The High Cost of Hay
The Seattle Times is reporting that skyrocketing hay costs and the economic downturn is causing horse owners - and their horses - a great deal of trouble.
The cost of hay has increased as much as 60 percent in some parts of the country this year. According to an article published last summer by the Tri-City Herald in Washington State, the amount of acreage devoted to growing hay has dropped 11 percent since 2003. In the Pacific Northwest, a bad growing season further reduced the amount (and quality) of hay for sale.
To compound the problem, the United States ships a lot of its hay to Asia. According to a study by the Livestock Economics department at Washington State University, ports in the Pacific Northwest provide about 65% of the total hay import to Pacific Rim countries such as Japan and Korea.
Most of the hay sold in the Pacific Northwest, both local and exported, is used for dairy farms. According to the WSU study, the Pacific Northwest "produces the highest average milk yield per cow in the United States." The overall high quality of our local hay has a lot to do with the quality and quantity of our milk.
Dairy farmers have been increasing the size of their herds over the last few years. Although dairy herds in Oregon saw a decline in 2007, the total number of dairy cows in both Washington and Idaho saw a sharp increase. And all those cows are hungry!
If you're starting to feel the pinch, you might want to look into alternatives to the hay you usually buy. The Colorado State University Extension Office has an article on how to stretch your hay, including conversion tables so that you can calculate how much you will need to feed. Always be sure to feed your horse a proper diet, with the correct amount of roughage!
All of these factors have caused the price of hay to go through the roof. And of course, add to that the recession, which is causing a lot of families to make difficult choices about where to cut back their spending. Between these two factors, there are a lot of horses out there who need a new home.
How can you help? If you have been thinking about getting another horse, now is a great time to buy or adopt. Horse sellers are reporting a collapse in horse sales, both at auction and by owner. Adoption is another wonderful option.
You can ask your local animal shelter for information on local horse rescue organizations and shelters. Even if you can't afford to adopt another horse, there has been a sharp decline in charity donations this year. They will welcome any donations you can make, be it money or in extra tack, equipment, or feed. Even the smallest amount can make a difference.
If you already have a horse and are having trouble finding a way to make ends meet, please think of your horse. States like Montana and Wyoming are seeing a significant increase in the number of pet horses released "into the wild." These horses don't do well, and most of them are rounded up and sold at auction. A domesticated horse may be able to forage well in summer, but it's going to have a rough time in winter. Letting your horse "run free" is cruelty, plain and simple.
Animal control agencies are also reporting an increase in the number of seized animals this year. Please don't let things get to the point where animal control has to come rescue your horses from your care. If you can't afford to keep your horse, make that tough decision to find it another home - now, before things get too bad.
National Parks Consider Allowing More Bikes
According to a recent New York Times article, mountain bikers "could have thousands of miles of trails opened up to them" under a new rule by the Department of the Interior.
Mountain biking in remote areas has long been a hotly contested issue, with much vitriol being flung by both sides. Action alerts have been flying in all directions. The American Hiking Society issued an action alert to its members, asking them to send emails in opposition to the measure. Meanwhile, the International Mountain Biking Association has sent an action alert asking its members to email the National Parks Service in favor of the measure.
Many areas are currently open to horses but not mountain bikes, which causes an uproar among the mountain biking community, which argues that horses are far more destructive to trails than bikes. (For one thing, bicycles don't poop. For another thing, they don't weigh 1,600 pounds.)
Jeff Ruch, the executive director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, refers to this as "growing user conflict in the national park system." Our national parks are beautiful, and everyone wants to use them. At once. On the same trails.
In 1987, the Clinton administration passed a ruling which required park officials to obtain a special regulation to allow mountain biking, either on an existing or on a proposed new trail. This slowed the approval process considerably, as you might imagine.
The new plan calls for trail usage decisions to be made by individual parks, rather than as a blanket ruling by the National Parks System. This will both speed the process of use change approval, and cause more conflict at the local level. From the perspective of mountain biking advocacy groups, it will also mean that the battle will have to be fought over and over, one park at a time.
One factor driving this possible rule change is the widely reported drop in national park attendance last year. For example, In 2006, Yosemite National Park saw its lowest level of attendance in 16 years. Oddly enough, this comes at the same time as an overall rise in park attendance nationwide. It seems that more people are visiting national parks, but fewer people are traveling far to do so.
Park attendees pay park fees, which keep parks open and pay park employees' salaries. A drop in attendance hurts everyone, both park users and park employees both. Many parks have had to close early for the season, lay off staff, and cut back on plans for new paths, visitor services, and maintenance on existing paths.
Most national parks already allow some mountain biking, typically on designated trails. If you're feeling stir-crazy with this week's nation wide winter weather crisis, you might want to check out Gorp's Top 10 National Parks for Biking list. You might also want to peruse the opportunities for volunteer work with the International Mountain Biking Association, which has an active and well respected trail crew, and coordinates over 60 volunteer bike patrol groups across the country.
Summer will come back some day, right?!
Weird Al’s ‘Your Pitiful’ Almost Didn’t See the Light of Day
If you have ever heard the hit single by James Blunt, “Your Beautiful,” where he sings in a very high voice with a romantic guitar riff in the background, than you already know of the song that I am talking about. Now to the point: Weird Al Yankovic made a song to parody this hit single called “Your Pitiful.” But the song never really and never truly will, see the light of the day for Al, or James. You see both artists were in agreement here that they did indeed want to have a funny parody of the tune floating around for people to enjoy, but other forces that were greater than they prevented their endeavors from ever truly becoming a reality. And here is why.
Check out, 'Your Pitiful' the music video!
What was the Deal?
After his falling out with Coolio, over the parodying of the hit Coolio rap song, “Gansta Paradise,” where Al rewrote it and dubbed his song, “Amish Paradise,” a song and accompanying hit music video by Weird Al where he depicts the life of an Amish person, as they go about their day to day, inundated with funny perks like referring to the Amish as ‘Technologically Impaired.’ Al has forever since that release made certain to go directly to the artist, rather than the record label that they are signed to, in order to get their stamp of approval before he parodies their hit songs.
With this tune, “Your Pitiful” Al did just that. He met with James Blunt, who loved his idea and said, “It’s a go.” But the record label that Blunt was signed to, Atlantic, was not so fond of this notion. Once the video and the song were finished with production, Atlantic put their foot down and threatened to sue, and so Al did the only respectable thing that any comedian would do when facing these odds: he gave it out for free. Sue me for what? Nothing?
Other Weird Al Songs that Got Him Some Flack
Madonna was pissed off at Al because of his 1980s release, ‘Like a Surgeon,’ where he parodies her hit song, ‘Like a Virgin.’ Michael Jackson will be forever pissed off at Al for making mockeries of his songs with Al hits like, ‘I’m Fat,’ and ‘Just Eat It.’ Other artists that have gotten pissed at Al recently also include Eminem, who was annoyed over Al’s parody, ‘Couch Potato.’
How Does He Keep Doing It?
Al is motivated by one thing: make things funnier. If an artist has a song that makes a hit, Al naturally sees a funnier side of the song. And quite often he is right. He also is very fond of incorporating some element of food into all of his tunes. With his early 2000 parody of the R Kelly Song, “Trapped in the Closet,” where Al writes a ten minute song called, ‘Trapped in the Drive Through.’
Why I Love Weird Al
It’s hard not to love such a weird and funny guy. A dude who doesn’t care what people think of him, and is always thinking of another way to make me laugh. Also, it’s quite hilarious to see him pissing so many rich superstars off; that will never grow old.
Does Anybody Remember Musical Comedy Great: Tom Lehrer?
If you have never heard of Tom Lehrer before, it is more than likely because you are too young to know about him, myself included. However, my parents, and their parents grew up listening to this musical genius, who was also a tenured profession at a well known Ivy League school, and who happened to be a leading scientist during the late 1940s, and the early 1950s, before he started touring the world to offer up his brand of comedy.
A comedic, and in your face performance, especially considering the day and age where nobody talked about anything that was socially unacceptable—but Mr. Lehrer begged to differ, and did it quite well too! Rather, the comedic musical fathoming of Tom Lehrer broke many social taboos of the day, equally offending the masses. But in turn, also made even more people laugh out loud. So like Elvis Presley was to Rock and Roll, Tom Lehrer was equally to comedic music. Breaking the ground for many more greats to follow in his wake.
Taboo for the 50’s Was Lehrer’s Charm
Lehrer fancied offensive comedic gestures, wrapped up nicely in a pretty song that featured robust and unique usages of piano chords, in the styling of his own prowess. And he was very accomplished at playing the piano and had a decent voice as well; even if it was of par for the era, he was easy to listen to. But taboo was the main genre: “Poisoning pigeons in the park,” – one of the lyrics that hit home in a very popular Lehrer song. Or, ‘So long Mom…I am off to drop the Bomb!” Another way that Tom broke social candor by talking about the war (WWII).
Take another Lehrer tune: “New Math” which basically debunked parent’s education as worthless when compared to what their children were now learning, and how we as parents could not even comprehend the new things being taught. And last but not least, ‘Oedipus Rex’ perhaps the most offensive Lehrer song that talks about the famous myth of a boy falling in love with his mother. Oh and one more for all of you, “Vatican Rag” which basically talked about how much of a sham Catholicism was at the time—a tune that made many Christians, and Protestants, grow fonder of Tom.
Some of Lehrer’s Greatest Videos and Songs
Of course why should I bug you by yapping about all these hilarious Tom Lehrer songs without giving you a few to watch, so you can see for yourself? So without further ado, here are some of Lehrer’s most popular tunes of 1950s, and beyond!
‘Vatican Rag’
A song of Lehrer’s that ultimately talks bad about all the things he thought that were wrong and disarrayed with organized religions, namely Catholicism. And at a time where Christians were the predominant force in our population, but that did not stop good old Tom, he was ready to make fun of them and make them laugh in the process.
‘New Math’
A funny song about how kids know more than parents when it comes to new math.
‘Oedipus Rex’
A song about a boy who falls in love with his mother.
'Poisoning Pigeons in the Park’
Self Explanatory.
‘Pollution’
This one is hilarious.
NAMEOF SONG
What is the name of the song that goes like this "when the thought of you catches up with me"???????
Horn and cruise don't work
1995 Altima. Horn was honking on its own while driving. Disconnected it. Reconnect = more honking. Now it does not work at all and neither does the cruise control. Any suggestions appreciated. John
hen brooding on cage bottom
Help. My 6 year old and I have a pair of adorable peachfaced lovebirds. The hen laid one egg. I didn't know what to do, went to a pet store, bought a little nest and put the egg in it. She refused to sit on it. While we were on vacation, she laid 3 more eggs in the cage bottom and is sitting on them. I am afraid to change the cage bottom, but the eggs are sitting (and so is the hen) in unsanitary droppings for two weeks now!!!
what should we do? Do we need to provide an additional heat source?
MLE's and Splits on Carp
Amigo noted that Carp's 2008 weren't exactly hampered by luck, either, since he had a .335 BABIP. Here is his minorleaguesplits card.
The .335 BABIP for Carp last year certainly didn't suppress his numbers :- ) but .... for a lefty thumper who zings the ball around the lot, it might not be all that wild of a target for him, IMHO. Guys who hit the ball real hard frequently run nice BABIP's (though usually low contact rates with lots of strikeouts, too).
.....................
One good thing about Carp's splits is, I really like that 58/55 eye ratio against RH'ers for the year. Folks tend to worry too much that a young lefty hitter isn't yet hitting lefty pitchers. Of course he's not. Even many of the ML stars scuffled, early on, when in LH-on-LH matchups.
Carp hit righties very well, with not only the 58/55 eye but a robust .421 OBP and near-.500 SLG against them. This gives a glimpse at a young busher's potential.
.
=== Moving Targets, Dept. ===
Also, notice the progression of Carp's eye throughout the year:
06/15 - April 10/14 - May 16/19 - June 18/19 - July 26/20 - Aug/SeptSo here is a guy who was 0.40, fair-to-weak, and as a few months rolled along, he swiftly moved into elite 1.00 territory and even beyond. Will bet you that if you asked the M's, that chart above would be one of the first things they brought up. And if so, it's very Oakland-type thinking. If Carp comes out in 2009 and runs a 1+ eye ratio in AAA -- and he could -- then the conversation changes IMHO... supposing that Carp continues to improve quickly from where he was in August 2008? Most likely not. He was going around a league for the third time. But it could happen. . === Comfort Zones, Dept. === Another intriguing split comes from his results-by-position:
as LF - .238 / .350 / .359 ... only 3 homers in 211 PA's as 1B - .338 / .448 / .520 ... 8 homers in 236 PA's as DH - .333 / .380 / .591 ... 6 homers in 99 PA'sWhen he had to worry about embarrassing himself in the outfield, his hitting would have left a utility infielder feeling bad. But give him a comfort zone in the field and he was:
as 1B or DH - .337 / .428 / .541 with 44 BB's vs 43 K'sIf Carp had actually hit that .337 / .428 / .541 in double-A with a 1.00 eye, he wouldn't have been available in a trade like he was. . === MLE's Dept. === Minorleaguesplits.com also gives the Major League Equivalents: here's what the same type of hitting effectiveness would have produced, if you factor out learning curve.
As 1B/DH - .260 / .350 / .400 Overall - .225 / .330 / .345The 1B/DH line isn't bad a'tall for a kid 22 years old. There are a few Mariners who'd like to post .350 OBP's, and Carp has about 100 credits to go before graduating baseball college. .......... Still not saying that Carp's a Golden Boy, but between the (1) eye development and (2) results when in his position, you can certainly see the seeds of a possible impact career. What we'd all like to know, is, whether the Mariners considered such angles while the Mets missed them. That would be a nice change :- ) Cheers, jemanji
89 Saab starting problems
I have trouble starting my 89 Saab 9000 after it has been running for awhile in warm weather. I have replaced the neutral safety switch and the ignition switch. I was wondering if it might be the solidnoid on the starter.
for sale: mountain bike must go by 30th Nov
21 speed, TimberLine FS, All GT Terra, front shocks...w/acc- asking $175, call asap - 839 0675