RIP Michael Brooks

.... My writing beat, what has, for lack of a better term, been called “urban homesteading” is poisoned by that individualism which manifests in a concept of self sufficiency whose ultimate destination is a lonely existence in a doomstead bunker. I’ve always tried to point out that we’re all in this together, that we need to build up our households and our communities. It’s not one or the other. Michael was just beginning to formulate a strategy that...

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Saturday Linkages: The Calm After the Storm

...nion/opinion-la/la-ol-getting-jerry-browned-20121024,0,2854852.story … New Urban Velo issue free online: http://www.urbanvelo.org/issue34/ The fox is guarding the hen house! How the sugar industry defends itself against claims that sugar is unhealthy: http://boingboing.net/2012/10/31/how-the-sugar-industry-defends.html … Billboard firm wrote L.A. proposal on signs http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-1027-billboard-influence-20121027,0,1562494....

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Thursday Linkages: Mason Bees, Hawks and Robot Cars

...d version: Build Your Own Mason Bee House http://boingboing.net/2014/05/16/build-your-own-mason-bee-house.html … Swiss Restaurant Imposes Fine on Customers Wasting Food http://www.ibtimes.co.in/swiss-restaurant-imposes-fine-customers-wasting-food-600131 … via @ibtimesindia1 #foodcrisis Hawks and Rats in NYC, on camera: http://www.theawl.com/2014/05/where-do-rats-go-when-they-die … Boxwoods? Bah! by James Roush http://feedly.com/e/KZ4uAoLm Bikesnob...

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Saturday Linkages: Can We Please Have More Underpass Chandeliers?

...ly.com/e/lPhvrdNB Meet the Bakers: Louie and Clinton Prager http://feedly.com/e/KsUR-_dv Poultry Show Common Sense http://feedly.com/e/YNk88kWG Bee Colony Adapts to Human Environmental Impact by Using Plastic to Build Nests http://inhabitat.com/bee-colony-adapts-to-human-environmental-impact-by-using-plastic-to-build-nests/ … Thin Wall Earthbag — 10x Faster than Typical Earthbag http://feedly.com/e/ulUxRdow...

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Chair Troubles

...etting as close to firewood as any project I’ve ever done. I’m considering making a second one with the lessons I’ve learned and later attempting to fix this wonky first attempt. In woodworking, after an initial period of enthusiasm about beginning a new project, there’s always a phase of imposter syndrome. That’s a good thing because you have to stay humble when working with natural materials and manage both expectations about how long it takes t...

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