It’s easier to start birding than you might think. You don’t need a whole bunch of equipment. You don’t need 10 field guides. You don’t need to be an expert in birds. You just need to start paying attention to things that maybe you just took for granted before. You step out the back door, and you hear some birds and you don’t even pay attention to what ones they are. But when you do start paying attention, you realize, oh, my gosh, there are four different types of birds out there.
NPR Radio: Hobbies To Consider For The New Year: Dan Lory Shares His Passion For Birding
Author: reclaimer
An introduction to plant identification
Simple Criteria
We can use pattern on a leaf to identify its tree. Let’s start by zooming in to a leaf and working our way out.
- Vein pattern (Venation)
- Is there a single central vein with smaller veins branching off at intervals? Then, it is pinnate.
- Are there three or more central veins from the base spreading out like a fan? Then, it is palmate. (Think: maple leaf)
- If it is a mix of pinnate and palmate, the leaf is pinnipalmate.
- Are there parallel veins? Then it is parallel.
- Shape
- Is the leaf widest at the center, like an ellipse? Then it is elliptical.
- Is it widest about a third from the base and then tapers to the apex? Then, it is like a lance: lanceolate.
- If the reverse is true, then it is oblanceolate.
- Is it egg-shaped and widest below the middle? Then, it is ovate
- If the reverse is true, then it is obvate
- Is it many times longer than wide? Then, it is linear.
- Edge of the leaf
- Is the edge of the leaf smooth or does it have teeth (serrate)?
Now after looking at the leaf by itself, let’s zoom out and identify how the leaf is arranged on the stem.
- Arrangement
- Is the leaf connected to the stem by itself? If so, then it has an alternating arrangement.
- Are two leaves paired at the same height, one on each side of the stem? Then it has an opposite arrangement.
- Are two or more leaves found at the same node? Then, it is whorled.
Example: Lemon tree (citrus limon)
A perennial that bears fruit all year.
- Vein pattern (Venation): pinnate, a central vein with smaller branching veins
- Shape: Elliptical
- Edge of leaf: Serrate
Alternate arrangement on the stem. One leaf per a node, or connection to stem.
Mozilla privacy not included product list
Products meet basic requirements
Mozilla provides a guide on products that are designed with minimum security standards (noted with a star with laurels). These include:
- Encrypted communication
- Security Updates
- Strong Password requirement
- System in place to manage vulnerabilities
- Privacy Policy for the device
Degree of privacy
Products are also listed from “not creepy!” (Switch, Sonos, Kindle) to “super creepy” (Ring cams, Facebook Portal).
pH of the soil
Previous Test (December 2018)
In December 2018, I checked the pH of soil in the garden. With a testing kit, I found that the pH was 7.5. Above 7 is alkaline; below 7 is acidic. With a pH reference list, I found that most plants I planned to grow required a pH of around 6.5-7.
So, I added compost to increase the acidity of the soil. With compost, the acidity dropped nearer to 6.5-7.
Current Test (December 2019)
I repeated the test today (12/30/2019). I obtained a soil sample around 3 inches deep, placed a small amount in a test tube, added a chemical provided, and added water. I put a lid on the test tube, shook the test tube, and let it settle.
The color turned a darker green. I then compared this to a chart provided and determined that the pH was a little above neutral (7). I concluded that the pH was around 7.25.
Purpose: Adjust the soil’s acidity to match plants
With a pH preference chart, I found the suitable pH ranges for the plants in the garden.
- Lemon: 6.0-7.5
- Peppers: 5.5-7
After checking the pH preference, 7.25 is a little too alkaline for the peppers. I will add compost this year as well.
Canada Geese after rain
After a downpour on Christmas night, a brisk cool air filled the empty park. The valley had patches of light and darker green.
After a slow run, I stopped and saw a flock of Canada Geese (branta canadensis) on the empty lawn. They pecked at the ground and moved around each other without restraint. I do not remember seeing their dark coats and white cheek patches before.
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Poinsettia
With their persistent red leaves (bracts), poinsettias are everywhere in America during the holidays. They are native to southern Mexico and Central America.
- Poinsettias are perennials and bloom during the winter.
- They grow in the fall.
- Their blooming ability is lowered when night temperatures are above 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
- They require fourteen straight hours of darkness each fall night.
Isn’t it strange that cold and darkness are required for this bright, celebratory plant to bloom?
Modern automation and the loom
In 1804, Joseph Marie Jacquard invented an attachment to a loom. A precursor to modern computing, this attachment was a punch card system. Each punch in a card directed a thread to a programmed place on a loom. For the owner operator, this resulted in quicker production and more intricate patterns.
With punch cards in a Jacquard-driven loom (tool), the owner operator controlled the sequence of operations, namely the position of thread on a loom, for quicker and more intricate fabrics (effect). Many loom workers lost their jobs and smashed these automated looms in protest.
Pro-democracy Sardines Movement in Italy
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People able to distinguish politics from marketing and to recognize when consensus is built on solid foundations, not on social media deception. By taking a stand, we can create a new narrative, the first step toward a new reality.
Mattia Santori, a founder of Italy’s Sardine Movement
Cultural expectation and responsibility for the effects of social media
It is not just government regulation. It is creating the cultural expectation that if you want to build the biggest informational ecosystem, you have to feel responsible for what the results of it are.
Andrew Marantz (paraphrase) on Press Play with Madeleine Brand
How to replace a battery on a Casio watch
Tools
- Screwdriver (cheesehead) a few millimeters long.
- Dexterious fingers
- Watch with an empty battery. In this case, Casio MQ24.
Steps
- With a screwdriver as a lever, push a strap’s axle horizontally towards the time piece.
- With a screwdriver as a prod, push the axle vertically away from you.
- With your finger, pull out the other end of the axle.
Repeat 1-3 on the opposite side so just the timepiece remains.
- With a screwdriver as a lever, pop open the gray clasp on one side and then the other.
- With a screwdriver as a lever, place the tip underneath the small round battery and push with limited force. Lift and remove.
- With your fingers, slot the battery in to fit.
- With a screwdriver as a placer, secure the battery in place.
Redo the cover, clasps, and axles of the strap.