“In every well-ordered society…the rights of the individual may at times, under the pressure of great dangers, be subjected to restraint, to be enforced by reasonable regulations, as the safety of the general public may demand.” Justice John Harlan 1905
PERI, a German technology company, has been the first to create a 3D printed multistory building that is fully German certified. The BOD2 3D printer can construct a 3 story building of 10,000 square feet.
With construction supplies in short demand, it’s a relief to see the debut of a new construction methodology that can decrease construction prices by 50% or more. 3D printing robots have become more functional than ever, and now can be used to create buildings of up to 3 stories. This multi-story functionality is especially important, as it can reduce urban sprawl. We need never again create another San Fernando Valley of congestion, unbreathable air, and unaffordable homes.
Upstate New York has experienced a massive shortage of housing in the last year. Few homes are available for sale. Housing unavailability is also driven by many who see central and northern NY as an ideal location for remote work and home offices at a more reasonable price than their current homes in more urban areas. Statistics published by the New York State Association of Realtors for the 12 month period ending January 2021 indicate that sales increased by 16.7% and inventory dropped by 26.7%.
Constructiondive.com reports significant increases in basic building material costs over the past year, much of it the result of Covid-19 disruption:
Material
% change Jan. 2020
to Jan. 2021
Iron and steel
15.6%
Steel mill products
7.4%
Softwood lumber
73%
SOURCE: Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of BLS data
3D Printing to the Rescue!
3D printed homes are constructed from concrete paste, typically mixed from local materials. Floors and walls, both interior and exterior, are extrusion printed by giant robots which are programmed to manufacture predesigned and tested structures on site. This construction can often be completed in a matter of days and includes whimsical curves that are far more enchanting than right angles and parallel planes. Home construction robots can cost $250,000 and up, but careful research and selection of a manufacturer will help to quickly build cost-efficient, high-quality housing. We certainly hope to see some local 3D printed housing soon spring up here in Upstate New York.
As I went doom scrolling recently, I was amazed to discover that Herkimer County has a much lower death rate among Covid-19 infected. In comparison to world stats of 1 death in 44.6, Herkimer has reported 1 death in 81.7. New York State reports 1 death in 21.7 infected. It appears that up till now individuals who have tested positive for Covid-19 in our county were 4 times less likely to die from this virus than in New York State as a whole.
This data came from Worldometer today, December 12, 2020. We can conjecture why. Is our health data erroneous? Are Herkimer County residents super isolative in nature? Did I do my math wrong? Or do we possess some type of immunity? This last hypothesis is my favorite. Last year family members here became quite ill with the flu lasting 3 months. (August-November 2019). The symptoms were very similar to those of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. A near epidemic flu was reported in the US at that time.
Often statistics are given as occurrences per 100,000–homeowners, high school graduates, teachers per 100,000. I find the 1 in a number statistic more compelling because it’s personal and easily visualized. We can clearly imagine sitting in a classroom with 80 people. One gets up and walks away.
Driving less than 10 miles from home we were stranded!
When we drove out to Herkimer Home Historic State Park, less than 10 miles away, we gave no thought to problems returning. We soon found out just how difficult getting home would be!
At 8:30 AM we parked in the lot in front of the museum. Just as I turned off the motor, a huge plume of white billowy smoke rose from the hood of my car. After about 10 minutes it dissipated. I was not overly concerned as I have AAA road service and was not too far from home. AAA alerted me to the fact that the tow truck driver would not give me a ride due to Covid-19 restrictions. The tow truck arrived about an hour later. As soon as it departed, I tried to get a taxi. Neither Little Falls nor Herkimer offered any hope of getting one. I did not have Uber on my phone. No one we called was willing to give us a ride.
We decided to walk 3 miles to the center of Little Falls
Erie Canal Lock 17 view from Canalway trailWalking along Rt 169 Westbound Little Falls
Fortune smiled on us. It was a beautiful day and a splendid walk with wetlands on both sides of Route 169. Hats, drinking water, comfortable shoes and a backpack would have made the trek far more comfortable. Our portable battery ensured our cellphones would have power throughout the day. As we walked it occurred to us that there might be a bus from Little Falls to Herkimer.
Public transportation saved the day
Westbound Birnie Bus, Stop Little Falls, Across from Price Chopper (E Main St.)
It took a little over an hour to reach McDonald’s where we sat outside under the trees, snacking on coke and fries. Much refreshed, we identified the location of the Bernie Bus westbound stop. When the bus arrived exactly on time and almost entirely empty, it was a great relief! Things could have been far more catastrophic.
Before you drive anywhere ask yourself “how can I get home if my car breaks down?” Covid-19 disrupts transportation both public and private.
Corona Virus is out of control in FL because Floridians are not taking measures to keep safe. The Worldometer graphs below show the results of risky behavior vs behavior that can maximize your likelihood of surviving Covid-19.
FL carefree behavior leads to accelerated increase in infection.
NY results of outstanding governance lead to reduction of infection and stabilization.
You don’t have to be the governor to improve your chances of surviving Covid19: Here are some things you can do to improve your survival odds:
L-Arginine helps circulation and may reduce blood clotting. Blood clots have been found in most organs of autopsied Coronavirus bodies. Since I have been taking this amino acid supplement, my varicose veins have decreased significantly, and I no longer have trouble stumbling around when I get up in the morning.
2 Avoid sleeping in hotels
When you choose to travel overnight, camping might be your safest choice of accommodation. Covid-19 may be airborne within a hotel or guest room for as many as 3 days. Tent camping can help you avoid this risk.
3 Social distancing is worth the effort
Take social distancing seriously or you will end up with the same fate as those in Florida. It may not be fun to wear a mask or to be careful avoiding contagion. But if you do, you are more likely to live another year when there will likely be a vaccine for this horrible virus!
Partying along Herkimer’s Pleasant Avenue as countywide epidemic looms.
Last Saturday, as the coronavirus death toll soared in New York and authorities begged people to practice social distancing, our scofflaw Herkimer neighbors partied hearty. Here’s a video of landlord Joe Handy’s tenant Kim Vargis hosting a party that spilled over from their front porch onto the street. Kim Vargis has been overheard assauring others that she has a doctor’s note excusing her from wearing a face mask.
Except for these asocial cretins, Pleasant Avenue was otherwise empty, as was the village. Most folks in Herkimer are decent sorts who care about their health as well as that of others. They stayed home as asked. Then we have this lot. Sadly, according to news reports, they’re not atypical. And so the deadly virus spreads even faster, unseen until it strikes and people die. Perhaps even some of these mindless immortals.
Their depraved indifference endangers their families, their friends and everyone else in Herkimer. The New York Times noted that
“70 percent of all counties in the United States — making up 94 percent of the country’s population — are likely to have epidemics.
The grandparents of many of the people in this video probably went away for years to fight the Second World War. Kim Vargis is proud that her husband Joel Vargis Sr. is a veteran. Yet she and Pleasant Avenue neighbors couldn’t even avoid partying for a few months when their country called.
Absent social conscience, fear can work: there’s now a $1,000 state-wide fine for violating social distancing regulations. Oneida County’s enforcing it. Well past time for Herkimer County to stop gently chiding people to not kill their families and neighbors. While there’s still time.
328 Pleasant Avenue Tenants Practicing Social Distancing
Our Pleasant Avenue neighbors do know how to maintain social distance: here are the hosts of Saturday’s neighborhood get-together, Kim Vargis and some of her family, a few days later, enjoying themselves quietly at home. It may take some motivation, but everyone can practice safe social distancing.
Kim Vargis and family practicing social distancing
The Corona Virus has spread worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports today, February 26, 2020 that 81,000 people have contracted Corona virus worldwide and 2,762 have died from it. Based on these numbers we can see that 2762/81000 or 0.03409 – about 1 in every 29.4 people infected have died.
Although it’s tough to get a protective mask now as they are generally out of stock, you can make your own n95 mask.
New York Times says keep 2-week supply of necessities on hand
Prepare for shortages of basic goods such as food, medicine and cleaning supplies. Keep at least 2 weeks of food on hand at all times. This afternoon I purchased a large bag of rice, dried beans, corn tortillas, canned tomatoes, fruit, peanut butter, jam, dried pasta and sauce. This food can keep fresh without refrigeration for a year or more and is fairly nutritious.
People in China have called the Corona outbreak a zombie apocalypse and it has wreaked havoc on the country that is a major supplier of manufactured goods and foods we take for granted. Corona has had major adverse effects on China’s economy. We need to take this under advisement to protect our own well being as this airborne viruswhich can be asymptomatic for more than 18 days continues to spread.
Improve community welfare – Act Now
In our own community we should make certain to work towards community welfare. This includes creating the resources we require to function locally in times of supply chain uncertainty. Let’s start now by creating a hotline for volunteer services and action groups including a community garden and kitchen. When we are as self-sufficient and proactive, we can achieve outstanding community wide results. If someone has an idea how to create an online interactive forum that would be super. Please send your suggestions to herkimerpost@gmail.com .
That late August week 2019 (Week 35), our friend died when she went to the hospital for a lung cancer biopsy. She died of pneumonia while there. It’s also about the time when everyone in our home also came down with Flu and now in week 3 of flu and week 38 of flu season, we are finally getting better.
If you have symptoms don’t ignore them
The CDC recommends that you do your best to stop the spread of disease by covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze and washing your hands frequently. Also try to avoid other people while you have symptoms. If you have a fever it should not last more than 1 day. My fever lasted 2 days but was only 2 degrees above normal.
New York.
