"One Good Thing" by Jillee: No-Grate Homemade Laundry Soap Despite all the enthusiasm over making homemade laundry detergent recently…I continue to hear murmurings from those who just can’t bring themselves to grate soap and cook it on the stove. It apparently just isn’t going to happen. :-) I’m not naming any names…but my older sister would probably freely admit she didn’t decide to even attempt making her own laundry detergent UNTIL I told her about this “new” recipe I was testing out. (I know it seems like I’m always “picking on” her…but she called me a “brat” on her blog recently…so she pretty much deserves it. lol). Once again I have to credit the incredible readers of this blog for my inspiration. Tiffanie posted this on February 4th….A close friend of mine has been making laundry soap like this one for years, until just recently she found an easier one to make and passed it on to us. 3 Tablespoons Borax3 Tablespoons Washing Soda2 Tablespoons Dawn Dish soap Put these ingredients in a one gallon jug. February 4, 2012 8:59 PM
Carbon Connections Molecular Expressions: Science, Optics and You - Secret Worlds: The Universe Within - Interactive Java Tutorial Secret Worlds: The Universe Within View the Milky Way at 10 million light years from the Earth. Then move through space towards the Earth in successive orders of magnitude until you reach a tall oak tree just outside the buildings of the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory in Tallahassee, Florida. After that, begin to move from the actual size of a leaf into a microscopic world that reveals leaf cell walls, the cell nucleus, chromatin, DNA and finally, into the subatomic universe of electrons and protons. Once the tutorial has completely downloaded, a set of the arrows will appear that allow the user to increase or decrease the view magnitude in Manual mode. Click on the Auto button to return to the Automatic mode. Notice how each picture is actually an image of something that is 10 times bigger or smaller than the one preceding or following it. Earth = 12.76 x 10+6 = 12,760,000 meters wide (12.76 million meters) Contributing Authors Matthew J. Questions or comments?
Jackie’s tips for hardcore homesteading by Jackie Clay Many of us have a garden and enjoy fresh vegetables during the summer and fall. Maybe we even have a few chickens for eggs and meat. But many of us may want to extend our homesteading to what I call "hard-core" homesteading. This is serious homesteading, aimed at being able to provide your family with nearly all of its basic needs. Luckily, most of us with a piece of out-of-the-way land can become nearly "store-bought-free," raising much of what we need in nearly the same way as did our ancestors. There is a vast difference between this type of survival homesteading and stars-in-the-eyes, back-to-nature, recreational homesteading to relieve stress and provide enjoyment. The survival garden It has been said that one can raise enough food for a family of four in a 50- by 50-foot space. When one needs a garden to put up food, not only for the winter but possibly for a year or two, we're talking about at least an acre of intense cropping. You can't grow everything, everywhere.
Environmental Heresies Over the next ten years, I predict, the mainstream of the environmental movement will reverse its opinion and activism in four major areas: population growth, urbanization, genetically engineered organisms, and nuclear power. Reversals of this sort have occurred before. Wildfire went from universal menace in mid-20th century to honored natural force and forestry tool now, from “Only you can prevent forest fires!” to let-burn policies and prescribed fires for understory management. The structure of such reversals reveals a hidden strength in the environmental movement and explains why it is likely to keep on growing in influence from decade to decade and perhaps century to century. The success of the environmental movement is driven by two powerful forces – romanticism and science – that are often in opposition. There are a great many more environmental romantics than there are scientists. Take population growth. Cities are population sinks-always have been.
Introduction to Permaculture - 40 hours of Free video lectures Permaculture means 'permanent culture,' (or 'permanent agriculture') and ...'is the conscious design and maintenance of cultivated ecosystems that have the diversity, stability, and resilience of a natural ecosystem.' (Bill Mollison) This course will explore, through lectures, discussions, field trips, and required projects, a design/thinking methodology that seeks to profide for our physical needs, food, water, shelter, energy, etc., while doing so in an environmentally friendly, sustainable manner. Download all lectures for Free here: Watch online all lectures for Free here: See also: Introduction to Permaculture - 18 part webinar with Bill Wilson of Midwest Permaculture - This is an 18 part 90 minute intro to permaculture webinar with Bill Wilson of Midwest Permaculture in Illinois. Documentary Films - Permaculture / Organic FarmingEbooks - Permaculture & Forest Gardening Free Documentary Films ArchiveFree Full Ebooks Archive
WWF Together Photo Gallery Presenting: The Crazy J- guitar playing machine The Crazy J is made up of mechanical parts, electronic components and software control. The mechanical parts can be seen in the picture above and include a fingering module (on the left) and a plucking module (on the right). Here is a close up of the plucker: Here is a close up of the teflon picks that actually contact the strings, and the solenoids (top, pink and blue wires) that power them, via the pluck rod linkages (middle). The fingering on the guitar is actuated by solenoids also (below), which connect to levers (above). The "fingertips" that press the strings to the neck are seen close-up here, the springs that return the fingertips after a note is played are also visible: This next picture shows the banks of solenoids that actuate the fingertips and the springs, which serve to damp the slapping of the solenoids (held by two nuts on threaded rod). The control part of the Crazy J is a Motorola HC11 Micro-Controller.
Guide to planting by the moon - The Gardeners Calendar Moon planting calendar for fruit, vegetables and flowers In ancient times when man had not quite got round to inventing the wristwatch, the most reliable source of telling the time was the sun, moon, and stars. There seems to be several opinions of who came up with the moon planting calendar first. Was it the Egyptians or the Babylonians? It is more than likely that each and every farmer had a planting calendar based on the moon phases, and there would be different variations depending on the geographical location. It was noticed that different plants grow better when they are planted during different phases of the moon. To provide more accurate records it was noted that certain crops faired better when planted whilst the moon was in a specific constellation. Planting was not the most important time for the farmer, harvest time also had to be recorded. Moon planting rediscovered Three Moon planting methods There are three methods for planting by the moon. Synodic (waxing and waning) cycle
Methane catastrophe Living Paper-Free and Loving It: 15 Tips for Creating a Paperless Home “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without” [I] detest useless waste. It literally makes me crazy to think of spending money on something — usually out of convenience – knowing that the end result will be the trash. Paper towels, diapers, wipes, disposable anything, and yes even toilet paper…for nearly a year our family has been on a mission to find sustainable replacements for these common household items in an attempt to create a paperless home. Many people will argue that purchasing and using paper products doesn’t effect their budget enough to warrant seeking reusable alternatives. After pricing out these items in a local grocery store, I estimate our paperless home is saving nearly $40-$50 per month. 15 Tips for Creating a Paperless Home Important disclaimer: Don’t pressure yourself into implementing each one of these tips all at once…you’ll only end up frustrated and defeated. Here are a few of my ideas for creating a paperless home: In theory 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. . 7. 8. 9. 10.