endemismotrasnochado

Spanning the globe with frequent and once in a while readers. I am interested in collecting, propagating plants, landscape management practices, ecology, environment, flora/fauna, in essence Nature. This blog is written in a blunt, abrasive fashion with consistent critical views on these subjects and others that may be related...or not.

martes, 29 de diciembre de 2009

2009 THE LAST POST

PERHAPS gardens should be designed according to parameters to be created in terms
of the surrounding flora/fauna. Not necessarily by traditional composition concepts and dull landscape architects and agronomists as the public/private spaces in the concrete/asphalt platform isle of Puerco Rico show.

I was not certain of the consequences of planting a Calliandra haemathocephala in front of our residence on the west side. This tree, original from the faraway flat
lands of Bolivia, in the Mimosaceae family also known as Powder puff, is not our only
conversation piece. It is a battle ground for hummingbirds that will fight each other briefly
for sucking rights, an occasional occurrence in the early mornings. Spindalis, perhaps one of our most beautiful birds also hang out among the branches, looking
for the right angle to suck the nectar with their short beaks.

Black beetles prefer the Bauhinia flowers. This morning I got the chance to observe one at close range, in the east side garden. His body covered with white specks. I have read that many flowers develop shapes to make believe to some insects they are a female of the species. Today I confirmed it watching this black beetle enticed, moving as in a copulating fashion, petals of the flowers falling on the ground, something I was wondering about a week a go when the flower firsts bloomed.

These insects are probably NATURES' worst designed to fly. They are certainly awkward and never able to fly in straight lines. The Cavalinna maritima, a vine, is another of their favorites. It seems a rule that everyone one has color infatuations determined by genes. I only see these guys on flowers of the violet persuasion.

Bees and butterflies hang out with yellow, oranges and whites. Every one else is into reds, hummingbirds and Spindalis. Both species in love with the Ipomoea quamoclit, another vine that self seeds and could become a pain in the neck, if you are the organized, tidy, gardener freak. Any seed will grow anywhere, even in concrete cracks, beware.

However, I have decided to tolerate some situations that could be overwhelming with
certain plants and not others in terms of maintenance, for the simple way of solving the matter. Heliconias and Gingers, are not easy to get rid off, but with Ipomoea quamoclit pulling as in weeding will suffice.

Now while listening to "Thanks for the memories" by Rosemary Clooney, I leave.
Good luck to all and success in your projects for 2010.

lunes, 28 de diciembre de 2009

WHAT WE WANT FOR 2010 HERE AND THERE

THE BOURET HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY
upinthebreadfruittree
andglospanoreview
endemismotrasnochado
the keyboard operator
and antigonum the humble


THANKS to all of you following the right/wrong, logical/illogical,
fair/unfair rants for the last twelve months, no matter where you are.
Bellow you will find a list of what I want to happen soon, here and there.


CARIBBEAN CINEMAS

YOU BASTARDS ARE AN EXAMPLE of what is wrong in this shitty isle.
Why do we have to pay almost 8 bucks to watch with the volume all the way UP, the home made dull commercials for Mickey D, BK, KFC, Church's, Harris paints, Toyota, Sprite, Coke, and every other mother fucking commercial imaginable for almost thirty five minutes
Why is it that every bright/dummy puercorican tolerates this shit, without protesting? I have never seen anything like this anywhere else.
SCREW You SCUMBAGS!!

Another thing, could the jerks managing these theaters do something about the noise of the candy wraps? People chewing pop corn right behind you or sideways? Make a rule: NO EATING DRINKING EXCEPT
DURING PREVIEWS, and during the kind gesture of thirty five minutes of commercials.....One last thing if not to much to ask. FORBID CHILDREN
during certain hours. Why do I have to listen to children screaming no matter what? Have some EXCLUSIVE hours for FAMILIES, restaurants should do the same!

FILM RELATED ISSUES FOLLOW UP

When I watch TV from SPAIN, regarding the subject, it is
really sad to be aware of the incredible, bright, intelligent film industry
in: Australia, China, Japan, India and Spain. There may be others but
one has to stop somewhere. The pertinent thing is, what is the point of
making great films (artsy or not) if the MEDIOCRE, for the populace HOLLYWOOD industry, dominates somehow, has a monopoly on the theaters where films are shown.

The situation is so bad that I went only 3 times last year, to watch,
'The Informant',' Avatar' and some piece of shit, 'Transformers'. I am
not an expert, but I have watched over two thousand in the last ten years.
Mostly when I was in Brooklyn with 3 video stores within two blocks.

Back to the studio, when I see the people making great films discussing their effort, always lacking money, with too much creativity, to find venues to show their work, the question arrives quickly, when will people in the trade start building/renting spaces to show it? The commercial sector is not going to do it...after all, profits is their only concern..What are they waiting for?

MISCELLANEOUS RANT

I stopped my ecotourist strolls some time ago. I got tired of the dirty, weedy, uneven, cracked sidewalks. Or the cars parked on them, making Puercorico the CAPITAL of the architectural barriers in FIVE CONTINENTS.

The highways and roads are pretty much like a MOONSCAPE, but not with the beauty of the light, but the texture, craters, covered without compacting or leveling the surface. Even in high falutin places where one
would expect a little sophistication in this regard.

The roads, highways in the METRO AREA of San Juan have not been paved correctly in the last thirty years! Believe it or not. One, may speculate if the almost illiterate politicians go to work by helicopter, or
boat, since they do not notice....That is why being an auto mechanic here is just wonderful.

The water closets in EVERY public beach and recreational spaces are a vile shame and the responsible should be whipped in public.

The amount of abandoned buildings is a real trip. On the other hand, tropical sky scrappers are coming up like spores, without any possible,
real buyer at hand.


BEER ISSUES

If you enjoy one in the tropical heat or the coolest coasts of Ireland to name one, you will certainly have a sad encounter with our reality.
Down these primitive Puerco Rican latitudes, there are 4 stinking beers in 95 out of 100 places: Coors, Budweiser, Medalla and Heineken. That is our wide spectrum in the island. On top, some ridiculous laws forbid more than 10/12 ounces per bottle/can.

If you are fortunate, in the metro area, some supermarkets have some quality, from far away places ones, for an arm and a leg. Why can't we have affordable good beer here? Other civilized countries do.

ISSUES OF WINE

PRETENTIOUS come to mind when looking at the wine scene in the isle.
THERE IS one foreign jester that regularly writes about wines in one of the local newspapers. It is as if every islander drinks thirty gallons
of red, white, or rose a year, can tell the difference between pinot or shiraz (to name two) when in reality, only a certain minuscule segment of the population will engage in this activity. As you know, it has to do with budget, knowledge and taste. I prefer the drinking...

I confess certain weakness for those of Australia, Chile and Argentina.
When in Queens, New York there was Romanian and Yugoslavian reds at budget prices I really enjoyable. I believe there is a lot of crap among
people in the wine industry. That is why not many people over here are into them.. My rule is ten bucks or less a bottle, always red, from those countries mentioned. Wine is not rocket science even though the jerks
in the industry, seem always happy to complicate the activity...

As you see from this rough sketch, in my view, the quality of living in Puerco Rico is very slim. The little things that make life pleasurable do not exist nor are they available.. Not even a park or garden, worth of mentioning in the Metro Area. It is my perspective, and suggest you look
around yours...Are you happy with your surroundings?

I try to improve mine as I go along, but can not be smiling at the scenery since there is very little hope to improve this noisy, dirty valley of tears. Time to go....



END OF THE YEAR BONUS FOR HAPPY ISLANDER CAMPERS.


CANHO MARTIN PENHA
SANTURCE


The JERKS of the G8 Community, better start repairing the ugly plastic
covers placed on the bridge columns to hide the robbery of the art deco
lamps, since they are falling apart as I predicted ten months ago.

The Scubba Doggs fools into the cleaning of beaches/sand, to start a campaign against the AAA, the government entity polluting salty and
fresh water with raw sewage for the last four decades. FREE ECHOLI BEACHES FOR ALL, should be the motto/slogan.


LAME DUCKS BLOG GUILD


IT IS ALL RIGHT if you insist on wrapping yourself in the flag, but do not
expect any sympathy if what you write is just like that QUE PASA traveling
magazine for tourism.

If there are four newspapers, I do not see why SO many compatriots are into the analysis of what others with nothing better to do, write about with similar identical views, expressed in almost the same exact
creativity of the rest. Later they scratch each other backs and topping it with prizes of all kinds, a classical joke, Until then...



sábado, 26 de diciembre de 2009

CONGRATULATIONS! SWITZERLAND FRANCE ISRAEL in 2009

WHEN I WAS a young lad of twelve, I used to sympathize with those poor
souls caught in two waters, the Palestinians. Yaser Arafat was one among my characters of admiration, along with Castro and that marketing icon Che Guevara. I knew about Bader Meinhoff or whatever, those in Japan really oddballs, with some political agenda.

As I get closer to my six decade, I
want to end 2009 with some imaginary fireworks, please bear up with
me. I you are one of those puercoricans wrapped in the flag what I will write now may/may not offend you...But ask me if I care.....haja bilingual laugh..

Even though there are no fans of yours truly in these countries, I reiterate my congratulations for their rejection of MINARETS!
Screw them and you if you are one of those academicians like minded
fellows thinking in universal principles of utopia, I do not. The minarets and those medieval followers of that religion causing all the significant wars on earth now/the recent past/and the future.

DURING 9/11 I was a state certified simultaneous interpreter/sight translator for the state of New York, the whole trip took place before
I had climbed up the stairs in the Canal St. station to go to work at
111 Centre St, in Manhattan. I left the city a year later, returning to
this piece of shit island, where somehow imagination died and everyone
is into some scam to rob the USA, or writing comments defending the culprits.

There is no place for Islam zealots in our Western Cultures. Think of the amount of those arrested in terrorists acts in England and Spain. The amount of innocent killed in India, Pakistan, Indonesia and Philippines.
This irrational fanatics should stay home or sent home when uncomfortable with western views/civil customs.

That is why I think is time to congratulate those who have placed a stop to this hordes. No minarets in Switzerland! Why emigrant riff raff, legally or
illegally, (I was once an emigrant) should impose upon countries offering 'a better life for their children', accepting/tolerating/protecting them, their medieval, irrational theological views? Screw them and you too if you think differently or think yourself more intelligent/educated
because you believe, still that USA is the devil. Or if even worse, you think I am racist or xenophobic!

SAME FOR FRANCE! NO RAGS on girls' heads in schools! I do not give a damn about religious freedom. That is a bunch of crap, keep your religion
private, in your mother country. Particularly in ANY country giving you asylum. What I observe from too many migrants everywhere is begging
with a shotgun. Screw you and your religion, ANY religion. If you are to
be the devils advocate start a discussion, women in ANY religion.

Long live ISRAEL. When it was created through those really amazing events in 1948, the Palestinians suffered. They lost territory,
and their belongings, what they had, becoming refugees in their own land. But think of it. Historically, the Hebrews had their butts kicked also, unfairly. Think of SPAIN, to name just one of the countries who stole all they had moons ago.

NOW TO PUT AN END to this peculiar post... I declare: ISRAEL is the only antidote to this Islamic bubonic plague of kill and maim.
When pondering without much theoretical frames, the Palestinians and
the Arabs are not really interested in solving the matter. USA is part of
the puzzle, but not the only one.

FINAL WORDS. When the HEBBES IN ISRAEL defended themselves against the blind, blindfolded civilian rocket attacks from HAMAS or
Al Fatah, all the puercorican fools and
the LAME DUCKS BLOG GUILD in Puerto Rico, backed up them Palestinians who can not shoot strait! I DID NOT. Right now, the only spearhead of western values evil/not so against the barbaric Islamic
tide is Israel.

But I do not like all Jews. To be honest, I have an intense dislike of some
hebbes from Brooklyn, NY. Particularly, the ones dressed as penguins.
Saul Below, Isaac Bashevis Singer, Seinfeld, Larry David, pastrami on
rye, corned beef and root beer, are are fine with me. I met quite a few
New York Hebrews finding them agreeable and tolerant. However, I can
not stand Woody Allen, that mentally disturbed freak... But he wrote
something clever moons ago.. Somewhat original: "Masturbation is the best sex, because is sex with the one I love". Nice end, ah? Certainly
odd when considering the first paragraph, but I brought the story home. Time to go...

martes, 22 de diciembre de 2009

HORTICULTURAL FUN AND TRICKS OF THE TRADE

I HAVE EXCHANGED words, sentences with this authority on vines from a hells hole out of Africa, Reunion Island, off the coast of Mauritius (got ATLAS?) through a great site, Dave's garden.com for some time now. Everything went fine until he, a fan of Heliconias, Gingers and such, wrote a nice article about the beauty and pleasure of cultivating these species.

I the humble contrarian placed a one sentence rebuttal with a picture of my old, dear and disappeared garden in Bayamon. In it, the fundamental essence of my gardening practices were established succinctly. One should not plant ANY of those mentioned, unless you have a humongous garden, because the invasive root system will leave you without any garden at all, think KUDZU.

JJacques response? "I do not mind cutting off some roots or leaves when necessary. Isn't that
part of gardening?"


I am sorry fellow gardeners if you agree with this far away professional. When there are age,
physical and health conditions the picture is different. Think of joints, knees, back, neck arms,
and the use of tools to perform the cutting, the kneeling position. Heat, sweat and on and on.
GARDENING IS FOR FUN! At least that is the way I practice it. ANY plant that becomes a pain
in the ass with disease, too bushy is gone, soon or later.

My judgment is not arbitrary. I need a good cushion or seat to perform simple shores such as
weeding, gloves and hat. That is my reality, what my body allows me to do. However, even if I was younger my stance will be the same because anything that is a pain, takes away the excitement, the good feeling of gardening with flora and fauna in mind. That is why hedges,
lawns and palms are out the question.

When planting Bouganvilleas for beauty and security bought or propagated by yourself, let them grow for two/three months in the pot . Watch the growth pattern, the branch scaffolding. Thinking always of the space where it will be planted. Lets say a corner.

In my case, I allowed one of the branches to grow almost to twenty feet. It was tied to the metal fence with fabric, not a string. The side branches on top are allowed to grow
as they please over a wire trellis, going from the fence to the security decorative iron
works on the windows. Since the branches tend to drop, I am not a SLAVE of the pruning for this simple reason.

Another advantage is that I have no excessive organic waste as a result, or being pricked with the multiple, hard thorns that this bush is known for, or having to be on
top of it to keep it the way I WANT, 12 times or more a year. Plants should be allowed to do what they wish, if you can not understand that, do not be a fool, get rid of it or change it to a suitable place. Remember how this started? Watch the way it grows in the pot, that will give you a little clue of the tendencies later.

If you drink coffee daily at least once, you could get a pound or more of coffee grounds
for compost, plus the garlic, onion, pepper, skins every ten days. That amounts to thirty six pounds a year. Add all the dry leaves you sweep daily from your garden and you could reach fifty pounds of your own compost, without much difficulty. Great
savings for your pocket and a healthier, better looking garden.

Compost tea anyone? In some sort of burlap sack put some green/dry organic mater
in a five gallon recipient for twenty four hours. The color and smell will tell you the diluting proportions.. I get usually twenty five, or thirty in total to be sprayed on the
foliage...IF you go to the web and see the scams requiring you to buy this and that to
make compost tea you will never even consider it. However, it is really useful and simple my way. Since I have not burned any of my collection, remember 120 species?
I can recommend this method. Diluting is the secret. Making that almost brown water lighter...

The time to go anecdote...I was the groundskeeper of the Luis Munhoz Marin Foundation and Parque Donha Ines, that is how I know so much of these thieves,
white collar/ecological criminals...There was ginger/heliconias everywhere.. Mentally
retarded people plant without thinking ahead...Well, one day as I was cutting off the
dry leaves from some muder sucking ginger, I got distracted and even with my glasses
the tip of one ginger leaf hit my eye or the other way around. I was fortunate and was left just with the intense pain/irritation, but I could have lost one...Fuck gingers/heliconias..time to go....

domingo, 20 de diciembre de 2009

THE GARDEN MYSELF THE FAMILY

BESIDES the identity of the collection members with their botanical names it is also
useful to know the family. When you do it, with the appropriate reference, you may discover that behind intuition, there are patterns of taste, selection that
may pass unnoticed while you collect, buy or exchange plants.

With that intention only I will share some of mine. On the other hand, one who takes
gardening seriously should have some notions on the subject for the hell of it. You
never know when you will encounter some environmentalist fool or a PhD fool such as
A. Areces Mallea, the intellectual culprit of Parque Donha Ines, thinking they got the truth grabbed by the tail when in reality
they are pet symbols jack asses regarding academic/academician ignorance/destruction of nature with 'noble' or worse, intentions to save species in what else? Danger of extinction.


ACANTHACEAE
Asystacia gangetica
Barleria repens
Thumbergia alata/erecta

APOCYNACEAE
Allamanda cathartica
Plumeria rubra/alba
Thevetia peruviana

ASTERACEAE
Cosmos sulphureous
Wedelica trilobata

CONVULVULACEAE
Merremia quinquefolia
Ipomoea alba/quamoclit

EUFPHORBIACEAE
Jathopha Gossyfolia
Manihot esculenta

FABACEAE
Calliandra haemathocephala
Clitoria ternatea
Bauhinia monandra/tomentosa
Pithelobium dulce
Tamarindus indica

SOLANACEAE
Brunfelsia pauciflora
Cestrum diurnum
Datura stramonium

AMARILLIDACEAE
Crinum
Eucharis amazonica
Proiphys amboinensis
Scadoxus
Tulbagia violacea
Zeprhyrantes nelsoni/citrina

AGAVACEAE
Aloe vera
Dracaena marginata
Sanseveria trifasciata/tuberosa

LILIACEAE
Asparagus sprengeri/densiflorus
Gloriosa rothschildiana
Hemerocallis

IF YOU live in Puerco Rico, you may confirm some of the arguments presented here. The PhD's masterpiece, in highway 877 to Trujillo Alto. Go. Visit. Enquire. Request
the inventory or soil analysis, trees measurements when planted, and now for example. OR or try to get any information from their primitive/ordinary web site without any inventory or meaningful photos/back ground information of what has been done.

One thing is remarkable, the STUPIDITY demonstrated in their actions with the planting, design and else, goes beyond what one, could imagine. They have planted a hemorrhage of PALMS at tree feet from each other in bunches. You
can witness it from the side walk. Check them out: Parque Donha Ines/Fundacion Luis Munhoz Marin: http://www. flmm.org, 787-755-4506, ask for Zuleika/Julio. Where stupidity propagates as by spores funded by private and public moneys.

Finally, after this healthy 40 months old unrebutted rant, I declare the cool season between October/February the most attractive down my garden. Everyone is blooming, and on the edible gardening, the Carica papaya has three candidates four inches long...

Time to go...With a few words of appreciation to those readers that consistently dropped by this more humble than ever blog. jaha bilingual laugh...I would add the
humblest blog in the world, but that would be stretching it just a little.
Align Center
Lets 'save' the environment planting correctly, taken care systematically of trees in the
urban contexts everywhere. I believe these spaces are the ones in precarious need to
be developed. For aesthetics and logical reasons, to balance a little bit the destruction 24/7, of biofoolish cultists and Housing Developers of the World. Time to go....

FILM BONUS REVIEW

AVATAR

For those readers that
are truly environmentalists or
the make believe kind, the majority.

The incredible story, flying mountains
is believable all the time, something unusual.

If you remember Vietnam, how those strong
willed people defeated France/USA without an air force,
some memories may return. I have them every time I listen
to that peculiar helicopter flapping sound.

AVATAR
will become a cult film.

Go an check it out...
or visit
Wikipedia
for more info.




viernes, 18 de diciembre de 2009

OF WARS WITHOUT PURPOSE

HOW CAN anyone forget those Drug Wars in Colombia, Pablo Escobar for example, during the 90's. Now it is Mexico's turn. However, in the first case, the atrocities were of much originality and lots of bad press around the world. In the second, Ciudad Juarez, I see no imagination, creativity. It is just shooting at everything in sight, with more dead in a year, than USA casualties in those pointless wars in Afghanistan, Irak, and those that certainly will develop. Arms factories can not remain idle.

The cause of these wars is the need to plant, pack, distribute and sell MARIJUANA
by the segment of the market producers in the third world and the absurd rejection of the governments of those countries with most consumers: USA/Europe. Some times the wars are among producers themselves to have a greater percentage of the market. All the time is foreign governments trying to stop the staple to reach their shores. To put things in perspective, some excerpts from an article in a book that was recommended in the past.

Marijuana

CANNABIS SATIVA
BY
Amy Stewart

Wicked Plants
Algonquin Books

Cannabis has been used by humans for at least five thousand years and regulated or
banned for the last seventy. Hemp fibers (from varieties of cannabis that contain very
little THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, and are therefore useless as a drug) have been found in cave dwelling excavations throughout Asia. The Roman physician Dioscorides mentioned the plant's medicinal properties in his medical guide De
Materia medica in AD 70. Its use spread to India throughout Europe, and eventually
to the New World, where early settlers grew it as an economically useful fiber crop. Early drafts of the Declaration of Independence were written on hemp paper. It was used in early patent medications and even sold in Manhattan as a candy from about
1864 to 1900. "Arabian Gunje of Enchantment", the candy was called. "A most pleasurable and harmless stimulant".

Some historians suggest that the drive to outlaw cannabis in the early twentieth century came out of the culture wars. Recreational marijuana use was popular among
jazz musicians, artists, writers, and other ne'er-do-wells. Its use was regulated, but not banned, by the 1937 Marihuana Tax Act. The beginning of the Beat movement may have been the impetus for finally getting this evil weed out of the hands of America's young people. It was outlawed in 1951 as part of the Boggs Act.

Today marijuana use is banned or strictly regulated in most countries throughout the world. In spite of that, surveys by the U.S. Department of Health show that 97 million people age twelve and over or roughly a third of Americans, have used marijuana in their lifetime. Thirty-five million, more than 10 percent of the population, have used
it in the last year. The United Nations estimates that nearly 4 percent of the world's
population, 160 million people consume the drug every year.

When I think of it, having tasted it on and off for a decade in college and later, I believe it is a waste of time, money and effort all the raids, and campaigns against it. The customer is always right. A different approach would have been more constructive. All the people dead, in jail, during the last fifty years are a token of a mistaken position based on twisted
old fashion double standard morality. One that allows in most countries either alcohol, smoking or both, just because they provide taxes.

The criminalization of marijuana brought the availability of cocaine and heroine, plus all the designer drugs for a younger generation most recently. When the government decide to make it legal, getting LOTS of income with taxes, eliminating the silly, bloody wars among the merchandising cartels, there will be more room in jails for other criminals.

Finally California, Oregon and other states are the most important producers of this herbal treat in the USA. MANY cultivate by hydroponics, with really sophisticated light and, ventilation equipment.
There are many varieties, for any taste and budget, just like wine, single
malt or cigars. I am no longer into it for the smell, I have other preferences, but as they say about alcohol in every ad nowadays:
Smoke responsibly...Time to go...




miércoles, 16 de diciembre de 2009

THE ISLANDER ENVIRONMENTAL INTELLIGENTSIA WITH ONE EGG IN THE BASKET

FORGIVE me for detouring..Now BLOGGER does not allow changes of font or using bold letters, as cute as they look..At any rate.. THE BEST OF 2009 will have to wait since I decided this news in brief, are worthy of mentioning since it is one of those first times in life.

Some months ago I took the initiative to make an inventory of the trees in Ponce de Leon Avenue, from the University of Puerto Rico to Cerra Street,in Miramar, in the the San Juan Metro Area. I counted, identified by botanical names and informed about the one hundred missing trees in empty spaces and the hundred of mutilated ones to the reader.

NOW there were news in the papers about an inventory in PUERTO RICO. A great surprise even though like mine, it will become water and salt. These fifty islander scientists encountered some sort of elk coral in the reefs, in 'danger of extinction', plus one turtle of whatever probably in the same classification. I am more interested in vegetation, however, there is no mention of anything counted on land. This problem, has been discussed here at least ten times. If they can not cover the 3,000 acres in question, why not a hundred? With a model they could give us an idea of what is there on the ground, trees or flying!

The big deal where is it? Right here. I has been mentioned in this blog, the decades custom of letting raw sewage spill into rivers, streams, marshes, sea,ocean and estuaries by the AAA, the government agency responsible for the treatment of used waters.

Another problem for coral reefs is the sediment from the mad HOUSING DEVELOPERS and HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES, public/private, plus the created run off with huge areas covered with concrete/asphalt all over Puerto Rico, USA.

I have been bombarded with emails from GAIA, some environmentalist group recently organized, seemingly another branch from the local contemplative SIERRA CLUB, to do this or that: march, sign petitions, volunteer to care for children and such. I wonder the point
of educating children if the DESTRUCTION of the environment is done for profits, by adults
mostly.

However, when I responded that I may collaborate if they sent me TWO volunteers to perform some GUERRILLA GARDENING correct pruning of some trees close by...They remained deaf,
mute,blind and autistic. There is reluctance from this segment of the population to do
real, pragmatic things for the environment. All is words, words, with the news media
close by.

Even though I have denounced the destruction of 12 acres in Trujillo Alto, Parque Donha Ines/Fundacion Luis Munhoz Marin for the last 40 months, no ONE has said/written a word. In my opinion already expressed now, this futile attempt of saving the NORTHEAST
CORRIDOR is a waste of time for one simple reason. Even if the land/water is SAVED from construction of resorts and such, the surrounding area is already DESTROYED.

Not only that. What is the point of telling the WORLD that some coral reef in danger of
extinction is there, if the AAA has been polluting the WHOLE island with raw sewage for
the last forty years! HOW do you expect anything to survive, to save anything, without addressing this absurd situation as if one thing has no relation with the other?

That is why I can not join any of the foolish groups for the environment here. There is no
understanding of how nature, biodiversity works.., at least I do not see it. No FOCUS,unselfish vision of the collective. When I enquired as I did with mother goose of the lesperians regarding the petition to be offered to the executioner of 007 RN
regarding some late trees: "Something has to be done" were the enlightening words from
the matriarch.

I tell you blind islanders or perhaps blindfolded, get your act together. A band aid here
or there, will not help the cause. The artificial effervescence of marches, silly planting
of trees, never fruit ones, in the wrong contexts without any plan for systematic maintenance is as foolish as doing nothing, since you create more problems than what you
think solved. Now is time to go...

It will be nice if those
nice fellows of the Subba Dogs
persuasion could meditate on this:
The point of clean sand
with echoli in the salty
waters..Palabras con Luz...

martes, 15 de diciembre de 2009

BEST OF 2009 IN ENDEMISMO

The year is about to end with the natural high and lows.. I thank all of
you who dropped by frequently or just once in a while. Be good for
goodness sake.

MUSICAL BLOGS 01/04/09

In January, there was a rare article on stereo equipment, for those readers
my age (57). Younger folks may have no idea of what I wrote about, but it will
be good reference to study the way people listened to music in the past. It
was more than plugging an ear phone or just finding the signal in the dial. Smell,
reading, cleaning, and great skill to place the needle without screwing up the lp.
A bonus about the importance of feeding insects is also there.


HORTICULTURE AND INSECTS 01/04/09- 01/11/09

Besides planting, collecting propagating, watching insects at work, useful or not
is a great pastime. I enjoy caterpillars particularly, and do not kill them at
all. Quite the contrary, I adopted a couple recently to avoid sweeping the leaves
from the Frangipanis, with little success. For the first time in 3 decades there
was a snail attack in the garden, mostly after heavy rains. Big ones about a quarter
coin in size..Those I found were flown next door in Concorde fashion, I can not step
on them unless by accident. Somehow, these articles about insects attracted many comments.
Insects are really an addition to a well thought garden. If there are no insects
in your garden, you have got a sterile prairie. When pests make
their entrance, they are received with dish soup/hot sauce spray with the prescribed
frecuency. However lets mention that once or twice, lady bugs appeared to help without
having to call 911. As you may know they eat their enemies, your enemies quickly.


ALL THINGS CONSIDERED OR KILLING FLIES WITH A SLEDGE HAMMER 01/31/09

I am still in January, this may be as long as the Human Rights Declaration..Something
somewhat hilarious since no one pays any mind to it, just as the environment. At any rate,I will call him Pain in the Ass Tony, a neighbor across the street, not of my liking. This jerk with sun burned Syngonium planted at the entrance of his residence, in containers, came to complain about another repugnant neighbor, a pimp looking one, likewise and his many cats. Tony, the stupid fool went to the hardware store. Spent a lot in gravel and concrete pavers..to stop the felines. I did not think of it at the time but he could have placed a net of the chicken wire kind. Nowadays you could find them in plastic, nice and elegant. Stopping the cute ones from entering and pooping on his premises for less that fitty.

I will go now...There are eleven months to choose from. This project is going to be hard.
Picking up the best posts is hard, not because they are my children, but for a simple
reason. MY anger at stupidity, is getting dull, as when under anestesia. What is/are the best? Those with verifiable references, mine or yours? Regarding gardening/horticulture in Puerco Rico, the tropics and four seasons contexts? Or because you in the five continents, distant and far away may have observed the same stupidity in your country?
Or could the best posts could be, in my opinion those with snarky comments as one acute reader put it...If you have one let me know..We shall continue....

DAVID RAMIREZ AFFAIR 02/28/09

THE character in question is landscape management-installer scam artist with whom I worked
for perhaps 3 months. His address in Puerco Rico is 77 Adonis Street, in Alto Apolo,Guaynabo City, a somewhat wealthy neighborhood. This post shares briefly his maintenance skills, his cocaine habit, ripping off his customers, planting contaminated with white flies Ixoras for
example... Besides going to bed with too many of his ugly divorced single mother customers, while I was under the tropical heat weeding! A real trip that shows exactly the parameters of landscaping practices in Puerco Rico, witnessed by yours truly..As we say for a token one button suffices.

REFRIED HIPPIES o3/02/09

This March post, is clear in terms of what is happening in many sectors of the edible gardening fads in Puerco Rico..Imagine that, paying fifty bucks, to be taught how to plant
tomatoes,lettuce and such and having to work on top as a VOLUNTEER, believe it or not.
I am under the impression when I visit their blogs, that part of that gardening is also
spiced with GANJA, nothing wrong with that...but why not be honest about it? Smoke, snort,
acid is cool in these quarters, but lets not be a hypocrite about any of it...
Time to go..NINE MONTHS TO GO.

viernes, 11 de diciembre de 2009

GARDENING BY THE YARD

IT HAS BEEN raining on and off at night, for the last fifteen days. It is nice for not having to irrigate. However, the lemon tree in the south continues with leaf miners or whatever comes along, requiring constant monitoring, a pain in the neck. Spraying, watching, spraying.

The Carica papaya is already on its way to the first crop. Notice to the uninitiated you
need a male and female tree if you want to get some fruit. The flowers are handsome, white and hard, not the typical flower in that sense.. This tree is one of 3 originally
planted from seed in the south side, about ten months ago. It measures about thirteen
feet. One passed away with some disease.

The grafted lemon in the south side, is about to offer the second crop, something unexpected, since as some readers may know, I am was not into the edible bag until recently. If I had to become a farmer, orchards will be my thing.

I remember the first time I saw peaches/apples in in New England. What a trip, to
see those fruits hanging from branches. After all, I was almost thirty years old. Before that, all those fruits from temperate climates were seen, appreciated in the supermarket. For that reason many children in USA, who have only seen chickens in the refrigerators, believe they are borne and grown like that, until they see one with feathers.

Going back to our patio. A new Ipomoea was discovered yesterday while resting after
the daily clean up. It has yellow flowers and is the only one you may encounter here(Puerco Rico) in the wild. For that reason it takes a special ranking among the rest. Everyone else is pink, purple or white with different shades/intensity.

The process of eliminating Bejuco de Puerco and Wedelia trilobata continues. They
will be exiled/eliminated for their irritating habit of leaving their assigned premises
getting off the garden limits. It is not easy, a real headache. For this reason if you are
one of those with a garden in an acre or close, be more careful than I. In such a space
I do not see how you could eliminate this kind of vine/ground cover.

Two new inductees will appear in the OVER ONE HUNDRED CLUB: Euphorbia
cetinifolia, tirucalli. The Ipomoea will enter once the botanical is found. Even though
it may seem that I abandon the garden to get into the writing, mentioning things that
are/are not related to horticulture, I check it twice a day. Plant/transplant/weed,
irrigate, prune/trim when I have too. Contrary to other blogs, I do not feel why the
whole has to deal with this kind of activity. If one practices horticulture seriously many things are implicitly there, there is no other way.

I prefer, however to practice my critical skills constantly from memory moons ago or
recent events that I witness on my strolls, and that is how we are leaving today.

VERY STUPID
GARDENING ACTIVITIES

Some may remember the olmec Mexican indian
Gabriela Ocampo, the wife of that other character
Areces Mallea, Phd.

Check this out.

Even though she is still claiming to be an 'agronomist'
not even having a $19.99 elementary school soil acidity analysis
kit in her office, when anxiety ridden, she will visit their
nursery to do some pruning.

Her victims were tens if not hundred of Bursera busaris.
You should know that no tree should be pruned before reaching
the first of age.

When you do, you destroy the scaffold/architecture.

In consequence you get a top heavy tree that will bend
permanently towards the ground. That is cool if you
have a Weeping willow, or Callistemon, their natural
form.

This idiot mutilated more trees that I could count daily.
Then she will religiously place tutors to each. Unfortunately,
the mentally challenged aboriginal will leave the strings so tight that the tree will
not swing. The reason why a tutor should
leave some room for the tree to move with the wind is to develop
roots for resistance.

Finally, Wilfredo a neighbor two blocks up the street. Somehow,
he has become Farrukito's pal , a character mentioned here in the beginning,
some time ago..

This guy will start mutilating with a DULL machete everything in front
of their ugly, cat poop smelling residence.
Those branches refusing the dull machete are snapped by hand and
dropped in the sidewalk. He kept on going for about
ninety minutes.

Even though there are FOUR big trash cans in front
of his EYES, behind the low fence separating the property from the sidewalk.
When I mentioned it, he put that face of
God, how stupid can one be?
Time to go.





jueves, 10 de diciembre de 2009

ARE YOU INTO THE BIOFOOLS DREAM? OR THE HYBRID CARS?

I REMEMBER reading a whole page article in one of our news shoppers moons ago when the
BIO FUELS BANDWAGON took off with corn with lightning speed. It was written by some recent
engineering graduate. When I wrote to this paper personality with my not soft at all comments,
she inquired as to if I was angry. I declared that if the government of Puerco Rico, can not
construct/maintain a leveled gutter, sidewalk, highway or road, why would any fool write an
article about the possibilities of building any kind of sophisticated refinery to manufacture
whatever.

Now you, well read/not at all, thinker or not, researching on your own or not, believing in god or not,
may have noticed the great issues of the environment for some time now: Global Warming and C02. A film crew shoots some bears, sea lions in their habitats, maybe a couple hundred of Inuits and preach about
how global warming is melting their environment. Or those communities of islanders living in below sea level territory, moving to higher grounds, or planning to do so....

Since the reality is there, I see it, I can not say the melting and increased sea level is imaginary, a farce. Same
goes with my blog, with the pictures of landscape installation/maintenance in Puerco Rico. You may not agree with my dislocated English, spelling mistakes, paragraph construction, you name it, but the pictures do not lie. I reiterate this is not perception of notions being portrayed here
is REAL, therefore any other focus on these issues suck. Now is time to wonder when exactly did the propaganda for biofools, (will see about my spelling soon), global warming and C02 started?

Was it when the price of oil was at its highest? Was it before the European, USA and other economies based on greed, real estate/banking scams came tumbling down like those well
known California avalanches during the rainy season? Was it when India and China economies were at the top their financial peak? Is it a way of slowing down this two countries, considering
the intention of paying for polluting?

Think about it...Now the simple one BIO FOOLS are really amusing since to manufacture a gallon
of ethanol requires 3 gallons of water. I do not see how that is going to be worked out. What about the byproducts? Do they pollute, create waste, will be recycled?

Jathropha seeds, oil palms, coconut oils, algae, sugar cane, is amazing how the imagination works to create fuel, or biofools. But not food. I have seen in Indonesia areas left bare the size
of Puerto Rico 100 miles X 35, to plant palms to create oil with this intention. There goes the ecology, biodiversity, orangutans, nature, water, and everything really.

But I find very irritating this worldwide stupidity, thank god not a monopoly of Puercoricans.
To create any biofool, apparently electricity is required, huge amounts of it. Will it come from
aeolic energy, photovoltaic? OR just electricity from OIL? And the water? What is the real
cost to NATURE, how do you know that if used in cars or buses it will be of any help?

I think it is a bunch of crap like religions, or the use of them to blow people in pieces with a promise of heaven.. Hybrid cars are pretty much in the same wave. Fifty four miles a gallon
claim our friendly people from Toyota. Why do people need to DRIVE at all, what were trains
created for? Buses? Where will the electricity to charge those vehicles in the comfort of your
house will come from? Oil, bio fuels, aeolic/ocean, photovoltaic energy? I think everyjuan
is being fooled as in BIOFOOLS, for nothing since there is going to be pollution one way
or the other. Now with the CO2 who is going to be the enforcer of ANY treaty? The United Nations? Words, words, and promises.. Time to go....

martes, 8 de diciembre de 2009

CULTURES OF CAPSICUM

DURING MY STAY in New York, last address: 736 W 186 St.
in Manhattan, off Broadway, I was able to improve my notions
of gastronomy. If you like to taste anything to drink or ingest
from ANY place on earth, this city is the place to visit. Wine,
beer, hard liquor, including Jamaican ginger beer. That is the only
city one may find anything from almost anywhere, to satisfy the crude or sophisticated palate.

In the mentioned borough foods of Cuba, Puerto Rico, China and
that of SPAIN, perhaps the best, is found. I remind the reader that
the Iberian Peninsula was our original mother country, there fore
some inclination as to their superior gastronomy and
the reputation of EL BULLI, may show. You do not have to travel any further.

All the above have one thing in common, RICE, as the essence
of the offer. In all, CAPSICUM, or hot sauce, pique is part of the
equation, except the last. Even if you like noodles/pasta as in the most populated country on earth, the hot, is an option. I do not know of any
cuisine with this variety in that regard.

The Mexican offer for this type of food is better, wider in Brooklyn, particularly in Park Slope. One can enjoy all that is eaten in the country with authenticity, including Mole Rojo/Verde. These are based in corn or maize. The travels of this grain started shortly after the encounter of two cultures or Discovery, take your pick, I do not care. Maize, tomatoes, peppers, and beans are the foundation of these foods that have conquered America the country, far beyond the impact of the twelve million immigrants legals or else in USA. Their beers: Modelo, Dos Equis or XX, are wonderful.

If you are in the Indian, Pakistani mood, really hot and original style,
you have to take the 7 train, also known as the Orient Express
for the fragrance of CURRY that many passengers carry within,
and the huge amount of Koreans, Chinese and else traveling
back and forth. 37th Avenue is your stop. You will be pleasantly
surprised to the incredible wide offer of restaurants and
vegetable shops in that neighborhood.

However, if your mood is into somewhat bland/dull Peruvian, and other
South American cooking styles, (except that of Colombia), get
off in 82nd St. in Queens, in my opinion the ugliest borough.
Besides their recipes, bringing memories of
Puerco Rico, their coffee, pastries, music, wise use of the Spanish,
language, is a pleasant, warm experience. Viva Cali, Chipi Chape y Yumbo.

But if you are REALLY into comparative gastronomy you will have
to travel to LOUISIANA. Their most known dishes GUMBO, JAMBALAYA,
have their connection to SPAIN. Paella, for example, is a similar dish to the second in texture, ingredients, recipes but not in the HOT levels thanks to the JALAPENHO peppers, that will certainly make you cry and else, as I did, as soon as these wonderful ingredients hit your palate.

And that is that. I could get into the HOT peppers, cooking competitions
in the USA, as dry rubs, wet, marinated or not, with tomato sauce or not,
vinegar, pepper, curry, cummin for barbecuing meats.. But you dear reader got my drift. Gastronomy/coooking is closely related to horticulture since the ingredients come from a garden or farm. It does not matter if the other fundamental parts of the dish are from fresh water, salty or ground as in meat, two/four legged, hair or feathers.

Another thing very important in both Gastronomy and Horticulture is
patience. One can not rush either one...Time to go...Keep planting
and cooking both are fun...but horticultural results last longer, are
more pleasant than that over estimated activity, sex.....in my intercontinental humble opinion. Time to go...


lunes, 7 de diciembre de 2009

GOLF IN VIETNAM IN CALIFORNIA, THE GREEN INDUSTRY CRIES WOLF

I HAVE left no doubts about my intense dislike for any activity that helps the destruction of flora and fauna, slight/heavy. GOLF is perhaps one
of the top activities destroying the environment without any kind of criticism or
awareness from our ENVIRONMENTAL INQUISITION, in Puerco Rico, however,
they are worried about some CORRIDOR that most people do not even know
where the hell it is or too far to visit. World Wide there are others, those who decide
which animal, plant, insect is in danger of extinction...Apparently golf is cool for them. BAN GOLF.

After this intro...According to SETH MYDANS, from the NY TIMES, 20 October 2009,
in the Dai Lai Golf Course in the Vinh Phuc province thousands of people were removed from their farms for its construction. An 18 hole course, consuming 177, 000 cubic feet of water a day. Or enough H20 for 20,000 households. There are 13 established golf courses. You please do the adding...

Think for a moment of your particular country, and follow the steps... It is an outrage
to destroy the environment from scratch, flora, fauna, polluting with herbicide,
fungicide, fertilizer, insecticide, creating pollution with noise, spills of oil/gas, fumes,
and this unjustified water waste with irrigation for the keep up of GRASS. Now stretch your imagination.

How many golf courses are there in Arizona, Nevada, Egypt, Arab Emirates, to name a few? Do you get my drift with this water waste? To watch the cute, little white ball rolling down the smooth, luscious green, even prairie to sink it in a little hole? Golf should be portrayed in the same light as cigarettes since the damage affect others, doing the same for the environment, causing pleasure among the golf players, with nothing in return for nature....except destruction...

BONUS FOR THE FAITHFUL
IN THE MIDDLE

Let me remind you, my concern about the environment covers the whole scheme in Puerco Rico and other places. I have no limits or narrow notions, since nature is a WIDE whole and
I try to leave nothing uncovered, since it is evident.

I keep in touch with that important segment of people working, setting the trends that screw up our surroundings with their stance and landscape maintenance/installations. I do not see why it would be different in your country.

If mistaken, please holler. This excerpt is from 'Landscape Management', the best magazine about the subject. It is very briefly the latest
worry from the "Green Industry", which proves my stance. EVERYONE is into their niche, keeping their income in their pocket, screw the environment.


"The CA Department of Water Resources released and updated (MWELO) or Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance. It
states all cities in California will have rules to limit the amount of
water used for landscape irrigation by January 2010.

Landscapers and irrigation experts have expressed their concerns about
the provisions.
  • Water budgets for landscape prevention of excessive erosion and irrigation run off
  • Landscape and irrigation design requirements
  • Use of recycled water where available
Irrigation audits and scheduled irrigation based on local climate

Their real concern?

" In a real sense this is government dictating what types of landscapes property owners in California will have and how landscape professionals will be providing
services to their customers".
Ron Hall
Rhall @questex.com
Landscape Magazine

EDITORIAL

The Green Industry has created for itself multiple problems from their greed and lack of vision. When there is a lengthy drought they think: irrigation systems, for example. When they design a garden, it should have a pond, a fountain, a fire place for entertaining,
computer irrigation systems, palm trees, hedges and TURF. Some or all the above.
Always looking for the extra buck from the customer.

If the government tells, impose the wealthy or common citizen how
to create a garden for the benefit of the WHOLE community, FLORA AND FAUNA
what is wrong with that? I feel these people protecting their interests and profits
have similar views regarding the right to bear arms. Everyone should have the right to have one to protect their property.. It tell them SCREW YOU.

The environment is OURS, our responsibility. If the state eliminates
all the excesses, corny and tacky installations, wasteful of water and requiring
a lot of polluting maintenance, screw them...From now on waste will be controlled. Now is time to go....

LATE EDITION

OTHER VERY STUPID ACTIVITIES
In cold Europe, the use of water to create snow
to allow the fools to go skying and snow boarding.

Yachting, have you noticed the bluish diesel floating around
any marinas?

Any type of motorcycle and car racing. Have you seen those big
as football stadiums cruisers in the ocean? Where do you think
they throw their multiple kinds of garbage..




sábado, 5 de diciembre de 2009

WHY IN PUERTO RICO EVERY INSTALLATION STINKS

IF YOU GET the feeling while reading that somehow you have read this before, you
may be right, however this time I will be more specific.. The ugliness surrounding me
is a permanent stone in my shoe. No where to look except my space. One tries
to see a little beauty here or there, stretching unsuccessfully the imagination and the good will to the limit.

The concept of composition has been mentioned. You know, placing the vegetation as the painter places the objects in a picture. Symmetry, perspective,
depth, contrasts of texture, color, size, and so on...The village idiots into this field
of work (landscape management/installation) evidently do not know, comprehend the concept at all or they do and do not have the plants to create the effect.. I stopped thinking about it, its no point.

editors note

To leave no doubts for the
reader of what the garden
should be, its fundamentals, according to your
humble servant and people
who know more,
here we go.

Tropical Ornamentals
A Guide
by
W. Arthur Whistler

This is the only book you need for reference when working/identifying tropicals. I would add vegetation that you could find in reputable nurseries, (there is none in
the San Juan Metro Area) or in the country side, or by seed catalogs. If you can not
propagate your options will always be limited.

"Hedge plants are shrubs, or small trees or vines trimmed to be shrubs, that serve as
a physical barrier or fence. Hedge plants can have colorful leaves, or may be covered with colorful flowers. Other may have neither colorful leaves nor flowers but have dense, attractive green foliage that produces a desirable form. The presence of thorns is also sometimes a desirable quality of hedge plants, particularly if the hedge
is meant to inhibit passage.

Screen plants are similar to hedge plants but are more of a visual barrier than a physical barrier, for example blocking the view of an unsightly building or lights
for traffic.

Foundation plants are similar to hedges and screens but are planted at the bases of
buildings to blend them into their surroundings.

Border plants are similar in function but are usually lower in stature and are planted
along the edge of another kind of plant such as a hedge, covering the often relatively
barren shrub bases. Border around areas of ground cover or flower beds provide
a contrasting boundary.

Ground cover plants are herbs or low shrubs usually less than 50cm high (20 in)
used to cover an area, either for providing attractive, low dense vegetation or to inhibit weed growth. Ground covers may have beautiful foliage, or if colors is desired , then species with attractive flowers or colorful leaves are used.

Vines or plants that can be trained as vines can be used to cover fences, walls,
trellises and arches. The difference between a shrub and a vine is not always
clear. If a shrub tends to have weak, spreading branches is referred to as scandent.
Woody vines are called lianas and have the advantage over herbaceous vines, especially annual herbaceous vines, of growing higher and being longer lived."
Align Center

Now if you got these elements of the whole clear imagine if while applying them
you confuse one with the other. IN this isle of the absurd it happens all the time.
Even worse, the same bush, tree or plant is used WRONG a million times.
That is why in Puerto Rico the concrete/asphalt isle we got: Ficus planted as hedges.
Chefferas as ground covers, hedges, screens, with recently acquired Acaliphas for similar intention. A real pain in in your eyes! Like watching a Francis Bacon painting of distorted, dismembered parts constantly in your living room.


Bonus for our
readers in
Finland
and
Yellowknife
Canada
our highest longitudinal
readers.

Want to see it in pictures, here? Move all the way down until you find: TWO LONELY TREES, a picture right side of the blog and move down..Check them out installations in a hotel and the entrance of the Botanical Garden in RIO, really pathetic. ..Almost forgot the book in question is focused (as almost always) for readers in countries with four seasons, but useful for anyjuan! Time to go



jueves, 3 de diciembre de 2009

A SURREAL COURT ADVENTURE IN THE CONCRETE ASPHALT CAGUAS COUNTRY SIDE

PERHAPS you may remember the post from 14 November 2009 about that picturesque(concretesque/asphaltesque?), town with the original first name of country. I took, probably the cleanest public space around, the TRAIN, without public water closets, to RIO piedras to catch the Yellow Big Bus. I was fortunate. It was waiting for your humble servant.

It costs $1.50, same as the train. Primitive, comfortable with probably 1 million miles,
this one had no refrigerated air. Thirty seconds after I sat, I noticed this fat, chummy,
fellow missing some front top teeth loud conversation with another fool across the aisle. It
started probably as a COLLECTIVE MONOLOGUE, one of those cultural marks defining
this forsaken culture. It was about music, the typical seasonal Christmas kind. Ramito and Chuito el de Bayamon were mentioned. I am not saying/writing that is only music for this time of the year. It only gets air time on radio/TV after Thanksgiving
the beginning of the buying madness essence of the event.

At any rate, this loud scum bag, after losing his chat pal, made a phone call on similar
subjects and others, for 45 minutes. Almost the whole trip. Another passenger,victim of this national pandemic, exclaimed ALLELUIA, when the mother sucker finally shut up. I got off maybe half a mile from my destiny, I could not take it anymore. The Court Building built thirty years ago. When I attempted my entrance, I was not allowed, since I forgot, going with shorts.

I went to buy some ugly, disgusting blue jeans for ten bucks to enter the damn building four hundred meters away. A kind employee helped me. I left with them
on, he took all the stickers off. Hit the road back to the eight floor to proceed with
my mission. It was eleven am. Thirty minutes later I talk to Ingrid, who went to pick
up the documents. First, she found just one. Went back and found the other. I was
somewhat happy until, at the moment of paying with IRS (the colony one) stamps,
I had only one set instead of two! Her supervisor fault, since she was the one to call
me the day before, to pick them up, making the mistake.

Since it was now 11:45, I had to go out and buy the stamps from the Mexican free lance out doors entrepreneur with a beach umbrella and chair, selling these stamps ($3.o0 for $5.00), in front of the Police Precinct,(built around the same date of the court). for the second time, and wait until 1 pm, to go back to court and get the damn documents.

During the lunch hour I went to walk by those streets of my childhood and later, visited the barber Montanhez (since 1969) and went down Georgetti and Acosta St.
To my annoying surprise the CAGUAS COUNTRY is in a SANTURCE STATE OF MIND. Turdy/turdish raw sewage waters were coming out the pipes intersecting the mentioned streets.

Santurce and Rio, have neighborhoods with PERMANENT sewage leaks and fountains. Editors Note.

One of my regular oasis is right where this fountain of used H2O, with lots of urea, was
refreshing the pavement, splashing the pedestrians with every car passing as if going from Brisbane to Perth, my official distance example. Also the only environmental
issue mentioned so far. These waters will go straight to the rivers and so on... After one with a chaser went back to court. Got the documents and left. Thank God.

On the way back in the yellow bus, it was now 2:00, I noticed some foreigners that do
not look muck different from us, except for their dark, darker than ours borne sun tan.
Their speech melody is also different, accent is a term not exactly of my licking since yours truly thinks of ACCENT when listening to the gibberish Jamaicans, and US Virgin Island natives sound like with their MOTHER TONGUE. Moving forward
there were lots of trucks, heavy traffic on the way back. One fool is almost run down
in his silly, careless run to catch the bus.

Around two forty five, we arrived to certain stop and many women of the group mentioned were waiting for the bus. They are the health aids, domestics of those
island natives who can afford them. One thing is always striking. These women working, being exploited for peanuts, do not seem worn out or sad, all the contrary.
Their chit chat is peppered with laugh and smiles. Their hips, butts, breasts full
of living energy to share.....At least in my imagination... Time to go... Almost forgot
these people are from La Espanhola. We have to thank them, deeply...Thanks to them
there is PUERTO RICAN RUMS, since we have no sugar cane, the MOLASSES are imported from that island with these (not all) handsome women. I do not really
care about the men...Actually I would send them all back there or to the USA, keeping
just the women...Until then....

2ND EDITORS NOTE

Collective Monologue is a conversation that some
friendly or irate jerk/jerkette starts in a line of
people in a public space, a bank, court.

Or seating down. It consists of stupid,
elementary observations, criticism of the slow
speed of the employees, it is in essence
thoughts expressed aloud, without any
sense of what education/behavior
should be in a public space.

It starts with one fool and
it spreads like the porcine flu.

Sometimes is fun..Often
a pain in the ass/ears.

lunes, 30 de noviembre de 2009

GOOD NEWS CLOSE TO HOME AND BAD NEWS FOR THE WORLD

THE GARDEN is hot with flowers:Hibiscus cannabinus, scarlet, Cavalina maritima pink, Bouganvillea pink, Ixora red, Turnera subulata white, ulmiforme, yellow, Cosmos yellow/orange, Thunbergia pauciflora/alata purples, Hibiscus red/pink, Merremia quinquefolia, white, Ipomea quamoclit, red, Tradescantias, pink, Calliandra, red, Antigonon lectopus, pink and Cestrum diurnum, white.


In addition, the Christmas season
guest stars: Poinsettias, red, white and pink.
As stated before, these are hybrids brought home by the other significant one. Created by lame nurseries, designed to last tree months at the most. A real pleasure to enjoy all these flowers. Early in the morning, going out and see this
rainbow of white, red, yellow, orange, pink, in the garden four cardinal points.... Plus the bonus of the hummingbirds, Spindalis, black beetles and bees making their daily visits for nectar.

But the environment is not just what I have around, close by in Puerto Rico,
the concrete asphalt isle. The problem of lack of safe water is creating great health problems in many places. Meanwhile "saving the environment for future generations" that mantra repeated over and over by environmentalists in our backyard, should be put in perspective. It makes less and less sense when puting the picture in focus. There is a need for adequate water, sanitation and hygiene in many places of the world. The information is from the New York Times, 10 November 2009, page A19. Visit, www. wateradvocates.org

They aren't the only ones who don't get safe water
Thyphoid Fever
200,000 deaths

Campylobacter
100 million cases annually

Cholera
3 million cases annually
120,000 deaths

Rotavirus
2 million hospitalized annually
500, 000 deaths

Trachoma
80 million active cases
6 million people blinded

Hepatitis A
1 million infections annually

Bacillary disentery
165 million cases anually
600, 000 deaths

Amoebic Dysentery
50 million infections annually
100,000 deaths

Enterotoxigenic E Coli Strains
200 million cases anually
170,000 deaths

The last one on this list, affects Puerto Rico directly since the AAA, the government agency in charge of water treatment, has maintained a policy of discharging raw sewage, and used water to the ocean, estuaries and streams along the island for decades. In consequence, saving the trees, forests or whatever comes to mind, or being more realistic, marching
and signing petitions for one thing, putting aside the other, is a waste
of energy and effort. This problem besides an environmental issue is also
a matter of public health.

Next time you enjoy your complacent trip, ecotourist adventure, be aware
of the amplitude of what saving the environment really means. Cut the mantra, get some focus. Time to go...



Align Center

domingo, 29 de noviembre de 2009

SAVING THE ENVIRONMENT FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS?

THOSE readers who have visited this certainly humble blog, may have noticed that as
an horticultural creative critic, plant collector/propagator I cover the full court and beyond, not for elusive recognition or money. I do enjoy vegetation, nature, my garden, but not for the original reasons.

Then, I was into having the greatest collection, identified with their botanical names,
that differentiates an aficionado from a pro. Aesthetics were of great importance, due to the lame, ridiculous combinations of turf, plants, hedges, palm trees,
trees and bushes, for the last 15 years, used in this god forsaken island in private/public gardens/parks.

The culprits of the absurdity in garden installations are two kinds of jerks predominantly: agronomists and landscape architects. The first group seems incapable
of planting anything except as in edible garden rows. The second does not know a flying fart about plant behavior, growth habits, soil needs, irrigation and surely, aesthetics, as their headquarters in Del Parque St., in Santurce shows. they
just pick them plants up and stick them on the ground. And that's that.

I am moving now into more relevant things beyond this dull isle in this regard
and many others.. On this occasion let me make fun of the imbeciles into the environmental band wagon and their maximum cliche: Lets save the environment for
future generations...I have only scorn for blanket statements such as this, and it
seems that everyone is prone to repeat it like a parrot at every chance or a simultaneous interpeter.

In endemismo, population growth has been mentioned regarding the urgent need
to save the environment/ecology. From my stance, screw FUTURE GENERATIONS, I want to save it for me NOW, for those close to me, even if I disagree with the wordy tribes of the environmental scenario down here, despite their action/inaction, the blindfolds, and obvious lack of VISION.

POPULATION GROWTH

If the average population growth at 1.17%
continues, the population of the earth will
double in 70 years.

The lowest population growth are in
the Pitcairn Isles 0.00
Cuba -0.01

The highest
Liberia 4.50
Maldives 5.57

I do not see how futile attempts to save the environment out of context, will
be of any benefit, except appearing in television interviews, conferences with
government officials who do not give a suck about it, marches and signing
petitions to be brought to the environment EXECUTIONERS.

To finish let
me quote from
Oneworld.net

"The optimum strategy for restraining future population
growth is to provide universal access to sexual and reproductive
health services.

Its importance stems as much from
recognition of women rights as concern about
environmental limits.

Indeed, fulfillment of this goal will do
nothing to alleviate contemporary
habits of excessive consumption."

In my own words, people have to stop
screwing for impregnation accidental or otherwise.
There are too many people on the average on earth,
particularly in the most poor regions, where procreation
is similar to that of rabbits. Lets start having
recreational sex with protection or have no sex
be pure, the environment will appreciate it. Time to go...

sábado, 28 de noviembre de 2009

FAMILY REPUTATIONS IN NATURE

WHEN ONE thinks of it, many people will hang themselves, or kill you if they feel their
reputation has suffered or has being injured by words or actions. Some finish with their lives after a fight with their wife, boss, financial woes or pride. I knew one of those men one meets during a life span and leave a deep trace, even when we only had a chance to talk a couple of times.

He worked with the IRS in San Patricio, a vicinity of Guaynabo City. Luis was
a tall, elegant, vibrant voice, nice smile on the arrogant side, gentleman, who fell into
a trap set by some co-workers Ponzi scheme speculators, with accomplices into banking/real estate scams. His pride was intense. On the same day he accepted the charges in court, hung himself while everyone else was asleep. A rare case indeed.

WICKED PLANTS
BY
AMY STEWART

Some time ago I recommended this
book, buy it used if you can, from
Barnes & Noble.

NIGHTSHADE FAMILY
Solanaceae

Nightshades represent some of the best and worst plants human has ever encountered. Potatoes, eggplants, tomatoes and peppers are among the most
respectable members of this family. However, when Europeans settlers first encountered tomatoes, in the New World, they believe them to be poisonous
like the other nightshades they knew. Tomatoes, after all, bear a familial resemblance to their cousin, deadly nightshade, and other dangerous nefarious relatives like the
narcotic mandrake, the evil weed tobacco, and the poisonous and intoxicating henbane, belladona, and datura.

Nightshades have long been viewed with suspicion and distrust. John Smith, a
seventeenth-century philosopher, compared the " congealing vapour that ariseth from sin and vice" to the evil powers of that venemous deadly nightshade, which drives its
cold poison into the understanding of men". In fact, many nightshades contain tropane alkaloids that cause hallucinations, seizures, and deadly comas.

The petunia is also a nightshade, in fact knowing what a petunia flower looks like might just provide a clue for recognizing some other members of this family. Otherwise, an unfamiliar plant that produces small round fruit, and has the general
growth habit of a tomato or eggplant should be viewed with some caution.



jueves, 26 de noviembre de 2009

FROM HERE TO HOLLYWOOD?

WRITING the blog has brought great pleasures. Keeping mental sanity in the foolish, dull, society one has to maneuver daily is not easy. Perhaps the anecdote to
follow is idiotic and meaningless but it offers some hope. IDIOTS without vision are in
every continent. However these ones are in USA. www.hometownseeds.com to be more exact.

These mentally challenged individuals stated that: "We enjoy your blog and the information you have in it. We would like to link our site to your blog to increase our traffic. This would help tremendously". The offer? $19.98 worth of seeds, for your intercontinental, humble servant.

I know about seeds. I bought twenty four species, a wild flower mix, from a company
in California, not long ago, mentioned here. The result? Only 3 species germinated after following the instructions. Seeds for template countries do not do well in the tropics. It is a matter of genetics, temperature, length of day light and so on. I told my
friends in hometownseeds, that I would expect twenty fours species, instead of their
offer and ONLY if fifty percent of those seeds germinate, the deal will be on for ninety days.

Their response?" We are sorry. We are a small company, we can not send twenty four species". My reaction? You will remain a small company. Why should I put my reputation endorsing with a link, an unknown enterprise? What is the cost of an
ad in your neck of the woods, local newspaper? Do not waste my time and so long.

A NEW TREND FOR THE HOLIDAYS
THIS POST IS DEDICATED
TO OUR READERS IN

BOLLULLOS DE LA MITACIN
SAGUNTO
GLIDA

IN SPAIN

BARRANCA BERMEJA
CARTAGENA
CALI
MEDELLIN

IN COLOMBIA

TIME TO GO..

lunes, 23 de noviembre de 2009

BUILDING BRIDGES WITH NATURE ONE AT A TIME

WHILE KNOCKING off walls built by the village idiots is the goal. I planted a few days
ago the Tamarindus indica, not far from the first tree shown at the right in the pictures
below. I recommend to take advantage of softer soil, easier digging a day or two after it has rained, if you decide to plant anything in the guerrilla gardening manner, as discussed here or in guerrillagardening.com from London.

The mentioned walls are the constant wordy bombardment about global warming, CO2, petitions, marches, conferences to gather and chat, talk and network, crocodile
tears. All this movement, may be fine in the first world, those countries in which democratic principles are respected. Countries where a real state of law exists in which the judicial branch respects and enforces the law. Sorry folks! What we got in Puerto Rico, USA, the isle of concrete asphalt is a is a caricature, a grotesque one, evident in their speeches, writing of laws for the hell of it. LAWS that no one will ever enforce.

That is why I refuse to follow the mass in the environmental talking, make believe, moving in a vacuum from the computer at home or in the office. I reiterate one thing: Education for children regarding the environment is a waste of money and effort since adults, the free enterprise destroys legally, or through bribes, everything that involves it in a short or long run, all Flora/Fauna, water and soil.

THANKSGIVING BONUS
from
Botany for Gardeners
by
Brian Capon

The progress of a plant's growth is a summation of its responses to separate, butinteracting components of the environment in which it is living. The plant may be favored with adequate water and optimum temperatures but be limited in its ability to photosynthesize by inadequate illumination, perhaps because of shading from taller plants or buildings. Another
plant may receive full sunlight, plentiful irrigation and sufficient fertilizer, but still not express
its growth potential because prevailing temperatures are too high or too low. Even if climatic
and soil conditions are ideal, stunting may occur because pathogenic fungi or predatory insects
have invaded the plant. Microorganisms and animals are, indeed environmental factors to be
reckoned with. Other life forms, being ordained components of habitats occupied by plants, exercise both beneficial and harmful effects, as do temperature, rainfall, sunlight, etc.

IT becomes obvious that, out of a host of interacting environmental factors, only one need challenge a plant's tolerances in order to limit its growth. The greater the number of unfavorable conditions, acting in concert, the more profound the effect. That is why, in nature where so many
variables are at work, plants rarely reach their full potential. Happily in a garden, one has the opportunity to improve on a few factors limiting plant development and , consequently, to cultivate larger, healthier specimens than casually occur in the wild.

Plants generally die when too many limiting factors overwhelm their physiological capabilities for survival. Or, on the other hand, they may simply succumb to "old age" processes, principally to a
genetically-programmed deterioration of cells and tissues, called senescence (Latin, "to grow old"). Once this process has been initiated, even the best care cannot save a plant. In annual species, senescence takes place within one year of growth; in biennials, in the second year. In perennial species, senescence of a localized nature occurs in older organs before they die and
are discarded; it takes many years before the process consumes the entire organism.

EDITORS NOTE

As an example, the GAIA guys/gals invited
me ten times to volunteer, for marches, to sign
petitions. I offered an exchange.
Provide me with two volunteers with hand pruners,
to prune correctly guerrilla fashion some trees of the hundreds
available in the Ponce de Leon Avenue.
You guessed right! No response, silence, water and salt.
Time to go.