Thursday, July 1, 2010

Energy Saving Suggestions

Some energy saving suggestions I have accumulated over the web with some research!




The Paint on your walls The color you paint the walls in your home can cost you Money! Paint the walls of your home a light color. Dark colors tend to absorb light, requiring you to use more energy from light bulbs to achieve the same effect.

Not only do light colors on your walls help conserve energy in your home, they also make your rooms feel brighter and more cheerful! If you are about to paint the walls in your home we suggest you use a low or zero VOC paint. Check out this site from TLC for more information about how low-VOC paint works.

Dish Washer A dishwasher that is 90% full uses 4 units of electricity. If it is only 50% full, it still uses 3 units of electricity. Fill the dishwasher to save on your electric bill.

Energy Efficient Light Bulbs Replacing a single incandescent bulb with an energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulb (one of those "squiggly bulbs") can save up to $50 over the bulb's lifetime. Check out www.greenlite.ca  They have great Light bulbs to replace your old inefficient bulbs and save money being green. Site also has a great savings calculator!



Water Heater Set your water heater to the “normal” setting or 120 degrees unless your dish washer requires a higher setting. Buy a water heater blanket and keep your water heater insulated. You'll save $40 per year. Water heater insulation blankets are designed for gas, oil or electric heaters. White vinyl backed fiberglass blanket. Includes adhesive tape for easy installation. Easy to install with scissors, measuring tape and pencil. Fits up to 60 gallons. *Be sure to leave the air intake vent uncovered when insulating a gas water heater! Insulate the hot water pipes leading from your hot water heater. Easy to do but might be hard to get to all the pipes! Take shorter showers. Wash clothes in cold water.

 

Energy Efficient Windows Up to 16% of your heat can escape through unprotected windows. Close your drapes at night or install insulating shutters to retain heat. If you have a large expanse of glass that doesn't receive direct sun, keep the drapes closed as much as possible. You can also use Packing Bubble wrap and plastic draped in your window. May not be attractive but the energy savings could please your budget.

 You can also purchase and install a vinyl coating on your windows. This is less expensive than new windows and  a reasonable investment for renters and smaller budgets. The film is applied to the inside window.

Its benefits are:

  • Crystal Clear
  • Reusable
  • Saves Heat
  • Easy To Install
  • Heavy Duty
  • UV Stabilized

 

 

Other Drafty areas of consideration Doors! You can buy inexpensive foam rubber insulation to easily seal out the warm sun and cold winter drafts around your doors.

Electrical Outlets can also transfer heat and cold from within the wall. You can use the same Foam rubber tape to seal the air from flowing through. Also you can use Spray Foam. But I don’t like this option as it makes it hard to rework on the fixture in the future.

Fire Place! Close the damper vent tightly when not in use.

Air conditioners and Swamp coolers! Don’t forget to winterize (seal temporarily or cover) your cooling units to keep the cold out!

Furniture? The placement of your furniture is a consideration. Make sure your not sitting in the hot sun shining through the window. You’ll end up wanting the Air conditioner turned on! Also don’t block your heating and cooling system from doing its job just because the Armorer fits best in the spot covering the AC vent!

Vampire switch! 75% of electricity used by home electronics is consumed while "off". By using a power strip and switching off when not in use, you lessen CO2 emissions and reduce your energy bill. Its simple and cheap to buy a Power strip and plug your electronic devices into it. It can protect your equipment from harmful Power surges (if you buy one with Surge protection). And when not in use flip the switch to OFF!

What Kind of Washing Machine is More Energy Efficient? When choosing your next washing machine, pick one with a front-loader. Front-loader models use 25% less energy than a standard model.

Also, simply switching from a hot/warm cycle to a warm/cold cycle when washing laundry can save you 10 cents a load. That adds up when you think about how many loads of laundry you do a year!


Don't forget to look for the Energy Star before making those big purchases!

Check out this TLC site!

Heat and Air Conditioning Filters Check your furnace and AC filters regularly. Cleaning or replacing filters once a month during periods of high use will insure proper air flow, promote better health, increase efficiency, and save money too.

Don’t use your Dryer! During spring and summer months, line dry your clothes instead of using a clothes dryer. This can save you a lot of money each year.

Energy Efficient Thermostats Save You Money Why pay for heat or AC you don't need? You can save energy and money by using a programmable thermostat. It can reduce your energy needs from heat or AC when you are at work, away at vacation, or asleep.

 

Attic and wall insulation Take a look into the attic and see how much insulation you have. I bet you’ll notice how hot it is up there too. That is why you need a solar attic Fan. Anyway, take a ruler with you and see how much insulation you have. It should be light and fluffy! If it is squashed or settled in, than it is more likely to transfer heat and cold into your house. Here is a rating system I have come up with.  

12 inches or more Excellent!

9-12 inches Very Good!

6-9 inches Good!

3-6 inches Fair!

Under 3 inches POOR!

Blow in Cellulose is an option for the do it yourself Handy man. You can rent the machine and buy the Cellulose blocks from many Hardware stores! Doing walls is a little trickier but if you have some Sheet rock skills and not afraid to paint, then you can do it! Also for exterior walls you can give your home a major modernization and a protective thermal coat by adding Poly Styrene Sheets followed by a new Stucco Coating. But this is a skilled project that will require a contractor and a bit more money. Check this site out. Detailed DIY How to step by step!

 

Check out PG&E new online tools for information on your energy usage.

Here is the results of what PG&E’s new savings calculator says I could save from making some simple changes in my home. There new tool is pretty cool and intuitive.

Im sure the savings would be a bit different from house to house and especially for me in the Water heating area. I have 8 people in my house!

Savings Opportunities Annual Savings

Weatherization Doors and Windows:

      Control air leakage $139 - $231

Water Heating:

      Insulate water heater tank and hot water pipes $4 - $7

Install efficient shower heads $71 - $118

Lighting:

   Use compact fluorescent bulbs in recessed fixtures $65 - $80

   Replace halogen trochees $159 - $194

   Use compact fluorescent bulbs in high-use lamps $52 - $64

Heating and Cooling

   Install a programmable thermostat $65 - $108

   Replace your central air conditioner $222 - $370

   Replace your heating system $294 - $490

   Seal leaks in ducts $85 - $142

Information taken from PG&E Smart energy Analyzer on-line.







written by Wayne Rinehart

Great resource websites:

www.ConservingSaves.com Ways to conserve energy and save you money

www.FreeCycle.org  Recycle your unwanted items to someone else in your community.

www.simplysellular.com These people will help sell or donate your old cell phone.

www.SwapTree.com Swap Books, CD’s, DVD’s and Video Games.

www.greenlite.ca  Great Light bulbs to replace your old inefficient bulbs and save money being green. Site also has a great savings calculator!

www.solar-components.com A neat site with some good resources and ideas.

www.windsun.com  www.greenpowerscience.com

www.tlc.howstuffworks.com  www.diynetwork.com

Monday, March 22, 2010

Al Wood and The Woodsmen CD Review

Today we take a listen to Al’s new CD “Mood Swinging Blues”


1. Late Night Stroll 5★★★★★
2. Firefly 6★★★★★★
3. Highway 17 5★★★★★
4. Parting Glass 4★★★★ nice harmonica
5. Diggin’ Down Deep 5★★★★★
6. Treena Ballerina 6★★★★★★ Fun Tune Got me whistling!
7. The Pasture 4★★★★ nice harmonica
8. Feeble-minded Woman 6★★★★★★ Groovy
9. Blame-Shiftn’ Blues 5 ★★★★★ Great solo work!
10. Passenger Freight Train 5★★★★★
11. Rollin’ (Fade Away) 5★★★★★
12. (Enter) Jazz Thief (Exit) You 7★★★★★★★
13. Shake 6★★★★★★ Get up and dance Rockabilly!

Average (mean) 5.307692308
Median 5
Standard Deviation 0.85

Album Score: 9.45


“I love this album, it’s Romantic and Fun! Many flavors influence this album and it is primed to influence your spirit to bring you out of the blues! The doctor’s prescription is to take a dose of mood swinging blues now!” Big Wayne www.LiveBluesTonight.com


Al Wood is a multi-talented performer and song writer from Ottawa, Canada. Al plays a mean Chicago roots Harmonica and on guitar he is expressive and diverse! On this album Al and the Woodsmen’s innovative style are heard. Many flavors of music are combined, but yet remain unique.
Blues Flavored roots/folk and country influence with, at times, acoustic rhythm of the rails. Thirteen all original tunes make for nearly an hour of foot tapping music that will get you feeling your blues fade away. I felt as if I knew the music even though it was new to me. Clever lyrics, great vocals, awesome Harmonica solos and a fantastic band consisting of Fiddle, Guitar, Acoustic Bass, Drums, Lap Steel Guitar, Mandolin, and Banjo. Had me whistling along with the first song.
My top 3 songs were “Firefly”, “Treena Ballerina” and “Feeble-Minded Woman”; with my favorite being “(Enter) Jazz Thief (Exit) You”. I know that’s 4 favorites not 3. LOL
I really enjoyed all the aspects of this album and can’t wait to see what’s next. Are you all coming to California anytime soon? Let me know!


http://www.alwoodmusic.com

Friday, March 5, 2010

Promoting your gigs and getting more exposure!

A 3 or 4 part resource series by Big Wayne.


Part 1: Introduction
Ok, it’s been a while since I have posted anything here on the blog. It’s not that I haven’t had material to review, although I do have less CDs coming in to review. But my recent absent has been because of the promoting and production of the new LBT Website. LBT, for you newbie’s, is short for LiveBluesTonight.com.  Any way I have worked very hard on the site and the search engine and still it’s just me and I have to do my day job to pay the bills…with this economy that has been a whole other sad story! So I want say thank you for being patient with me, especially those bands that were hoping to be featured in my review. I will post a new review soon. But thought I should post something on the blog before I post the review so to get you all listening again. Are you there… listening that is?
 So, another part of the delay in posts is music. Well I am a musician! I recently started a new band with some friends or let me rephrase that, some friends and I started! And a part of that roll has been promoting, producing and booking. You know up to this point in my so called career in music has shown me that musicians in general are some of the coolest people you’ll ever know. They’re also some of the most neurotic and seriously sensitive people (in a Bad way)! I mean come on! It’s the entire artsy crowd, walking around with their hearts on their sleeves. Me too, I am not exempt by this. I don’t think I am neurotic but sensitive…yes, I am sensitive about my passions. And of course you have the EGOS… Big Headed egos. I could really write a lot about this as I have had the misfortune of this behavior in all of the bands I’ve been in. Not me of course, just a few other people that feel they are bigger and better than everyone else! Give me a break. If you don’t know what I mean about musicians being neurotic and sensitive, yet at times cool, interesting or even exotic, one only has to visit the next NAMM Convention to get an eye full of all that! If you like to people watch this is the place for you!  You will be completely entertained by the people that show up. Every stereotype imaginable is there and more! I know, I know I am a part of the freak show. I can’t be missed since I stand out so.  And that is a small part of the fun. Anyway I’m getting off track here.
 One of the things I keep getting offended with is how people keep telling me how gifted I am in promoting and Booking. I can’t tell you how many times I am told how that is my biggest talent. I think to myself, I have more to offer than that! I have other talents! This booking and promoting thing was developed out of necessity. There’s no talent in that, anyone can do it! SO, why am I so insulted by being good at something that others are not so good at? And why am I so good at it? My whole life I have always been told how talented I am in art, as a vocalist etc. I have always been very creative. It’s kind of a family trait, talented vocalists, artistically creative and inventive people. So I think the creative and inventive side of me has helped me to be “gifted” in the promoting and booking. Also most musicians don’t want to deal with the “business” side of music, and perhaps that is a part of the reason they compliment me so! LOL All joking aside, it is very important!
The next post will air soon and in this series we will be looking into some great resource’s both online and in print! So stay tuned!
Peace…..

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Jeff Dale and the South Woodlawners Cd Review


Jeff Dale and the South Woodlawners




Today we take a listen to Jeffs new CD Blues from the south side of my soul.

1. Blues From The South Side Of My Soul  4★★★★
2. Alabama Lovin  6★★★★★★ Fun tune

3. Love My Baby Blind 4★★★★
4. My Way Or The Highway  4★★★★
5. You Don’t Know Nothin’ About Chicago 4★★★★
6. Grown Ass Man  4★★★★
7. I’d Hit It  4★★★★
8. Nothin’ But The Blues  4★★★★
9. Big Gas Station   6★★★★★★
10. Highway One   6★★★★★★

11. Third Rail I give it a 2★★ but if you get rid of the drum machine Id give it 4

Average (mean)
4.363636364
Median
4
Standard Deviation
1.21


Album Score:
7.16

"The album is nice and enjoyable, I can’t wait to hear what comes next and to get out and see these guys perform! The group has that classic Chicago sound and occasionally mixes in a few surprises hear and there!" Big Wayne  www.LiveBluesTonight.com

Well I guess you got to get out and experience the blues to be able to feel the blues! Jeff has come back to the Blues after a 20 year sabbatical. Its good to have you back on the blues side of town!
Jeff is a windy city transplant to Southern California. Jeff was raised in the coffers of the Blues, Chicago where so many Blues legends got their soul. Dale and the band have that classic Chicago Blues Style sound with some surprising twists.The album is nice and enjoyable! My favorite tunes on this album are "Alabama Lovin", "Highway one" and "Big Gas Station" (nice Play on words). My only real complaint is the ridged tempo from the Drum Machine that distracts the rhythm of the tasty Slide guitar work by Jeff. I can’t wait to hear what comes next and to get out and see these guys perform!

 The band consists of Dale on dirty gritty vocals and guitar while sharing lead guitar between additional guitarists. Along with the essential core of the groove (bass and drums), to complete the seven member band is a little piano, harmonica, occasional Saxophone and Bassoon. Yes I said Bassoon ! The sound gives kind of a lurking and mischievous feel, and it works well.


www.jeffdaleblues.com