Latest Hobbies Articles

A Guide To Starting A Worm Farm

Sun, 13 Jun 2010 02:14:35 +0000

Starting a worm farm is something that a lot of people take an interest in. As long as you do not mind creepy crawlers it can be a lot of fun. There are a lot of different uses for a worm farm from using the worms as bait to having them as little pets. There are really just a few simple steps you need to follow to start up your very own worm farm in no time at all.

So to get started with a worm farm you want to get a medium sized container. Of course if you are planning on having more worms you may need a slightly larger container but the worms will all lie pretty much together so you do not need to worry about it being too large. You will need to take a screw to make drainage holes in the bottom. You are going to need to water the soil on a regular basis and without these holes the container will flood.

There also needs to be some ventilation holes in the container.

The worms will need oxygen to breathe and it is best to have these holes poked in near the top of the container, around all sides. To make the bedding for the worms, start by ripping up a few pieces of newspaper into smaller pieces and dampening them with water. All you do is tear up some newspaper into small pieces and then soak them in water to get them damp before adding to the container.

Then you want to add in a bit of leaves and garden soil and mix together with the lain newspaper. Newspaper and leaves are not only more comfortable for the worms but also they help the worms to digest their food more easily. Without proper preparation of the actual worm farm container, you are not going to be off to a good start. Once you have everything set you can add in the worms and do not just drop them in but instead gently allow them to slide out of your bucket or container onto the bedding.

Keep in mind that worms do not like light so you should either have a tinted container you are using or have a nice thick lid so that light will not get in and bother them. In terms of feeding the worms you pretty much only have to do it here and there, once or twice a week is probably good. They will eat anything from meat and fat to onions and oil. Now you have your worm farm and as long as you take care of them can have lots of healthy worms.

Broncos Send Struggling Cards To Winless Preseason

Tue, 11 May 2010 08:42:21 +0000

The Arizona Cardinals haven't looked anything like a Superbowl team in the NFL preseason. They entered their final exhibition contest against the Denver Broncos looking for their first win. The Broncos controlled the contest on both sides of the ball en route to a 19-0 shutout victory over the struggling Cards. Denver managed to improve their preseason record to 1-3, while Arizona ended the exhibition campaign winless at 0-4.

Arizona was installed as -3 road favorites, but NFL preseason bettors who backed Denver ended up collecting the money with the outright win. The Broncos scored 16 of their 19 points in the first half, and the eventual outcome"straight up or against the spread"was never really in doubt after that.

Denvers biggest issue has been injuries, with their starting QB Kyle Orton and backup Chris Simms both out of action. That provided a great opportunity for rookie Tom Brandstater, and he may find himself playing next Sunday for real. Brandstater moved the team well as the Broncos managed to avoid the dubious fate of the first winless preseason in nearly 50 years (1960). Afterwards, Broncos coach Josh McDaniels was full of praise for his young signal caller:

"For a rookie quarterback, and I've had a chance to coach a number of them, he's really done a nice job. It's not too big for him, the game's not too big for him, the huddle's not too big for him. He operated with that first unit pretty good."

Despite the talk that he may be the Broncos starting QB"at least in the short term"Brandstater is keeping it all in perspective:

"Things happen -- just last week alone with the Kyle injury. That's a pretty freak accident that no one can predict at all. I'm glad I got my shot and hopefully I did some good with it. I'm trying to make this team. I still haven't guaranteed myself a spot in this team and I'm trying to do everything I can to make it just like every guy on the team is."

Arizona played starting Kurt Warner and their first string offense for several series, but they were again ineffective. Cards head coach Ken Whisenhunt tried to put a positive spin on a winless preseason:

"We'll clean it up. I still feel good about our football team and the way we've been working.

Kurt Warner, meanwhile, was much less enthusiastic than his coach but said hes looking forward to starting the regular season:

"I never really felt like I got into a rhythm today for whatever reason. I'm looking forward to game-planning a team, putting in some plays and some things we've done in the past that we really haven't done in preseason. I'm looking forward to all of that. But you still don't leave preseason extremely excited about what we've accomplished."

Arizona will try to put their dismal preseason behind them when they kick off the 2009 NFL campaign at home against the San Francisco 49ers. Arizona will play the Jacksonville Jaguars on the road in week two, while Denver will play host to the Cleveland Browns

Roughriders Survive Furious Comeback, Beat TigerCats In CFL Play

Fri, 07 May 2010 08:49:58 +0000

It was just a week ago that the Saskatchewan Roughriders blew a 22-0 first half CFL lead to the Edmonton Eskimos en route to a 38-33 loss. On Sunday afternoon, it looked for a moment like history was repeating itself. The Riders led 23-0 at halftime before the Hamilton Tiger-Cats came roaring back with 16 third quarter points. Hamilton would tie the score at 23-23 early in the fourth quarter before the hosts pulled it out with a late touchdown and field goal to win 33-23.

After the game, Roughriders coach Ken Miller talked about the importance of not blowing another big CFL lead:

"We didn't want to do that again, "In the first half in particular it was sensational. In the third quarter we gave up some points ... but overall our defence played pretty good."

Hamilton head coach Marcel Bellefeuille said there was no moral victory in falling short after a big comeback:

"You've got to play 60 minutes to win in the CFL, you can't play 30 minutes."

An important component of the Roughriders victory was their improved rushing attack. Saskatchewan ran for 214 yards, with Wes Cates becoming the first Roughrider to rush for more than 100 yards this season as he finished with 117. After the game, Cates spoke of his accomplishment:

"It was not as much for myself but more for the naysayers. Yeah I needed a big game like that to stop the rumours and stop people from talking bad about me."

Saskatchewans defensive line also starred, completely shutting down the Hamilton rushing attack. The Roughriders limited the Tiger-Cats runners to a mere 31 yards on the ground.

Kevin Glenn replaced Hamilton starting QB Quinton Porter after the first quarter and finished the game 12-for-27 with 183 yards. Porter was 1-for-5 for only three yards before he was yanked.

The Tiger-Cats now have a bye week i before they return to action August 29th against the Edmonton Eskimos. Saskatchewan will head east to take on the CFL leading Montreal Alouettes on Friday night.

MMA Flashback: Strikeforce Shines At The Playboy Mansion

Fri, 07 May 2010 08:44:47 +0000

Hugh Hefner is really starting to show his age, but there he was at cageside wearing his trademark pajamas and bathrobe. Every time the STRIKEFORCE cameramen got a shot of him with the comment that "There's Hef looking on" it appeared as if he was taking the opportunity to attend to some paperwork. Had he bothered to look up every now and then he would have enjoyed a spirited night of fighting.

STRIKEFORCE had to scramble on this show, as injuries changed the main event several times. It was initially a non-title matchup between former UFC bad boy Renato Babalu Sobral and promotion light heavyweight champion Bobby Southworth. Eventually, both sides of the main event changed several times before settling on a matchup between former BoDog middleweight champion Trevor Prangley and Anthony Ruiz.

The Prangley/Ruiz contest was a one sided affair, with the South African using his strength to repeatedly takedown his opponent and control him on the ground. Ruiz had the edge in the standup game, but Prangley avoided trouble by keeping the fight where he wanted it en route to a unanimous decision victory. With the frequent changes this bout was moved well down on the card and aired third on the televised portion of the event.

The main event was nominally the US debut of World Victory Roads Kazuo Misaki aka The Grabaka Hitman taking on well traveled veteran Joe Riggs. After a first round that was tactical to the point of being tedious, the second round brought fireworks en route to a controversial stoppage. After each man suffered a knockdown Misaski pressed his advantage with a furious ground and pound attack, and after about 30 seconds referee Josh Rosenthal waved off the fight awarding Misaki the TKO victory.

After the stoppage, Riggs immediately jumped to his feet in protest. The crux of his argument was that he was defending himself and that Misakis blows were doing little damage. He did have something of a case, as the replay showed that he was covered up and absorbing most of the blows to his gloves. Still, the referee is within his authority to step in and stop the proceedings if a fighter is not intelligently defending himself. While Riggs may not have been taking the full brunt of Misakis strikes, he was basically covered up in survival mode and not doing anything to improve his position. With the safety of the fighters always the top priority, our conclusion was that the stoppage was legit. At the same time, however, you certainly cant blame Riggs for not being happy with it.

Earlier in evening, STRIKEFORCE lightweight champion Josh Punk Thompson made short work of a game but overmatched opponent in Ashe Bowman. Bowman was making a huge step up in class here, and was clearly nervous at the prospect of facing such a high profile opponent. Thompson just measured Bowman for the first minute of the fight, scoring with low kicks to the leg. To his credit, Bowman figured that he had to take the fight to the champion and went on the attack. Thompson then put on a counterpunching clinic nailing Bowman with a straight right followed by a flurry of uncontested punches that sent the young fighter to the canvas for a quick stoppage.

The most impressive KO of the night had to go to Terry Martin, who appeared to be on his way to a unanimous decision loss to Cory Devela until the third round when he knocked out his opponent with a sneaky straight left.

Gators Subdue Bayou Bengals In Tebow's Return To Action

Fri, 07 May 2010 08:39:18 +0000

Florida quarterback Tim Tebow shook off the effects of a concussion suffered against Kentucky two weeks ago and returned to lead the #1 ranked Gators to a hard fought 13-3 victory over #4 ranked LSU. Tebow got a good deal of help from a nasty Florida defense, and the largest crowd in LSU history (93,129) left disappointed as the Bayou Bengals offense was almost completely shut down.

College football betting enthusiasts who backed Florida as a -9 road favorite weren't able to breathe easy until the final whistle, but eventually enjoyed a payday with the narrowest of pointspread covers. The Gators improved their ATS record over the past three years to a glossy 22-7 and they've covered 8 of their last 9 on the road. The combined 16 points scored went well UNDER the posted total of 45. The Gators have played UNDER in 2 of their 3 games with a posted total this season, while LSU has gone UNDER in 3 of 5.

After the game, Tebow characteristically explained that he tried to play smart but without fear:

"I tried to play smart. I told him, I said, when we were talking to Coach [Urban] Meyer, I said, 'I'm not going to go out there and play tentative or scared. That's not me.' I did try to play smart but I wasn't scared or timid at all."

Tebow was not the least bit intimidated by the huge crowd of LSU partisans:

"This place is one of my favorite stadiums to play in. It just gets your adrenaline going, then to play against a great defense like that."

Tebow returned to practice earlier this week, but wasn't medically cleared to play until a few hours before gametime. Even then, he was listed as a game time decision. Coach Urban Meyer talked about the difficult decision he had to make:

"It was a tough deal and I kept saying, 'Would I play my son?' You know Tim," Meyer said. "It was, 'Let me play. Let me play.' Nonstop."

Gators safety Will Hill said that the defense knew that they'd have to play well:

We knew Tim would suit up but we didn't know if he would play, but we didn't care. The defense knew what we had to do to come out and win this game."

LSU receiver Brandon LaFell blamed his teams mistakes for the loss:

Those guys have a pretty good defense. We had a ton of chances, then we would get a mistake ... Too many mistakes."

Florida has now won 15 games dating back to last season. They'll try to keep that winning streak going next weekend as they host the University of Arkansas. LSU will take a bye weekend before returning to action against Auburn on October 24.

Building A Large Chicken Coop

Thu, 06 May 2010 08:08:08 +0000

The benefits of owning large chicken coops are many. However, too few people know these benefits, and end up spending huge amounts of money to buy food that could have been made by raising chickens. The thing to remember, though, is that chickens are delicate creatures, contrary to their seemingly hearty exterior. They are easily chilled by cold conditions. You will need to take this into consideration before buying or building a coop.

At one time, people raised chickens in their backyards as pets, while others raised them for food. However, in recent years, the demand to raise chickens for food has risen significantly. Because of its health benefits and low price, chicken has topped the charts as one of the most heart healthy foods. Many people, including farmers and average citizens alike, are now using large chicken coops to raise chickens from the comfort of their own backyards.

Chickens can be raised for both meat as well as eggs. In the long run, this can save you a lot of money and provide an ongoing food supply.

With that in mind, large chicken coops are a great asset for anyone, including farmers and private individuals. The larger your coop is the more comfortable living conditions will be for your chickens. This creates a viable environment to raise healthy chickens that will grow and thrive. Generally, you can fit large numbers of chickens in a large chicken coop. Making living conditions comfortable will help boost your food production and extend the lifespan of your chickens.

Large chicken coops vary widely. You can get coops on wheels, coops with grazing areas, and even coops that resemble real-life igloos.

While it's important to get large chicken coops that do what you want them to do, it is just as important to make sure your chickens are comfortable in their environment. At a minimum, you should have at least four square feet of space inside your chicken coop, according to experts. You can even purchase mobile chicken coops.

However, there are many benefits to owning a mobile chicken coop. Because they are portable, you can easily adjust the coop, so it faces away from the sun. If bad weather approaches, it is much easier to protect your chickens from rain and snow. Large chicken coops make it easier to watch your chickens. According to experts, having a mobile chicken coop also makes it easier to separate your pets from the chickens.

The advantages of owning large chicken coops are quite plentiful. First, you can fit more chickens into the coop. Farmers recommend placing hens at least three feet apart, to give them their own space. Larger coops generally last longer and can exist in harsh conditions. According to Chickencoops.org, large chicken coops are better for raising large numbers of chickens. They also increase your productivity, without costing too much money.

NY Giants' Suffocating Defense Paces Victory Over Tampa Bay

Tue, 04 May 2010 12:20:51 +0000

The New York Giants used a potent ground attack and a suffocating defense to shut out the host Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24-0 on Sunday. The Giants amassed 397 total yards including 226 on the ground, while the defense held Tampa to 86 yards of total offense and five first downs. The Giants improved to 3-0 on the season, while Tampa dropped to 0-3 and lost for the seventh straight time dating back to last season.

The Giants easily covered as -6 road favorites, improving their ATS mark to 3-0 on the season as well. The Buccaneers, meanwhile, are 0-3 both straight up and against the spread.

After the contest Giants coach Tom Coughlin talked about his teams dual priorities for the week:

"We had a game in which we didn't play very well against the run, so we knew that we would be tested and we would have to rise up and do a better job there. We also knew we needed to rush the ball better than we had, so we did a pretty good job with that."

Over in the Bucs locker room, head coach Raheem Morris-who is still looking for his first victory at the helm of a NFL team"had little positive to say about his teams performance:

"They beat us down. We were beat by a grown-man team, a team we want to be like one day. They came in here and took it to us. Out-manned us, out-gunned us. ... It wasn't even close."

"We have no choice but to get better than this performance. You get five first downs and you're 0-for-9 on third down. You have 86 yards total offense. It was completely disastrous."

Giants running back Brandon Jacobs gave much of the credit for the victory to his defense:

"Our defense was very, very, very impressive. I knew they would come out with a chip on their shoulder."

Impressive enough to leave Bucs receiver Michael Clayton hanging his head and looking for answers:

"It was disappointing, a little bit embarrassing. We have to play better."

The Giants will play at Kansas City this Sunday as they try to maintain their unbeaten 2009 regular season record. New York is a -9 road favorite with the total set at 42. Theyll host the Oakland Raiders the following Sunday before playing at New Orleans on October 18. Tampa Bay will play their next two games on the road, beginning this weekend against the Washington Redskins. The Redskins are -7 home favorites with the total set at 37.

Patriots Back On Winning Track With Win Over Falcons

Tue, 04 May 2010 12:16:33 +0000

After an erratic start to the 2009 NFL regular season, the New England Patriots have finally found some balance to their offense. Tom Brady had carried all of the weight in the Pats first two regular season games , but on Sunday he received some long overdue help from running back Fred Taylor who ran for 105 yards. As a result, the Patriots dominated the time of possession battle holding onto the ball for nearly 40 minutes en route to a 26-10 victory over the Atlanta Falcons.

NFL betting enthusiasts who backed the Patriots as -4 home favorites cashed their tickets with the 16 point victory. It was New England's first ATS triumph of the season, while Atlanta lost to the money for the first time in the 2009 campaign. The 36 combined points scored went UNDER the total of 45.

Rushing star Taylor talked about the importance of a balanced offense in his postgame interview:

"You want to be balanced going into games, but some situations don't allow for it. You want to establish that momentum and look over across the ball and see the frustration in the defensive guys' eyes."

New England was also very effective on defense, holding the Falcons Tony Gonzalez to one catch early in the fourth quarter. Afterwards, Gonzalez talked about the Patriots defensive scheme:

"They did the same thing they always do to me, 'bracket coverage. If I get single coverage I am going to make them pay for it eventually."

New England safety Brandon McGowan joked that the plan was to hold Gonzalez without any catches:

"The plan was for him to not have any catches and he had one so obviously the plan failed."

Patriots running back Sammy Morris said it was simply a matter of making plays:

"We were making plays in the second half we weren't making in the previous weeks. It was directly related to making the third-and-shorts and fourth-and-shorts. The offense is able to stay on the field and you're able to get more things accomplished."

The Falcons will enjoy a bye weekend before returning to action on the road against the San Francisco 49ers on October 11th. Theyll host the Chicago Bears the following Sunday before playing the Cowboys at Dallas. New England will host the Baltimore Ravens, with the Patriots a -1 home favorite. The total in the game has been set at 44.

Sooners' QB Bradford To Have Season Ending Surgery

Tue, 04 May 2010 11:27:32 +0000

Oklahoma's junior quarterback Sam Bradford will likely opt for season ending shoulder surgery. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner was to announce his plans at a Wednesday night press conference, but that has been canceled with no official word from Bradford expected before Saturday. Despite the delay, unnamed sources close to the situation indicate that there is "a very good chance" that Bradford will go under the knife in hopes of insuring a better opportunity with a NFL team next season.

Despite every indication that the decision to undergo surgery to repair an injured AC joint in his throwing shoulder is to eliminate the potential perception that he is 'damaged goods' in advance of the NFL draft, University officials stressed that there has been no official decision in this regard.

On Wednesday, Sooners' coach Bob Stoops addressed the media about Bradford and the canceled press conference:

"He just wasn't ready to fully answer everything that'll want to be asked and for sure what he wants to do just yet, until he has a few more people to visit with. That's it. I won't say another word about it."

"Sam's whole situation, he'll have something to say when he knows what his path will be, and that isn't right now. I'm not the one to answer it. He will. And I will once he feels he's ready to and knows for sure what he wants to do."

OU quarterbacks' coach Josh Heupel talked about the conflicting issues that Bradford is currently dealing with as he tries to decide what the best course of action to take is:

"I think it's extremely difficult for him, coming back for all the right reasons, wanting to have an opportunity to go compete on the football field, compete for championships and then having all those things taken away from you. There's a lot of hard work that goes into it and when you invest that much, it's going to be extremely disappointing. It's not an easy situation for him, certainly."

Despite their 3-3 record, Oklahoma has played well this year. The losses came to top level opponents BYU, Miami and Texas by a total of five points. Still, there's no real hope for a return to national championship contention.

Had Bradford opted to go to the NFL last season, he could have been one of the highest players selected in the draft. He had a monumental season last year, throwing for 4,720 yards and 50 touchdowns. With his struggles this season and his injury, his future at the next level has grown somewhat more problematic. He could elect for surgery and opt for the draft this season, realizing that he'd be viewed as something of a 'risky choice'.

Toy Haulers Help Grown Ups Reconnect with Their Inner Child

Mon, 03 May 2010 09:11:46 +0000

You remember what its like to be a kid. You remember what its like to have only one objective; have more fun today than you did yesterday. You remember what its like to live before your wardrobe was a suit, when your accessory was a bicycle not a briefcase. It's time to go back. It's time to fill your days with fun instead of deadlines. It's time for a fun filled getaway.

A getaway can be anything that allows you to "getaway" from the hustle and bustle of your life. You don't have to travel far, you don't have to even stay overnight. A getaway is an adventure that allows you to have fun. Whether it's with friends, family or a solo trip, a getaway gets you out of your routine and having fun. Toy haulers make these kinds of getaways easier.

Toy haulers are easy to use and simply attach to the back of your vehicle. They allow you to transport with ease ATVs, bicycles, dirt bikes, watercrafts, motorcycles, snowmobiles and more. And when you own your toy hauler you never have to worry about renting one. You can carry your toys with you any time you want, anywhere you want.

With a toy hauler, your adventures are limitless. Just picture yourself pulling up to a rugged mountain, pulling out your ATV, setting up camp and just exploring. Imagine seeing what few people have been able to take the time to see deep within the mountains. Or picture pulling up to a lake or ocean, dropping in your watercrafts and spending the day in the water, under the sun. Toy haulers make these things easier.

The number of options for snowmobiles is practically endless! Go deeper into the backcountry. Bring your camping supplies and set up camp where most people have never set foot. Or perhaps bicycling has your interest? Load them up and head to a National Park, bike further and watch the stars come out witnessing what very few people have.

There are many different kinds of toy haulers to choose from. Some are just individual units with space to store and transport your toys where others are equipped with kitchen units and fold out beds. It is important to assess your needs and determine which kind of toy hauler will best suit your needs.

In the excitement of getting ready for adventure it may be tempting to overload your toy hauler, excessive weight and cargo can put strain on brakes and tires or even lead to an accident so it is important to not overload your toy hauler. Additionally the more weight you have, the more fuel you will have to use.

We've all seen children playing and missed our carefree days of youth, when our only goal was to have more fun than the day before. Make it happen again. There is nothing stopping you from having fun. Not a tie. Not a deadline. Certainly not a laptop. Take the time to have fun. Grab your friends, your family or go alone. Load up the toy hauler and hit the road!