Surgery - Squash Vine Borers

I overplanted one bed - courgette plants plus squash plants plus cucumber plants. They get big!

Anyway, in addition to cucumber beetles and squash bugs, it turns out I also have Squash Vine Borers.

It's probably too late for the plants I have. They have already mostly wilted and died back - I have pulled a few out already.

But for the two left, I performed surgery. Have a look at this video:

My plants do NOT look as healthy as his, sadly. What I have done is cover parts of the remaining vines with soil in an attempt to get the plant to produce more roots. I pulled 4-5 borers out, though not all in one spot like in this vid.

Fairly disgusting!

Hopefully we'll get a couple more squash, but if not... it'll just be one small one that I harvested a while ago from a dying plant.

I'll know better what to look for next year!

Impatient Bread

This is my recipe for bread when I'm hungry:

500g flour
300ml water - warm, not boiling
tbsp. olive oil
tsp yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar

Flour + yeast + salt + sugar into mixing bowl; combine. Add olive oil. Make a well in the center and pour in the water. I tend to use the handle of a wooden spoon to stir it all together at this point, else one of my hands ends up coated in dough.

Anyway, when you've mixed it all together pretty well, into one mass at least, turn it out and knead, adding a little flour where necessary. Cut the dough ball in half, and roll each half out into a baking-tray long sausage; put on a lightly oiled baking tray and cover with a tea towel.

Leave in the sun for ~50 minutes; turn on the oven, set to about 200 degrees C; when it gets to temperature, shove in the baking tray and wait for about 35 minutes, possibly a little less (the thinner the bread the quicker it'll cook!).

It won't be the best bread ever - to be really good, it should rise - get knocked back - rise again. I think I used not enough yeast today so it didn't rise much at all. But - I was impatient, and when it came out I made a little baguette sandwich which hit the spot!

Om, nom, nom as they say.

Now I'm boiling beetroot that I'm going to pickle!

Government, Why?

All this stuff happening to the south of us, in the States. Not good, is it.

It makes me wonder.. what is the remit of government, and how does it get decided that it has overstepped those bounds? Perhaps, every 50 years, there should be some kind of non-affiliated study into government. Clearly, power corrupts, and being in government just makes you insane.

Spying on everyone?

Opt-in to pornography?

Banning parking 'the wrong way' on a street, or having a clothesline in your garden?

None of this stuff is reasonable. I think I have a right *not* to be spied on (as a fairly ordinary person). A right to porn? Well, no, not exactly, but a right to browse the internet "unfiltered" (that means you too, advertising companies).

I accept I don't, strictly, have a right to drive. But I think that until I lose it, as long as I am able to show I can drive safely when necessary, I should be able to, and that nobody can remove my license to do so without a good reason.

We are generally, mostly, honest - about 90% honest. But clearly government and corporate corruption runs rife; studies have shown that this is a human trait, to take office stationery, to let lobbyists buy things, to buy houses 110km from Parliament Hill in order to claim 'living outside of Ottawa' and getting an extra chunk of expense allowance.

Is it evil? Is it morally corrupt? Yes, but the way is not to put those people in prison afterwards (that just costs more money) - it's to make it frowned upon by your peers, against the 'code of honour' of your institution. And to take all of it back with interest...

So, again, what is government for? To do the best for the nation for now *and the future* - not to sell the crown jewels to get you in at the next election. To have long term vision to lead the country to prosperity.

Yes, to protect the country from internal and external threats.

To go round bothering people looking for pressure cookers and backpacks on Amazon? Hmm..

The worst thing, as far as I can see, is not just that the Obama government sanctions this, rather how far it reaches. I'm not American, but I've been to American-hosted websites. The UK has a seriously wonky extradition treaty with the US.

The US is not an imperial power, but it certainly acts like one. Get your hooks out; sort out your own problems; stop being so protectionist and generally hypocritical.

I don't hate 'the US'. Americans I have met are nice people. But the government... what a mess. Stop meddling, fix your own problems first, and get your hooks out! Worldwide income tax for non-residents? You're nuts. Seriously. I don't know how you get away with it (stupid diplomats... oh and a ridiculous defence spend, yes).

Sad... putting whistleblowers in prison. They are the people that will, eventually, allow your - yes - great country to *be* great because they will have started movements that will demand change.

So. Governments. Get out of my internet, everyone's internet. Stop prosecuting your own people. Encourage sensible saving, not reckless credit use (it *will* come back to bite the country as a whole).

It's so stupid. So much of what they do is like self-harm!

Simplify the law. Make it *fairer* but less complicated! Nobody cares about this permutation or that permutation; make it just and fair. Make the taxation just and fair and, most of all, so simple that people can do their own tax returns without fear of prosecution for making a *mistake*.

Governments: Don't make life hard for people! Don't protect yourself, that isn't your job.

It's not that easy, I know. But I feel that, while we are going forward *technologically*, we are going backwards *governmentally* at the moment. There are signs here saying "Back Off, Government!" and while I don't know what they are for, exactly, the sentiment rings true.

Yes, I want schools, libraries, waste collection (though more recycling than garbage, thanks). No I don't mind paying for that. I want good, clean hospitals, where the doctors and nurses have good quality of life. But federal, provincial, municipal governments: Give it a rest. Evaluate what you're for, and STOP with the bits you don't need to stick your nose into.

Thanks!

Energy Use - 31st July

Our daily energy use - 31/07/2013

This included baking a loaf of bread in the evening, cooking lunch, and a little desktop computer gaming in the evening.