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160 comments on DrumBeat: November 4, 2007

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mcgowanmc on November 4, 2007 - 10:26am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

20 Jul 2007

A study into the health of farmers in Queensland has found that 66 per cent had an unacceptable cholesterol level and 85 per cent had high fat diets. The report, by general practitioner Toby Ford, says that farmers should ride bicycles around their properties when mending fences to help improve their weight and cardiovascular health. The mental health of male farmers was also a major concern and the report suggested that some farmers were overeating to escape stress and depression. Dr Ford said that many problems could be addressed if farmers could learn to take a holiday to rejuvenate.

The West Australian, 20/07/2007

31 Oct 2007 | Escalating defaults in regional NSW
The latest credit default figures show an alarming increase of 35.5 per cent in NSW across credit cards, personal loans and mortgages. ......"

Considering that we're hearing zero about Mexico's
Katrina and 100% of crops lost in Tabasco and 1.7 mbpd
offline, I figure we'll be hearing zero about post PO
Depression rates as well.

"Dr Ford said that many problems could be addressed if farmers could learn to take a holiday to rejuvenate."

You gotta love that line.

You know, to your second home on the lake. LOL

Arkansaw of Samuel L Clemens

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jokuhl on November 4, 2007 - 10:52am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

But there are a couple ways to take that advice.

I've grown increasingly aware that my daughter, born in summer '03 has so far lived in a house with a lot more dark news than music and playfulness, not that those are missing from her world, but as a parent it's hard not to consider the deep developing effects of the fear that's been endemic during her whole life so far. A kid in King Bush's court.

I've had to remind myself that we have the arts and various forms of recreation for very important psychological needs, and ignore them at our peril. It doesn't mean jump to the extremes of hedonism and neglecting what must be done, and neither does it mean raising her with blinders to the harder facts in the world.. but silliness, playfulness, fun and song are invaluable balms, ESPECIALLY in the dangerous times where we find ourselves. Luckily, She is a natural source of these things, if we, the freaked-out parents remember to heed the cues.

Bob Fiske

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beggar on November 4, 2007 - 12:32pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

With two children in our home, I fully empathise and concur, Bob!

See my comment below, too about writer Walker Percy and "Love In the Ruins..." -- Percy died a while ago, but wrote some earth-shakingly disturbing fiction "The Thanatos Syndrome" is very frightening -- and yet he was often very, very funny.

He also wrote some good non-fiction, like "Lost In the Cosmos: the Last Self-Help Book."

Just examples of good literary vacations we can all take if so inclined. Not just fluff, like so much stuff, but fun as well as true.

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jokuhl on November 4, 2007 - 1:21pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Beggar;
Take a look at yesterdays Drumbeat (wonder if it shouldn't be 'Drumroll' at this point?).. I put some links in for solar hot-air projects at Build It Solar's website. Can't jump over to link it right now, STILL feeding the girl! (At least she's eating, thank heaven for growth spurts!)

Thanks for the Percy reference.

Bob

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beggar on November 4, 2007 - 8:12pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

I did check out those links, Bob. They were good ones.

I'll have to start gathering materials, but first I'll decide on my strategy. I like Trombe walls because they are simple and passive. I also like some of the experiments people have made simply with color and a little bit of glazing.

The Kreamer collectors look great!

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jokuhl on November 4, 2007 - 11:14pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

I'll start to find out this week if it was worth the effort. I think the theory looks solid, and I'm eager to suss out some designs that use simple, cheapish materials that can be improvised locally from a variety of sources.

Will let you all know as it starts running. Varying from his plans, it will be 'automatic' with a DC Fan and a matched PV panel, prob. 15watts, so the fan will just run when the sun is up. It'll take some trial/error to get the match right, or I'll just revert to the TempSensor/AC Fan if there is a mismatch too complex to use direct PV for..

Bob

The link again, for those curious what I'm talking about.. Bill Kreamer's Solar Hot Air Collector..
http://builditsolar.com/Projects/SpaceHeating/Kreamer%20Air%20Collector....

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jmygann on November 5, 2007 - 8:16pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Then thee is Nick Pine .. the expert on
SOLAR CLOSETS AND SUNSPACES

http://www.ece.villanova.edu/~nick/solar/solar.html

And his
"Usenet Postings"
http://www.ece.villanova.edu/~nick/usenet/

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