Living without a Furnace:

Twenty-five years ago, Americans were building houses outside of Chicago (where temperatures currently hover around zero Fahrenheit) without anything more than emergency heating devices. They were homes that used passive heating and cooling to keep them comfortable. I remember watching a program on PBS that illustrated the designs that made this possible, and the homes were quite beautiful, large, and with healthy living spaces. It looked like the wave of the future, but then oil prices started dropping. And Americans began building MacMansions.

Now Germany has taken the lead in building homes with passive heating, while America struggles to figure its economic problems, including the housing market, out. Elisabeth Rosenthal reports in today's New York Times on the building that's occurring in Darmstadt, Germany, where innovation that spans beyond the next quarterly report seems to be valued more highly than in the if-it-itches-scratch-it-now business cycle of the U. S.

In the Meantime:

Back in the U. S., people are starting to heat their homes with coal again, especially in areas where coal is mined. The amount of coal used to heat homes is still trivial and seems to pose no environmental hazard at the moment, but one has to wonder at the choices being made. See the report in The New York Times, and compare the photos of the couple in Sugarloaf, PA, with the photos of the folks in Germany. All things being equal, in which home would you rather live?

Full Disclosure: I've never lived in either of these towns, but I have been to them, and both of my grandfathers were coal miners. They each died as a result of their mining experiences.

More Signs of the Times:

While media is cutting back on reporting of real news, closing overseas offices, failing to report on corruption until after the fact, losing circulation and viewers, it seems to never have a lack of funds and space (whether print or on screen) for all things celebrity. Witness the feeding frenzy over all things Obama. The president elect is vacationing in Hawaii with his family, and already he's being scrutinized for every move he and his family makes, as the press core shadows every move, nuanced and otherwise, as reported by Jackie Calmes in today's New York Times. Pay particular attention to the coverage of whether Obama's clothing got wet or not when he took his two daughters to a water park.

Good News for Rich Folks!

At least for the fearful ones. The Federal Deposit Insurance Coverage on your bank accounts is being raised from $100 thousand per account to $250 thousand. That means if Jesse James robs your local branch bank, you'll be covered for an additional 150 grand per account. It also covers stupid acts by stupid bank managers, a more likely scenario.

The bad news for rich folks is that 1) the interest rates you're currently receiving will remain low and 2) the program is scheduled to last only one year.

For people who have trouble with math, keep in mind that you will only receive the exact amount that you have in the account up to the maximum, so don't start anticipating that you'll receive that maximum should your bank fail. It ain't the lottery.

For my mother, each of your separate accounts are covered. The insurance isn't cumulative. And you don't have enough money for the increase to make any difference anyway.

For my critics, yes, I consider anyone with more than $100 thousand as being rich. In fact, from my perspective the cutoff is much lower than that. Much lower.

NOTE: Some IRAs and certain other retirement accounts will not return to the lower amount on January 1, 2010, but will remain at the higher level. Check with your bank to see if you're covered. Don't ask me.