GM and the Red Cars

April 8, 2019

...ing those streetcars. It reminds me of Mark Fisher’s Capitalist Realism, a book that haunts me every day. In it Fisher describes describes how we all seem to be unable to imagine a future that’s not some dystopian, privatized nightmare of the sort imagined in the 2006 film Children of Men. When I see charts like the one above, taken from a Los Angeles Department of Transportation report, I can’t help but think of Fisher’s book and what Nic suggest...

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The Institute of the Present

Mr. Homegrown

April 1, 2019

Appropriate Technology, Water and Power

7 Comments

...aborate April Fools Day post for today involving the announcement of a new book entitled The Big Book of Anecdotes for Dentists. For, you know, those awkward times when the dentist has to do a monologue while your mouth is full of dental tools. But then I asked myself why am I making fun of people who work with their hands and minds for long hours in order to alleviate suffering? If anyone deserves good pay and days off to golf, it should be denti...

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A Manual of Needlework and Cutting Out

Mr. Homegrown

February 19, 2019

Domesticus

2 Comments

...Please enjoy this manual of the lost art of hand sewing by Agnes Walker published in 1907 and recommended by YouTube sewing sensation Bernadette Banner. What makes the book useful is that, unlike a lot of sewing resources, there’s not a lot of assumed knowledge. The book also shows the high level of craftsmanship expected of young children before the great crappening of the mid-20th century....

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Minimalist Shoes, 1915

Mrs. Homegrown

July 9, 2015

Fitness

12 Comments

...and that thick soles impaired foot dynamics. The principle message of this book is that if you want your soldiers to able to march long distances, and arrive at their destination in any shape to fight, you have to give them flexible boots which do not squash the toes or impede the natural movement of the foot. Simple as that. So why, exactly 100 years later, are we still debating whether the foot needs lots of external support and cushioning? Why...

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Saturday Tweets: Squirrels and Other Stuff

Mr. Homegrown

January 14, 2017

Saturday Linkages

...e https://t.co/78VxfA1FNq — Root Simple (@rootsimple) January 13, 2017 New book of seminal essays and ideas from the iconic Whole Earth Catalog https://t.co/EzVRGlLMjl — Root Simple (@rootsimple) January 13, 2017 Researchers design a handheld centrifuge that only costs 20 cents to make https://t.co/j1aPLieniW — Root Simple (@rootsimple) January 13, 2017 DIY String Light Chandelier for $40 https://t.co/jYVj6Aayt2 — Root Simple (@rootsimple) January...

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