Revolutionary Rusks

November 5, 2006

...ion (and amazing photo!) from photographer, velolutionary, and Culver-Town homesteader Elon Schoenholz: Rusks are sturdy biscuits of Dutch South African origin, slightly sweetened and heartily nonperishable. Like biscotti, they’re double-baked, dry and crunchy; unlike the chocolate-dipped and plastic-wrapped crap on the counter at Starbucks, however, homemade rusks are practical, nourishing and inexpensive. The version we prefer, with chopped almo...

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Yet Another Lawn Rant

Mr. Homegrown

July 2, 2008

Lawns, Thoughtstylings

6 Comments

...117,000 folks in the United States made trips to the emergency room in 2007 because of lawn mowers. We’ve witnessed first hand the power of lawn mowers. A neighbor of ours had his windshield shattered by a rock propelled by a mower blade. As the Orthopedic Surgeons note, “The energy transferred by a typical lawn mower blade is equivalent to being shot in the hand with a .357 Magnum pistol. A lawn mower can eject a piece of metal or wood up to 100...

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The Human-Powered Home: Choosing Muscles Over Motors

Mr. Homegrown

June 16, 2009

Bikes

...a Dean’s new book The Human-Powered Home: Choosing Muscles Over Motors in this month’s issue of Yes Magazine. As we say in the review, don’t expect to be able to run your plasma screen with a bicycle (a lot of our favorite appliances take a hell of a lot more energy than pedal power can provide), but you will be able to grind grain, press apples, operate a sewing machine, and shell nuts. Dean’s book tells you how to harness human power in clear st...

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Essential System #8 – Nutrition (Extra Food)

Mr. Homegrown

August 23, 2006

Preparedness

...was what you’d expect – a cross between balsa wood and salt. The chocolate energy bar was much more substantial with a thick, waxy chocolate-like-ness, almost completely masking a surprisingly malty undertone. I’d use the word cloying, but I hate that word.” Should you require another opinion on MREs, someone calling themselves “Badtux the Snarky Penguin” has a review of the chicken tetrazini MRE. We prefer the more upscale freeze dried backpackin...

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The Agony and the Ecstasy of iPhone6s Repair

Mr. Homegrown

July 21, 2022

Design

4 Comments

...keep track of the dozen or so different sized, microscopic screws. I used labelled bowls, but some people use an ice cube tray. The iFixit guides will step you through the repair process as well as help you keep track of all those infernal screws. As you do this you will gain appreciation for the workers who spend long days doing nothing but turning a screwdriver–a hell that I can’t imagine. Another thing I’d suggest is patience. If things go sou...

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