By Andrew Williams •
November 24, 2008
Music fan Owen Louis was so concerned about the amount of energy used up by his iPod, that he figured out a way of charging it up … with nothing more than an onion.
Louis, 21, from Portsmouth in the UK, makes two holes in an onion, before soaking it in an everyday energy drink and connecting it to his MP3 via a standard USB cable. Incredibly, the technique (video) enables him to charge his iPod for a full hour. According to Louis, “A friend showed me the experiment as a laugh but I thought it was the greatest thing I have ever seen, and do it religiously every day.”
By Kelly Rand •
October 27, 2008
On a recent visit with my parents, I noticed a small tear along the side seam of my father’s shirt. He mumbled something about how that was the end of that shirt, and my mother was quick to agree. After I picked my jaw off the floor at this ludicrous statement, I pointed out to my mother that she owned a sewing machine and I knew for a fact that she could sew! There was no need to get rid of the shirt when a simple and quick fix could make it good as new.
In these increasingly harder economic times, knowing some basic sewing techniques can help fix common rips and tears that will help extend your wardrobe. So over the next couple of weeks I will be highlighting some simple ways to fix up and mend your clothes. These fixes are worth more than the pennies spent on materials and are not only good for your wallet but good for the environment to boot.
To fix the aforementioned tear in the seam of a shirt you’ll need a needle of appropriate weight. One that is sturdy enough to go through the fabric easily, but thin enough that you won’t struggle. You will also need thread in a coordinating color.
By Stuart Stein •
September 9, 2008
Doesn’t everyone love fried foods. Yet as Russ Parson’s said in How to Read a French Fry, “Most people would sooner tune their own car or perform minor surgery on a family member before they would try to fry in their own kitchen.”
Frying basically involves cooking food in hot fat. But it’s not quite that simple. Parson’s writes, “Anyone doubting that cooking is a complex craft, need only consider frying. Perhaps no other type of cooking involves quite as many variables or requires as many decisions on the part of the cook.” Type of fat, main ingredient, coating and temperature to name just a few.
You need to take care when frying, because if the fat is too hot, the food will scorch or burn before it is completely cooked; and if it’s too cold, the food will soak up fat and become soggy with grease. It’s a question of balance.
