August 30, 2014

ripe cucumbers, anyone ever eat those?

I grew cucumbers in containers this year, and thought it was a fail. However, it turns out some were hiding, and long enough to get ripe, i.e. giant and yellow.

As far as I can tell from the web, these are not poisonous but may be bitter or something. Has anyone ever eaten these and/or made them into something edible?

June 15, 2014

device for blocking calls?

Not sure this is the right place to ask this -

I am going nuts with telemarketer calls from the scam people who ignore the do not call list. The only good thing is that so far they tend to reuse spoofed numbers. I get easily ten calls a week and it seems to be increasing.

My phone service isn't compatible with the Nomorobo thing and Verizon no longer offers call block, so I have to buy some gizmo.

The problem is that when I read about them they either have lots of complaints on amazon reviews about not working, refusing legitimate calls, etc. or the ones that work have incredibly complex directions.

I bought a Panasonic phone that has a call block feature, but the setup is so complex I think it will interfere with my other phones, answering machine, etc.

Does anyone know of a simple device that will just block the list of numbers I give it and not do anything else?

Thanks.

June 4, 2014

powdery mildew and strawberries

I've grown strawberries in a very large planter for a couple of years. This year they are covered in powdery mildew, and reading on the web it seems I need to spray them with noxious stuff, which I am not going to do.

Instead I will rip them out, unless someone knows of a safe way to treat this. If I rip them out, is the soil infected with regards to an effect on say, if I plant tomatoes, cucumbers, etc. in there?

Thanks.

May 20, 2014

Uncle Joe Biden, the "most delightful man in all of America"

http://www.turnto10.com/story/25554476/biden-turns-down-prom-invitation-but-sends-corsage

"What happens when you invite Vice President Joe Biden to your high school prom? For one student he couldn't make it, but he sent a personal reply.

Talia Maselli reached out to Biden last fall, knowing his dance card likely would fill up.

Biden sent a handwritten card and a corsage - baby's breath, white roses and red, white and blue ribbons. Biden's office says he was touched by the invitation and personally picked out the corsage so Maselli would feel special...

"I could only tolerate a high school dance if I was to be escorted by the most delightful man in all of America - Joe Biden," she wrote."

Good taste, kid.