Stellarium: A Handy Desktop Planetarium

August 15, 2016

...n you can also take a look at the moon. In the pre-personal computer era I used to use a planisphere. I still have my 1980s era plastic planisphere. But the planisphere does not show the planets or moon. You’ve got to hunt down that info elsewhere. And my planisphere is so small that it’s hard to use. Thankfully, there’s a powerful, free open-source solution: Stellarium. Stellarium is a computer based planetarium that comes in OS X, Windows, Linux...

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In Praise of Turkish Towels

Mrs. Homegrown

August 16, 2016

Domesticus

12 Comments

...your body. After a few disconcerting mornings spent missing terry, I grew used to them, and then fell in love. I love them because: The are not as bulky as terry, so wrap and tie around the body more more easily They roll up into neat little bundles and take up very little space in my bathroom cupboard They dry more quickly than terry towels They don’t hog the washer They’re not heavy when wet They dry quickly on the line and feel soft afterward...

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How’s that Tomato Grafting Project Going?

Mr. Homegrown

July 21, 2016

Gardening, Vegetable Gardening

4 Comments

...e the graft and secure it with a grafting clip. For the grafting process I used the directions in the following video from Cornell University: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08YfqCpL3po&index=66&list=FLsdjOQI8p-2mTRfVkMO6otA The next step is to put the grafted seedlings into a “healing chamber” consisting of a dark, warm and humid environment that gives the plant a chance to heal and the graft to take. You then slowly introduce light over a perio...

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How to Roast Coffee in a Whirley Pop Popcorn Maker

Mr. Homegrown

July 8, 2016

Food

5 Comments

...op popcorn poppers and just a plain skillet. Each method has pluses and minuses. I’ve tried hot air popcorn poppers and stove-top popcorn poppers (such as the Whirley-Pop pictured at the top of this post). Between the air popper and the stove-top popper, I prefer the stove-top popper because you have more control over the roast and the device itself is inexpensive and suited to this use. The air poppers, on the other hand, tend burn out quickly wh...

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How to Carry Heavy Objects with a Two-Person Carrying Pole

Mr. Homegrown

May 16, 2016

Appropriate Technology, Water and Power

16 Comments

...le would work much better for most other objects. The carrying pole can be used to carry people, a use for which there is a word in English: “litter.” Here’s a carrying pole being used in Guatemala to carry an injured man to the hospital: I’m hoping that the litter version of the carrying poll will become Kelly’s new way of getting around the neighborhood during the hot summer months: In all seriousness, I would like to figure out a way to get rel...

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