December 1, 2013

Community

The Christmas rush has begun…

mix

Unless you are blind and deaf or live under a very large rock, you are probably being bombarded with Christmas ads on TV, radio, internet, in the stores and such, it’s been a commercialized thing for a long time. You don’t have to fall into the money trap of this holiday, there are many things we can do to celebrate without having to go into a financial black (Friday) hole.

One of the things I am doing is I am making my own Christmas cards to give out, I am going to be using my newly acquired skills in Zentangle and doodling, I have made Christmas cards before, using scrapbook methods, this year they are going to be easier and quicker to make.

Read More »
Community

How to survive a personal economic collapse

poverty

With all that is being written about the national economic collapse, people seem to be waiting for some huge event.

However, for many North Americans, the collapse is here. This isn’t relegated to only lower income neighborhoods.  As an article from a Cinncinnati new station stated, “Hunger doesn’t know a zipcode.”

For many people who were formerly financially comfortable, the economic collapse has already happened, in the form of a job loss, hours that have been cut back due to Obamacare requirements for employers, an exorbitant medical bill or other crushing debt, or simply an inflation rate that has outstripped your pay increases.  Despite all of the warnings, many people are still going to be absolutely blindsided.

For many families, personal finances have reached a catastrophic level – they are left to make terrible choices:

Read More »
Tax on rainwater coming soon, State rules prevent free use of rainwater
Water

Rainwater politics

You can drink the rainwater in Atlanta, Georgia, but that is one of the few places in the US that provides for the use of rainwater as a source of drinking water. A handful of states – including Arizona, Texas, and Virginia – have created tax credits to reduce rainwater harvesting system costs.

Meanwhile water rates are rising at an average of 8% a year, and corporations are freely using “our” rainwater to increase their profits.

Read More »

Welsh planners’ double standards

The Welsh institute of town planners has awarded its top prize to a newly built off-grid home. Meanwhile Welsh planners decline applications from hundreds of off-grid projects every year.

the house at Maes Yr Onn’s has won the 2013 Wales Planning Award organised by RTPI Cymru. Chris Fray, chair of the judging panel, said: “Maes yr Onn Farm Off-Grid Living is already being hailed as an exemplar of sustainable building excellence.”

The new home of farmer Arthur Davies and his family is self sufficient, sustainable and completely off the grid.

Read More »
Available for Amazon Prime