Extreme Makeover Houston

MEDIA: Commissioner Larry Scott's Pac-12 plan keeps evolving

And we're walking ...

Larry Scott scoots between one interview location to the next, trying to stay in the moment while spreading the word about the future of the Pacific-12 Conference as only this newly branded commissioner can do.

His handlers stand nearby, literally sweating it out that he won't be finished in time to hop a plane to the East Coast for more media merging.

Here, it's Tuesday, at the Pac-12 media day on the Fox lot in Century City. Scott might as well be trying to lock in a conference movie-rights tie-in with "The Transformers." His extreme makeover of the former Pac-10 by converting it into a major media skyscraper plays right into his strategy of creating a league-centric network by August 2012.

At that moment, he wasn't ready to say anything much more that they were "in a very advanced discussion ... my intentions is that we'd be done a year in advance of the launch, which buys me another month."

Actually, he just needed less than a day.

By the time he landed in New York, Scott seized the media-rich opportunity Wednesday afternoon to formally announce his Pac-12 Network would actually be a seven-headed beast.

For starters.

Creating a league-owned national network (who distributes it is yet to be decided) as well as one to satisfy six regional channels (where the 12 member schools are centrally located) begins the framework for something that is most likely evolving on an hourly basis until its official launch.

The fluid media landscape means that making concrete decisions today can be nearly outdated by the next season. So how to successfully pull off this yet-to-be defined multi-platform approach - one that Scott wants to have accommodate a demographic that will always be accustomed to watching games on an easy-to-find TV channel (cable or otherwise) versus a younger one that keeps up with their schools through their phone, iPad or computer screens - is always up for discussion.

An ESPN or a Fox is just as much in play as a Google or an Apple.

"The more I've looked into this, the more I realize that no one knows what the world will look like five years from now," Scott said. "That's one of the motivations for having our own network, frankly. It's so that we're able to evolve with technology and distribution.

"And being here based on the West Coast, and having the leading institutions that supply the leaders of these cutting-edge technology and media companies out here, I see it as part of our DNA.

Green Grass in Houston – Extreme Makeover Sod Addition

It happens... Maybe you forgot to water the yard during last summer's vacation, or your kids have played "buried pirate's treasure" one too many times.  Now you have a major case of Lawn Pattern Baldness, and trying to patch it here and there isn't cutting it anymore.  When it gets to this point, it's very possible you need to bite the bullet...and re-sod your yard.

You can do it - the keys are simply preparing properly, and not cutting corners.

The first step is choosing the proper grass, which will vary depending on your specific lawn needs and lifestyle.  The top three most often seen in Houston lawns are bermuda, zoysia and St. Augustine.

Bermuda  grass is what you often see on playgrounds and athletic fields; it takes a lot of abuse and is quite weed-resistant.  It's not great in shady areas, or next to flowerbeds, as it will invade them.  Also be prepared to water and tend to this grass more than some others.

Zoysia grass is the beautiful "golf course grass."  It's drought resistant, weed-resistant and requires much less frequent mowing, making it a popular eco-friendly choice.  It's not good for high-traffic areas, though, and is also more expensive - up to twice the cost of grasses like Bermuda and St. Augustine.

St. Augustine is the grass most frequently seen in Houston yards, as it's well-suited to the local climate and soil. It's shade-tolerant, well-growing but not aggressive, has a nice green color and is relatively inexpensive. Its major downside is maintenance - it requires frequent mowing and watering.

It can be tempting to want to just plop those grass squares on top of your existing soil, but packed soil and old grass will make it difficult for new grass to take root.  Also, it's very possible that your soil has lost its nutrients over the years (or never had them to begin with).  Home builders are infamous for using cheap topsoil around homes, sometimes called "red death" for its reddish color and ability to lead plants to an early demise.

To find out what kind of soil you're dealing with, take a soil sample to your local gardening store or use a home soil testing kit, and buy any necessary amendments such as compost or fertilizers.  Before adding those amendments, though, you'll want to till the old soil in order to break it up and dig up any old roots or rocks which might be impeding growth.  You can rent a roto-tiller (a.k.a. the "bucking bronco") from a hardware store.

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Yearbook of Experts, Authorities & Spokespersons - 2011 Editon