YARDCRAP

H E L L O

 

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This is my BLOG, so expect it to be about me. 

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Post comments if you choose, and I might respond.

   -------------YardCrap---------------

SNAKE CRAP

            
Plans are about to put the Eastern Diamondback Rattle Snake on the endangered list.  Apparently there are only about a 100,000 of them now on the Southern Seaboard.    This is the largest rattlesnake species and, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, is the heaviest venomous snake.  They are well known to be excellent swimmers. Specimens have often been spotted crossing stretches of water between barrier islands and the mainland off the Georgia coast.  This species is the most dangerous venomous snake in North America.

I have seen a few big ones in SC.  It is a big snake.  In Florida they are real monsters growing to 8 foot.   I am not sure if any live where I do in UpState SC.  I doubt it, but no problem as the big Timber Rattlers fill the void.  To that end, more people are snake bitten in the Carolinas than elsewhere in America, mostly by Copper Heads because guys tend to fuck with them for no reason I can offer up.  Rattle snakes are often a big deal as to plot development in CowBoy movies.  We all grew up afraid of those due to the movies.  Here in the South, we got a lot more and they are a lot bigger.  I was used to ours, but the movies ones were more scary.

I don't like snakes in my garden.  It is not just blind fear as I grew up in the South catching them for fun as 10 years olds had no video games in my day.  I don't like them now because they eat my critters.  I need all my frogs, Chipmunks and birds more than I need snakes.  Also, don't want my dogs and cats bitten.  Most people survive any snake bite, but not so much for dogs.  No snakes are welcome in my yard.   I once watched as a big black snake took out a nest of Flickers too far up for me to help them.  I have a pellet gun now that will never let that happen again if I see it.  I don't want snakes in my garden.  I know they are good in their own way, just prefer them in "your" garden.  I have a snake catcher thing I found on line which is a long pincer thing.  I can grab them, throw them in the can and take them to a new neighborhood.  That is the plan, but have not yet caught one.   I only see a couple a year, its not like I am over run here.  I have seen two small ones this year that the cats already killed.  Don't fear the snakes, fear my 3 pound cat.

Back to the Eastern Diamondback.  It seems to me that if we have a 100,000 in SC, GA, and Fla, that is a lot.  Keep in mind that these can kill and eat smaller dogs.
I am just being funny - here is the deal-->

Again the tree huggers are out of control.   Putting the Diamondback on the endangered species would severely cut into logging, one of the biggest industries in the South East.   My lake is 8 foot down right now and the legal reason the Feds use to drain it is to protect the 'snail darter' which is a 2 inch minnow a hundred miles down stream.  The real reason is to make money generating electricity to sell to states like California who put up regulations to block Nuclear Plants.  The big turbines need to turn as there are $$ to be made.

All and any attempts to stop SC from producing trees to sell is wrong.  Blocking off huge areas because a snake lives there is wrong.  They been there since we were selling to the Spanish.  This is not strip clearing like in South America, but a centuries old industry that is renewable forever.  We sold tall pines for ship masts to the English and Spanish in the 1600's as well as the many by products.  The SouthEast is not the Great NorthWest, but much of our economy is Forestry.
 
We do tend to vote to the right.  It looks like the Obama group has found a new way to attack us.  I guess the Tea Party groups that use the age old Diamondback flag with "Don't Tread on Me" has gotten under his skin.

           

Arkansas

Arkansas had three players arrested for burglary this week.  That is not like drugs, assault and etc.  It should be, but in any reputable program those guys are gone.  They may play some other place like Cam Newton who was expelled from Florida for the same thing,  but they are history at Ark and should be.    Cam Newton and Auburn are an embarrassment to real college football fans, but he did give them a National Championship.  Clemson took Cam and Auburn on their home field to over time - but came up short with a missed field goal or history might be different.

Ark has now had 6 players arrested this year and fired the coach who crashed his Harley with the young babe on the back he was paying to hang around using University funds.

I just hate that.  Ark has a solid history.  I would be proud to be from there and happy to live there.
That is not why I hate this.
Ark was a top 5 team last year and would have been a real power this year.  Now they are like Michigan which has been crap the last couple years even with all the talent.

Why would I care?

They kick SC.  Now SC gets a free ride.
I just hate that.

To Make Music as a Spectator

      


A beautiful blond girl just put up a comment here on the blog about Bees.  Our history goes back many years.  I know things about her even she might not, or at least a different perspective on it all. 

She said her guy is an old Hippie music lover as am I.
My music hit a snag last week.  My Bob Carver SunFire amp is sputtering.  It is a nice one that puts out 400 watts to each of 5 channels.  I just used two of them in my RedNeck Bar.  It was "overkill"  but so are Harley's and Corvettes.  This is not an amp you toss and replace.  Like and old Harly or Corvete, you rebuild.  "Made in America" means a lot.  This power horse will last well beyond my life.
Actually I have 6 amplifiers built by Bob Carver, and 4 more tiny tube things being built as I post this.  My favorite resides here on the deck with me and puts out 600 watts to each of two channels.  In the audio crowd I am mostly hated in, you either have "Bob Carver" crap or you don't.  I do and so should you as it is the best buy in audio.

Just emailed as to how to send/pay for my SunFire 400X5 repair. I'll get it out on Tuesday.
I am thinking my Carver AV-505 is doing a great job filling in because maybe the SunFire was always a little off. I have had it about a year.
When it gets back I have options to think about.
Try to follow this as I poorly try to describe my junk.

My big speakers are in the bar:
Frequency Response :14 Hz – 30 kHz
Impedance :Compatible with 8 Ohms outputs
Sensitivity :93 dB
Recommended Associated Amplifier Power :20 – 350 watts
Internal Amplifier Power :300 watts
Inputs :One pair of 5 way binding posts; One LFE input (optional)


My small deck speakers are:
Frequency Response 80Hz-40kHz
Power Handling 25-440W
Impedance 6ohm (nominal)
Sensitivity 90dB
SPL (max.) 117 dB
Inputs :Two pair of 5 way binding posts

As you can see, the deck speakers are made for bi-amp, but not so much the Bar speakers as they have a built in amp for the bass.

Right now I have 400 watts going to each Bar speaker and 600 to each deck speaker.

So when the 400X5 gets back, maybe I should switch the two SunFires around. That would make available to the deck speakers a Bi-amp of at least a 1000 watts to each. It would give 600 instead of 400 to each Bar speaker. That would be good????
I doubt it would make much difference, but seems to be a better use of resources.


....but the plot thickens.
The Carver AV-505 I plugged in is sending just 85 watts to each Bar speaker and they sound great.
To that end, my new CarverFest Tube Amps being built would put about 40 watts to the big speakers which are not "power hungry" like the deck speakers.  "TUBES" are back.  Actually, they never went away, we just thought we did not need them - some of us still do.
I am now of the belief that these 40 watt Carver Tube things might work well with my big speakers.

That being the case, maybe I should just sell the refurbed SunFire when it is returned already boxed to ship. 
That is a joke.  You don't sell your Harley, your double barrel or your Carver amp.
You leave them to your kids.  Having none I have to take mine with me.

RAIN

                

Rain is falling.  For thousands of years, RAIN means life.  Here in my garden we have suffered.  Reports say La Nina ended this month and normal rainfall should return by the end of June.  For this part of the world, that means a constant of about 4.5 to 5.5 inches each month with much more common.
The lake is down just over 8 foot.  This time last year it had a 1 1/2 foot surplus. 

It is hard to explain how much I love to see rain these days.  I can water a few flowers, but can't help the big trees.  I don't have crops and all my Garden critters have plenty, but the big trees suffer and a couple have died over the last few years.

Sitting here on the deck watching RAIN fall really lifts my spirits.

Moon Shadow

I was playing that tune on the treadmill this morning.

Here is my photo of the big Moon last week.  I suspect millions were taken.  Mine came out OK considering I did not have my tripod, just leaned against the Blue Bird post on my dock.          

You can always click on the pictures here for a better view.

CAT BIRD

      
Just snapped some Cat Bird photos.  I call my favorite chair here on the deck - "The Cat Bird" seat.  As a teenager I worked at a Drug Store.  Our delivery guy was about 25 and his street name was "Top Cat" as he was a ladies man.  I got to deliver on Wednesday afternoons, and I looked forward to getting out of the shop.  TC was really just a Cat Bird.  He was a hero among his crowd.  He would make a run for me to buy booze as I was not of age, give me hints on dealing with women and was always there as my back up.  Every evening he would come in and I would make him supper.  We just did sandwitches at the Drug Store, so that basically meant all the ham and cheese not sold that day.  He was my big friend and he looked after me.  A couple times he even Waxed my VW to kill time.

Cat Birds are from the family of Mocking Birds and Thrashers. They are secretive but energetic.  Most any call a Mockingbird can do (which is everything) a Cat Bird can.  Gray Catbirds are not afraid of predators, just like Mocking Birds and are up for a good fight.  One of the things I like about them is they destroy eggs of the Brown-headed Cowbird which is not a bird I like to see in my garden.

I am not sure I am supposed to have them year 'round, but I do.  They take getting used to for a soft heart like me. Their "cat sound" sounds more like a cat or critter caught and needing help to get free.  My Bride is always sending me out to run the sound down - "just in case".  I associate colors with things and I see a Cat Bird as "NAVY BLUE".

There is an excellent chance one lives near you.  Most likely you hear it and never see it.  Use your ears to find the guy.

BEES

We need Bees.
Unfortunately, when stung I tend to die.

Still, I like Bees.  Here is one of my Mason Bee houses.

I like Owls too and have a few houses.  Imagine my surprise when Honey Bees took one over a couple years back.  It was very interesting.  I could not climb a ladder and check on them, but they prospered.  I did put out a bowl of sugar water in Winter, don't know if that helped, but WTF?

Eventually the house had about a thousand pounds of honey in it and it fell.  I hated that.  I put up another in the same place and attached to the tree to hold a million pounds, but they did not return.

GOT BLUES ??

I was sitting in bed at 2AM watching a movie. A 'BLUES" tune started to play in the background. I had a strong urge to grab a bottle of beer and come out here on the porch to play some "BLUES". Many hours later I am here covered in garden sweat and have my computer tunes on "shuffle. I can see I presently have 2027 BLUES tunes in the computer. Right now Fred McDowell is on - very nice, you can't go wrong with him. Yes, I am a tune nut. I can't play or sing, but I am entertained when others do it.

My favorite "BLUES" artist are hard to figure. I have covered this before, maybe here. Like all genres, "BLUES" is a big playground. Like other genres, I tend to like the old tunes and don't keep up with the new. New BLUES to me is Buddy Guy who is one of the best.

Here are some of my favorites : (all main stream to keep it simple)

Bessie Smith - poor quality recordings lke many old BLUES. They sound excellent to me because the girl can make up for it. I would rank her as my favorite female artist. On many tunes her main helper is a teen age Louis Armstrong. She made a lot of money in the day.

John Lee Hooker - I don't think John Lee is my favorite, but I do play him more than any other.

Howlin' Wolf - I like the guy - a lot! His guitar is excellent and his voice is perfect. He has a rasp in his growl that goes really high. He is not Sarah Brightman, but in his own way can hit some notes. He just plays and sings along about things as if he were your friend. If I had to pick a favorite it might be Howlin' or it might be-

Mississippi John Hurt - The guy recorded with just himself and an acoustic guitar. Nothing else was needed. I grew up on Steinkuhler St in the 50's. We moved in 1962 to the country. As a kid, Steinkuler was dirt. A water wagon used to sprinkle to keep the dust down to the delight of us kids who ran after it. Our house was the last on the street before the Negro Quarters. To my right were white kids and to my left were Negro kids. All were required to get up a decent game of ball. John Hurt's tunes make me feel at home. Black and White were not very separated where I grew up. Now they are.

Albert King - In my opinion, he is the most entertaining person with an electric guitar. His smooth voice is nice, but his guitar speaks and sings. Electric guitar is sort of a computer, and while similar, not like an acoustic at all. That is not good or bad, and in Albert's hands, very good. Excellent electric guitar players are many. I rate Albert King as the one who entertains me best. I have him on tape, on CD, computer files, LP and even SACD. (well actually my SACD is on loan to KingMan, but he will return it someday)

Sonny Boy Williamson - He is the most famous with a harmonica for a reason. Give him some speaker time and you will see that is his second best talent. The man can sing the BLUES better than most. He can walk you through a song and make it stick. If you think a harmonica is a second rate or silly instrument just because it is small - you are an idiot and SBW proves it.

There are many, many more I like and play. It is a long list. The above are popular and a good starting point if you want to check out the BLUES.

There are many good White boys who play exceptional BLUES like SRV, Eric Clapton, Paul Butterfield, Robbin Ford, even Joe Cocker. The list is endless - I play Dr John often. I actually like Jimmie Vaughn a lot more than his brother. I don't believe my listening skills are good enough to really appreciate guys like Hendricks and SRV.

BEACH MUSIC (my favorite), like many genres, is rooted in the BLUES and many of my favorites BEACH tunes are BLUES artists. Just thinking, none of the above have a classic BEACH tune - strange ! Many others do. Many confuse BEACH with BLUES or SOUL, but it is not. Like in Nature, all toads are frogs, but not all frogs are toads.

The BLUES should connect with the listener and Clarence Smith just shuffled up with "Pappa De Da Da". This is just excellent, probably from the 30's. The sound of "BLUES" is very different from generation to generation. Like other genres the electric guitar soon separated the old from the new.

People (me?) play the BLUES when we are little bit down, a little bit left out and maybe a little bit lonely. A good BLUES singer lets you know you are not alone, just normal. Maybe that is why I play JLH so often.

Oh crap, Muddy Waters just shuffled up. I have a beer recipe Dan Hyde and I made just to celebrate him. It is not dark or light beer but muddy and very tasty. I could do a book comparing him and Lightnin' Hopkins. I have a few DVDs on these guys too.

In olden times the BLUES stars were women. There are many good ones and I have a lot of them. Later, men took the lead as the electric guitar hit the scene. No problem, Bonnie Raitt plays the slide as well as anyone ever will. Janis Joplin took singing the BLUES to a strange place. The Uppity Blues Women are my favorite modern women - excellent, and even Ruth Brown went back to the BLUES.

All instruments can play the BLUES. Check out Otis Spann on a piano and tell me if Van Clyburn was better. Armstrong is known for great JAZZ with his horn, but his roots are 100% BLUES. Drums are a natural for the BLUES as they hit and move you. Lightnin' used drums in his groups with great success.

Get yourself some BLUES

UNC

An internal investigation into UNC-Chapel Hill’s Department of African and Afro-American Studies has found evidence of academic fraud involving more than 50 classes that range from no-show professors to unauthorized grade changes for students.

The report evolved from the athletic and academic scandal that engulfed UNC’s football team,

The 10-page report said the findings are a blow to the university’s academic integrity. The findings were so serious that the university consulted with the district attorney and the SBI

The problems first surfaced two years ago during the NCAA’s investigation into improper benefits for football players.

The investigation found 45 other courses, most of them during summer sessions, in which Nyang’oro was the instructor of record but there was little evidence of teaching. The instructor would provide an assignment and grade the class paper, "but engaged in limited or no classroom or other instructional contact with students

Athletic advisers said Nyang’oro was a favored professor, not because he made it easy for athletes to pass, but because he was willing to work with them in getting the classes they needed. But his relationship with the department came under question when he hired a sports agent, Carl Carey Jr., who was a former athletic department academic adviser, to teach a summer class last year while the NCAA was investigating the football team for allowing other agents and their runners to have too much access to players.

CRAP

Clemson University football player Sammy Watkins is one of two students arrested early Friday by university police.

Samuel B. Watkins IV, 18, a freshman communication studies major from Fort Myers, Fla., and member of the football team, was charged with possession of a controlled substance and simple possession of marijuana, both misdemeanors.

"I made a mistake last night and I am truly sorry for my actions. I let the team down, the coaches down and this University down. I will learn from this. I will accept any discipline Coach Swinney and the University issues," Watkins said.

This is so sad and it goes on all over America - rarely at Clemson.

Watkins played last year as a true Freshman and achieved All American.  Coming into this season he will be a pre-season Heisman candidate.  His back ground is growing up in a drug invested environment and he escaped.   If he were old enough to go pro, he would have been the first receiver taken in the draft and would now have millions in the bank.

I just hate this.

On the other hand, see no reason to treat him differently from others just because of his talent.
I believe he can/will bounce back.   He is just 18.   A college student is not an innocent.
I hope and believe Clemson will adjudicate this the same as if he were any student.