a little test

I'm trying out blog applications for my droid eris. This is a test post.

For old times' sake...

Though nobody reads this anymore (except Kelly, and even then I'm guessing he won't see it for a while), I couldn't imagine a more appropriate place to post a link to this. In short: 2012, shmwenty-shmwelve.

It's begun!

Hey guys, hope all is well with everyone.
I have heeded the advice of many of you and started a separate blog for the interviews, and will keep adding to them as I find new people to participate. You can find them here.
Also... If any of you would like to volunteer yourselves I would be delighted to pick your brains! (mmm, brains)
-Katie

Zombie Killers

Machines of Loving Grace

by Richard Brautigan

I like to think (and
the sooner the better!)
of a cybernetic meadow
where mammals and computers
live together in mutually
programming harmony
like pure water
touching clear sky.

I like to think
(right now, please!)
of a cybernetic forest
filled with pines and electronics
where deer stroll peacefully
past computers
as if they were flowers
with spinning blossoms.

I like to think
(it has to be!)
of a cybernetic ecology
where we are free of our labors
and joined back to nature,
returned to our mammal
brothers and sisters,
and all watched over
by machines of loving grace.

Post-Apocalypses Crafty Book Club Writing Group And Drinking Society (or something)

So. Post-Apocalypses gatherings of some sort.

Suggestions? Themes? Nifty club t-shirt designs?

Discuss in the comments.

Kelly's address

Does anyone have Kelly's address handy? I am at work and realized I forgot it at home. If so, could you shoot me an email (arivardbiss@mspcustomcontent.com)? I'd say post it here but we don't want just anyone showing up at the party...

In Case of Apocalypse, Break Glass

Inspired by the Transition movement...

I just got one of those hand-crank washing machines and a low-energy spin dryer. Next month I'll be moving into a place where these will be my only nearby method of doing laundry, and after using testing them out last night I'm actually kind of looking forward to that. (I did a blog post on my laundry nerdery here.)

In case anyone else might be interested in these sorts of machines, here's a quick review:

Wonder Wash

Reason I bought this model: It has a greater capacity than most other hand-crank washers on the market (5.5 lbs of clothes) and has gotten stellar product reviews online, even from people who don't usually hand wash anything.

Pros: It's cheap ($43), uses no electricity, takes less water and detergent than a standard washer would for the same size load, is easy to use, and takes only 2.5 minutes to run a load (probably comes out to around 10 minutes once you include loading, rinsing, draining, and added clutz time for a new user). The cranking also isn't as effort-intensive as it seems at first, and washing clothes this way consistently should make them last longer.

Cons: It has a much smaller capacity than a standard washer (so not good for families), the legs are a bit wobbly (though they do have suction cups on the bottom to add stability), and the company that makes it doesn't have a great reputation with the Better Business Bureau (the main complaint being that their customer service sucks - I had no problems with them).

Would be ideal for: camping/long vacations in places without laundry facilities, knitters (way easier on hand-knits than a standard washer!), primary laundry machine for one person or a very environmentally dedicated couple, secondary laundry machine for a family (I could see kids either loving or hating this thing).

Spin Dryer

Reason I bought this model: Its capacity matched the Wonder Wash (12.2 lbs wet laundry, which is about 5.5 lbs dry) and it was cheap compared to other models with similar capacity.

Pros: Uses very little electricity, takes 3 minutes or less to dry clothes, cheap compared to similar models ($135), way cheaper overall than a standard dryer, just light enough to be luggable.

Cons: Makes slight monster truck noises when used on pergo (I can't speak for other flooring types), comes with a boatload of non-eco-friendly packaging, doesn't dry clothes 100% (this is standard for spin dryers, though - it dries them enough that they can be hung up for a few hours to overnight to dry). Also, the instructions inaccurately portray the size of container you need to catch the water from the machine's spout (it takes a proper mixing bowl, not a little cup like in the picture, which my kitchen floor found out the hard way).

Would be ideal for: someone using a hand-crank washer as their primary washing machine, someone wanting to cut down on their dryer-related energy costs/usage/time wasted (after 3 minutes in the spin dryer, clothes only need about 10 minutes in an electric/gas dryer to be fully dry, instead of a full cycle), and once again, knitters. I could also see kids really liking this machine, what with its monster truck noises.