How To - Carnivorous Plants

I recently made a playlist for How To videos relating to carnivorous plants. Since there are so many videos on youtube relating to carnivorous plants, I decided to isolate the ones which help teach in the proper care and cultivation of these delicate plants. So what is included are the videos I like.

Call me biased but I also like my carnivorous plant videos.

How To Isolate Objects Against A White Background

Many people to think that it takes an expert to photograph objects isolated on white. While there are many light boxes for sale on amazon to help one do just that, they are unnecessary and a waste of money. Using some cheap clamp lights and poster board, one can easily have a setup that rivals a fancier one.

I used a Canon 60D with the kit lens, an EF-S 18mm - 200mm f3.5-5.6, and shot the image in RAW format. Shooting in RAW is essential in order to be able to adjust the image in post. While many point and shoot cameras are designed to save images in JPEG, there is software available for Canon point and shoots to allow them to save images in RAW, if one did not have an SLR.

Here are a couple of posts which explain saving an image in RAW using a Canon point and shoot camera:

Recording In Raw With A Point And Shoot Camera

Comparison Between RAW and JPEG using a Canon SD900

So once the image is photographed accordingly, I also demonstrate how one can easily isolate it against a white background using GIMP.

How To Identify Fake Amber

There are many beautiful specimens being pawned off as true amber but are in reality fakes. While there are many different tests one can implement, I demonstrate a very simple one using a couple household items.

How To Photograph Coins

This video demonstrates how one can easily take great photographs of coins using an SLR with a zoom lens, a ring light and macro lens tubes. It also presents some post processing tips to make the coins stand out.

Photographing coins is a great way to show off a coin collection.

It covers how to take a photograph of a coin as well as how to edit an image and properly isolate it against a white background. It also includes a short slideshow of a few coins photographed using this method.

How To Make A Carnivorous Plant Light Bulb Terrarium

This video shows how one can easily make a carnivorous plant terrarium or vivarium inside an old incandescent light bulb.

While it may appear impractical, as most light bulbs are too small for most plants, there are many carnivorous plants that are small enough to fit inside a light bulb. Many sundews, butterworts, and even smaller breeds of venus flytraps can fit inside an average lightbulb.

The opening on the top, where the screw thread of the bulb is, provides a watering and feeding hole. It also allows room for the flowering stalk of the plant to grow when the plant blooms in the springtime. Moreover, by growing the plant in such an enclosure, it helps reduce the rate at which the growing medium dries out so one can water less frequently.

How To Successfully Plant Carnivorous Plants

An informative video on how to successfully plant carnivorous plants.

One need not collect rainwater or have a tray of water below the pot to sustain a carnivorous plant. I show a maintenance free method of planting carnivorous plants in order to provide years of enjoyment without the hassle of watering, mosquito breeding, etc.

This video is essentially a shorter version of a video I made last year titled "How To Build A Carnivorous Plant Garden".

How To Get Rich

This video provides insight on how one can create a lucrative dividend return in a shorter amount of time.

Investing is a great way to create a residual income off one's own assets, namely stocks. It is not enough however to simply wait for the market to go up and earn a measly dividend income. There are stocks that provide higher returns and ways to amplify those returns in a shorter amount of time than mere compounding the dividends.

Compounding the dividends however is very important if one wants their portfolio to grow exponentially. This video explains how compounding causes the dividends to grow and provide a higher return. Moreover, it shows the benefits if one were to play the market while compounding the dividends to increase one's gains sooner, rather than later.

Happy Investing.

How To Wash A Car Properly

An informative video on the proper way to wash a car.

A couple months ago I bought a brand new car. Although I'm against the purchase of a brand new car as it is never as economical as buying used cars, I opted for a new one for a few reasons. I bought my old car when the one I had before it got totaled after someone T-boned me at a traffic light. My totaled car was 16 years old at the time and was in mint condition with very low mileage since it was garaged before I bought it. May it rest in pieces. Needing another car, I bought a VW Beetle 1.8T but it had some issues where a small part of the vinyl in the passenger seat was missing. There was a crack in the bottom of the front grill, and the VW emblems off the wheels were missing. Being a perfectionist, I like things nice and clean and presentable but the car, although fun to drive was not so presentable. It wasn't a bad purchase however, since it had 112,000 miles and the previous owner had replaced the turbo charger, brakes, and the alternator among a few other things.

When buying a used car, I highly recommend a little more than 100,000 miles on it than a little less than 100,000 miles. If the car has around 80,000 miles, it will generally cost more than if it has 120,000 miles, for example. Moreover, since many components in cars generally wear out at around 100,000 miles, buying a car with more mileage makes sense since they would have already been replaced for the most part.

With all the benefits of buying a used car rather than a new car, I opted for a new car this time around. I drive 22 miles, one way, to work every day and I was averaging 25 miles per gallon. Driving with a lead foot or not, city vs. highway, didn't affect my fuel economy much. I was filling up every 5 or 6 days that the solenoid on the gas cover wore out. I needed a more fuel efficient vehicle but I liked the Beetle. The best option was to get a diesel engine.

Diesel engines last much longer than gas engines, have higher fuel economy and are less maintenance. While many hybrids boast over 40 mpg, so do most diesel cars. Moreover, not having a battery in the trunk frees a lot of space. Since they run at lower rpm's than a gasoline engine, it takes longer for them to wear out and they only require oil changes every 10,000 miles. 

I knew I wanted a diesel Beetle. When it comes to TDI's, the ones made before 2006 have less emission controls than the newer ones. This makes them easier to allow them to run off biodiesel. Biodiesel is easy to create at home and simpler and safer than running a meth lab. TDI's since then are rigged to only run on clean diesel. Moreover, they are slightly less fuel efficient due to tougher emission standards. This is counter intuitive since adding more regulation decreases fuel economy that the extra fuel usage will counter the tougher standards. The EPA should be regulated as they have gone off the deep end with regards to emissions-especially CO2 emissions. Having a Master's in Climatology I could ramble on on why CO2 emissions are not a big deal, compared to nitrous oxides in a vehicles exhaust but that is a different story than how to properly clean a car.

Of course, the new body style is more manly so I opted to get a 2013 Beetle TDI rather than an older one. Since I have been driving I have had 3 cars and the 2013 Beetle TDI is my 4th. I would have only had 2 cars before getting it if my second one did not get totaled from someone running a red light and hitting me. Needless to say, all 3 used cars collectively cost a little less than my 2013 Beetle TDI but I opted for the TDI because I knew the engine would easily last for 15 or more years and being a new car I do not have to contend with the horrific damage to the interior from previous owners who are not as meticulous as I am.

A new car brings on a variety of concerns, mainly when is it safe to wax it, how can I wash it without creating scratches, etc. After owning my new car for a couple of weeks, I went to it on my lunch break and to my dismay, it was covered in fine concrete powder. I was furious. I didn't know what to do to remove it without scratching the paint. My joy of driving around with a 30 day tag was shattered by having a dirty car.

People at auto part stores are completely useless and everyone suggests different cleaning products, etc. One guy even began to rub his finger on the dust on my bumper. I told him to stop. What a degenerate. I go there to seek help in removing the abrasive dust and he rubs it into the paint. How can anyone be so stupid. Didn't his mamma teach him how to have respect for other's belongings?

Anyway, I found the video listed above on how to clean a car without leaving micro scratches in the paint. Since soap has a slimy feel, as it coats the dust granules, it allows it to come off with less of a possibility of scratching the paint. One auto part store sold me a chammy cloth but I returned it. A couple friends advised against those and told me that they were junk. Fortunately I managed to clean the dust off my car and am enjoying my new ride. My work place is planning to purchase more land and expand and I hope they would buy out that concrete place. Although it was the only time since I worked there that the prevailing winds shifted causing my car to be downwind, I do not want this to happen again.

Happy washing.

How To Remove PVC Damage From Coins

An informative video on how to remove PVC damage from coins.

I must admit that this was the first time I cleaned coins for PVC damage. Different websites will mention dipping or soaking a coin in acetone or using a cotton swab and rolling it over the surface of the coin. What I realized is that if a coin is in brilliant UNC condition and untoned, it can be soaked or dipped in the acetone but if it is toned or has experienced circulation, the acetone will ruin the patina of the coin and detract from it's value. In this situation rolling a cotton swab would remove the PVC, which is generally on the relief on the coin, without cleaning the surface and thus preserve the coins value.

How To Build A Carnivorous Plant Garden

An informative video on how to build your very own successful carnivorous plant garden.

What is needed is a plastic storage box, a drill, sphagnum peat moss, distilled or rain water, and your favorite North American species of carnivorous plants. You simply drill a couple of holes on the side of the container, a couple inches from the bottom. Fill it up with sphagnum peat moss.

I've noticed that it is best to have the moss curve above the rim of the container as to prevent leaves, or pine needles from  settling on the plants. Smaller species like some sundews or butterworts would get covered up. Also, the rim can block sunlight, stunting the growth of these delicate plants.