Yard update

We have been finally getting around to working in the yard the last few weekends.
New mulch, working on the flagstone patio, bought seeds to plant, lawn mowing- all the good stuff.

In other news, I now have a phone that supports instagram and have been having a great time photographing flowers in the yard. Here are a few:

WANT aka: New from Wacom aka fucking amazing

Coming mid-September
Inkling by Wacom
$200



 I am thinking this might be a really cool thing to carry in the art store. I am not otherwise planning to carry software.

A Follow Up to Last Weeks Rant

So, apparently there is a cohesive website that both answers questions and has an email address. You know how I found it? Looking for the location that it was insisted I would be closer to [I'm not. at all. but traffic might be better.] Clicking on the location link took me to an entirely different web site- one that does not appear just under google search. This strikes me as odd. Also, that they would not give me an email contact after I repeatedly asked for one, when clearly one is available. We'll see if they are more helpful in person.

A Rant: Disability Services Discrimination

I needed someplace to rant, so here I am.

I'm trying to start a small retail store in my neighborhood shopping district. I have been taking business classes through SCORE. To my luck, there happened to be another Deaf woman in the class who had an interpreter with her. They both encouraged me to contact Disabled Vocational Rehab. SCORE also links to DVR as someone to contact for both business help and grants.
So I look up DVR.. they have a terrible website that does not include much of anything. Today I cant even get it to load. I believe there was a phone number. But no email to ask questions, no information on how to contact them or for what for what, no list of the steps that need to be taken. In fact it gives me the impression that if I were to go through them for a job they would help me find the most menial task possible. For some people that is great. For me- well, I attend college, held a corporate job for almost 5 years- one that included a lot of responsibility and communicating with venders all over the world. I was fine. And I refuse to believe that being HOH means I cant do what ever I want. I will admit that I am uncomfortable applying for jobs I feel I can not do: answering phones, loud environments, anywhere where lots of information is exchanged quickly.
ANYWAY. I broke down and called [shudder] the phone number listed through SCORE. Its a different person now, who is apparently unaware that SCORE is giving out his number, and he has nothing to do with business stuff. He passes me on to someone else who, apparently does. That guy passed me on to one of their locations to set up an appointment and do the orientation. That office decided I was too far away [I'm not really, I'm happy to drive down there], and passed me on to a different location [equally far away], where a woman with a heavy accent that I would place as German, maybe, answered, and have a very confusing conversation with me, and now apparently I am showing up for an orientation next week. I didn't get an address. If their web site will load, maybe I can find it.
Every person, I asked "can I do this online? is there an e-mail address I can communicate through?" They seemed to be confused why I though that that would be an option, and then skipped past the question as fast as possible and gave me a new number to call. Somehow I successfully wrote down 3 different numbers. I'm impressed.

Why? Why in this day and age is there not an e-mail contact given. E-mail is FREE. Why am I expected to call them, multiple people, at the DISABILITY office. The first person I talked to should have taken my email, e-mailed me the pass on information, for who to email next.
OR
They should have the steps to take to get in touch with them listed on their completely non helpful website.

RAWRRR

Solar Ivy

I am fascinated by solar and wind energy producing products. I once thought up the genious idea that someone should be making solar shingles, and it turns out that someone was.
Today while flipping through Departures, a Vogue level of affordability geared towards travel; I spotted an article on Solar Ivy.
Designed by some siblings who are, [my god] my age, the Solar Ivy was a senior thesis project that originally included wind in its energy conduct. It was found that the wind conduct was too expensive for the amount of return energy. The idea steamed from the cooling effects of ivy covered buildings. What if that effect could be recreated and turned into solar conduct as well?


Inhabitat also has an article on SMIT's Solar Ivy.

The project turned into a company. As of 2011 the first orders for Solar Ivy are being accepted.

I would love to have this on the sides of my house, the south and west facing walls would look lovely drench in Ivy and Colorado's incredible sun exposure works solar panels of any type, to the highest of their capability's.

[The article states that the price per leaf was predicted to be $7 - $10 USD. In reality it is looking more like $19- $27.]