THE COB BUILDERS HANDBOOK, by Becky Bee is an excellent resource for those wanting to build a warm, energy efficient, natural home, without a lot of money. You can build a home for as little as $5 / sq. ft. A healthy home with no chemicals, built of local materials with low embodied energy, is available to those willing to expend a bit of sweat equity. This book explains it all, from foundation to rook. We highly recommend it!

Some of the interesting things we saw at the fair was the Martin’s Oil Press, for pressing vegetable oil from seed crops, a pelletizer for making pellets from grass, wood shavings, and soon, seedcake from the oil press. Pellet stoves for buring those pellets were also on display. I’ll be posting website addresses for these devices as I get them. A reminder to those who talked with us at the show, our newsletter signup is at http://www.green-trust.org/newsletter/. One outfit was showing Insulated Concrete Forms that make it easy for the homeowner to build foundations and walls for the house. We spoke with TRD Design, a dealer for IntegraSpec.    

We just returned from the North Country Sustainable Energy Fair, where we taught classes on DIY Wind Turbine design and DIY Solar installation. We saw a number of really neat things there, and will be showcasing them here over the next few days. The one we want to talk about today is the Pearl Steam Engine. Pearl Steam Engines are a natural and superior power source for generators. The Pearl Single Cylinder Engine will easily produce 1 kilowatt. The Pearl Twin Cylinder Engine will easily provide 2 kilowatts.     Utilizing the exhaust’s heat allows for co-generation. This raises overall efficiency even further. We highly suggest you take a look.

One of the hidden beauties of golf is learning about the history of the game. With all the buzz about Tiger Woods this year, the winning streak of one of the greatest players of all time, Byron Nelson has taken center stage. It’s amazing how good the early pioneers of the game like Bobby Jones and Nelson were, especially considering the equipment they used back then.

With this week’s PGA TOUR stop in Irving Texas at the EDS Byron Nelson Championship, I thought some history about the tournament’s namesake was a very appropriate, interesting and informative topic for this story.

Starting in 1942 and ending in 1946, Byron Nelson finished in the Top 10 in 65 consecutive tournaments. Over that full time period, Nelson finished out of the Top 10 only once, winning 34 times and finishing second 16 more times. Nelson’s 1945 season  is considered by most the best ever by a male golfer, including 11 tournaments in a row. He did it with a 68.33 stroke average that was not bested for another 55 years.
 
Nelson was born south of Fort Worth, where he and Ben Hogan became acquainted as children when both caddied at Glen Garden Country Club. The two squared off for the club’s caddie championship in 1927, with Nelson winning.  Nelson turned pro in 1932 and his swing is considered by many golf historians the first “modern” swing (it served as the model for the mechanical testing robot that came to be known as “Iron Byron”).

The World Golf Hall of Fame explains: “Coming of age just as the steel shaft was replacing hickory, Nelson learned that using the big muscles in the hips and legs could be a more reliable, powerful, and effective way to hit a golf ball than the more wristy method that had been employed in the era of hickory. Nelson was particularly noteworthy for the way his swing was more upright and along the target line, employing a full shoulder turn with restricted wrist cock, and for the way he kept his knees flexed in the downswing.”

Nelson’s first major came in 1937 at the Masters, which he won again in 1942 by beating Hogan in an 18-hole playoff. Following his amazing 1945 season, Nelson won six more times in 1946 and then, at the age of 34, retired from full-time competitive golf to buy a ranch in Texas. He played only sparingly afterward. After his playing days ended, Nelson did some television commentary and also hosted the Byron Nelson Classic on the PGA Tour each year. He mentored many young golfers, among them Ken Venturi and Tom Watson.
 
Byron Nelson was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974.

Byron Nelson’s Biography:
“Byron” is actually his middle name. His full name is John Byron Nelson Jr. and nickname, Lord Byron.
Born: Feb. 4, 1912, in Waxahachie, Texas
Died: Sept. 27, 2006

Major Championships:
• Masters: 1937, 1942
• U.S. Open: 1939
• PGA Championship: 1940, 1945

Awards and Honors:
• Member, World Golf Hall of Fame
• Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year, 1944 and 1945
• PGA Tour Vardon Trophy winner, 1939
• PGA Tour leading money winner, 1944, 1945
• Member of 2 U.S. Ryder Cup teams
• Captain, U.S. Ryder Cup team, 1965

Here are Byron Nelson’s results from the year 1945, when he won 18 of 30 tournaments entered, including 11 consecutively.

11 in a row, along with Nelson’s margin of victory in each:
Miami International Four-Ball (team tournament)
Charlotte Open, won by 4 strokes
Greater Greensboro Open, won by 8 strokes
Durham Open, won by 5 strokes
Atlanta Open, won by 9 strokes
Montreal Open, won by 10 strokes
Philadelphia Inquirer, won by 2 strokes
Chicago Victory National Open, won by 7 strokes
PGA Championship (match play)
Tam O’Shanter Open, won by 11 strokes
Canadian Open, won by 4 strokes

18 Wins:
Phoenix Open, 274
Corpus Christi Open, 264
New Orleans Open, 284
Miami International Four-Ball (team tournament)
Charlotte Open, 272
Greater Greensboro Open, 271
Durham Open, 276
Atlanta Open, 263
Montreal Open, 268
Philadelphia Inquirer, 269
Chicago Victory National Open, 275
PGA Championship (match play)
Tam O’Shanter Open, 269
Canadian Open, 280
Knoxville Invitational, 276
Esmeralda Open, 266
Seattle Open, 259
Glen Garden Open, 273

Trivia question:
Who won the first Byron Nelson Championship?

Answer:
Byron Nelson won the Dallas Open in 1944, the first year it was played. The Dallas Open later turned into what we now know as the EDS Byron Nelson Championship.

Bobby Jones
With Mother’s and Father’s Days approaching here’s a great gift idea; the Bobby Jones DVD Collection. These are the original Warner Bros golf instructional series: How I Play Golf and How To Break 90, staring the greatest golfer of the all - Bobby Jones.

In this cherished series, Bobby Jones explains his secrets of the game from tee to green. You’ll see Bobby play coach to some of the top celebrities of all time including W.C. Fields, Edward G. Robinson, James Cagney, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Loretta Young and many more! It’s Bobby Jones at his matinee idol best…a must-have for golfers of all ages and abilities! All 12 episodes of the original series of are included on 2 DVD’s. All the material has been re-mastered for the first time on DVD. The sound and picture quality is digitally enhanced.

This collector’s series is not only great instruction from THE MASTER, but it’s also very entertaining. It’s a must for any serious golfer, plus makes a great gift for family, friends and especially customers and business associates. As an added bonus, your order includes the Thumbs Down method Front Nine eBook with video, a priceless combination for improving your golf game.

For details go to http://www.golfinstructionmadesimple.com/OnlineStore/BobbyJones.htm.

• 4/22 - GREEN-CENTIVES.    Companies offering workers a bonus to buy hy-brids, solar panels, and other measures to save energy.  Good for the environment AND business, because it attracts top employees.
• 4/23 - CARBON OFFSETS.   You hear the term ‘carbon offsets’ used a lot these days.  This piece explains how people can buy “offsets” in order to subsidize businesses that turn waste into energy.   
• 4/24 - CLUBS.    New clubs help neighbors reduce energy consumption.  Like Weight Watchers, the groups meet to compare energy bills and share tips for savings.

Getting Paid to Drive Green: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/04/22/eveningnews/main4035867.shtml Learning About Emissions From Business: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/04/23/eveningnews/main4039729.shtml Calculating Your Carbon Footprint: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/04/24/eveningnews/main4043555.shtml

It’s Master’s Week, the unofficial beginning of spring and start of the golf season for me. I’m tuning into ESPN and just saw Paul Azinger make a hole-in-one, on the second hole during the annual par 3 tournament.

The media buzz since the new year is all about Tiger Woods, and his run at “The Slam”. This year he actually has two tries to win it (I’ll bet you didn’t know that), because he currently holds the PGA trophy. By winning the Masters, US Open and British Open championships he’ll win the Tiger Slam, for holding all four trophies at the same time. Because he’s Tiger, they created this new Slam category, but it’s the Single Season Slam (SSS) that he’s after. The SSS is the same as the Grand Slam, which means you’ve won all four majors during the same season. Are you getting all this?

Will Tiger Woods win the Masters and win a Slam this year? What do you think? I say yes, he’ll win them both. In my article, “Is 2K08 another Y2K?” I pointed out the similarities between Tiger’s 2000 season and the current 2008 season. They’re looking more alike every week. When he won the Tiger Slam in 2000, it seemed like every putt he needed to make went in. After he closed-out the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, holing a 25-foot putt on the 18th hole, I made my prediction. They’re all dropping again this year, so lookout PGA Tour. When they’re not all dropping, they only miss by hairs. That’s the subject for this week’s story that follows. I started writing it after the CA, WGC Championship from Doral.
  

By now, we all know that Geoff Ogilvie won the CA, WGC Championship from Doral by a shot over Jim Furyk and Retief Goosen, ending Tiger’s Woods’ streak. Root for or against him, you gotta give Tiger credit for dragging the conclusion out to late Monday morning. As often as we wanted to crown Geoff Oglivy or Vijay Singh or Adam Scott the champ many times during the final round, Tiger was still there at the end at -15, before finally being officially eliminated after Furyk finished at -16. Ogilvie was on the 17th hole at -17.

As I completed previous week’s story, round two of the CA Championship was still in progress. Tiger Woods was on his 18th hole with a 20 foot down-hiller, with a lot of break for a closing birdie. Just like the week before at Bay Hill he made it look easy. That putt gave him the lead at -11 and the streak was still alive and well. In fact, I wrote that I thought he had just won the tournament.

In sports terms, lip service can be defined as someone who talks a good game, but doesn’t come through. In golf and especially professional tournaments, when the hole gives lip service, the putts don’t go in and you don’t win. It’s that simple. When everything goes in the game looks too easy. In my story “Is 2K08 another Y2K I compared the game of Tiger Woods in 2000, when he won the Tiger Slam with his game in 2008. The similarity is that when he dominates, every important putt seemed to go in. When they don’t go in they just either lip out or just miss going in.

Most sports are described as “games of inches”. As proven at Doral, putting can be measured in hairs, or blades of grass. Slice up that inch into three equal parts, then apply a part to each of Tiger’s three lip-outs on the first five holes during round three. What happens now? The putts probably go in and the streak is still alive.  Seriously, just think about how close this really was, as Ogilvy’s winning margin over Tiger was only two shots. And don’t forget the real winning shot, Ogilvy’s chip- in for par on the thirteenth hole during Monday’s final round. This shot was motoring to at least 10-20 feet past before the hole swallowed it, saving a bogey or almost certain double.

While we’re on the subject of the importance of putting, did you see what happened to Ian Poulter during round three?  Putting is tough enough, but after Poulter dropped his putter on a cart path during his back nine, he damaged it, making it illegal for play. He finished his round putting with a wedge and shot at 72, including a 25 foot par putt to end the round. 

Trivia question: Bobby Jones was the last player to win the Single Season Grand Slam.
What four tournaments made-up the Grand Slam in those days? 
 

I’m pleased to be a distributor for the Bobby Jones DVD Collection. These are the original Warner Bros golf instructional series: How I Play Golf and How To Break 90, staring the greatest golfer of the all - Bobby Jones. I makes a great gift for golfers.

In this cherished series, Bobby Jones explains his secrets of the game from tee to green. You’ll see Bobby play coach to some of the top celebrities of all time including W.C. Fields, Edward G. Robinson, James Cagney, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Loretta Young and many more! It’s Bobby Jones at his matinee idol best…a must-have for golfers of all ages and abilities! All 12 episodes of the original series of are included on 2 DVD’s. All the material has been re-mastered for the first time on DVD. The sound and picture quality is digitally enhanced.

This collector’s series is not only great instruction from THE MASTER, but it’s also very entertaining. It’s a must for any serious golfer, plus makes a great gift for family, friends and especially customers and business associates. As an added bonus, your order includes the Thumbs Down method Front Nine eBook with video, a priceless combination for improving your golf game.
 

For details go to http://www.golfinstructionmadesimple.com/OnlineStore/BobbyJones.htm.

Wow!  We finally have a report in the news about terrorists not named Osama! 

TSA’s behavioral observation training was used by its security officers to help them to identify a man in the ticketing area who was carrying bomb-making materials at Orlando’s International Airport.  According to the AP, a search of …

Take the worry out of traveling and check out my special travel products to make your life easier!

Natalia’s Recommendations-

The traveling toddler is a carry-on bag that converts into a child’s car seat.  How convenient.  It’s great for going through airport security and a neat concept!

I highly recommend PacSafe products.  I …

That certainly is the question of the week.  I have to say that in my opinion the TSA screener didn’t do everything they could possibly do for poor Mandi Hamlin. 

As a former TSA screener, it is my personal experience that they should have performed a physical inspection!  Are they worried …

Passenger Beware!

Checked baggage fees are here and more airlines are jumping at the chance to nickle and dime you! 

Northwest (www.nwa.com) has joined Delta Air Lines (www.delta.com), United Airlines (www.united.com) and US Airways (www.usairways.com) in enforcing their fee for a second bag that is checked.  Northwests fee is $25 for reservations …