Chris Marts

Cash for Caulkers is a lovely program.  Let's give people a financial incentive to upgrade to more energy efficient appliances, lay down some insulation, even install a newer furnace or wood stove.  It works well too.  People have taken advantage of the program. Here's my problem:  Upfront spending.  The tax credits involved are wonderful for people who have the money in the first place.  These are the people that recognize that these upgrades will ultimately save them money through energy efficiency and they're recouping part of their investment anyway.  These are also people who probably can afford not to make the upgrades.  The people who need these upgrades the most, the ones that would be benefit the greatest, are the ones who don't have the money to spend in the first place.  Their old furnace, wood stove, water heater, windows, doors are all adequate and won't be replaced till its dire.  They're lucky if they have insulation in ...

I've been debating for a while between Android vs WebOS, all touch screen vs physical keyboard, now vs later.  Yesterday I made my fateful decision by buying a Palm Pre Plus from Verizon Wireless.  Unfortunately, the two stores in town were out of stock (that sounds good for Palm though, I think?) and they ordered it.  Needless to say, I'm really excited.  This is a big step up from my Centro.  But how did I come to the Pre?  Why not wait?

Cell phone upgrade time is upon me again and I need help deciding.  I have Verizon Wireless and will not be switching (they have the closet tower by my house, maybe half a mile away).  I'm caught between going with an Android phone like the LG Ally or the webOS powered Palm Pre.  Budget is a concern.  I'm not going to spend $300 on a Droid X especially since I don't believe anything that large is remotely practical.  Likewise, $200 for an old Motorola Droid seems unreasonable given its age. Future proof is a concern too.  I want decent specs that won't worry me.  The Ally runs a processor that supposedly won't be included when Adobe Flash is released.  HP bought Palm so I'm mostly at ease there but without any real future plans from the HP/Palm crowd, should I be concerned?  So please weigh in.

If you're looking at building a new home or renovating the one you have, you can green it up with any or all of these... Roofing Materials These are available in recycled rubber and polymers that similar to slate. These are lower maintenance and lighter than conventional roofing. Counters and Showers Using glass and concrete mixed together gives your counter top or shower surround or even floors a beautiful but durable finish. Concrete is of course a fairly heavy material so make sure its well supported.

Definition In simplest measures, composting is the method of turning organic wastes in usable soil. While one can get highly scientific about creating compost, this is my quick and dirty guide to making easy compost (the compost is, however, not so quick). Pile It On Start out with whatever yard wastes and kitchen scraps you may have. This can include leaves, grass, all fruit or veggie scraps, or even twigs. Pile all this together somewhere in your yard that won't even your neighbor (it shouldn't smell but your neighbor may not take to seeing kitchen scraps outside). Turn It Turning the compost pile provides necessary oxygen for the bacteria in it that's working to break down the pile. You need not frequently turn it. Some people only turn it once or twice a year. Others never turn it. I try to turn mine at least once a week. The other option is to drive a PVC pipe down the middle or the pile to encourage air circulation.

A quick search of "raised bed gardening" will bring up a basic list of its fundamental advantages... Loose soil, warms sooner, less maintenance, better drainage. Those are all fine and dandy. Perhaps you have other reasons. Significantly raised beds are easier to work. Just imagine being able to sit down and work the beds instead of bending and reaching, hurting your back? Regardless of your reasoning, building the beds are simple. My own photos will be coming online as soon as my project is done. My personal garden this year (as I've just moved and am starting over) will consist of twelve beds measuring four feet by eight feet. I am also using some reclaimed lumber from my parents' deck. Since I'm on a budget anyway, the beds will initially be just 5-6 inches tall as the boards from the deck are only roughly 5.5 inches wide. To summarize so far... Beds will be 4' Wide x 8' Long x 6" Tall Beds will be held in places with four corner stakes made ...

Tomatoes are perhaps one of, if not the most, popular plants to grow. I have compiled a list of tips to try; many I do myself. Sun Its no more basic than this. Lots and lots of sun makes great tomato plants. They can grow in shady spots but the results will not be satisfactory. Soil Dark, crumbly, loamy soil is the best. If you have thick clay, work in straw or compost to loosen it (and in time, this will substantially improve all your soil anyway). Adding manure also works. Planting There's usually two routes: deep or long. By deep, I mean planting so that the more of the plant is actually below soil level. This lets the plant absorb even more moisture deeper from the ground. Plus the plant will develop roots along the stem allowing it to feed better. The other approach is to dig a shallow trench and lay all but the top part of the plant in it covering it with soil. Be sure to remove leaves from the buried portion though. This has the same effect as the deep dig method wit...