November 2009

Parts of Colorado often have wildfires and also flash floods. There are times that the government will call for mandatory evacuations. There are things you can do before hand to increase the chances of your own and your homes survival.

Before a wildfire you need to do some firescaping. There are some pretty common sense things [...]

One of the most important tools to have is information. The government has set up the Emergency Alert system. You’ll have heard the tones for the weekly test. While most radio and TV stations will relay this information, there is usually a primary and secondary that have additional backup power to relay the emergency message. [...]

A standard open masonry fireplace can suck all the heat out of you home.Mother Earth News describes 5 upgrades you can do to your fireplace to help that problem.
1. Add a fireback2. Replace the damper.3. Add doors.4. Install a grate heater or radiator.5. Install a fireplace insert.
I would also suggest retaining the capability to cook [...]

For a long time we have seen a stories about people having a hard time getting out of poverty. I have met people who have said getting a better job wasn’t worth it. I wondered about that a lot because it didn’t make sense.

This graph shows that the gain in pay is not worth the loss [...]