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Michael J

I'm a lawyer, but not that kind of lawyer.

Interests: showing the world to my children, cruises with the wife, usc football, laker basketball, 1980s music, florida beaches, disney parks, the beach house, knowledge, poker tournaments, and great big cash settlements!, humor, yosemite, walking long distances

Recent Activity

Farewell Amador Bonsai Society

“This is the end | Beautiful friend .”― Jim Morrison, The Doors California has lost one of its bonsai clubs. After 20 years, the Amador Bonsai Society has disbanded. According to the club's website, which is not yet off the web, During the Fall of 1996, two Bonsai enthusiasts, Miguel... Continue reading

Posted Apr 17, 2016 at The Bonsai Dilettante

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Bonsai in Other Languages

“The limits of my language are the limits of my wo... Continue reading

Posted Dec 11, 2015 at The Bonsai Dilettante

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Unconventionality at the Convention

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”― Ralph Waldo Emerson There are more than seven billion people alive on our planet right now. That means that even if you are a one-in-a-million guy, there are more than 7,000... Continue reading

Posted Dec 10, 2015 at The Bonsai Dilettante

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2015 USC DEPTH CHART

OFFENSE WR – 1 Darreus Rogers (6-1, 215, Jr.) 86 Robby Kolanz (5-10, 175, Jr.*) 84 Aaron Minor (6-1, 200, So.*) 83 George Katrib (6-0, 185, Sr.) WR – 7 Steven Mitchell (5-10, 190, So.*) 2 Adoree’ Jackson (5-11, 185, So.) 29 Christian Tober (5-8, 175, Jr.*) 34 Yoofi Quansah... Continue reading

Posted Aug 24, 2015 at USCFootballNews

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Monthly Bonsai Tasks - March 2015

“The afternoon is bright, with spring in the air, a mild March afternoon, with the breath of April stirring.” ― Antonio Machado Spring is upon us. The dead branches of winter are giving way to the fresh new growth of spring. Officially, it doesn't start until later this month, but... Continue reading

Posted Mar 29, 2015 at The Bonsai Dilettante

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California Bonsai Society 58th Annual Bonsai Show, March 28-29

“I was in the show for 21 days once - the 21 greatest days of my life..”― Crash Davis You can only be in this show for 2 days, but it's one of the best in California. Every year, the California Bonsai Society hosts a bonsai show at the The... Continue reading

Posted Mar 29, 2015 at The Bonsai Dilettante

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Bonsai-A-Thon XIX 2015

"Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God's handwriting." ― Ralph Waldo Emerson. Last year, Harry Hirao styled this California juniper with the assistance of David Nguy. This weekend, if you live in Southern California, you have a great bonsai opportunity - the 19th annual Bonsai-a-Thon... Continue reading

Posted Feb 28, 2015 at The Bonsai Dilettante

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A Hedgerow Bonsai

“Eschew the ordinary, disdain the commonplace.” ― Chuck Jones Ordinary bonsai is actually pretty cool, in my opinion, but I really love unusual and creative bonsai. I liked making my crash bonsai, and I enjoy the odd works like the Hobbit Hole bonsai. This month, however, the coolest creative bonsai... Continue reading

Posted Feb 20, 2015 at The Bonsai Dilettante

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Monthly Bonsai Tasks - February 2015

“[W]ith the first faint scent of spring, I remember life exists...” ― John Geddes, A Familiar Rain Spring is just around the corner. January brought really cold weather to much of the U.S., but once again, Southern California had mild to warm temperatures and several days of high winds and... Continue reading

Posted Feb 20, 2015 at The Bonsai Dilettante

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Monthly Bonsai Tasks - January 2015

“Nothing burns like the cold.”― George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones [Photo "Bäume im Winter" by Rosa-Maria Rinkl] We are now fully into winter. We even had some snow - near sea level - in Southern California this season. Fortunately for me, we don't get snowy winters like you... Continue reading

Posted Jan 14, 2015 at The Bonsai Dilettante

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RIP Jimmy Takeda (1928-2015)

“Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal.” — Seen on an Irish headstone Southern California bonsai lost another master this week. Jimmy Takeda passed away suddenly on January 3, 2015. He was the original sensei and last remaining founding member of... Continue reading

Posted Jan 6, 2015 at The Bonsai Dilettante

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December Bonsai Tasks 2014

“Winter is coming.” ― George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones Brace yourself. Winter arrives this month. Even here in Zone 10, almost everything is dormant - even the evergreens are nearly dormant. We don't get snow or any of the joys of winter here in the flatlands of Southern... Continue reading

Posted Dec 6, 2014 at The Bonsai Dilettante

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Naka Books Aren't Cheap

"Read, read, read." — William Faulkner The first bonsai book I ever read was the Sunset Books series on bonsai. But the first bonsai "textbooks" I read were Bonsai Techniques I and Bonsai Techniques II, by the late John Yoshio Naka. Today, they are out of print and hard to... Continue reading

Posted Dec 3, 2014 at The Bonsai Dilettante

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“I did know thee in the wilderness, in the land of great drought.” ― Hosea 13:5 California has been dry for the last four years. The lakes and reserviors are emptying. I went digging for California junipers recently near Lake Matthews, and the water level in the lake was shockingly... Continue reading

Posted Dec 3, 2014 at The Bonsai Dilettante

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The So-Called New Easy Method of Bonsai

“A rolling stone gathers no moss." ― Publilius Syrus If you watch instructional bonsai videos on YouTube, you've either seen or soon will see a series of videos by Dr. Gerald M. Levitt regarding his "new easy method" of growing bonsai trees in sphagnum moss instead of bonsai soil. Dr.... Continue reading

Posted Nov 28, 2014 at The Bonsai Dilettante

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#USC ucla Fight Song and Rooting Guide

Fight Songs - USC: "FIGHT ON!" (after first downs and touchdowns) Fight On for ol’ SC Our men Fight On to victory. Our Alma Mater dear, looks up to you Fight On and win For ol’ SC Fight On to victory Fight On! During World War II, an American task... Continue reading

Posted Nov 22, 2014 at USCFootballNews

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Look for the Nebari

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”― Matthew 7:7 A few months back, I watched a boxwood demo on YouTube by Larry White, a speaker at a Redwood Bonsai Society meeting. (You can check out the video... Continue reading

Posted Nov 17, 2014 at The Bonsai Dilettante

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November Bonsai Tasks 2014

“November always seemed to me the Norway of the year.”― Emily Dickinson I'm not sure exactly what Emily Dickinson meant by that. Though she is one of my favorite poets, I've often found her message to be obscured at first glance. Norway isn't such a bad place, and in fact,... Continue reading

Posted Nov 17, 2014 at The Bonsai Dilettante

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Using Leaf Mulch

“If there’s a magic bullet in gardening, it’s mulching twice a year.” ― Marjorie Harris, How To Make A Garden Gardeners love mulch, particularly a naturally composted leaf mulch. Generally, what is good for the gardener is good for the bonsai grower, too, and to some extent, this adage also... Continue reading

Posted Nov 17, 2014 at The Bonsai Dilettante

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Bug Warning - Goldspotted Oak Borers

"Why didn't Noah swat those two mosquitoes?" ―Unknown And for that matter, why didn't he swat the Goldspotted oak borer? Agrilus auroguttatus is an invasive pest contributing to the ongoing oak tree mortality occurring on federal, state, private, and local Native American lands in Riverside and San Diego County. If... Continue reading

Posted Oct 25, 2014 at The Bonsai Dilettante

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The 2014 GSBF Convention

"Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." ― Benjamin Franklin David DeGroot at the 2013 GSBF convention. Here's a great chance to be involved with some of America's top bonsai artists. Golden State Bonsai Federation and the American Bonsai Society presents 2014... Continue reading

Posted Oct 18, 2014 at The Bonsai Dilettante

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Vietnamese Bonsai

“Summer ends, and Autumn comes, and he who would have it otherwise would have high tide always and a full moon every night.” ― Hal Borland This vista showing some mountains in Vietnam, as seen from Laos, explains a lot to me about Hòn Non Bộ. Hòn means Island, Non... Continue reading

Posted Oct 11, 2014 at The Bonsai Dilettante

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There's No Reason To Be Shy

“When you're bold, some people will think you're crazy but it's more insane to be timid.” ― Constance Chuks Friday I can't wait to show this live oak in a bonsai pot. Okay, so this is way too young a tree to show as a bonsai. It's probably 15 years... Continue reading

Posted Oct 10, 2014 at The Bonsai Dilettante

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L.A Bonsai Swapmeet II

“And one thing Hollywood does well is sequels. ― Spike Lee Okay, so it's Reseda and not Hollywood. Close enough. Here comes the Second LA Bonsai Community Swapmeet. The first one was billed as the "first annual" L.A. bonsai swap meet, but people liked it so much, they couldn't wait... Continue reading

Posted Oct 7, 2014 at The Bonsai Dilettante

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October Bonsai Tasks 2014

“Summer ends, and Autumn comes, and he who would have it otherwise would have high tide always and a full moon every night.” ― Hal Borland This is my first [almost] repeat blog post. I've been blogging about bonsai for more than a year now, and October was my first... Continue reading

Posted Oct 7, 2014 at The Bonsai Dilettante

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