Judge Us By Results, Not Method

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There, I Fixed is a blog that features a range of repairs accomplished with on-the-fly amateur engineering. It’s amazing what can be achieved with duct tape, cable ties, wire and other found objects without a single trip to hardware store!  (Noted: the biggest word in the site’s tag cloud appears to be “unsafe!”)

We particularly love this ugly but effective solution for hot water delivery:

Upon further investigation, we learn via neatorama that this DIY water heater was made by Patryk Sielski from Warsaw, Poland. Patryk wrote:

I live in an academic hostel of Warsaw University of Technology. Unfortunately, we don’t have hot water in our rooms, it’s only in kitchen and toilet outside. This inconvenience caused me to think about hot water. Commercial heaters are to expensive to students, it’s also a problem to assemble without temporary cutting off the water. Beside of that, the fuses would be immediately blown.

The cheapest device that have an electric heater is a cordless kettle. Some glue, a bottle and a pipe… voila! The hot water flows.

Also, here’s a guerrilla plumbing solution that will stop that leak without a single cent spent at Home Depot:

And using the very versatile vice-grip pliers, this faucet is back in service in seconds:

Confession: my house is filled with on-the-fly fixes, and here’s one of them: this old outdoor faucet has an annoying drip-drip-drip when the water’s on, soaking directly into the foundation. I took care of it quick with this orange-juice-carton splash guard. This was much easier than disassembling the faucet and attempting to ID and replace the worn part/s. But I’m going to do that very soon. Really.

Celebrate Freedom with New Federal Regulations!

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Isn’t it moving to watch those inspiring fireworks displays casting their electric reflection over lakes and waterways? Don’t you love the way they rain down, casting their colors towards…wait a minute. What’s in that stuff raining down into our waterways and seeping into our groundwater?

Most of the fireworks we’ll see during July 4th Independence Day celebrations will contain perchlorate, a powerful oxidizer used to make explosives, rocket fuel, matches, fireworks and other products. Several states have now set limits for its presence in drinking water and the EPA is investigating further regulation of this chemical.

Never fear, though because the American Chemical Society has announced a new chemical formulation that can be used in place of perchlorate in the manufacture of fireworks. In addition to reducing perchlorate use, the new materials burn cleaner, reduce smoke and cut down on the use of heavy metals in fireworks, according to the ACS.  (via WaterTechonline.com)

In a press release (joyfully titled “Green” fireworks may brighten eco-friendly Fourth of July displays in future) the ACS suggests new federal regulations to limit perchlorate in fireworks, because such regulation would overcome fireworks manufacturers’ resistance to using the expensive new formulas which are not yet cost-competitive with perchlorate.

Which is a rich irony, isn’t it, considering the “death to tyranny” origins of this day! (All fireworks, including little tiny sparklers, are already unlawful in my ‘burb, and surprise, opressive heavy fines are involved.)

Man and Beast are Crazy with Heat

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They say heat can drive man and beast crazy. We’ve got our heat and water worries in this ‘burb, but as of now we don’t have to worry that a steamy hippo might get stuck on our water tower, or that a survivalist pig hops into our pool.

From katv.com, Little Rock, news of a pool party with ham dip! (All actual photos under the close guard of the Associated Press.)

A swimming pig NOT from the Associated Press

An 800-pound hog that survived on its own for a week after a truck flipped while on its way to a slaughterhouse has surfaced in a swimming pool at a home near the crash site.

LeAnn Baldy, whose house is only yards from Interstate 430, said Monday she noticed her pool was suddenly overflowing and then saw the immersed pig, which was having a drink in the pool.

About 90 hogs were in the trailer when it overturned where I-430 meets I-40, and about 60 survived. Officials said they thought the last of them had been caught.

Baldy says she found a farmer to take in the pig. A spokesman for Odom’s Tennessee Pride says it can’t use the hog in its sausage products because no one knows what the hog had been eating in its week on the lam.

You know we watch out for what’s hot and hip. This covers the best of both worlds! From a story and photo gallery on metro.co.uk,  

An overheating hippo was so desperate to cool down that he climbed over the side of a 3m (10ft) water tower for a nice long soak.
However, after happily splashing around for a while, the mammal found it could not get out of the pool and was well and truly stuck.
Luckily, a farm worker noticed water spilling over the side of the concrete container and spotted two enormous nostrils poking out of the tank. He immediately rang for help and, within hours, rescuers arrived at the farm in Alkmaar, just outside Nelspruit in South Africa.

Equipped with a hydraulic crane and a cage, hippo hunter Chris Hobkirk and his team from the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Association set to work. In a four-hour operation, they drained the tank and used poles to gently nudge the hippo into the 3m-long (10ft) steel cage before winching it to safety. 

Getting Annoyed in Appomattox

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We sometimes see common idiocy in some uncommon places.

Those of you who know your U.S. history may know that Appomattox Court House in Virginia is where Generals Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant negotiated the terms of surrender which led to the end of the U.S. Civil War. It’s now a national historical site and the majority of the buildings are original and have been maintained just as they were on April 9, 1865. It’s a pleasant way to spend a Sunday, as we recently  did.

The historic event actually took place in the McLean House. Adjacent to this structure is a period ice house which back in the day enabled people to store ice during the winter months for use throughout the spring and summer. During the winter, ice and snow would be taken into the ice house and packed with straw or sawdust as an insulator. It would remain frozen here, often until the following winter, and was used primarily to store perishable foods.

Icehouse: McLean House, Appomattox

Icehouse: Appomattox Court House, Virginia

So of course we peer inside and we can see… what? Someone’s discarded water bottle? Someone’s lazy litter inside this laboriously restored and maintained period structure? As in, right in the middle of this important historical site, some Jack-a stepped 150 years back in time to flip their flippin’ plastic HERE?

Appomattox: inside the icehouse

Appomattox: inside the icehouse

I just can’t fathom this. After our irritated temper tantrum over this sight, Thirsty in Suburbia intern Virginia Leonard was able to fish it out with a stick…not easy, as it was well out of our reach. And then, to put it where it belongs. Whoever you are who tossed it in the icehouse, you know where you can put it.

 

Bonus water shot for river geeks… an interesting sight at the park.

L’Desh Fresh: Gag Me, Really!

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We’ve posted before about the pluses of “Going Gross” to grab attention with yuck appeal, and here’s a “fresh’ new one right from my Kansas City backyard. This campaign from Water Partners International, based in Kansas City, aims to get clean water flowing to the neediest by convincing you to loosen the nauseating grip on your wallet.

L’Desh Fresh is splashed onto our radar with a slick flash website, just like the pricey premium brands… but we can see there’s something unclear about it’s appeal. (I must admit it took me several passes to “get it” — Bang-L’-Desh…get it?)

And direct from the planet Ikea comes The L’Desh Fresh video, where our spokesmodel manages to take a swig of “the world’s water” while maintaining her composed on-camera professional demeanor.

We imagine her multiple cell phone calls after the shoot: “Well sure I’m, like, DYING to be a model-slash-actress, but, GAG ME, really! I mean I am SO NOT JOKING, I’m honestly gagging RIGHT NOW! Did Heidi Klum have to do this? I don’t THINK so!”

So here are a load of related links: Water Partners International on Facebook, L’Desh Fresh on Wikipedia, An article on L’Desh Fresh from KC alt weekly The Pitch, L’Desh Fresh on MySpace, Water Partners International on Twitter, and Kansas City Ad Agency Sullivan, Higdon & Sink. Whew, that should ’bout cover the social mediasphere.

Or just skip all that and pony up a donation here, while you gag and ponder the millions worldwide who actually drink similar stuff every day with a straight face.

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DCWASA Insists 99-Year-Old Used 139,876 Gallons in a Month

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From a story on consumerist.com this weekend,

Meet 99-year-old Jeanette Cohen, a Washington resident who either lives in her shower or is the recipient of the more bizarre bills spat out by the D.C. Water and Sewer Authority. Cohen normally pays $30 to use about 3,000 gallons per month, but the utility insists that she used 139,876 gallons of water last month and now owes almost $1,200.

It’s just so obvious that, as the plumber said, ‘You couldn’t use that much water,'” she told News4’s Tom Sherwood.

Ellen Cohen is worried about the stress this could cause her mother in law. Jeannette Cohen has lived in the same, modest house in the Tenley Circle area since 1955, and in December she turns 100.

“She would never dodge something that she owed, but she’s also very fair and she has a real belief in justice,” Ellen Cohen said.

Jeannette Cohen has a hearing scheduled for June 30.

“Well, I have hopes,” she said. “I would love to have it fixed just because it is so stupid and so wrong.”

Is there more here than meets the eye? Well, though our extensive connections inside the beltway, we’ve gotten our hands on this, which should explain how Jeannette used all that water! This damning evidence must be in the hands of DCWASA!

Go in Style: 2009 Finalists for Best Public Restroom

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Go the the polls…or maybe go AT the polls…and make your vote count for the 2009 edition of America’s Best (Public) Restroom. (Voting ends July 31, 2009.) You can vote here; the main website is here; and check out the fascinating “ABR Hall of Fame“, featuring Top Flush standouts since 2002.

We, of course, must accept that this is a sponsored affair, by Cintas Corp., a company that, surprise! …makes restroom supplies. (Unintentionally-funny line in the site’s header: “…as voted on by the Internet Public.” Because of course, that’s totally different from the normal, general public!

The field has been narrowed to ten finalists for the creme de la creme of public facilities. On this exclusive Thirsty in Suburbia LooLocator® map, we can see a good regional distribution of the finalist facilities, although if you’re cruising the interstate through Colorado or South Carolina, you’re going to be holding it for awhile.

Following, the finalists, flush with pride, no doubt!

My vote? Fortunately, you don’t have to choose just one, you get to “rank” each on scale of 1 to 10. I have a great love for grand old hotels and theaters, but a “touchless environment” sounds appealing, too!

Shoji Tabuchi Theater in Branson, MO: marble fireplaces, hand-carved mahogany pool table, antiques, lion’s head sinks, leather chairs, stained glass and chandeliers.

 Radio City Music Hall in New York NY: Designed in the early 1930’s, restroom and lounges feature classic tile work, art deco furnishings and unique materials, including cork- covered walls.

 Zeffirino Ristorante – Venetian Resort, Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada:Custom-made mosaic tile artwork, Carra marble floors, Venetian plaster, Murano Glass chandeliers and washbasins, limestone water fountain and private restroom suites.

 Canlis Restaurant, Seattle, Washington: Zen-like atmosphere, handmade organic wall coverings, designer fixtures, Japanese art, large picture windows overlooking garden.

 The Tremont Plaza Hotel, Baltimore, Maryland: Extensive use of imported marble, grand columns, chandeliers, hand-carved woodwork.

 The Tampa Theater, Tampa, Florida:Designed in the 1920s, vitrolite glass on walls, intricate tile designs, pipe-shaped sconces.

 Macy’s Union Square, 6th Floor, San Francisco, California: Art Deco design, Italian marble, chandelier with carved ceiling medallion, full-length stainless steel stall doors.

 The Drake Hotel: Palm Court, Chicago, Illinois: Palm tree murals, private suites, in-stall makeup tables, elegant sconces, an array of chandeliers

 NOVA 535, St. Petersburg, Florida:Full-length solid birch stall doors, Italian mocha travertine with black granite diamond inserts, completely touch-less environment.

 The Fox Theater, Detroit, Michigan: Designed in 1928, custom-made furniture and tile, hard-carved moldings, chandeliers.

Next Up: The Air-Water Nexus

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As we run great rivers nearly dry, suck our aquifers empty and pump, pump, pump, in increasingly futile attempts to meet unsustainable water demand, hope springs anew as a vision for tomorrow’s uptapped water source—the air—begins to materialize. And thanks to some architects with their heads in the clouds, that vision looks impressive!

Design-savvy Angela B. pointed us to an Inhabitat.com feature with conceptual plans for The Water Drop Resort, which will convert air to purified water. (No word yet on a completion date… or even a location!)

Architecturally and thematically designed in the shape of a drop of water, the Water Building Resort intends to become the first building ever to convert air into water with the help of solar power. What sounds like magic will be achieved with the following combination of nature and technology: A sunny, southerly facing facade made of photovoltaic glass will harness solar energy, allowing light to pass through. The northern facade features a latticed design for ventilation as well as unprecedented Teex Micron equipment that will convert humid air and condensation into pure drinking water.

Designed for construction in warm and humid coasts, the Water Building Resort, a resort complex, will also house a water treatment facility in the bottom floor, for purifying salty sea and rain water, along with a center of technological investigation to control and certify water quality. Restaurants, gyms, exhibition halls, hotel and conference rooms, and spa services will fill the upper floors – all based on the theme of water, the environment and renewable energy. An underwater aquarium will sit at the base of the Water Building Resort, rounding out the water conscious theme and practices.

See more photos and details of Water Building Resort From Orlando De Urrutia Architecture & Sustainable Urbanism, Barcelona for a Teex and Al-Mutawa Consortium.

Remember what happened with Tang

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If you were living in America during the sixties, you know what I’m talking about. Tang. That nasty-tasting, gritty-grainy pseudo-orange powdered breakfast beverage from Kraft that was a commercial flop until it swept the country after it’s endorsement by NASA. It rocketed to success with the Gemini flights in 1965, followed by many years of “spacey” advertising tie-ins, like this magazine ad (via askville.amazon.com).

This 1984 TV commercial chirps,  ♪♫”Wake up your day the astronaut’s way”♪ …

 

Fast forward to last month, and observe the astronauts on the International Space Station toasting the successful testing of the wastewater recycling system with a drink of recycled urine water.

Hey, toilet-to-tap proponents, uh, I mean, “Groundwater Replenishment” supporters, couldn’t this work again? I mean, if astronauts could help Kraft sell that orange gag-in-a-glass, why not recycled water? Lightning could strike twice! If it’s good enough for the astronauts, it’s good enough for your family! ♫ ♪”Hydrate your day the astronaut’s way…” ♪

This photo (and story) from myfoxdc.com

International Poo News: These Stories are Moving Fast

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For the First Time Ever, Donuts Actually
Hamper the Movement of Poo

You know what a couple of greasy donuts can do to your digestive track. Just imagine what a whole plant-full could do to a sewer system.

May 29, 2009: Fairfax County (Virginia) is suing Krispy Kreme doughnuts for alleged damage to its poo pipes…clogs that resulted in raw sewage leaks that shut down the southern Fairfax sewer system. The suit was filed after Krispy Kreme refused to pay a $1.9 million bill for repairs to the system. The lawsuit says the damage was caused by “excessive quantities of highly corrosive wastes, doughnut grease and other pollutants.“

PUNCH LINE: The county says its workers once ran a closed-circuit camera inside a pipe to show the grease deposits, but the camera got stuck in the goop.
SILVER LINING: The Krispy Kreme goop could be used to prevent sewage from entering streams or waterways.

Read all about it here. Photo: New York Magazine

Poo in the Bayou, “We already used to it.”

May 29, 2009: At the Wilkerson’s Memorial Day Cookout in Bayou La Batre, Alabama, some uninvited guests have floated by from the nearby ditch water. Over the weekend, rain pushed more than 30,000 gallons of raw sewage into the streets.

Mobile County Resident Belinda Wilkerson says, “You don’t know what the hell’s in them sewages.” She’s not shocked, either. “Yeah, I know what they talking about cause you can see it any time it rains. All that nothing but human waste laying out.”

In fact, people in these parts aren’t even fazed by stormwater back-ups nor are they anxious about long-promised upgrades to the old and inadequate sewage treatment facility.

PUNCH LINE: Local resident Alisha Harbison says.”We already got used to it. What’s the difference. I mean, we already used to it.”
SILVER LINING: The local wastewater utility has no difficulty hiring workers who will dig in and do the dirty work.

Read all about it here. Photo: NBC15online.com

International Public Housing Update:
Amenities Included, Infrastructure Optional.

May 26, 2009: In Kuatan, Malaysia, Abdullah Salleh and his wife were thrilled to be moving into a new house provided under the Hardcore Poor Development Programme (PPRT).

Upon moving in their new quarters, though, they discovered they needed to employ old methods to answer the call of nature, i.e., digging holes in his backyard.

The house DOES have a toilet. But the house DOES NOT have pipes to bring in water and to remove waste water.

They were forced to dig a well by the side of his house and use a pump to fill pails and containers with water for bathing, cooking and washing clothes. Seems the contractor built the washroom and toilet but failed to equip them with a sewage system and piped water. Abdullah understandably is “worried that human waste might contaminate our water supply and make us sick.”

PUNCH LINE: Inderapura assemblyman Datuk Shafik Fauzan Sharif points out that, “Abdullah actually lives with his in-laws at their home nearby.”
SILVER LINING: Abdullah has a unique opportunity to become closer to his in-laws.

Read all about it here. Photo: The New Straits Times

Aerial Penguin Poo a Scientific Triumph

June 2, 2009 via AP – In remote Antarctica, researchers have been unable to figure out just where colonies of emperor penguins live and if their population is in peril. But Eureka! Scientists have discovered they can  track the penguins by following their excrement from space.

Because the large penguins stay on the same ice for months, their excrement stains make them stand out from space. Scientists at the British Antarctic Survey found by accident a reddish-brown streak on the colorless ice when they were looking at satellite images of their bases.

The stain was penguin excrement (particularly smelly stuff) and it gave researchers an idea to search for brown stains to find and track penguins. They found the same telltale trails all over the continent. Using satellite data, the scientists found 10 new colonies of penguins and overall, 38 colonies were spotted from above.

PUNCH LINE: One noted researcher said that salty penguin poo, over time, will corrode one’s boots, adding that he has lost nearly a dozen pairs to it in 35 years of penguin research.
SILVER LINING: Using satellite technology, researchers can wear more stylish boots.

Read all about it here. Photo: geocities.com