Mandy asks…
Does anyone else think the food we eat causes cancer?
My grandmother is 89 years old and is as healthy as ever. She grows her own vegetables and mainly eats deer or pork killed from my grandpa’s deer lease. She never eats fast food and rarely eats at restaurants. I believe its a conspiracy to control population by the government. They put so much preservatives, hormones, steroids, in the food we eat. I think it is the direct cause of most cancers.
GardenersCardiff answers:
No, my grandfather lived to be 98. He used to smoke and drink, eat anything and was lucid to the day he died, life span is genetic, and while yeah what we consume does have and affect on us, genetics has an impact on that as well. While the American obesity problem might say other wise, it is also fair to mention that this is a cultural issue. With our large portions and unhealthy life styles it no wonder we are all a little over weight. The French eat more red meat and more food high in cholesterol, but suffer from fewer heart disease issues, due to their consumption of red wine this is referred as “The French Miracle” . To be honest food now is safer than before. In the past nasty toxins like PCB’s and DDT were in our foods. Additives in food have been around for centuries, (salts as a preservative… Farmers feeding live stock food containing nartural steroids, or that would increase the animals hormone production see: Fois Gras)The only real way to be sure that food will give you cancer would be to contaminate it with intense carcinogens.
You can take 10 people and feed them red meat all there lives and maybe 1 or 2 or even none will get colon cancer. Now if you know that cancer runs in your family and you smoke, and work in an asbestoses plant, then all those factors will increase you chances. One last thing, in countries that do not regulate food as much as Americans do there is a slew of food issue due to contamination of toxins, heavy metals, and bacterias. Just travel down to Mexico and see how it will take before you develop dysentery .
Susan asks…
Do you make homemade pancake syrup?
We live in New England…the trees in our yard are sugar maples, and give us sap which we boil to make pancake syrup. We also grow our own vegetables, ferment our own wine from grapejuice, and bake our own bread. We also make homemade liquors that are expensive to buy but cost almost nothing to make.
Does this sound like something you do? Or would want to do?
It is a simple pleasure of life, I would say. It costs nothing to make your own pancake syrup…it just takes your time. Nature provides the raw materials.
GardenersCardiff answers:
I’ve never had homemade syrup but it sounds like it would be good. I’m a big fan of homemade/homegrown stuff (vegetables, homemade wine, etc.) so if given the chance I would make homemade syrup.
Linda asks…
Is there really a need for humans to hunt animals anymore?
Most of use have the local grocery store or some sort of farmer’s market nearby us so from a certain point of view there really is no need for us to hunt anymore. We can of course grow our own vegetables but even then thats not really needed either. So what i’m trying t find out is this: What is worth more- an animal roaming the forest doing whatever it wants or the human race being the virus among the earth that it is and shooting everything in sight?
GardenersCardiff answers:
I personally don’t think, at least not in the industrialized countries. Unless you depend on them for daily consumption and garment, there shouldn’t be a need to hunt animals just for the heck of it or sport. I don’t know why it hasn’t been banned yet.
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Ken asks…
I want to practice drilling, where should I start?
I want to start using a power drill/driver, but don’t know where to start (I’m not into tools or handyman stuff, but I want to start). Are there any good beginner projects, like how to make a box (really easy stuff). If I go to a store to buy practice wood, what type should I get?
GardenersCardiff answers:
If you can find a construction site nearby, ask them for cut-offs from the lumber and plywood they’re using. Many contractors will be happy to see this material picked up for use elsewhere ( it saves them some of the cost of disposing it somewhere, for one thing).
You can also get wood from old pallets, if you can get them home or tear them apart where they are.
A neat and potentially useful project would be to build 2 saw horses from these scraps.
You can find a number of How-tos at Instructables.com about building saw horses:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Strong-Light-Quick-Build-Sawhorse/
http://www.instructables.com/id/The-ultimate-heavy-duty-stackable-bullet-proof/
And
http://www.instructables.com/id/Sawhorse-made-from-pallets/
These will give you some practice drilling pilot holes and driving screws, if nothing else.
If you have a garden, you can make a wooden ladder trellis like the one shown here:
http://r24.imgfast.net/users/2412/12/27/03/album/squash15.jpg
To get some practice drilling holes, instead of screwing on the rungs shown in the above photo, mark out evenly spaced lines on the 2×4 lumber, drill 3/4″ holes a the center of the board, then cut a bunch of 3/4″ dowels to length and glue the thing together. Keep in mind this won’t take any serious weight, especially as the trellis ages, so don’t use it for a ladder.
Susan asks…
How did we survive the Great Depression?
I’m doing a research paper on the Great Depression and so I decided to make it a little easier for me. I would LOVE it if you could give me some thorough information on how we survived the Great Depression. Thank you.
GardenersCardiff answers:
Unlike today, during the great depression most of the USA was still rural. Everyone planted big gardens and grew most of their food, and canned as much as they could. Some, if they had enough land, or had use of borrowed land planted their own wheat for flower. Most had chickens, pigs and turkeys and maybe even a milk cow or two. They made their own butter. They sold any excess produce or eggs or milk to the local grocery store, generally the only one in town. They used the barter system a lot. There was very little money around but most country folk didn’t need very much. For instance painting the mechanics house for him to fix the car and payed a lot of bills with produce. The doctor and dentist ofter received bushels of potatoes or apples or even a pig for treating members of the family. They made their own soap and candles. Very little was thrown away until it was completely worn out. Most did all their own repair work around the house. There were a lot more horse or mule drawn wagons by four or five times than cars.
Carol asks…
What’s the best way to refinish a deck.?
We have a deck made with pressure treated wood. It currently has a solid stain on it. It’s peeling in places.
TIA
GardenersCardiff answers:
Go to your Lowes or HD, and in the same isle as the water sealant for your deck, is a deck cleaning solution. It is easiest to apply by a garden sprayer, let it soak/work for 15-20 min, this solution is breaking down the old stain, which will wash off with the power washer, but dont get the nozzle to close or you will forever be getting slivers fom the deck.
Allow the deck to dry for 24 hours at which time you can re-stain the deck, wait another 24 hours, and you should also put a water sealant on , the easiest way that I have found to apply Stains and Sealants is by using a garden sprayer, just make sure you cover anything you dont want stained, but it will cut the time required down to nothing compared to using a brush
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Maria asks…
Is it too late to plant roses (container planting in Florida)?
So I was thinking about trying my hand at gardening and wanted to try to grow my own roses (I was think about hybrid teas). But is it too late? I am in Central Fl and would try container growing (since I don’t have a lot of space). Thanks for your help!
GardenersCardiff answers:
I’d say probably in central Florida, it’d be possible to try growing roses all year round.
I would visit a local nursery and ask them. They’ll be more expert at the local climate and recommending varieties that do well in your area and for what you want it to do: Live in a pot.
Mark asks…
Why are there so few people of color at Tea Party rallies?
Yes, there may be one or two colored persons per thousand at a Tea Party rally, if any at all, but why so few?
I am a brown skinned person.
Surely colored people feel that they are over taxed? I do.
Surely colored people feel that the banks should not have received a bailout? I do.
Surely colored people feel that wall street has too much power and influence over government? I do.
If the Tea Party is only about the issues, and not about racism, why do so few colored people attend?
After all, many colored people also are concerned about the national debt. I am.
Many colored people are concerned about the size of government. I am.
Why don’t they attend these rallies? Why are there only white people there?
Could it be because of the signs of nazism?
Could it be because of he signs displaying covert racist remarks?
Could it be because signs that depict a black man as an animal, or a sign that makes insulting remarks about race could be offensive.
Where was the tea party when Bush, Clinton, Bush Sr. and Regan exploded the size of government?
Why only now, when a black man is president, is there suddenly a backlash?
Could it be coincidence that there is only a backlash when a black man becomes president?
There a backlash of racism when the slaves were freed, We had Jim Crow and the KKK rise up after they were feed.
There was a backlash of racism when the civil rights act of 1968 was passed.
Could the tea party be a racist backlash against a black president?
Your taxes have not gone up.
Your still have the same freedoms as before.
No one took your guns away.
The capital market still runs wall street, the government does not.
We still have capitalist owners who own the corporations, it is not owned by the state.
Your health care is still privately owned and operated, not by the state.
As for the national debt, it started growing at this pace since Ronald Reagan, why didn’t a tea party form then?
If Ronald Regan were black, would there have been a tea party back in 1980?
Why are there no blacks at tea parties?
Is it because the tea party is a racist movement started from fear, or a legitimate anti-government movement. If the latter, why aren’t there any minorities there?
GardenersCardiff answers:
People generally have a sense of where radical groups are coming from. And minorities are not duped by the far rights’s Tea Party crowd. I say radical because tea partiers fit into that category. You would have to be radical to believe that making the markets freer will make our economy better. You have to be a radical to believe that making health care available to more Americans is wrong. And you definitely have to be a radical to chose ignoble icons from the past to compare to the current black president. C’mon, Hitler pics of Obama? How in the world could you compare….
Well, anyways. That sure does say something about their education. And as you pointed out, the national debt tripled under Reagan, so where were the govt spending protests then? I’ve yet to see any of the tea people or their sympathizers comment fully on that. The growth of govt is what it is, no matter if tax dollars are spent on domestic issues or useless defense programs.
The sad thing is that Obama has awaken the hatred in many of those on the right. They claim that they are made up of all people, but when’s the last time you say a liberal at one of their rallies. I sure haven’t. They may attract some moderates simply because of their devotion to solving govt spending, but even then moderates realize that Republicans haven’t been the party of thriftiness.
Donald asks…
What type/variety of rose to use for rose petal tea?
I would like to make rose tea using dried petals from roses purchased from the floral section at the local grocery store.
After researching, I came across a statement that read:
“If you are not buying rose petals from a tea store, make your own. You will need to be certain that the variety of rose petals you grow are sweet tasting rather than bitter.”
What variety of rose/s make a sweet tasting tea rather than bitter?
No comments on making sure the roses are organic and free of pesticides before use in tea please.
The local grocery store offers organically raised roses that are free of pesticides.
Thank you.
GardenersCardiff answers:
Not a tea or a rose person so ask again in the nonalcoholic beverages section for a better chance at a non-troll answer.
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Ken asks…
thinking of having kids, a must read, so funny?
Thinking of Having Kids? Do this 11 step program first!
Lesson 1
1. Go to the grocery store.
2. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office.
3. Go home.
4. Pick up the paper.
5. Read it for the last time.
Lesson 2
Before you finally go ahead and have children, find a couple who already are parents and berate them about their…
1. Methods of discipline.
2. Lack of patience.
3. Appallingly low tolerance levels.
4. Allowing their children to run wild.
5. Suggest ways in which they might improve their child’s breastfeeding, sleep habits, toilet training, table manners, and overall behavior.
Enjoy it because it will be the last time in your life you will have all the answers.
Lesson 3
A really good way to discover how the nights might feel…
1. Get home from work and immediately begin walking around the living room from 5PM-10PM carrying a wet bag weighing approximately 8-12 pounds, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing loudly.
2.
Eat cold food with one hand for dinner
3. At 10PM, put the bag gently down, set the alarm for midnight, and go to sleep.
4. Get up at 12 and walk around the living room again, with the bag, until 1AM.
5. Set the alarm for 3AM.
6. As you can’t get back to sleep, get up at 2AM, make a drink and watch an infomercial.
7. Go to bed at 2:45AM.
8. Get up at 3AM when the alarm goes off.
9. Sing songs quietly in the dark until 4AM.
10. Get up. Make breakfast.
Get ready for work and go to work (work hard and be productive)
Repeat steps 1-9 each night. Keep this up for 3-5 years. Look cheerful and together.
Lesson 4
Can you stand the mess children make? To find out…
1. Smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains.
2. Hide a piece of raw chicken behind the stereo and leave it there all summer.
3. Stick your fingers in the flower bed.
4. Then rub them on the clean walls.
5. Take your favorite book, photo album, etc. Wreck it.
6. Spill milk on your new pillows. Cover the stains with crayons.
How does that look?
Lesson 5
Dressing small children is not as easy as it seems.
1. Buy an octopus and a small bag made out of loose mesh.
2. Attempt to put the octopus into the bag so that none of the arms hang out.
Time allowed for this – all morning.
Lesson 6
Forget the BMW and buy a mini-van. And don’t think that you can leave it out in the driveway spotless and shining. Family cars don’t look like that.
1. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment. Leave it there.
2. Get a dime. Stick it in the CD player.
3. Take a family size package of chocolate cookies. Mash them into the back seat. Sprinkle cheerios all over the floor, then smash them with your foot.
4. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car.
Lesson 7
Go to the local grocery store. Take with you the closest thing you can find to a pre-school child. (A full-grown goat is an excellent choice). If you intend to have more than one child, then definitely take more than one goat.
1. Buy your week’s groceries without letting the goats out of your sight.
2. Pay for everything the goat eats or destroys.
Until you can easily accomplish this, do not even contemplate having children.
Lesson 8
1. Hollow out a melon.
2. Make a small hole in the side.
3. Suspend it from the ceiling and swing it from side to side.
4. Now get a bowl of soggy Cheerios and attempt to spoon them into the swaying melon by pretending to be an airplane.
5. Continue until half the Cheerios are gone.
6. Tip half into your lap. The other half, just throw up in the air.
You are now ready to feed a nine- month-old baby.
Lesson 9
Learn the names of every character from Sesame Street , Barney, Disney, theT eletubbies, and Pokemon. Watch nothing else on TV but PBS, the Disney channel or Noggin for at least five years. (I know, you’re thinking What’s ‘Noggin’?) Exactly the point.
Lesson 10
Make a recording of Fran Drescher saying ‘mommy’ repeatedly. (Important: no more than a four second delay between each ‘mommy’; occasional crescendo to the level of a supersonic jet is required). Play this tape in your car everywhereyou go for the next four years.
You are now ready to take a long trip with a toddler.
Lesson 11
Start talking to an adult of your choice. Have someone else continually tug on your skirt hem, shirt- sleeve, or elbow while playing the ‘mommy’ tape made from Lesson 10 above.
You are now ready to have a conversation with an adult while there is a child in the room
GardenersCardiff answers:
Oh my gosh…
I love this, how true…
Chris asks…
this is kind of funny: 11 steps program to see if you are ready for kids…?
.Lesson 1
1. Go to the grocery store.
2. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office.
3. Go home.
4. Pick up the paper.
5. Read it for the last time.
Lesson 2
Before you finally go ahead and have children, find a couple who already are parents and berate them about their…
1. Methods of discipline.
2. Lack of patience.
3. Appallingly low tolerance levels.
4. Allowing their children to run wild.
5. Suggest ways in which they might improve their child’s breastfeeding, sleep habits, toilet training, table manners, and overall behavior.
Enjoy it because it will be the last time in your life you will have all the answers.
Lesson 3
A really good way to discover how the nights might feel…
1. Get home from work and immediately begin walking around the living room from 5PM to 10PM carrying a wet bag weighing approximately 8-12 pounds, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing loudly. (Eat cold food with one hand for dinner)
2. At 10PM, put the bag gently down, set the alarm for midnight, and go to sleep.
3. Get up at 12 and walk around the living room again, with the bag, until 1AM.
4. Set the alarm for 3AM.
5. As you can’t get back to sleep, get up at 2AM and make a drink and watch an infomercial.
6. Go to bed at 2:45AM.
7. Get up at 3AM when the alarm goes off.
8. Sing songs quietly in the dark until 4AM.
9. Get up. Make breakfast. Get ready for work and go to work (work hard and be productive)
Repeat steps 1-9 each night. Keep this up for 3-5 years. Look cheerful and together.
Lesson 4
Can you stand the mess children make? T o find out…
1. Smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains.
2. Hide a piece of raw chicken behind the stereo and leave it there all summer.
3. Stick your fingers in the flower bed.
4. Then rub them on the clean walls.
5. Take your favorite book, photo album, etc. Wreck it.
6. Spill milk on your new pillows. Cover the stains with crayons. How does that look?
Lesson 5
Dressing small children is not as easy as it seems.
1. Buy an octopus and a small bag made out of loose mesh.
2. Attempt to put the octopus into the bag so that none of the arms hang out.
Time allowed for this – all morning.
Lesson 6
Forget the BMW and buy a mini-van. And don’t think that you can leave it out in the driveway spotless and shining. Family cars don’t look like that.
1. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment.
Leave it there.
2. Get a dime. Stick it in the CD player.
3. Take a family size package of chocolate cookies. Mash them into the back seat. Sprinkle cheerios all over the floor, then smash them with your foot.
4. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car.
Lesson 7
Go to the local grocery store. Take with you the closest thing you can find to a pre-school child. (A full-grown goat is an excellent choice). If you intend to have more than one child, then definitely take more than one goat. Buy your week’s groceries without letting the goats out of your sight. Pay for everything the goat eats or destroys. Until you can easily accomplish this, do not even contemplate having children.
Lesson 8
1. Hollow out a melon.
2. Make a small hole in the side.
3. Suspend it from the ceiling and swing it from side to side.
4. Now get a bowl of soggy Cheerios and attempt to spoon them into the swaying melon by pretending to be an airplane.
5. Continue until half the Cheerios are gone.
6. Tip half into your lap. The other half, just throw up in the air.
You are now ready to feed a nine- month-old baby.
Lesson 9
Learn the names of every character from Sesame Street , Barney, Disney, the Teletubbies, and Pokemon. Watch nothing else on TV but PBS, the Disney channel or Noggin for at least five years. (I know, you’re thinking What’s ‘Noggin’?) Exactly the point.
Lesson 10
Make a recording of Fran Drescher saying ‘mommy’ repeatedly. (Important: no more than a four second delay between each ‘mommy’; occasional crescendo to the level of a supersonic jet is required). Play this tape in your car everywhere you go for the next four years. You are now ready to take a long trip with a toddler.
Lesson 11
Start talking to an adult of your choice. Have someone else continually tug on your skirt hem, shirt- sleeve, or elbow while playing the ‘mommy’ tape made from Lesson 10 above. You are now ready to have a conversation with an adult while there is a child in the room.
This is all very tongue in cheek; anyone who is parent will say ‘it’s all worth it!’ Share it with your friends, both those who do and don’t have kids. I guarantee they’ll get a chuckle out of it. Remember
i found this on facebook
GardenersCardiff answers:
I can think of a few repetitive “i want to have a baby” posters who I may just point to this.
James asks…
how do i tell my parents i’m wiccan?
hi! ok so i’m 13, female, and wiccan. i honestly think i’ve known my whole life (when i was 5-10 my life goal was to own a cottage with a herb garden out back, roses around the doorway, and worshipping the goddess.) and then my friend and i started playing a game up until this year where we live in the wild and worship nature (i created my own tribe, worshipping the female aspects and not killing snails.). ANYWAY, so lately i’ve become more interested. i’ve gotten my parents to buy me one wiccan book, and a book of shaows (though they don’t know it…) and have also conducted one ritual, on yule. anyway, it’s been a few months since i started, and i want to come out of the broom closet for a few reasons:
A. supplies. very hard to find without parents wondering what you’re doing.
B. rituals. they would notice
C. covens. i think i would like to make/join a coven.
anyway if you’re thinking it’ll be easy, i doubt it. my family is solidly jewish, and my grandfather even conducts the Passover nights. my dad made some huge promise to my grandma (before she died) that i would be raised jewish. i haven’t been bat mitzvah’s, mostly cuz when i was little i was anxious and i never went to hebrew school. my parents don’ really care about that. however, i do own: a star of david. star of david earrings. menorah (solid gold, shape of holy tree, got it last year).
i have no idea how to tell them… my mom would be easier to start, but i have NO IDEA.
please help!!
if there are any negative comments/comments saying wicca is a false/demonic religion, they will be reported.
GardenersCardiff answers:
I agree with pheonix sol. You need to know all the answers to any question they have to throw at you. I recommend you start with mom, maybe ask her help in telling dad. That’s is if she takes it well. Just be sure you know what you’re going to say and stand my it.
My mom is christian to the core, but she took it rather well.
I think it really helped that i really knew what i was talking about.
And for those of you out there saying it’s “just a phase”, listen up.
I was raised baptist for 14 years by my mother.
Turns out, that was just a phase too.
I’m cheering you on sweety, may the Goddess bless you!!
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