Douglas Alpenstock

Tricky business. While I am inclined to think that much grain used as animal fodder would be passably safe for human consumption in hard times, there are risks.

Feed destined for animal use is not screened or handled with the same rigour as grain destined for human use.

For example, I grew up on a farm and we milled/ground most of the feed we grew, destined for for cattle and chickens. The rolling mill we used had a formidable set of magnets arranged as a deep grill, 1" apart and 4" deep. The amount of steel filings and chunks it caught were impressive. It had to be cleaned off after every job. Some of those sharp chunks, if ingested, were enough to survive the stomach and perforate the intestinal wall.

The other concerns are fungal contaminants and chemical traces/additives. Animals have a higher tolerance than humans, and accepted volumes and labelling requirements are very different for human food.

Personally I wouldn't automatically say no, but I'd be damned picky. My 2c.

AlphaSmart Neo 2? Non-backlit LCD screen, full sized keyboard, holds a novel's worth of text, runs 700 hours on three AA batteries. Originally designed for kids in school, so pretty tough. I still have a couple of them.

Not an internet/wifi machine at all.

There's a long-running forum for Alphies and other simple, portable keyboard-based writing tools. (I was an admin there long long ago. I see that some of the original admins are still actively involved. They also have a "be nice" community vibe.)

https://www.flickr.com/groups/alphasmart/discuss

Levente Andras wrote:

Anne Miller wrote:There is nothing better than learning from someone with dirt under there fingernails.

Real dirt not fake dirt..

I'm not sure I can agree with the first part. There are so many people "with dirt under their fingernails" whose only rationale for doing things in a certain way is "because that's how it's done" or "that's how my granddad taught me". They refuse to learn new ways and methods, and they refuse te see how the world around them has changed, and how those changes have rendered their way of doing things no longer appropriate. I'm not talking about abstract cases, but very concrete and specific ones, that I've had to deal with over the past 15 years or so. Very painful!

In places where tradition rules supreme and rigid, I can see how that would make an innovative person throw up their hands in frustration.

However, when confronted with endless websites that quote each other to sell ads, none of whom could grow a dandelion if their lives depended on it, and AI quoting all of them in the tone of complete authority, I personally think a "dirt check" is a very good idea.

A "dirt check" is important, a foundation -- it builds on the fact that somebody has proved, repeatedly and reliably, that "this can be done with this method!" Obviously none of us here are letting the grass grow under our feet, so we are endlessly innovating and tweaking and improving.

But the "dirt check" is a fine winnowing fork, separating knowledge from slop. My 2c.

I find that big chunks of char do not soak up my crude inoculants even if immersed for quite a long time. That doesn't matter much to me, since my system (mechanical + frost cracking) compensates for that and slowly breaks it up smaller and smaller in situ. Still, what I've observed suggests the principle is sound. The other part of it is that finer char may hold moisture much better.

r ransom wrote:If I can keep the soap dry between uses, it lasts worlds longer.  

This. I have been doing it for years and it works!

My trick is to rest the soap bar on a brush with the bristles turned up. In my bathrooms, I use Lee Valley scrubbers. In my shower, it's a couple of old nail brushes that lie flat on their backs. The bars last for ages.

(Pardon the lousy photo.)

r ransom wrote:An interesting article on gas rationing in canada

Rationing throughout history is very interesting to me. Cand places that manage to avoid rationing like canada using the carrot approach of easy carpooling, increasing public transport, etc, to reduce fuel use.

Although the news article focuses on the problem, and ignores the fuel sales rationing in British Columbia, Canada in 2021...anyway, what the artical fails fo point out is that the actions of individuals, especially ones that like saving money by saving fuel, can impact how much rationing, if any, is needed during tough times.  

I agree, stories of historical rationing are very interesting.

As of today, the risk of rationing in BC is zero. The mad dogs on the Prairies can and will keep you supplied.

The cost is the world price, though. Ouch --that's what we pay as well.  

r ransom wrote:2% seems generous if we look at it from a historical point of view.  

Excellent and illuminating post! Thanks for taking the time.

My wife has a marble rolling pin. Since we get along, I have never been concerned by that.

In my family archive, I have a rolling pin that my grandfather carved from a single piece of what appears to be dense birch. He came to this country just before the Great Depression, with very little money but a head full of skills.

Anne Miller wrote:I think the point here is folks are giving pets, especially dogs more vegetables and fruits which is a good thing ...

My hounds, through their many generations as they come and go through our lives, have always been omnivores. Much more like black bears than the meat-eater-only myth. Introduce them to country snacks early and they "get it" for life.

Nolan Buckner wrote:The two twelve volt batteries on my zip scooter or brand new. How long would l leave a 12volt car or truck chargeer on my scooter batterys.so l just clamp on to my hot-ground wires on my scooter rite ?

Careful. There are a lot of moving parts to this. Get it wrong and it will fry your batteries. Car battery chargers can provide enough amps to cook a small battery in minutes.

Some questions:
--What is the battery chemistry? Lead acid or something else? Specific model number of your scooter?
--Did your scooter come with a charger? If so, what are the output specifications on the charger?
--Why use a car charger instead of the original one? You may be bypassing circuits that protect against overcharging.
--Does the battery system supply 12V or 24V to the motor?
--Do you have a multimeter to monitor the voltage during charging?