Setting the record straight on common misunderstandings…

Just for fun, I’ve rounded up ten oft-repeated statements that are either half-truths or outright falsehoods. I’m sure some readers will disagree with my conclusions; if you’re one of them, don’t hesitate to post a comment.

The Alstonvale Net Zero House (in Hudson) burned to the ground late May.  Word on the street (i.e. stuff I gleaned from this article) leads people to believe it was caused by an exothermic reaction in the day’s spray foaming party in the attic. Sad… but what a horribly ugly home.

Story here.

Walking westward down Notre-Dame from Atwater just gets cooler and cooler.  A new store front, a new neighbour, a new destination for all of you in the Sud-Ouest.  Tucked between a landmark (Dilallo burgers) and much sought after first coffee of the day (Lili & Oli) you will now find…

Fait-Ici

Fait ici is an eco-conscious general store that showcases high quality products primarily made in Quebec. 

Fait ici promises to provide you with an option that delivers on quality and sustainability. We’ve done our homework about the products on our shelves. We know who makes them, where they’re made, and how their produced.

It is also a throwback to the days when shopping was an experience. We aim to provide our clientele with a thoroughly modern twist on an old concept, the general store.

Media Event - June 9th at 2pm (Fait Ici Media Event Doc)

Grand opening June 10th at 5pm (2519 Notre Dame O)

And if any of you wonderful readers get to visit the store before I do, give me the buzz.

After 23 days of holding this underwater video private, they were forced to release it yesterday.  Nothing like video to bring the magnitude of this disaster into perspective.

- The white plume you see at the start of the video is Natural Gas, followed by Oil…

Ten years ago, Gale was a builder and flipper of office parks who would eventually become known for knocking down the Boston landmark Filene’s Basement and replacing it with a hole in the ground. But Gale’s fate began to change in 2001 with a phone call from South Korea. The Korean government had found his firm on the Internet and made an offer everyone else had refused. The brief: Gale would borrow $35 billion from Korea’s banks and its biggest steel company, and use the money to build from scratch a city the size of downtown Boston, only taller and denser, on a muddy man-made island in the Yellow Sea. When Gale arrived to see the site, it was miles of open water. He signed anyway.

…read it all on Fast Company.

Need a new tool in your belt, bag or bucket?  Stuck on what to buy grandma?  Look no further.  This is the Bosch PS20-2A Pocket Driver.

I own quite a number of power tools, this is by far the smallest.  So let me tell why I would recommend it to anyone.  For 120$ I can’t imagine a more useful and versatile piece of kit.  I’ve always said, never buy a cordless power tool that doesn’t come with 2 batteries and a case.  This comes with both of those.  The 12V (10.8V*) LiIon batteries hold their charge as you pour through the screws in your tool belt.

While this isn’t my daily driver (that honour belongs to my prized Makita) it does come out of it’s case very very frequently.  Used in tight spaces, used as my primary power driver, used when I need to drill/drive relatively quietly after hours, used as a second drill for counter sinking to save me from having to switch bits on the Makita.  And small enough to fit in a pouch on your belt.

I could go on, but trust me, it’s awesome.  Here, read this more in depth review if you want a bit more detail.

Throw this under the tree for anyone who is handy (or just needs a simple and lightweight drill/driver).  Maybe even stuff their stocking with a sweet set of bits to complete the package.   (ok, the bits are what I want for the holidays…hope someone I know reads this)

Oh, one last bit.  If anyone ever laughs at the fact that your drill has an integrated LED, tell them they have obviously never used one.  Or better yet, tell them…”What do you use?  A Ryobi??”  Then start laughing hysterically.

Milking the the successful run of Holmes on Homes, Mikie has since built a home in New Orleans, ‘wrote’ a home Inspection Guide, launched a Home Inspection show… and now… a magazine.

I’m a sucker for all things reno, the way I figure, if even one thing in the magazine can save me on the next contract, then it’s 5.95$ well spent.  I just want to save you the trouble on this one.  Give this first issue a pass.  Here’s why.

Pros: It’s shiny and new

Cons:

• Mike’s face 13 times
• Font size makes it practically unreadable (headache inducing, no joke)
• Tough to differentiate the adverts from the articles
• Nothing really new and innovative
• Feels like the writers are dumbing it all down for you (or are they just bad writers?)
• Spends 80% of magazine promoting green and sustainable, then highlights the Toyota Tundra as a contractor’s pick… come on!!
• Mike’s face 13 times…

Basically I’ll stick with Fine Homebuilding for the time being and let the editors work the kinks out in the next installment.  This is me, not holding my breath.

10 Enviro Tales You’ve Never Seen On Film Before

Presented from December 4 to 6, the fourth annual Recycling Artists Eco Fair will bring together 52 exhibitors from Quebec who share the same artistic and environmental vision: to create objects, accessories, jewellery and clothing from recovered materials. A unique opportunity to find original gifts made in Quebec! Admission to the Biosphère will be free during the Eco Fair.

Have a quick looksy at what this author found when he noticed his new D cell rechargeable from Energizer was not living up to it’s fat roots.   He mentions another brand to try, named Powerex, which I haven’t seen locally.  But a friend recommended Sanyo’s Eneloops and after reading this great in-depth review I’ll be stopping off at Costco to pick up a few sets.  We’ve been using energizer AA’s for as long as I can remember and they’ve just plain sucked. Always dead when you need them…  Any how, as the kids age, our battery usage should start peaking and fortunately we now have a practical option on the table.