Buying forest land, implementing solar

swbluto · Mar 19, 2017

If there was a place to buy shipping containers, it would definitely be Houston. Plenty of cheap ones on ebay. The issue is transporting it and putting it into position, which are both costly.

Anyway, while the bugs are buggy, there are some interesting ones I've never seen before (Actually, a lot of them.). One in particular sits on the ground and it glows in the dark. There's tons of fireflies lighting up the sky all around the national forest (underbrush cleared and half the large trees taken down so easy to see a lot of them going off.), but I've never seen a ground-dwelling insect glow in the dark like that. Looks like a soft green glowing LED.

Ah, found out.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrophorus_(beetle)

swbluto · Mar 20, 2017

I'm thinking there might be some difficulty sealing the door in a traditional shed. It seems like traditional car doors seal the door just fine, but shed doors, no. So, yeah, will have to think about that, and hopefully find a solution fast.

Anyway, I'm finding the physical outdoor work day in this area 9 months of the year is from 7 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., lol. Past that, it just gets a little too warm/sunny to work. Working in the last hour or so of the sunlight might also be plausible, but early evening temps are usually pretty warm, so I don't know how that would work in the summer time.

I think once you start getting closer to the tropical zones, altitude becomes a real benefit. Bogota, the largest city in Columbia (Which pretty much is on the equator), is 2 miles high and it's a constant 69 degrees year round. Otherwise, it's 97 degrees year round (And 100% humidity) near the coastal areas, pretty much no one lives there, lol.

swbluto · Mar 21, 2017

Yesterday, I was seeing 1 ant every 2 hours last night, and many of the ants recently looked weak, as if from starvation. So, I was like, "Good enough, time to sleep in the RV" and so I did. Definitely a noticeable difference in the sleep quality vs. the air bed in the tent.

Think about 100 ants or so have been killed in this latest wave. I think they all marched aboard when I first got here and they bypassed my moats by climbing up a plastic bag that was resting against my RV for almost the entire night. :roll:

(Yep, so in addition to setting up the moats, I need to do a sweep of any objects/tree-branches/grass-blades touching the RV.)

And, this morning, finally got the red clay delivery. Yep, this stuff looks like it was taken directly from the ground (red/gray mixtures all clumped together; in the form of big rocks here and there.), and not filtered, broken apart and refined like the stuff you see at the soil/mulch yards. This appears like it'll be more challenging to use, as I'll need to break apart the big rocks, of which there are many and being clay, it doesn't just /break apart/ like rocks do. It's like it needs to be cut part. I guess that's part of why it was so much cheaper than the soil stores. Not the same animal.

Carved a path through the clay to get out, and then I went to go get tacos, went back to get an avocado and these guys were pulling in a flatbed trailer with a frontloader on it. I had to get out of my van and run to my property (About 300 feet away) to go get my avocado. Anyway, it looks like these guys are being employed by the old rich dude who has been "buying up" properties throughout the forest (He doesn't own all of them, more like 10-15% of them.) and they're clear-cutting them out. What a shame that it appears two being clear cut are directly in front of my property. But maybe it's not a bad deal, trees in the front would get more sun.

Anyway, with these guys working on this road, that does complicate the logistics a little since they're blocking the road. Will have to fully comprehend the implications here and think through my plans. (I think they decided to start working on the properties on this road after seeing my RV gone, hmm...)

Anyway, noticed "plantain chips" on the side of the road. Interestingly, plantains don't seem to have any sugars. Oh, interesting. I knew you had to boil them, but I didn't think they weren't sweet like bananas.

Anyway, that does make me wonder the functional difference between bananas and plantains. It would appear that bananas could more easily ferment bacteria than plantains, but what's the difference? Possibly not really significant. But, I don't really know. It's notable that the longest living cultures seem to subsist on plantains and not necessarily bananas. So, I don't really know the difference in the affect on bacteria between them, and it'd be curious to know.

It would seem to me that...

that the starch in plantains needs to be converted into glucose. The affect on bacteria populations will be how quickly it gets converted. What's a plantain's GI? Looks like 38. That compares favorably to a Banana's GI of 55.

With bananas, the sucrose itself isn't normally fermented by bacteria(*), but after its broken up into fructose/glucose by the digestive enzyme sucrase, it will. How much bacteria it ferments depends on the GI, which is 55.

[* Let's check that out. In particular, staph aureus. It appears according to https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9848447, sucrose has an inhibiting affect on staph aureus so the sucrose is not likely to contribute staph aureus growth, unlike fructose/glucose after it becomes converted by sucrase.]

Well, it appears that bananas and plantains are likely comparable in their affect on bacteria populations, with the biggest difference being their GI, and the GI varies wildly with the green-ness/ripeness of the banana/plantain.

Anyway, the ordinarily flavorless mexican taco tasted pretty darn good when I added fresh lime to it. Yeah, baby, that's what I'm talking about. It adds excellent flavor AND it kicks bacteria's butt. The best of all worlds.

Anyway, my wrists itch/burn and I looked it up and appears these things are scabies. Little mites planting eggs in my wrists. The solution is neemoil and turmeric, which are both really antibiotic. The implication is if I regularly washed my body, I wouldn't have these suckers in my wrists. Well, I guess I'll be washing my wrists more frequently. (I wash my hands pretty frequently, but not my wrists.)

I figured I should be returning the RV to the area this weekend and I'll get the bulk of the material loaded up onto my property tomorrow morning. It takes a huge amount of effort to move 12 yards of clay some 20-30 feet (About how far I need to move it.); I think I have some 20 tons of clay here or so. Or maybe 12. Well, it's still a lot to do by hand, lol.

I have done it before though. Moving 1 yard of clay (from the pond) about 200 feet. Pretty comparable energy requirements, I think. Except I spread that out over 3 days or so. I guess that's what will probably happen here.

swbluto · Mar 21, 2017

Well, I see a need for a legalized agricultural immigrant now. I think they already have them, something like H1C?

I was surprised to see that not one native was willing to apply for an agricultural position, but there were tons of immigrants willing to do it. [But, in thinking about the culture of the USA, it isn't /that/ surprising. And, it's not like it's 2010 anymore.] Well, then, I could definitely see a need for this in America. I'm not suggesting that we should just look over all the illegals, but that an adequate # of agricultural worker visas are in place to satisfy industry demand, so that hypothetically, there'd be no need for them to be illegal to work them crops.

swbluto · Mar 21, 2017

https://www.yahoo.com/news/healthiest-fast-food-desserts-order-171036480.html

Oh dear, it's calling these refined sugar and refined carb thingys "healthy" because they are low in calories. :shock:

While it's true limting calories will tend to limit refined-sugar/refined-carb loading, that doesn't make them healthy! They grow bacterial populations just as easily as larger portion sizes do, just the maximum bacteria population size is less. If you're eating other refined carbs like... hamburger buns, sugar filled ketchup, soda and french fries... yeah, adding insult to injury is definitely not "healthy" regardless of the size of the insult.

Anyway, I was thinking more about physical activity and it's relationship to health, and I thought walking is great and everything... but the body diverts bloodflow to those areas that need it, so walking would divert bloodflow to the legs and boost circulation in the legs. Which is great, because more circulation in the legs = less chance of a clot originating in the legs and travelling somewhere else in the body where it could cause problems... like, the brain, heart or lungs, all with their own unique medical terms. But I don't know if it's sufficient, because it ignores the other important extremities, the arms. I think ideally, you'd want greater circulation in all extremities, so likely a lifestyle that uses all extremities in a work-related way is likely optimal for maximizing overall circulation.

Think of the classical hunter... they walk/jog everywhere and they use their hands to throw the spear.
Or the classical farmer... transporting food/seeds back and forth where it is desired and using their hands in tilling the soil, planting seeds and picking crops.
Or the classical gatherer... walking vast distances to find berries/fruits/etc. and using their hands to climb trees and pick fruit (Once the low-hanging fruit has been picked, of course). Or using their hands to dig the soil and unearth root vegetables, like cassava and sweet potatos.
Or the classical fisher... walking to the lake/sea, rowing the boat, throwing the spear at the fish, etc., carrying the fish back from the lake/sea.

Pretty much all of the classical archetypes make use of their legs and arms in their everyday lives.

Anyway, just thought this was important because I was thinking about the "diseases of the wealthy". I thought maybe the oldschool european wealthy were diseased partially because of neglecting working with their arm and legs, unlike the farming peasants and other workers. And, this talk about arthersclerosis being common in ancient Egypt because of it being found in mummies... I just lol'd... because they were looking at Ancient Egypt's mummified royalty... they weren't looking at the average Egyptian who worked the wheat fields all day. [Granted, there's good speculation as to wheat's involvement in these diseases...via the CXCR3 receptor... but physical activity definitely has a very strong connection with vascular health.]

swbluto · Mar 21, 2017

Those microorganisms nearest the tooth surface typically obtain energy by fermenting dietary sucrose; it is during fermentation that they begin to produce acids.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dental_plaque#Components_of_plaque

And, maybe I was wrong. Given the known connection between the teeth and vascular health, it's quite possible that glucose polysaccharides (starches) are healthier than sucrose, so a plantain is naturally healthier than bananas as a subsistence food.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18402607

And this paper confirms that steptococcus mutans can utilize sucrose [unlike staph aureus]. But, it can't utilize starches.

And, this bacteria is known to create biofilms (On the teeth, it's called plaque and tartar), so it's plausible it might contribute to vascular biofilms known as arthersclerosis. Especially since the appearance of plaque and tartar is nearly identical to the appearance of arthersclerosis. (White/yellow appearance.)

So, yes, starchy foods are likely healthier than comparable sugary foods. I.e., plantains > bananas.

A simple post meal blood pressure test could easily test this theory out. I was feeling the jaw pain after eating two large ripe bananas today, but it went away after drinking cocoa. Suspect antibiotic action is why, but it's also plausible the vascular affect of cocoa might explain.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110627095650.htm

Established connection between streptoccocus mutans and the heart (In this paper, endocarditis, but it's not implausible it has other causal pathways to vascular/heart dysfunction. Usually a connection with an inflammatory heart disorder indicates a much broader role it plays in vascular/heart health.). Doctor advised limiting sugar intake. Seems wise.

So, starches > sucrose. I wouldn't be comparing potatos with bananas though, since they aren't similar enough to assume comparability. Bananas vs. plantains, however, is a fair comparison.

So, I likely had jaw pain from the excess sucrose intake from two large very ripe bananas. It would've been better had they been less ripe (less sucrose, more starch). I've had previous episodes from excess intake of very ripe bananas and thought maybe it was a fluke or something related to a blood sugar crash, but it appears its likely bacterial in causation.

In the case of pineapples, it's plausible that the antibacterial properties counteracts the sucrose content. Bananas have no known antibacterial properties. Their taste doesn't really have the tale tale signs of antimicrobial activity.

And, my favorite method for killing flying insects (mosquitos) hanging out on my wall is throwing something at it very fast. Seems to be unusually effective, whereas swatting them has a 20% chance of success. I'm thinking about making a beanbag gun for this specific purpose.

GOT HIM! The thing woke me up about 2 hours after falling asleep (buzzed in my ear)(1 a.m.), and still couldn't get back to sleep 3 hours later (it's now 4 a.m.), and the thing just flew right in front of me and I clapped him and he smeared all over my hand. Maybe that's why I couldn't get back to sleep; I had a mission I've yet to complete, lol. I tried finding him but he was pretty darn good at hiding. I need to paint all the wooden surfaces white to make bug searching more effective; they camouflage on wood pretty easily.

Anyway, this one is important because it woke me with a stretching chest sensation and simultaneous "feeling weird" feeling. Online, it seems this sometimes happens along with breathlessness (Probably in more severe cases). So, I was feeling a little paranoid this was going somewhere.

Anyway, I'm feeling a bit curious looking more into streptococcus mutans and his particular relationship to health.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3275337/

S. mutans genomic DNA was detected in the aorta, liver, spleen, and heart. Plaque growth was significantly increased in infected mice with BA (Sm+BA) vs. those in the non-infected groups (p < 0.03). Plaque size was increased after infection without BA (Sm), but did not reach significance. Aortic specimens from both S. mutans and Sm+BA groups displayed increased numbers of macrophages, and TLR4 expression was increased in BA mice. In conclusion, S. mutans infection accelerated plaque growth, macrophage invasion, and TLR4 expression after angioplasty. S. mutans may also be associated with atherosclerotic plaque growth in non-injured arteries.

It does appear to be a significant contributor to vascular health.

So, the known culprits are streptococcus mutans and staph aureus. There might be other contributors. These two are important to know, because staph aureus will grow off of galactose,fructose and glucose but not sucrose, while streptococcus mutans will grow off of sucrose directly in addition to producing acids from the simpler sugars(fructose, glucose and lactose) causing tooth decay. Essentially, starches are the only form of carbohydrates that won't directly grow streptococcus mutans and staph aureus, and I suspect low GI starches, in particular, doesn't convert quickly enough to glucose to contribute to streptococcus mutans while high GI starches, like refined flour products, might.

So, it appears subsisting off the low GI grains and vegetable starches is recommended for optimal health. "Low GI complex carbohydrates" in other words, which is what I've heard other sources recommend (They recommended avoiding the simple carbs and eating complex carbs. It appears that's because simple carbs will tend to contribute to strep mutans and most are used by staph aureus directly.)

And this site confirms it (Refined carb consumption and strep mutans connection):

Starchy, refined carbohydrates: Foods such as chips, bread, pasta or crackers can be as harmful to the teeth as candy. Starches made from white flour are simple carbohydrates and can linger in your mouth and then break down into simple sugars. Bacteria feed on these sugars and produce acid, which causes tooth decay.

(And this confirms that the corn taco shells are not likely all that ideal. I didn't think they were, but I didn't suspect this particular issue.I think the likely issue is that without being attached to fibers, like in high fiber vegetable starches, it can "linger". I know this phenomenon well, you pull the fibrous roots out of the ground and all the attached topsoil goes with it.)

swbluto · Mar 22, 2017

Okay, drove to the property and got the first part done. Getting the furthest sections of the driveway clayed up and tamped down. Now I just have to move some 9-10 tons of material about 10-15 feet on average, lol. It looks like it should be so simple with the proper equipment but I guess I just don't have that equipment. I was thinking all I needed to do was pushing the dirt starting from the top and move down layer by layer but my tools aren't really designed for pushing, lol. I think maybe I need to attach one of my treetrunks to a flat-board somehow. [I guess maybe I could look at the home depot handles and equipment... they might have something useful...]

Anyway, it appears that the guy bringing in the frontloader wasn't the rich dude, but the guy who was looking to sell the properties. He said he was going to clear out the underbrush and it looks like he got that one done. Not really sure what his plans for the other one are (The one right next to mine). Anyway, now that he's cleared that property, it does a seem a bit weird to just park on the side of the road right in front of it. Makes me wonder if that was his intention... or maybe he thought it had the best chance of pulling in some bucks on that property, by not being right next to my garbage collection. (I still need to find the dump; I promise I will make that a priority after I actually get on my property.) Maybe he still intends on clearing on the other property... they did just get that one done yesterday.

Anyway, if he does clear out the one right next to my mine, that does expose my left flank. I guess I'd be likely looking at installing a tall privacy fence along that side. Practically everybody (At least in the suburbs I've lived in) wants to keep their backyard private, and I'm no exception.

Anyway, the idea of someone being my neighbor two doors down... lol. I guess I will learn how to make my generator a little more suburb friendly. And I just hope whoever moves there isn't an unsavory type (Blasting off firearms, frequently broadcasting rap or mariachi music around the neighborthood, etc.). If they are blasting off firearms, I would be bringing that to the attention of the sheriff since it's against county law. These other guys I tolerate since they live some 1000-3000 feet from me... but not someone who's 75 feet from me...

I think maybe this guy is planning on building on this property... but he said he was looking to sell, so probably not. It just kind of made sense he was looking at living there since it's the property of his that's not right next to my property. But, maybe he plans on clearing the other one some other day.

And, I think I figured out why the ants were disproportionately seen in the front of the RV. They're climbing up my trailer jack. What the? That thing is submerged in water. I wonder if the design of the tupperware causes ants to "fall in" and then they have no choice but to find some surface to climb, so they swim and swim until they find my trailer jack. Wow, who thought anti-ant moat design would be so finicky. I guess maybe the container needs to have more side slope so they don't just "fall in". So I best be thinking of a good replacement. Man, and the tupperware just seemed like an easy way to make a moat.

Wow, 5 fire ants in the last hour spotted. Did these guys find a new route? I wouldn't think it'd be tricky finding all possible routes. Maybe the trailer jack was exceptionally easy to pass this morning and these guys are the remainder. I just filled it with more water and sprayed tons of orange soap in, so I would think there'd be less successful trespassers.

Now counting 7 that likely climbed up the front, probably trailer jack (Saw one ant right next to it). It looks like these guys have "loaded up" and I'm now seeing them one by one. It's like the nightmare just started all over again. :shock:

That's it, time to find a tent that will fit my full size bed. Boy, if only I knew this was going to be a chronic issue...

And, I need to create a 6x5 plywood from 4x8s or similar.

Let's see...

cut it down to 4x6; attach a 1x6 using several 2x4 runners underneath the plywood.

How would I create the 1x6?

create a 1x8 from the 4x8, and then chop it down to 1x6.

2x4 is the left over piece.

That leaves me with 2x 1x4.

chop one 1x4 into 1x2.

Looks like I could use one 4x8 to create a 6x5.

(4x8 -> 4x6 + 2x4 -> 4x6+1x4+1x4 -> 4x6+1x4+1x2 = 4x6+1x6 = 5x6

Now it's a question if I can get home depot to make these cuts for me... lol.)

Now the question is if it's be difficult to align all 3 pieces with 2x4 runners underneath...

Seems like this same principle could be used to easily create an 8x8 platform. No need for a "full pallet" to just get 2 4x8s aligned with each other. (However, a full pallet would likely have better flatness.)

Maybe a 4x6 will suffice, a little lip on the sides. I currently have a 4x5 on hand... I could probably just get that to work and have a little lip at the feet... So just need to pick up a larger tent.

And, boy, with how hard I worked and all the sweating I did, I'm finding myself easily consuming 4000mg of sodium - I could tell that my body was looking for salt and fat (Made sense) since I wasn't craving carbs, and I was really enjoying the salty foods, so that was it. I think I now understand the Kuna's 5000mg/day sodium consumption - they work hard and sweat it out all day, lol.

And as to the Kisbati(??) pacific islanders being "sedentary", I think I believe it, with their 2000mg/day sodium average. I don't think they're 'sedentary' in the sense they're sitting down all day, but sedentary in the sense they aren't "working hard" and sweating their balls off like the Kuna probably are. (The difference is that the Kuna live on tiny islands, so they need to fish and travel to the mainland for fruits/vegetables, while the Kisbati live on a 'big' island, so they can simply stay put and farm their root vegetables where they live. So, the Kuna likely have to work harder, being forced to row the boat everyday for sustenance.)

I think this saturday, I'm going to plant my RV in the side road "no one" goes down. Occasionally people do, but I'm just betting no one will in the 2-3 days after I get there. (And if they do, they won't call the cops on me. My neighbors have already called the cops on me, so they're not likely to do it again...)

I just need to get the clay in place, and then start rolling the RV into place using the boards.

It seems like the way I'm envisioning might be impractical but... let's hope not, lol. Let's hope i figure out an impromptu solution when needed.

Left my screen door open with the bag in the door to help seal it from flying critters (Usually keeps the bees out) but 4 night time flying critters were in here! 1 moth and 3 mosquitos! I got my toilet paper roll, found them and ... slammed the toilet paper roll on the ceiling/wall/wherever they were and *bam* dead. Wow, 100% success rate. I guess my speed is up there when I'm motivated, lol. (Kill all 4 in less than 15 seconds, lol, all over the RV.)

Now I just don't know about the mosquitos I can't see... waking me up in the middle of the night... grrr....

Same technique... 2 gnats... 100% success. Amazing. I'm like a /ninja/. I think hard work at the beginning of the day sets you up for the rest of the day.

Just got another one. Dang, I'm good.

My carb intake has been rather low today (I'd say likely 100grams at most) and my energy has been pretty darn high.

Well... I did eat a package of blueberries today... that might've helped somehow.

It's weird... 11 p.m., haven't seen an ant in a while (This is usually the busiest time for them). Thinking they were probably swimming across the moat and poisoning the moat did the trick.

Dauntless · Mar 22, 2017

swbluto said:
Just got another one. Dang, I'm good.

My carb intake has been rather low today (I'd say likely 100grams at most) and my energy has been pretty darn high.

I'm not so sure mosquitos are so low carb as you think they are.

As for these ants, maybe you just need the same sort of car I'm wanting.

DAND214 · Mar 22, 2017

swbluto said:
Okay, drove to the property and got the first part done. Getting the furthest sections of the driveway clayed up and tamped down. Now I just have to move some 9-10 tons of material about 10-15 feet on average, lol. It looks like it should be so simple with the proper equipment but I guess I just don't have that equipment. I was thinking all I needed to do was pushing the dirt starting from the top and move down layer by layer but my tools aren't really designed for pushing, lol. I think maybe I need to attach one of my treetrunks to a flat-board somehow. [I guess maybe I could look at the home depot handles and equipment... they might have something useful...]

Anyway, it appears that the guy bringing in the frontloader wasn't the rich dude, but the guy who was looking to sell the properties. He said he was going to clear out the underbrush and it looks like he got that one done. Not really sure what his plans for the other one are (The one right next to mine). Anyway, now that he's cleared that property, it does a seem a bit weird to just park on the side of the road right in front of it. Makes me wonder if that was his intention... or maybe he thought it had the best chance of pulling in some bucks on that property, by not being right next to my garbage collection. (I still need to find the dump; I promise I will make that a priority after I actually get on my property.) Maybe he still intends on clearing on the other property... they did just get that one done yesterday.

Anyway, if he does clear out the one right next to my mine, that does expose my left flank. I guess I'd be likely looking at installing a tall privacy fence along that side. Practically everybody (At least in the suburbs I've lived in) wants to keep their backyard private, and I'm no exception.

Anyway, the idea of someone being my neighbor two doors down... lol. I guess I will learn how to make my generator a little more suburb friendly. And I just hope whoever moves there isn't an unsavory type (Blasting off firearms, frequently broadcasting rap or mariachi music around the neighborthood, etc.). If they are blasting off firearms, I would be bringing that to the attention of the sheriff since it's against county law. These other guys I tolerate since they live some 1000-3000 feet from me... but not someone who's 75 feet from me...

I think maybe this guy is planning on building on this property... but he said he was looking to sell, so probably not. It just kind of made sense he was looking at living there since it's the property of his that's not right next to my property. But, maybe he plans on clearing the other one some other day.

And, I think I figured out why the ants were disproportionately seen in the front of the RV. They're climbing up my trailer jack. What the? That thing is submerged in water. I wonder if the design of the tupperware causes ants to "fall in" and then they have no choice but to find some surface to climb, so they swim and swim until they find my trailer jack. Wow, who thought anti-ant moat design would be so finicky. I guess maybe the container needs to have more side slope so they don't just "fall in". So I best be thinking of a good replacement. Man, and the tupperware just seemed like an easy way to make a moat.

Wow, 5 fire ants in the last hour spotted. Did these guys find a new route? I wouldn't think it'd be tricky finding all possible routes. Maybe the trailer jack was exceptionally easy to pass this morning and these guys are the remainder. I just filled it with more water and sprayed tons of orange soap in, so I would think there'd be less successful trespassers.

Now counting 7 that likely climbed up the front, probably trailer jack (Saw one ant right next to it). It looks like these guys have "loaded up" and I'm now seeing them one by one. It's like the nightmare just started all over again.

That's it, time to find a tent that will fit my full size bed. Boy, if only I knew this was going to be a chronic issue...

And, I need to create a 6x5 plywood from 4x8s or similar.

Let's see...

cut it down to 4x6; attach a 1x6 using several 2x4 runners underneath the plywood.

How would I create the 1x6?

create a 1x8 from the 4x8, and then chop it down to 1x6.

2x4 is the left over piece.

That leaves me with 2x 1x4.

chop one 1x4 into 1x2.

Looks like I could use one 4x8 to create a 6x5.

(4x8 -> 4x6 + 2x4 -> 4x6+1x4+1x4 -> 4x6+1x4+1x2 = 4x6+1x6 = 5x6

Now it's a question if I can get home depot to make these cuts for me... lol.)

Now the question is if it's be difficult to align all 3 pieces with 2x4 runners underneath...

Seems like this same principle could be used to easily create an 8x8 platform. No need for a "full pallet" to just get 2 4x8s aligned with each other. (However, a full pallet would likely have better flatness.)

Maybe a 4x6 will suffice, a little lip on the sides. I currently have a 4x5 on hand... I could probably just get that to work and have a little lip at the feet... So just need to pick up a larger tent.

And, boy, with how hard I worked and all the sweating I did, I'm finding myself easily consuming 4000mg of sodium - I could tell that my body was looking for salt and fat (Made sense) since I wasn't craving carbs, and I was really enjoying the salty foods, so that was it. I think I now understand the Kuna's 5000mg/day sodium consumption - they work hard and sweat it out all day, lol.

And as to the Kisbati(??) pacific islanders being "sedentary", I think I believe it, with their 2000mg/day sodium average. I don't think they're 'sedentary' in the sense they're sitting down all day, but sedentary in the sense they aren't "working hard" and sweating their balls off like the Kuna probably are. (The difference is that the Kuna live on tiny islands, so they need to fish and travel to the mainland for fruits/vegetables, while the Kisbati live on a 'big' island, so they can simply stay put and farm their root vegetables where they live. So, the Kuna likely have to work harder, being forced to row the boat everyday for sustenance.)

I think this saturday, I'm going to plant my RV in the side road "no one" goes down. Occasionally people do, but I'm just betting no one will in the 2-3 days after I get there. (And if they do, they won't call the cops on me. My neighbors have already called the cops on me, so they're not likely to do it again...)

I just need to get the clay in place, and then start rolling the RV into place using the boards.

It seems like the way I'm envisioning might be impractical but... let's hope not, lol. Let's hope i figure out an impromptu solution when needed.

Left my screen door open with the bag in the door to help seal it from flying critters (Usually keeps the bees out) but 4 night time flying critters were in here! 1 moth and 3 mosquitos! I got my toilet paper roll, found them and ... slammed the toilet paper roll on the ceiling/wall/wherever they were and *bam* dead. Wow, 100% success rate. I guess my speed is up there when I'm motivated, lol. (Kill all 4 in less than 15 seconds, lol, all over the RV.)

Now I just don't know about the mosquitos I can't see... waking me up in the middle of the night... grrr....

Same technique... 2 gnats... 100% success. Amazing. I'm like a /ninja/. I think hard work at the beginning of the day sets you up for the rest of the day.

Just got another one. Dang, I'm good.

My carb intake has been rather low today (I'd say likely 100grams at most) and my energy has been pretty darn high.

Well... I did eat a package of blueberries today... that might've helped somehow.

It's weird... 11 p.m., haven't seen an ant in a while (This is usually the busiest time for them). Thinking they were probably swimming across the moat and poisoning the moat did the trick.

here is all you need http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ortho-Ho...133872?keyword=ORTHO+INDOOR+OUTDOOR+ANT+SPRAY I had a whole army of ants. I used that for a couple weeks and all gone,
Might be a dumb question but, why not ask your neighbor to use the front loader to move all that clay. What can he say, yes or no, Maybe even help you as being a newbie to the area. Or are you afraid of him too?

Dan

swbluto · Mar 23, 2017

DAND214 said:
I had a whole army of ants. I used that for a couple weeks and all gone,
Might be a dumb question but, why not ask your neighbor to use the front loader to move all that clay. What can he say, yes or no, Maybe even help you as being a newbie to the area. Or are you afraid of him too?

Dan

I'm finding the moats work fine, but they need to be poisoned. It seems that these particular fireants just swim right across it if they aren't. I haven't seen a fireant since 9 p.m. last night ever since I poisoned it around 4-5 p.m.

On the issue of moats, seems like I'm running into a water supply issue. My pond seems to be drying up, lol. Wow, so this is a definite indicator I'll need water barrels for this area, to supply water for my moats and the garden. It hasn't really rained in the last 10 days or so (At least not hard), so it appears things are getting dry fast. (The moats dry up pretty quickly here recently, last about a day or two before needing refilling.)

Anyway, as to my neighbor, I was pretty much gone by the time they came with the frontloader. I only noticed them unloading the frontloader when going back to grab avocados, so I pretty much clocked out by the time they were getting it deployed. But, yeah, looking back... a frontloader would've really helped, lol.

And, my neighbor wasn't actually there. It was a bunch of illegals he hired.

nicobie · Mar 23, 2017

How do you know they were illegal? Did they have tattoos on their forehead saying "illegal" or did your racist attitudes kick in again?

swbluto · Mar 23, 2017

nicobie said:
How do you know they were illegal? Did they have tattoos on their forehead saying "illegal" or did your racist attitudes kick in again?

Well, when I thought they were workers of the rich dude, I know because they don't speak English. But, this guy, I don't know. Could be his family, possibly legal family. He wasn't there, though, so I'm guessing a local company. A company made of 100% mexicans doing yard work is pretty stereotypical kind of work for illegals in Houston. And, illegals are definitely widespread in Houston, they aren't exactly hiding. Go to some random fastfood restaurants, and when the cashier is going to the bathroom (At least you're assuming that...), you'll keenly notice how none of them speak english because they can't understand a word of English being spoken to them. Thus, you can't order. White people in Houston don't really do yard work like they do in Spokane.

Houston is one of the first destinations for illegals because it's the cheapest city to live in, has one of the most robust economies, and probably most importantly, it's the cheapest to get a flight to from Mexico.

Anyway, I saw that an article mentioned that illegals are being blamed for the poorer economics of modern white people in America. Eh, that's a contributing factor for a certain segment of the population, but I don't really think that's /the reason/. I really think it has a lot to do with Asia, specifically China. Dirt cheap labor and real estate = pretty huge competitive advantage. But, in a declining economy, illegals taking up jobs that would otherwise go to these disparate unemployed whites is certainly not harmless. But, the kind of positions they are taking up I don't think would really provide the kind of income previous generations enjoyed, so I don't think it'd really matter (Working class whites would still be disappointed at their declining wealth), but it's definitely better than being carless and not feeding yourself.

swbluto · Mar 23, 2017

And the mosquitos seem to be out anywhere until upto 10-11 a.m., and after 7:30 p.m.; It seems that they just don't like the sunlight. In the forest, where there's little light, it seems like the bloodsuckers are active until 12 p.m. or so.

Apparently the local native Americans rubbed alligator fat on their skin to ward off the mosquitos.

swbluto · Mar 24, 2017

I think I'm going to start subsisting off of peas. They seem to be identical to spinach in their mineral/vitamin content though they don't have the nitrates that green leafy veggies do (I still eat that anyways), and they come with low GI carbs/starches as well. Seems like peas have almost everything. They even have protein which seems to be widely marketed/used in industry. It's only advised they be consumed with a fat(ldeally antibiotic), enough salt and a high vitamin C food for maximum absorption and antibiotic properties. Fresh peas have vitamin C naturally, but I'm using dried peas, so I'll need to supplement with like limes. I still don't know about the fat; the best I have now is avocados. The fats I'd prefer, like cheese, I can't really store (Melts in this weather). I don't really know how fruit/vegetable fat compares to animal fat. It'd seem like animal fat would be more directly usable by the body since it's probably more similar to human fat, but I haven't really researched it. And, I'm not really sure how nut fat compares to both of those. It doesn't seem to be the "same animal". I guess I could use coconut meat, but I'd really want to shred it and I don't have the equipment.

According to http://hightimes.com/edibles/which-fat-absorbs-thc-best/, avocado and coconut fat seems to be comparable to bacon fat for THC absorption. I'm not sure if that applies to intestinal absorption (Doesn't seem comparable), but avocado and coconuts probably make good fat for nutrient absorption. The healthiest cultures consume coconuts, so this implication seems likely true.

Still don't have info on nut fat.

This article, http://www.drmirkin.com/weekly-ezine-page/why-nuts-wont-make-you-fat.html, suggests nut fat is poorly absorbed. Seems probably true, I definitely haven't gotten fat off of eating nuts and I've been eating a lot of them recently. If the fat is poorly absorbed, what about the nutrients in the nut? Like, phosphate, magnesium, potassium, etc. - it's quite possible that while the nut fat itself is poorly absorbed, it enhances the absorption of the minerals contained in the nut. And, this might be true of other fats.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3341259 - This article suggests simultaneous vitamin C consumption is necessary to block the mineral inhibiting affects of nuts. So, the minerals in nuts are absorbed, but must be consumed with vitamin C foods or otherwise they will block absorption of minerals in other foods as well as their own minerals. According to this article, coconuts do not have this issue - the minerals in coconuts are well absorbed regardless of vitamin C consumption (Coconuts contain a little bit of vitamin C already.). So, nuts provide nutrients IF consumed with vitamin C foods. Otherwise, they will inhibit not only their own nutrients, but also nutrients from other foods. Vitamin C comes from, largely, fresh fruits and vegetables. The juicy tropical fruits, like limes, oranges, grapefruits, limes, watermelons and pineapples, seem to have lots of Vitamin C. Less tropical juicy fruits seem to have above average amounts of vitamin C (apples), but 1/3rd as much as tropical fruits. [This might explain why apples seem to pare well with nuts.]

So, coconut and avocado fats are better for nutrient absorption than nut fat. You don't risk inhibiting nutrients with coconuts and avocados like you do with nuts.

This suggests that nuts should ideally be rarely consumed alone. And, they should be pared with certain foods.

This is good information to have because... oddly enough... it seemed like excessive nut consumption was causing issues at times, though I didn't understand how. This might help explain it. (too much nuts -> blocked nutrient absorption)

So, to recap:

-Don't eat nuts alone
-Eat nuts only with certain foods
-Never eat excessive amounts of nuts; excessive nut consumption should be pared with excessive vitamin C consumption (i.e., pineapples, lol).

This does explain why some people recommend never eating more than a handful of nuts. They never tell you why, casting doubts on if they understand why and thus whether it's true, but now I know. Excessive phytate consumption leading to blocked nutrient absorption, essentially. Some person was wrongly blaming some kind of fatty acid for avoiding nuts.

swbluto · Mar 24, 2017

In other news, it's becoming easy to tell which moat has been comprimsed. on the left wall -> left wheel; on the front wall -> trailer jack; Seems to be all over the RV -> right wheel. Just had an invasion all over, and I noticed their was a piece of bark laying in my right moat creating a bridge for the ants. It seems the easterly wind has been blowing a ton of crap in my right moat. I don't really get these winds in my neighborhood due to the largely intact forest, so I don't have to maintain them as much. That might change as the area develops (And it seems like there's been an unusual amount of development on my particular street recently.), but I'm going to be keeping the trees on my property in the front intact, and assuming the entire forest around me was taken down (Unlikely), strong winds should be rare.

I'm actually starting to wonder if they didn't develop the other property next to mine because the ditch would've got the frontloader stuck, lol. Yeah, I don't know.

And, seems like I was having a cardiac issue recently (left hand constant tingling, fatigue), but my ECG has been looking peachy, so I don't want to jump to conclusions. It did seem like running resolved the issue, at least temporarily. Left neck is another possibility, maybe elbow or wrist. I had a simultaneous pain in my left palm of my left hand and a noticeable internal chest pain earlier (Definitely not costocondritis), so that's part of why I suspected something. I have been eating a lot of bananas recently since I've been too lazy to cook (Well, actually, I was gone way too long yesterday so bananas were the most convenient food.), but I'm cooking peas now and I plan to tonight. Think I'll add salt, garlic and complement with avocado and a lime.

One of the promising recent developments is that a major grocery store is developing within 12 miles of my property. That's actually pretty darn cool, because the nearest major one besides Walmart Supercenter is 25 miles away. So, yes, I could probably significantly cut the foodbill. Of course, how Kroger's compares to HEB is an open question - HEB is an undisputed leader in dirt cheap food prices, especially namebrands. And, they have variety, unlike Walmart. (Try finding organic apples at walmart, lol. )

And, boy, those peas were GOOD. Yeah, I'm having that more often, lol.

It's interesting how I could only find Holly Nog at Arlan's market. I haven't seen it at any other grocery store, yet.

And, boy, that's what I needed to perk me up. A watermelon, lol. I think 1/2 cup of dried peas would be a more appropriate serving of carbs for lunch, I think that's pretty comparable to 1/2 cup rice. I guess the carb density between rice and peas are similar as they're fundamentally the same, with the exception of peas having way more nutrients/minerals than white rice.

I've heard this area is ideal for watermelons. I think I'll try cultivating them.

And tomorrow, I'm moving back to the area and hopefully should be able to complete the driveway within a couple days after. Maybe a week, given some rest days. I'm hoping that there's a low chance of neighbors calling the cops on me; that's really the biggest threat when it comes to facing cops. If that one particular cop came into contact with me again, it's possible he'd give me a citation as he already gave me a warning.

It appears I have more than enough material to get the driveway done to my specs, and even more than that, so I'm not really concerned about a supply shortage. I really just need to push it in the ditch.

There just has to be some off the shelf solution to creating this "dirt pushing" hand tool.

Well, by golly, maybe all I'm looking for is a snow shovel, lol.

Except, one that's a bit sturdier for the dirt.

swbluto · Mar 24, 2017

Oh jeez, tornado watch. I was just /betting/ there wasn't going to be one of those this week, lol. Okay, well, I said I was taking the risk and here I am taking it. Now let's try to figure out the best tornado shelter in this area just in case my cellie starts blaring, lol.

Well, checked my FEMA app and there was 2 tornado warnings issued for this county I'm in. Oh jeez, time to find the nearest "safe place" fast. And the safest place appeared to be the concrete bathroom, lol. The walls weren't incredibly thick for concrete, but it offered some level of protection. Anyway, the tornado warnings expired for this particular county about 25 minutes later, so I headed back to my RV. The bathroom is a 1 minute run from here, so I just need to be quick if a warning is issued. My internet phone didn't get any "EAS" messages, but my large phone did (Made the ALARM sound you typically hear on public TV with the multi-color bars.), but it was't for the tornado warnings - just a general "severe weather system" alert. I only saw the two tornado warnings by looking at my FEMA app. Jeez, I wonder if that means this "Emergency alert system" is not exactly as robust as I was hoping it would be, lol.

Anyway, after eating the entire watermelon, I was getting that random spontaneous anxiety thing going (Not triggered by any known thought), and I checked my EKG and saw my R-wave being pretty variable. Don't know why it was being so variable, it was not variable this morning. General anxiety is a good suspicion, because it had a periodic pattern and the period seemed to match the "nervous" behavior in a past dog my family had, and I suspect maybe that acid reflux from eating an entire watermelon might have been triggering anxiety. Anyway, it's a suspicion... maybe I just had too much sugar. Drinking the apple cider vinegar did not improve the EKG trace, so I assumed it was likely not bacteria causing EKG issues. Maybe it was either 1) Excessive blood sugar levels or 2) Anxiety from other sources (Like acid reflux).

I noticed running seemed to provoke further issues, like a short sensation of chest fullness and a feeling of shortness of breath, but maybe that was just GERD from running within 20 minutes of having eaten an entire watermelon. It does seem like Acid Reflux can make me feel like I can't catch my breath when it flares, seems like it clogs my throat, which inhibits breathing, which would likely cause anxiety. Or maybe it was a logical consequence of anxiety, since running likely boosted vasoconstriction above and beyond what cortisol levels were already present due to anxiety.

Anyway, need to keep an eye on my FEMA app, lol.

And, I have my fan in the window and am running it at high. I'm trying to cool down this RV for the night; the warmth in the RV the last two nights was unenjoyable. I really do like the cooler nightime temperatures for sleeping in this area (They're typically around 60-70 degrees right now). I didn't say the same back in Spokane! lol (The whole focus back there was trying to keep yourself warm enough to prevent freezing at night and getting awoken by cold feet)

Wow, looks like the particular area my property is in just got a tornado warning issued. :shock:

Maybe it's a good thing I'm up here in the National Forest, lol.

http://www.diabeticconnect.com/diabetes-discussions/general/11410-what-fruits-do-you-find-to-raise-your-blood-sugar

According to this thread, watermelon would cause blood sugar to skyrocket in diabetics. So, an entire watermelon would probably do it even more, lol. Okay, well, I guess maybe..... I had excessive blood sugar levels inducing symptoms... but I dunno... the watermelon just tasted so good, lol. These guys are also advising bananas cause BS to skyrocket in these peeps.

Well, started getting a little hungry, about 10 minutes later, started getting those spontaneous chest "rush" sensations and took a look at my EKG and my standing heart rate was at 52. That's quite low! Wow, suggests that the melon possibly caused hypoglycemia, assuming it's not something more serious. Had half a pineapple, HR is back up there. So, eating an entire watermelon is ill advised for someone like me, lol. Presumably causes a blood sugar spike and crash. Might have to space it out throughout the day. (To be fair, I did just do a half mile dash earlier tonight... right now the stars are out and there's flashes at the edges of the sky from lightning in the distance. No immediate tornado or storm threats now. And now my standing HR is at 72, a bit more normal. Yep, that watermelon (and possibly running) caused hypoglycemia about 4 hours later.

DAND214 · Mar 24, 2017

I don't know Bluto, as sick as you make to be I think you should move. Right next door to a trauma center. Make sure there is a shrink of duty 24/7 so they can help you. It has to be the problem or you would of had you Forest Paradise that doesn't exists done by now. All I read is what food is good or bad, what is making me sick, check my EKG. blood pressure, This hurts that hurts all from what you ate? Other choice is to have a live in nurse.

Dan

Dauntless · Mar 24, 2017

swbluto said:
Still don't have info on nut fat.

Read up on elephants.

swbluto said:
-Don't eat nuts alone

Don't drink alone either. Amazing how bars and nuts work so well together.

swbluto said:
-Eat nuts only with certain foods

Especially not with legumes, you never know whose cousin you're chewing in front of them.

swbluto said:
-Never eat excessive amounts of nuts;

Most people do feel that excess works best in moderation.

But you know what bothers me more than nuts? PARANOIDS! Oh, freaky just thinking about it.

DAND214 said:
I don't know Bluto, as sick as you make to be I think you should move.

Moving around is gonna make him throw up.

swbluto · Mar 24, 2017

I think the issue was that I was trying to subsist off of watermelons like I would pineapples, but it turns out the blood sugar curve peaks higher and crashes faster and more severely, and I was feeling the affects of that since yesterday. I ate the last watermelon today (I had two), so that's over with. Learning how foods affect me is a learning curve, and it seems eating entire watermelons isn't a wise idea, lol.

I should've known that one slice was enough when my energy returned after consuming one slice. That should've been a warning that eating the entire thing would lead to bad things, lol.

swbluto · Mar 24, 2017

Dauntless said:
swbluto said:

Still don't have info on nut fat.

Click to expand...

Read up on elephants.

swbluto said:

-Don't eat nuts alone

Click to expand...

Don't drink alone either. Amazing how bars and nuts work so well together.

This is curious. I do notice that the flavor of nuts is enhanced with water; beer might have a similar relationship. I suppose some property of the beer(Acidity? That's all vitamin C is, acid. Absorbic acid.) might help dissolve the phytates and promote mineral absorption from the nuts. Speculation.

http://www.philly.com/philly/food/20130425_The_science_behind_beer_nuts.html

Ah, they mention tannic acid. Tannic acid might dissolve the phytates.

swbluto · Mar 24, 2017

And hotdogs, I just killed a mosquito. This 'shove the roll of toilet paper into them at the speed of ligthning' is a way more reliable method than swatting them. With my speed anyway, they never even take off before they get their innards smeared across the wall. (And, I did not see smeared blood, so good sign he didn't suck me tonight.)

swbluto · Mar 24, 2017

12:18a.m., not sleepy.

This is a little unusual.

Happening on the heels of today, it's possibly concerning.

Then again, maybe...this...that... thunderstorm...etc.

Dauntless · Mar 24, 2017

swbluto said:
And hotdogs, I just killed a mosquito. This 'shove the roll of toilet paper into them at the speed of ligthning' is a way more reliable method than swatting them.

And what do you do with this roll of toilet paper after you've swatted a mosquito or two with it? Has it other uses?

swbluto · Mar 25, 2017

I just keep it around for the next flying critter. Once it enters service, of the TP variety, the affected papers would be discarded. Or, depending on the urgency and carelessness, maybe forgotten.

And, wow, fascinating information at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antinutrient .

Amylase inhibitors prevent the action of enzymes that break the glycosidic bonds of starches and other complex carbohydrates, preventing the release of simple sugars and absorption by the body. Amylase inhibitors, like lipase inhibitors, have been used as a diet aid and obesity treatment. Amylase inhibitors are present in many types of beans; commercially available amylase inhibitors are extracted from white kidney beans.[4]

Assuming this stays intact after cooking, it appears beans would inhibit the conversion of, say, rice starches into glucose. That might partially explain why rice & beans are a popular dish.

And according to this article, roasting nuts might reduce the phytic acid.

https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/vegetarianism-and-plant-foods/living-with-phytic-acid/

Roasting wheat, barley or green gram reduces phytic acid by about 40 percent.

Not really a huge reduction, but helps. I would think with his avid advocating of soaking for 18 hours, that boiling nuts would be a sure thing, which is one of the cooking methods I see advertised on raw nuts. His suggestion to soak nuts for 18 hours might be equivalent to boiling nuts for 30 minutes, since the reaction rate doubles for every 10 degrees celsius. 70 degree room temperaure, 210 boil, 130 degrees= 55 degrees celsius. Relative reaction rate = 2^(55/10) = 45.2x

So boiling for 30 minutes is likely equivalent to soaking for 30*45 = 1350 minutes = 22 hours.
And just about all historical cultures boiled their foods, whether it be rice, vegetables, cocoa, whatever.

Makes me wonder if those cultures that subsisted off of nuts boiled them...

And, also interesting according to the antinutrient article, oxalate binds to calcium eliminating its absorption by the body. Isn't that interesting? Calcium is notably absent in almost all the natural foods suggesting high intakes of it isn't entirely natural, and the calcium present in spinach is poorly absorbed due to the oxalates. So high intakes of calcium might be harmful [I certainly know it is when taken in supplement form]; I've heard if you want to preserve bones, you should consume vitamin K, which is rich in spinach and other greens. It's interesting that spinach prevents the absorption of a mineral that might hurt bone health, while providing a vitamin that would help it; it's like it's designed by nature to help us out.

Boiled peanuts are popular in some places where peanuts are common

Seems to be a sure thing. I found another study suggesting that most health benefits come from boiled nuts, but the explanation didn't make a lot of sense (Fox news article).

marty · Mar 25, 2017

swbluto said:
x
Now I just have to move some 9-10 tons of material about 10-15 feet on average, lol. It looks like it should be so simple with the proper equipment but I guess I just don't have that equipment.
x

Throw the soil using a tool like the one shown in the picture.

Buying forest land, implementing solar

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