Comments on: Chicken Wire http://asymptotia.com/2007/09/16/chicken-wire/ Tue, 07 Oct 2008 12:41:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Composing Compost: Fun with Microorganisms - Asymptotia http://asymptotia.com/2007/09/16/chicken-wire/#comment-82466 Composing Compost: Fun with Microorganisms - Asymptotia Sun, 30 Sep 2007 07:42:23 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/09/16/chicken-wire/#comment-82466 [...] So finally I completed the project that began with the chicken wire matters I spoke of a while ago. Work and such things have a way of intervening for weeks, preventing a good idea from going from conception to completion in what should be a day or two. The plan? To stop throwing away lots of wonderful organic matter and keep it instead, turning it into compost. This makes sense because so much of my garden has rather poor soil, for a start, and for a second matter it just seems wrong to not do it. for a third, it’s fun to do experiment with some microbiology for a change. Microbiology? Well, the object of the exercise is to let nature turn any organic material that you have into compost - full of nutrients for growing new things. Compost is also good for moisture control, good drainage, and a host of other things that are beneficial to plants in the garden. How does nature do this? Bacteria, mostly. But for the bacteria and other microorganisms to do their job (digesting the material), one needs to give them good conditions to live in. Conditions involve the right amount of moisture, air, and food, and the point of my project was first to prepare containment for the compost manufacturing process, and then to prepare a good combination of raw materials, place them properly, and then leave the little organisms to their own devices to do their thing. Here’s a good webpage at Cornell about the various stages of composting, the temperatures involved, and the various organisms (bacteria of various sorts, actinomycetes (a kind of filamented bacterium), fungi (various molds and yeasts), protozoa) that come into play at the various stages. [...] [...] So finally I completed the project that began with the chicken wire matters I spoke of a while ago. Work and such things have a way of intervening for weeks, preventing a good idea from going from conception to completion in what should be a day or two. The plan? To stop throwing away lots of wonderful organic matter and keep it instead, turning it into compost. This makes sense because so much of my garden has rather poor soil, for a start, and for a second matter it just seems wrong to not do it. for a third, it’s fun to do experiment with some microbiology for a change. Microbiology? Well, the object of the exercise is to let nature turn any organic material that you have into compost - full of nutrients for growing new things. Compost is also good for moisture control, good drainage, and a host of other things that are beneficial to plants in the garden. How does nature do this? Bacteria, mostly. But for the bacteria and other microorganisms to do their job (digesting the material), one needs to give them good conditions to live in. Conditions involve the right amount of moisture, air, and food, and the point of my project was first to prepare containment for the compost manufacturing process, and then to prepare a good combination of raw materials, place them properly, and then leave the little organisms to their own devices to do their thing. Here’s a good webpage at Cornell about the various stages of composting, the temperatures involved, and the various organisms (bacteria of various sorts, actinomycetes (a kind of filamented bacterium), fungi (various molds and yeasts), protozoa) that come into play at the various stages. [...]

]]> By: Supernova http://asymptotia.com/2007/09/16/chicken-wire/#comment-80037 Supernova Thu, 20 Sep 2007 05:34:47 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/09/16/chicken-wire/#comment-80037 Mary, I believe you're referring to the <a href="http://www.venganza.org/" rel="nofollow">Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster</a> (click on the Open Letter to the Kansas School Board). RAmen! Mary, I believe you’re referring to the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster (click on the Open Letter to the Kansas School Board). RAmen!

]]> By: Clifford http://asymptotia.com/2007/09/16/chicken-wire/#comment-79778 Clifford Tue, 18 Sep 2007 20:15:15 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/09/16/chicken-wire/#comment-79778 Ha! Excellent question. As a string theorist, I come with a pitch fork as standard (as you've seen from other comment threads), so did not need to buy one... :-D -cvj Ha! Excellent question.

As a string theorist, I come with a pitch fork as standard (as you’ve seen from other comment threads), so did not need to buy one… :-D

-cvj

]]> By: spyder http://asymptotia.com/2007/09/16/chicken-wire/#comment-79773 spyder Tue, 18 Sep 2007 19:45:46 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/09/16/chicken-wire/#comment-79773 It wasn't that difficult because i had the opportunity this summer to rebuild and "stir up" a number of such piles while on tour. I have lots of friends and family (esp in California) who garden extensively, growing their own vegetables, fruit, etc. And they, by now thankfully, have figured out the best composting solutions for their lives. Some are fancier than others, but the one you are building seems to be, not only practical, but also quite effective and easier to work. The only thing i didn't notice in your image, and you didn't mention in your shopping list was the absolutely necessary pitch fork!!! It wasn’t that difficult because i had the opportunity this summer to rebuild and “stir up” a number of such piles while on tour. I have lots of friends and family (esp in California) who garden extensively, growing their own vegetables, fruit, etc. And they, by now thankfully, have figured out the best composting solutions for their lives. Some are fancier than others, but the one you are building seems to be, not only practical, but also quite effective and easier to work. The only thing i didn’t notice in your image, and you didn’t mention in your shopping list was the absolutely necessary pitch fork!!!

]]> By: Clifford http://asymptotia.com/2007/09/16/chicken-wire/#comment-79426 Clifford Mon, 17 Sep 2007 14:08:39 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/09/16/chicken-wire/#comment-79426 But radio 2 is now playing what was basically all on radio 1 fifteen - twenty years ago....So I am confused about whether that would make me more or less likely to listen to it given that I never listened to radio 1 (or stations of that type) back at the age I was "supposed" to. <blockquote>I had rather hoped you were building a sculpture of a lesser spotted quark!</blockquote> I'll work on that later... :-) -cvj But radio 2 is now playing what was basically all on radio 1 fifteen - twenty years ago….So I am confused about whether that would make me more or less likely to listen to it given that I never listened to radio 1 (or stations of that type) back at the age I was “supposed” to.

I had rather hoped you were building a sculpture of a lesser spotted quark!

I’ll work on that later… :-)

-cvj

]]> By: Mary Cole http://asymptotia.com/2007/09/16/chicken-wire/#comment-79393 Mary Cole Mon, 17 Sep 2007 09:49:33 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/09/16/chicken-wire/#comment-79393 Regarding your footnotes; 1) I realized that I had crossed the Rubicon into middle age when I found myself sitting in my car with a flask of coffee listening to Radio 2. (Worryingly, this happened about eight years ago!) 2) Pirates... I read somewhere recently a really funny piece linking global warming to the decreasing number of pirates in the world. (It was basically sending up the creationists and their 'evidence'). I'll try and find the link. Good luck with the compost box. I had rather hoped you were building a sculpture of a lesser spotted quark! Regarding your footnotes;
1) I realized that I had crossed the Rubicon into middle age when I found myself sitting in my car with a flask of coffee listening to Radio 2. (Worryingly, this happened about eight years ago!)
2) Pirates… I read somewhere recently a really funny piece linking global warming to the decreasing number of pirates in the world. (It was basically sending up the creationists and their ‘evidence’). I’ll try and find the link.
Good luck with the compost box. I had rather hoped you were building a sculpture of a lesser spotted quark!

]]> By: Carl Brannen http://asymptotia.com/2007/09/16/chicken-wire/#comment-79363 Carl Brannen Mon, 17 Sep 2007 06:36:08 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/09/16/chicken-wire/#comment-79363 Given the list of ingredients, I was figuring on some horrible sex crime. (If figured you already had duct tape at home.) And the reason you went to the hardware store rather than the movies is because no one can afford the movies any more. A hardware project is much cheaper entertainment, at least until you have to hire a plumber or electrician to put things back. Meanwhile, in my hardware business, my buddy and I have been having trouble refinancing our ethanol plant in Moses Lake, Washington. Our buyer gave up the ghost a month ago, and then the price of ethanol on the CBOT futures market inconveniently nose dived. So now we're facing selling the thing off as scrap even though we could easily have financed it even two months ago. Well, it was purchased at scrap prices so we'll probably survive, but still, it's a bit of a crime when people are paying $3.25 a gallon for gasoline, that the CBOT futures on ethanol got below $1.60 per gallon. It appears that the gasoline blenders were unprepared for the increased production of ethanol (despite it being well known that it was happening) and are unable to get it to the consumers. Given the list of ingredients, I was figuring on some horrible sex crime. (If figured you already had duct tape at home.) And the reason you went to the hardware store rather than the movies is because no one can afford the movies any more. A hardware project is much cheaper entertainment, at least until you have to hire a plumber or electrician to put things back.

Meanwhile, in my hardware business, my buddy and I have been having trouble refinancing our ethanol plant in Moses Lake, Washington. Our buyer gave up the ghost a month ago, and then the price of ethanol on the CBOT futures market inconveniently nose dived. So now we’re facing selling the thing off as scrap even though we could easily have financed it even two months ago.

Well, it was purchased at scrap prices so we’ll probably survive, but still, it’s a bit of a crime when people are paying $3.25 a gallon for gasoline, that the CBOT futures on ethanol got below $1.60 per gallon. It appears that the gasoline blenders were unprepared for the increased production of ethanol (despite it being well known that it was happening) and are unable to get it to the consumers.

]]> By: Elliot http://asymptotia.com/2007/09/16/chicken-wire/#comment-79322 Elliot Mon, 17 Sep 2007 00:27:22 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/09/16/chicken-wire/#comment-79322 Since spyder blew it for the rest of us, let me share another use of chickenwire that I am familiar with. In a lot of down and out honkytonks in the south they'd have chickenwire in front of the stage to protect the band from rowdy patrons throwing beer bottles at them. Although I never played in one of them, I've got friends that did. Cheers, e. Since spyder blew it for the rest of us, let me share another use of chickenwire that I am familiar with. In a lot of down and out honkytonks in the south they’d have chickenwire in front of the stage to protect the band from rowdy patrons throwing beer bottles at them.

Although I never played in one of them, I’ve got friends that did.

Cheers,

e.

]]> By: Clifford http://asymptotia.com/2007/09/16/chicken-wire/#comment-79298 Clifford Sun, 16 Sep 2007 22:24:12 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/09/16/chicken-wire/#comment-79298 ...and there was I thinking I could get an afternoon of discussion going out of this, or at least get some readers thinking.... :-) oh well. -cvj …and there was I thinking I could get an afternoon of discussion going out of this, or at least get some readers thinking…. :-)

oh well.

-cvj

]]> By: Clifford http://asymptotia.com/2007/09/16/chicken-wire/#comment-79297 Clifford Sun, 16 Sep 2007 22:20:35 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/09/16/chicken-wire/#comment-79297 Wow. Spyder's back (welcome -missed you), and he's right on the money. Wow! -cvj Wow. Spyder’s back (welcome -missed you), and he’s right on the money. Wow!

-cvj

]]> By: spyder http://asymptotia.com/2007/09/16/chicken-wire/#comment-79295 spyder Sun, 16 Sep 2007 22:15:21 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/09/16/chicken-wire/#comment-79295 <i>Any idea what the project is?</i> I'll take a shot at it, or i suppose i should say "stab" at it. I actually own a cutlass from the late 1800's, and i have kept it quite sharp, along with my machete and but not my navy saber. But i digress as well: I am guessing that you are building a compost box, using the mesh as the sides, cutting some bamboo or other treelike branches for posts, plastic bags for coverage, and bricks to hold it in place presuming that there will be some form of blustery winter weather??????? Any idea what the project is?
I’ll take a shot at it, or i suppose i should say “stab” at it. I actually own a cutlass from the late 1800’s, and i have kept it quite sharp, along with my machete and but not my navy saber. But i digress as well:

I am guessing that you are building a compost box, using the mesh as the sides, cutting some bamboo or other treelike branches for posts, plastic bags for coverage, and bricks to hold it in place presuming that there will be some form of blustery winter weather???????

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