Friday, April 30, 2010

Greed, the root of all Evil?

  I had already published my daily post when I starting recieving breaking news, thus a second post today.

From the first day to this, sheer greed was the driving spirit of civilization. Friedrich Engels         

Officials: Oil from spill could hit Fla. by Monday

This came in my breaking news today from our local newspaper, Bradenton Herald
the photos I am using are from the internet from other oil spills in the past.

                     State of Emergency in Gulf of Mexico
The headlines of our local newspaper scream about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. 

 Greed caused them to drill for oil in the gulf, even though The People that line the coast did not want it there. (did you know the oil they drill out of the Atlantic in Alaska, is sent through a pipe line to California and SHIPPED TO OTHER COUNTRIES) yet they say we need to drill in the gulf for OUR NEEDS. get real is my comment!

Explosion in Gulf on April 20, is estimated to be leaking as many as 210,000 gallons of crude a day


WASHINGTON — With crude oil expected to wash up Thursday night on the Gulf Coast, President Barack Obama stepped up federal efforts to help clean up the spill in the Gulf of Mexico, putting the Department of Defense at the ready and dispatching three Cabinet officers to the scene.( Wow O Wow! we rate THREE Cabinet Officers. like they can or will do anything)

The president spoke Thursday with the governors of Louisiana, Florida, Texas, Alabama and Mississippi, and in brief remarks from the White House Rose Garden he said the government was using every single available resource at our disposal.”  ( I have heard this comment before)

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal declared a state of emergency. (NOW they declare it and emergency) our Governor of Florida has been fighting against the voters IN FAVOR of Oil Drilling in the gulf
NOW that he has decided to run for the Senate, and due to the diaster we KNEW was coming sooner or later, he haschanged sides and is allegeing  to being against it.


In Washington, officials emphasized repeatedly that the energy company BP, not the federal government, (might I ask WHOM it was that LET BP drill there) was responsible and would pay for the cleanup. (Be Sure to play the Blame Game)




                    Napolitano declared it a “spill of national significance,”

Among its other potential victims, the disaster threatens Obama’s plan to expand offshore drilling in the Atlantic, the Gulf of Mexico and north Alaska, and complicates prospects for any climate change legislation that relies on a deal between advocates of more domestic oil and gas production and those who want to limit greenhouse-gas emissions. (OH PLEASE, don't let anything like this HARM a BILL in our congress.)
See below quotes for what I think about the whole thing, it says it better than I can.

There is enough in the world for everyone's need, but not enough for everyone's greed.
Frank Buchman


We have seen that in this country in the last few years, particularly on Wall Street, with the rise of the old human frailty of greed. This occurs when people begin to serve only their own needs to the detriment of everyone else. Lee R. Raymond


Pardon Me, while Our Country falls to its KNEES, and I don't mean in prayer. I am angry about the drilling and the oil spills, but I am also afraid for our country and very sad.


Lady Bugs (Seeing Spots, Lots and Lots)

Last week, Bob came to the kitchen door and said "Come out here, look at this, bring the camera"  "No!" I said, "not the camera "  (ha ha).
The powderpuff bush that is bigger than a car, had bugs all over it, there were hundreds, maybe thousands of them.
Bob: "look, lady bugs, I have never seen so many of them"
Sandra: No, these aren't lady bugs, they look funny"
Bob: 'look at this one, it's looks like a ladybug but is not red and black"

Sandra: "they are all a little different, so what is this one? it's blue and long"
could it be a baby one?
Bob:"don't think so, doesn't look like it is, must be different bugs"

Sandra: "look, some are round and some are oval, they are stuck in the leaves, hanging on"
Per google, the above photo is a larvae, a couple of days hatched from the eggs the ladies were laying in the leaves.

See this one below? almost a lady bug, above is the larvae and below is the half grown bug.
- One ladybug eats around 5,000 aphids in its lifetime.
I had no idea how hard it would be to get a photo of a tiny little Lady Bug. this one is a Teenager.
- Ladybugs hibernate in the winter.
*
- Ladybugs have cold blood.
*
- Not all ladybugs are females.
*
- Ladybugs use their feet to smell.
*
- A ladybug will bite if you squeeze it.


HELOOOO Google, can you tell me if this is a lady bug? are these larvae? YES it is an Asian Lady bug only they are really Lady Beetles, we just CALL them Lady Bugs because they are cute.

we have a whole Family, many families of lady bugs on our bush, do they harm the bush, I asked google. NO, but they can swarm and get in your house or garage and make a big mess. YIKES how can something so cute do that. they don't hurt anything, it is just difficult to live with fluttering bugs in your mouth and ears and on your food. We are hoping they Move On and do not Swarm!

                               If you want to know MORE go to   LadyBugLady.com to find everything you always wanted to know about lady bugs.

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Eyjafjallajokull ETC

a friend sent me the link to Eyjafjallajokull photos and I wanted to share them, click on Volcano Photos  to see photos from Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull, this is the Boston Globe and the photos are magnificent and scary and sad.
the pineapple has a top starting today, just took this a few minutes ago.

today's post is Really on my other blog.
click here to see A Guilty Dog

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

RX Pineapple q.d.

Are you thinking Is She Crazy? where did she get That Title?
RX (prescription) Pineapple q.d. (daily)
In plain English this means eat pineapple daily. See the ugly plant below?


this is a pineaple plant. 2 years ago, my husband had his third bout with Gout. Since he refuses to take prescription medicines for anything other than Blood Pressure (we know what happens to stroke victims) I charged forth with the help of Google and found that pineapple and cherries are the Holistic treatment for Gout.

I began buying a pineapple once a week and leaving it in a container for Hubby to eat a few pieces a day. IT WORKED. Gout has been so much better. Every week I moaned about paying 3.50 to 4.00 for fresh pineapple.

I said "do you realize we spend almost 300 a year on pineapple?"
Hubby said "that's better than 100 per month for a prescrption"
 I said " I wonder if we could grow one of these things?"
He said "we shall see" and cut off the top of the one i was moaning over and stuck it in one of his 5 gallon buckets he uses for "trying things out". the plant grew beautifully. 2 months later, he planted a second one. that was more than a year ago. NOTHING just 2 PLANTS.



On the 18th of April, I said "you might as well jerk those plants out and throw them away, if it has not had a pineapple in a year it will not."
I kid you not, the very next day, on the 19th (i know these dated because my camera tells me so) there appeared a very mall ugly little thing (see first photo) and this is what it looks like today.
A baby pineapple. WOW he did it. and i almost threw it away.

You know of course you Will see MORE pineaplle photos in the future.

Now if we could figure out how to GROW our BP prescriptions!
GROOOAAANNN!



Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Howard Solomon's Story by Scott Fais

The following is an part of a trip report from News 13 travel reporter Scott Fais, who does daytrips in Florida on our local news channel. June 13 2007
Scott said:
Our first stop: Solomon’s Castle. Be ready for a drive through vast territories where man has yet to build homes or fill the landscape with another strip mall. Manatee and Hardee counties sport a lot of orange groves and even more cattle pastures.
I questioned several times, “Who lives out here?” The answer: Not many who walk on two legs.
After what turned into more than a three hour tour, I discovered a unique place that
isn’t duplicated anywhere else. (Finding it can be hard. Just keep an eye peeled for
the hand painted signs. I missed several.)

ROOMS TO GO, click on photo
Howard Solomon told me he was born an artist. This slender man can be found clad in his castle T-shirt and wearing a boat captain’s hat.
Howard’s touch is evident from the metal sculptures on front gate down to the hand painted
sign hanging above the restrooms that reads “Rooms to Go.”
After selling his art studios in Miami and the Bahamas at age 37, he came to this Hardee County swampland to build a home in the middle of nowhere. Yet, Howard corrected me and said his property is “in the middle of everywhere.”When he arrived, he built his house in the form of a castle,
and covered the exterior walls with used printing plates from the The Herald Advocate newspaper in Wauchula, Florida.

The fortress shines like a mirror in the Florida sun (and acts like a magnet for visitors.) The windows, doors and even the flooring were made by Howard. Many of the materials came from items bound for the dump.Inside, you’ll find an art gallery brimming full of Howard’s creations,
many dating back to the 70s. If you’re a lucky visitor, you may have Howard as your tour guide..



                                              (there is a whole collection of guns all made from trash)

From the start, I learned real fast Howard’s other “gift” is comedy. His spiel is full of jokes and puns. Many of his pieces were created to reflect news headlines. From poking fun of the botched 2000 presidential election and high-profile court trials to mistakes by celebrities and popular literature,
Howard’s art is something to behold- since most of it was created from trash.
My favorite: The 6-foot tall elephant made from recycled oil drums. The kitchen tile came from a hotel restroom.
Cleopatra, made from lawn tractor.
The most bizarre item rests under our feet.In front of guests, Howard pulls back the carpet to reveal a trap door. Open it and find the castle dungeon. Staring back at us is the face of an older woman painted on what I believe is a coconut. Howard proudly tells the crowd,

“She’s the babysitter. When my kids were growing up, and they would misbehave, we would say,
‘You’re going to the babysitter.’”

Cleopatra's Barge, or half of it. The other half went to her husband in her divorce settlement. She did not care because she is in denial...
get IT? whoo boy.

.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Solomon's Art

Solomon likes to take a favorite painting and do it in small bits of painted wood.
Picasso is one of his favorites.

"My mother said to me, "If you are a soldier, you will become a general.
If you are a monk, you will become the Pope." Instead, I was a painter, and became Picasso" Pablo Picasso

"I paint objects as I think them, not as I see them." Pablo Picasso





The above is a copy from a Lillian Shao painting and is my personal favorite. Made entirely from carved wood

The doors inside the castle are decorated with wooden paintings
True art is characterized by an irresistible urge in the creative artist. Albert Einstein

Howard Solomon is a true artist, he says he can not stop creating, he follows that irresistible urge and the world benefits from it.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

King Solomon's Wisdom

Stain Glass by Howard Solomon/Words of Wisdom from the other Solomon, King Solomon, writer of Proverbs, Chapter 15



"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger"

"The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit"



Solomon's friend donated an old chandelier and it was to long, he had no where to hang it. He built a 3 sided tower just to hang the chandelier and made it an entrance to the kitchen of the castle. Two sides are the stain glass windows and the door is the 3rd side.
Kitchen door to a castle
The pointed roof allows the chandelier to hang just right.  it is a tiny 3 sided room, and from the inside is wonderful on a sunshiny day. There are more than 80 stained glass windows in the castle. they are varied sizes because he bought used windows and knocked out the glass and replaced with his own design of stained glass.

"A joyful heart is like good medicine, a broken spirit will make one sick"


Saturday, April 24, 2010

Dragons and Lions, Oh My! Oh My!

There are European and Chinese Dragons and then there are Solomons Dragons.

Squirrel Queen, you asked what was behind the elephant on yesterdays Post. this is the dragon in the corner. (I forgot to say the elephant took 300 hours of work)

 he is very tall and I had a hard time getting a full photo of him, see dragon claw below
and the long one I got only his face, there were 16 people on the guided tour and I had to shoot around them


Meddle not in the affairs of dragons......for thou art crunchy and go good with ketchup!
How can you get a set of teeth put in for free ? Smack a lion !
The lion (Panthera leo) is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg (550 lb) in weight,[4] it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger
This Lion weighs a LOT more than 250....

What is lion's favorite food ? Baked beings !

What does the lion say to his friends before they go out hunting for food ?
'Let us prey.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Dragons & Elephants, Oh My! Oh My!

Internationally known sculptor Howard Solomon has created a museum full of fun and funny and wonderful creations. Cars and trucks, large and small animas, Each one is created from metal "found objects" only.



The elephant is my favorite of all of them and is created from metal signs, if you click on the third photo you can see where he left a piece of a sign uppainted.



What Games do elephants like to play best? SQUASH

How do you stop a charging elephant? take away its credit cards




How do you get down off an elephant? you don't, you get down off of a goose


I will be posting several of his creations on the side bar in order to get more on each day. the post will be about the ones I LOVE and this dragon is my second favor. click on photo and check out what the teeth and nostrels are made of.

Knock Knock
Who's there !
Dragon !
Dragon who ?
Dragon your feet again????

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Boat In The Moat....

In the early 70's, back when realtors were selling  property without disclosure of anything negative about the property, Solomon bought his acres and had no idea what he bought was a Swamp! Driving to the castle and it's land, we pass through acres and acres of pastures with only a few trees. At the end of the road, there is a beautiful creek and many oaks and pines and palms, an oasis.
All was not as it seemed when he bought the property. The realtor neglected to tell him the swmap fills up with water during the rainy season and hurricanes. He built the museum first and put it at ground leverl. Rains came and water went up the walls 2 feet. When he built the living quarters, he went up 4 feet and when Solomon built this Boat In the Moat, he built on dry land on pilings. there is no water in the moat except during the rainy season..

If you enlarge the photo you can see the canons sticking out the side ports. All the windows in the returant are stained glass, he used only recycled materials and just as he did the castle, everything was done by hand. he is an artist and can not quit creating.

the resturant serves home cooked hot meals, or choice of sandwiches. The inside of the boat is beautiful, all wood and just like a real boat would be. We chose to eat under the trees, if you look at the front of the boat, you can see some of the people under the trees. We walked up the gangway and through the boat and out the other side. see side bar for gangway photos

The two ladies in the middle are my friends Barbara and Lola. See the tree limbs over head? the whole deck is shaded by two monstrous trees. Breezes from the creek and cool temps made for wonderful dining.

This is a close up of all the ressurection ferns growing on every limb. Ressurection fern dies in a few days if it does not rain. we were lucky because it had rained two days before. the dead ferns ressurect and live a few days, then appear to die until the next rain.

     to see my post on ressurection ferns and see what it looks like dead, click here