k2's Profile

I used SamaN wood stain to make my ikea pine furniture match the "black brown" ikea colour furniture I have, and I'm super happy with the results. Apparently, it's non-toxic and though I have no idea how green the stuff is, it definitely didn't have a smell.

All the water-based minwax and varathane products at my local hardware store seemed to be variations on the antique oak theme, but this brand came with a bunch of colours you can mix together to get what you want. For me it was easy as 1 part black plus 1 part brown = black brown.

Actually, I think that llama and kangaroo meat are often more sustainable than beef. Instead of trying to rear cattle in places that aren't suitable (like cutting down rain forest to make pasture), using local fauna as food makes sense, as long as it is done properly. The problem, of course, is that once these meats are trendy, we'll once again try to raise them in unsuitable environments.

I heard a radio interview with Michael Archer about kangaroo meat, among other things, and it was really informative. See: http://www.hha.com.au/books/0733615228.html

Thanks guido! Unfortunately, they are not at the home depots around here and all the online stuff on grow lights seems to be made up of the acronyms and numbers with very little actual English, so I'm glad to get a little help.

These look pretty idiot-proof to me - and only a little ugly - I'm very tempted!:
http://www.littlegreenhouse.com/accessory/lights.shtml
http://www.amazon.com/Glentronics-PL-1-Intelligent-Plant-Light/dp/B0007CXXB4/ref=pd_sim_dbs_ol_2/103-8455601-1495858
http://www.amazon.com/Watt-Dayspot-Plant-Grow-Light/dp/B0001NKGGY/ref=pd_sbs_ol_1/103-8455601-1495858

I got the sennheiser CX 300 in-ear noise blocking earbuds after I realized I had my ipod set REALLY LOUD to block out the noise of my gym. I love them, but they are a bit weird to run in, since you can hear things like the cord banging against you and your heartbeat a bit louder than usual.

Beware buying on ebay - tons of fakes out there.

I've used the racor racks for two bikes:
http://www.racorinc.com/products.fx?id=121

Not as pretty, but it was great to still have some floor space/storage space under the bikes. It's also pretty cheap. Plus they sell those pulley systems to store your bikes at ceiling level.

So, I don't have to buy/make room for a new appliance, I can get some exercise and probably entertain barbecue guests, and at the end of it all, I get to eat some ice cream without carrageenan or mono and diglycerides (or something else impossibly hard to spell) in it.

Yay!...I really really hope this method works for me!

I'm with you, Splatgirl - it stresses me out to buy things I don't love or have a great need for. I do think it would be a shame to cover up that space. Maybe the solution is to just work with what you have right now (suspend the windows, maybe in front of a giant rasterbated image or something...) and wait for the perfect thing/collection to come find you. Be it a sexy Italian soccer-playing chef, or a sexy Italian rusty motorbike.

Chlorine is really not good for you. It makes carcinogenic byproducts when it reacts with organic materials (such as dirt), and I can't see it breaking down into less harmful substances, since it's an element. But I'm not a chemist. I'd be interested to find out where you read about this.

The only reason chlorine is in drinking water is that your chance of cancer from these byproducts is minimal compared to getting cholera or some other water borne disease from untreated water.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,986628,00.html

A 2 in one million chance of getting cancer doesn't seem high, but concentrations of these materials are far lower in drinking water than would occur using even diluted chlorine bleach as a cleaning product. So, why use it if you don't have to? Unless you live with immuno-compromised people, I don't think you really need to disinfect your home.

On the other hand, hydrogen peroxide, while not harmless, is also a disinfectant and eventually breaks down into water and oxygen.

If you are switching to reusable bottles (like Nalgenes) there is some concern about drinking liquids from Lexan containers. Perhaps the risks are overstated; I haven't looked into it enough to make my mind up yet...

elizabeth in AL:

You can get powdered electrolytes that you add to your own water (e.g. endurolytes, gastrolyte). However, the powdered stuff probably won't taste as good because it will taste salty from sodium, which smartwater doesn't have.

The bedbug thing is making me very wary of all used upholstered furniture, not just street finds.

From a news story today in Vancouver: the bedbugs here aren't being spread by used furniture, but rather by, um, I can't think of the appropriate euphemism....renting hotels by the hour?

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2007/06/27/bc-bedbugs.html