Thursday Open Thread 11-09-2017
Balance - how much emphasis should society focus on the quality life for the masses or the importance of the individual. The eternal conflict we keep revisiting - Confucianism vs Toaism, socialism vs capitalism, progressive vs conservative.
Money and power concentrated into to few hands does increase the risk of exploitation of large parts of the worlds and its population.
Billionaire Bonanza 2017 authored Chuck Collins and Josh Hoxie, published by the Institute for Policy Studies
Suggested Solutions
- Restore progressive income tax rates.
- Tax capital gains income at ordinary income tax rates.
- Close the carried interest loophole.
- Strengthen the estate tax.
- Expand state-level estate taxes.
- Explore wealth taxation.
- Institut a financial transaction tax.
- Address the problem of hidden wealth.
Farm Report
Cold enough to start the test of using small wood grown on site to supply part of the heat for the house. Trying to use an old method of coppice pruning trees. Would require less chopping (axe work) than using large trees. have started some small groves of various trees. Plan a few more - about 7 year cycles.
Frost - frozen morning dew
A few shots to explore how moisture moves. These were taken within 15 minutes, including the 2 above.
Once the sun hits the moisture it will evaporate into the air.
This ground shot represents different elevation caused by swales, raised beds or hills. Moisture is only available in the depressed areas of the soil. The small elevation of the soil is warmer than the flat area or the depressions. Important in my area where cold soil inhibits germination.
As the dew melts in the taller grass is runs down the blade to the soil before it has a chance to evaporate. Trees will also increase precipitation to the soil and decrease the speed it impacts the ground effecting absorption. Might enjoy this lecture provided yesterday on trees and civilizations by Lookout given at my Alma Mater.
Compost with high organic matter absorbs the water from the frost and is slowing its evaporation.
Comments
Chicken Power
Resilience in the times of adversity
Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.
And yet in 2016 some ships skipped Suez and sailed around the
Cape in order to save money. It's only 4,423 nautical miles further. Here's an article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-events/shunning-the-suez-ta...
Neither the China clippers nor the East India Tea Company had Suez available to them. The 1953 petrol shortages in the UK were almost certainly more about money, gross revenues and profits, etc. and/or political machinations, than supply route blockages.
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
good morning
In college we played with generating methane from manure. We used a 33 gallon drum inside a 55 gallon drum as our generator, and filled inner tubes with cooking gas. It was just a one run experiment. Here's a small system... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kKRdlAFuZw (3 min)...and a 3.5 min construction video of a system similar to the one we experimented with. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWefbc1spd0
Last night we gathered with some of our local farmers to watch a new documentary about Wendell Berry, farmer, poet, and philosopher. https://lookandseefilm.com/
It streams on netflix. If you are not a subscriber there are many other youtube videos.
Here's a couple...
A fairly recent 2016 presentation (Wendell begins about 15 min into the 1.5 hour clip)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hstD5UPkWQM
and here's a Moyer's interview (45 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj_I0YDe3Xw
I didn't learn of Wendell till the 1990's. I was led down the path of environmental awareness by naturalist Aldo Leopold.
"There are some who can live without wild things, and some who cannot. These essays are the delights and dilemmas of one who cannot. Like winds and sunsets, wild things were taken for granted until progress began to do away with them. Now, we face the question whether a still higher 'standard of living' is worth its cost in things natural, wild and free." — A Sand County Almanac
Here's a nice 1 hour documentary about Aldo if you have an interest.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_29ZlKyJJPo
Another site I keep meaning to recommend is: http://www.folkstreams.net/
where you can find many documentaries about real people doing real things...from farming to cooking to dancing to music and more.
We have only had two frosts here in my corner of the SE, but we are beginning to cool off again. The colors have been a delight this week. I think it is better to focus on the beauty around us rather than the horrors of our culture and society...at least it is better for my mental health.
Here's hoping you are all healthy and at peace. All the best....
Let me leave you with my favorite Wendell Berry poem...
The Peace of Wild Things
When despair grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting for their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Tinkers in small farms & garages constant threat to big business
Innovation bypassing the normal routes and loops
Most true tinkers I have known stop when it makes their lives better and move on to the next challenge. More interested in the challenge than the process to convert the idea or item to a money making venture. It takes a different mindset and motivation to focus on commercialization.
One of my puzzles has been electricity generation without needing high technology or a repairman for maintenance. Not been happy with the small solar panels/batteries using for electric fence and gate opener. Been focusing on reducing electrical requirements as a first step before playing with electricity generation.
Thanks for the Bio Gas links makes it seem possible. Also looking at water and wind powered options for part of the year.
Looking forward to becoming familiar with Wendell Berry. The trailer to the film was beautiful.
Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.
Internet is down
. . . so I can't do much but read. Enjoying the reading though. Wednesdays and Thursdays are the days when I have time. Truly enjoyed the essay and comments and am pondering them.
Cheers!
Marilyn
"Make dirt, not war." eyo
Good morning, SOE. Much to contemplate there. How are
you using your wood; fireplace, wood stove, boiler + steam/hot water, rocket stove with fans and ducts, or what?
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Been trying to work on projects that do not require a permit
Switched out the central oil furnace in 2005 for a heat pump. Allows me to experiment and fail without getting too cold. Also, working on decreasing heat loss in winter and accumulation in summer.
Have a large fireplace with an existing chimney that has always been smokey and is where I started to experiment 3 years ago. Should the improvement fireplace insert, modified mass rocket stove using existing chimney or use better skill in managing the fire? Information by Ernie and Erica Wisner has been of great assistance. The fire box had been designed for large logs and heat to travel up the chimney. Stuck in a small wood stove I had to test the idea of an insert, no smoke in the house but required using a fan to move heat out of the fire box area. Used some fire bricks I bought to build a model of a rocket stove (outside) to shape the fire box into Rumford style and force radiant heat into the room. Worked. Use the air return for the duct system to collect warm air at the ceiling and circulate around the house.
Still intrigued with the idea of a rocket mass stove using a body of water to store heat in the sun room. Might be able to try a small scale without a permit to test the viability.
The couple who built the house installed piping in the concrete floor for heat, but does not appear it has ever been used or the wood water boiler downstairs. Just checked the fire box, newspaper have a 1993 date. Little intimidated with that big of a project.
Might consider a small rocket mass stove in the area used for my office. They appear to work good, simply ugly. Would require a permit to tie into the closed off chimney at that location.
Do you have experience with any of these solutions?
Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.
I have limited experience with an Ashley wood stove in a small
cabin many decades ago, some more recent with a sucky fireplace, but nothing meningful.
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
I personally do not have experience with rocket stoves, but . .
Dr. Deb Tolman has them everywhere. http://debtolman.com/ She is the keyhole gardening woman. My neighbor and I went to her SILO seminar last spring. She has them inside and outside. She heats her small house with just a few twigs.
There are pipes going through that seating area from the rocket stove on the right. The whole thing heats up. You could write to her with questions. She is pretty cool about writing back. She lives in Texas now but came here from Oregon.
Marilyn
"Make dirt, not war." eyo
Course suggestions . . .
Haven't had much time to work on "NOWthePathForward.us" but did compile a list of potential courses. It is a work in progress. The reasoning behind this format is that it is a constant discussion on a particular topic.
Other ideas?
Marilyn
"Make dirt, not war." eyo
Adding a few more . . .
Marilyn
"Make dirt, not war." eyo
Valuable project
think it is important to provide comfortable lives for those we care about and ourselves. While we struggle with the bigger picture of community and politics. Multi-tasking is possible.
Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.
Way cool. Nice job! n/t
the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.
I didn't catch this
until this evening but it's wonderful. There are good ideas here. It's so nice to see a bit about Wendell Berry as well. Thanks to all who are keeping this little flame of independence alive. I like the notion of 'tinkers' as described above. All in all, this is food for my spirit.
glad we could
take the day to share ideas and raise our spirits.
Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.