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Burningbird

The Frugal Algorithm

My WordPress site has now gone live: The Frugal Algorithm. In the opener I wrote

We are too often seen as consumers in a disposable society, whose primary interest is what new toy to buy, and how much garbage we generate. When faced with difficult times, we buckle down reluctantly, anxiously waiting when the times are better and we can return to a time of “prosperity”, prosperity in this context meaning buying more stuff. Our societies are based on the concept that worth is measured in goods, and the ultimate health of the collective is based in gross national product and balance of trade. We work to buy, and we buy to work.

But what if we broke the cycle?

Other writings:

As stated, The Frugal Algorithm is based in WordPress, while my other sites stay at Drupal. The theme at Frugal City is a modification of the WordPress theme, Barecity, which I thought was an appropriately named theme. It’s minimalist, much more so than my other sites. Again, though, a minimalist design fits the site concept.

I did have to modify the theme to make it XHTML compliant, and WordPress isn’t as XHTML friendly as Drupal, but the differences just keep me on my toes.

The site is actually more of a celebration of the times, then not. I’m not downplaying the unemployment and the real fiscal worries we all have—heck, I’m teetering at the edge of the abyss myself. But in my readings about the Great Depression, one thing I noticed is that the people during the 1930s seemed to be more capable of directly facing the troubled times. Today, we’re more likely to put our hands over our ears and hum “LaLaLaLa!”. We tell ourselves and each other that we’re trying to maintain a positive attitude but what we’re really doing is denying reality, and in doing so, denying others their reality. Life is just a bowl of cherries.

Not long ago, some happy soul pontificated that the only reason people don’t have jobs is that they weren’t really trying. Not really trying…Last week, a company was looking for 100 new employees in the St. Louis area, and held a job fair. Over 3,000 people showed up at the fair. This is addition to a couple of thousand other applications given online. It worked out to 50 people applying for each open position.

Facing up to the times means being aware that other people may be struggling. It means learning how to manage when you’re struggling, yourself, or how to live so you don’t get to the point where you’re struggling.

The Frugal Algorithm isn’t a doom and gloom site, but it’s not a haven for the Shiny, Happy People, either. It’s a way for me to work through my fears, and maybe help others do the same. More importantly, the site’s focus is on recognizing that a person’s value is not based on the toys they own or the money they make; to find something real, inside.

Categories
Money

Do not toss that Netflix wrapper

Recovered from the Wayback Machine.

I enjoy Origami, the art of Japanese paper folding. I originally started practicing Origami as a way of enhancing my skills when working with paper. A favorite hobby of mine is bookbinding, but the materials, such as handmade papers, can be quite expensive. Origami helped me to get a “feel” for working with paper. Over time, though, I began to enjoy Origami for its own sake.

There’s something very soothing about the tactile feel of the paper, and following the steps in a diagram. Origami is also an inexpensive hobby, even if you’re using traditional Japanese Origami papers. And if you muck up, the result is recyclable.

There’s no cost to trying your hand at Origami if you’re a Netflix subscriber. The Origami Netflix web site provides detailed Origami diagrams that are tailored to the shape and size of the wrapper that gets torn off from the Netflix DVD envelope. I took at shot at the glider, which made it all the way through my living room and into the dining room, before coming to a sudden stop against Zoë, my cat.

I also made a Netflix Origami shirt, though I have to be more careful how I tear the sheet loose, as you can tell from my snapshot of my effort. Still, the tear does add a grunge feel to the work.

Netflix Origami shirt

Categories
Money

Making do is making green

Recovered from the Wayback Machine.

I’ve been experimenting with a few simple household items in order to replace more expensive bath and kitchen items. For instance, distilled white vinegar in a shallow dish will dissipate over a couple of days and help eliminate persistent, bad or stale odors in a room. Baking soda sprinkled on a carpet and allowed to sit overnight before vacuuming will do the same for a carpet. Best of all, there’s no fake, cloying, floral scent left over.

I’ve also been experimenting with replacing more complex products, such as dishwasher soap. One popular formula mixes equal parts of baking soda and Borax (such as Twenty Mule Team Borax), though I’ve been having better luck with a recipe consisting of washing soda, Borax, and sugar free lemonade Koolaid (citric acid helps to prevent white deposits on dishes), based on a recipe found at The New Homemaker. My main modification is that I don’t add the essential oils.

The primary advantage to these home mixes is that they’re typically cheaper, but a secondary advantage is that most of the alternatives are also much better for the environment. They don’t contain bleach and potentially other, harmful chemicals, and though something like Borax is toxic if ingested, most cleaning material is toxic when ingested. What happens to the material when it hits your sewer system and your water supply is what makes the difference.

As I find recipes that work, I’ll post them online. In the meantime, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has posted a list of unusual uses for ordinary objects you might find both interesting and helpful. For instance, to remove the chlorine discoloration from hair, dissolve eight aspirin in a glass of water, work into your hair, leave on for ten minutes, and then rinse. Much cheaper than exotic shampoos, and better than turning your silver hair blue.

(Note, the P-D does have a habit of changing URLs over time, so you might want to print the page.)

Categories
HTML5

HTML4 is to markup

In an interview at WebScienceMan titled, XHTML Users: Grow up!, the interviewee, Sitepoint’s Tommy Olsson answers a question as to whether he likes XHTML with, Grow up! 🙂 Seriously, XHTML is long dead, due to a decade of horrible abuse. Not even the bleached bones remain..

Mr. Olsson believes that we should be using HTML 4, strict HTML 4, because HTML5 is still a bit of whimsy, and XHTML is a pile of dead bones. As I wrote in comments, HTML 4 is to markup, like 8-track is to music.

8-track cartridge