DIY
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Jam on it: Uncanny adventures in food preservation
The Greenie Pig gets over her fear of botulism and partakes in some serious home economics.
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You know you want to knit a sweater for a penguin
Now is the time for all good knitters to come to the aid of some penguins. The New Zealand oil spill has left the little guys in need of some warmth and protection, and a Kiwi yarn store has posted patterns for how to knit "penguin jumpers" and instructions on where to send them.
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Make a speed-displaying vest for cycling at night
There are a lot of bike accessories that will let cars know you're there. But it can still be hard for them to tell whether you're speeding up or slowing down — which can make it tough for even a well-meaning driver to keep a safe distance. Mykle Hansen's speed vest is designed to reduce […]
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Detroit everyman uses DIY moxie to turn his town into a solar mecca
Dave Strenski, resident of Detroit exurb Ypsilanti, got it into his head that he would help the local food co-op reduce its bills by installing solar panels on its roof. And he didn't let his complete lack of experience with solar stand in the way. At this point, he's not only put solar on the […]
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Chow-to: Make your own sea salt
Homemade sea salt captures the flavors of different coastlines in just a few tiny grains. A DIY salt maker shares her tips and tricks.
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How DIY and the ‘IKEA effect’ make us green
The "IKEA effect" says that we value things we have built ourselves (even if those things are frankly a little crappy). I'd propose an extension -- call it the "DIY effect," which says we tend to hold onto, repair, and upgrade things we build ourselves, breaking us out of the consumerist cycle of trashing what's old so we can capitalize on the (often-illusory) advantages of the latest and greatest.
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Erasing hate speech from public spaces [VIDEO]
One 66-year-old German woman has made it her mission to remove and obliterate neo-Nazi, homophobic, and racist graffiti. Watch "The Hate Destroyer" in action.
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Land of the freegan, home of the brave
For a freegan, the world is a grocery store, and everything is marked 100 percent off. I go dumpster diving with a few intrepid New Yorkers who are living the freegan dream.
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A new generation says Dallas doesn’t have to suck
Yesterday I wrote about an emerging “new New Urbanism” — solutions for cities that are fast, cheap, nimble, flexible, and open-source. What does that look like in action? Let’s look at a specific example. Some cities have great public buildings, designed at a grand but human scale, that foster civic engagement and a sense of […]