Self-sufficiency Links

http://www.envisioneer.net/

http://members.tripod.com/~Armchair_Philosopher/

http://www.lehmans.com/

http://www.manytracks.com/home.htm

Barking Dog - Letter to the Editor

I’m beginning to think my neighbor has connections at Animal Services, City Police or City Hall. How else can one small yapping dog be allowed to make so many neighbors miserable? I’ve called Animal Services six times and another neighbor and I filled out the complaint forms. I’ve called City Police three times when the yapping made sleeping impossible late at night. Yet still, the dog yaps. For several months, the dog has yapped.

It’s one of those small breeds with a high-pitched piercing yap. Usually Sundays are the worst. It starts yapping at around 6AM and takes occasional 30-second breaks until around 11PM. But the dog barks every single day, pretty much nonstop. I can’t swear that it barks when I’m not home.

I love to be in my backyard. Well, I once loved it. On my occasional day off, I enjoyed gardening and sitting on the patio with a book. I still hang clothes on the line while I cringe at the sharp yelps. But since this dog became a neighbor, I no longer enjoy being outside. Even opening my windows has become less than enjoyable. If it sees me when I am near a window in my house, it sets off a new torrent that rarely stops for thirty minutes.

I planned a barbecue for friends a week ago, but I had to cancel because of that dog. However, I noticed last Sunday that the neighbors had company and their own dog was bothering them so they put it inside. I resent that they can have a quiet backyard time and their dog prevents me from doing so.

I believe that Animal Services and/or City Police visited the owner, because the dog is now chained. Forgive my ignorance, but how does chaining a dog keep it from barking? Actually, it turns the yapping into a yap, howl, yap, howl which is even worse.

There are three dogs chained in that same backyard. I don’t believe they’re ever off the short chains, except for the yapper. The yapper now has a table to get under in bad weather. Besides the fact that the three dogs in that backyard are neglected, how simple would it be for the police or Animal Services to strongly suggest that the owner buy a bark collar?

I’m running out of options since poisoning a dog is not my style. I don’t hate the dog; it’s the owner that has no sense of fairness. Any suggestions?

Sidenote: I just phoned Animal Services and discovered that the complaint forms I hand-delivered over a week ago are still sitting on the desk. The person in charge of my case is now on vacation. Sigh.

Citi Financial - Customers Not Allowed to Speak to Supervisors!

In January 2008, I purchased some furniture from Ashley Furniture Store in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The salesperson asked me if I'd like to use the no payment - no interest plan for twelve months. I decided to use the option.

I gave Ashley a check for 20% of the price and went home to await the delivery of my furniture.

A month later I received a statement from Citi Financial saying that I owed them a payment. I was out of town for two weeks so I didn't get the statement until the payment was a day late. And that's when the phone calls started.

Citi Financial entered the wrong information on my account. I talked to the person on the phone and explained to them that they had gotten it incorrect and that I owed nothing. She suggested that I talk to someone at Ashley Furniture Store and make sure it was corrected. I made plans to go to the store the following morning. Citi Financial called again later that day. I told them it would be taken care of the next morning and I hung up. Citi Financial called for a third time around 8pm that evening. I didn't answer the phone.

The following morning, CF called for the fourth time and woke me up. I didn't answer.

I went to the furniture store and told them what had happened and I watched the secretary write a statement to Citi Financial to clear up the mistake. CF called as I was leaving the store.

CF called my phone five times a day, except on Sundays. I asked to speak to a supervisor and was told, "No, you cannot speak to a supervisor until I've said what I want to say to you." There was a heated conversation and I hung up the phone.

I called Ashley and told them what was happening and they assured me that they would call CF and see what was going on. The secretary at Ashley called me back to let me know she had, once again, cleared up the problem.

The phone calls from CF continued. From 8am to 8:30pm, I received five phone calls a day. Sometimes they would call and hang up, then call right back. At times, they would leave messages that were rude. Once they left a voice mail that consisted of someone coughing and then saying, "I'm tired of talking to her; YOU do it," and then they hung up.

I went back to the furniture store and told them that the situation was unacceptable. They apologized and called CF while I stood there. CF had zeroed out my no payment/no interest plan twice by mistake.

The senior secretary at Ashley called and spoke to a supervisor at CF. She was told that customers are not allowed to speak to supervisors! Is that any way to run a company?

I will never do business with Citi Financial again. I understand that mistakes can happen, but there is no excuse for the rude harassing phone calls. The calls are illegal, btw.

Citi Financial owes me an apology, but I don't expect to get one. They are a corporation and unconcerned with customers, as shown by their policy of not allowing customers to speak to supervisors.

Addendum: Two weeks ago I filed complaints with the FCC and FTC against CF. The calls continue, although they are less frequent.

Underground Home

I've decided to build an underground home. My home will be small by most standards, unless you're Jay Schafer. But even Jay has homes that are as big as 400 square feet. And that's the size I'm going to build. A 20x20 room with a closet and a bathroom. There's room for a bed, living room and complete kitchen. I don't need more than that. I'm not a collector of "things." I prefer spending my time working on projects that I'm passionate about, instead of cleaning things to impress visitors to my home.

I'm going to use the methods taught by Mike Oehler of The $50 and Up Underground House Book. I'll order his DVD set as a birthday gift to myself.

And my home won't just be underground. It's going to be off the power grid and completely dependent on solar energy. I'll have a water well and filter it through my gravity crock sitting on the kitchen counter. I must have the internet, so I'll have to find out what's available on the piece of property where I will be building. It's some acreage I inherited way out in the boondocks. My father grew up on that land.

I guess the only thing slightly unusual about my home is that it's going to be built in southern Louisiana on fairly flat land. Oehler has ways around any problems I might incur. I trust him. He's lived in his U house since the early 1970's. His house is in Idaho, but they have rain too.

So right now I'm in the planning stages. I have the floor plan all worked out and now I'm figuring out the details. The parish in which I'm building just recently put a building code into effect. I don't think they've hired enough people to enforce it yet, so I'm sure I'll get by with a few things. Building codes are all about money. Don't let anyone fool you into thinking the codes are there for the good of the consumer. Building codes are why many people can't afford to build their own homes.

How many homeless people are in your area? With $1000 they could have comfortable shelter. It's a travesty that taxpayers are paying for these people to live on the streets, when they could be in their own homes for far less money. My home will cost more than $1000, but I'll have more than the bare necessities.

One of the things I'm looking forward to doing, is building my own composting toilet. Check out The Humanure Handbook for directions.

More later....

Everything but the Rutabaga - Organic is in

I'm an OF (organic fundamentalist). I want to buy something if it's organic, whether I need it or not. But in this area of the country, buying organic usually means going to a small health food store that's composed mainly of vitamins or ordering online. Enough items to supply a household required driving two hours to Baton Rouge and tripping through the Whole Foods Supermarket.

Well, much to my joy, yesterday I went to Walmart and I was able to find an organic version of everything on my list...except the rutabaga. I guess I could have left the rutabaga in the produce section, but I've really been wanting mashed baga, so I bought it.

I even found organic clothing - workout clothing and t-shirts. I bought two of each color available.

In the past, I've tried to buy things in places other than Walmart. I simply don't have the finances or the time to run around town finding what I need anymore. And learning that the president of Seventh Generation and the president of Walmart have discussed ways in which Walmart can become "greener," I've decided not to feel guilty for shopping there anymore.

Years ago, I ordered from the Whole Foods Cooperative in Arkansas. Everything was delivered on a truck once a month. I used that method for approximately twenty years. Then life changed and my situation made it pretty much impossible to go that route.

Now, Walmart has made it possible for me to, once again, buy items that are healthier for our environment. It's still no excuse to buy more than I need, but I really did need that organic chocolate ice cream. mmmmmm