mastodon 4.8.0-alpha.3+glitchGeek who writes from vocation, knits from nervous habit, and works in IT. My favourite power tool is a sewing machine. she/her/hers
Personal web site at: https://katherine-hajer.com
I biked to the grocery store tonight and stocked up on cereal. Fun fact: broadly speaking, 1970s or earlier cereal is diabetic friendly, while 1980s and later cereal is not. Life Brand has twice as many carbs as Honeycombs. I can't eat a serving of Life Brand. Even some of the "bad" sweet cereal from the 70s is better than Life Brand. No wonder Mikey liked it.
The pros and cons of mass-produced food
Nothing gets a society better at food in big batches which travel well and have a long shelf life than a war. The twist is when factory food becomes the norm, not the wartime exception. This can lead to better sanitation standards... but can also devalue those same standards.
Food and eating. It’s so central to culture, to enjoying life. If you are lucky enough to live in a place where food culture is celebrated, cherish it.
We keep getting told. Get a meal-oriented grocery service so you don’t have to go to the supermarket. Or take things a step further and get a meal service with all everything already made and ready for the microwave. Surely that’s more convenient, and convenience is everything.
But is it?
Is it actually better to make it yourself, or is the convenience of buying worth the cost? 🛠️📦
I'm excited to start Series 2 of my Substack, Make vs Buy. This time, I'm moving beyond websites to look at the pillars of domestic life: meals, clothing, and furniture. I'll also be looking at how emerging tech like 3D printing is reshaping the calculus for modern makers.
Read more here: https://makevbuy.substack.com/p/the-make-vs-buy-dilemma
#MakeVsBuy #Makers #Substack #DIY #3DPrinting #SelfSufficiency
I gave eight AIs the same web development task of creating a simple one-page website, using only HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
Was it worth it? Back when I was creating volunteer websites on evenings and weekends, it would take me a couple of weeks to finish a web page. Having a trustworthy AI tool available would cut that down to maybe a week, week and a half. Unfortunately, AI cannot help you get needed information from a volunteer coordinator with too many things to remember, so it can only help so much.
This is part of the Make vs Buy series, exploring whether it’s better to build things yourself or pay for ready-made solutions, and the conclusion of Series 1. In the next series, I’ll be looking at common household tasks, and when it’s best to buy a service, or do it yourself. But what about the technology angle? Oh, it's still there, from the importance of the internet in the DIY renaissance to the usefulness of 3D printing.
https://makevbuy.substack.com/p/where-does-this-place-ai-assisted
Hang in there! Glad you're being sensible and not denying the reality of the weather.The conventional wisdom is that it’s easier, faster, and definitely more fashionable to buy clothing than to make them. Making clothes is a lonely, expensive activity, that takes lots of time and requires a specific, hard-won skill set.
This article explores some truths which question that conventional wisdom.