Notes on Mark Bittman’s “Behind the Scenes of What We Eat”

...od. Here’s a few of his recommendations for policy change: Transparency in labeling, in agriculture practice Regulation of damaging foods: basically make it harder to eat poorly and easier to eat well, for instance: Make it illegal to sell soda to kids Tax the crap out of soda Subsidize real food Encourage small family farms De-subsidize companies that make non-foods (junk food) But as we’re always saying around here, real change starts at home. I...

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Mulch, mulch, mulch!

...arranted to determine if we should be concerned about using mulch around houses. Also, research is needed on possible repellent mulches such as melaleuca which might serve as an additional barrier for household protection against termites. At this time the benefits of mulches such as water conservation, reduced used of herbicides, and reduced soil erosion are very apparent while the risks to termite infestations due to mulches are unknown. Homeown...

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Saturday Linkages: News From the Far West

...gbie) March 28, 2021 The Edwards Go Electric ‘I felt I killed my children’: lead poisons California community – and fills kids’ teeth Last Night in Echo Park More on Echo Park Cult classics: the faded glory of California’s fringe sects – in pictures The ultimate catio? The Retro Encabulator device uses six hydrocoptic marzel vanes and an ambifacient lunar wane shaft What I was like as a teen one of the worst small town planning schemes I’ve ever s...

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The Walls Have Eyes

...r adapters etc all equipped with hidden cameras. Could their be legitimate uses for these devices? Maybe the sight of a baby monitor offends your aesthetic sensibilities and you’d prefer it discretely hidden in a smoke alarm? Possible but unlikely. We all know but don’t want to think about these inexpensive electronics in the hands of Airbnb voyeurs. While our ancestors once scanned the savanna in the hopes of bagging a gazelle for dinner we moder...

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Curing Boredom with Solenoids

...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcgFfY4fVqU Sixteen year old Brandon Switzer came up with a way of dealing with boredom: build a player piano. The project uses a humble Arduino and a whole lot of solenoids. It took six months to finish. I’ve come to see the value in taking on a project that’s out of your comfort zone and this is a great example of learning while making....

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