"Fighting Radicalism with Radicalism"

Terry Jones. Stunt Master Extraordinaire.

Why are we giving this wackadoo one second of news coverage?  The press won't shut up about his threats to burn the Qu'ran on 9/11 and everyone else, from generals to cabinet members, is piping in with their own comments. No one is talking about who this guy is...here's some wikipedia highlights.

"Terry Jones founded and led the Christliche Gemeinde Köln, a church in Cologne, Germany from 1981 to 2008, initially as a branch of the Dove World Outreach Center. Jones was released from the leadership of the Christliche Gemeinde Köln in 2008 due to untenable theological statements and craving for recognition. He and his wife left Germany after one of their three adult children, along with a former church elder, accused them of financial and labor abuses. The Dove Word Outreach Center is funded by TS & Company, a furniture shipping business owned by the church, which buys vintage pieces from Europe and sells them at profit in the U.S. The workforce is comprised of the Jones's disciples, who work for no wages and live cost-free in rundown properties owned by the Joneses.... The DWOC currently maintains a boarding school in Gainesville. According to the Gainsville Sun, students  are prohibited from outside and family contact  and work without compensation selling, packing, and shipping furniture for TS and Company."

Now that we've shed some light on this wackadoo's  history with the DWOC, let's check out his long list of radical stunts. Good ol' wikipedia.

"In 2009, DWOC posted a sign printed in large red letters "Islam is of the Devil" Another sign was posted showing a Muslim man hanging a Christian...Also in 2009, members of the church sent their children to the new school year with t-shirts saying on the front "Jesus answered I am the way and the truth and the life; no one goes to the Father except through me. I stand in trust with Dove Outreach Center." and on the back "Islam is of the Devil"... In March 2010, DWOC posted a video which decried the possibility of an openly-gay mayor. It also posted a sign saying "No Homo Mayor". "

DWOC=cult
Terry Jones=delusional cult leader and all around asshat.
Media=*sigh* The media really "screwed the pooch" on this one...you have not only exposed the nutbag but you have given him his pulpit from which to preach. You've given his cause a worldwide audience. If anyone has placed our troops in harms way, it is the media's coverage of this story.

In your face, Darwin!

The intricate design of a simple butterfly egg.

To see more butterfly eggs : http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2010/09/insect-eggs/oeggerli-photography

Butterfly Driveby

Our citrus trees took one helluva hit from the orange dog caterpillers. Every day we'd have to go and pick off the butterfly eggs , because if we didn't, they would hatch and start munching our tasty green citrus leaves. Now, if this was a large tree I wouldn't even care, but a few orange dogs can devour an entire plant in a few days. They love the new tender foilage. *nom nom* These ugly caterpillars look like something out of  Frank Herbert's Dune. It mimics bird droppings to avoid getting eaten. Yum. Now, eventually they do turn into the most beautiful butterflies, the Giant Swallowtail butterfly.

But I sure wish they would go find something else to eat besides my little sappling citrus trees.

Don't eat my plants, you lil' turd!

Image via Wikipedia

Coffee Composting: Do something good for the planet and each other.

Dax has been collecting our coffee grounds and other kitchen scraps from the coffeeshop for quite a few years. He has become quite the coffee composting nazi. Don't let him catch you throwing out something compostable. He swears by the coffee enhanced soil and the added benefits to his fruit trees and other garden veggies. I knew coffee was good for so many uses but today, my husband seems a little less crazy...

The Ground to Ground initiative shows us how we can make a tangible difference to our environment...one cup at a time.

Here is some pics of Dax's compost barrels, some pictures of the composting process and the end result ...black coffee soil. Also included a few pics of his garden goodies grown with composted coffee grounds...mostly new plantings, many fruit trees...that will fruit next year. *fingers crossed*

Dax's compost barrel made from recycle calamata olive barrels.

 

Stage 1: Fill barrel 1/2 full with coffee, filters, tea bags, kitchen scraps(mostly romaine lettuce, tomato bits, onion skins and leaves. 

 

Stage 2: After a couple of months of decompostition it starts to look like something.... rich, soily goodness.

Stage 3: This is the final product... mix this with some peat and/or top soil.

Here's some pictures of figs, blueberries and pomegranates growing in Dax's coffee enriched soil.

Our crazy key lime tree on the left...it was attacked by Orange Dog caterpillers. Butterflies apparently love the coffee! On the right is the complete circle...ground to ground to ground, a coffee tree growing in coffee laced soil. It is suffering from heat exhaustion in the florida summer. 

The growing season is coming to an end...this summer was brutal..hottest summer on record. After one of the coldest and longest winters on record. Hopefully next year, we can have a more bountiful crop and put this coffee soil to the test.

Saving the world, one cup at a time.