Garden thieves

Apparently, garden thievery is enough a problem for the NYTimes to write an article on it:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/07/nyregion/community-gardens-find-theft-is-a-fact-of-life.html?pagewanted=1

Patent madness

When I was young, I assumed you only patented things you actually invented. The truth is the practice of patenting things that might be invented by someone else some day somewhere, is what's really happening. There is no way, as long as this madness continues, that this is not going to destroy start-up companies, stifle innovation and suffocate healthy competition.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2011/07/26/138576167/when-patents-attack

Daily kitchen cleaner

I love my daily kitchen cleaner. It works much better than the water and washcloth combo I grew up using and it leaves no soapy residue. What is it? It's equal parts vodka and vinegar in a spray bottle! I used it on all my kitchen surfaces and keeps everything nice and clean. Hubby hates it though. I think one time he said the smell makes him gag. I think he just hates the smell of vinegar because he complained about the smell when I used to use it in the shower. Unfortunately for him, vinegar is one of my favorite cleaners!

Still, I suppose I can understand that he doesn't like the smell. I dunno. I am loathe to change the formula since it works so well, but I suppose I can try making the spray mostly vodka with some lemon juice. Hubby will just have to deal with the smell until the spray runs out. Then, if I remember and have some lemon juice on hand, I'll think about trying a different formula.

By the way, don't use this spray on grout because vinegar and lemon is acidic and might eat away the grout.