I have a few more links. I have been saving stuff all summer... just not taking the time to post it here, since we don't have any regular readers and it's just for us so far.
More food storage info
A clever gardening use for scrap tubes -- makes me think of those large tubs of ice cream
Showing posts with label links. Show all posts
Showing posts with label links. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
time to re-start this blog...
OK, vacations are over. Back to thinking about sustainability and politics and coping with a changing world.
We made it through Tropical Storm Fay without losing power, so no test of our newly learned skills. I did have the foresight to put battery-operated lanterns by the bed in case the power went out, and we needed to get around in the middle of the night.... but no need after all.
Here are three posts from Causabon that I want to keep for my future reference.
Triaging Your Adapting In Place Strategy
Toileting, Bathing, Laundry in a low Power Situation
How Not To Fry: Keeping Cool without Air Conditioning (or not much)
We made it through Tropical Storm Fay without losing power, so no test of our newly learned skills. I did have the foresight to put battery-operated lanterns by the bed in case the power went out, and we needed to get around in the middle of the night.... but no need after all.
Here are three posts from Causabon that I want to keep for my future reference.
Triaging Your Adapting In Place Strategy
Toileting, Bathing, Laundry in a low Power Situation
How Not To Fry: Keeping Cool without Air Conditioning (or not much)
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Keeping my outlook balanced....
I've stumbled across a few sites with good discussions about NOT panicking, and not preparing for the absolute worse. Yes, I like blog posts like that because... I don't want to have to freak out, or for the world to be turning into something worth freakin' out over!
Anyhoo....In response to the current financial catastrophes, the blog Simple Dollar says Why I’m Not Panicking - And You Shouldn’t, Either.
The two subheads that resonated with me best:
* One: Panics happen every few years
* Two: The talking heads shouting “PANIC!” make money from “PANIC!”
Another good reasoned (perhaps woman-centric!) discussion from Crunchy Chicken: Peak Oil - instinctual reactions
She suggests -- and admittedly hyper-generalizes -- that men and women approach the idea of a panic differently. Men want to break out the guns, build big walls, get ready to protect the women and children. Women stock up on foodstuffs and plan sewing projects.
She gives good advice:
From the comment sections on that Crunchy Chicken post, I came across this:
Peak Oil Debunked
This is not one of the rightwing idiot Peak Oil naysayers. This guy admits that oil is finite and there are potential problems ahead. But he's not willing to be a "doomer" as he describes it. Not sure yet what I think of all of his points, but like Simple Dollar above... I do tend to be suspicious about people's motives when they yell PANIC. Any of us who went through the Y2K baloney less than a decade ago should remember this.
Anyhoo....In response to the current financial catastrophes, the blog Simple Dollar says Why I’m Not Panicking - And You Shouldn’t, Either.
The two subheads that resonated with me best:
* One: Panics happen every few years
* Two: The talking heads shouting “PANIC!” make money from “PANIC!”
Another good reasoned (perhaps woman-centric!) discussion from Crunchy Chicken: Peak Oil - instinctual reactions
She suggests -- and admittedly hyper-generalizes -- that men and women approach the idea of a panic differently. Men want to break out the guns, build big walls, get ready to protect the women and children. Women stock up on foodstuffs and plan sewing projects.
She gives good advice:
I do think it's important to see where people are coming from, what their motivations are, conscious or otherwise and take that into consideration when reading someone else's predictions. It's all a crapshoot as far as the future goes, but it helps to process the unknown when looked at this way.
From the comment sections on that Crunchy Chicken post, I came across this:
Peak Oil Debunked
This is not one of the rightwing idiot Peak Oil naysayers. This guy admits that oil is finite and there are potential problems ahead. But he's not willing to be a "doomer" as he describes it. Not sure yet what I think of all of his points, but like Simple Dollar above... I do tend to be suspicious about people's motives when they yell PANIC. Any of us who went through the Y2K baloney less than a decade ago should remember this.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Foraging links, and a look back at Cuba's Peak Oil problems
Been having too much fun lately and haven't updated here. But I've been saving links for when I did get around to posting... like now.
Walking around the Maine woods, I am realizing it would be helpful to be able to identify helpful plants as opposed to dangerous plants. Lookie here! A handy guide...
Wild Plants Used for Medicine and Food
And
Wild Edible Plants of the United States.
In other news, here's a good article about a country that already went through Peak Oil and economic crisis. Perhaps we can gather some tips...
The Power of Community: How Cuba survived Peak Oil
Walking around the Maine woods, I am realizing it would be helpful to be able to identify helpful plants as opposed to dangerous plants. Lookie here! A handy guide...
Wild Plants Used for Medicine and Food
And
Wild Edible Plants of the United States.
In other news, here's a good article about a country that already went through Peak Oil and economic crisis. Perhaps we can gather some tips...
The Power of Community: How Cuba survived Peak Oil
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Vacations, shrinking suburbs, and food food food
He and I and the family are on vacation. We've been traveling and acting like it's still 2004. Except not really. I was careful about buying gas the whole drive up here. I managed to pay no more than $4.02 for gas during the drive up here. But now in Portland, Maine, the average price is $4.09, and it's $4.14 at the place closest to our residence. And we are thinking about moving some of our cash reserves to a Canadian bank, just for security. And we'll be biking around town more than last year. And just plain hanging out together at home instead of sightseeing as much as in the past.
Anyway, expect sporadic posting while we are off enjoying sunshine, fresh air and quality family time. But a few links still....
Will High Gas Prices Kill Suburban Sprawl? -- this has links to various sources, and is about the demise of suburbia. I don't think cities will disappear completely, but they will certainly shrink. And many suburbs will disappear or go back to being quasi-independent villages as many small towns outside of large cities once were. This is not necessarily a bad thing!
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A quick source of emergency food supplies -- a bucket o' meals! Seems just... delicious? Ayiyi. And what fun seeing companies capitalizing on people's panicking!
debating buying 2...
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So what about all the food in your freezer? What if it all thawed? What can you save? What can you eat? What do you do?
Michigan State University Extension to the rescue! When Your Freezer Stops Working. Not fancy, but useful info.
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I am love love loving this Wise Bread site tonight. Here's info about reusing old containers. I've started saving all the glass jars we use -- from pasta sauce and fruit, etc. I kinda sorta know I can use them for some sort of storage, and now I know more details:
> Smaller Glass Jars with Screw on Lids.
> These are great for under the shelf storage of nails and other hardware items, beads, buttons and more. Attach the top to the bottom of the undershelf and screw the clear jars on and off as you need them. Great for garages, shops, art studious, craft and sewing rooms, or anywhere you need transparent storage and a polished coordinated look isn’t quite so important. Also, I’ve always liked the look for a relaxed garden party of those hanging tree candles with small glass jars, tea lights and coat hanger wire. Depending on your theme, this will either fit in with what you want or it won’t.
I also intend to start saving larger jars and grated cheese containers!
Anyway, expect sporadic posting while we are off enjoying sunshine, fresh air and quality family time. But a few links still....
Will High Gas Prices Kill Suburban Sprawl? -- this has links to various sources, and is about the demise of suburbia. I don't think cities will disappear completely, but they will certainly shrink. And many suburbs will disappear or go back to being quasi-independent villages as many small towns outside of large cities once were. This is not necessarily a bad thing!
*******************************************
A quick source of emergency food supplies -- a bucket o' meals! Seems just... delicious? Ayiyi. And what fun seeing companies capitalizing on people's panicking!
debating buying 2...
********************************************
So what about all the food in your freezer? What if it all thawed? What can you save? What can you eat? What do you do?
Michigan State University Extension to the rescue! When Your Freezer Stops Working. Not fancy, but useful info.
********************************************
I am love love loving this Wise Bread site tonight. Here's info about reusing old containers. I've started saving all the glass jars we use -- from pasta sauce and fruit, etc. I kinda sorta know I can use them for some sort of storage, and now I know more details:
> Smaller Glass Jars with Screw on Lids.
> These are great for under the shelf storage of nails and other hardware items, beads, buttons and more. Attach the top to the bottom of the undershelf and screw the clear jars on and off as you need them. Great for garages, shops, art studious, craft and sewing rooms, or anywhere you need transparent storage and a polished coordinated look isn’t quite so important. Also, I’ve always liked the look for a relaxed garden party of those hanging tree candles with small glass jars, tea lights and coat hanger wire. Depending on your theme, this will either fit in with what you want or it won’t.
I also intend to start saving larger jars and grated cheese containers!
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Other blog posts that have caught my eye...
Money Saving Mom writes about the good things about higher gas prices
Tipnut gives tips for stretching leftovers
And... to keep the Peak Oil and "end of the world as we know it" panic at bay, here's a history of people expecting the world to end from 2800 BC to 1700 AD. Basically, we aren't the first to panic... though we might think we have better reasons.
Tipnut gives tips for stretching leftovers
And... to keep the Peak Oil and "end of the world as we know it" panic at bay, here's a history of people expecting the world to end from 2800 BC to 1700 AD. Basically, we aren't the first to panic... though we might think we have better reasons.
Useful for future exploring, reading later
OK, less panicked today. Whew.
And I found some great links to information about basic skills.
50 things to learn
homemaking skills
And I found some great links to information about basic skills.
50 things to learn
homemaking skills
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Interesting stories... Goodbye Winnebago, Hello Amtrak!
Garrison Keillor eulogizes the Winnebago, and suggests that banjos, front porches and storytelling will make comebacks. Sounds fun.
Also, ...looks like Congress has made one good move recently: refunding Amtrak, and giving them more money to keep up the infrastructure. Husband and I have already been dreaming of taking a train trip for our next vacation rather than driving 2000 miles.
From Maine Blogger: Rights of Way: This is what leadership looks like
Also, ...looks like Congress has made one good move recently: refunding Amtrak, and giving them more money to keep up the infrastructure. Husband and I have already been dreaming of taking a train trip for our next vacation rather than driving 2000 miles.
From Maine Blogger: Rights of Way: This is what leadership looks like
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
untrue joke? or amazing miracle?
So supposedly they've found bacteria that eat waste and excrete oil. Wouldn't that just freakin' solve so many of our problems?
I am just so doubtful about miracle cures.
EDITED TO ADD: Husband thinks it won't be enough of a cure. That the little bacteria won't produce enough oil to solve the world's problems. And if they could, they'd probably have to eat all the wood in the world. Would be nice if they could eat plastic and nuclear waste rather than wood pulp.
And as always husband says, we really just need to focus on conservation rather than scrambling around to find more sources of oil.
I am just so doubtful about miracle cures.
EDITED TO ADD: Husband thinks it won't be enough of a cure. That the little bacteria won't produce enough oil to solve the world's problems. And if they could, they'd probably have to eat all the wood in the world. Would be nice if they could eat plastic and nuclear waste rather than wood pulp.
And as always husband says, we really just need to focus on conservation rather than scrambling around to find more sources of oil.
No impact man link
Here's a great blog post about adjusting to living with higher gas prices. This blog post includes lots of links to relevant stories. No Impact Man: How to live a $4 a gallon lifestyle in the coming $5 a gallon world
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Sewing links
Again, more resources to remind me later: how to mend clothes. I know a lot of that, but a resource is useful.
And not surprisingly, Sewing.org
And not surprisingly, Sewing.org
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Stuff I've been reading lately... food links
Here's a ton of good stuff about food storage, pantries, rotation, etc. This woman is down in Australia.
down to earth
Another less-easily-navigable site that has lots of info on food storage: be prepared blog. That blog is on hiatus, but has lots of good archived info.
ideas to save for later, like in the fall:
Dehydrating food: food drying basics
An introduction to home canning -- I have been cleaning out old spaghetti sauce jars, instead of just recycling them. I should have a good collection of jars in a few months.... at least until we get a good steady tomato crop and can make our own sauce to put into the empty jars!
a whole site devoted to fresh preserving
down to earth
Another less-easily-navigable site that has lots of info on food storage: be prepared blog. That blog is on hiatus, but has lots of good archived info.
ideas to save for later, like in the fall:
Dehydrating food: food drying basics
An introduction to home canning -- I have been cleaning out old spaghetti sauce jars, instead of just recycling them. I should have a good collection of jars in a few months.... at least until we get a good steady tomato crop and can make our own sauce to put into the empty jars!
a whole site devoted to fresh preserving
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Good link, discussion about how you live
Interesting post discussing merits/pitfalls of rural, suburban, urban in the coming future ecomomic straits. City, Country, Suburb? It isn’t Where You Live, But How You Live There.
This feels right. I think the suburbs will turn into the little villages again that surround the big city, as it was in "olden times."
This feels right. I think the suburbs will turn into the little villages again that surround the big city, as it was in "olden times."
Friday, June 6, 2008
Collection of links
Food info:
Preparing an Emergency Food Supply Long Term Food Storage
http://www.fcs.uga.edu/pubs/current/FDNS-E-34-1.html
Home/Self reliances info:
Self-Sufficiency Plan for a Suburban http://casaubonsbook.blogspot.com/2006/11/self-sufficiency-plan-for-suburban.html
Backwoods Home magazine
http://www.backwoodshome.com/
Hillbilly Housewife -- really named that! And it's a good fun blog
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/index.htm
Places to get training
Wilderness survival training
http://www.wilderness-survival-skills.com/wilderness-survival-training.html
Places to look things up for how to:
Survival topics
http://www.survivaltopics.com/
Ready Made
http://readymademag.com/blog/2008/05/23/exhibit-a-the-case-for-diy/
Misc info:
100 Things You Can Do to Get Ready for Peak Oil
http://sharonastyk.com/resources2/100-things-you-can-do-to-get-ready-for-peak-oil2/
Blogs:
Survival acres -- only slightly intense!
http://survivalacres.com/wordpress/
Sustain Blog -- good gardening info
http://sustainablog.org/
Survivalist blog -- again with the intense and scary
http://thesurvivalistblog.blogspot.com/
Causobon's book
http://sharonastyk.com/
Survival blog -- seems to be the big daddy of these blogs?
http://www.survivalblog.com/
Preparing an Emergency Food Supply Long Term Food Storage
http://www.fcs.uga.edu/pubs/current/FDNS-E-34-1.html
Home/Self reliances info:
Self-Sufficiency Plan for a Suburban http://casaubonsbook.blogspot.com/2006/11/self-sufficiency-plan-for-suburban.html
Backwoods Home magazine
http://www.backwoodshome.com/
Hillbilly Housewife -- really named that! And it's a good fun blog
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/index.htm
Places to get training
Wilderness survival training
http://www.wilderness-survival-skills.com/wilderness-survival-training.html
Places to look things up for how to:
Survival topics
http://www.survivaltopics.com/
Ready Made
http://readymademag.com/blog/2008/05/23/exhibit-a-the-case-for-diy/
Misc info:
100 Things You Can Do to Get Ready for Peak Oil
http://sharonastyk.com/resources2/100-things-you-can-do-to-get-ready-for-peak-oil2/
Blogs:
Survival acres -- only slightly intense!
http://survivalacres.com/wordpress/
Sustain Blog -- good gardening info
http://sustainablog.org/
Survivalist blog -- again with the intense and scary
http://thesurvivalistblog.blogspot.com/
Causobon's book
http://sharonastyk.com/
Survival blog -- seems to be the big daddy of these blogs?
http://www.survivalblog.com/
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