Tag Archives: books

2010 Projects: Rescheduled

This will become a blanket/throw rug.In light of my uni commitments, I have had to reorganise a few of my 2010 Projects. So here is the new list, with changes.

  • Start a garden This is still going ahead, but will be on a smaller scale at least to begin with. And probably now won’t involve many food plants or growing things from seeds.
  • Go open source I will need to stay dual-boot because I will need Windows for uni. I still plan to use Linux more though.
  • Get my weight down to 85kg This is still going on, I am still losing 0.5-1kg a week on protein shakes and exercise.
  • Start my own personal archive This is on hold until I have enough money to buy rather than build a NAS.
  • Work out what’s going on with uni Done (and the reason I’m rethinking the rest of the list) In March I will start my last remaining elective, and later in the year I will start my final project for completion in mid 2011.
  • Build a file server from the old computer bits I have lying around on hold, and may now not happen at all.
  • Knit a decent pair of socks Sock making is on hold. Instead I have decided to make a throw rug out of the huge amount of feather yarn I have lying around. The rug will be made of 10cm x 10cm squares, but I’m saving myself some sewing by knitting in strips. Pictured is the result of 2 hours work last night.
  • Start writing a book on hold
  • Move this blog to its own domain on hold (for now), may become part of a new addition to the list.
  • Blog at least 3 times a week going strong!
  • Be more adventurous with food (was “Learn to cook more”) still going, last week we tried different types of sausages. This week we’re going to dinner at a place we’ve never been to before.
  • 52 Books in 52 Weeks not happening. I still read for 15-20 minutes before bed but I’m taking of the pressure to read a book a week.
  • Develop an awesome multimedia portfolio A new addition to the list, and one that’s needed because of my poor academic results. I’m starting by doing tutorials every day.

So there we have it – this is what I’ll be doing this year. Notice some parts are much more specific than the original list, this version looks more achievable (bleep-bloop).

52Books: The Organic Suburbanite

Lawn by kevindooley on flickrFor first book number 1 of 52, I read The Organic Suburbanite by Warren Schultz. I received the book for Christmas from my brother John and his partner Cass (who run All the rest have thirty-one which is turning out to be a useful and entertaining green living blog).

The book is a guide to living the “American dream” lifestyle of a big house in the suburbs without being so damaging to the environment. That kind of book can be intimidating, but this one isn’t. It’s obviously written for the novice. The book is divided into three sections: The Organic Suburbanite at Home (includes kitchen, laundry and cleaning tips), Around the Suburban Yard (maintenance of paths, decks, cars and swimming pools), and Suburban Lawns and Gardens (gardening). I live in a rented apartment so two-thirds of the advice simply does not apply to me. It is still good, but I would recommend apartment dwellers pick up one of the many eco-cleaning books out there instead. The book is written in plain language, which makes a change from a lot of these kinds of books. Also, use of colours, spacious layout and photos of 1950s American suburbia make it a joy to read.

All in all, it’s worth having on the environmentally friendly bookshelf.