The Volokh Conspiracy � Victims of Communism Day

The Volokh Conspiracy � Victims of Communism Day: "Today is May 1, May Day. Back in 2007 and 2008, I advocated the idea of transforming this long-time communist holiday into Victims of Communism Day — a day of remembrance for the victims of history’s bloodiest ideology. This year, several bloggers are joining in an effort to commemorate the occasion. Jonathan Wilde of Distributed Republic deserves credit for organizing this effort."

Oil Spill’s ‘Fisheries Failure’ May Signal End of Coastal Towns - Bloomberg.com

Oil Spill’s ‘Fisheries Failure’ May Signal End of Coastal Towns - Bloomberg.com: "“As the largest provider of domestic seafood in the continental United States, protection of Louisiana’s fisheries, habitats and catch are critical to our nation’s economy and food supply,” he wrote. “The seafood industry is not only a large economic driver, but a defining element of the unique culture, and a crucial tourist draw to the state.”"

So basically, another one of our food sources has been taken offline.

More on Levels

A little more detail to the level system I was talking about yesterday.

We can also organize these thoughts not just from the center of your home to your yard and region and beyond. But we must also go vertically. 

Layer 1 is Deep Underground where utilities and wells are and this can also include other underground mineral resources and tectonic plates.

Layer 2 is the Root Layer, we'd mostly be concerned about root and rhizomal crops but you can't forget about root systems in general.

Layer 3 is the Soil Surface, this would be ground cover and mulch layer. The first few inches of the surface. A lot of the action happens here, this is where all the plants get their water and their nutrients.

Layer 4 is the Low Shrub level where short shrubs and plants live, like strawberry plants. 

Layer 5 is the High Shrub level where the big shrubs and plants live, like blueberries.

Layer 6 is the Low Tree level where dwarf and other small sized trees live, like dwarf apple trees.

Layer 7 is the HIgh Tree or Canopy level, like oak trees.

Layer 8 is the Sky level where we watch the wind and rain.

Layer 9 is the Space level where we watch the Sun (light and heat) and Moon (tides).

I am not going to show layers from the core of the planet to the edge of the known universe. There are far more detail to many of these layers but these are the ones we can work with easily. And that is what matters. 

If you remember Level E your yard, that can be broken into zones to make things easier. Permaculture has a set of useful principles to organize your yard.

Zone 0 is the house, make it a good place to live.

Zone 1 is nearest the house and near the entrances, where you can plant things that you use often or need lots of attention. Often this is called the kitchen garden area.

Zone 2 is a little further out and is where you put the perennials plants that need some attention but less then the kitchen garden.

Zone 3 is for the main crops that only need attention once a week or so. 

Zone 4 is a semi-wild area. In a suburban area this would be a small corner that is left wild, in an rural area this would be a manage woodland area.

Zone 5 is an actual wild area. Humans don't do things there except the occasional mushroom hunt or something. This is natures classroom. That is where we can go to see how nature is doing things around us that we can adapt to our systems.

Baklava

Made Baklava last night and it turned out pretty good.

We had a bunch of nuts left over from the holidays and I didn't want to waste them, so I made them into Baklava.

Baklava makes 28 pieces 

Phyllo Dough

1 package of Phyllo dough, set out to thaw, about 2 hours.

Filling: about 10 minutes not counting shelling the nuts

1 pound of mixed raw nuts, in this case walnuts, pecans, filberts (haselnuts), almonds, and Macadamias. Traditionally your used almonds, walnuts and pistachios, but I went with what we had.

2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon or cassia, about 1 stick

2 teaspoons ground allspice, about 15 whole berries

2/3 cup sugar

Combine in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, 10-15 pulses. Don't over-process into a powder or paste.

Divide into three groups.

Clarified butter: about 20 minutes

3 sticks of butter

In a small pot melt the butter over medium low heat until it foams. Once it calms down turn up the heat and boil until it foams again and the milk solids brown, remove from heat and pour off the oil from the solids.

Syrup: about 20 minutes

1 1/4 cups water

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 1/4 cups honey

1 cinnamon stick

1 2 x 1/2 inch piece of fresh orange peel, use a vegetable peeler

Combine all ingredients in a medium pot over high heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once boiling, allow the syrup to boil for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and discard cinnamon stick and orange peel.

Assemble the Baklava: about 10 minutes

Preheat oven to 350°F.

A 9x13 pan, pastry brush.

Cut phyllo dough to fit the 9x13 pan and divide into 4 groups. If it is a particularily dry day cover the phyllo with a damp towel.

Butter the pan and place one sheet of phyllo dough, brush with butter. Continue placing one sheet at a time with butter until the first set of dough is placed in the pan. If you place all the dough down at once and try drowning it in butter, it will fuse into one hard layer, not good eats.

Next spread 1/3 of the nut mixture onto the base layer of phyllo dough.

Then another sheet by sheet layer of phyllo dough.

The second third of the nut mixture.

Another sheet by sheet layer of phyllo dough.

The last third of the nut mixture.

And finally the last set of phyllo dough. Brush the top generously with butter.

Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. 

Remove pan from the oven and cut into 28 pieces (4 pieces x 7 pieces).

Return pan to the oven for another 30 minutes.

Remove pan from the oven and let cool 2 hours, uncovered.

Recut the entire pan, following the line from earlier.

Reheat the syrup and pour the syrup evenly and slowly over the baklava letting it run over the cuts and edges of the pan. 

Allow the pan to cool completely again. Cover and store at room temperature for at least 8 hours but overnight is better. 

Store, covered, at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Dirt showers blamed on dust from Southwest windstorms - The Denver Post

Dirt showers blamed on dust from Southwest windstorms - The Denver Post: "Spring rains are typically refreshing, but Thursday morning's moisture was mixed with dirt, depositing a dustlike film is some areas."

An actual news report on that mud-rain we had yesterday.

Video- Unemployment rates by county

Watch the change from Jan 2007 until Jan 2010.

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How does that make you feel?

Spring In Colorado

I just love Spring in Colorado, today we had a mudstorm.

It actually rained mud. It's that special.

A few years ago I was in a gravelstorm. Small gravel about 1-2mm in size were flying around and building up on the windshield. I was thinking that I didn't want to turn of the wipers so it wouldn't scratch the windshield.