Firmitas.org What to Do Right Now if the Hard Times Have Begun and You are Not Prepared by Robert Wayne Atkins What to Do Right Now if the Hard Times Have Begun and You are Not Prepared Copyright © June 1, 2011 by Robert Wayne Atkins, P.E. All Rights Reserved. Click Here for a Microsoft WORD printer friendly copy of this article. Preface The following information is the last chapter in my 500 page book "How to Survive and Thrive During Hard Times." Introduction There are two possible scenarios for the beginning of hard times:Scenario One: You have some money and many of the local stores are still open for business.Scenario Two: You don't have any money, or you do have some money but the stores are all closed. The most likely scenario will probably be the second one above. Hard times are inevitable. the trigger event,the severity of the hard times, andthe duration of the hard times. Is a worldwide famine in your future? The above is just one example of a worst case breakdown in society. Water: Keep the water flowing in their faucets. That's enough "worst case doom-and-gloom."
New Office Designs Offer Room to Roam and to Think Stuart Isett for The New York Times The Seattle offices of Russell Investments, on five floors inside the former Washington Mutual tower, say goodbye to traditional corporate hierarchy by eliminating private offices for the 1,000 employees. More Photos » MARTHA CHOE’S ideal working space is not her private office, nice though it is, but rather a long, narrow table in the vast atrium of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation headquarters here. The table, situated in a 33-foot-high open mezzanine, enjoys great swaths of daylight through the atrium’s quarter-acre of glass, and has a stunning view of the Space Needle three blocks away. It’s not private, or quiet, but Ms. She points out one further attraction: “That’s Nelson Mandela’s shirt on the wall behind the table.” Ms. The building was designed by NBBJ, a 700-employee architecture firm whose largest operation is in Seattle. These are the main concepts: Buzz — conversational noise and commotion — is good.
What can you do with an old pallet? So many things! If you ever come across the opportunity to pick up a few pallets take a look at some of the ideas I have come across for recycling old pallets into furniture and other practical and decorative pieces. I would like to mention that the designs below were found at various sources on the Internet. Where possible I have mentioned the original source, but unfortunately too many do not. If you are the original designer for any of the furniture below, please let me know so that I can add your details. Make furniture for your home ABOVE: Mobius Living take pallets to a new level, offering clients the opportunity to buy ready-made coffee tables. ABOVE and BELOW: Who would have thought that a humble pallet could be transformed into so many practical pieces. ABOVE: All it takes is a few reclaimed timber pallets to make up your own living room furniture In the kitchen ABOVE and BELOW: Don't stop there... In the bedroom In the garden Pallets for pets Find and prepare your pallet
Modern Concrete House (15 photos) - My Modern Metropolis When you first think about the words concrete house, you might imagine a cold, sterile environment, perhaps something similar to a prison. If that's the case, this one story house designed by architecture studio A-cero will likely change your mind. Located on the outskirts of Madrid, Concrete House II features a façade that boasts a spectacular view of the whole house. The first impression that visitors usually get is that the building seems to be hidden between concrete walls and ramps that extend up to the roof. Upon further inspection, they find a vegetation area that climbs towards the sky! The back of the house opens up towards the garden where the lounge, dining room, library, study, and bedrooms are found. A-cero architecture and hygiene - home rctc industrial zombie llc movie making machine department of mechanized architecture emergency house eco-orphanage moma deitch yahoo ding-dong cnn contact sonofderrida@aol.com copyright © 2014 adam kalkin all images and materials are the properties of their respective owners
Camping Knots for Wilderness Survival By Filip Tkaczyk Knowing how to tie good camping knots is an invaluable skill in wilderness survival situations. Its also a great asset when having fun in the outdoors. Square Knot Also called a reef knot, this knot is useful for tying bandages, packages and joining shorter pieces of rope together. To begin, lay the ends of the ropes parallel and then pick up a rope in each hand. Now tie an overhand knot as you would for tying your shoe laces by putting the right end under and over the left rope end. Then tie another overhand knot, this time putting the left end under and over the right rope. Completed Square Knot Clove Hitch Like all hitches, this camping knot ties a rope to an object. To begin, bring the rope end over and under the post. Now, bring the rope end around a third time, and tuck it under the center of the X. Tighten by pulling the end and the main line apart. Bowline One of the most important camping knots to learn is the bowline knot. Related Courses:
Hitler Bunker In Los Angeles: Murphy Ranch Reveals An Alternate Universe (VIDEO, PHOTOS) Forget the Hollywood sign and the walk of fame -- the next time you're in Los Angeles, Calif., go off the beaten path and head to an abandoned Nazi compound. There you'll catch a glimpse of an alternate reality in which the Nazis won World War II and set up their headquarters in sunny Los Angeles. That was the hope of landowners Winona and Norman Stephens, who built the the 50-acre "Murphy Ranch" in 1933 to be a self-sustaining Nazi community ruled by Adolf Hitler. Under the thrall of a mystical "Herr Schmidt," who may have been a German spy, the couple and a band of Nazi-sympathizers known as the "Silver Shirts" worked in the compound, doing military exercises and preparing for war. The Daily Mail revisits the historic compound and notes that at the height of its glory, it was outfitted with a diesel power plant, a 375,000 gallon water tank, a giant meat locker and a bomb shelter. Nowadays, the compound is rundown and dilapidated. Launch Slideshow
Creative Architecture Ideas Today’s collection is going to be a mix of amazing exterior and interior architecture designs. For most of us villas featured are out of reach .) but at least we may admire the creativity and luxury. And of course, we always may get inspired, right?! .) What about a cool contemporary beach house? Glass Bottom Pool by The Holiday Inn Shanghai Buit in Cabinetry by Idhea Deer Shaped Pylons by DesignDepot VitraHaus @ Weil am Rhein, Germany by VitraHaus Casa Finisterra by Rees Roberts Skateboard House by PAS Living Wall by Patrick Blanc Interior Studio by Ina Matt Elevator Room by OMA Terraced House in Casavells by 05 AM Arquitectura Plantagon Vertical Greenhouse by Plantagon Lego Development Office by Rosan-Bosch Floating Fountains by Isamu Noguchi Corner Bookshelf by Factor Architecture 36 Clipper Bay Home by FGR Architects Clifton House, South Africa by SAOTA Waccabuc House by Chan Li Lin Las Palmeras Beach House by Greg Wright Architects The Desert Villa by Studio Aiko Japanese Shell House by Kotaro Ide
Shipping Container Homes - Cargo Container Houses - The Daily Green Want your own container house? There's a six-month waiting list for the Quik House by architect Adam Kalkin, who is based in New Jersey. The distinctive Quik House comes in a prefabricated kit, based on recycled shipping containers (in fact a completed house is about 75% recycled materials by weight). The standard Quik House offers 2,000 square feet, three bedrooms and two and one-half baths, though larger options are also available. The shell assembles within just one day, and all the interior details can be finished within about three months. The Quik House comes in two colors (orange or natural rust bloom), and the estimated total cost, including shipping and assembly, is $184,000.
containerbay There is growing interest in the use of shipping containers as the basis for habitable structures. These "icons of globalization" are relatively inexpensive, structurally sound and in abundant supply. Although, in raw form, containers are dark windowless boxes (which might place them at odds with some of the tenets of modernist design...) they can be highly customizable modular elements of a larger structure. The projects below are sorted alphabetically (by company or designer's name). In addition to the container-based projects listed below we offer links to useful web sites and relevant books. Selected projects utilizing shipping containers. Info credits: Zack Smith, Kevin Tze King Ho. Back to top of page Useful linksIf you have any relevant links let us know Container Sources Shipping containers are widely available - here are just a few of the many sources: Technical Resources Books
Backpacks Infographic: How to Find the Right Backpack - REI Need a break from the daily multitasking merry-go-round? Trade in your digital devices for boots and backpacks—they're your ticket to off-the-grid adventures and the wonders of the backcountry! With the right pack and a little preparation, you can head out for a day hike or a through-hike and say "CUL8R" to the daily grind. Add this infographic to your website by copying the code below: <p><a href="