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SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

Mementos gathered from a life abroad fit perfectly in a Mahncke Park home

SATURDAY OCTOBER 20, 2007 SECTION E

PAGE 10E

Radio is the most personal medium For some of you, it might be Ricci Ware, Judd Ashmore or Bruce Hathaway. For others it might have been Randy Carroll, Drex or Rio & Reyes. For my little brother, it was Winston & Alyce. For my little sister, it was Sonny Melendrez. For my daughter it is Dave E. Rios. For me, I can’t tell you how many tardy slips I received in high school because I stayed in my car to see what John Lisle and Steve Hahn were going to say next. We all have that one radio personality we identify with most. Some of us have more than one. We feel like we know them personally because they are the first voices we hear when the clock-radio alarm goes off. We feel like we know them because their voices fill the kitchen, emanating from the tiny pocket radio that sits on the windowsill, as we eat breakfast and pack a lunch. They are already in the car when you turn the key to accompany you to work with “traffic and weather together on the (insert single digit here).” When they are hitting it out of the park and firing on all cylinders they are the voices that keep you in your car a few extra minutes before going into school or work. You can tell when someone is spending some quality time with his or her radio friends. The seatbelt is off, the backpack, briefcase or purse is in the lap and the right hand on the key about to shut off the engine. But he can’t. The listener is waiting until whatever is transpiring on the radio completes. He is waiting for the revelation, waiting for the punch line or waiting for the answer to the trivia question he just knows he should have known and will slap his forehead when he hears it. When I worked in radio, I tried to explain that to management. The “about-to-turnthe-key-but-can’t” moment is what all personality radio should strive for. Management doesn’t get it. Of all the media in which I have worked, radio management remains the most clueless about the product it produces. Managers don’t understand their listeners, they don’t understand their on-air personalities and they don’t understand the emotion of radio. There is a reason most station managers come from the sales department. I love radio. The same could be said for every San Antonio radio guy mentioned above. The reason the names resonate in our collective souls is because they are the tops of their game. They “get” radio. They “get” their listeners. With all the advances in

MICHAEL O’ROURKE

A guide to living greener ‘Worldchanging’ has tips, innovations for eco-friendly choices. D BY CLAIRE WHITCOMB UNIVERSAL PRESS SYNDICATE

I

TOSS IT IN GREEN (NITROGEN) ■ Vegetable and fruit peelings and scraps ■ Coffee grounds ■ Tea bags ■ Fresh-cut grass ■ Plant cuttings ■ Egg shells ■ Horse or chicken manure BROWN (CARBON) ■ Leaves ■ Twigs, wood chips ■ Dried grass ■ Straw, hay ■ Stale bread ■ Coffee filters CUT IT UP Chop or shred larger items such as corn cobs, melon rinds, leaves and sticks. LEAVE IT OUT ■ Fats or oils ■ Meat, fish, bones ■ Pet waste (dog, cat, pig, reptile) ■ Ashes ■ Weeds that have gone to seed ■ Diseased plants

USE IT Compost can be finished in as little as six weeks if the pile is turned frequently and the mix of ingredients is ideal. Typically it takes about six months to ‘cook.’ Where to apply? AROUND SHRUBS, TREES Spread compost around shrubs, perennials and trees to nourish their roots. ON THE LAWN Top dress the lawn with a thin layer of compost and watch the grass green up. IN THE GARDEN Work compost into the soil in flower beds and the vegetable garden in spring or fall.

THE BIN BUILD IT ■ Make a square bin from discarded pallets or a round container from wire mesh or chicken wire. ■ Ideal size is 1 cubic yard, 3 by 3 by 3 feet. BUY IT ■ Choose from tumblers, twin bins or simple wire containers. PLACE IT ■ Choose a location that’s convenient for adding waste. ■ Site should drain well.

What some might see as a rotting trash pile, gardeners view as a heap of treasure. Refuse from the kitchen and lawn holds riches for the soil. So pile it up, let it break down, then dig in. — Tracy Hobson Lehmann

Keyword: Gardening

More about composting

BUILD IT LAYER ■ Alternate layers of brown and green materials. ■ Keep the ratio at 2 parts brown to 1 part green. ■ Water each layer to keep the pile consistently moist. ■ Toss in a couple of scoops of compost or soil to jump-start the microbes. STIR Mix with a pitchfork or compost turner to add air to the pile and speed the process. WATER ■ Compost should feel like a wrung-out sponge: damp, not drippy, not dry.

TROUBLESHOOTING The compost pile will heat to about 140 degrees in the decomposition process, resulting in a product with a rich, earthy aroma. If the mix of ingredients is out of balance, the microbes won’t be able to break down the materials efficiently, and it might give off a foul odor or attract pests. IT STINKS Foul smell: Could be too wet or lacking oxygen. Add dry material and mix well. Ammonia odor: Likely caused by adding too many grass clippings, which form a dense mat. Add carbon to the pile and mix it up. PESTS Fruit flies: If the pests are attracted to your kitchen pail, make sure it has a tightfitting lid and empty it frequently. In the bin, cover kitchen scraps with a thin layer of leaves or soil. Fire ants: Pile could be too dry. Keep moist, and make sure it has the proper mix of materials to heat sufficiently. Varmints: Raccoons, skunks and other critters might come looking for a meal. To discourage them: ■ Bury kitchen scraps in the middle of the pile. ■ Avoid food with fat, meat or dairy. ■ Keep the door secured.

GOOD TO G R OW

Philippine violet

MYSA.COM Green, with envy? South Texas gardeners practice their hobby under difficult conditions: the weather’s either too dry or too wet; the heat takes its toll, then freezes come. And there’s the soil or lack thereof. Those folks with four distinct seasons and rich soil have it made. This week’s question:

Keyword: Gardening

See HOME/12E

TRACY HOBSON LEHMANN

See O’ROURKE/11E

If you could garden anywhere else, where would it be?

t’s a brave green world out there. Every day, someone is inventing something for the home. Like showers that recycle the water you use, the brainchild of a London design student. Or Herman Miller’s upholstered Mirra desk chair, which is chic, ergonomic and 96 percent recyclable. Or Vetrazzo’s eco-countertops, made with ceramic aggregate and recycled glass. This sort of good news, along with global innovations and a sprinkling of very solid ecotips, has been gathered into “Worldchanging: A User’s Guide for the 21st Century” (Abrams, $37.50). Edited by Alex Steffen, co-founder of the Web site WorldChanging.com, the book is billed as a “Whole Earth Catalog” for a new generation. Indeed it is. With a preface by Al Gore, “Worldchanging” is quirky, fun and full of surprises, even for seasoned ecoreaders. Flip through and you can learn how to make iPod speakers out of Altoid tins. You’ll also be reminded that dimmers, automatic timers and motion-detection sensors are among the top five things you can do to conserve energy. “Worldchanging” introduces you to permeable pavement that allows plants and grass to grow through it. And it reminds you that a low-flow showerhead — the fixture that mixes air with water and miraculously produces a strong spray — is a really good idea. Indeed, Americans could save 5.4 billion gallons of water per day simply by installing lowflow fixtures and toilets. If you want to join those who would rather make it themselves than buy conventional products, “Worldchanging” directs you to

ABOVE PHOTO, COURTESY ‘COMPOST’ BY KEN THOMPSON (DK PUBLISHING; $18); TOP PHOTO BY AKEYA DICKSON/WASHINGTON POST. SOURCES: ORGANIC GARDENING, EARTHMACHINE.COM, TEXAS COOPERATIVE EXTENSION

(Barleria cristata) The trumpet-shaped purple flowers on the Philippine violet are attention-grabbers. They are about 2 inches long, and they bloom in abundance this time of year. Set against the deep green foliage of the root-hardy perennial shrub, the flowers stand out from their shady spots in the landscape. The plant likes tropical conditions and will freeze back in harsh winters. Trim back to the ground, and it will sprout from the roots in spring. The common name of Philippine violet is a bit of a mystery, as it originates in India and Myanmar, and it’s not part of the violet family. Plant in a perennial bed, and give it plenty of space. ■ Light: Part shade to part sun. ■ Size: 4 to 5 feet tall; 3 feet wide. ■ Water: Moderate. ■ Bloom: Late summer through fall. ■ Cultivation: Mulch to protect roots in winter.