The Local Views

Overlooking Kentucky and the Mighty Ohio

Clearly, I am finding it difficult to post regularly now that I am working full time. However, I am dead set on getting something up here at least twice a week.

We celebrated on Sunday night after our first stumble-through of the The Foreigner. It's always a relief, and as our amazing director Ken Albers says, 'These are rehearsals to survive. You don't have to do anything but be standing by the end of the day.' And to tell the truth, while some things are difficult at this early stage ("seeing text on your retina" -- again, Ken) we've been having a ball.

Monday, my day off, I took the pups and we explored Mt. Adams. Here are a few things we saw.



A panorama of the river and across, from near the top of Mt. Adams.



Houses -- these seem to typify the style on Mt. Adams. Many of them are very old, dating to the mid-late 1800s.



On the edge of Eden park, I came upon this crumbling bridge, leading to nowhere. The parking lot and modern road right next to it could be a summation of what you'll see up here. Very very old structures surrounded by super-modern architecture. In the west, I think it's less common to see things like this. Yes, in San Francisco and tucked away in places in Los Angeles, but in Cincinnati, this strange juxtaposition seems to be everywhere. Being a newbie, I'm still fascinated by it. In Manhattan it's certainly present, but everything is so overwhelmingly crammed there, that I'd never really appreciated it.

Best to you all, and thank you for reading,

Nell

FUEL!

Here's my latest recommendation:

The Fuel Film

I saw what I believe was a rougher cut of this in the winter of 2007, and it's simply the best movie around about Biodiesel and fuel independence and sustainability. Josh Tickell, the writer and director of The Fuel Film, is essentially the foremost expert on Biodiesel in the country, having driven thousands of miles in his "Veggie Van" on his own biodiesel. He's a scholar, an activist and an extremely brave person, and it was his book From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank that inspired me to quit it with the gasoline and move over to biofuel. I just ordered his other title, Biodiesel America, so I'll probably be blabbing about that on here when it arrives and I gobble it up. Unfortunately, I won't be able to see The Fuel Film for awhile, as it's only playing in select theaters for the time being. Josh's history is pretty amazing, and although the movie encompasses a lot of excellent science, solution and testimonial, his personal story is in some ways the most important part. If you have interest in seeing this amazing film, check out the site; there are showings in Santa Monica, CA right now, with upcoming dates in WA, NY and a few other places.

I've been car-less for almost a week, and I can't tell you how nice it is! I feel healthier and happier walking up these hills to the theater. Soon I'll be running them, I hope, with the little terrier muts in tow. They had to put on their sweaters for the first time today...there's a dusting of snow, and it's crisp and clear. Lovely!

--Nell

On the Absence...

...oh, it's been so long.

Getting myself and two dogs to Cincinnati ended up taking most of my time over the last two weeks. It was an incredible (nerve wracking) adventure, and I am glad that we are here and settling in and won't have to do it again for another couple of months.

Rehearsals began for The Foreigner on Friday the 13th, with an incredibly well-cast bunch in the miraculous hands of Kenneth Albers (who was in the original cast in Milwaukee and was a friend of Larry Shue) and a capable and courteous stage management team. I feel rusty and scared, but I think that I'll pull myself together and have a wonderful time with this. It's such a funny, dear play.

There is no recycling here at the apartment, though! So...I'll have to figure out how to get around that. I've already located a paper bin along a trail that leads to the theater. The plastics and aluminum will prove more difficult. But this might fortify my Reusing abilities.

Cincinnati is a surprisingly striking and beautiful town, for the most part. Its sister city is Rome, I am told, because both are built upon seven hills. I have the fortune to be staying on one of said hills, Mt. Adams, which looks out over the Ohio river and into Kentucky, which is just a bridge-walk away. There are wonderful museums within walking distance for me to explore, and being on the edge of Eden park has made taking the dogs out a breeze.

More later. Glad to be back...

Nell

O-Ring...yeah...you know what I mean

So I changed the fuel filter in my 2004 VW TDI Jetta myself (well, my roommate helped me).

I mention it because it was MUCH easier to do than I thought -- yes, I cursed a fair amount, but I'm told that that's to be expected whenever you work on a car. Also, I learned that fuel filters are not always in the same place (yeah, I'm a moron), depending on the make and model; while my filter is easy to change because it sits over the right wheel in the engine compartment, my roommate's is not so easy because his is in the trunk under a lot of other machinery.

This is a large step for me towards self-sufficiency. I purchased the Haynes manual for VW Golf, GTI, & Jetta 1999-2005 which is pretty comprehensive. Since I don't have a warranty for the vehicle, none of my repairs are ever covered when I take it in for service (I didn't want to buy a warranty and have the dealership tell me that Biodiesel use voided it...which sometimes, but not always, happens -- if fuel is foudn to be out of spec, the manufacturer can claim that you're liable for the repairs). Here's the kicker: I paid $25 for the fuel filter itself and spent probably about 30 minutes doing the work...but I figure I could do it in 10 or 15 now that I know how.

When I had a dealership do this, it typically came out to around $100 for parts and labor.

So, for a little elbow grease and a quarter (!) of the cost, I figure I don't mind doing it myself. Next time I'm at it, I will photograph the whole process and write up a primer for anyone else who might be reading that owns a similar Jetta and wants to give it a go. However, I do plan to check the job every couple of days -- none of my viton o-rings would fit under the fuel control valve. So I'm o-ring-less. But I couldn't find any o-ring when I pulled the valve off, so I'm wondering if maybe my model doesn't require one here...?
Old, crusty filter...

...with black particulates inside. The new filter, which I didn't photograph, looked perfectly white through that little hole. My car is idling a lot more smoothly and starts more easily since (I was truant and had not changed it for over a year -- VERY bad...with Biodiesel, you want to change it about every six months, since Bio is such an amazing solvent; it takes all the gunk out of your lines and dumps it in the filter -- which is a good thing for your engine but can be bad if you overload the filter).

I think I'm hooked on this auto mechanics thing. Next, it's replacing a front headlight that's out. Of course, I'll still leave the big jobs to the professionals (like when my clutch when out last year...ehhh...)
-- Nellamity and Horace the Jetta.

Purse Thing, You Make My Hook Sing

So, this was the effort of the morning and early afternoon. The poor dogs STILL haven't been exercised, because when I am struck with a small project like this, I can't seem to tear myself away. 'Just another half an hour!' I say to them. They will be rewarded for their patience with a long late-afternoon walk.

Copy-catting my mom, it's made all from plastic shopping bags, although I crocheted mine as you'll see in these pictures. If I'd had the self control, it would have been a little bit longer (the bag part itself) to accommodate a proper book. But it will comfortably hold a cell phone, a wallet and keys as is.


In process...you can see where I've added new strands of plastic...and folding into bag-shape.



And here, doing the edging in a yellow shopping bag that came from New York. And making the button.

If anyone is interested in directions, let me know. It was fun to just make up as I went along. And I think that if done in all one color, like the light taupey brown, it would look like an organic material. I'm realizing there isn't a good picture of the strap -- it's just a long strip of 3 single crochet over and over again. Crocheting was much easier for me than knitting with this material. Also, regular shopping bags move relatively quickly over the hook, whereas the high-gloss pretty-colored strips take longer because they're...stickier.

I'm off to give the dogs their due!

--Nellamity

Dog Sweater/Recycling

Here's a picture of Clyde, my littlest dog, in a sweater that I made last week. He seems to like it.

Just read that last year Southern Oregon University, located in Ashland -- where I live -- was named among the EPA's top 20 "green" schools.

The students purchased "green tags" from Bonneville Environmental Foundation -- these green tags fund sustainable alternate energy generation. Of course, the cost was extra for the students, I believe between $6 and $20. But they were willing to do it. Also, they worked with the local sanitary and recycling department to place recycling bins in each residence hall, and began practicing zeroscaping -- something I've always wanted to do. Essentially, it means using low-water use native plants in your landscaping...you maintain the natural look of your geographical environment while you beautify. I'm hoping that this practice will be mandated or incentivized in the future; rolling green lawns are one of the top wastes of water in areas that simply don't have the resources to sustain them. Living in Los Angeles last year when wildfires were raging and Mayor Villaraigosa was calling for responsible water rationing because we were in the midst of a terrible drought anyway, the sprinklers would still pop on in the morning. I just kept thinking 'Do we really need a lawn that much?' Plus, when you zeroscape correctly, your water and electricity bills drop exponentially. Here's an SOU webpage with links suggesting ways to green up.

Which reminds me: that local sanitary and recycling company (Ashland Sanitary and Recycling) has a special programs section that is as comprehensive as anything I've ever seen. Plus, they are running all of their trucks on Biodiesel from Rising Phoenix Organics, which is where I get my fuel. Back in 2007, when I was working for EnergyRushTV, we did a couple of stories on Ashland Sanitary and Recycling which were never released. Risa Buck, a coordinator there, let me on to an amazing program that they had recently begun at the time. She told me that it's commong for the average recycling center to cart recyclables sometimes hundreds of miles to the nearest repurposing plant (for example, for a long time they had been toting everything up to a center just south of portland -- that's about 250 miles worth of fuel just to complete the recycling). AS&R had worked out a plan to take their glass and locally grind it into aggregate that could be used to create road beds or give blacktop paint its reflective quality. While (as of 2007) they were still sending their plastics up north, the glass was all being dealt with locally -- and even better, it was being reused through a process that burned far less net energy and fuel than carting it so far away. It's worthwhile to mention that Ashland Sanitary and Recycling is privately owned -- which I believe has made sustainability easier to come by for them. They haven't had to negotiate the red tape that's inherent within publically funded agencies or wade through the bureaucratic processes of local government. I would recommend their site as a reduce-reuse-recycle resource in general (plus they sell compost and bring in adoptable dogs from the animal shelter that you can meet when you're down there doing your part).

--Nellamity Jane

Our New Man

"It will be the policy of my administration to reverse our dependence on foreign oil while building a new energy economy that will create millions of jobs."

...HOW MUCH BETTER CAN IT GET??...

He has specifics -- He's demanding of automakers that they raise fuel economy standards, asserting that:

"This will help us create incentives to develop new energy that will make us less dependent on the oil that endangers our security, our economy, and our planet."

Plus, the EPA has been ordered to reconsider California's request to mandate lower emissions.

"At a time of such great challenge for America, no single issue is as fundamental to our future as energy. America's dependence on oil is one of the most serious threats that our nation has faced.  It bankrolls dictators, pays for nuclear proliferation and funds both sides of our struggle against terrorism.  It puts the American people at the mercy of shifting gas prices, stifles innovation and sets back our ability to compete.  These urgent dangers to our national and economic security are compounded by the long term threat of climate change, which, if left unchecked, could result in violent conflict, terrible storms, shrinking coastlines and irreversible catastrophe.  These are the facts."

"Embedded in American soil and the wind and the sun, we have the resources to change.  Our scientists, businesses and workers have the capacity to move us forward.  It falls on us to choose whether to risk the peril that comes with our current course, or to seize the promise of energy independence.  For the sake of our security, our economy and our planet, we must have the courage and commitment to change."

"We hold no illusion about the task that lies ahead.  I cannot promise a quick fix; no single technology or set of regulations will get the job done.  But we will commit ourselves to steady, focused, pragmatic pursuit of an America that is freed from our energy dependence and empowered by a new energy economy that puts millions of our citizens to work."

The proposed American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan that's before congress now would "put 460,000 Americans to work with clean energy investments and double the capacity to generate alternative energy over the next three years.  It will lay down 3,000 miles of transmission lines to deliver this energy to every corner of our country.  It will save taxpayers 2 billion dollars a year...it will save working families hundreds of dollars on their energy bills...This is the boost that our economy needs and the new beginning that our future demands."

As the president signed the executive orders, my eyes welled -- and I am not ashamed.  He's only a few days in.  He's obviously been busy.  And, selfishly, I felt that MY president had finally arrived.  Someone was cheering when Bush got elected and re-elected, and that's just fine.  Now I get to have a turn, and so do all the like-minded people I know who have been yearning so deeply for this.  

Can you imagine?  He tied national security to environmentalism!  He put issues that happen to matter to me at the forefront of his administration's priorities.  I HAVE NEVER WITNESSED THAT BEFORE.  It wasn't Afghanistan or Iraq or North Korea (of course I care about those countries too)...it was, most responsibly, AMERICA.  AMERICA, AMERICA!

I was looking at a coffee table book today full of the pictures and stories of the pioneers.  Now, there's a lot I disagree with about how the West was settled -- sometimes the fact that it was settled at all irks me.  But peering into the faces of those men and women in old tintypes (our ancestors, our precursors for better or worse), I saw the day's mood reflected.  Terra nova!  Moving forward into the unknown with the promise of labor and difficulty and being confronted with startling new things.  That's adventure.  We may be able to right some of the wrongs of the last century or two and steward the land consistently.  Build sustainability into the Constitution, if not through formal rewriting, then simply by understanding its necessity as a given.

That is one long transcription and ramble.  I just kept finding it necessary to include things.  If you haven't already seen it, you can view the full broadcast, made yesterday the 26th,  here, on MSNBC.  

--Nell