Toby's Log page 122

vacuum insulation

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i have been interested in vacuum insulation for a long time now. A full vacuum would allow absolutely no heat transfer through conduction (or convection, a special case of conduction). Completely full vacuums cannot be created, but a near vacuum can be achieved economically even in mass produced items such as vacuum thermoses, and provide a very high level of insulation in a very thin layer. A reflective foil layer, even thinner than the vacuum insulation, then prevents most radiation leakage, creating a very effective level of insulation.

Vacuum insulation of housing appears to have only been recently moving into a commercial existance. VIPs (vacuum insulated panels) are mass produced panels that are vacuum insulated for use in housing, with exterior materials to prevent damage (damage to a VIP to the point of allowing air leakage would result in complete insulation failure). They claim an R-Value of about 30 per inch (compared to up to 8 for foam or 4 for fiberglass). They have been used in a few select applications, but have not made mass progress yet. Mass sales are planned for use in floors, ceilings, and walls, especially in manufactured homes, in metal roofing, and in exterior doors.

There doesn’t appear to be vacuum insulated windows. Such an item would turn what is normally the largest point of heat loss in a house to a not-so-significant insulation problem. This would allow more window to be installed to provide a much more powerful passive solar heating system without the normal night heat loss problems. Glass, though weak against pressure at a point, is strong against the uniform pressure of holding gases or vacuums. With a proper thickness of glass and well sealed housing, a normal looking window could have an insulation value potentially much greater than a well insulated houses walls or ceiling.

I plan to attempt to make some vacuum based insulation, both wall/ceiling/floor panels and windows, for my home (which is very poorly insulated currently) until I succeed or until commercial alternatives become available and affordable. I only have to wait until I have the money and know-how to do it. For me, this insulation would be extremely benificial. I plan to move into a truely mobile home (mine is one of those more stationary types) which would greatly benifit from thin but highly effective insulation. I also like passive solar heating, and this would help immensely with it.

general

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******** Walls **********/

/******** Interior Panels **********/

able to attach and detach large and small items without damaging walls

able to flip panels – one side’s black, one’s white

air and water tight seems, retained upon removal then replacement

water proof material

resists basic scratching, denting, and breaking from common bumping while moving stuff

somehow deals with problem of holes for lightswitches, outlets, etc needing to be made and unmade

ReUse: Trickle Down

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Now old products being replaced with new models become the new models for people who can’t afford the newest.

New technology is often too expensive for poorer people, but usually eventually becomes adopted by. Technology is always being developed, requiring manufacture and purchase of new products to get the new features. The old products still exist though, and are worth less because they no longer need to be manufactured and don’t have all features of a new product. These products are then affordable to more people. With each iteration of revisions, the first product of a kind becomes affordable to more and more people, while later revisions bring new features to those who can’t afford new, but can afford better than the oldest. Older products begin making their way into “third world” countries as well, bringing them the ‘higher’ standard of living of the more developed nations. As an example, cell-phones are constantly revised and the new ones are purchased to replace the old, leaving many temporarily unneeded. If they are sent back to the manufacturer to be ‘recycled’, they are sold in poorer countries for a third of the price of the new models, making these countries able to afford them when otherwise they couldn’t.

A good reuse system should contribute to the trickle down affect, bringing a ‘higher’ standard of living to more people.

Examples of items not so long ago used exclusively by the rich only, but now spread everywhere:
-computers
-cars
-clothes washing and drying machines
-dish washing machines
-in-house plumbing
-toilets

anti-Psychiatry (drug based)

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I see there is a movement of anti-psychiatry. I generally agree with this movement and its premises. Diagnosis like sluggishly progressing schizophrenia are very scary to me. I fear being hospitalized based upon my state of mind. My mind is all that I have that will always be there, and I don’t want people messing around with it. I wouldn’t consent to taking drugs to modify it, and I certainly wouldn’t want someone else consenting for me.

The mind is very complex, well beyond the understanding of current scientists/doctors. It produces thoughts and elicits behaviours that, really, are who a person is. Many governments classify some of its problems as unallowable, essentially illegal states of being, and require unconsented treatment for these socially improper thoughts and behaviours. I agree that someone should be allowed to take medication or other similar treatments to attempt to fix their problems if they want to, but an outside mandate is an attack on the person.

Reuse

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Any product that is still functioning, yet is no longer wanted by the owner, can be used by somebody else. There will virtually always be someone who needs a given product. Costs will be lowered by reusing these products rather than making new ones.

New Album in works, no Gyro shows for a while

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just to inform you, (the) yars are working on recording an album. It will be our first full length studio album, and we’ll hopefully actually do something with it, unlike with previous albums. We are recording the album ourselves this time; the recording studios have been both quite expensive and quite dissappointing so far. We are employing the help of Kyle. He has a mixing board. He had a dedicated digital recorder, but that broke, so we are now running the mixing board into my ibook through a powerwave. We tried using Audacity to record, but ran into many problems. I’m not sure if it was my computer or what. I’m gonna try out Apple’s Garagband. It looks promising. I’ll let you know when the album is made.

As another note, in mid-december, we played a show at our favorite venue, Europe Gyro. Some audience members brought in their own beer and left cans smashed on the floor. The owner of the place, Mike, got mad and is not allowing us or any other bands to play there until at least February, and even then he seems put off by the idea. We have no shows booked now, so who knows when we’ll play out next. Hopefully soon.

Done With School

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I’m done at Kent finally. 4.5 years. I finished an internship up at the winking lizard, working mostly like normal, but learning a bit about management stuff and learning other positions in the kitchen. I’m now the proud owner of a BS (of course) in Hospitality Management. What does this mean? No more school. Finally. After 17.5 years, I no longer have to worry about assignments or tests or the like. For now, I’m continuing to work at the Lizard as I have been and working with my band (my band of musicians that is).

I’m now moved to my trailer as well, which is taking a bit of my time to fix up a bit. It was very drafty when I first moved in, so I’ve been working on sealing it up. I’ve put up the plastic sheets over several of my windows and caulked around the edges, and should finish that soon. I’ve also put tape on many other seams that were leaking. It’s improved noticeably. I keep the thermostat low, putting it at 50 to 55 when I’m away, 55 to 60 while I sleep, and 60 to 65 while I’m there and awake. Hopefully that’ll keep costs to a manageable level. I like the place and, for the most part, living alone. I can do as I please with the place, especially nice with the kitchen. I can also do as I please in the place. It does get a little lonely sometimes though, especially at night, and can be a bit boring. It’s a big place for one person, so I have plenty of room to utilize. I’ll be able to do projects and stuff that I can just leave sitting.

The weather has been very strange lately, even for Ohio. It’s mid-January and 60 degrees. That’s crazy. I cycled to work yesterday to celebrate. I’ll have to get used to that ride, as I’ll be doing it all the time when it’s warm enough.

current plans

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kitchen

Freezer

Shelves to help organize stuff – one at top should be good

Counter

Under counter slide out counter

Near counter depth, right side width board of nice, cleanable counterlike material slides out from beneath counter, with strong heavy-duty top connect sliding tracks on side.

Will have replaceable cutting board materail over entire useable surface. Possible knife storage at one side or back. Possible slight downward tilt.

Stove

Try to get the hurricane 2 burner. Mount permanently in place, with small slide out catch tray beneath, above under counter counter.

Microwave Shelf

Look into putting shelf above counter, below cupboards, in small cubby just bigger than it. Must have adequate airflow space.

outside

lighting

under porch, motion sensing lights with photocell turn on only at night, with adjustable timer. Use compact flourescent spotlight bulbs. will light for when coming home or leaving as well as for spending time on the porch. must be switchable offable, and preferably able to be turned on (switch off, on, auto).

storm door

foam insulation with waterproof, strong exterior sheathing, such as aluminum or painted hardboard. has lips all around facing that, when door is closed, seal tightly against door frame, with foam backing. foam backing is also on inside stop (where it normally is) for double protection. door is on tracks that allow it to be pulled straight out from doorway, then slid to the side against the wall.

screen

screen will be roll up/pull out whole door cover kind like seen at lowes. will buy a durable fiberglass screen. will roll up on thin pvc pipe, inside another larger pvc pipe with slit along side for fiberglass to come through. ends of pipe will be capped with spring rotating device in center to hold screen rod. unattached end of screen will have pulling device along whole length that won’t allow screen to go into the tube, will connect (perhaps via magnet strip) to door frame on other side.

living room

boot bench

simple wooden bench with shoe/boot storage beneath for all (at least important) of my shoes as well as those of a few guests. board behind will go up behind back and hold coatrack.

solar collecter/table

for middle of living room. will store ‘tv’ and other items on top. base will be made of plastic drums colored black that will hold water, which will collect solar heat during the day and release slowly at night. must be easily drainable and fillable (must be able to drain and fill from kitchen sink, or dissassemble and use dolly to take to bathroom). Top will also be black, easy to clean surface, thin but durable. will have white cover for warmer days.

solar collecter screens

alternative or addition to above. black screens come down from ceiling – able to pull down desired distance to get desired absorption. fans may blow across to spread absorbed heat, which otherwise will likely not spread readily through house.

New Medicine

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(based on article in December 13 2004 Business Week)

don’t use new drugs for several years after they’ve been developed unless they are a breakthrough – first and only cure for a given ailment or clearly and significantly more effective than older drugs

-older drugs can be significantly cheaper

-tried and true, older drugs are more well tested, while new drugs often have problems that come to light through consumer use

ask a doctor thoroughly about drug, reasons for using it over another, potential problems

check the internet – medical and other sights have lots of information available on drugs, often significantly before that information is released as ‘news’ to the general public.

-oregonrx.org compares effectiveness of various drugs

Finder more useful

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in finder: create new file by hitting command-n. type in name with extension, opens editor of that extension set in preferences with new file with that name. also enter in keywords describing new files contents. based on setup, system will know “where” to put file: example – create a new file, type in keywords Lizard Bobson; system knows file is for Bobson account in work ‘folder’.

for every file extension, there is a systemwide set default editor and default viewer. If file opened for viewing, opened in view mode, in which viewing tools are available, editing tools generally disabled. If opened for editing, editing tools are made available and viewing tools are hidden/made less available.

Example: text editor viewing mode – up down left right arrows move view (up, down, page up, page down). character keystrokes do find for typed characters.

text editing mode – up down left right move input/editing cursor. keystrokes type text.
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