Rolled sod

Sod or turf is grass and the part of the soil beneath it held together by the roots, or a piece of thin material.

The term "sod" may be used to mean grass grown and cut specifically for the establishment of lawns. However, in British English and in Irish English such material is more usually known as turf, and the word "sod" is limited mainly to agricultural senses (for example for turf when ploughed), or avoided altogether, due to the alternative offensive meaning of the word "sod".

Sod (or turf) for lawns is grown on specialist farms. It is usually grown locally to avoid long transport and drying out and heat buildup of the product. It is sold to landscapers, home builders or home owners who use it to establish a lawn quickly and avoid soil erosion. The farms that produce this grass may have many varieties of grass grown in one location to best suit the consumer's use and preference of appearance. It is usually harvested 10 to 18 months after planting, depending on the growing climate. On the farm it undergoes fertilization, frequent watering, frequent mowing and subsequent vacuuming to remove the clippings. It is harvested using specialized equipment, precision cut to standardized sizes. Sod is typically harvested in small square slabs, rolled rectangles, or large 4-foot-wide (1.2 m) rolls. Some large sod farms may export internationally. Because of the product's short life after harvest, the sod may be washed clean of the soil down to the bare roots (or sprigs) which makes shipping lighter and cheaper. Sod can be used to repair a small area of lawn that has died.^[1]

Sodding versus seeding[link]

Seed may be blown about by the wind, eaten by birds, or fail because of drought. It takes some weeks to form a visually appealing lawn and further time before it is robust enough for use.

Turf largely avoids these problems, and with proper care, newly laid sod is usually fully functional within 30 days of installation and its root system is comparable to that of a seeding lawn two or three years older.^[2]

However, turf is more expensive^[3] and requires considerably more water for its establishment. Erosion after seeding may be a concern in some areas near water. Sod reduces erosion by stabilizing the soil in these type of areas.^[4]

See also[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Rolled sod

• Cob (building)
• Divot
• Groundbreaking (cut or turn the first sod)
• Peat
• Sod house

References[link]

Stormtroopers of Death, known as S.O.D., was a crossover thrash band formed in New York in 1985. They are credited as being among the first bands to fuse hardcore punk with thrash metal into a style sometimes called crossover thrash. The song "March of the S.O.D.," from their 1985 debut album, was the Headbanger's Ball intro anthem for many years.

The band had some controversy due to the politically incorrect lyrics. Dan Lilker stated: "The lyrics were never intended to be serious, just to piss people off."^[1] According to singer Milano, the 24-song extended "EP" of live and unreleased material called Rise Of The Infidels, released in August 2007 on Megaforce Records, is the final release by the band. Milano said, "(the EP) will finally be the last of S.O.D.," laying to rest rumors of another S.O.D. reunion.

Biography[link]

After finishing his guitar tracks on the Anthrax album Spreading the Disease, Scott Ian would draw pictures of the face of a character known as "Sargent D." The pictures would be accompanied by slogans such as "I'm not racist; I hate everyone" and "Speak English or Die," and Ian would write lyrics about the character. He decided to form a hardcore band based on Sargent D, so he recruited Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante, ex-Anthrax bassist Dan Lilker, and Psychos bassist Billy Milano on vocals.

They recorded a 63-song demo called Crab Society North^[2] and set to work on an album for Johnny Zazula's Megaforce Records. The record titled Speak English or Die, was recorded and mixed over three days and has since been recognized as a landmark recording. They toured in support of the record in 1985, opening for Motörhead and The Plasmatics, among others. Their planned follow-up USA For S.O.D., was never recorded. Their music served as the theme of the '80s incarnation of MTV's Headbangers Ball.

After the tour finished, Lilker carried on with the band Nuclear Assault while Benante and Ian continued with Anthrax. Milano formed the spin-off band Method of Destruction, known as M.O.D. The band's first album U.S.A. for M.O.D., featured many lyrics written by Scott Ian, as well as an altered version of "Aren't You Hungry," an unrecorded S.O.D. song from the 1985 tour.^[3] S.O.D. reformed for a one-off gig in New York City in 1992, released as the live album Live at Budokan. The record featured most of the studio album, a few songs from the demo and covers of Ministry, Nirvana and Fear. In 1997, S.O.D. reunited again to play the Milwaukee Metal Fest. They played their first European gig at the With Full Force festival in Germany,^[4] and in 1999 the second studio album was released. Bigger Than the Devil, with its hardcore metal and black humor, was welcomed by fans and the band toured again in the late 1990s. Bigger Than the Devil featured the original S.O.D. version of "Aren't You Hungry."

In 2001, the DVD/video Speak English or Live was released. It added to the original Live at Budokan video by including a gig from a German metal festival and footage of the band recording overdubs for live tracks recorded in Japan. These would be included on the platinum reissue of the debut, along with two new studio tracks, to celebrate sales of one million for Speak English or Die. In 2002, the tour movie Kill Yourself: The Movie was released on DVD. Metal magazines reported in 2003 that the band had split up due to disagreements between Ian and Milano. In 2007, despite earlier reports, S.O.D. released its third album, Rise of the Infidels. The album consists of previously recorded material.

In October 2011, Scott Ian was asked by UnRatd Magazine, "if there is any chance of reigniting that spark?". Ian replying, "No. I think I can safely say that, yeah. It was never supposed to be any thing more than it was. As far as I'm concerned we did too much with it. It started out as comic book strip that I drew in the studio and then turned into this record that we made, but you know, that's all that it is for me. It's the opposite of The Damned Things, for me, it was never meant to be a real band with a schedule and making records and touring. S.O.D. was supposed to be the 'anti' of that, it was supposed to just be about having fun and never having it turn into something real where all of a sudden it's not just fun anymore - it becomes a job, it becomes a business. And I'm glad everyone around the world got to see it at least once because in '99 and 2000 we played everywhere and I don't feel the need to go out and do that again."^[5]

Members[link]

• Scott Ian - guitar, backing vocals
• Dan Lilker - bass, backing vocals
• Charlie Benante - drums, additional guitar solos
• Billy Milano - lead vocals

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

• Speak English or Die (December 1985, Megaforce Records)
• Live at Budokan (March 21, 1992, Megaforce Records)
• Bigger Than the Devil (May 22, 1999, Nuclear Blast Records)
• Rise of the Infidels (August 21, 2007, Megaforce Records)

Singles[link]

• "March of the S.O.D." (1985)
• "Seasoning the Obese" (1999)

Other appearances[link]

• From the Megavault (1985)
• Deeper into the Vault (1991)
• Crossover (1993)
• Stars on Thrash (1998)
• Suburban Open Air '99 (1999)
• Death Is Just the Beginning, Vol. 5 (1999)
• Dynamit Vol. 16 (1999)
• Nuclear Blast Soundcheck Series, Vol. 18 (1999)
• A Tribute to the Scorpions (2000)
• Death Is Just the Beginning, Vol. 6 (2000)
• New York's Hardest, Vol. 3 (2001)
• Death Is Just the Beginning, Vol. 7 (2002)

Videos[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official S.O.D. Website (no longer maintained, last updated in 2005)
• Billy Milano Official Website (under construction)
• The official S.O.D. & M.O.D. fansite

Rydah J. Klyde is a Bay Area rapper from Pittsburg, California best known for his affiliation with the rap group Mob Figaz. Around 2002, Rydah signed a solo deal with Mac Dre's Thizz Entertainment label. In 2003, he released his album Tha Fly Gangsta. In addition to releasing many songs on numerous Thizz compilations, Rydah saw the release of three albums; the first was an album with friend Johnny Cash as the group Money Gang^[1] titled Bang fo Bread, another solo album titled What's Really Thizzin? and another group effort with Thizz affiliate Freako titled El Pueblo Children. In 2006, the Money Gang released a mixtape titled 2 Chain Gang Vol. 1.

Discography[link]

Solo albums[link]

• 2003: Tha Fly Gangsta
• 2005: What's Really Thizzin?
• 2007: Thizz Nation, Vol. 9: Starring Rydah J. Klyde
• 2007: The Best Of Rydah J. Klyde
• 2009: Rated R

Group albums[link]

• 1999: Mob Figaz - C-Bo's Mob Figaz
• 2003: Mob Figaz - Mob Figaz
• 2005: Money Gang - Bang Fo Bread
• 2005: Rydah J. Klyde & Freako - El Pueblo Children
• 2006: Money Gang - 2 Chain Gang Vol. 1
• 2007: Money Gang - Thizz Nation, Vol. 12: Starring Money Gang^[2]
• 2007: Rydah & Fed-X - Money Over Bitches
• 2007: Rydah, Fed-X & The Jacka - Mob Trial 2

Compilations[link]

• 2001: Mob Figaz Ridah Presents D Boyz Compilation^[3]
• 2002: Mob Figaz Ridah Presents 90% Street 10% Rap^[4]
• 2002: Ridah Presents Mob Figaz - The Comp^[5]
• 2003: Mob Figaz Ridah Presents Thunder Knock, Vol. 1^[6]
• 2005: Mob Figaz Ridah Presents D Boyz II: The Compilation^[7]
• 2008: Rydah J. Klyde Presents Power Movez Volume 1^[8]
• 2010: Rydah J. Klyde Presents FONZO in The MOB IS BACK VOL.1 San Francisco to Reno

External links[link]

• Garrett Caples. "The Mob Figaz Meet Marvaless - 3 Da Hard Way". San Francisco Bay Guardian Online. http://www.sfbg.com/40/17/x_grooves.html. 
• Garrett Caples. "Nation of Thizzlam - Mac Dre's Thizz label undergoes a rebirth". San Francisco Bay Guardian Online. http://www.sfbg.com/40/07/news_dre2.html. 

References[link]