!marty finestone's activitybook » marty-related http://www.activitybook.org pursuing fun, creativity and good thinking with a vengeance Mon, 15 Feb 2010 22:30:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 en hourly 1 can you help me with this orchid? http://www.activitybook.org/2008/02/19/can-you-help-me-with-this-orchid/ http://www.activitybook.org/2008/02/19/can-you-help-me-with-this-orchid/#comments Tue, 19 Feb 2008 13:00:27 +0000 Marty Finestone http://www.activitybook.org/2008/02/19/can-you-help-me-with-this-orchid/ orchid 1

So I am tending to DL’s orchid while she is away and now it appears that things are turning south. Please read on if you are able to help me with fixing the situation.

orchid 2

orchid 3

Here is what is going on: Last week I noticed that the edges of some of the flower petals were turning a dark brown. Figuring that the flowers were dying, I clipped them at the bottom of their stem. Yesterday, after coming back from a weekend away, I saw that the plant’s stalk (I don’t know if that’s the right word, so indulge me) is now a yellowish/brown, whereas before it was a nice green. All in all, I figure that this is not good.

Any thoughts?

]]> http://www.activitybook.org/2008/02/19/can-you-help-me-with-this-orchid/feed/ 0 story time: the mafia runs the machine http://www.activitybook.org/2007/04/24/story-time-the-mafia-runs-the-machine/ http://www.activitybook.org/2007/04/24/story-time-the-mafia-runs-the-machine/#comments Tue, 24 Apr 2007 13:03:35 +0000 Marty Finestone http://www.activitybook.org/2007/04/24/story-time-the-mafia-runs-the-machine/ This story takes place a few months back. I was in a mall near one of those kiddie rides and in close proximity to them were a mother in her late 20’s, her toddler daughter and her own mother, who was in her late 50’s. The little girl asked her mother if she could go on the ride. Mom, however, was not playing along and told her daughter that she could not because “Grandma says they are run by the mafia.” Grandma then retorted “It’s true.”

I found the situation perplexing. On the one hand, I reward the mother for not belittling her daughter and providing her with an adult answer to the situation. On the other hand, however, did the mother really expect her daughter to not only understand the concept of organized crime, but make the connection to the mafia? And where did gradma get these facts? Sure, perhaps some ‘thugs’ may own or run those kiddie rides, but to implicate the mafia just like that, well that is just brazen disregard for proper fact gathering.

]]> http://www.activitybook.org/2007/04/24/story-time-the-mafia-runs-the-machine/feed/ 0 my big news! i am engaged http://www.activitybook.org/2007/02/19/my-big-news-i-am-engaged/ http://www.activitybook.org/2007/02/19/my-big-news-i-am-engaged/#comments Mon, 19 Feb 2007 05:01:24 +0000 Marty Finestone http://www.activitybook.org/2007/02/19/my-big-news-i-am-engaged/ I generally do not use this space to post about personal happenings, but I have major news to share with whomever will listen. Yesterday, Sunday, I got engaged to the most wonderful woman, Dana (she’s the inspiration for many of my playlists). After two and half amazing years together, we are looking forward our lifetime of happiness together. Sorry if this sounds too shmaltzy for some of you, but it is how it is.

]]> http://www.activitybook.org/2007/02/19/my-big-news-i-am-engaged/feed/ 0 activitybook is a finalist for best new weblog in the 2007 bloggies http://www.activitybook.org/2007/01/25/activitybook-is-a-finalist-for-best-new-weblog-in-the-2007-bloggies/ http://www.activitybook.org/2007/01/25/activitybook-is-a-finalist-for-best-new-weblog-in-the-2007-bloggies/#comments Fri, 26 Jan 2007 02:49:04 +0000 Marty Finestone http://www.activitybook.org/2007/01/25/activitybook-is-a-finalist-for-best-new-weblog-in-the-2007-bloggies/

Wow, do I have a nice big smile on my face. I just found out that activitybook is a finalist for ‘Best New Weblog’ in the 2007 edition of the Bloggies!!!

First, let me thank all visitors of the site for giving me a raison d’être to put so much effort into the blog. Second, let me give a big and gracious thank you to everyone who nominated the blog for the short-list and a just as big thank you to those panellists who voted for the blog so that it could be in the finals.

There is still one more step in the process: voting for activitybook to be the ‘Best New Weblog‘. If you enjoy the blog I ask that you would be so kind as to follow this link to the voting page and select Marty Finestone’s Activity Book (as it is listed there) as the Best New Weblog. Voting will close at 10:00 PM EST on Friday, February 2.

Thanks for your support.
Marty

]]> http://www.activitybook.org/2007/01/25/activitybook-is-a-finalist-for-best-new-weblog-in-the-2007-bloggies/feed/ 5 new pictures in my flickr sets http://www.activitybook.org/2007/01/04/new-pictures-in-my-flickr-sets/ http://www.activitybook.org/2007/01/04/new-pictures-in-my-flickr-sets/#comments Thu, 04 Jan 2007 20:08:34 +0000 Marty Finestone http://www.activitybook.org/2007/01/04/new-pictures-in-my-flickr-sets/ I just added about 10 new pictures to my flickr sets. Pop over and give them a loook – I now have 81 pictures up over there.

(all images by me, Marty Finestone)

]]> http://www.activitybook.org/2007/01/04/new-pictures-in-my-flickr-sets/feed/ 0 2007 weblog awards http://www.activitybook.org/2007/01/04/2007-weblog-awards/ http://www.activitybook.org/2007/01/04/2007-weblog-awards/#comments Thu, 04 Jan 2007 17:48:39 +0000 Marty Finestone http://www.activitybook.org/2007/01/04/2007-weblog-awards/ The nomination process for the 2007 weblog awards, aka the bloggies, is underway. Overall, there are 18 categories to choose from.

If you are planning participating in the process, perhaps consider nominating activitybook for both or one of the “best kept-secret weblog” and “best new weblog” awards. Nominations are open until January 10, 2007. If you have nominated activitybook for an award and want me to consider nominating yours, let me know so that I can return the favour. I will be holding off on my nominations until January 9, 2007.

]]> http://www.activitybook.org/2007/01/04/2007-weblog-awards/feed/ 0 happy new year http://www.activitybook.org/2006/12/31/happy-new-year/ http://www.activitybook.org/2006/12/31/happy-new-year/#comments Sun, 31 Dec 2006 19:08:10 +0000 Marty Finestone http://www.activitybook.org/2006/12/31/happy-new-year/ Here is to you in 2007. May it be a year filled with laughter, love, luck and creativity.

Marty

]]> http://www.activitybook.org/2006/12/31/happy-new-year/feed/ 0 activitybook is the blog of the day http://www.activitybook.org/2006/12/30/activitybook-is-the-blog-of-the-day/ http://www.activitybook.org/2006/12/30/activitybook-is-the-blog-of-the-day/#comments Sun, 31 Dec 2006 01:43:45 +0000 Marty Finestone http://www.activitybook.org/2006/12/30/activitybook-is-the-blog-of-the-day/ This is fantastic, activitybook is today’s blog of the day from the folks at Blog of the Day Awards. It is a very nice touch of recognition. Although, what I am most fond of is the wonderful write up that the site got:

Marty Finestones Activity Book – what can I say. I don’t care what you care about there is something here for everyone. Marty is prolific and funny, and he provides a constant stream of new and unusual material to be perused.

Thanks Blog of the Day Awards people.

]]> http://www.activitybook.org/2006/12/30/activitybook-is-the-blog-of-the-day/feed/ 0 marty had the airwaves http://www.activitybook.org/2006/12/27/marty-had-the-airwaves/ http://www.activitybook.org/2006/12/27/marty-had-the-airwaves/#comments Wed, 27 Dec 2006 15:10:48 +0000 Marty Finestone http://www.activitybook.org/2006/12/26/marty-had-the-airwaves/ On December 25, 2006, I went back to my old playground CHRW 94.9FM in London, Ontario. Back in my undergrad days, I was heavily involved in CHRW, the campus radio station at the University of Western Ontario. This year, over five years since I was last on the air, I had the chance to do a fill-in slot and play DJ again. For the next week you can catch the show via high-quality mp3 archive.

Part 1

Part 2

]]> http://www.activitybook.org/2006/12/27/marty-had-the-airwaves/feed/ 0 holiday hiatus + live on the radio http://www.activitybook.org/2006/12/24/holiday-hiatus-live-on-the-radio/ http://www.activitybook.org/2006/12/24/holiday-hiatus-live-on-the-radio/#comments Sun, 24 Dec 2006 05:21:20 +0000 Marty Finestone http://www.activitybook.org/2006/12/24/holiday-hiatus-live-on-the-radio/ As most people are wont to do, I’ll be taking a hiatus for the holidays. There will likely be some sprinkles of postings after the 27th, but until then it is break time. That is of course for the December 25, from 9 am until noon EST, when I’ll be DJ’ing live over the airwaves for CHRW 94.9FM in London, Ontario.

Way back in the day, I was a DJ on the radio on CHRW Radio Western. It has been over five years since I was last on the air. Now, for one day only, I make my perhaps triumphant return to the airwaves, although this time with a twist: I’m bringing with me my super side-kick Dana.

Why am I telling you this? So you can listen to the show online at http://chrwradio.com/listen/

]]> http://www.activitybook.org/2006/12/24/holiday-hiatus-live-on-the-radio/feed/ 0 activitybook design update http://www.activitybook.org/2006/12/18/activitybook-design-update/ http://www.activitybook.org/2006/12/18/activitybook-design-update/#comments Mon, 18 Dec 2006 16:50:02 +0000 Marty Finestone http://www.activitybook.org/2006/12/18/activitybook-design-update/ This past weekend, I made some changes with the site’s design. For the returning visitor out there, you will notice that the sidebar on the right has been changed, somewhat radically. The main change is the addition of the weighted appearance of the categories. Prior to this addition, I did not display the blog categories. Now, they appear in varying size, which is relative to the amount of posts per category. Thus, the more posts a category has, the larger it appears.

A second great addition to the site is the e-mail daily digest. Sign up and you will receive a collection/digest of the activitybook blog posts. Note that this service is operated by a third-party, so please read their terms of service and privacy policy to make sure that you are comfortable with them before signing up.

A key structure/design change made to the site over the weekend was the addition of the !best of section (found on the top menu). This is an index of some of my favorite posts on the blog.

Lastly, I am now using a different site search function, which you will find on the sidebar, just above the picture.

If you have a moment, let me know what you think of these changes.

]]> http://www.activitybook.org/2006/12/18/activitybook-design-update/feed/ 0 kim jong-il is quiet? http://www.activitybook.org/2006/12/07/kim-jong-il-is-quiet/ http://www.activitybook.org/2006/12/07/kim-jong-il-is-quiet/#comments Thu, 07 Dec 2006 17:36:13 +0000 Marty Finestone http://www.activitybook.org/2006/12/07/kim-jong-il-is-quiet/ Is it me or have things quieted down in North Korea for the time being?

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