Free Internet Based Music

Here's a couple of internet based radio stations to get the tunes you love for free.

http://www.sky.fm/ -- This station has rap, hip hop, country, classical, jazz, classic rock, indie rock, pop and many others.

http://www.di.fm/ -- This station host loads of dance music; techno, dub step, trance, hard core to name a few.

http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/ -- In the need for a specific song? This site will help you out. Simply type the song name and your on your way to music heaven. Free of charge...

http://somafm.com/ -- This site is tight!

and few others

http://www.jango.com/
http://freeplaymusic.com/
http://www.pandora.com/
http://www.youtube.com/
http://www.last.fm/
http://www.barefiles.com/
http://ravearchive.com/
http://www.dnb-sets.de/
http://songza.com/
http://freemusicarchive.org/

-Underground-

http://www.madeloud.com/
http://www.uemcee.com/
http://www.rapmonster.com/
http://www.jamendo.com
 http://thepiratebay.org/


                     Question: If the music is free, how do the artists make money?

Answer: Artists still make money via live concerts and hard copy CDs.  Not to mention, there are many artists who make music for the sake of making music- not for profits. If your favorite artist is whining about not making enough money, maybe it is time for them to find a new career.

Now that you have that, why not hook your computer to your stereo and crank your favorite tunes...


Mike

Build a Pallet Adirondack Chair

Here's a neat DIY project which will save you loads. These chairs sell for around $100...

http://www.instructables.com/id/Pallet-Adirondack-Chair/

Mike

Pic of the Day- January 23, 2011- Talent

Local artists showcase their Talent - Syracuse, NY  Babel 10.21.2010

Quote " I'm not smart, but I like to observe. Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton was the one who asked why." Bernard M. Baruch

Fact Avocados have more protein than any other fruit.

TheHemp100 - 100 Uses of Hemp
#3 - Hemp "Concrete" (Strong & Carbon Negative)

Pic of the Day- January 22, 2011- Feral

Feral (affectionately referred to as "Boots") Syracuse , NY - Babel 08.21.10

Quote "Our task must be to free ourselves...
by widening our circle of compassion
to embrace all living creatures and the
whole of nature and it's beauty." - Albert Einstein

 Fact Nikola Tesla devised the AC (alternating current) system that we use in our homes today.

TheHemp100 - 100 Uses of Hemp
#2 - Hemp "Milk"

Upcycling Soda Cans Into Tin Ornamental Boxes

This was a neat project I found from Hack A Day.

Mike

Homemade Laundry Detergent - Hypoallergenic, Effective, and Saves You Money

Homemade laundry detergent is safe, effective, easy to make, efficient, and cheaper than your alternatives. I admit I was skeptical when I came across Matt Jabs' recipe for Homemade Laundry Detergent on DIY Natural. But with a tag line of "Save Money... Increase Freedom" who wouldn't want to give his recipes a go? Plus, he was kind enough to share his personal cost breakdown which came to a savings of $.16/load! My personal savings were greater, but I did not save my receipts or calculations. (Perhaps next time, or why not share your own?) Note, this detergent is safe for front loading and top loading washers as well as High-Efficiency washing machines.

  
 

Homemade Laundry Detergent Recipe:
     1 Bar of Soap* (free of dyes & perfumes)

     1 Cup of Borax

     1 Cup of Washing Soda

*I chose Dove® sensitive skin/unscented body soap simply because I had it. What do you have on hand?

Tools

      Cheese Grater

      Container for Detergent

      1 Tablespoon
 


Directions
Using your cheese grater, shred the entire bar of soap into the container of your choice.

Combine the cup of Borax and the cup of Washing Soda with the shredded soap.

Stir for several minutes until thoroughly mixed.

Lastly, toss a full load of soiled laundry into your washer followed by 1 Tablespoon of your freshly made laundry detergent.




And just in case you have any doubts, here's my original review...

"My family consists of several dogs and birds which when combined with our choice to refrain from using paper towels creates heavily soiled laundry. Thus, the ultimate test ensued. One SUPER soiled load of laundry and 1 tablespoon of your laundry detergent. The outcome was remarkable; I stuck my nose atop the freshly spun towels and to my surprise smelled clean linen! I will fall asleep tonight to the tumbling of my dryer and sleep peacefully knowing the environment and my wallet have been minimally impacted."

Happy Laundering!
Babel

Game Time

In the need for some old school Nintendo games, but don't want to shell out 40 bucks on an old one. Well this site host a load of old Nintendo games ported to java.

http://www.nescafeplay.com/main/

Mike

How to Grow More Vegetables

How to Grow More Vegetables by John Jeavons is an excellent book on organic farming methods. If you are interested in learning about growing your own organics then this is the book. This book covers everything from double digging to proper posture to crop rotations.  If you would like to purchase a hard copy you can find several options here or click here for a free virtual copy.
HAVE A BEAUTIFUL DAY

Mike

Pic of the day - January 21, 2011 - NYS Park Pratts Falls

Moss Growth Pratts Falls , NY- Babel 08.17.2010

Fact "Humans are 10,000 times more common than we should be, according to the rules of the animal kingdom..." says Steve Jones who headed the Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment at University College London through June of 2010.

             Quote "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro" Hunter S. Thompson

                                     TheHemp100 - 100 Uses for Hemp

             #1 - "Hemp Salad Oil"

Rocket Stove - Save Money on Heating

This looks like a really cool DIY project that I will be getting into someday. A little background info from wiki

"A rocket stove is signified by ease of construction and simplicity of building materials while accepting small-diameter fuel such as twigs or small branches, yielding high combustion efficiency and directing the resultant heat onto a small area."

 So in other words, you can heat small amounts of wood and get maximum combustion and turn that into radiant heat according to iwilltry.org.

Savings

"On average the heat energy available from burning wood is around 4.5 kWh per kg (assuming a 20% moisture content). Assuming roughly 80% efficiency of the stove (just a rough guess) the heat extracted will be about 3.5 kWh per kg. I heat my home with electricity that costs about $0.07 per kWh. Therefore, the heating value of my scrap wood is about $0.25 per kg and by burning about 20kg per week I save about $5 per week on heating costs or about 50% of my heating bill for this time of year. Savings will be much greater in winter when the stove can be operated more frequently without the room becoming uncomfortably hot."

So there you go cheap efficient heating; for further info check out these sites and videos:

http://www.iwilltry.org/b/build-a-rocket-stove-for-home-heating/

http://www.viddler.com/explore/undercurrents/videos/49/

http://ilovecob.com/archive/tag/rocket-stove 

Mike

Pic of the Day - January 20, 2011 - Tibetan Monks Create Sand Mandala

Photo was taken by Babel at the Zen Center in Syracuse , NY on 10/10/2010

Fact "Hemp has been grown for at least the last 12,000 years for fiber (textiles and paper) and food. It has been effectively prohibited in the United States since the 1950s."

Quote "He who knows much about others may be learned, but he who understands himself is more intelligent. He who controls others may be powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still." Lao Tzu

Earthship Photos

Keep in mind that these houses are made from mostly recycled materials; so you could use whatever you have around! You may have noticed a lot of round glass which are beer and wine bottles in the walls that create a beautiful  lighting effect. These are affordable, recycled, naturally warming and cooling homes. Earthships also use water harvesting techniques, gray and black water septic systems, solar & wind electricity, huge windows to provide natural lighting, amongst many other things these sustainable homes can offer you.


MIKE

Earthships are the way of the future

If You had to pick a single home that you could live the rest of your days in what would you pick? I'd probably want something that would heat itself, provide the water I need, grow my food, and of course give me shelter. Well if you're like me, then your in luck, because researcher Michael Reynolds has created such a home. It's called an earthship and can provide year-around heating, cooling, lighting, food, and water harvesting, just to name a few. Best of all is the fact that they are mostly built out of recycled tires, which people will pay you to take from them.

http://earthship.com/

https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Earthship

http://www.greenhomebuilding.com/earthship.htm


http://www.dreamgreenhomes.com/plans/earthship.htm

MIKE

Methane Harvesting, Water Heating, and Dirt from Composting

This is just absolutely amazing! Apparently Jean Pain had figured out ways to harvest methane, heat his water and get plenty of dirt for food from a compost heap (which is just your waste) back in the 70's. So why aren't humans doing this collectively and living smarter not harder? Jean was able to heat water to 60 degrees Celsius (140 degrees Fahrenheit) at a rate of 4 liters a minute which he used for washing and heating. He also distilled enough methane to run an electricity generator, cooking elements, and power his truck.

Some sites on the matter and how to do it yourself; of course your going to need to be creative, but we are human after all and should be able to manage.

http://onestraw.wordpress.com/2009/12/23/enter-the-house-of-pain/

http://onestraw.wordpress.com/2010/05/20/the-methane-midden-epic-shit-jean-pain-composting/

https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Jean_Pain



Mike