Light - Readiness series

There was Light… and it was good 

Here follows my first of MacGyver-styled remedies for the problem of light. Yeah, flashlights are great; but you can only conserve spare batteries for so long before resorting to more permanent solutions. Candle stubs?  That assumes you stock and use candles.

So, first, let me review basic rules of this game. Materials must be found routinely about the house or car. These are things commonly added to your shopping list, items you won’t likely forget to resupply. That means something kept on hand, perhaps for some other purpose entirely… such as a basic ingredient of pizza-making. And if it is already a dual-purpose item, some creative thinking may reveal even more functions in a pinch. Then, don’t forget to consider its trade value for those weeks when even cash money proves worthless –unless this high-rag paper that bears a presidential portrait can be used to make candle wicks. Talk about ‘burning’ through your savings!

So… what kind of stuff is used to make pizza (the really good kind) and produces an excellent light with help of just about any wicking material? Besides, this magic stuff may boast any number of added virtues: medicinal, cosmetic, hygienic, etc.; truly a multi-purposed commodity.

Answer: cooking oil. Olive oil works best—burns bright, smokeless and efficient. But even bacon fat will allow itself to melt and be drawn up a short length of cotton shoelace (very like a candle), assuming you can ignite a flame. But I like the olive oil lamp best; just an ounce or two at bottom of a glass dish or jar will last the night or longer.  Punch a hole in a metal bottle lid or soda can bottom to make a serviceable ‘boat’ that floats your wick and reflects your flame:



Found online at Judy of the Woods

Materials:
Olive oil
   (or other vegetable/ mineral oil)
Triangular wedge of cardboard or cork
   (as a float); or cut the bottom from an aluminum can; salvage a screw-on metal lid (to form a boat)
Utility scissors; hammer and nail
   (to punch a hole in your float for the wick)
Piece of cotton string or strip of fabric
   (rolled up paper toweling works)
Ceramic dish, empty jam jar 
   (canning jar or some other clear glass container)
Optional spare wire coat hanger and pliers
   (form a hook to grab the floating wick; or make a handle for carrying the jar, as glass grows hot to touch)


Some alcohols and solvents will work for fuel as well, though hazardous to handle.  I will feature another idea for light and heat in a later installment featuring rubbing alcohol and toilet paper. That sounds fun!

Again, be sure to print this page and keep it for reference.  Fold it up showing the headline at top to file in a shoe-box under your bed… first of many catalogue cards for ready reference in an emergency –the original low-tech ‘computer’ database immune to energy blackouts.  Label the box ‘Survival Treasures’ in case the grandkids stumble upon it while playing Hide and Seek.

More oil lamp designs:
http://modernsurvivalblog.com/alternative-energy/do-it-yourself-olive-oil-lamp/
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Water-Candles
http://putitinajar.com/crafts/mason_jar_oil_lamp/

Why should you care what rival insurers say?

Insurance Ad Review series: Introduction

I am an independent insurance agent/broker in California (Steve Evans of Carroll L Evans Insurance). So, you insist upon buying a GEICO policy (not sold through personal agents): You could still engage me as consultant to coach you through their quote and application process; I can even help you to survive their Policy Service Department’s game-of-tag and to navigate their Claims Service obstacle-course when that time comes. But I must charge you, of course, the equivalent of standard commission for that expertise. And all that goes without the option of directly representing you –as your agent—to insurance company personnel.

This is where the tagline comes from: “Save 15% or more on your car insurance.”  But few agents ever collect 15% commission from insurers they represent. And in real life, the broker-less insurance shopper ends up paying in other ways for this ‘freedom’ of going it alone.


GEICO’s landmark Caveman ad campaign strategically sought to insult the insurance shopper’s intelligence. Critics of the spin-off TV comedy series even called it racist.

Problem for me, wanting to promote my brokerage service in this new age of Google-domination: Only the big-money players get real dibs on internet advertising real-estate.  Of course, that was always true for traditional ad media, especially premium TV and radio time; but even effective paper campaigns. To get the print-browsing public’s attention, an advertiser must reserve lots of white space to ‘frame’ their message visually… Whole pages are best; and even better to publish serially, every week or so.  Similar realities characterize the ‘new’ online media.

What’s more, Google or Yahoo or Microsoft ads are lately become stalkers.  They’re sneaky, creepy and invasive. Just reading this page about insurance means that your future browsing activity will be marked, infected by various electronic cookies and bots.  So wherever you go, online ads –paid for by insurance mobsters—will follow and demand your attention.

I can’t compete with that. Even if I never monetize this blog or my company website (click the CLE logo at top right of this page), all my biggest competitors will be dogging your trail, both coming and going.  What agency can afford to run in that race?  Not sure I want to. Instead, I have decided to participate as Unofficial Umpire… That’s right, another self-appointed media critic (see also expertinsurancereviews.com).

We all do it, right?  Everybody calls fair or foul as mere spectators from the sidelines, by virtue of being consumers of entertainment. Ever since that first Roman Coliseum ‘super bowl’ commercial campaign, we are a society of amateur critics. Though, when it comes to insurance, I do have some 28 years professional experience under my belt. And if rival advertisers are determined to haunt our steps (as well as my small business enterprise), like paparazzi pirating celebrity photos— Well then, why shouldn’t we all benefit for their trouble?  At least I can try.

So give me 15 minutes and you just might save 15 percent or more of time wasted shopping for cut-rate (and cut-quality) insurance. Meanwhile, check out this latest ad from GEICO:


Click image to view video...

Lessons learned: Don’t bother the public with trust-building imagery, reliable information, promises or pricing. Cute sells. Sexy sells. Violent and explosive sells. Stupid or embarrassing sells. Even creepy sells.  Combine a few of those randomly, and what do you have?

GEICO ads.

Oh and, by the way… What were they supposed to be selling?  I will attempt to explain my analysis in the next installment of this series.