Maybe I'm the only wise ass here. But, I can't help but wonder why nobody else said this.
If you were here in the United States, I'd recommend, with an ample supply of manure, you could consider a career in politics.
Mandy Launchbury-Rainey wrote:Please be carefull and remember that pH of 10 is 1000 times more alkaline than neutral.
Mandy is correct. pH is a logarithmic scale. Each change of 1 pH is either 10 times or 1/10 as acidic.
There are a number of things that can raise the pH.
Which one you want to use depends on what you are planning on using the water for.
If you are experienced at using chemicals and have the proper safety equipment, a small amount of muriatic acid can drop the pH in a hurry.
Glacial acetic is a little less effective, but, WAY less dangerous. But, I'm thinking the acetic acid may be hard on plants.
Perrier will drop the pH if you want to spend crazy amounts of money.
leila hamaya wrote:
one of the weird bonus quirks of this would be absolute freedom from any state, nation or country, as the water has no jurisdiction.
This is true if your home made island is in international waters.
S Benji's comment about heavy metals is a wise one.
Not too many years ago the school district in Coffeyville Kansas build the largest grade school in the state. Problem with that was, in my opinion, they built it right across the street from an old closed sherwin williams lead smelting plant. Sherwin wiilliams had gone to great expense to clean up the lead from the top foot or two of their property. However, lead dust can travel several hundred yards before it settles. Sherwin williams hadn't cleaned up beyond their property line. So there is high lead levels in the soil in a couple square miles of CoffeyWeville. That school is right across the street.
But, if it is clean of contaminants, the location could make it a better price.
When my wife and were house shopping we followed this procedure.
We made of list of what we wanted to do on our property, not just what we wanted to have.
We wanted to be able to garden, have a few fruit trees, barbecue, do my woodworking, tinker with the cars, have the grand kids over, etc.
Having a list of what we wanted to do not just what we wanted to have changed our perspective on some places we looked at.
We prioritized both the to do and the to have lists and gave the top 5 or 6 items from each list to the realtor.
With some of the places he showed us it was evident he didn't have a clue about sun angles and adequate light for growing things.
But, at least everything he showed us had a space equivalent to a garden.
In grade school one of my classmates lived in the country and didn't have electricity. All the times I visited him it never really seemed like that big a deal. They had lanterns, cooked on a wood stove in cool weather, they cooked on a brick fireplace outside in warm weather. We played outside and had loads of fun. I'm not sure my life was that much richer having electricity.
r ranson wrote:My doctor used to recommend the aspirin a day as prevention as a step before full on blood thinners. They now don't recommend it as it requires quite a bit more monitoring to make sure it doesn't do more harm than good than previously assumed. And some of the prescription blood thinners do a better job with less risk.
My wife had a minor stroke this last June. The doctor now has her on "Low Dose" aspirin as a preventive. I'm thinking it's about 80 milligrams per day.
Anita Martini wrote:Are you sure about the aspirin?
In the original post the defintion says "The are two basic causes of strokes, blockages (Ischemic) and bleeds (Hemorrhagic)."
So if the reason is a bleed, aspirin would be counterproductive.
Three years ago, a neighbour's daughter who was also a classmate of my eldest daughter had a brain hemorrhagia which was accompanied by severe headaches (age 13 then). She survived luckily.
Her mom told me later that she was lucky not to have given her aspirin as this would have made the bleeding heavier.
I am not a doctor, just commenting.
Phil Swindler wrote:Don't forget aspirin.
An aspirin or two as first symptom can help break up a clot and reduce damage and long term effects.
A few "Baby Aspirin" or what ever they are calling them these days, has the same effect and dissolves quicker.
Chew-able is even quicker.
My wife had a minor stroke last June. That will really change your life.
Prevention
Don't delay when you notice symptoms
If the stroke is from blockage - yes the aspirin helps break it up.
If the stroke is from bleeding - you are already bleeding.
Personally I would err on the side of the aspirin.
I'm sure not everyone agrees with me.
Maybe there is a doctor on permies who could weigh in on this.
For years my uncle gave neighbors rides to work.
They all lived in a community about 30 miles from Wichita and worked in Wichita.
The passengers covered enough of his expenses to make it worth his time to pick them and drop them off.
So, I know it can be done. Just don't be a parasite. Make it a symbiotic relationship.
Don't forget aspirin.
An aspirin or two as first symptom can help break up a clot and reduce damage and long term effects.
A few "Baby Aspirin" or what ever they are calling them these days, has the same effect and dissolves quicker.
Chew-able is even quicker.
My wife had a minor stroke last June. That will really change your life.
Prevention
Don't delay when you notice symptoms
Neil Moffett wrote:If you live in the United States and your name is not Dick Proenneke, then no, there is no possible way you can live in a rural area without a car or truck.
From 1492 till the early 20th century everybody lived without a car.
For umpteen generations before that the "Indians" did.
About 50 miles from me is a large Amish community without cars.
It kind of depends on what lifestyle you want and how rural you live.
I grew up in a part of Kansas that was primarily agricultural. A few of my summer jobs were on farms. So I can say from experience your husband is partially correct. Farming can be loads of work. But, a large point of permaculture is setting up things to be easier as time goes by. Also, there is nothing saying you have to do all of it at once.
Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. That's 7 colors in the rainbow, right? Actually there are thousands of different wavelengths of light.
What's he talking about?
This principle is true in agriculture as well. People have huge farms with thousands of acres of cultivated crops. People also have a few pots of herbs on the window sill of their apartment. And, there are thousands of variations in between.
I would guess there is some level of production the two of you could agree on.
The internet is loaded with examples of people turning part or all of their yard into garden. Some do market gardening. Some make deals with neighbors to turn the neighbors yards into gardens or market gardens. The possibilities are quite numerous. So, you don't necessarily need a lot of your own land.
My sister homeschooled her kids. It is a lot of work. But, in this area there is a homeschool association that can help people get started and find curriculum. We even have the Wichita Area Homeschool Athletic Association so the homeschool kids can be on teams and play sports. You might look to see if something similar is available in your area.
Jay Angler wrote:First aid kits need to be adjusted for the region and the individual. No poisonous snakes where I live, but I'm highly reactive to wasp stings, so I make sure I've got an antihistamine in my backpack.
For several kinds of insect stings and some bites, a paste of baking soda applied to the sting takes away a lot of the pain.
It neutralizes the alkaloids reducing the reaction the sting has on your nerve endings.
Water is best to use in making the paste. But, other water based liquids will work in a pinch.
The sooner the better.
It is recommended that you soak the twine in a solution of water, salt, and boric acid which strengthens the wick and helps it to burn steadily. The wicks can be made without the solution, though they will burn faster and might cause your candle wax to melt unevenly.
I have not bought any twine recently though and don't remember the ply. Here are some examples of twine products on Amazon:
When I made candles years ago I usually used a braided cotton wick. It worked well.
The diameter determines the size of the flame. Bigger braid, bigger flame.
I tried a metal core wick. It was woven around a wire with a melting point lower than the flame temperature. The wire melted as the candle burned leaving a few little beads of metal at the bottom. I'm not convinced the candles were any better. The stuff was a little more expensive. Also, looking at it from my more mature perspective, it was probably a little less eco-friendly.
I tried other materials as wicks too. Natural fiber is the only way to go. Synthetics shrink and don't actually "Wick" up the melted wax. Finer fibers worked better than coarse ones.
Sorry, it was the 70's. I don't remember where I got the braided cotton.
T Melville wrote:So... the bamboo leaves clog the chipper, if I leave them on and try to feed it a culm's worth at a time. I could strip 'em off and feed 'em in slowly, but that's more time and effort than I'm looking to expend.
Function stacking.........check.
Problem = solution.......check.
I'm gonna call it permaculture until someone who's taken a PDC tells me to stop.
You need to feed the goats.
You need to get rid of the leaves.
2 birds with one stone.
Looks like a good idea to me.
I've kept a variety of herbs in pots indoors.
sage
parsley
oregano
basil
chives
I'm forgetting something.
Parsley, being biennial, seems to taste better before it blooms.
I kept a bell pepper plant in a 5 gallon bucket for about 5 years. It bloomed regularly. But, it only set fruit when I physically pollinated them. When I started keeping the same Q-tip to use over and over the pollination rate went up.
The peppers didn't get very big but had loads of flavor.
William Bronson wrote:A few hours ago I pulled off a sweet "heist".
I'm in Jersey, visiting my sister, who is sick.
I'm here to fix things, and tonight I fixed her dryer.
I got the part from a similar dryer set out for garbage day.
One was gas, the other electric, but the timer is identical.
I laughed like villain as I pushed the button and it roared to life.
She cried when I told her it was taken care of.
Getting a trustworthy repair made has proven close to impossible.
My sister is a Yale graduate and a respected academic.
I am often awestruck by her big brains, and it gave me great pleasure to be able to help her with a choice bit of rubbish and my workers hands.
I'm gonna check the laundry, then off to bed.
Tomorrow I fix her shower.
It will probably require BUYING parts, but oh well!
Congrats!
Isn't it always good to know you got something done for WAY cheaper than making a call?
My wife tolerates me buying a tool when the cost of a tool is way less than calling a pro.
My wife and I have had good luck with Hyundai. We've put on loads of miles and gotten fairly good gas mileage.
My son likes the stow and go storage in his Grand Caravan, if you want a larger vehicle. It doesn't get as good mileage, but, it's pretty handy for hauling stuff.
I totally agree with the original post.
My wife and I were at Cracker Barrel yesterday.
Their menus are brown printing on light brown paper.
When some guy closed the curtains and killed half the light, I couldn't read the menu.
I suppose it's meant to look rustic.
I find it to be a pain.
Barbara Kochan wrote:I'm very interested in adding a hub motor to my high quality bike. Anyone with pros/cons and specific ones they especially like or dislike? Thank you
We got ours at a local Schwinn dealer.
We took in the bike and they installed it for us.
It was easy to learn to use.
It has a little thumb controlled throttle.
It uses 3 12 volt batteries like the ones they use in exit signs over doors.
Sorry, It was 10 or 12 years ago. I don't remember what it cost. I do remember it was way less than buying an E-bike.
Had to replace the batteries a few years ago.
I just Googled the model number of the battery.
6. I never, ever ride with earphones. I want to hear what is going on around me at all times.
We added a hub motor to our bike that looks very similar to Diane's.
If you mostly use it for assisting up hills and getting up to speed on flat ground, the battery will go several miles.
It's great for running errands and going to work on nice days.
It was WAY less expensive than the E-bikes I've seen.
paul wheaton wrote:I think the important thing demonstrated with this thread is that "the train station effect" is something that that we can understand, and has value when talking about community. It has less value to some, and that's cool. It has a LOT of value to others, and that makes it worthwhile to expand our vocabulary.
I find the timing of this thread interesting.
In a few days 40 to 50 members of my extended family will get together for Thanksgiving.
I'm really looking forward to seeing at least 30 of them.
My brother and I discussed this very thing as I love Bill Mollison's thick book.....however, if one considers Mr. Wheaton's intentions,
1- to excite and attract those who know nothing about permaculture;
2- to help make permies.com a trading post of ideas and goods for people to live and to make a living (many of the references point back to permies.com);
3- to promote PDC and ATC classes for people to get deeper depth knowledge (the book whets the appetite for "ok, now how to do this";
4- to make this book an interesting read so the reader doesn't fall asleep.
Then damn Phil, Shawn and Paul did a bang up job.........you and I know how to ferret out deeper knowledge both on permies.com and from other sources......I think the book you and I want is a $175.00 book not a book below $25.00
So I understand your view point but I understand the need for "world domination" plans too.....
...Anyways, now this book has given Shawn and Paul the funds to create the unabridged 759 page tome you and I want at a price of $175....hint hint hint paul and shawn.....or Phil, maybe you and I should write it and have Shawn and Paul edit it :)
I know. I know. I know.
But, I like Paul's stuff and was wanting more.
And I'm afraid me writing a book would spell the end of permaculture.
That's odd. The spell checker flagged "permaculture" as a misspelled word on a Permaculture website.
It also flagged "permies" as misspelled on "permies.com".
paul wheaton wrote:I'm glad to hear it is doing its job!
I heard a sour note about the book a couple of days ago (I think this person wanted the book to say their message instead of mine). So it is very refreshing to hear a kind word about it today!
First, I have to admit it is one of several things I am reading, so I am only a few chapters in.
My only criticism so far is - I want it thicker with way more information.
I like how it has the running commentary built in.
paul wheaton wrote:I think there is a massive difference between having three meals a day for a year with a dozen people who you know well and you think are cool, and a dozen people that showed up yesterday and will leave tomorrow and a year full of strangers coming and going.
I disagree.
I measure my success on whether or not my wife and kids still think I am cool and fun to be around. They know me, on my good days and upon my bad, and they still love me and appreciate me for who I am.
Strangers? I could give a care less about them. They are basing their opinions on a sliver of time.
It is kind of like when we have Rock the Flock. Sitting in a sun light day with the breeze flowing over them as they watch a concert many have said..."why don't you build a house up here." I don't because I know what life is like with that wind swept view in the middle of January. They are thus mere foreigners in a strange land...on MY land as it were. They are not bad people, they just do not know the full story. Like seeing a photo and thinking you want to live there? It is just a moment caught in time, with reality not quite framed.
My kids? My wife? They know me and WANT to eat with me, not because I force them, for that is the opposite of love, but because they WANT too. That is true success.
But, you are a different person than them.
There are like 300 million people in this country alone. Probably with 10,000 different levels of how much they want to be around people/ be alone/ be around family/ be around friends/ be around strangers/ dine with strangers/ bare their soul to someone who is transient to their life. And all that is OK. But, it's not OK to say that because their level of wanting to be around strangers is different than yours, they are somehow wrong.
I get it. Because of the unusual nature of the school I teach at, around 1/2 of the students in our high school are different from year to year. It's gotten to the point that I don't work too hard to try and learn all the new names the first week of school like I used to.
Heather Staas wrote:
Honestly I use whatever I can get within reason. Chopped leaves? great. Wood chips? great. Pine needles? also great. Cut grass? great too. Chop and drop? perfect. There is never enough mulch available so happy to layer on whatever and whenever it becomes freely available.
I totally agree.
I just mulched a flower pot with dead parsley plants.
Dale Hodgins wrote:
It would be interesting to learn what my share of the jet fuel is, when I escape winter in this way and then return in the spring. I wonder how that would compare to heating a home throughout the winter.
I'm curious how much you being on that plane, as compared to an empty seat, affects the fuel consumption of that plane.
It's going with or without you. You could say the difference is your personal carbon footprint. By going you are actually lowering every other passengers footprint slightly.
I also wonder whose blood I make boil with that thought.
nancy sutton wrote:This is may be OT, but your frustration brought this to mind: "What if you didn't care who got the credit?" And, I don't think you would care, if your goal was achieved by someone, somehow, somewhere, sometime. I believe (blindly?) that your goal (and that of Heminway, Perkins, Holmgren, Mollison, Rhodes, Yeoman, etc, etc, etc... there are a lot of 'someones' in this effort') is being achieved... just not as visibly and dramatically as desired. I choose to continue to believe that... because I choose to not believe that the 'bad guys' will win. I don't want to give them my attention - and it is my choice. Hmmm... not sure what I'm saying, except, maybe my tagline : )
I am totally cool with getting zero credit. I think that is what I was getting at with this thread.
Ronald Reagan said something about "It's amazing what you can accomplish when you don't care who gets the credit."
Or something like that.
Ryan Hobbs wrote:I already did my christmas shopping. The monthly email came a day too late. I got my mom a purse, my stepdad a knife, my big bro a throw blanket, my little bro a microphone for his music, my little sis gets beaded jewelry. It's a win-win because it's cheap and they will like it.
I did my Christmas shopping Nov 1.
I hope everybody likes half price Halloween candy.
We keep a container of sand in each vehicle. Several handfuls sprinkled on slick, icy surfaces can give some extra traction when needed.
We also keep a small shovel in the trunk. It may be slower than a snow shovel, but you don't want to dig out your car with your hands.
We also keep a few of those mylar space blankets in the glove box.
When leaving town we take simple snacks (jerky, nuts, dried fruit, peanut butter crackers) bottled water, and candles.
I like a jar of vaseline with a birthday candle shoved down in it. It's amazing how long that will burn.
Gloves, hats, blankets, phone charger, full tank of gas, full tank of gas, full tank of gas, full tank of gas can all make surviving a winter mishap easier.
Every year somebody freezes to death because they were traveling un-prepared. Don't let that be you.
Moonflowers, the big ones.
I've smelled them walking past peoples house and just stopped to sniff their yard.
They wanted to know what I was doing.
For years when ever they were in bloom, that's where I walked the dog every evening.
If I understand correctly, there are two flowers called "MoonFlower".
One is little bitty and one is big. Like salad plate big.
The big one smells wonderful.
I wish my wife would find a perfume that smells like the big Moonflowers.
