Thursday, August 30, 2007
Energy saving tips
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Selling your house tips (links)
Using technology to get your house noticed (from Tech Talk): When shopping for a home in a new city, one of the hardest things for me is remembering the houses I've been in.... Link: http://blogs.hgtvpro.com/hgtvpro/bob_gatton/archive/2007/08/using_technolog.html?nl=v130c
Landscaping upgrades: (from Dig This) We've heard it a million times, but upgrading the home's front landscaping does make a difference.... Link: http://blogs.hgtvpro.com/hgtvpro/mike_pettit/2007/08/use_landscaping_upgrades_to_se.html?nl=v130c
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
More green-building tips
The Fall 2007 issue of Custom Wood Homes has an article on 10 Tips for Building Green, including research--check out U.S. Green Building council website: www.usgbc.org , design, buying locally, and smart lighting. Btw, I saw in today's paper that California plans to ban incandescent lights...
There's also an article, Organic Architecture, in that issue. Organic architecture started in Chile about a decade ago; it should involve not only the shape of the home, but organic materials. the site, and energy-saving elements.
I came across a Golden Eagle (log home builder) ad in that issue too, which focused on a construction project blog: Dirt to Done, which I had to check out. Here's the website: Log Homes Network Look for the Dirt to Done link; and there's a free workbook offer on the website.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Selecting a site (link)
Blog Cabin: Checklist for Selecting a Property
In this first installment of DIY's Blog Cabin host Amy Devers reviews the background of how decisions were made, ... Look at the website for the list: HOME BUILDING : Log Cabins : Blog Cabin: Checklist for Selecting a Property : DIY Network
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Building green study (link)
New York/August 21, 2007/PRNewswire/ — Key players in real estate and construction misjudge the costs and benefits of "green" buildings, creating a major barrier to more energy efficiency in the building sector, a new study by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development reports. ...
The study also found that fewer than one in seven industry respondents have participated directly in a green building project. Involvement ranges from a high of 45 percent in Germany to just 5 percent in India. ...
For more: News : Trends : Study: Green Costs Much Lower Than Believed : HGTVPro.com
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Publication news
Review of Why Won't Anyone Play with Me?
This review of an earlier edition of the story ran in Wee Ones Children's Magazine (e-zine). Buy the book here: Publish America - Publishing Writers' and Authors' Manuscripts ; it's also available on Amazon.com: Why Won't Anyone Play with Me?: Books: Joy, V. Smith,Andrea Gradidge
Artist's bio: Andrea Gradidge was originally from the UK and now resides in British Columbia, Canada. She has illustrated various chapbooks and e-zines and also Joy V. Smith's story, "Sammy's Beautiful Tail".
My Oasis 20 (literary SF convention) report is now online at: The Other*Worlds*Cafe: The Cafe: Resources: Conventions: Reports
I was interviewed on the phone by Barbara Mahler of the Marshfield News-Herald (my home town paper) recently. I'm not sure when that will be published, but I look forward to seeing it. Thank you, Barbara!
For poetry lovers, here are two chapbooks:
Ancient Skies by oino sakai, illustrated by andrea gradidge {Sam's Dot Publishing}
Ancient Skies is oino sakai's collection of scifaiku, tanka, SFonnets, joined scifaiku, stellarenga, kanshi, and haibun... Link: THE GENRE MALL...your source for the small press world
Scifaistew, by Teri Santitoro; it's a collection of scifaiku and tanka and haibun by Teri Santitoro, editor of Scifaikuest. Link: http://samsdotpublishing.com/purchasecenter/poetrybooks.htm
Monday, August 20, 2007
Historical homes and cultures
Sunday, August 19, 2007
My online short stories
Friday, August 17, 2007
Hurricane Dean
Dean is now a category 4 hurricane and expected to become a category 5 tomorrow. Intensifying rapidly and headed for Mexico and/or Texas after going through the Carribean. Galveston, Texas is getting ready to evacuate if they need to.
Report: DATA FROM THE AIR FORCE RESERVE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT CURRENTLY
INVESTIGATING HURRICANE DEAN INDICATE THAT MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS
HAVE INCREASED TO 145 MPH...CATEGORY FOUR ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE.
(Thanks for the bulletin, Lloyd)
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Tropical Storm Erin
Tags: Tropical Storm Erin
Green (eco-friendly) flooring
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Tropical Storm Dean
Tropical Depression #4 is now Tropical Storm Dean. (TD#5 is in the Gulf, heading west.) Dean is heading west/northwest and is several days away, and the spaghetti strands are mostly pointing west. It's too early to tell where it's going, but it's predicted to become a category 3 hurricane Sunday. Here's an earlier report:
A VIGOROUS TROPICAL WAVE...LOCATED OVER THE FAR EASTERN ATLANTIC OCEAN JUST WEST OF THE COAST OF AFRICA...IS PRODUCING DISORGANIZED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. CONDITIONS APPEAR FAVORABLE FOR GRADUAL DEVELOPMENT OF THIS SYSTEM AND A TROPICAL DEPRESSION COULD FORM DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS AS IT MOVES WESTWARD AT 15 TO 20 MPH.
(Thanks, Lloyd)
Tags: TS Dean
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Publication news
I should be reading the final edit (I think) of my story, Crystal Quest, soon. It'll be in the shared world anthology, Magistria: Shards of the Goddess. (Crystal Quest is the sequel to Seedlings, which appeared in Magistria: The Realm of the Sorcerer.)
For those interested in non-fiction, a friend's article, Generation Spaceships, is in the latest issue of Darker Matter: Darker Matter - Generation Spaceships by I. E. Lester He's also reviewed a few SF books in that issue. I plan to read Starship Summer, at least.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Home defects (link)
The Weekly Realty Update from Bob Bruss's August 08, 2007 Newsletter lists some defects to watch out for when buying a house, including poor location, easements, and more. He also looks at builder's warranties and professional home inspectors.
Monday, August 6, 2007
Green building
The September 2007 South Region issue of Log Home Living focuses on green building, and there is interesting furniture recycled from old wood, including barn siding, fence posts, pickle barrels, and teak homes from Indonesia.
There's also a good article on building a home while not on site. Get the builder to take digital photos, among other things. Good communication is even more important...
In The Green Scene, Kenya McCullum points out how important siting your house in relation to the sun is. (Our house is perfectly sited, btw, with the front and back porches protecting us from the rising and setting sun.) Also, use sustainable materials and keep the waste down, and think about your landscaping--placement and plant choices. Think about maintenance and energy saving appliances too.
Another article looks at green paints and stains. Choose a product with low VOC (volatile organic compounds).
Tags: Green building
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Publication news
I have a new book out for children, Why Won't Anyone Play with Me? *