Top Ten Halloween Tips for Parents

Okay, my son isn’t going trick or treating this year. He’s far too ill…

Sucks… but maybe next year…

Many of our kids are going to be out looking for goodies under cover of darkness… and that means that “Parental Radar” needs to be set on HIGH.

(It’s not like when we were kids and we took off at dusk, to pillage the neighborhoods until the wee hours, only coming home to change costumes so we could revisit the same neighbors, AGAIN…right?)

Here’s a quick checklist to help your kids get ready for what MY Mother called… “Midnight Mischief“…

1. Go With Your Kids

2. Create Check-in Times For Older Children

3. Make sure costumes allow for movement and good vision

4. Go to the Mall or other large gathering place

5. Set a Curfew

6. Educate children on the difference between tricks and vandalism

7. Protect your pets

8. Fill your kids up on good food

9. Teach your kids about Stranger rules

10. Check Local Sex Offender Lists

For more information, you can read this “VERY COMPREHENSIVE POST“ about Halloween safety from our friends over at The Ready Store.

Joshua’s Health Update

Many of you know that my little boy has been ill and that we’re doing our best to help him get well.

I’ve been getting swamped by people wanting an update on the little guy, so here’s the deal:

Right before Joshua’s 4th birthday, we had to take him to the emergency room of our local hospital.

His face was swelling severely and we thought that he’d fallen and struck his face, it was so pronounced.

He wouldn’t let us examine his teeth. That was our first clue.

Antibiotics started after it was determined that his lower jaw was inflamed.

Swelling slowed somewhat and then… just exploded. His face swelled to the point where both his eyes blacked.

Back to the emergency room. More antibiotics, but they refused to treat him further. And, they refused to refer him to an oral surgeon “because it was against hospital policy”.

I started raising hell. No avail. So we took him home and I started “reaching out and threatening to smack someone”… if they didn’t help me find a way to help my child.

NOTE: Do NOT go without health insurance in Mississippi, especially if your child has a dental problem. They’ll literally let your child suffer and even possibly perish…  in the street.

Yes, there’s Medicade. It’s designed to be nearly impossible to qualify for.

Yes, there’s CHIPs. Both take at least a month to get approved and no one will see your child while you wait to be “processed”. In the meantime, your child will grow sicker…

In the U.S., 50 million citizens without medical insurance statistically die too soon for lack of proper care.  It’s a big club, that unfortunately my family is a member of.

And… Medical insurance is NOT health care. Obama spent three years campaigning for his health care reform touting numerous times that 45,000 people die each year from a lack of health care insurance.

Yet when it came time to enacting legislation to save those very same people they used as a club, Obama and the Democratic party choose to delay support for those people by four years, thereby “officially sanctioning” the death of 180,000 more Americans, based on their own quoted numbers and rantings.

How many American CHILDREN fell through the cracks?

Um… mine, for one.

It is… a mess.

Ironically, the doctor now treating Joshua is ON that hospital’s staff and HE doesn’t understand why he wasn’t called immediately. We are STILL trying to get to the bottom of that.

Joshua needs surgery. He has a severely abscessed tooth and the infection has spread throughout his lower jaw, in spite of the massive bombardment of antibiotics we’ve applied (so that they could treat it).

Joshua was scheduled for oral surgery last Monday and the dentist/doctor looked into his mouth and then punted. The situation was enough that Josh now needs a HOSPITAL operation and a severe rework of his lower jaw. It’s pretty serious.

The infection isn’t responding to “normal” pediatric antibiotics and now we’re using the “mega-strength” stuff. We’re currently trying to keep the infection from entering his brain, while we wait for surgery.

Joshua’s surgery is scheduled for early morning on Friday, Nov. 4th.

In the meantime, it’s Pre-op physicals to insure he can deal with  anesthesia and battles with hospital finance departments to insure he gets his surgery without delay.

We don’t have health insurance and they (hospital administrators) have been anything but cooperative. It’s not about “patients”, it’s about “profits”, even when the patients are little children.

We’re being told that the surgery and aftercare are going to run at least $15,000 and probably closer to $18,000…

If not for aggressive doctors championing Joshua’s cause, I’m not sure where we’d be.

We’ve literally had to move mountains to make this happen.

Joshua is NOT a happy camper.

Try telling a four year old that “it’s going to be okay…” as his face throbs like it’s on fire. Oy. Would that my own tears could douse those flames…

Char continues to fight her illness and we’re just doing all we can, day to day.

So, that said, posts are going to be farther apart for a few weeks, I suspect.  The Gang at the Corten Cavalry will help out, but we’re going to focus on getting my family healthy.

Sometimes, regretfully, helping families means helping your own family, first.

We’ll get things back to normal, as soon as possible.

Taken 2 weeks ago on his 4th Birthday, before the swelling blacked his eyes.

Thanks for your understanding and your prayers. They are appreciated.

Ronin and family

As an addendum:

Many readers have emailed me personally to ask how they could help.

Bless you Amanda (you know who you are), you were the first.

We’re going to try to help other kids. This has really opened our eyes.

We just returned from the Medical Center. Joshua just received his “pre-operative physical”. Surgery is scheduled for Friday, the 4th of Nov. 6am. I don’t know whether to be happy or cry. He’s getting his surgery (several hours worth) the day after my birthday.

It’s the best birthday ever.

WE have spent the entire day hearing about kids who can’t see doctors for lack of a $20 co-pay.

Want to help my son, and kids just like him?

You can click on the “donate” button on the RR sidebar (it’s located below the information about the new – soon to be released – book – “Nuts and Bolts”) and comment in the note you can leave that that you just want it to go to help “Joshua’s kids”.

We appreciate your kindness more than you know. It’s easy to feel alone in times like this. Other family’s are hurting just like mine is. It’s heartbreaking knowing your child is hurting and you have nowhere to turn.

It’s a NEW RECORD!

Okay, so we’re having “hard times”…

People ask me why I spend so much time helping families build affordable, sustainable ISBU homes, while they try to navigate the removal of mortgages and excessive utility bills from their household budgets.

The reason is obvious. The ship is sinking.

… but you wouldn’t know it by watching the Federal Government burn through taxpayer dollars as they wrap up the United States biggest spending year, EVER. I won’t mention that it’s also going to go down in history as the second biggest annual budget deficit EVER.

Now, more than ever, American families are building “affordable alternative homes” to combat the “perils and pitfalls” of a system that is falling in on itself.

I call these homes “Aah’s“! As in:

“Aahhhhhhh, what a relief!”

Yet, still… nobody is talking about this. I wonder why?

Here’s the facts (straight from the horse’s mouth):

I’ll paraphrase the Wall Street Journal: (italics are mine)

“It’s pretty obvious to anyone with a pulse that… the Obama years have racked up the three largest deficits (both in absolute amounts and as a share of GDP) since Hitler still terrorized Europe. Some increase in deficits was inevitable given the recession, but to have deficits of nearly $1.3 trillion two years into a purported economic recovery simply hasn’t happened in modern U.S. history. Yet President Obama fiercely resisted even the token spending cuts for fiscal 2011 pressed by House Republicans earlier this year.”

The CBO (Congressional Budget Office) recently finished tallying the revenue and spending figures for fiscal 2011, which ended September 30th. 

I’ve yet to see anyone dancing in the street over the results.

The government had its best year ever, spending a cool $3.6 trillion.

That beat the $3.52 trillion posted in 2009, when the feds famously began their attempt to spend America back to prosperity.

So much for limiting spending and even… (gasp!) cutbacks.

The Wall Street Journal also reported today that:

“The table also shows how close the federal budget was to balance as recently as fiscal 2007, with a deficit as low as $161 billion, or 1.2% of GDP. Those are the numbers to point to the next time someone says that the Bush tax rates are the main cause of our current fiscal woes.

Under those same tax rates in 2007, the government raised $2.57 trillion in revenue but it spent only $2.73 trillion. Four years later, the government raised $265 billion less thanks to the tepid recovery, but it spent nearly $900 billion more thanks to the never-ending Washington stimulus.”

“HEY! What happened to all of those spending cuts that Congress squabbled over?”

A “spending cut” isn’t the same as a decrease in the actual amount of spending at all.

It’s simply a DECREASE in the growth rate of spending.

I saw it illustrated like this;

“…if spending during the previous year grew by 6% but only increased by 3% over the current year then that counts as a spending cut even though the actual amount of spending has INCREASED.

What we NEED to DECREASE the actual spending, not its derivative.

It takes a negative spending growth rate to define a TRUE decrease.

Perhaps this administration has trouble differentiating between a function and its derivative.”

I’ve always said that when it comes to MATH, Congress is clueless.

We have a CONGRESSIONAL SPENDING PROBLEM.

Contrary to the “popular misconception” – America’s TRILLION dollar deficits are not a function of the Wars or the Bush Tax Cuts.

The total cost of the Iraq war was $709 billion and was incurred over the years 2003 – 2010 (Source CBO).

Yes… the Tax Cuts were also in affect during this time. The deficits in the 2003 to 2007 years were in a manageable 400 to 200 billion dollar range (2007 Deficit was less than 200 Billion).

(Would that they STILL were…) Oy.

Why did deficits explode in 2008 to 2011?

FACT: It’s because Democrats took over Congress in 2008 and started spending money like water on stimulus programs.

A stimulus bill in 2008 of $814 billion dollars is still $100 billion greater than the cost of the Iraq War, no matter HOW you do the math. The difference is that Congress is using American Taxpayers like their own personal Credit card… and they’ve blown thru their limits, with impunity.

When American families are faced with the a “fiscal deficit” (i.e. financial hardship, unemployment, rampant inflation… pick one… or even ALL of them), they tighten their belts, cut their spending, limit (usually severely) future spending, and work hard to balance their budgets.

They have no other choice! It’s called “fiscal discipline”. The bank doesn’t care if you’re broke. They STILL demand that mortgage payment.

It is imperative that American families INSIST… no… DEMAND that the “empty suits” in Washington figure out what “discipline” means… and then… do the same thing that WE the People do.

Otherwise, THEY get to join the unemployed, ASAP.

We’re experiencing technical diffficulties… :(

Hey Gang,

(from the Corten Cavalry Gang);

The post slated for today was somehow mangled in the posting process.

Several files attached to it were corrupted and need to be replaced.

Alex is with his son Joshua at the hospital (emergency room) and can’t deal with the snaffu at the present time.

We’ll get it sorted out ASAP.

Bear with us and join us in saying prayers for his little boy. Joshua is having a really hard time.

The Corten Cav…

 

 

 

And now… a message from Dr. Geiger…

The Choices We Make Impact our Path in Life
by Owen Geiger, Ph.D.

A brief tale of two home buyers…

John:

John bought a contractor-built house in the suburbs, largely because that’s what most people do. He didn’t give the decision a great deal of thought. He was eager to have a nice new home to show off to friends and family. It would provide a lot of personal satisfaction and be a sign to everyone who noticed that he was successful. Looking back, it was oh so easy to sign on the dotted line… It didn’t take long for the problems to begin. John’s first surprise came from unexpected repairs. He would have to foot the bill for a plumbing leak in the wall, broken faucet, new storm door and some drawer slides. With most of his spare money put into the down payment, he had to start tapping his credit card. Routine repairs and unexpected expenses suddenly became the norm. And then the regular bills hit. At first John was prepared, but bit by bit things became more difficult, especially as cold weather and higher energy bills set in. It never occurred to John to investigate the energy efficiency of his home before buying. After all, the home was only two years old. Everything should be built to code, right? Well, to his chagrin, John discovered that codes only provide minimal standards. Now he had to choose between cranking up the furnace to stay warm and pay the ridiculous heating bills, wearing winter clothes around the house or insulating and weatherizing the house. Although he couldn’t really afford it right now, he bit the bullet and paid for an insulation package. But even with the upgrade, he could feel the cold air blowing through the walls, especially around the windows and electrical outlets. And that’s when the furnace broke. The warranty had just expired, of course, so John was hit with another repair bill he couldn’t afford. This time he had to ask his parents for help since his line of credit was tapped out. Unfortunately, his dad had had some unexpected medical bills and his parents were unable to help. He was forced to renegotiate his loan on the banks’ terms.

This story ends on a sad note because his bank is currently taking a tough stand against those who can’t make their payments on time. A few months later, John lost his home and down payment. The sale price was less than what he had paid, so now he is on the hook for the balance and the credit card debt. John lost all his savings and had to sell his car and other possessions.

Sara:

Sara had been saving for years for her dream sustainable home and already owned a small piece of land in the country. She determined from the outset that she wanted her own home, and there was no way she would work the bulk of her adult life paying off a mortgage. After all, almost everyone built their own home up until the last 50-100 years, so it didn’t make sense to forfeit a lifetime of earnings to a bank for things she didn’t really need. She researched every aspect of building a house – building codes, foundations, earthbag walls, insulation, cost estimating, non-toxic materials, roofing, everything. It took a lot of time and effort to learn what to do and put together a workable plan. Online videos were a big help, as were various blogs and websites that explained how to do things versus generalized content. Sarah settled on a simple starter home with only the basic necessities so she could pay with cash. She understood this would save her a ton of money, and besides, she could always add on later. It was a daunting challenge, but Sarah worked extra hard for a few months and completed her home.

Not only did she manage to avoid decades of mortgage payments, she also slashed her monthly utility bills because her new home is extremely energy efficient. In addition, the home contains no man-made materials that off-gas toxic chemicals. And, her home is warm and beautiful — a reflection of who she is. It was a lot of work, but now she’s finished and has much more free time to do the things she enjoys doing most.

**

Read more of Owen’s great blog, here:

http://www.earthbagbuilding.wordpress.com

Editor’s note: Even though this is an EARTHBAG HOME tale…

It’s a success story that ISBU Home builders can easily emulate with similar results.

So… Are you JOHN… or are you SARA?

Here’s Why ISBUs (Shippings Containers) are “Tonka Tough”;

People ask me all the time why I’d even WANT to build structures (especially HOMES) out of ISBUs (Shipping Containers).

I have to remind them that these durable Corten Steel boxes are designed to take poundings unlike any other assembled structures commonly used globally today.

An ISBUs life is filled with a lifetime of battles…

Mother Nature? No problem. ISBUs are weatherized containers designed to shelter cargo in the worst weather you can possibly imagine. Imagine spending a life at sea, getting pounded by “weather and worst” over and over and over again…

And it gets worse…

Sometimes, Man plays a hand in testing them, too…

Heavy seas and misty weather surround the cargo ship Rena that is stuck on the Astrolabe Reef, about 14 miles (22 kilometers) from Tauranga, New Zealand, Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2011.

The Liberia-flagged Rena has been foundering since it ran aground last Wednesday and the government has demanded to know why the ship crashed into the well-charted reef in calm weather.

Note the floating containers, filled with THOUSANDS of pounds of cargo. ISBUs keep the bad stuff (weather) out and the good stuff (air) in.

Now, imagine using these boxes to shelter something precious… like your family!

Stay tuned.

“Boonie Builds… or Beachfront… or Bayou…” even. ;)

It’s becoming clear that the American economy is on a spiral down and Congress is playing media games instead of addressing the crisis at hand.

Unemployment is claiming more and more victims of a marketplace that “fails or flees”…

How many jobs have fled to places like Malaysia or Mumbai lately?

And inflation is driving up the cost of everything. We can see it reflected weekly in our journeys into those “hallowed halls”… the grocery store.

They say that we’re in a “Global Recession”…

How did this happen? It brings to mind “Chicken and Egg” questions;

As times get harder, many families are starting to consider the construction of a secondary “Fallback” home or shelter. Many people we talk to lately are looking at “Affordable Housing Solutions” being designed and built to be constructed in the “third world”.

“Guys, I saw a set of plans on-line, for a $300 house. Why can’t I do something like that using an ISBU (Shipping Container)?”

“Well, for starters, that ISBU is going to cost you a hundred dollars a foot, plus delivery.” I remind them.

They mean well, and they’re acting in what is sometimes close to “desperation”.

But they ARE on to something;

Let’s talk about DIY Housing – ala “Fallback” or even “Vacation Home/Fishing Camp/Hunting Lodge”;

This is not about “silver spoons” or even “silver rounds”… be you rich, poor and middle class we all face the same problems.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a Survivalist, a Prepper, or a Family that just wants to get away from the city from time to time…

Your new cabin/fallback/shelter has to fit the following criteria in order to fulfill your needs over the long haul;

It has to be SAFE.

It has to be SUSTAINABLE.

It has to be AFFORDABLE.

It has to be Structurally APPROPRIATE to the region’s climate.

It has to be “culturally applicable”.

(Building a home intended for Haiti only works if you are IN HAITI… capish?)

It has to be ENERGY EFFICIENT.

It has be designed to be EASILY CONSTRUCTED.

and last but not least,

Your wife (or significant other) has to want to live in it.

There is nothing worse than building a place in the woods, that is filled with discontent and uproar. You built the place to get away from that, in the first place!

Building shelter in the wilderness isn’t that much different than building “Third World” Housing in many regards.

Generally, it all starts with the same conditions. This is due in part to the fact that this type of housing in these “brave new worlds” is often fraught with peril due to natural disasters like earthquakes and flooding, fires and tornadoes…

Is it hot? Is it cold? Is it wet? Is it dry?

All these factors need to be carefully considered.

Often, DIY housing is built by people who really don’t have an intimate understanding of WHAT or WHERE they are trying to build.

Your shelter needs to be effective and well thought out, structurally accurate and it MUST be climatically responsible, as well.

I recently talked with a DIY family that is building an ISBU Home in Wyoming.

This is thrifty family that understands what “recycling” means. I have to give them that. Over 70% of their home build was reclaimed or recycled and repurposed materials.

They were happy with their accomplishments… until we started talking about the actual construction of the home.  

They were quite proud of the fact that they’d gotten all their insulation for free. (I would be too!) They told me that they were using rigid insulation boards that were 2″ thick. They’d put it into the walls and the ceiling. In fact, they doubled it in the ceiling.

Rigid PolyIso boards will get you an R12-14 (depending on brand and type) in that thickness. It’s good stuff.

BUT – this isn’t enough for the cold winters of Wyoming. IMHO – they needed at least double that thickness in the walls.

It got worse. As it turns out, they didn’t use “rigid insulation material” at all. They used scrap Polystyrene (Styrofoam) that they salvaged from a local furniture company.

Styrofoam has an r value of about 4 per inch, at it’s best.

So, they actually had approximately r8 in their walls. Not good. Now factor in openings like doors and windows… and that wall system was NOT going to stand up to Wyoming Winters… Brrrrr!

Now couple that with a reliance on a woodstove for heat.

That means “open flames”. It’s a “Time Bomb” waiting to happen.

Styrofoam is extremely flammable.

Using Styrofoam as insulation requires that you actually put a firewall between IT and YOU.

At minimum, you’re going to need to cover that styrofoam with 5/8″ drywall. What did THEY use? Recycled wood paneling painted with latex paint. Thickness? A  QUARTER OF AN INCH, tops.

Oh crap.

NOW…

Let’s talk about PolyIso Rigid Insulation Boards… what they THOUGHT they were using.

Image: Wikipedia

According to the PolyIso Association:

“PolyIso is a closed-cell, rigid foam board insulation consisting of a foam core sandwiched between two facers. The facers are composed of various organic and inorganic materials, usually paper and fiberglass. It is widely used in both residential and commercial markets for both roof and side wall applications.”

I literally swear by the stuff. If you’re not fortunate enough to be using SPF (Spray Closed Cell Foam Insulation)… then PolyIso is the way to go, as far as I’m concerned.

PolyIso insulation has many attributes including (again, I’m quoting from the PolyIso Association with MY own two cents worth – comments in italics):

Polyiso is the most thermally efficient rigid board insulation available in the marketplace; it has the highest R-value per inch of thickness.

Moisture resistant foam core.

FREE Moisture Barrier!

Compatible with most solvents used in construction adhesives.

NO SCREWS needed to install it! Use GLUE!

Excellent dimensional stability

Superior performance in fire tests – Polyiso meets the strict standard of both FM Class 1 Approvals (FM 4450/4470), UL 1256, and CAN/ULC S126M

Wide range of service temperatures.

Desert or Mountains, PolyIso is your boy…

Long Term R-value (PolyIso insulation is the only roof insulation with third party certification – according to the PolyIso Assn)

It doesn’t rot, settle, degrade or leak. What you install is what you get… forever… UNLIKE Fiberglass batts.

Sounds good right? It’s because PolyIso Insulation IS good.

Polyiso has the highest per inch R-value of any insulation available. Because of its superior R-value, homes and buildings that use PolyIso insulation products have lower heating and cooling costs than similar structures insulated with other materials of the same thickness.

On the other hand;

Polystyrene is a petroleum-based plastic made from the styrene monomer.

Most people know it under the trade name Styrofoam.

Polystyrene is a light-weight material consisting of about 95% AIR, with very good insulation properties and is used in all types of products from cups that keep your beverages hot or cold to packaging material that keep your computers safe during shipping.

But the best you’re going to do with it as insulation… is about r4 per inch.

AND, IMHO – it’s not going to give you a decent vapor or moisture barrier.

It’s going to degrade and decay as well, because it’s open cell. It’s porous. Stuff gets in and then… rots.

Using it for wall assemblies gets you inferior walls, even if it was cheap. To use it in this manner, you’d need to fir out your walls with 2×8′s and then put several sheets into each cavity, one on top of the other, to get to the r value you needed.

They have an r8 now. They’d need to stack those Styrofoam sheets three panels deep (6″ total), to reach anything close to r24 with polystyrene. And with doors and windows, they’d get about an r20 wall system at the cost of a LOT of square footage now eaten up by those thicker walls.

And… in the ceiling… they had about an R16-20. Nowhere NEAR the amount of insulation that they’d require. The home was going to become an “energy glutton” as they literally cut down every tree in the forest to keep the wood stove burning, 24/7.

Can you imagine how many sheets of Styrofoam they’d need to build a “decently performing” roof in Wyoming?

They actually built a “metal tent”.

And now… as I type this… they’re tearing all that paneling off so they can pull out that Styrofoam and START OVER…

Look, it doesn’t matter what KIND of home you’re building.

Your home MUST be “appropriately designed and constructed”.

Over the next several weeks, we’re going to look at “Low Cost – High Speed” Shelters and homes that can be constructed by a family that desires a “change in their lifestyle”.

How’s this for “Hardened Living in Style”?

Can you say “inherently Anti-Ballistic”? That “Geiger fellow” is a genius!

And… our CORGANIX Home is ANOTHER example of what you can do IF you put your mind (and your back) into it.

Stay tuned.

Are there Apple’s In Heaven?

Steve Jobs
(1955-2011)

Another American Hero died today.

Okay, so he didn’t storm a war-ravaged hill to save his comrades in a hail of gunfire.

Perhaps he didn’t drag anyone from a burning building…

And maybe he didn’t throw himself into icy water to save a drowning victim…

But… Steve Jobs was a different kind of American Hero.  He was a real entrepreneur in an age of wanna-be’s, frauds and charlatans.

This is a guy who did it his way… and we all benefited.

And, he did it in style – without government subsidies, sweetheart deals, bailouts, or shady political gyrations.

Steve Jobs and Apple Computers transformed our lives, redefined entire industries and achieved one of the greatest  feats in human history: he almost single-handedly changed the way each of us perceives the world.

The Apple guys and gals literally changed the world – and Steve Jobs was the driving force… the Captain of Apple’s ship.

It’s said that one day Steve became so upset by his employees’ lack of creativity that he grabbed an office chair and started pounding it against the wall. Steve used so much force that he literally smashed a hole in the wall  big enough to see into the next room.

“See? Do you GET IT now? Remove the barriers! NO Limits!”

He dramatically made his point: there’s more beyond the four walls of a room and the “walls” of our minds.

Steve didn’t just bring personal computers into people’s homes, he expanded their imagination by giving them the tools to unleash their true potential. He literally leveled the playing field by making a small handful of guys and gals as powerful as some multi-national corporations.

“Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me … Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful… that’s what matters to me.”

“Innovation has nothing to do with how many R&D dollars you have. When Apple came up with the Mac, IBM was spending at least 100 times more on R&D. It’s not about money. It’s about the people you have, how you’re led, and how much you get it.” – Steve Jobs

It was “all about the tools” and Steve understood them at a level that makes most engineers and industry players pale in comparison.

Steve gave birth to one of the most successful companies in the world… in his GARAGE. 

And then, from that garage, he  pushed the boundaries of technology to exemplify the very spirit of American ingenuity and know-how.

He DEFINED GUIs (graphical Interfaces) as we know them today. Virtually everything else is MODELED after his work .

The iPod made it possible to reduce  piles and piles of Music CDs into a device smaller that a money clip.

The iPad tablet is bringing true portability and access to a world that’s become accustomed to “laptop shoulder” ailments.

And… he drove Bill Gates and the minions at Microsoft crazy, as they sought to chase after Apple and conquer the computer world using MS-DOS as a rusty blade.

“Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.” – Steve Jobs

Steve is gone now… but he won’t be forgotten. He represents what is the very best about America.

I have this paper cube on my desk. It’s something I draw inspiration from, despite the fact that a PC lives on the same property…

Click this, save it and print it out. Then, fold away! Credit goes to Jay Hauf!

Rest In Peace, Steve!

You’re going to be missed. 

Image Credit: Digitalization Magazine

Solar Panels are “Elven Magic” I tell you!

It’s been hectic around here with my little boy being sick, so I’m gonna reach into the mailbag.

Alice asks:

Dear Ronin,

As we start working our way toward a rural life lived “wrapped in steel” we’re looking at ways to “fill in the gaps”.

Water is easy, we drill a well.

Septic is easy, we dig a hole and put a septic tank in it.

But power… well, that’s another mystery to us.

We aren’t in a windy area, so I don’t think that a wind turbine will work for us.

We don’t have a nearby stream or river, so building a small hydro unit isn’t a solution either.

That leaves solar energy.

I understand hot a solar hot water heater works. I mean, it’s kind of a no-brainer…

But this whole solar (photovoltaic) thing has us scratching our heads.

I’m reading forums, but I’m getting confused more than I’m getting informed.

Can you help me? Please?

Signed,

Alice of the Information Underpowered Tribe.

***

Dear Alice,

It is wise of you to sit at the feet of the Sage… investing interest in information… blah blah blah…

Yeah, right. Seriously, okay… here goes;

Solar power isn’t really complicated, once you boil it down to it’s lowest common denominator.

Photovoltaic panels collect photons from the sun’s energy and then harness them to power up your MP3 player or your refrigerator (among many other things).

Silicon  is mounted beneath non-reflective glass plates to produce photovoltaic (PV) panels that collect photons from the sun.

Those photons are then converted (by elven magic – not to be confused with Santa’s elves, who are far too busy…) into DC electrical power.

Wait… that’s not it.

Okay, it’s time for the “Solar Science taught by Idiots” lesson of the day;

Solar (photovoltaic panels) are based on silicon.

This is Silicon;

Silicon has 4 electrons in it’s outer shell. (Note that this shell in no way resembles the outer shell of an M&M, which is one of my personal favorites). This silicon shell is greedy, however and can hold up to 8 electrons.

This is Silicone;

Do not confuse them… or her. It’s just tragedy waiting to happen.

Oh just stop it. You read the blog. If you didn’t see this coming, well… you just don’t give me enough credit…  So get over it!

A science geek will tell you that:

“When Silicon shares these four electrons with other silicon atoms and their four shell electrons, the capacity of eight is then filled. When these atoms combine with each other in this manner, the produced atoms develop a strong, stable bond not unlike the bond created by a strong nuclear family as long as you don’t invite crazy Aunt Bertha to the family picnics. You know how SHE can be…)

This produced structure is known as pure, crystalline silicon.”

You don’t stop there, however. You don’t want “Pure” silicon, because it’s too hoidy-toidy to play nice with others. So, you actually “contaminate” that stuffy silicon with something else, like phosphorus (containing 5, count em 5, electrons) to create a negative charge.

Because we all know that when you mingle something “pure” with something “else”, there’s always negativity. Right?

The result is that the silicon atom swipes four of the phosphorus electrons (remember that silicon can hold 8 electrons) and kicks one away.

That rejected electron becomes a “free carrier” – carrying off electric current.

I’m oversimplifying this, but you get the drift. Silicon wafers are created by combining silicon with other elements like boron or phosphorus to create electricity.

These silicon combinations and their differing charges are used to make assemblies that we know as “solar (photovoltaic) panels”.

As photons come down from the sunlight and strike the silicon, it shakes everything up more than a hip hop concert. The free carrier – electron that was hanging onto the silicon/phosphorous combination is now forced to the outer ring.

From there, it gets sucked up to the outer ring of the silicon/boron combination.

After that, it’s all about the elves. Um… wait… this “elf” stuff is gonna get me in trouble.

You’re basically manipulating silicon and creating positive and negative charges in those atoms.

When a silicon wafer (called a semi-conductor) is manufactured, it’s designed to form an electric field that is positive on one side and negative on the other.

When sunlight hits the wafer, the photons knock the electrons “loose” from the silicon atoms in the semi-conductor. The electrical conductors attached to the wafer’s positive  and negative sides (which form a simple circuit) then capture those electrons and carry them off, as electrical energy.

Assemblies  built from these silicon wafers form “Photovoltaic panels” capable of capturing and harnessing that sunlight and turning it into power.

This, dear Alice…  is how electricity is created.

Actually, I like the “elf” story better, because it’s easier on my brain. This physics stuff gives me a headache.

But at any rate that DC power (be it magic or not) then flows into a box called an inverter – which then transforms it into basic AC (alternating current) electrical power.

That AC power is then distributed thru your home by electrical conduit (usually Romex).

Now, I’m gonna go sit in the sun and drink a cold soda while my head stops hurting. My three brain cells are all upset now. Thanks a lot!

Seriously, if you really want to understand solar power and how it works. or more importantly, how to do it yourself, I recommend that you go visit Steve Spence over at GreenTrust.Org.

That’s guy’s forgotten more about Solar energy that I ever knew.

I don’t call him “Mr. Science” for no reason.

Of course, be probably refers to me as “that ISBU imbecile”, but… “sticks and stones…”

It’s “Unpaid Endorsement” time:

Steve has a great Solar Power Primer for sale on his website. If you want the real skinny on DIY solar power production from a REAL EXPERT for just a few bucks…

Go get it!

Tell him that Ronin sent you…

Highly recommended!

SURF or get SLAMMED!

No, it isn’t raining (at least not here) and this ain’t no Surf report… yet.

Usually, I’d be telling you about welding, or using SPF insulation, or even describing the different styles of roofs I favor today.

Many of us are considering building “alternative homes and then adapting an alternative lifestyle” (by being sustainable, accountable and responsible – who ever thought that would one day be considered “alternative”?) to insure that our families survive hardship?

And that means building a new net. I’m not talking about the Internet, I’m talking about a safety net.

I think it’s time to look at HOW and WHEN we need to start really thinking about taking steps.

It’s time we learned to swim, folks.

And, some of us will even learn to SURF.  Seriously.

You can sum the economy up in one word: DROWNING.

I remember back in 2007, when the global financial crisis first started showing us it’s teeth… all the “experts” said we’d just have to “ride it out”.

They kept using words like “cyclic, cycles, and patterns”… like they were talking about weather changes or something…

All I can say is that somebody is full of crap because it’s been a pretty long “season” (or “cycle” or even “pattern”)… and the financial outlook in 2011 is definitely not getting  any more “rideable”.

They tell us to settle down and “have faith”.

Um… I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but faith is in short supply lately, especially where the US Government is concerned.

I’m not “mud-slinging” here, I’m talking about “the guy in the street” commentaries I’m hearing regularly about “freefalling into despair while politicians turn the other way”.

I’m out in the trenches every day and people are scared.

It’s time to bite the bullet… we need  to recognize that we’re not just in another cycle — we’re in  a “system reset”. We’re experiencing  a fundamental shift in how money actually moves around.

So, if you live off a trust find that’s “locked and stocked”… Fear not. You’re cool.

But the rest of us are getting pounded into sand. Many of us are taking a very hard look at how we live and trying to anticipate how things will go – so we can formulate a plan.

Unemployment is taking a huge bite out of the middle class. Companies are seeing the handwriting on the wall and more and more jobs are moving to Mumbai and Malaysia.

The government isn’t fostering “growth” it’s fostering more “layers of control”.

This isn’t working. It’s just growing Government beyond the breaking point.

The Government needs to get out of the way and let the market recover. Until it does, this death spiral is just going to continue.

We’re nowhere near the bottom yet, despite the desperate attempts to reset the market by propping up the companies sinking like fleets caught in a hurricane. We’re just throwing more tax dollars down the toilet.

Housing HAS to do a reset. Let the market determine the prices and then look at what housing is supposed to be – for MOST of America.

Look, the times when you bought a house expecting huge increases in value each year are OVER.

Unless you’re a rich speculator – propped up by huge $600k plus jumbo loans secured by Fannie and Freddie (that means US) housing is “where you live” and NOT a “retirement investment”. It’s going to take DECADES for the market to correct itself an for those homes to regain all their “lost” value.

That means that for the rest of us… The investment you’re going to get… is the satisfaction that you have a great home for your family over the long haul.

(In fact, it’s BECAUSE of this that many of us are BUILDING ISBU Homes in the first place. We want to capitalize on this entire crisis and create a solid, secure, sustainable future for our kids, so they don’t have to learn the lessons we’ve been forced to learn, the hard way. )

I’m positive that not the only one that feels like this.

Consumer confidence has been shattered. If you need proof, look at the housing or automotive markets.

If you run a bakery, a brewery or even (gasp!) a business, your customers (or your customers’ customers) look like a herd a sheep trying to figure out which way to run… to avoid the wolves.  And…  it’s hard to sell in times of uncertainty.

Here’s the “surf” report:

Over the last half decade, a  massive wave has swept over the planet.

It’s not just us. It’s tearing Europe apart as I type this, as the EU guys try to figure out how to save Greece and the entire European economy. Global markets are taking a shelling that looks like the skyline over Baghdad during the Gulf  War.

It’s a wave that’s been fueled by misery, destruction and fear, for sure. And, you’d better learn to surf  it, if you want to survive this.

That’s what I want to talk about today.

Tough times can create or even incubate (I was gonna say “stimulate” but the word just makes me want to spit, when I think about all the debt that has been created in folly, trying to “correct the economy” by people who apparently have no clue) some really surprising opportunities.

Many of you know that we here at “RR” sponsor and even administer (thru the Corten Cavalry) a group of “do-gooders” that go out and aid the masses whenever we can.  Let’s face it… when times are tough, there are lots of people who need help.

I’ll repeat this for effect;

Helping people in need is one of the strongest foundations you can build any successful business on.

And it doesn’t matter if you have one employee or a hundred. It’s all about “application”.  You have to pick the “right” problems to provide solutions for.

Now, normally, the herd mentality is to run from fear.

DANGER, Will Robinson! DANGER!

But FEAR has a counterpart and they always travel in pairs.

FEAR’s counterpart is COURAGE.

And here is where that courage is gonna help you.

We can’t go on buying foreign products or sending money out of our neighborhoods any longer. I’m sorry folks, but it’s just not working. It just kills towns. The jobs leave with then money and soon, all you have is a ghost town that you’re going to probably market to some rich Hollywood nut as a “publicity stunt”.

We HAVE to start producing and buying LOCAL.

In fact, if you look at statistics… small businesses (including very tiny businesses) are just booming right now.

The US Government is NOT creating jobs. In fact, it’s just the opposite.

According to Inc. magazine, privately held startups (in every industry, not just tech) are where most of the new jobs are coming from … even while so many giant companies are laying people off in record numbers.

So, on top of talking about HOW to build ISBU Homes (or even hybrid homes that combine other building practices with ISBUs to form strong durable shelters).  I want to start talking about HOW you’ll live after you’ve dedicated yourself to taking a big step toward a sustainable, efficient life by building that energy efficient, affordable home out of STEEL.

Will you create a new job? Will you create several new jobs by opening a local business?

That’s what I want to explore.

Because, some day soon, we’re going to wake up and find out that life as we knew it is just a memory and ties have changed to the point that only the prepared will survive. And I want to foster that preparation.

Every family deserves a home.

And, that means that every family will need to eat… too.

Let’s discuss this.