Thursday, December 13, 2012
The St. Augustine Outdoorsman Podcast Episode 1 ID and Information Pack
Please check out our new podcast here at the St. Augustine Outdoorsman.
If you want to download this podcast follow this link please: http://staugoutdoorsman.podbean.com/2012/12/13/the-st-augustine-outdoorsman-episode-1-id-and-information-pack/
Monday, November 19, 2012
US to scan status updates and tweets for bioterrorism evidence
This was taken from WIRED.
The US department of Homeland Security has commissioned a one-year contract to investigate the efficacy of using social networks to identify instances of bioterrorism, pandemics and other health and security risks.
It is paying Accenture Federal Services $3 million (£1.8 million) to scan the networks' for key words in real time to see if growing threats or health trends can be distinguished. So if an individual flags up a nasty cough in a Facebook update, for instance, the software will be looking to see if key medical terminology is repeated in connected groups or from other individuals posting from the same location.
"This is big data analytics," said John Matchette, managing director for Accenture's public safety department, who admits the technique is yet to be proven. "In theory, social media analytics would have shown timely indicators for multiple past biological and health-related events." Mobile data mapping has been used in the past to track and predict population movements following natural disasters and algorithms can use data to track disease hotspots after the event. However, this latest experiment could provide real time information to help stem disease spread, develop early warning systems and help emergency services coordinate react in a timely fashion
According to a company statement from Accenture, the software will constantly scan blogs, as well as the usual outlets, but not all networks and channels have been decided upon. It's no surprise that national security departments monitor social networks to look out for threats (Paul Chambers' arrest after a tongue-in-cheek faux bomb tweet threat being a perfect example of when that monitoring goes very wrong), however Homeland Security is already being sued by civil liberties group Electronic Privacy Information Centre and is under pressure to answer questions about setting up fake social networking accounts to search for key words such as "virus" and "trojan". The department has been accused of violating the public's free speech and constitutional protections against unreasonable searches. No one would disagree there needs to be better systems in place to monitor and protect against the spread of infectious disease, however how data is monitored to do this has come under fire.
"The information won't be tracked back to individuals who posted it," stated Matchette.
Not everyone is convinced. "Even when data is in aggregate, we don't have any clear policies around how data will be used and how it can be traced back, including if and when there are signs of an illness outbreak," Deven McGraw, director of the health privacy project at the Centre for Democracy and Technology, told WebProNews. "I think it's a legitimate question to ask [Homeland Security] what the guidelines are for using this data. I'd prefer they have a plan in advance for dealing with this, rather than waiting."
A statement on guidelines from Homeland Security -- which has begun aggregating data from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and collecting urban air samples as points of reference -- is somewhat vague, but does admit there is room to home in on specific persons of interest. Information that is already "accessible on certain heavily trafficked social media sites" is analysed without gathering personal specifics on an individual, "with very narrow exceptions".
The US department of Homeland Security has commissioned a one-year contract to investigate the efficacy of using social networks to identify instances of bioterrorism, pandemics and other health and security risks.
It is paying Accenture Federal Services $3 million (£1.8 million) to scan the networks' for key words in real time to see if growing threats or health trends can be distinguished. So if an individual flags up a nasty cough in a Facebook update, for instance, the software will be looking to see if key medical terminology is repeated in connected groups or from other individuals posting from the same location.
"This is big data analytics," said John Matchette, managing director for Accenture's public safety department, who admits the technique is yet to be proven. "In theory, social media analytics would have shown timely indicators for multiple past biological and health-related events." Mobile data mapping has been used in the past to track and predict population movements following natural disasters and algorithms can use data to track disease hotspots after the event. However, this latest experiment could provide real time information to help stem disease spread, develop early warning systems and help emergency services coordinate react in a timely fashion
According to a company statement from Accenture, the software will constantly scan blogs, as well as the usual outlets, but not all networks and channels have been decided upon. It's no surprise that national security departments monitor social networks to look out for threats (Paul Chambers' arrest after a tongue-in-cheek faux bomb tweet threat being a perfect example of when that monitoring goes very wrong), however Homeland Security is already being sued by civil liberties group Electronic Privacy Information Centre and is under pressure to answer questions about setting up fake social networking accounts to search for key words such as "virus" and "trojan". The department has been accused of violating the public's free speech and constitutional protections against unreasonable searches. No one would disagree there needs to be better systems in place to monitor and protect against the spread of infectious disease, however how data is monitored to do this has come under fire.
"The information won't be tracked back to individuals who posted it," stated Matchette.
Not everyone is convinced. "Even when data is in aggregate, we don't have any clear policies around how data will be used and how it can be traced back, including if and when there are signs of an illness outbreak," Deven McGraw, director of the health privacy project at the Centre for Democracy and Technology, told WebProNews. "I think it's a legitimate question to ask [Homeland Security] what the guidelines are for using this data. I'd prefer they have a plan in advance for dealing with this, rather than waiting."
A statement on guidelines from Homeland Security -- which has begun aggregating data from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and collecting urban air samples as points of reference -- is somewhat vague, but does admit there is room to home in on specific persons of interest. Information that is already "accessible on certain heavily trafficked social media sites" is analysed without gathering personal specifics on an individual, "with very narrow exceptions".
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Book Review-Stronger Than Dirt
Stronger Than Dirt
by Kimberly Schaye and Christopher Losee
How one urban couple grew a business, a family, and a new way of life - from the ground up.
I just finished the book Stronger than Dirt. I checked it out from the public library and knew nothing of the book or the authors, but I thought it looked intriguing.
The book is about a couple in New York City who decide over a period of time to buy land in upstate New York and become farmers. Chris has run his father's fence business but with the economy caused him to have to close the business down. Kimberly is a reporter for a New York paper.
The book describes their adventure in finding a piece of land and then buying it. Chris takes on the challenge of building their house by himself. As time goes by he finally has to have some help and learns a
great deal from the people who help him. As they are preparing to seed for their first season, they come to understand that the farm is not ready yet for seeding plants. So they prepare the first season's
crop in their rented apartment. Chris built racks and grow lights for them in their bedroom!
The book takes you through the struggles of people who know little about homesteading but have a desire to learn. Chris reads and researches everything he can to get the answers he needs to make a go
of it in upstate New York. You will learn of their journey of selling their flowers and produce at the markets in New York, always wondering if this is going to pay off.
This story is about a dream and the pursuit of that dream and never giving up. As you come to the end you are encouraged that you too can live your dream.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Russian Sub Skirts U.S. Coast
Russian Sub Skirts Coast
Posted By Bill Gertz On November 5, 2012 (5:05 pm)
A Russian nuclear-powered attack submarine cruised within 200 miles of
the East Coast recently in the latest sign Russia is continuing to
flex its naval and aerial power against the United States, defense
officials said.
The submarine was identified by its NATO designation as a Russian
Seirra-2 class submarine believed to be based with Russia's Northern
Fleet. It was the first time that class of Russian submarine had been
detected near a U.S. coast, said officials who spoke on condition of
anonymity because of the sensitive nature of anti-submarine warfare
efforts.
One defense official said the submarine was believed to have been
conducting anti-submarine warfare efforts against U.S. ballistic and
cruise missile submarines based at Kings Bay, Georgia.
A second official said the submarine did not sail close to Kings Bay
and also did not threaten a U.S. aircraft carrier strike group that
was conducting exercises in the eastern Atlantic.
Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base, north of Jacksonville, Fla., is
homeport for two guided missile submarines and six nuclear missile
submarines. The submarines are known to be a target of Russian attack
submarines.
Meanwhile, the officials also said that a Russian electronic
intelligence-gathering vessel was granted safe harbor in the
commercial port of Jacksonville, Fla., within listening range of Kings
Bay.
The Russian AGI ship, or Auxiliary-General Intelligence, was allowed
to stay in the port to avoid the superstorm that battered the U.S.
East Coast last week. A Jacksonville Port Authority spokeswoman had no
immediate comment on the Russian AGI at the port.
"A Russian AGI and an SSN in the same geographic area as one of the
largest U.S. ballistic missile submarine bases—Kings Bay—is
reminiscent of Cold War activities of the Soviet navy tracking the
movements of our SSBN's," said a third U.S. official, referring to the
designation for ballistic missile submarines, SSBN.
"While I can't talk about how we detected it, I can tell you that
things worked the way they were supposed to," the second official
said, stating that the Russian submarine "poses no threat whatsoever."
According to naval analysts, the Russian attack submarine is outfitted
with SS-N-21 anti-submarine warfare missiles, as well as SS-N-16
anti-submarine warfare missiles. It also is equipped with torpedoes.
The U.S. Navy deploys a series of underwater sonar sensors set up at
strategic locations near the United States that detected the submarine
sometime late last month.
The submarine is currently believed to be in international waters
several hundred miles from the United States.
The official said the deployment appeared to be part of efforts by the
Russian navy to re-establish its blue-water naval power projection
capabilities.
Naval analyst Miles Yu, writing in the newsletter Geostrategy Direct,
stated that Russia announced in February it is stepping up submarine
patrols in strategic waters around the world in a throwback to the
Soviet period.
"On June 1 or a bit later we will resume constant patrolling of the
world's oceans by strategic nuclear submarines," Russian Navy
Commander Adm. Vladimir Vysotsky was quoted as saying Feb. 3.
During the Cold War, Moscow's submarine forces carried out hundreds of
submarine patrols annually to maintain its first- and second-strike
nuclear capabilities. By 1984, the Soviet Union was declining but its
naval forces conducted 230 submarine patrols. Today the number is
fewer than 10 patrols.
Richard Fisher, a military analyst with the International Assessment
and Strategy Center, said Russian submarine patrols in the Atlantic
have been reduced but remain "regular."
"As was their primary mission during the Cold War, Russian SSNs
[nuclear attack submarines] would likely be trying to track U.S.
nuclear missile submarines deploying from Kings Bay, Ga., and to
monitor U.S. naval deployments from Norfolk, Va.," Fisher said in an
email.
While the Sierra-2 is comparable to the U.S. Los Angeles-class attack
submarine, Russia is building a new class of attack submarines that
are said to be comparable to the latest U.S. Virginia-class
submarines, Fisher said.
The submarine deployment followed stepped-up Russian nuclear bomber
activity near U.S. borders last summer, including the transit of two
Bear-H strategic bombers near the Alaska air defense zone during
Russian strategic bomber war games in arctic in late June.
Then on July 4, in an apparent Fourth of July political message, a
Russian Bear-H flew the closest to the U.S. West Coast that a Russian
strategic bomber had flown since the Cold War when such flights were
routine.
In both incidents, U.S. military spokesmen sought to downplay the
threat posed by the air incursions, apparently in response to the
Obama administration's conciliatory "reset" policy of seeking closer
ties with Moscow.
U.S. and Canadian interceptor jets were scrambled to meet the Russian
bombers during the flights last summer.
The officials did not provide the name of the Russian submarine.
However, the sole Sierra-2 submarine still deployed with Russia's
Northern Fleet is the nuclear powered attack submarine Pskov that was
first deployed in 1993.
Confirmation of the recent Sierra-2 submarine deployment followed a
report from U.S. national security officials who said a more advanced
and harder-to-detect Russian Akula-class attack submarine had sailed
undetected in the Gulf of Mexico in August.
Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan W. Greenert, in response to
the report first published in the Free Beacon, stated in a letter to
Sen. John Cornyn (R., Texas) that "based on all of the source
information available to us, a Russian submarine did not enter the
Gulf of Mexico."
Navy spokesmen did not say whether an Akula had been detected
elsewhere in the Atlantic around that time period.
A Navy spokesman said later that the last time an Akula was confirmed
as present near the United States was 2009.
The U.S. is not the only country responding to increased Russian
strategic bomber activity.
Norway's military has detected an increase in Russian strategic bomber
flights near its territory, the most recent being the flight of a Bear
H bomber on Sept. 11 and 12 that was shadowed by NATO jet fighters.
Norwegian Lt. Col. John Espen Lien told the Free Beacon in an email
that the number of Russian bomber flights this year was more than in
the past, with 55 bombers detected.
According to Norwegian military data, Russian aircraft flights near
Norwegian coasts began increasing in July 2007 and increased from 14
flights in 2006 to 88 in 2007. There were 87 in 2008 and 77 in 2009
and a decline to 37 in 2010 and 48 in 2011.
"Most of these strategic flights are … Tupolev TU-95 Bear [bombers],"
he stated. "In 2007 (and partly 2008) we also identified some TU-160
Blackjack. Lately we have also identified some TU-22 Backfire."
Article taken from Washington Free Beacon - http://freebeacon.com
URL to article: http://freebeacon.com/russian-subs-skirt-coast/
Posted By Bill Gertz On November 5, 2012 (5:05 pm)
A Russian nuclear-powered attack submarine cruised within 200 miles of
the East Coast recently in the latest sign Russia is continuing to
flex its naval and aerial power against the United States, defense
officials said.
The submarine was identified by its NATO designation as a Russian
Seirra-2 class submarine believed to be based with Russia's Northern
Fleet. It was the first time that class of Russian submarine had been
detected near a U.S. coast, said officials who spoke on condition of
anonymity because of the sensitive nature of anti-submarine warfare
efforts.
One defense official said the submarine was believed to have been
conducting anti-submarine warfare efforts against U.S. ballistic and
cruise missile submarines based at Kings Bay, Georgia.
A second official said the submarine did not sail close to Kings Bay
and also did not threaten a U.S. aircraft carrier strike group that
was conducting exercises in the eastern Atlantic.
Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base, north of Jacksonville, Fla., is
homeport for two guided missile submarines and six nuclear missile
submarines. The submarines are known to be a target of Russian attack
submarines.
Meanwhile, the officials also said that a Russian electronic
intelligence-gathering vessel was granted safe harbor in the
commercial port of Jacksonville, Fla., within listening range of Kings
Bay.
The Russian AGI ship, or Auxiliary-General Intelligence, was allowed
to stay in the port to avoid the superstorm that battered the U.S.
East Coast last week. A Jacksonville Port Authority spokeswoman had no
immediate comment on the Russian AGI at the port.
"A Russian AGI and an SSN in the same geographic area as one of the
largest U.S. ballistic missile submarine bases—Kings Bay—is
reminiscent of Cold War activities of the Soviet navy tracking the
movements of our SSBN's," said a third U.S. official, referring to the
designation for ballistic missile submarines, SSBN.
"While I can't talk about how we detected it, I can tell you that
things worked the way they were supposed to," the second official
said, stating that the Russian submarine "poses no threat whatsoever."
According to naval analysts, the Russian attack submarine is outfitted
with SS-N-21 anti-submarine warfare missiles, as well as SS-N-16
anti-submarine warfare missiles. It also is equipped with torpedoes.
The U.S. Navy deploys a series of underwater sonar sensors set up at
strategic locations near the United States that detected the submarine
sometime late last month.
The submarine is currently believed to be in international waters
several hundred miles from the United States.
The official said the deployment appeared to be part of efforts by the
Russian navy to re-establish its blue-water naval power projection
capabilities.
Naval analyst Miles Yu, writing in the newsletter Geostrategy Direct,
stated that Russia announced in February it is stepping up submarine
patrols in strategic waters around the world in a throwback to the
Soviet period.
"On June 1 or a bit later we will resume constant patrolling of the
world's oceans by strategic nuclear submarines," Russian Navy
Commander Adm. Vladimir Vysotsky was quoted as saying Feb. 3.
During the Cold War, Moscow's submarine forces carried out hundreds of
submarine patrols annually to maintain its first- and second-strike
nuclear capabilities. By 1984, the Soviet Union was declining but its
naval forces conducted 230 submarine patrols. Today the number is
fewer than 10 patrols.
Richard Fisher, a military analyst with the International Assessment
and Strategy Center, said Russian submarine patrols in the Atlantic
have been reduced but remain "regular."
"As was their primary mission during the Cold War, Russian SSNs
[nuclear attack submarines] would likely be trying to track U.S.
nuclear missile submarines deploying from Kings Bay, Ga., and to
monitor U.S. naval deployments from Norfolk, Va.," Fisher said in an
email.
While the Sierra-2 is comparable to the U.S. Los Angeles-class attack
submarine, Russia is building a new class of attack submarines that
are said to be comparable to the latest U.S. Virginia-class
submarines, Fisher said.
The submarine deployment followed stepped-up Russian nuclear bomber
activity near U.S. borders last summer, including the transit of two
Bear-H strategic bombers near the Alaska air defense zone during
Russian strategic bomber war games in arctic in late June.
Then on July 4, in an apparent Fourth of July political message, a
Russian Bear-H flew the closest to the U.S. West Coast that a Russian
strategic bomber had flown since the Cold War when such flights were
routine.
In both incidents, U.S. military spokesmen sought to downplay the
threat posed by the air incursions, apparently in response to the
Obama administration's conciliatory "reset" policy of seeking closer
ties with Moscow.
U.S. and Canadian interceptor jets were scrambled to meet the Russian
bombers during the flights last summer.
The officials did not provide the name of the Russian submarine.
However, the sole Sierra-2 submarine still deployed with Russia's
Northern Fleet is the nuclear powered attack submarine Pskov that was
first deployed in 1993.
Confirmation of the recent Sierra-2 submarine deployment followed a
report from U.S. national security officials who said a more advanced
and harder-to-detect Russian Akula-class attack submarine had sailed
undetected in the Gulf of Mexico in August.
Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan W. Greenert, in response to
the report first published in the Free Beacon, stated in a letter to
Sen. John Cornyn (R., Texas) that "based on all of the source
information available to us, a Russian submarine did not enter the
Gulf of Mexico."
Navy spokesmen did not say whether an Akula had been detected
elsewhere in the Atlantic around that time period.
A Navy spokesman said later that the last time an Akula was confirmed
as present near the United States was 2009.
The U.S. is not the only country responding to increased Russian
strategic bomber activity.
Norway's military has detected an increase in Russian strategic bomber
flights near its territory, the most recent being the flight of a Bear
H bomber on Sept. 11 and 12 that was shadowed by NATO jet fighters.
Norwegian Lt. Col. John Espen Lien told the Free Beacon in an email
that the number of Russian bomber flights this year was more than in
the past, with 55 bombers detected.
According to Norwegian military data, Russian aircraft flights near
Norwegian coasts began increasing in July 2007 and increased from 14
flights in 2006 to 88 in 2007. There were 87 in 2008 and 77 in 2009
and a decline to 37 in 2010 and 48 in 2011.
"Most of these strategic flights are … Tupolev TU-95 Bear [bombers],"
he stated. "In 2007 (and partly 2008) we also identified some TU-160
Blackjack. Lately we have also identified some TU-22 Backfire."
Article taken from Washington Free Beacon - http://freebeacon.com
URL to article: http://freebeacon.com/russian-subs-skirt-coast/
Monday, August 20, 2012
Insect Bites and Stings: Tips and Remedies
Have you ever been be attacked by a bee or a mosquito? Well that is a silly question because we all know that we have. But what do we do when it happens?
I would like to share with you some things I discovered from The Old Farmer's Almanac.
Bee Stings:
- If you have a history of bad reactions to insect stings, call emergency medical services.
- If the stinger is still in the wound do not pinch it to get it out. If you do you may squeeze more venom into the wound.
- Gently scrape the skin with a credit card, your thumbnail or a blunt knife.
- Apply ice or a cold pack to help reduce the swelling.
- Clean the area with soap and water and apply a hydrocortisone cream or a mixture of baking soda and water.
- Males only feed on nectar. The female nourish their developing eggs with protein rich blood.
- They prefer to bite ankles and wrist. The blood vessels are nearer to the skin's surface.
- They spit an anticoagulant under the victims skin, leaving us with whatever disease they are carrying.
- Lemon Eucalyptus oil can be used to repel mosquitoes.
- Coll the area of the bite to constrict the capillaries near the skin's surface and reduce swelling.
- Do not scratch the bite. This will only make it worst.
- To eliminate the itch, rub with a meat tenderizer or lemon juice.
- White vinegar is another remedy to relieving the itch of insect bites. Apply it in full strength. Do not use vinegar if the area is raw.
Monday, August 6, 2012
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Great Gardening Resource for North Florida
Hey guys. Hope you have had a good weekend.
I just want to share a resource that I just discovered. It is the Bradford County Florida Ag site. Here is the link to it. http://bradford.ifas.ufl.edu/vegetable_gardening.shtml Great gardening tips and planting calendar for the whole year.
In the next few days I will be giving you some info on a low cost mosquito trap and show you how to make your own laundry soap at home. So, check back or sign up at the right side of the page for updates.
I just want to share a resource that I just discovered. It is the Bradford County Florida Ag site. Here is the link to it. http://bradford.ifas.ufl.edu/vegetable_gardening.shtml Great gardening tips and planting calendar for the whole year.
In the next few days I will be giving you some info on a low cost mosquito trap and show you how to make your own laundry soap at home. So, check back or sign up at the right side of the page for updates.
Friday, July 20, 2012
10 Things You Can Do To Help Save The Bees
I have wanted to start a hive but I can't do it on our property now. But I always want to learn so I began to look at Phil's website. Really good stuff. He has a free download of how to make a top bar beehive. Go check it out and download it.
As I read through the site, I came across a article that I want to share with you. Phil wrote this-10 Things you can do to help save the bees.
Bees are in trouble, and it is mostly because of us. We have destroyed much of their natural habitat, we have poisoned their food and in the case of honeybees, we have used and abused them for our own purposes while not giving enough attention to their needs and welfare.
Honeybees have been evolving for a very long time – the fossil record goes back at least 100 million years – and they became remarkably successful due to their adaptability to different climates, varied flora and their tolerance of many shapes and sizes of living accommodation. They became attractive to humans because of their unique ability to produce useful things, apparently out of thin air: honey, wax and propolis.
Until the nineteenth century, they were kept in pots, skeps, baskets and a variety of wooden boxes intended more-or-less to imitate their natural habitat of choice, the hollow tree. With the invention of the 'movable frame' hive, the second half of that century saw an exponential growth in commercial-scale beekeeping, and by the time motor vehicles became widely available, beekeeping on a widespread and industrial scale became a practical possibility.
Since then, bees have been treated in rather the same way as battery hens: routinely dosed with antibiotics and miticides in an effort to keep them producing, despite the growing problems of diseases and parasites and insecticide-treated plants that have led to the emergence of so-called 'Colony Collapse Disorder', especially in the massive beefarming operations in the USA.
It doesn't have to be like this. Some beekeepers have realized that, if bees are to
become healthy enough to develop resistance to disease and the ability to adapt to pests, then they have to be treated differently – and not just by beekeepers.
Here are some things you can do to help the bees:
1. Stop using insecticides - especially for 'cosmetic' gardening
There are better ways of dealing with pests - especially biological controls. Modern pesticides are extremely powerful and many are long-lasting and very toxic to bees and other insects. Removing all unnecessary pesticides from the environment is probablythe single most important thing we can do to help save the bees.
2. Create your own Bee-Friendly Zone
By doing two simple things – avoiding synthetic insecticides and herbicides, and creating habitat by planting bee-friendly flowers – you can create a Bee-Friendly Zone as small as a windowbox or as big as a public park, a whole village or neighbourhood. See www.beefriendlyzone.com for details.
3. Read the labels on garden compost - beware hidden killers!
Some garden and potting composts are on sale that contain Imidacloprid - a deadly insecticide manufactured by Bayer. It is often disguised as 'vine weevil protection' or similar, but it is highly toxic to all insects and all soil life, including beneficial earthworms. The insecticide is taken up by plants, and if you use this compost in hanging baskets, bees seeking water from the moist compost may be killed.
4. Create natural habitat
If you have space in your garden, let some of it go wild to create a safe haven for bees and other insects and small mammals. Gardens that are too tidy are not so wildlife-friendly.
5. Plant bee-friendly flowers
You can buy wildflower seeds from many seed merchants, and they can be sown in any spare patch of ground - even on waste ground that is not being cultivated. Some 'guerilla gardeners' even plant them in public parks and waste ground.
6. Provide a site for beehives
If you have some space to spare, you could offer a corner of your garden to a local beekeeper as a place to keep a hive or two. They will need to have regular access, so bear this in mind when considering a site.
7. Make a wild bee house
Providing a simple box as a place for feral bees to set up home is one step short of taking up beekeeping, but may appeal to those who want to have bees around but don't want to get involved with looking after them.
8. Support your local beekeepers
Many people believe that local honey can help to reduce the effects of hayfever and similar allergies, which is one good reason to buy honey from a local beekeeper rather than from supermarkets, most of which source honey from thousands of miles away. If you can, find a beekeeper who does not use any chemicals in their hives and ask for pure comb honey for a real treat.
9. Learn about bees - and tell others
Bees are fascinating creatures that relatively few people take the trouble to understand. Read a good book about bees and beekeeping, and who knows - you might decide to –
10. Become a beekeeper
It is easier than you might imagine to become a beekeeper - and you don't need any of the expensive equipment in the glossy catalogues! Everything you need to keep bees successfully can be made by anyone with a few simple tools: if you can put up a shelf, you can probably build a beehive!
Phil Chandler is the author of The Barefoot Beekeeper and has a busy discussion forum for natural beekeeping on his website at www.biobees.com.
So, here is a challenge from the St. Augustine Outdoorsman. Let's develop bee friendly zones on our property.
Honeybees have been evolving for a very long time – the fossil record goes back at least 100 million years – and they became remarkably successful due to their adaptability to different climates, varied flora and their tolerance of many shapes and sizes of living accommodation. They became attractive to humans because of their unique ability to produce useful things, apparently out of thin air: honey, wax and propolis.
Until the nineteenth century, they were kept in pots, skeps, baskets and a variety of wooden boxes intended more-or-less to imitate their natural habitat of choice, the hollow tree. With the invention of the 'movable frame' hive, the second half of that century saw an exponential growth in commercial-scale beekeeping, and by the time motor vehicles became widely available, beekeeping on a widespread and industrial scale became a practical possibility.
Since then, bees have been treated in rather the same way as battery hens: routinely dosed with antibiotics and miticides in an effort to keep them producing, despite the growing problems of diseases and parasites and insecticide-treated plants that have led to the emergence of so-called 'Colony Collapse Disorder', especially in the massive beefarming operations in the USA.
It doesn't have to be like this. Some beekeepers have realized that, if bees are to
become healthy enough to develop resistance to disease and the ability to adapt to pests, then they have to be treated differently – and not just by beekeepers.
Here are some things you can do to help the bees:
1. Stop using insecticides - especially for 'cosmetic' gardening
There are better ways of dealing with pests - especially biological controls. Modern pesticides are extremely powerful and many are long-lasting and very toxic to bees and other insects. Removing all unnecessary pesticides from the environment is probablythe single most important thing we can do to help save the bees.
2. Create your own Bee-Friendly Zone
By doing two simple things – avoiding synthetic insecticides and herbicides, and creating habitat by planting bee-friendly flowers – you can create a Bee-Friendly Zone as small as a windowbox or as big as a public park, a whole village or neighbourhood. See www.beefriendlyzone.com for details.
3. Read the labels on garden compost - beware hidden killers!
Some garden and potting composts are on sale that contain Imidacloprid - a deadly insecticide manufactured by Bayer. It is often disguised as 'vine weevil protection' or similar, but it is highly toxic to all insects and all soil life, including beneficial earthworms. The insecticide is taken up by plants, and if you use this compost in hanging baskets, bees seeking water from the moist compost may be killed.
4. Create natural habitat
If you have space in your garden, let some of it go wild to create a safe haven for bees and other insects and small mammals. Gardens that are too tidy are not so wildlife-friendly.
5. Plant bee-friendly flowers
You can buy wildflower seeds from many seed merchants, and they can be sown in any spare patch of ground - even on waste ground that is not being cultivated. Some 'guerilla gardeners' even plant them in public parks and waste ground.
6. Provide a site for beehives
If you have some space to spare, you could offer a corner of your garden to a local beekeeper as a place to keep a hive or two. They will need to have regular access, so bear this in mind when considering a site.
7. Make a wild bee house
Providing a simple box as a place for feral bees to set up home is one step short of taking up beekeeping, but may appeal to those who want to have bees around but don't want to get involved with looking after them.
8. Support your local beekeepers
Many people believe that local honey can help to reduce the effects of hayfever and similar allergies, which is one good reason to buy honey from a local beekeeper rather than from supermarkets, most of which source honey from thousands of miles away. If you can, find a beekeeper who does not use any chemicals in their hives and ask for pure comb honey for a real treat.
9. Learn about bees - and tell others
Bees are fascinating creatures that relatively few people take the trouble to understand. Read a good book about bees and beekeeping, and who knows - you might decide to –
10. Become a beekeeper
It is easier than you might imagine to become a beekeeper - and you don't need any of the expensive equipment in the glossy catalogues! Everything you need to keep bees successfully can be made by anyone with a few simple tools: if you can put up a shelf, you can probably build a beehive!
Phil Chandler is the author of The Barefoot Beekeeper and has a busy discussion forum for natural beekeeping on his website at www.biobees.com.
So, here is a challenge from the St. Augustine Outdoorsman. Let's develop bee friendly zones on our property.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Bicycle Garden Plow
Hey folks. Welcome to a new week. I saw this today and wanted to share it with you. May be a easy and inexpensive way to have the garden plow you have wanted for the upcoming fall season.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Pastor Sentence To 60 Days For Holding Bible Study
Check out this link to the article. http://www.churchleaders.com/pastors/pastor-articles/161988-man-sentenced-to-jail-for-hosting-bible-study-in-his-home.html
This stuff is crazy. This is the same city that arrested my friend Bishop Rick Painter of Cathedral of Christ the King for ringing the church bells. What will the government do next?
This stuff is crazy. This is the same city that arrested my friend Bishop Rick Painter of Cathedral of Christ the King for ringing the church bells. What will the government do next?
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Compost Bins Coming Soon
Today my friend Clayton Duke gave me the last two pallets that I need to build my first Compost Bin. This weekend I will begin to build it and will upload some pictures of it.
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Prepping? That's What You Call It?
Today Joe will look at the word prepping. So watch the video and see what he has to say.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Monday, June 25, 2012
What Are We Doing?
What are we doing? That's the question I want to ask today. Well, for us here at the St. Augustine Outdoorsman we are beginning a new direction for our blog. This was going to be a blog about fishing and hunting in our region. But after much though I have changed the focus.
Yes we will still talk about fishing and hunting and the like. But we will begin to rediscover some of the things that our grandparent taught and we have lost in this generation. It is time to reclaim some of the thing that they taught long ago. So, come on the journey with me as we rediscover an old way to live in this digital age.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Friday, February 17, 2012
Weather Briefing for the Weekend of 2-18-12
You can check out this link for a weather briefing concerning this weekend's weather.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
February 2012 Tide Chart for St. Augustine Beach, Florida
February 2012
Tide Chart for St. Augustine Beach, Florida
| 02/01 | Wed | 02:30 AM | 3.97 H |
| 02/01 | Wed | 08:57 AM | 0.82 L |
| 02/01 | Wed | 02:56 PM | 3.18 H |
| 02/01 | Wed | 08:58 PM | 0.35 L |
| 02/02 | Thu | 03:29 AM | 4.06 H |
| 02/02 | Thu | 09:52 AM | 0.75 L |
| 02/02 | Thu | 03:55 PM | 3.25 H |
| 02/02 | Thu | 09:50 PM | 0.26 L |
| 02/03 | Fri | 04:24 AM | 4.25 H |
| 02/03 | Fri | 10:45 AM | 0.59 L |
| 02/03 | Fri | 04:49 PM | 3.43 H |
| 02/03 | Fri | 10:42 PM | 0.09 L |
| 02/04 | Sat | 05:14 AM | 4.51 H |
| 02/04 | Sat | 11:34 AM | 0.35 L |
| 02/04 | Sat | 05:37 PM | 3.68 H |
| 02/04 | Sat | 11:32 PM | -0.13 L |
| 02/05 | Sun | 06:00 AM | 4.78 H |
| 02/05 | Sun | 12:19 PM | 0.07 L |
| 02/05 | Sun | 06:22 PM | 3.97 H |
| 02/06 | Mon | 12:19 AM | -0.37 L |
| 02/06 | Mon | 06:43 AM | 5.03 H |
| 02/06 | Mon | 01:00 PM | -0.23 L |
| 02/06 | Mon | 07:05 PM | 4.28 H |
| 02/07 | Tue | 01:03 AM | -0.59 L |
| 02/07 | Tue | 07:26 AM | 5.21 H |
| 02/07 | Tue | 01:39 PM | -0.49 L |
| 02/07 | Tue | 07:49 PM | 4.58 H |
| 02/08 | Wed | 01:47 AM | -0.74 L |
| 02/08 | Wed | 08:09 AM | 5.3 H |
| 02/08 | Wed | 02:18 PM | -0.69 L |
| 02/08 | Wed | 08:32 PM | 4.84 H |
| 02/09 | Thu | 02:31 AM | -0.8 L |
| 02/09 | Thu | 08:52 AM | 5.28 H |
| 02/09 | Thu | 02:57 PM | -0.81 L |
| 02/09 | Thu | 09:17 PM | 5.03 H |
| 02/10 | Fri | 03:17 AM | -0.75 L |
| 02/10 | Fri | 09:37 AM | 5.15 H |
| 02/10 | Fri | 03:40 PM | -0.83 L |
| 02/10 | Fri | 10:04 PM | 5.14 H |
| 02/11 | Sat | 04:07 AM | -0.6 L |
| 02/11 | Sat | 10:23 AM | 4.93 H |
| 02/11 | Sat | 04:27 PM | -0.77 L |
| 02/11 | Sat | 10:53 PM | 5.16 H |
| 02/12 | Sun | 05:03 AM | -0.38 L |
| 02/12 | Sun | 11:13 AM | 4.63 H |
| 02/12 | Sun | 05:20 PM | -0.65 L |
| 02/12 | Sun | 11:46 PM | 5.09 H |
| 02/13 | Mon | 06:05 AM | -0.17 L |
| 02/13 | Mon | 12:07 PM | 4.31 H |
| 02/13 | Mon | 06:18 PM | -0.51 L |
| 02/14 | Tue | 12:45 AM | 4.97 H |
| 02/14 | Tue | 07:10 AM | 0.01 L |
| 02/14 | Tue | 01:07 PM | 4.02 H |
| 02/14 | Tue | 07:20 PM | -0.39 L |
| 02/15 | Wed | 01:50 AM | 4.86 H |
| 02/15 | Wed | 08:16 AM | 0.1 L |
| 02/15 | Wed | 02:15 PM | 3.84 H |
| 02/15 | Wed | 08:23 PM | -0.31 L |
| 02/16 | Thu | 02:59 AM | 4.82 H |
| 02/16 | Thu | 09:21 AM | 0.12 L |
| 02/16 | Thu | 03:26 PM | 3.82 H |
| 02/16 | Thu | 09:27 PM | -0.29 L |
| 02/17 | Fri | 04:05 AM | 4.88 H |
| 02/17 | Fri | 10:25 AM | 0.04 L |
| 02/17 | Fri | 04:32 PM | 3.96 H |
| 02/17 | Fri | 10:31 PM | -0.33 L |
| 02/18 | Sat | 05:05 AM | 4.99 H |
| 02/18 | Sat | 11:24 AM | -0.1 L |
| 02/18 | Sat | 05:30 PM | 4.17 H |
| 02/18 | Sat | 11:31 PM | -0.41 L |
| 02/19 | Sun | 05:59 AM | 5.08 H |
| 02/19 | Sun | 12:16 PM | -0.28 L |
| 02/19 | Sun | 06:22 PM | 4.4 H |
| 02/20 | Mon | 12:25 AM | -0.5 L |
| 02/20 | Mon | 06:48 AM | 5.13 H |
| 02/20 | Mon | 01:02 PM | -0.43 L |
| 02/20 | Mon | 07:10 PM | 4.59 H |
| 02/21 | Tue | 01:14 AM | -0.55 L |
| 02/21 | Tue | 07:33 AM | 5.1 H |
| 02/21 | Tue | 01:44 PM | -0.51 L |
| 02/21 | Tue | 07:54 PM | 4.71 H |
| 02/22 | Wed | 01:58 AM | -0.52 L |
| 02/22 | Wed | 08:15 AM | 4.98 H |
| 02/22 | Wed | 02:22 PM | -0.52 L |
| 02/22 | Wed | 08:35 PM | 4.77 H |
| 02/23 | Thu | 02:39 AM | -0.41 L |
| 02/23 | Thu | 08:55 AM | 4.79 H |
| 02/23 | Thu | 02:58 PM | -0.44 L |
| 02/23 | Thu | 09:15 PM | 4.75 H |
| 02/24 | Fri | 03:20 AM | -0.23 L |
| 02/24 | Fri | 09:35 AM | 4.55 H |
| 02/24 | Fri | 03:35 PM | -0.29 L |
| 02/24 | Fri | 09:54 PM | 4.66 H |
| 02/25 | Sat | 04:01 AM | 0.0 L |
| 02/25 | Sat | 10:13 AM | 4.26 H |
| 02/25 | Sat | 04:13 PM | -0.1 L |
| 02/25 | Sat | 10:32 PM | 4.54 H |
| 02/26 | Sun | 04:45 AM | 0.25 L |
| 02/26 | Sun | 10:52 AM | 3.97 H |
| 02/26 | Sun | 04:54 PM | 0.1 L |
| 02/26 | Sun | 11:13 PM | 4.38 H |
| 02/27 | Mon | 05:32 AM | 0.49 L |
| 02/27 | Mon | 11:33 AM | 3.69 H |
| 02/27 | Mon | 05:39 PM | 0.29 L |
| 02/27 | Mon | 11:55 PM | 4.22 H |
| 02/28 | Tue | 06:23 AM | 0.69 L |
| 02/28 | Tue | 12:17 PM | 3.46 H |
| 02/28 | Tue | 06:29 PM | 0.43 L |
| 02/29 | Wed | 12:43 AM | 4.08 H |
| 02/29 | Wed | 07:18 AM | 0.81 L |
| 02/29 | Wed | 01:08 PM | 3.29 H |
| 02/29 | Wed | 07:21 PM | 0.5 L |
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