CasaSugar

Have You Been Through a Hurricane?

CasaSugar — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:00:36 -0700

As Tropical Storm Gustav makes its way toward the Gulf Coast, practically three years to the day after Hurricane Katrina hit (which I myself experienced firsthand), I'm feeling pretty uneasy. The storm has already killed 11 people in the Caribbean and is projected to hit Louisiana and the Gulf Coast on Monday. Yikes. I'm sure plenty of you have been through one hurricane, if not several. Have you? How do you prepare your home for an impending storm? Do you pack up and leave, or do you stick it out? Has anyone been affected by a storm this year?
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Were You Affected by Hurricane Ike?

CasaSugar — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 08:30:54 -0700

With all eyes on Tropical Storm Gustav a few weeks ago, it seems as if Hurricane Ike snuck up on us. It ended up being a deadly storm. Were you or your home, or the homes of anyone you love, affected by the storm?

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Front Page: Bush Arrives in Seoul, Storm Hits Coast, Food Shortages for Nepal

CitizenSugar — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 06:53:56 -0700

Bush Arrives in Seoul:
President Bush arrived in Seoul, Korea today for talks aimed at communist North Korea - and instead of the large anti-US rally that was expected, a huge crowd of support gathered in the city center. Amid a background of gospel music, the pro-US rally attracted about 15,000 people for what is thought to be Bush's last trip to the country as president. One of those gathered said, "I came to pray for the country to come together and with President Bush coming, for his visit to go smoothly." There was little sign of the tension that sparked huge anti-government protests over the ending of the ban of US beef imports. 20,000 police has been mobilized for protests that never really materialized.

Storm Hits Coast:
Tropical Storm Edouard has made landfall on the Texas coast east of Galveston and is expected to plow inland as the day goes on. Texas and Louisiana have made declarations of disaster and statewide emergency pending the storm with 65 m.p.h winds. No evacuation edicts have been issued.

Food Shortages For Nepal:
The UN and the government of Nepal announced that hundreds of thousands of Nepalese are facing severe food shortages. Efforts to get food aid to those in need are being delayed by fuel shortages and strikes. The price of rice has risen 50 percent in the last year. Meanwhile, the EU has pledged $4.6 million to Haiti to help with the crushing hunger crisis there.

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Tropic Thunder's Ben, Jack and Robert Storm London

Molly — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 02:00:00 -0700

The boys of Tropic Thunder - Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr. - brought their box office hit to London last night. Of course, the trio of funny men have their red carpet poses down to a science at this point. Ben raised some eyebrows with his newly dyed locks but it's his costar whose hair we're excited to see . . . or not see as the case may be. Thankfully RDJ left the mustache back in the states and was back to his clean shaven self we know and love with his wife by his side. He'll be showing off his scruff more again soon on-screen in the heart-wrenching new drama The Soloist.

To see lots more of the boys at the premiere just read more.

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How-To: Secure Your Home For a Hurricane

CasaSugar — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 11:00:00 -0700

With Tropical Storm Gustav making its way through the Caribbean, I've got hurricanes on the mind. When I lived in New Orleans, to prepare for a storm, I'd basically move my bed to the center of the room away from the windows, and move things off the floor onto my mattress: pretty amateur and useless preparations. I lived in a rental then, so I guess I didn't really care about protecting the property. If that weren't the case, the most important precaution I'd take to reduce damage would be to protect the areas where wind can enter. According to recent wind technology research, you should strengthen the exterior of your house so wind and debris don't tear large openings in it. There are five critical areas of your home to protect and reinforce. To hear about them, and the steps you should take, read more.

Here is a summary of tips from the National Hurricane Center.

Retrofit your roof.
If you have a gabled roof, you'll want to strengthen the gabled end walls, as they can take a tremendous beating during a storm. To do so, "fasten eight-foot-long braces to the bottom chord of the gable truss and the adjacent trusses with sixteen-penny (16d) nails." Make sure they are perpendicular to the truss, spaced four feet apart on center, max. "Tie back the gable truss with at least one eight-foot-long brace, along the ridge of the roof, to several of the interior trusses."

Shingles also aren't made or installed to be wind resistant, and furthermore, sometimes their adhesives haven't adhered properly. Have a professional check to see if this is the case. If so, "use a quick-setting asphalt cement to bond them together." To do so, "place two spots of quick-setting asphalt cement about the size of a quarter under each tab with a putty knife or caulking gun," and press the shingle's tab into the adhesive.

Install hurricane straps.
You should also install metal hurricane straps to ensure that your roof and walls are properly connected. To do so, "remove the roof sheathing around the perimeter of the roof to reveal the top of the wall [ and . . . ] the soffit and exterior cladding to reveal the top 12 to 18 inches of the wall." And, "If your roof has trusses, make sure you tie them to the wall by either anchoring to the top plate and then the top plate to the wall stud, or strapping the truss directly to the wall stud."

Install impact-resistant shutters.
To protect doors and windows from wind-borne objects, and reduce sudden pressure changes when a window or door is broken, you should install impact-resistant shutters to your windows and doors. A simple plywood panel will do, and manufactured shutters (or those already on your house) may work as well, but you should lean against it and see if it yields; this will tell you if it can resist the impact of debris. In either case, you must make sure the shutters are adequately fastened, or they'll just fly off. You can also invest in impact-resistant windows and doors, which won't require temporary shutters during a storm.

Secure entry doors.
Your home's entry doors can probably resist wind pressure and debris, but there are a few precautions you can take. "Install head and foot bolts on the inactive door of double-entry doors." Ensure you door has "at least three hinges and a deadbolt security lock, which has a minimum one-inch bolt throw length." And on a double entry door, check the connections at the header trim or threshold, making sure "the surface bolt extends into the door header and through the threshold into the subfloor."

Brace garage doors.
Double-wide garage doors are particularly susceptible to wind damage because of their width, and they can be forced out of their roller tracks. Your local building supplier or garage-door retailer may actually sell a retrofit kit to withstand hurricane winds, which will secure it. Otherwise, you should reinforce it at its weakest points, "installing horizontal and/or vertical bracing onto each panel, using wood or light gauge metal girds bolted to the door mullions, [using] heavier hinges and stronger end and vertical supports for your door."

To learn more, check out the National Hurricane Center's website.
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Haitian-American Wyclef and All-American Matt Help Haiti

LibertySugar — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 06:00:57 -0700

Haitian-born Wyclef Jean and Matt Damon arrived in Cabaret, Haiti on Saturday to distribute food aid to residents hit by tropical storms. Matt and Wyclef organized the food distribution for the victims of the severe weather and floods, and called on the UN to raise $100 million for 800,000 desperate Haitians.

Four tropical storms hit Haiti in less than a month. Matt said the flooded streets, muddy homes, and cries of hunger, left him speechless, and Wyclef said that "no human should be living like this" in what he called inhumane conditions.

While we know Wyclef is quite the pal of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Matt Damon is not so much a fan of Sarah Palin, they both seem like generous friends of troubled Haitians.

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Casa Verde: Greening Your Heating

CasaSugar — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 10:35:00 -0700

Casa reader and TeamSugar member Tdamji writes an excellent green living blog called Minimal Harm. She tells me that she'll be officially launching a new version of the blog in early 2008, which I'm very excited about. Tdamji recently posted about greening your heating, which she adapted from a Treehugger post. Since it's starting to get chilly in many parts of the northern hemisphere, I thought everyone might like some tips on keeping their energy bills lower and their homes cozier. Thanks Tdamji and Treehugger!

1. Seal the leaks!
Sounds dull I know, but heat loss is one of the biggest obstacles on the road to a comfortable home in the winter. Good thing that sealing those darn leaks -- or draft-proofing, to get technical -- is a breeze. Plus, come summer time, good insulation will make it harder for heat to beat a path way into your home. All you need is a tube of exterior silicone caulk or insulation strips, which you can attach to your windows, plumbing and wiring holes, doors and fireplace dampers.

To find the leaks, light a stick of incense or a candle on a breezy day, close all the windows and doors, and wander around your rooms searching for places toward which the incense smoke drifts. Those are your target zones. For the space between your doors and the floor, consider installing a nifty, cheap door sweep on the bottom of the door.

2. Cover your glass
Installing clear plastic barriers or storm windows on your existing windows can cut heat loss by 25% to 50% by creating an insulating dead-air space inside the window. Storm windows cost about $7.50 to $12.50 per square foot. Exterior storm windows will increase the temperature of the inside window by as much as 30°F on a cold day, keeping you more comfortable.

3. Stay ventilated
The better you draft-proof and insulate your home, the more you’ll need good ventilation. Pollutants (especially from unflued heaters) can accumulate and excess condensation can cause mould and mildew to grow. Open some windows for a few minutes several times a day (cross-ventilate, if possible), rather than leaving a window partly open all the time.

4. Spread the heat
Who knew a fan could be useful for heating your home? Turns out that a well-positioned and slow-rotating fan can help ensure that heat from your radiator or heater doesn’t just drift up to your ceiling but spreads throughout your room, warming you toe to head. One great option is a heater fan, which sits atop woodstoves or gas room heaters and relies on a thermodynamic module to keep them running on heat alone (look ma, no batteries!).

For six more smart heating tips, just read more

5. Heating wisely
Heating the rooms to tropical temperatures isn’t just unnecessary, but uncomfortable. Throw on your most comfortable sweater and turn your thermostat down a few degrees. Each degree Celsius less will save about 10% on your energy use. And don’t forget to close doors to keep the heat contained in the rooms you’re actually using. Also, reduce temperatures at night, when you’re under the blankets. A programmable thermostat might be your most effective weapon.

6. Peel a drape
Since most heat loss in your home occurs through and around the windows, draw your drapes, especially at night. During the day, leave north-facing windows uncovered in order to take advantage of the winter sun. If you can line your drapes with old bed sheets or other material, they’ll prove even more effective in cutting down on your heating costs. You can also buy insulating drapes, which incorporate layers of insulating material, a radiant barrier, and a moisture-resistant layer to prevent condensation.

7. Start a fire (but not like a caveman)
What are fireplaces good for? Gathering the family around, hanging stockings on, putting photographs on top of. And what are they not good for? Entering the house (unless of course you’re Santa), throwing trash into, and heating. Yes, heating. On average, fireplaces are only about 10% efficient. That is, about 90% of their energy is lost through the chimney, along with loads of your home’s warm air and energy dollars.

But if you can’t resist the crackle and the glow, lower your thermostat to about between 50° and 55°F so your system doesn't keep trying to replace the warm air being lost through the chimney. Also, open the window nearest the fireplace slightly and close nearby doors so the fireplace won’t easily draw heated air out of the house. Installing glass doors on the fireplace, which can be closed when the fire’s dying or out, will prevent indoor heated air from escaping through the chimney, as will closing the chimney damper when the fireplace is not in use.

Consider using EcoBrics, which, made of compressed sawdust, have the same energy value as brown coal equivalents, with one-third the water content and a fraction of the ash and sulfur emissions.

Some upgrades to consider are the EcoFire Super-Grate, which increases burning efficiency, an outdoor air intake, which cuts down on heat loss from your home, or a high-efficiency fireplace insert, offering stricter air control.

If you don’t use your fireplace at all, plug and seal the chimney flue. You can keep your family photos where they are.

8. Get into (cheaper) hot water
Water heating is the third largest energy expense in an American home, typically accounting for about 13% of your utility bill. There are four ways to cut your water heating bills: use less hot water, turn down the thermostat on your water heater, insulate your water heater, or buy a new, more efficient water heater.

To use less, consider aerating faucets, which enhance spray while minimizing water usage, repair leaky faucets, and opt for showers over baths. To insulate your heater, you’ll need blankets that shouldn’t cost more than $20 and will save you around 4-9% in heating costs. Remember not to cover the thermostat; if insulating your hot-water storage tank, don’t cover the thermostat, top, bottom, or burner compartment.

9. Be passive
So-called “passive” techniques earn their name from being unobtrusive, requiring little tending or cost. But they’re anything but passive when it comes to heating your home. Installing larger, insulated windows on south-facing walls and locating thermal mass, such as a concrete slab floor or a heat-absorbing wall, close to the windows, will help your home absorb solar heat with a minimum loss of inside heat.

Keep in mind that for passive solar heating, the optimal window-to-wall area ratio is 25-35 percent. Ensure also that your south-facing windows are clean, and that objects do not block the sunlight from hitting concrete floors or other heat-absorbing materials. If you’re constructing a new home, make sure the longest walls run from east to west, allowing the sun’s rays to enter the home in winter, while allowing in as little sun as possible during summer.

10. Cuddle up
Or throw a get-together, and tell everyone to wear their coolest (no pun intended) sweaters. The more people in your home (or bed!) the hotter it is. Gather around the fireplace -- but if you’re cold, think twice before actually lighting it up. No matter what, sweeten the deal with some hot cider or cocoa!

Front Page: US Clinches Relay, China Leads Medals, Zimbabwe Talks to Resume, Floods in Vietnam Kill 100

CitizenSugar — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 07:00:41 -0700

US Clinches Relay, China Leads Medals:
The US swimming relay team broke the world record, took gold, and snatched victory from the favored French team as the oldest member of the US swimming team accomplished one of the biggest comebacks overtaking the French team in the last few meters of the relay. The win keeps Michael Phelps dream of winning eight Olympic golds alive. In the overall medal count, China is in the lead with nine golds and 14 medals, South Korea is second in gold, and the US is third with three golds and but second overall with 12. President Bush attended the Games this weekend and said they exceeded his expectations.

Zimbabwe Talks to Resume:
Talks to arrange a power-sharing between Zimbabwe's governing party and opposition are due to resume in the capital today. According to President Robert Mugabe, 14 hours of talks had ended inconclusively though he remains "confident" a deal could be reached. It's thought that Mugabe may become ceremonial president while opposition leader Tsvangirai becomes executive prime minister.
Floods in Vietnam Kill 100:
At least 100 are dead and 50 missing after floods and landslides from tropical storm Kammuri battered the country over the weekend. Flash flooding reduced entire villages to rubble, and the government says more than 4,000 buildings have been flooded. Troops have been deployed in boats to reach those cut off by the waters.

For a stunning underwater photo of the swimming relay, read more.

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Sugar Bits – Britney's New Role

PopSugarUK — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 04:00:00 -0700

Here's your first look at Britney on How I Met Your Mother – PopSugar
Speaking of the popstrel, Britney has been ordered to pay £190,000 of Kevin Federline's legal bills –The Sun
Apparently, Kerry Katona wants to pull the plug on Crazy In Love due to the criticism she's received. – Daily Mail
Leona Lewis is storming the US. She's currently number one in their iTunes chart, and now she's been asked to go on Oprah. –Mirror
Trinny and Susannah will be returning to head up a 3-part series called The Great British Body, and they're trying to get all us people of Britain to fill in their "body census". – Guardian
The trailer for Ben Stiller and Robert Downey Jr's new film Tropic Thunder has been released. – Empire
Cranford has received four Bafta TV nominations, including a best actress nod for Dame Judi Dench. – BBC
Annie Hardy is asking fans to fund Giant Drag's new album. – NME
Diddy has denied an LA Times report that his associates were responsible for the 1994 robbery and shooting of Tupac. – Yahoo
And final thoughts... well, lets finish like we started - with Britney on How I Met Your Mother. Can we judge her acting from this one line?

Photo courtesy of CBS