Gathering and Discerning Information in the 21st Century
Celebrating over 16 years on the web.
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“Each of us believes himself to live directly within the world that surrounds him, to sense its objects and events precisely, and to live in real and current time. I assert these are perceptual illusions. Sensation is an abstraction, not a replication of the real world.” Vernon Mountcastle

Quote from YouTube Video: Kavli Prize Laureate Lecture – The Restless Brain

The Home Renovation Planner

How to find the products you want to use:

Choosing the right material for the job is an important part of your project.  This is where your preparation and this Renovation & Home Improvement Project Planner will come in handy.  As a great general once said, Making decisions is asy when you have all the facts. Seeking advice is a wise thing but it can also be a little frustrating. When speaking with trades and salespersons look for someone that listens well. Someone who really wants to understand your project to help you find the right products that meet your needs. Ask them questions about the products and take good notes. Jot down thoughts and ideas on the bak side of these pages.

There are many factors to consider when sourcing materials:

The latest technology in products and materials available

The availability of environmentally friendly materials

Manufacturers’ warrantie

Parts and service availability

The right material for the job ¨C adequate, not over kil

There are several ways you can gather information, ideas, technical tips and recommendations for the materials that you may want to use:

Visit local retailers and their showrooms.  The display at your local home improvement store is a great place to start. Pick up brochures and literature on products.

Visit trade shows, there are usually two or three per year in any major city.  If you can afford to you may enjoy some travel. You can find a home show going on every month somewhere in North America. (See Section 7, Resources for organizations that can give you details)

Call local Home Improvement or Gardening radio programs. Ask their experts questions about your plans.  Most national or international talk format programs have toll free numbers.  Check your local talk radio station for programming details.

Watch home improvement TV shows for tips and ideas. Just remember to check your local building codes before implementing any of the ideas broadcast from outside your Province or State.

Every province or state has a local Home Builders Association. Call them for information, tips, advice and a list of potential contractors and/or trades-people for your project.  (See section 8, Resources)

National organizations like CMHC ¨C Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation andNAHB – the National Association of Homes Builders (US) and CHBA Canadian Home Builders Association have excellent ideas and lists of upcoming seminars and trade shows on their websites. (See Section 8, Resources for a list with some really great website addresses)

Magazines are an excellent resource.  There are lots of home-related publications available at your local home improvement center or newsstand.  You will find them full of useful tips and ideas on home improvements.  They contain pictures and just might feature exactly what you’re looking for in the way of finishing touches.  Tear out (or photocopy) the images and articles that relate to your project.  Add them to your  planner for easy reference (you cold tape or paste the pictures or diagrams on the back side of pages).  Often these publications give shopping information too.  If you like it, you’ll want to know where to buy it.

Science-fact-theory-hypothesis

Definitions key to discussions:

  • Fact: A fact is a statement that is true and can be proved with evidence.
  • Hypothesis: A hypothesis is a proposed explanation for a phenomenon that can be tested by the scientific method. A hypothesis has not been tested.
  • Theory: Scientific theories are distinguished from hypotheses, which are empirically testable conjectures, and from scientific laws, which are descriptive accounts of how nature behaves under certain conditions. Theories have been rigorously tested and widely accepted by the scientific community who agree the theory best explains the observations or phenomenon we experience.
  • Scientific Method: The scientific method is a body of techniques for investigating phenomena, acquiring new knowledge, or correcting and integrating previous knowledge.
  • Empirical Evidence: Empirical evidence is the knowledge received by means of the senses, particularly by observation and experimentation.
  • Reality: Reality is the state of things as they actually exist, as opposed to an idealistic or notional idea of them.
  • Delusion: A delusion is a belief that is held with strong conviction despite superior evidence to the contrary.
  • Insanity: Insanity, craziness, or madness is a spectrum of behaviors characterized by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns.