Digital Götterdämmerung

...ut some life goals. At the end of the month carefully add back the digital tools you find useful. I just started the one month digital fast and, already, I feel like I’m regaining a long lost pre-internet memory of when I used to read more, learn new skills and get stuff done. Newport is flexible about what you abstain from during the one month period. He acknowledges that many people have jobs that require them to use social media so you have to...

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I Fix It: A Guide for Repairing Electronic Devices

...nct Radio Shack, handy. IFixIt sells screwdriver sets like this as well as tools for popping open cases. Thank you IFixIt for disrupting the disruptors! At the risk of an apples to oranges comparison, let me say how much more I like the products of Lie-Neilsen Toolworks. Made in America by workers paid a living wage, Lie-Nielsen manufactures tools built to be taken apart, maintained and repaired by the user. One hundred years from now when the fra...

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How to Put Together a Small Scale Solar System

...you use solar panels to power a few lights, run a fountain or charge some tools? It seems like a simple question, and yet I can’t tell you how many books/magazines/websites I’ve combed through in search of a basic tutorial for anything less than wiring up a whole house. Now I know how thanks to a podcast conversation between Eric of Garden Fork and Will of the Weekend Homestead. Will describes how he rigged up a few panels and batteries to power...

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The Best Way to Get Bees For Free

...omeone will call with a swarm that needs a home. This readiness applies to tools too. Have all your bee tools in an easily accessible toolbox, always ready to go. Where to set up your hives is one of the great mysteries of beekeeping. Here in Southern California they seem to prefer some sun and some shade. But I’ve found feral hives both in total shade and full sun. Your results will vary, depending on your climate, but they probably won’t do well...

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How to Make a Simple Paint Can Rocket Stove

...ould be made from commonly available materials with nothing more than hand tools. Our goal was done rather than perfect. Here’s how we did it: We settled on a simple design, using just a metal paint can, some sheet metal and nuts and bolts: supplies that can be found in the small village he lives in. As for tools we used a pair of tin snips, a pair of pliers, a nail, a hammer and a pocket knife. The first step was to size the pipe and the holes we...

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