cars--now and next year

what you can have done now: mods that make a difference

what we all can drive next year: almost a flying car, and 300mpg!


> Kirsten on 02/07/08 #

DIY Machine Shop for the Super Handy

Some people are better with tools than others. Like most human attributes, there's a normal distribution of this talent, with a few exceptionally handy-capped people, a few ubermechaniker, and most of the rest of us somewhere in between. The late, great Dave Gingery definitely belongs in the "uber" category. His classic 6-book series begins with instruction about how to build a home blast furnace and sand table so you can melt scrap metal and cast your own metal parts from wooden patterns. The remaining six books go on to describe how to use these castings to make your own lathe, metal shaper, milling machine, drill press, and indexing head. The order is important, because each tool requires the use of the previous machines in its construction. While the project seems a bit ambitious for me given my available time, I keep a set of the books around on the off-chance I'll be solely responsible for rebuilding industrial society in some sort of post-apocalyptic scenario.

> Sean on 02/06/08 #

Happy Super Tuesday

I am not much for electioneering. I thought this Obama inspired video, which is significantly *not* created by his campaign, was really something else. Please vote today if you can.

> Tsia on 02/05/08 #

The new face of dishware

I have been trying to figure out what comes next for me. The plates I've been using for years. Tsia loves my choice of Limoges gold rim dishes. But it turns out Garth has all the answers! Gold rims and Paint ball! Now that this pressing matter is solved, I'm ready to vote in the primaries.

> Scott on 02/04/08 #

Do you give time and/or money to charity?

Are you a crafter who cares? A DIYer who donates? I'm looking for indie businesses, artists, designers and other creative people who donate time, money and/or goods to charity for a story on Indie Fixx.

If you are interested in sharing how you share, email me . I'm not interested in any particular area or type of charitable giving, so whether you give money and/or time to people, pets, the environment, historic preservation, the arts, public tv/radio, it's all good. If you have organized a charitable giving project, I most definitely want to hear from you.

The focus of this story is going to be what a generous, sharing, and conscientious lot indie, diy, creative people are and to encourage others to get involved donating either time, money or both.

> Indie Fixx on 02/03/08 #

Etsy news

I admit I didn't really think about the impending recession much until a couple of weeks ago. Etsy on the other hand has been thinking about it for a while and today announced acceptance of a $27 million investment. See the announcement here.

> Marimello on 01/30/08 #

Call to action!

Robert Smithson's Spiral Jetty- the icon of earthworks art movement is in danger. It seems that an oil drilling complex is slated to be put underwater in the Great Salt Lake near the jetty. The permits were passed sort of under the radar. TODAY Wednesday 30 Jan is hte last day to protest. This tells us what to say and where to send it. Even if Earthworks are not your favorite, history deserves to be preserved.

> Scott on 01/30/08 #

ATTN: Urban Picnickers

Bruised pears/peaches/apples make delicious, crisp snacks turn ugly. Stick em in a hand-knit fruit cozy instead. I love the idea of tucking everything into its own sweater.

> Riva on 01/28/08 #

Buying handmade is still buying

Am I right or am I right? Every fall I get a little uppity about being forced to shop. When the Buy Handmade pledge was going around, I puzzled over the pledge's claim to be better for people and the environment. Apparently I wasn't the only one. Rob Walker of the New York Times recently published Jean Railla's article on the subject.

> Marimello on 01/28/08 #

Comprehensive Puzzle Website

If you're interested in geometry, topology, mathematics, logic, carpentry, design, architecture, or...well, just about anything, you'll probably be interested in John Rausch's amazing Puzzle World. Besides a comprehensive index of mechanical puzzles, the site includes books and articles, a directory of working puzzle craftspeople, and links to all sorts of remarkable objects you can buy or just boggle at.

> Sean on 01/27/08 #