GO GIANTS!

We in the San Francisco Bay Area are SOOOO excited about our Giants being in the World Series.

The first game starts at 4:57PM (PDT). Don't call me.

Our team this year is not the same team that started the year. So many changes. So many new (to us) players who were cast off from other teams and thought they would be watching the rest of their season from the couch.

It's quite remarkable that they were able to pull off an end of the season run to the top in the rankings and beat what we all thought were better teams in the playoffs.

Many, many fans have been cheering for the Giants ever since they came to San Francisco from New York back in the '50's. That includes me. My Mom was a SF Seals fan before the Giants came to town. We often went to (tiny) Seals Stadium, at 16th and Brannon, to watch both teams play, before Candlestick park was built.

After Candlestick was built, we went there. This was the era of Mays and McCovey, Cepeda and Marichal. Now the Giants have a gorgeous new stadium in Pac Bell Park.

The one thing missing all these years has been a World Series win. We've come close. Gotten into the Series, only to lose, in 1962, 1989 (the Earthquake) and 2002 (Barry Bonds).

Now here we are again; hoping against hope that this ragtag bunch of castoffs and rookies can pull off a miracle.

We're the underdogs, but that's the way we like it.

Go, GO Giants!
and Fear the Beard!

Peggy

ADDENDUM 11/1/10:

I just watched the Giants clinch the World Series title in 5.
What a run!
All of San Francisco is ecstatic!

Sulfer-Tainted Drywall - Who Knew?

I just finished reading a lengthy expose on Pro-Publica, China Plays Tug-of-War With U.S. Inspectors Over Drywall, about Chinese and American drywall, tainted with sulfer, that causes extensive corrosion of metal components in walls, such as wiring; and also makes the occupants sick.

As a longtime sufferer of sulfer sensitivity, all I can say is this:

It looks like it is advisable to have the drywall that is delivered to your job site tested before it is installed in your home. At the very least somebody needs to give it a "smell test" to see if there is the tell-tale scent of rotten eggs.

There is no other way to protect yourselves from the fate of those people who tell their stories about contaminated drywall in their homes in the Comments below the article.

Peggy

Addendum:

There are a lot more stories on ProPublica about the tainted drywall. Go to http://www.propublica.org/topic/tainted-drywall to read about the Lowe's settlement, now worth up to $100K to homeowners, and much more.

UPDATE 12/14/10

Here is an update from ProPublica on this problem:

http://www.propublica.org/article/federal-probe-of-chinese-drywall-falls-short

Lead Paint Testing and Mitigation in Pre-1978 Homes

Fine Homebuilding has developed a comprehensive web site, Lead Paint Remodeling Center, where they have aggregated all the information anyone needs to deal with the now in effect EPA Rules on how lead paint on and in pre-1978 homes must be handled.

There are links for homeowners and contractors, down-loadable pamphlets, videos. Just everything you need.

If you own a pre-1978 home in the US, and EVER plan to remodel it, I suggest you go to this site and look at the information on testing your home's painted surfaces to find out if they contain lead. If they do you will know what extra mitigation you are going to be subjected to in order to safely complete your remodeling plans within the law. If you find no lead, be sure to retain your testing data to show to any future contractors and future buyers, should you want to sell.

Most pre-1978 built homes do not have lead paint in them. So, chances are, the testing will be all you need to do.

Good luck with it,

Peggy

Fine Homebuilding has complete information on the EPA’s regulations and contractor certification at www.finehomebuilding.com/lead-safe, as well best practices for lead-safe remodeling that homeowners need to know.

NEWTOWN, CT (October 5, 2010)... Strict new rules from the EPA for lead-safe remodeling, enforced with steep fines for non-compliance, are going to significantly change the way remodeling contractors work. While contractors will be required to pass a certification course before proceeding with work on houses that contain lead paint, the new law is equally significant to homeowners. Fine Homebuilding magazine has created an easy-to-use Web site for contractors and the public that has complete start-to-finish information about lead-safe remodeling.

According to Brian Pontolilo, editor of Fine Homebuilding, “Lead paint has always been a concern for conscientious remodelers. Hopefully, the EPA’s new Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) rule will make homeowners and do-it-yourselfers equally aware of the potential dangers. Adopting lead-safe work habits significantly reduces the likelihood of lead poisoning for the home’s occupants, as well as for workers.”

He added, “Contractors will need to learn to comply with the new law while balancing the increased time, materials, and costs associated with it. Homeowners need to know what they’re getting into whether they’re hiring a remodeler to work on their home or beginning a do-it-yourself project where lead paint may be present. We have created a complete multimedia resource, at www.finehomebuilding.com/lead-safe, with easy-to-understand, accurate information about lead-paint safety and the new RRP rule.”

Fine Homebuilding’s lead-paint-safety Web site includes:
1. How-to video series: Lead-safe remodeling for interior and exterior jobs
2. Two special reports — the what, why, how of the new rule — that you can download
•Understanding the New Lead-Paint Regulations: A Guide for Contractors
•Understanding the New Lead-Paint Regulations: A Guide for Consumers
3. A “Compliance Kit” with downloadable checklists, forms, and pamphlets for homeowners
4. An article collection from Fine Homebuilding on lead-safe and dust-free remodeling strategies
5. A printable job-site warning sign that is required by the new rule
6. Podcast series (3) where we interview a remodeler who talks about tools, OSHA requirements, cost increases you didn’t expect, and obtaining liability insurance

The October/November 2010 issue of Fine Homebuilding, on sale at newsstands now, also contains an in-depth article on lead-safe remodeling.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say that more than 250,000 American children under the age of 6 have elevated blood-lead levels. In a significant number of these cases, the elevated lead levels were caused by renovation work that disturbed paint surfaces in older homes. The EPA projects that 1.4 million children under the age of 6 live in homes that are renovated each year. It’s estimated that lead-based paint was used in nearly 40 million American homes before it was banned in 1978. In homes built before 1978, for any renovation that includes disturbing painted surfaces (and most do) the new EPA rules apply.

New Vu1 Light Bulb a Big Step Closer

A company I have been watching with interest since learning about their new technology earlier this year has just announced UL Certification.

I must admit that I am a shareholder. As soon as I heard that they were creating an energy efficient lightbulb with no mercury that creates light similar to incandescent and will cost about the same as a high quality compact fluorescent (CFL), I just HAD to jump on board for the ride.

This is so exciting! I can hardly wait to get my hands on their new R30 lamp; a replacement for all those downlights in kitchens across the nation.

Peggy

Vu1 Announces UL Certification... 8-Oct-10 10:25 am

Vu1 Announces UL Certification for Unique Clean Energy-Efficient Light Bulb; Preparation Started for Commercial Production


Vu1's Electron Stimulated Luminescence™ (ESL™) R30 reflector bulb serves addressable US market of 800 million recessed can lights and more than 140 million bulbs sold per year

Company anticipates revenue generation by the end of the 2010 fourth quarter
SEATTLE, Oct. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Vu1 Corporation (OTC Bulletin Board: VUOC), a developer and manufacturer of mercury-free, energy-efficient, general illumination lighting technology, today announced that it has received final approval for UL listing for the Company's R30 Electron Stimulated Luminescence™ (ESL™) energy-efficient reflector light bulbs.
Vu1's R30 ESL™ bulb is a direct replacement for the 65W incandescent flood bulb. It is virtually indistinguishable from the traditional incandescent lamp it replaces and, unlike CFLs, is mercury-free. The Company's ESL™ Lighting Technology uses accelerated electrons to stimulate phosphor to create light, making the surface of the bulb "glow," providing natural light quality, energy efficiency and a long bulb life of 10,000 hours.
"Vu1 achieving UL certification for its unique Electron Stimulated Luminescence™ R30 bulb is a major milestone for the company and a testament to the skill of Vu1's development, engineering and manufacturing team based in the Czech Republic along with the hard work and dedication of everyone at Vu1 and its many supporters," commented Philip G. Styles, President and Chief Executive Officer. "The rapidly growing number of consumers and businesses that want a clean, more energy-efficient and affordable light bulb will now no longer have to accept a compromise on functionality, light quality, aesthetics or price. Vu1's groundbreaking ESL technology can create a solution for all and has the potential to be further developed into all aspects of the lighting industry."
The primary initial market for Vu1's R30 light bulb is the commercial and residential General Illumination Market, where incandescent, halogen, compact fluorescent ("CFL") and Light Emitting Diode ("LED") lighting is used. In recent years, the industry has shifted to more energy efficient lighting solutions in an effort to conserve electricity. Additionally, U.S. and international legislation has moved to phase out use of traditional incandescent bulbs in favor of more energy-efficient solutions. The U.S. has passed legislation intended to phase out the use of the incandescent light bulb beginning in 2012, with a full phase out in 2014.

More:

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/...