gal gas prices and Many of you said that there is no way it would get much past $3.50/Gal this year (Currently $3.85/Gal average for both USA and Portland, OR for Oct 87)... Would you please take off your rose colored glasses now? We are all in this together and at some point people are going to have to impress common sense upon others. Gas prices have been raising for over a month straight!

Most recent speculation on why gas prices are rising according to the media... Well, among other things: The Weather. I kid you not. Yesterday on the radio when interviewed about the rise, Weather was honestly a contributing factor. Well... That's it. We are all screwed. The dang weather men have trouble predicting the weather, so how the hell are we going to predict the price of gasoline. Anything is game anymore.

Get ready for $6.00/Gal at the high point. Hopefully the yearly price dip around Memorial Day will offset this a bit. But as it stands, we are already looking at about $4.15/Gal by June 7th. Ug. That means that Price for my van will be around $4.35/gal.

If we follow a linear prediction model, when will we hit the $5.00 mark? Around October 5th.

I am seriously considering becoming a hermit and just staying home. I seriously would be saving about $100/Wk at that point.

�

As you all may or may not know, I run two main sites: quixjote.net and quixjote.com

Quixjote.net is my main business site and once again I am finding that the layout of what is there is not sufficient for my needs. This means that before long I will be going through another change on my site. The goal will be to allow some computer stuff to be easily loaded into inventory and sold, as well as be able to schedule, invoice and complete sales for the lawn care.

Or do I just do a basic site that has some information about everything and then people call/email me from there? I do enjoy things being automated as much as possible, but at what point is trying to make the site automated too much work?

For computer work I build web applications. This is the sort of thing that I do on a daily basis, so I understand how much work goes into them. Do I really want a whole "Solution" on my site or just something that will give the customer some basic information and then everything is handled via correspondences from there?

As far as quixjote.com is concerned, it is a home for this blog� and a testing ground for new ideas. There are all sorts of fun little gems here on this site that I would love to share with people when they get a little more fine-tuned, but for now, they hang in limbo.

Web based games have become quite the rage over the last few years. With all of the games out there it is getting a bit harder to compete with other companies. Almost all of these games have a common "feature" though: They are free to play, but have premium options.

Now, I know that there are a few of you out there that do not like this model, and I really just don't care. You all have given me your opinion already and while many of you have valid points, you are beating a dead horse. Incidentally a majority of you that do not like the premium features, also do not like the idea of subscription software, which is another story completely.

Over the last couple years I have been slowly working on couple games for the public. Of these, the most complete to this point has been http://quixjote.com/novarpg/ . It is a basic Web Based battle system that allows for multiple attributes. When I built this version back in early 2008 I implemented a premium currency into the system that allowed people to increase their energy and similar effects. The result of� a month long test: Over $250 worth of premium currency was purchased.

Well, I have started rebuilding this program, in PHP again, to see what I can add to it. I am going to incorporate quite a bit of AJAX to help keep the complete server load down a bit. The old system is and will remain active, and I may build/rebuild a bit onto it as well, but any Dabloons that are purchased there will go towards the development of the new system now.

So: This rebuild... what does it entail? Well, quite a bit actually. Utilizing AJAX there will be a simple 2-D map layout instead of just a text system. So... Arrow keys will be implemented! There will also be a button bar that players can assign actions to.

At this time, there will be no animations, but at some point I may incorporate some simple sprite animations. I don't know how much of a load that would put on the server though. As it is, right now I am keeping all my tiles to 32x32 to keep size down.

Have suggestions or ideas? Share them below! I would like to have a working beta up asap that people can start interacting with, but I will not be able to do that unless I get some more ideas.

Thanks,
-~=Q=~-

I thought I would take a moment to talk about my different web hosting companies: Dreamhost and StartLogic.

My Original Site: Quixjote.com is hosted with StartLogic. I went with them back in September 2007 beause the price was right and for the most part, they had all of the features that I needed.

Overall, StartLogic has done pretty well for what I need. Occasionally on my message board and such, the server would appear to bog down... I am sure a majority of that was my fault; Not knowing how to optimize and all.

Over time though I was wanting to work on some more robust programs and needed a better host for this. Enter Quixjote.net on DreamHost.com. While the layout for administration is slightly confusing at first, I found that I really like the efficiency of the administration panel.

The downside: I just found out that two main things are changing... The Administration control panel and their Support Team is going overseas. See, Dreamhost just got bought out by another, larger, company. And with that they are "Upgrading" to cPanel. I don't mind cPanel, as I work with it every day for some of my clients, but there have been some features within the Dreamhost Control panel that I am not sure will translate very well into the new environment.

The larger blow though is the support team going overseas. I have worked on many issues with the support team over the last couple years, and have always been impressed with the personalized service I have received. Now: I fear that if I have an issue or question that I may be dealing with "Bob" in India. More to the point, DreamHost is loosing their "Made in the USA" status in my book. I am becoming more and more of a fan of Domestic services and while I probably won't look for a new host over this, it is sad all the same that such a key aspect is being tossed aside like a dirty rag. So, who is this mystery purchaser of Dreamhost? EIG (Endurance International Group).

Well, here is hoping that they are not too big to pay attention to the littleman.

If you are about the same age as me(28), your probably remember playing Oregon Trail on the AppleIIE Computers. Of course there have been many remakes over the years, but that original game was just so much fun and so addicting.

Well, Now you can play Oregon Trail on FaceBook! You build up your party either with fictitious names or from people that you know from your contact list, buy supplies and choose a profession. After that... You are on your way!

It doesn't take much to get started, and you will notice that all of your party members now have health, as well as your wagon. In addition to extra status bars, you also have mini-games within Oregon Trail. You can explore the immediate area to try to find something useful, go hunting, or repair your wagon. All three games use Energy, which refresh at 1 per 60 seconds.

Traveling requires stamina. Traveling faster uses more stamina than traveling slower. You also have to keep track of your food like in the original. Hunting is a little different as well. Now in addition to the squirrels, you have bears and other animals that will try to attack you when you shoot at them.

Like most of the other FB games, there are advanced, or premium, features. You can definitely play the game without the features, but if you want to spend real money, you can buy upgrades for your wagon, get better items... etc.

This game is about as addicting as the original Oregon Trail. I have already lost many hours into the game and am quite enjoying it.

A few years back, Quixjote's Services opened up shop on the West end of Newberg, OR in a commercial location. Unfortunately, There has not been enough business to warrant keeping the office open. The last month at this location will be April, 2011. Quixjote's Services will still be operational, but seeing as it is primarily Programming and Lawn Care (I know... two opposite spectrum, right?) there is not a need for the commercial location right now.

This makes things interesting. First: I have to consolidate everything, and I don't exactly have a lot of room at my house. Two: I am going to have to get a shed for the lawn care stuff. I have been looking at different 8'x10' sheds and everything that I am looking is around $1000 to $2000. If I can avoid it, I do not want to get a metal shed. While I have heard mixed reviews on them, from really good to really bad... I just like the aesthetics more of the wood sheds. They are also a lot more customizable.

I still have quite a bit of stuff at the office. I am going to try to sell off as much of the extra stuff I can during april to help cover the costs of the shed. I have a lot of old computer components and other stuff. Some dividers and such. If anyone is looking for extra parts or such let me know. I will try to see what I have available.

Eventually a commercial location will become necessary, especially as the lawn care portion grows and we need more vehicles, but for right now... with just one vehicle, just a shed will do.

The other day I was chatting with my friend Jon. He was telling me about the Urban Gardening that he has been working on and I started doing some research for a good way to do potatoes. I came across a potato tower design that seemed like it would work rather well. One benefit to this system is it does not take up much room (About as much as a garbage can) and can produce very large yields.

To start out with, some material needs to be used to make a round "Cage". You can use chicken wire, but if you can get your hands on something like stiff plastic webbing, it will be easier on your hands later on. To make the container, form the "cage" around a round garbage can or just free shape it about that size (33 Gallon or so). Now, you will see why you want to use a softer material, or at least round out the edges: Easiest way to close the form is to use zip-ties. These are also easy to cut apart when you go to harvest. Just place a zip-tie about every 3-4 inches up the height of the cage till you are at the top.

Now: Find a place for your cage while your potatoes grow. Either on a cement pad, or get a 3'x3' square plywood platform for it to sit on. This will make it easy to sift through the yield when harvesting comes around, and also helps prevent other bugs from working their way up from the ground into your nice fertile compost/soil.

The easiest way to line the bottom layer is to use newspaper. If you don't get the paper, go and grab one. It really will make this easy and they are already folded and will give you a bit of a guide to go by for height.

Line the edge of the inside of the cage with just one layer high (folded in half) of newspaper. Probably 4-8 pages thick. Now fill up to 1" from the top of the news paper full of soft sandy soil, and/or compost. Plant your potatoes in this layer. Water well and wait for them to grow.

When the potatoes have about 6-8" of green, it will be time to build your tower up another level. Using the 1" space you gave yourself when filling with soil, add another row of newspaper 7-9" tall. again: fill up with dirt until there is only 1 - 2" of greens showing from your potato plants. This will encourage your potato plants to turn everything below the soil into more root structure, which in turn will produce more potatoes.

Continue this process, up to about 36" tall. Make sure to continue using soft/supple soil. Do not use clay laden soil, as when this compacts, it will inhibit the growth of the potatoes.

Now: Just keep your plant happy until after it flowers. When the plant finally starts to die back in the early fall, chop the tops into the compost and remove the sip ties from the cage. Everything should pile nicely onto your platform so you can easily gather your harvest.

Enjoy!

Okay, I know this is an odd one, but I had fun doing this and thought I would share. It doesn't really belong under money matters (at least not yet), but it may end up there one day.

�

Making Yarn Out of Plastic Grocery Bags

Sure, you can find tuts on this all over the place. It is often referred to as PLARN. The concept is rather simple and I was surprised at how strong the plarn is.

There is a few different ways to make it, and depending on the application you may choose one way over the other. If you just want a quick ball of plarn take a plastic grocery sack, fold it vertically multiple times. Cut off the handles and the bottom.

Now cut off about every 1/2 to 1 inch. The result, you will end up with about a dozen or so giant "rings" from the bag.

Here is the quick way: Remember connecting rubber bands as a kid to make a really long rubber band? Same thing, loop one through the other so that it forms a knot at the end. Keep extending the chain

in in this fashion. When you get the length you want, just wind everything up into a ball. Done and ready to use for projects. You will probably need larger needles for this plarn.

Next: Single wound strand.

If you have a spindle this part goes faster. if you do not you can make one easy enough. It is basically an inverted spinning top with a hook at the point. Take the chain you made from the first method and start twisting one end. When it is nice and tight wind it around the neck of the spinning top. bring the length around the head and through the hook. Now, spin! spin the top and let it wind the thread nice and tight. Keep working the thread till it feels right.

This part truely is an art. you can make the plarn as loose or tight as you like. If you want thicker yarn combine multiple sections of spun yarn together and spin in the opposite direction when they are together. It will help lock them together.

As you can see in my image, the finished product looks kinda like a shiny twine. This one was doubled twice and I was able to make this little crocheted out of one FredMeyer grocery bag.

So the other day I received my first Chain Mail scam. Through Snail Mail too!

Basically it is the letter that starts out as though it is written by an attorney, stating all of the reasons why this particular chain letter is legal. Then all you have to do is buy a mailing list from a legal source (200 people), photocopy the letter making change only to one section, the section with the names of 6 people. (By moving #6 to 5, 5 to 4 and so on... removing the old #1 and adding yourself to #6) then mailing the letter with the new names to the 200 people from the mailing list you bought. then you send out $1 to the old #1-#6.

Now, in theory: This system works. However, because you are taking a chance that any of the 200 people who's names you bought don't follow through with it it is seen as Lottery Via Mail (Very Illegal). Earlier versions of this letter at least as far as I am aware of have been ruled against in court as far back as 1972 (for what I have found).� Apparently though the general ruling of Chain Letters being illegal go as far back as the Great Depression.

I had found a forum on Hoax Museum where this type of letter has been talked about (In one thread) for the last 6 or so years.

I feel bad for the people that end up getting caught in the middle of this that have no clue to it's legality status. It also bums me out that because there are so many predatory people out there that use this as a means of control that it became illegal in the first place. To a point, this system follows very much a "Pay it Forward" mentality.

Now: Those of you that are saying that this is a Pyramid Scheme or a Ponsi scheme... No. It doesn't follow the logic of either of those two systems. For it to be a ponsi scheme, the money would have to be requested up front, then disappear into the night, but it is theoretically being sent to previous participants of this system.

For a Pyramid Scheme the person at the top would have to ALWAYS make more than the person at the bottom... Well, tell me: How does that work on a cycling system, where one person on a list is only ever there for 6 iterations of the letter? It doesn't. One person has a cap that they can ever make, and that cap is the same for the person at the beginning of the list as it is for the person at the end of the list (In Case your Curious: if there was a 100% return, then one person would have the potential of $64,000,000,000,000.... Most of these letters say that you will get about a 7% return, or about $800,000).� Some people have reported more, many have reported less... Mainly because many people are skeptical and check it out first.

So, lets change it up a little: I don't want to hear about weather or not this letter is legal (I will delete comments to that nature), but lets assume that this system WAS legal... Would you follow through with it if you got this letter? I know of at least one person that would, as I believe I would myself. I believe that it is because of the questionable legality that so many people do NOT make use of this.

So, this post will more likely be a series of posts.

Earlier this last month I was reminded once again why I want to try to decrease my dependency on the Grid. Something happened here in Newberg, OR and about 1/4 of the city was without power. I do what I can to try to curb my use on the grid.� I am already on Time-Of-Use to encourage off-peak power usage, but I know that I can do a lot more.

My house has A LOT of surface area on the south side of the house, and even with all of the Rain that we get, supposedly we have an average solar gain of 4 for this area. One of the issues I have with current solar energy means is that, especially in a residential setting, they are very stationary.

I have been contemplating some ideas to try to harvest as much "Natural" energy as possible. Recently, especially with all of the rain and recently talking about Gathering Rainwater, I am trying to figure out a good way that during the "Collection" process, I can take advantage of some Hydro energy.

Ideally I would like to be able to take advantage of Solar, Wind AND Hydro energy, and being in Oregon, I do not believe that this would be too difficult to do.� We get mild enough of each condition that at bare minimum I should be able to come up with something that utilizes all three to get consistent power throughout the year.

A Friend of mine that moved to California last year, shared with me his blog as well, in particular, his ideas for a Bicycle Powered Washing Machine. I thought this was rather ingenious, and was wondering by combining exercise with energy what I could find.� Then I remembered when I was a kid: My Dad used to use a generator on my bicycle that was attached to a lamp for a headlight. It was great! He even had it so if it dropped below a certain power that it would kick over to battery power if it was turned on.

Surely I can use this same concept to build a small-scale generator... The difficult part I think will be regulating the output to make sure that it doesn't overload.

More to come.

�

Greetings Everyone!� The Season has Begun!

We are starting the season off right. We already have 8 lawns that we are maintaining, from Hillsboro to Canby, OR and would love the chance to help you with your lawn, too!

Check out these images from last year, they were from some of the lawns we did at the end of the season. Overcoming everything from overgrown grass, a lawn of

pure leaves and retaining wall style back yards... We are dedicated to provide you with the best service that we can, rain or shine!

Generally, we cover up to 15 miles from Newberg... But would be willing to extend this by up to 10 miles if there is a group of 5 or more yards to do at once!

Get your year started off right! Our Basic service includes Mowing, Trimming and Blowing the main areas around your home. Trying to reduce your carbon footprint? No Problem! Tell us ahead of time and we will use our Reel Mower.� Starting in April of 2011 we will also have more GREEN options available, like Electric mowers.

Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call at 503-487-3528 for more information and a quote!

Our Lawn Care Service is also listed on Thumbtack for anyone that wants to find us there.

A Small list of things we cover: Lawn Mowing, Multch Spreading, Edging, Trimming, Weeding, Pruning, Debris Removal, Barkdust Spreading... Email us with a request and we will let you know if we handle what you need!

Driving downtown today to my client's office, I heard on the radio that there is group of Foster Kids lobbying in Salem, OR. While the radio didn't prodvide many details, what it sounds like is that these "Kids" are trying to pass a bill that basically would get the cost of Higher Educatiuon waived during the ages of 18-21.

That is pretty much where the blurb ended. There are still many things that are confusing about this, such as is it a true waiver, or is it like FASFA, where they are being supplemented? I have nothing wrong with these kids wanting a higher education, but there are already MANY ways for them to get into a decent Higher Educational system if they choose to look.

All this is doing is forcing the government to spend more money for something that we could be doing ourselves. I know this sounds cold-hearted, but these kids can flip burgers while getting an associates, then transfer to a 4 year from there. Sure, some of them have had a hard life, and honestly they are the ones I have the most faith in; They KNOW how to persevere!

A perfect example is Steve Jobs. He was adopted as a kid by a working class family. He was poor enough to have to drop out of Reed College because he couldn't pay for tuition! Because of his tenacity though, he is part of the reason why our Tech age is booming!

Basically: If they want (really want) the education... They will do what is NEEDED to get the education, even if it is... or is not... at their dream school. And yes, there may be some loans to pay back when they are done.

Overall this year the Oscars were pretty mild. Over the last few years with all of the fashion blunders that have happened, it seems like everyone either relied more on their stylists, or just took more conservative of an approach in general.

There were a few outfits that just didn't seem to do to well, such as the dress that looked like it was part of the furniture from a 50's diner, or a dress that looks like it should have been part of a sunflower field, but other than that, very mellow.

Not having seen "The King's Speech" yet, I personally thought that "Inception" should have won Original Screenplay. From the sounds of "The King's Speech", I think of "A Beautiful Mind" just by the commercials. Granted, one is about Overcoming Stuttering, and the other deals with Mental Illness... "Inception" to me just really stood out.

At any rate, there are a few more movies to add to my list of "Must See" now.

For those of you that missed the Academy Awards this year, here is a quick review for the water cooler tomorrow:

So, Of the winners, here is the Breakdown of Oscars won:

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MindArk's Entropia Universe legitimizes profiting off MMORPGs

Most of us in the video gaming world have fantasized about working and earning money by playing video games, either in near-impossible to find jobs as a game designer or tester, or by selling "gear" and "goods" mined from our favorite MMORPG on Ebay for real cash. Problem is, most such transactions must take place on the black market, so to speak, unless we want our accounts banned and earned virtual "cash" confiscated. Even in games where such transactions aren't frowned upon, converting your game cash to real cash can be problematic, especially for the inexperienced who don't know where to sell their goods, how much to charge, or what to look for to sell.

Enter MindArk's Entropia Universe. This unique MMORPG starts off with a semi-unique hook--You play the role of a colonist on one of several planets, trying to help establish civilization out of the wilderness and, of course, earn money to get better gear so you can do more stuff, etc. Here's where Entropia Universe differs from the competition, however: Players can take in game money-PEDs, or Project Entropia Dollars-and convert them at a fixed 1 to 10 ratio for real dollars (i.e., one PED is worth 10 cents.) While free to play, MindArk does have to make money, so most things in the game that you need to actually do more than run around and collect the sweat of various creatures for small amounts of money cost PEDs that you pony up real cash for if you can't earn the money in game. (Never fear, there IS more for newbies to do, just not much more that's profitable.) However, unlike most MMORPGs that use this pay-real-money-for-gear feature, you can then convert your PED holdings back into the equivalent amount of dollars at any time, and if you can earn PEDs in the game (and many people do,) you can convert THOSE PEDs for real cash as well, giving Entropia Universe a large advantage over other MMOs for real life moneymaking opportunities.

While there is a lot to do in the game "just for fun", unlike in some games, you must usually pay (reasonable) fees to participate in recreational activities in the game, just as you would in real life. You start out with nothing more than the clothes on your back (an ugly orange jumpsuit), literally fresh off the boat and must earn the PEDs necessary to get the gear for things like hunting or mining. (That's right--unlike most games, you don't even start with a weapon.) However, there are numerous moneymaking opportunities in the game for the entrepreneurial minded, from buying land (which you can then charge rent upon, as well as taxes for hunters if you stock your land with exotic creatures,) to mining to running a store of your own, which can do anything from selling goods to providing other players beautician services to change their appearance. Players also can, if they can afford a hangar and a ship, fly other players to other locations in the universe-for the right price, of course. Furthermore, like in World of Warcraft, players accumulate skills, so if you are skilled in the right profession, you can assist those players who need your services (for a small fee, of course.) Players have even organized contests with entry fees and prizes awarded to the winners, large scale real estate management (two players have spent over $100,000US to purchase a space station for themselves, which they then charge rent and taxes for the use of, although you can run a shopping mall and rent out space for stores if you wish to go smaller scale,) or opened clothes stores or other manufacturer outlets.

Some of this has, of course, already been done in other games (Second Life comes to mind,) but no other game has ever provided such an easy way to convert one's virtual cash to the real thing. MindArk has actually created an ATM card that works specifically with Nextel ATMs to allow instant access and conversion of your virtual funds to the real thing, or vice versa. Although Entropia Universe has been around since 2003, it has lush, detailed graphics that put quite a few MMORPGs to shame, including WoW. With several worlds (and more on the way,) filled with killer robots, mutants, and hostile creatures, as well as business opportunities galore, Entropia Universe may well be the future of MMORPGs as we know it--and offers a look into a potential new industry in the years to come.

This post was contributed by Chris Jones. This Post is Un-Altered and is still in it's original state. As such, the views expressed here may or may not be the same views as Candice Siegfried. To submit your own articles, send them to [email protected]

When I was a kid, I loved (and still do) playing with Legos. The joy of being able to see your creations take shape, one brick at a time, was amazing. From Legos to Kenex to Erector Sets.. I love constructing things, breathing life into creations!

After I graduated from High School in 2001, I spent the summer working an internship at the Boeing Plant out in Troutdale, OR. I used the money from that (14.25/hr back in 2001... Yeah, you do the math... Straight out of HS, too!) to build MY first PC.

In HS I had worked on some 386s and 486s during Junior Year in a program called STRUT (Students Taking and Reusing Used Technology), but this was my first computer that I will have assembled from scratch. A couple of friends gave me some advice on what to get for my computer (Something other than myPowerbook G3, cause they wanted me to join in on their LAN parties without bogging the network down with my Virtual P(iece of)C(rap). Don't get me wrong... I love my old Powerbook G3 and still use it for select applications today (10 years later...) but I needed a windows computer.

So, first computer was a AMD Duron 700Mhz, with Nvidia GeForce2 MX400 with 64MB Graphics memory and a screaming 256MB of Ram! (Yeah, I know... Get the groans out now...)

I used portions of that machine for many years, and over the last 10 years there has been one part that has repeatedly made it's way back to me.. the ugly silver and gold case!

A couple of my friends know which case I am referring to, cause they used it for a while. but this case was large, and heavy! I think the case itself weighed 10-15lbs and over time has become an aesthetic eye sore.

At my computer shop I have over 20 cases right now, in varying states of disarray. They all have potential life in them, but they are all ugly as sin!
So, I think it is time that I start working on some carpentry skills for a past time (Without lacerating any more appendages)

My first case that I designed a few years ago I have affectionately dubbed my HoboPC. It is a tiny little MiniITX computer board that doesn't even have a harddrive. It has an embedded 800mhz processor and 256mb ram. The case... Well the case is a combination of a couple pieces of wood and a framed cardboard box!

I think it would be fun to make some custom cases, bot stylish and novelty base. Most of them will probably be more of custom "Shells" for the 20 or so metal frames that I have right now, but eventually I would love to make some custom wood cases for people that would be stylish and functional.
Depending on what I find, I might even try to make some different style Lego computer cases.

This article was on KGW's site.

It is amazing how some people can be so stupid. Two things: Don't do drugs, and don't play tug of war with your dog and a sock full of hash. Yes, that is what the guy in the article did.

I feel bad for the dog. He really wanted that sock, and must have gotten addicted somewhat feirce from the contact highs from being around his owner.

Hehe, Space Cadet Pitbull. Has the ring of a bad B comedy.

Seriously though, I am glad that this dog was able to help the officer out. What could the guy have said? "It's not mine officer... It's my dog's hash!"

-=Q=-

Okay, so I was wrong... Apparently being a member does not automatically allow you to post comments without review. Spidermonkey made a comment earlier and I still �had to approve it, so weather or not you are a member, it still requires me to accept the new comment. At least we should be able to keep the spammers off this way. I am generally able to tell who the spammers are, too... Multiple names, from the same ip address, and the same trackback link are *usuall* spammers, and will be deleted. If I am not sure... I may hold the comment in limbo until I know for certain.

If you like to garden and keep a green lawn, but do not like the high water prices that generally go along with that, then a rain collection system may be a viable option for you. For each inch of rain, a single square foot rainwater collector can yield you approximately 6/10 of a gallon of water. If you are fortunate enough to have your own house and can install a collection system into your down spout, imagine the savings in the summertime while watering the lawn or garden.

Before city plumbing even, people had to rely more on their ability to gather rain and well water to last them through dry periods. With rising resource costs, would it not behoove us to follow the same methods as our ancestors and gather some water ourselves?

Think about it... for a nice green lawn, it may take as much as 100 gallons of water for 1300 sq ft of grass per watering. I know for myself this equates to over $150 bills for water and sewer if I water the lawn on city water. City water generally also has the added downside of extra chlorine in the water, which doesn�t help the plants much.

Now, what if you had two rain barrels, both 60 gallons, gathering water from different downspouts, or daisy chained together... 120 gallons of water at your disposal for watering! that is 120 gallons of water that you do not have to pay to the city! Even if you only have a small 300 sq ft collection area, that should fill the 120 gallon container with just an inch of rain. Use your whole roof and you can easily get that amount.

Right now I am putting together some designs for a basic water collection system that daisy chains on itself, offering at least 300 gallons of water per block, but a minimum of 120 gallons per block.

Since the summer months would normally cost an extra $320 for me to keep everything green, and I want to cut at least $100 out of the water budget this year, that gives me about $150 that I want to try to design this system around. This should be an easy task if I do it right.

If anyone wants a copy of these designs when I get them done, just let me know. I will try to make them detailed as possible so anyone can assemble it.

Here is to a greener 2011

So, Saturday evening after I finished some major progress with pre-spring cleaning I went to make myself some dinner. Some nice veggies and talapia! Apparently it was just not to be. While opening the package of Talapia (Individual package from store) I slipped and managed to cut a flap of my left index finger. about .4cm deep and .8cm or so in diameter. Luckily someone was able to take me to the emergency room a few miles away.

I waited there for almost 2 hrs between waiting for pain killers and such to kick in so they could glue the flap of skin back together. I love the glue that they used.. it made like a little shell around the area.

Well, after a while the pain killer wore off and I started to feel the throbbing. Ouch! Based on what I have read, it will take about 2 months for this to heal with any degree of normality. Bleh!

Typing is slow, so for my readers, I will try to get updates to you on regular basis, but literally I am only able to type with my pinkie and ring finger on my left hand right now.

This is a good reminder to everyone to have respect for Knives and take the necessary precautions when using them.

-=Q=-

I am even guilty of this to some extent. I even contemplated this article while sipping on a 20oz Latte that cost $4.00.

Generally, If I am heading downtown to do programming, will stop by one of a couple coffee shops and get a 32oz Vanilla Soy latte for about $5.00. My thinking is I will probably drink that much anyway, so get in volume.. right? Isn't that the american way of thinking?

This week alone, I have spent $20 on Coffee beverages. Not good. That comes out to almost $100 a month just on coffee drinks.

Soda, I don't drink as much of. I used to be a lot worse on soda & energy drinks. I still love energy drinks, especially if they are Vit B fortified, but I just don't drink them as often... Maybe 1-3 a week now, so only a max of $3.00 a week for energy drinks. I don't remember the last time I just bought a regular multi-pack of soda... I think I bought a Mt Dew a couple weeks ago, but unless I am offered one, I generally don't do as much soda.

One thing I do love, and I have started doing this regularly again... is Tea! I love most tea, and I will make up a big batch of about a gallon at once. This is also good because I do not need my tea very sweet. �I love the flavor of the tea itself, not the sugar, so I just don't put much sugar in the batch... maybe 1/2 cup for a whole gallon. Just enough to give is a little flavor enhancement. 1 gallon of tea is about $0.75 for me to make at the strength and sweetness that I like it. (10-12 bags of tea for 1 gallon for peppermint tea)

I will have to invest in a few more gallon containers (I like the Arizona Tea gallon containers. Nice size, store nicely, easy to pour, and clear), Then I can make about a week of tea at once. If I keep some handy for when I am downtown, I can probably cut out about 80% of the cost. There are just some days when a latte is a nice treat, but they seem to take over fast. �I can also make use of the coffee maker downtown more.

How about everyone else? How do you cut costs on coffee or soda drinks? Tea? Bringing coffee from home? Home brew coffee? Just water? Make your own soda? Volume discount?

A coffee spill is one of those things that generally spur a similar reaction. Absorb as much of it as possible before it has time to settle in. This is a completely rational reaction. Some scour the Internet looking for home remedies while others react by pouring on the first product they can think of that might work. Sometimes a home remedy will work and other times it will only compound it, making it worse. Some stains must be removed in layers. Coffee with cream and sugar very well may result in a compound stain. Coffee generally just leave behind an annoying dark spot, cream may go sour causing an undesired odor while sugar residues will attract additional foreign soils like a magnet.

First step should be to absorb as much of the coffee spill as possible using dry towels. To prevent from compounding the mess and making it worse, simply dump a small box of baking soda over the affected area to absorb additional moisture and call a professional carpet cleaner or spotter to actually deal with the problem. A true professional should be willing to suggest the perfect product to use and where to find it. However, a professional line of products generally can not be found at the super market or Home Depot for that matter.

A Professional will begin treating the area by dry vacuuming it to rid of any foreign soils that may be on the carpet or upholstery surface. Hot Water Extraction is the most effective way to thoroughly rinse the area of any cream or other residues that may be attracting soils. The use of a small hair-dryer is a great way to quickly dry the area as fast as possible. Finally, a coffee specific product is applied to the coffee stained area. The solution actually lifts the coffee stain out as it evaporates over the course of a few hours. Applying a sheet of plastic wrap over the area will cause the evaporation process to slow, allowing the solution to work longer. An area with excessive coffee spillage, several applications may be required. However, the good news is that coffee stains usually always come out 100% Even stains that have been there for months or years.

In retrospect, one thing that an individual should do to a coffee spill is to absorb as much moisture as possible, making the job easier for the professional as well as prepping it for the best results possible.

This post was contributed by Geoffrey Scott Howells of Howells Carpet Cleaning. This Post is Un-Altered and is still in it's original state. As such, the views expressed here may or may not be the same views as Candice Siegfried. To submit your own articles, send them to [email protected]

Because of the increasing popularity of this site, I have set Guest comments to go into review mode first. �This will allow me time to make sure that we are helping to keep the spam posts at bay.

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Thanks!