Tools
In the spirit of the old Co-Evolution Quarterly and Whole Earth Catalogs, on this page I highlight the stuff in my life that works really well.
Recent books at Dallas Public Library's Urban Information Center. A custom search handcrafted for Russ Sikes, prominent urban sage.
Sloan Flushmate
It doesn't get more fundamental than this. If you live in an older
house ('60s or earlier) like I do, with a cast iron pipe that conducts your
wastewater to the sanitary sewer system, the new EPA-mandated water-conserving
1.6 gallon per minute toilets might not work for you. The Flushmate is new
technology, and it works great. Don't believe the snide comments you may
read elsewhere about the noise scaring children and the like. That's
totally unfounded. They are a snap to install, even for a klutz like me
and unless you are using well water, you likely have sufficient water pressure
to run one of these babies. I got mine for around $225.00 at Lowes,
including bowl, tank and fittings. The manufacturer of my porcelain unit
is the Crane Economiser
pressure-assisted toilet. Sloan is said to be working on a kit to let you
retrofit your existing tank. That's great news! Note: Sloan provides
excellent telephone support. When you first get your turbo-charged toilet
up and running, you will probably need to back off the adjuster a couple turns
so it doesn't run constantly. This is an easy fix. Also, if you use
the Crane model, you might need to buy and install a small rubber o-ring between
the inside of the tank and the washer that tightens to hold the handle in
place. That nut tightens counter-clockwise, like a lawnmower blade, so be
aware of that too. If you are concerned about the flow-rate of water
coming into your house, just call Sloan, and they will tell you how to measure
it with nothing more sophisticated than a 10-gallon bucket and a wrist watch
with a second hand.
The New York Times
Okay, so this one's a little obvious, but it deserves to be celebrated
nonetheless. That our country continues to have an independent newspaper
of such caliber, owned by the Ochs-Sulzberger families and not some evil
multinational corporation, is a thing of wonder. Even the venerable Times
of London was recently acquired by Rupert Murdoch. The Washington Post is
almost as good, and just as independent, but the Times is easier to
access. I can't afford a subscription so I buy it at my local Albertson's
or at Starbucks. The editorial columnists are the very best -- Paul Krugman,
Maureen Dowd, Tom Friedman and Bob Herbert. Krugman is simply the
brightest and most honest economist writing today. Dowd's pen is
"warmed up in Hell", just like Mark Twain's. Friedman's insights
into the Middle East are essential, and he's a great talker too, appearing
frequently on the Charlie Rose Show on PBS. It's sad to see the Times take
some knocks recently over stuff that seems, frankly, blown out of proportion.
Someone ought to nominate Paul Krugman for an award. The story he wrote in the
New York Times Sunday Magazine (Sept. 14, 2003) was brilliant.
Pho
I love the Vietnamese noodle soup called Pho. It can be found at
restaurants all over America and it's pretty rare to find one that is not
wonderful. Piping hot water poured over vermicelli-style rice noodles,
vegetables and meat garnished with a heaping plate of fresh basil, sprouts and
hot peppers. Not too expensive and very refreshing. Seek it
out! In Dallas I generally head north on Audelia Road from Northwest
Highway until I come to Walnut Street (technically in Richardson). On the
southwest corner of the intersection is the Hong Kong Supermarket, a great place
to buy Asian food and produce. There are at least two excellent Pho
restaurants tucked in to this plaza. One is called Pho 95. The
other, whose name I cannot remember, is in the arcade area, to the right of the
supermarket, all the way in to the back.