An Awareness of What is Missing

June 18, 2015

...e noticed that when the press covers the constant state of distraction our technology has put us in, they tend to immediately jump to neuroscience studies to understand why we’re addicted to checking our email, phones, etc. While I have no doubt there are neurological phenomena at work here, we also need to look at the sociological and spiritual issues surrounding the skills we’re losing. We can’t forget that the forces that want to keep us in a s...

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Ham Radio vs. GoTenna

Mr. Homegrown

January 24, 2019

Preparedness

1 Comment

...to chat. And ham radio, in my experience, is not a “plug and play” type of technology. You have to devote a considerable amount of time to learning the technology as well as the communication etiquette and protocols. On the plus side, with just an inexpensive 2 meter handheld ham radio (you can pick one up for as little as $24), you can communicate via voice in any emergency. Thanks to the Win System, I can use that same 2 meter radio to communica...

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Cybernetics: A Fatal Flaw

Mr. Homegrown

February 12, 2019

Thoughtstylings

7 Comments

...s of Loving Grace. Last week I wrote about an archive of 1970s appropriate technology publications called Rain. I still contend that there is much to be reclaimed from this movement but it’s also healthy to look at what went wrong. A provocative and controversial book I just finished, Surveillance Valley: The Secret Military History of the Internet makes note of what may have been the fatal flaw in the movement: cybernetics, the dream of self orga...

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What Epuipment Do You Need to Bake Bread?

Mr. Homegrown

June 16, 2014

Bread, Food

16 Comments

...ng gossip news about Beyoncé and Jay-Z (a bit off topic for an appropriate technology blog, perhaps?). One spam comment that came in last week fascinated me. The website had an extensive collection of bread baking how-to videos. Within a few minutes, on the first video I watched, the instructor was already selling a ton of equipment I’ve never heard of: strange $800 mixers, bread machines, dough conditioners etc. Even with the aid of all those gad...

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A viewing suggestion from the media arm of Root Simple

Mrs. Homegrown

February 11, 2014

Domesticus, Food, Gardening, Preparedness, Resources, Thoughtstylings

34 Comments

...reality show faux drama. Instead, it’s just full of juicy nuggets for the appropriate tech geek. The series is on YouTube. I pray the BBC doesn’t take it down before I get to finish it. In the first episode alone, they cover goodies like: Coppicing How to make two type of fences: a hazel wattle fence and a dead hedge fence, both of which can be made with a machete and a club Treadwheels: Giant human powered hamster wheels which, along with water...

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