What is the role of the U.S. in the disposition of the world's economic and environmental resources? How are financial markets best defended from economic shock? Does liberalization ensure prosperity? Journalist Naomi Klein speaks with economists Joseph Stiglitz and Hernando de Soto in a conversation moderated by David Harvey, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology at the Graduate Center - City University of New York (CUNY)
Apr 9, 2011
Naomi Klein and Joseph Stiglitz on Economic Power
What is the role of the U.S. in the disposition of the world's economic and environmental resources? How are financial markets best defended from economic shock? Does liberalization ensure prosperity? Journalist Naomi Klein speaks with economists Joseph Stiglitz and Hernando de Soto in a conversation moderated by David Harvey, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology at the Graduate Center - City University of New York (CUNY)
Apr 8, 2011
Corporate Tax Cheats Are Bankrupting America
"So called conservatives" in Congress are threatening to shut down the entire government in order to scare America into accepting drastic cuts to public spending on things like health care, nutrition programs and education -- programs middle class American families rely on to make ends meet.
They claim these cuts are needed to fix the deficit, but working Americans didn't cause the deficit -- corporate tax loopholes and tax breaks for millionaires did. "So called conservatives" are telling us to cut back but not demanding a single dime from corporate America or the wealthy.
Livestock back on Hines Farm!
Too early to tell sex. They say females "quack" and males "hiss" :-). When older, males have a curled feather on its tail. Rouen Duck - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hopefully in 12-15 weeks they will look like this!
Amazon Cloud Drive - 5GB of Online Free Storage
Amazon surprised the tech world by announcing Cloud Drive and Cloud Player services for streaming music to various platforms. Amazon has stolen a march on Apple after we heard the other day that Apple was supposedly planning to launch a similar service very soon.
The Amazon service will allow you to upload your existing music collection, as well as tracks purchased through Apple’s iTunes or any other medium to the “Cloud Locker.” All Amazon account holders will automatically be given 5GB of online storage for anything. This can be increased to 20GB either by paying for more storage or buying an MP3 album from Amazon. Music purchased through Amazon will be automatically added to the Cloud Locker and will not count towards your storage quota. Music can be stored as either MP3 or AAC and in its original bitrate; so there will be no loss in quality. The service also allows you to store other media such as photographs, videos and documents.
The Cloud Player, the playback part of the service, is available either through a desktop web browser such as Safari, Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer, or as part of the Amazon MP3 application on Android phones.
Amazon Cloud Drive seems to be accessible internationally while Cloud Player is currently blocked outside the US. (This is likely due to licensing issues and may take a long time to resolve — they’ve barely expanded Amazon MP3 in the last 3 years.)
Amazon does not appear to be allowing access through iPhone, iPod touch or iPad Safari at the moment either. (Some readers are saying you can hit the download link to stream the music via Safari’s built-in QuickTime X player, just like any MP3 link but we can’t confirm that yet — let us know in comments!). Whether Amazon chooses to properly open up access to Mobile Safari, or whether they’ll try to include Cloud Player into an iOS app is unknown. Even if Amazon makes an app, would Apple allow it into the App Store or would it be seen as a direct competitor to iTunes?
What do you think of the Amazon Cloud Locker? Do you think Apple will announce a service as flexible as this? Let us know in the comments!
"Real Food" - Robyn O'Brien 2011
Robyn shares her personal story and how it inspired her current path as a "Real Food" evangelist. Grounded in a successful Wall Street career that was more interested in food as good business than good-for-you, this mother of four was shaken awake by the dangerous allergic reaction of one of her children to a "typical" breakfast. Her mission to unearth the cause revealed more about the food industry than she could stomach, and impelled her to share her findings with others. Informative and inspiring. About this speaker Robyn authored "The Unhealthy Truth: How Our Food Is Making Us Sick and What We Can Do About It." A former Wall Street food industry analyst, Robyn brings insight, compassion and detailed analysis to her research into the impact that the global food system is having on the health of our children. She founded allergykidsfoundation.org and was named by Forbes as one of "20 Inspiring Women to Follow on Twitter." The New York Times has passionately described her as "Food's Erin Brockovich." http://allergykidsfoundation.org http://twitter.com/unhealthytruth Before we released our speaker's names, we featured a series of Speaker Teasers. Here, Robyn's: Real food, is that too much to ask; Big industry, I take to task; It's time that we reclaim our plates; from food forced into altered states.
Great presentation on something that affects us, our families, our future, ... must see and hear! ... Monte
Great presentation on something that affects us, our families, our future, ... must see and hear! ... Monte
Apr 7, 2011
Black Locust, permaculture food forest tree
Alexandra King of Inspiration Farm (http://www.inspirationfarm.com) in Bellinghmam, Washington talks a little about how black locust is great fodder, although sheep might like it so much it can make them sick.
The sheep thought the black locust was the best tasting things in a brand new paddock.
Robinia pseudoacacia.
Brian Kerkvliet, also of Inspiration Farm, talks about other valuable aspects of black locust: fiber, fence posts, tool handles, nitrogen fixer, coppicing, shoots, pole construction, skids for an animal shelter, bee fodder (some of the very best honey) - a long blooming period, leafs out late, allowing the soil to warm before the tree shade kicks in, chicken food ...
Brian then shows off some tool handles he made with black locust. He talks about how easy it is to peel. He also shows using the bark for a basket. he talks about using it for a scythe snath. He compares black locust to hickory. He shows off some hay rakes.
When used as a handle, it is springier than other woods.
If the wood is left out in the weather, it won't rot.
Brian recommends black locust for rakes, shovels, hoes and many other tools.
Black locust has a large root mass which makes it so it can grow very rapidly.
Black locust lasts a really long time even when in direct contact with the soil.
Brian shows a black locust seedling that was devoured by sheep and ... recovering.
Mark Vander Meer of Wildland Conservation Services (http://www.vanwild.com) in Missoula, Montana, talks about the value of black locust. "One of the most under appreciated trees". Mark would like to see more of these in Missoula.
Mark talks about how rot resistant black locust is.
When sawing it on a sawmill, be sure to saw it green - not when it is dry. It gets really hard when it is dry. Black Locust is "one of the hardest and toughest woods around. They say it is stronger than hickory."
It's a nitrogen fixer. It grows great on poor soils and better on better soils.
Black locust grows really fast. Short pods. Thorns. Deeply furrowed bark.
Black locust is the best wood for outdoor furniture.
Best to work with black locust when it is half dried. When it is green, it will still shrink a bit. When it is fully dry, it is too hard to work.
Black locust is one of the best firewoods. When dry it burns clean and hot.
music by Jimmy Pardo
John Ikerd: Dwindling Energy Resources Will Put The Economy at Risk
In this twelfth video in the series "Peak Oil and a Changing Climate" from The Nation and On The Earth Productions, Professor Emeritus of Agricultural Economics of the University of Missouri at Columbia John Ikerd argues that humans cannot wait much longer to address the reality that economic growth is unsustainable—because the world is running out of energy resources. "We simply can't continue to grow at the rate we've been growing in the past." You can learn more about "Peak Oil and a Changing Climate," and watch the other videos in the series, at www.TheNation.com.
Made in America Challenge Highlights Sustainable Domestic Furniture
If every American spent an extra $3.33 on goods made in the United States every year, we could create nearly 10,000 new jobs in this country, according to ABC World News’ Made in AmericaChallenge, which launches this week. During the series, a Dallas family agrees to have their house made over using 100 percent American-made products. Once all the imports were removed, the family was left with a vase in the living room and the kitchen sink.The network is compiling an interactive map that shows where products are being made from coast to coast, and several members of the Sustainable Furnishings Council stepped up to help refurnish the home with domestically made goods..
Harden Furniture , a 167-year-old family-owned company in upstate New York, is providing the kitchen table.
Photo courtesy Harden Furniture
The coffee table in the living room is being made by the craftspeople at West Virginia-based Gat Creek. Check out ABC’s coverage of the 100-person workshop.
Photo courtesy Gat Creek
The living room sofa, loveseat and three chairs come from the family-owned and operated Lee Furniture stores in North Carolina.
Photo courtesy Lee Furniture
Vaughan-Bassett , a bedroom furniture maker in Virginia, will outfit the bedroom.
On the show and on its website, ABC News is asking Americans to take a pledge to purchase products made in America. With choices like these, that looks like a smart thing to do.
Apr 6, 2011
Scott County Iowa GIS Map Service
Scott County Iowa GREAT web-based mapping system of the entire county is now available for public viewing. The geographic-information system, or GIS, which went live Tuesday morning. It allows users to look at aerial photographs, real estate data such as deeds, parcel numbers and legal descriptions and other information.
On the web: http://maps.scottcountyiowa.com/.
On the web: http://maps.scottcountyiowa.com/.
It is really good and even has parts of Rock Island County along the river!... Zoom to 35'... Detailed... Monte
10 of the Biggest Corporate Tax Cheats In America
If you or I were running a small business and we kept one set of books showing how much money we were making and a second set for the IRS that painted a picture of an enterprise on the brink of bankruptcy, we'd end up behind bars.
But that's standard operating procedure for corporate America. In fact, public corporations have to do it -- the law requires that they keep one set of books for their shareholders, and another for the IRS. As tax journalist David Cay Johnston explained, "Many corporations routinely tell investors they incur millions in corporate income taxes, while the financial records they give the IRS show they owe nothing or are due refunds."
In the records kept by the IRS, corporations cook the books "by using tax shelters, offsetting income with losses from years ago, and employing countless other devices that make them look like paupers to the IRS but money machines to investors."We got a peek into this process last week, when the New York Times revealed that multinational giant GE is not only avoiding corporate income taxes this year, but is taking a “tax benefit” of $3 billion. According to the Times, the company's “extraordinary success is based on an aggressive strategy that mixes fierce lobbying for tax breaks and innovative accounting that enables it to concentrate its profits offshore.”
But of course, GE is not alone. Here are 10 other big corporate tax evaders (with an assist from an MSNBC analysis of leading corporate tax-dodgers). Keep in mind that neither political party ever actually cuts spending significantly, so every dollar these companies avoid paying is one that will come out of the paychecks of working America.
1. Google
CEO: Eric Schmidt (117 on Forbes list of the wealthiest with a net worth of $6.3 billion in 2010.)
2010 Pre-tax Profit: $10.8 billion
How Google avoids paying US taxes: According to MSNBC, Google reports income in overseas tax havens and then reports its costs here at home. Google also patents its products abroad, licenses its technologies from its overseas subsidiaries and then writes off the costs of the licenses.
Google fun-fact: Google rents 200 goats, complete with goatherd and a border collie, to keep the grass nicely trimmed at Google HQ. Oh, and this week Bloomberg reported that the Federal Trade Commission is considering launching a major investigation into Google's anti-competitive practices.
2. News Corp
CEO: Rupert Murdoch (Murdoch ranked 53rd on Forbes' list of highest-paid CEOs and was the 117th richest person in the world last year.)
2010 Pre-tax Profit: $3.3 billion
Taxation strategy: In 2008, the Government Accountability Office issued an analysis concluding that one of the companies with the greatest number of subsidiaries in offshore tax-havens was none other than News Corp., which then had more than 150 of them scattered across the world.
News Corp. fun-fact: Fox “News” devoted significant airtime to hyping the financial ties between Alwaleed bin Talal, a member of the Saudi royal family, and the developers of the Park 51 Muslim community center planned for downtown Manhattan. Fox implied there was something sinister about the financier, but didn't mention that he is also News Corp.'s second largest shareholder, with 7 percent of the company's stock.
3. Boeing
CEO: W. James McNerney (According to Forbes, McNerney is the 101st most highly compensated CEO, pulling in a cool $58 million over the last five years.)
2010 Pre-tax Profit: $4.5 billion
How Boeing avoid paying US taxes: According to MSNBC, “despite a double-digit tax rate, Boeing has managed to escape paying federal taxes for the last three years thanks to a plethora of foreign subsidiaries, which act as a tax haven. According to Citizens for Tax Justice, the airplane maker paid 0.3 percent of its pre-tax income in federal income taxes in 2010.”
Boeing fun-fact: Boeing may be a defense contractor that's flush with cash, but itreportedly uses prison labor to assemble cable assemblies for the F-15 fighter. At least the jobs are in the US!
4. Pfizer
CEO: Ian Read (Read's new on the job, following the sudden departure of former CEO Jeffrey Kindler late last year.)
2010 Pre-tax Profit: $9.4 billion
How Pfizer avoids paying US taxes: Pfizer uses “transfer pricing” to record phantom profits in low-tax countries based on sales in other countries.
Pfizer fun-fact: The Wall Street Journal, in 2009, noted that “Pfizer agreed to plead guilty to a felony violation 'for misbranding Bextra with the intent to defraud or mislead.' The settlement is the largest in Justice Department history, according to theDOJ’s statement.” It paid $2.3 billion for the fraud.
5. Oracle
CEO: Lawrence Ellison (Forbes ranks Ellison as the 6th richest man in the world, with a fortune worth $28 billion.)
2010 Pre-tax Profit: $8.2 billion
How Oracle avoids paying US taxes: Transfer pricing again, although MSNBC adds that “Oracle suffered a bit last fall when its Japanese subsidiary had to negotiate an advance agreement with tax authorities in the US and Japan so it wouldn’t get hit with transfer price taxes in Japan... Its stock closed 9 percent below the previous day’s close on the Nikkei, the Japanese stock market.
Oracle fun-fact: In 2004, then Attorney General John Ashcroft sued Oracle to block an acquisition on anti-trust grounds. Just three months after he resigned, Ashcroft opened a lobbying shop, Oracle became his biggest client and the right-wing crooner reportedly smoothed the way for its acquisition of Choicepoint, a company made infamous for its part in disenfranchising voters in the 2000 election.
6. Altria (Philip Morris)
CEO: Michael Szymanczyk (He's #176 on Forbes' list of the most highly paid CEOs, raking in $6.35 million last year.)
2010 Pre-tax Profit: $5.7 billion
How Altria avoids paying US taxes: According to MSNBC's analysis, “Between 2001 and 2003, the cigarette maker took advantage of $3.3 billion in tax breaks, which effectively cut its taxes by one-third.”
Altria fun-fact: The word “Altria” is derived from the Latin word for “high,” and was taken to distance itself from the baggage surrounding the name Phillip Morris. According to the Center for Public Integrity, Altria came in second in terms of dollars spent on lobbying between 1998-2004, showering politicians with over $100 million.
7. IBM
CEO: Samuel Palmisano (He also serves on Exxon Mobile's board of directors. Palmisano ranked 21st on Forbes' list of CEO pay, pulling down a tidy sum of over $25 million last year.)
2010 Pre-tax Profit: $19.7 billion
How IBM avoids paying US taxes: Over three years in the early 2000s, the company exploited “a litany of tax breaks” that allowed it to slash its taxes by 95 percent! Bet you wish you could do that.
IBM fun-fact: According to Reuters, IBM has cut 30,000 US jobs since 2003, which is good news for Indian tech workers – the company added 69,000 jobs in India over the same period.
8. Time Warner
CEO: Jeffrey Bewkes (Bewkes pulled down $48 million in pay over the past five years, which was good enough for #56 on Forbes' 2010 list of best paid CEOs.)
2010 Pre-tax Profit: $3.9 billion
How Time Warner avoids paying US taxes: According to MSNBC, “The entertainment conglomerate managed some swift accounting to use its merger with AOL in 2000 to leave it with little tax to pay. Between 2001 and 2003, Time Warner claimed tax breaks that cut its taxes by 121 percent—and allowed the company to pay nothing at all in taxes for two years.”
Time-Warner fun-fact: A Google search of “Time Warner” and “evil” nets 4.2 million results. 'Nuff said – you already know you hate them.
9. Morgan Stanley
CEO: James Gorman (After his firm played a starring role in crashing the global economy, Gorman took home a $5.7 million bonus in 2009.)
2010 Pre-tax Profit: $6.2 billion
How Morgan Stanley avoids paying US taxes: It took full advantage of offshore tax havens; then, under a 2004 law, repatriated much of that money for a super-low tax rate of just over 5 percent.
Morgan Stanley fun-fact: JPMorgan is the largest servicer of food-stamps in the U.S., offering benefit cards in 26 states. As Mary Bottari wrote for AlterNet, “The firm is paid per customer. This means that when the number of food stamp recipients goes up, so do JPMorgan profits.” She adds: “JPMorgan is taking its responsibility to keep the US unemployment rate high by offshoring the servicing of many of these contracts to India, according to ABC News.”
10. Microsoft
CEO: Steve Ballmer (With a fortune of $14.5 billion, Ballmer is the 33rd richest person, according to Forbes.)
2010 Pre-tax Profit: $25 billion.
Taxation strategy: Microsoft is a master of shifting income through various foreign countries— “to Bermuda via the Netherlands via Ireland” —in order to limit its domestic income subject to taxation. According to the blog MicrosoftTaxDodge, a carefully timed press release threatening to move the company's headquarters out of Washington state resulted in Rep. Ross Hunter, a 17-year former manager at Microsoft, pushing through “two huge gifts [for the company]: a $100 million annual tax cut and an estimated $1.25 billion in amnesty on its 13-year Nevada tax dodge.”
Microsoft fun-fact: Both US and European regulators have found Microsoft in violation of anti-trust laws – it's practically the firm's business model.
Apr 4, 2011
Electric car does more than 200 miles per charge | Crave - CNET
The SIM LEI stands for leading efficiency in-wheel motor. (Credit: SIM Drive) Japanese electric car developer SIM-Drive says its SIM LEI prototype EV can travel 206 miles on a single charge in general urban traffic conditions, and 190 miles while going 62 mph. "The prototype achieved...333 km of range per charge by JC-08 mode, which represents general urban traffic condition in Japan," the Kawasaki-based firm said in a release (PDF). SIM-Drive's prototype was built with the cooperation of 34 groups and companies, including Mitsubishi Motors. The four-wheel drive SIM LEI has in-wheel motors. The body design has low drag to reduce efficiency, and a top speed of about 93 mph. The car can do zero to 100 kilometers per hour (62 mph) in 4.8 seconds, according to the firm. SIM-Drive was founded by engineer Hiroshi Shimizu, who developed the eight-wheeled Eliica EV. Shimizu brought together the automotive firms with an open-source approach to developing electric cars. Last year, the Japan Electric Vehicle Club drove a modified Daihatsu Mira 623 miles on a single charge. The feat involved 17 drivers and over 8,000 batteries. The SIM LEI project is aiming for mass production of an EV in 2013. Hopefully Japan's rolling blackouts from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami will be just a memory by then. Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20050501-1.html#ixzz1Iats0pFEBuild a Cremation Cask : Wood Projects
by AJ Moses
Over the years I’ve made pet cremation urns and boxes for friends who’ve lost pets. In 2010 I had a request from a dear cousin for his own cremation casket. He knew he was dying after a long battle with cancer. It took a couple tries to get a good, sound design that I felt comfortable with. Along with a sound design, size is a major consideration. As it turns out, there is a formula for volume you can use.
Volume Calculation
Let’s start with the volume calculation. It turns out the cremation process removes all the water – about 60% of body mass. Then, the heat reduction of the other elements results in about 1 cubic inch of material per pound of body weight. So, a person weighing 180 pounds requires about 180 cubic inches inside their cremation casket or urn. One final word – don’t go overboard, but it’s probably better to error on the high side – well, just in case…
Here’s a formula you can use – it’s just a bit of simple algebra:
LxWxH = V – that is – Length x Width x Height = Volume. An applied example for, say, 180 cubic inches might be 5x4x9 = 180. Knowing this, you can increase or decrease the length, width and/or height to adjust the volume of your casket. Our example in this article is 5x5x9-1/2 for a total of 237.5 cubic inches.
Material Selection
For this article I’ve chosen quarter-sawn sycamore from my shop. You can choose any quality wood – the higher density of hardwoods makes the most sense. Don’t forget this project will result in a piece of furniture that might be around for many years. Keep in mind the project takes only about 4 or 5 board feet of lumber – no reason to skimp on materials.
Cut List and Materials
1. 2 ends – 3/4” x 5” x 5”
2. 2 sides, front and back – 3/4” x 9-1/2” x 5”
3. A bottom – size calculated below.
4. 2 pieces for a double stacked top – size calculated below.
5. 4 corner pillars – 1-1/8” x 1-1/8” x 5” – these could be optional if you choose some other sort of corner joinery.
6. 8 splines to bolster the butt joints where the sides and ends meet the pillars.
7. 4 each 5/16” x 3/4” long dowels for use as alignment pins.
8. 16 each 1-1/4” wood screws.
A few notes about the top and bottom – I make the bottom about 3/4” wider than the outside dimensions of the casket frame. So, for the long dimension of the casket frame you have:
1-1/8”+1-1/8”+9-1/2” = 11-3/4”. Adding ¾” for each end gives you a bottom length of 13-1/4”
…and for the width of the bottom:
1-1/8”+1-1/8”+5” = 7-1/4”. Adding 3/4” for each end gives you a bottom width of 8-3/4”.
The top overlaps the casket frame by 1/2 as much as the bottom, extending 3/8” beyond the outside of the frame on each side. The second top piece is the size as the outer dimensions of the casket.
Of course, you can decide for yourself how these dimensions relate – please keep in mind that the dimensions of the two top pieces play a particular role in assembly – please read on before you start cutting.
Material Preparation
Once the bottom, top and frame pieces are cut to size, sand 180-grit. Look carefully for any latent sanding marks – they’ll show up through the finish. (You will have one more sanding step after routing is done.)
I keep the pillar stock in one piece for milling on the router. I use a biscuit slot cutter bit for the spline slots and a 1/2" roundover bit for the outside edge of the pillars.
Note - you have to set the slot cutter high enough to ensure you don’t overlap opposing slots – thereby making it a rabbit instead of a slot.
Over the years I’ve made pet cremation urns and boxes for friends who’ve lost pets. In 2010 I had a request from a dear cousin for his own cremation casket. He knew he was dying after a long battle with cancer. It took a couple tries to get a good, sound design that I felt comfortable with. Along with a sound design, size is a major consideration. As it turns out, there is a formula for volume you can use.Volume Calculation
Let’s start with the volume calculation. It turns out the cremation process removes all the water – about 60% of body mass. Then, the heat reduction of the other elements results in about 1 cubic inch of material per pound of body weight. So, a person weighing 180 pounds requires about 180 cubic inches inside their cremation casket or urn. One final word – don’t go overboard, but it’s probably better to error on the high side – well, just in case…
Here’s a formula you can use – it’s just a bit of simple algebra:
LxWxH = V – that is – Length x Width x Height = Volume. An applied example for, say, 180 cubic inches might be 5x4x9 = 180. Knowing this, you can increase or decrease the length, width and/or height to adjust the volume of your casket. Our example in this article is 5x5x9-1/2 for a total of 237.5 cubic inches.
Material Selection
For this article I’ve chosen quarter-sawn sycamore from my shop. You can choose any quality wood – the higher density of hardwoods makes the most sense. Don’t forget this project will result in a piece of furniture that might be around for many years. Keep in mind the project takes only about 4 or 5 board feet of lumber – no reason to skimp on materials.
Cut List and Materials
1. 2 ends – 3/4” x 5” x 5”
2. 2 sides, front and back – 3/4” x 9-1/2” x 5”
3. A bottom – size calculated below.
4. 2 pieces for a double stacked top – size calculated below.
5. 4 corner pillars – 1-1/8” x 1-1/8” x 5” – these could be optional if you choose some other sort of corner joinery.
6. 8 splines to bolster the butt joints where the sides and ends meet the pillars.
7. 4 each 5/16” x 3/4” long dowels for use as alignment pins.
8. 16 each 1-1/4” wood screws.
A few notes about the top and bottom – I make the bottom about 3/4” wider than the outside dimensions of the casket frame. So, for the long dimension of the casket frame you have:
1-1/8”+1-1/8”+9-1/2” = 11-3/4”. Adding ¾” for each end gives you a bottom length of 13-1/4”
…and for the width of the bottom:
1-1/8”+1-1/8”+5” = 7-1/4”. Adding 3/4” for each end gives you a bottom width of 8-3/4”.
The top overlaps the casket frame by 1/2 as much as the bottom, extending 3/8” beyond the outside of the frame on each side. The second top piece is the size as the outer dimensions of the casket.
Of course, you can decide for yourself how these dimensions relate – please keep in mind that the dimensions of the two top pieces play a particular role in assembly – please read on before you start cutting.
Material Preparation
Once the bottom, top and frame pieces are cut to size, sand 180-grit. Look carefully for any latent sanding marks – they’ll show up through the finish. (You will have one more sanding step after routing is done.)
I keep the pillar stock in one piece for milling on the router. I use a biscuit slot cutter bit for the spline slots and a 1/2" roundover bit for the outside edge of the pillars.
Note - you have to set the slot cutter high enough to ensure you don’t overlap opposing slots – thereby making it a rabbit instead of a slot.
I also round over the top edges of the bottom and both top cover pieces using the same radius as the pillars. You could use a more ornate router bit, but the somber nature of the project makes the simple roundover bit my first choice. Here’s a detail of the spline slots during dry-fitting:
Nest, cut the pillar pieces to length. Finish sand all parts. I sand to 320 grit.
Nest, cut the pillar pieces to length. Finish sand all parts. I sand to 320 grit.
Now, dry assemble the casket frame to ensure everything fits nicely. Use the splines to hold things in alignment. Make any adjustments now – it’s your last chance! This is the best time to ready your clamping system as well. Remember, in just a moment you’ll be gluing and assembling 8 joints at one time – better have things in order!
Assembling the Frame
Apply glue to the slot on each side of the pillars and insert the splines. Watch for squeeze-out – you don’t want a lump of dried glue to keep the sides from fitting flush to the pillars. When all is ready, apply glue to the protruding spline edges and the end-grain surfaces of the frame pieces. Assemble and clamp. Let cure.
Truing the Top and Bottom Edges of the Frame
Once you remove the clamps, check the top and bottom edges of the casket frame for uneven spots. If you have high spots, it’s important to flatten them so the top and bottom frame edges fit tight and flush against the top and bottom. One method for flattening high spots is to attach some PSA sandpaper to a dead-flat surface and rub the edges over the abrasive until any high spots are eliminated.
Apply glue to the slot on each side of the pillars and insert the splines. Watch for squeeze-out – you don’t want a lump of dried glue to keep the sides from fitting flush to the pillars. When all is ready, apply glue to the protruding spline edges and the end-grain surfaces of the frame pieces. Assemble and clamp. Let cure.
Truing the Top and Bottom Edges of the Frame
Once you remove the clamps, check the top and bottom edges of the casket frame for uneven spots. If you have high spots, it’s important to flatten them so the top and bottom frame edges fit tight and flush against the top and bottom. One method for flattening high spots is to attach some PSA sandpaper to a dead-flat surface and rub the edges over the abrasive until any high spots are eliminated.
Fit the Bottom to the Frame
I lay out the bottom dowel pins first. Position the casket frame on the bottom piece and make some positioning marks on the bottom board inside of the frame with a pencil. These marks will be important in just a moment. Now, drill four 5/16” holes in the bottom edge of the casket frame – one on each side. I always off-set one hole so the top and bottom only fit together one way. Insert dowel centering pins in the holes and position the casket frame over the casket bottom using the pencil marks for alignment. Press down hard enough to make 4 davits in the bottom piece. Drill corresponding 5/16” holes in the bottom piece. Use a drill stop to ensure you don’t drill all the way through – that could get ugly. Test to ensure they align correctly with the holes in the bottom piece. Once satisfied, glue the dowels into the holes on the edge of the casket frame.
I lay out the bottom dowel pins first. Position the casket frame on the bottom piece and make some positioning marks on the bottom board inside of the frame with a pencil. These marks will be important in just a moment. Now, drill four 5/16” holes in the bottom edge of the casket frame – one on each side. I always off-set one hole so the top and bottom only fit together one way. Insert dowel centering pins in the holes and position the casket frame over the casket bottom using the pencil marks for alignment. Press down hard enough to make 4 davits in the bottom piece. Drill corresponding 5/16” holes in the bottom piece. Use a drill stop to ensure you don’t drill all the way through – that could get ugly. Test to ensure they align correctly with the holes in the bottom piece. Once satisfied, glue the dowels into the holes on the edge of the casket frame.
Attach the First Top Piece
Next, place the larger top-piece top-up on the workbench. This might seem counter-intuitive, but you’ll get it in a moment. Use a pencil to outline the inside edge of the frame onto the top piece. Set the frame aside and, using the appropriate drill/countersink bit, use the lines you just marked to drill 6 holes in the top – see photo. Next, turn the top piece up-side-down again and align the frame in its final position over the inverted top. I use a couple bench cookies to support the top above the bench. Make some pencil marks for reference. Apply a small bead of glue to the top edge of the casket frame. Re-position the frame on the top. Once the frame is in position, lightly clamp the 2 pieces together. Invert them so you can screw the top to the frame using six 1-1/4” screws. Let the glue cure, then remove the clamps.
Next, place the larger top-piece top-up on the workbench. This might seem counter-intuitive, but you’ll get it in a moment. Use a pencil to outline the inside edge of the frame onto the top piece. Set the frame aside and, using the appropriate drill/countersink bit, use the lines you just marked to drill 6 holes in the top – see photo. Next, turn the top piece up-side-down again and align the frame in its final position over the inverted top. I use a couple bench cookies to support the top above the bench. Make some pencil marks for reference. Apply a small bead of glue to the top edge of the casket frame. Re-position the frame on the top. Once the frame is in position, lightly clamp the 2 pieces together. Invert them so you can screw the top to the frame using six 1-1/4” screws. Let the glue cure, then remove the clamps.
Attach the Second Top Piece
Drill and countersink 4 holes in the under-side of the top – inside the casket frame, one in each corner – see the photo! Apply glue to the underside of the upper top piece and position it on the lower top piece. Turn the assembly over and screw the two pieces together from the inside using four 1-1/4” wood screws.
Here’s what it looks like on the inside.
Drill and countersink 4 holes in the under-side of the top – inside the casket frame, one in each corner – see the photo! Apply glue to the underside of the upper top piece and position it on the lower top piece. Turn the assembly over and screw the two pieces together from the inside using four 1-1/4” wood screws.
Here’s what it looks like on the inside.
Now, from the outside – the screws for the first top layer are covered by the second top layer. No visible hardware!
Attach the Bottom
Now we’re ready to attach the bottom. I make light pencil marks on the underside of the bottom at points where the center of the frame will rest. Drill and countersink holes in the bottom to accommodate 8 screws – see the pattern on the photo. DO NOT USE ANY GLUE AT THIS POINT! As a test, attach the bottom to the frame.
Finishing
Remove the bottom from the frame. Apply 2 or 3 coats of polyurethane, lacquer or other finish of your choice to the inside of the frame and top. Once cured, finish the exterior surfaces. Let the whole project cure completely and reassemble. When ready to introduce the contents, simply remove the bottom and place the contents inside. Run a thin bead of silicone sealer along the exposed edge of the frame, position the bottom using the dowel pins for alignment, then, screw the two pieces together.
Now we’re ready to attach the bottom. I make light pencil marks on the underside of the bottom at points where the center of the frame will rest. Drill and countersink holes in the bottom to accommodate 8 screws – see the pattern on the photo. DO NOT USE ANY GLUE AT THIS POINT! As a test, attach the bottom to the frame.
Finishing
Remove the bottom from the frame. Apply 2 or 3 coats of polyurethane, lacquer or other finish of your choice to the inside of the frame and top. Once cured, finish the exterior surfaces. Let the whole project cure completely and reassemble. When ready to introduce the contents, simply remove the bottom and place the contents inside. Run a thin bead of silicone sealer along the exposed edge of the frame, position the bottom using the dowel pins for alignment, then, screw the two pieces together.
Here’s the sycamore casket in final form.
Footnotes
I recently had a request from one family for 6 identical caskets. Identical except for the names engraved on them. The names were laser engraved. Think of the possibilities – an emblem from military service, something related to a favorite sport or activity or a favorite saying.
Attach felt dots as feet to the bottom.
Footnotes
I recently had a request from one family for 6 identical caskets. Identical except for the names engraved on them. The names were laser engraved. Think of the possibilities – an emblem from military service, something related to a favorite sport or activity or a favorite saying.
Attach felt dots as feet to the bottom.
Apr 3, 2011
Decorah Eagles Nesting
Decorah Eagles Web Cam - http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles
First hatch 4/2/11. 24-hour collage of first egg pip and hatch
Second hatch 4/3/2011.
First glimpse of second hatchling Third hatch expected in a couple of days.
The Raptor Resource Project brings you the Decorah Eagles from atop their tree at the fish hatchery in Decorah, Iowa.
FAQs How high is the nest? About 80 feet. How big is the nest? 5-6 feet across, about the same deep; it weighs about 1½ tons. How old is the nest? The eagles built it in 2007. A previous nest close by fell when a windstorm broke one of the branches. Are these eagles banded? No. Which is the male and which is the female? It is hard to tell the difference unless they are both on the nest. The female is larger than the male. This female has a ridge above her eyes that goes further back than on the male, and her eyes are surrounded by a greyish shadow; the male has a line around his eyes that makes them look “beadier.” Some think that the male’s head is “sleeker” than the female’s. What is the history of this pair? They have been together since the winter of 2007-2008. Her markings at that time indicated that she was about 4 years old. They successfully hatched and fledged 2 eaglets in 2008, then 3 in 2009, and 3 more in 2010. When were the eggs laid in 2010, and when did they hatch? First egg was February 25, second on February 28, third on March 5. First hatch was April 3, second on April 6, third on April 9. All three eaglets fledged and are now on the wing but are not being tracked. What is the area around the nest like? The nest is in a cottonwood tree on private property near the Decorah Fish Hatchery (operated by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources), on the banks of the babbling waters of Trout Run in extreme northeast Iowa. The nest can be seen from the hatchery, but visitors to the hatchery should keep their distance from the nest tree, both to respect the private property where the tree is located and to avoid disturbing the eagles.
Here is a ground-level video of the surroundings, taken in March 2010.
This video shows the eagles’ point of view. Where can I see pictures and videos of these eagles? RRP provides an archive of daily views of the nest over the immediate 24-hour period, taken every 2 minutes. Click on Eagle Dailies.
RRP’s Youtube site has many videos. Who operates and maintains this cam? The Raptor Resource Project (RRP) maintains the cams, of which there are two, and the feed is streamed online 24/7. Both are positioned on one of the nest’s supporting limbs about 4-5 feet above the nest. The main cam is automated and is trained on the nest. The other cam has pan-tilt-zoom capabilities (PTZ). At dark the main cam switches to infrared (invisible to the eagles) night-time view.
Here is a slide show of the cam installation in fall 2010. Who does the panning, tilting, and zooming, and when does that happen? Bob Anderson, Executive Director of RRP, switches to the PTZ cam when time and weather permit, and especially when there appears to be interesting activity in the nest. He will be especially attentive when hatching begins. What is the Raptor Resource Project? Established in 1988, the non-profit
Raptor Resource Project specializes in the preservation of falcons, eagles, ospreys, hawks, and owls. We establish and strengthen breeding populations of these raptors by creating, improving, and maintaining nests and nest sites. In addition to directly managing over twenty-three falcon, eagle, and owl nest sites, we provide training in nest site creation and management across the United States, reach more than 85,000 people each year through lectures, education programs, and our website, and develop innovations in nest site management and viewing that bring people closer to the world around them. Our mission is to preserve and strengthen raptor populations, to expand participation in raptor preservation, and to help foster the next generation of preservationists. Our work deepens the connection between people and the natural world, bringing benefits to both. Check out the links to cams of many of the raptor nests that RRP manages. RRP also has a Facebook page. Does the Raptor Resource Project accept donations? Yes! RRP is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and relies on the donations of friends. There is a donation button on the RRP home page. What’s this about a PBS documentary on this nest? The Decorah eagle nest was featured in a PBS Nature series program, “American Eagle,” that premiered in November 2008. Filmed by cinematographers Robert Anderson and Neil Rettig in high-definition, the video is available on DVD and online. How can I read or participate in a forum about this and other RRP cams? Go to the RRP Forum.