craschworks

This expensive ($601 USD), but striking laptop bag is made from synthetic human skin. The “Skinbag” is shock absorbant, has 1 cm padding (fabric lining), and 1 side pocket for all your accessories. It measures approx. 39 x 29 cm or 14 x 11 in. and doubles as a regular carrying bag.

Creepy, yet funny. (WMV file)

Via .

It seems Google doesn't just block content in China. Anyone know what the story is behind this? Anyone know why Google would be selectively blocking this video?

(Via Flutterby)

[EDIT: is right. You can specify which countries are allowed to see a video when you upload it. See screenshot below:

]

http://www.tcsdaily.com/article.aspx?id=082203C

Julian's Genius Font Size:

By Herbert Inhaber : BIO | 22 Aug 2003

Discuss This Story! (0) Email | Print | Bookmark | Save

A recent article on auctions in the science journal Nature sparked memories of my interactions with the late Julian Simon, the famed economist at the University of Maryland.

David Porter of George Mason University in Virginia found ways to make auctions more efficient. Auctions are generally efficient since they help match supply and demand. But bidders can employ confusing strategies like spreading the price they want to pay among more than one item. Porters scheme, involving a clock ticking upwards, might solve these problems.

Julian Simon was a proponent of auctions, but not the Saturday morning farmyard kind. I had the honor of knowing Julian and at one time we were planning to co-edit a book dealing with auctions and other money-based ways of solving societal problems.

Julian was the developer of one of the best known auctions there is, even if most people dont realize it. The auction Julian designed is used to get excess passengers off overbooked airlines. As an economist, he developed an interest in this when he found out that stewardesses were putting elderly people off overbooked planes, on the assumption that they would complain less than younger ones. He had some memos from airline executives stating this policy.

He realized that some type of financial compensation to booted passengers was necessary, but how to arrange it? He came up with what I later called the reverse Dutch auction, although he never used the term. The standard auction is known to economists as the English auction. Bids rise until there is only one bidder left, but such an auction would take far too long with an airliner at the gate.

The Dutch auction works in reverse. The auctioneer starts the auction at a high price. The price gradually drops until a bidder raises his hand. There is only one bid.

But the Dutch and English auctions are for desirable objects. Since being put off an airplane is clearly not desirable, the process must be reversed.

Anyone who has ever flown has seen it in action. The announcement of overbooking is made, and the attendants offer a free ticket to those who depart. Usually, enough people rush forward that the overbooking is relieved within a minute. The attendants have the ability to offer free tickets, hundreds of dollars and other incentives if they cant get enough people to deplane. So the process is truly an auction, and works highly efficiently.

Julian went to airline executives, suggesting this as a method for solving their difficulty. But they rejected his idea, partly because they didnt think of it themselves. He had almost given up when he encountered Dr. Crandall, an economist at the Brookings Institution. Crandall was the son of Robert Crandall, then the head of American Airlines. The elder Crandall was very skeptical of Simons idea, but agreed to give it a short trial. It worked perfectly, and is of course now universally adopted — a prime example that sometimes its not what you know, but who you know.

The reverse Dutch auction can also be applied to siting LULUs Locally Unwanted Land Uses. This is the common situation where everyone wants a place to house things like dangerous criminals, hazardous and nuclear waste, as long as its not in their backyard.

The siting authority would set some fair environmental rules — no putting wastes in swamps or Times Square. Then the price would rise, every week or month. The rising price, as in the airline case, would create a constituency urging their elected leaders to bid now, before the county down the road or the adjacent state got all the money.

Right now, there is absolutely no constituency to accept LULUs anywhere, with the result that risks of storing wastes are increased unnecessarily. Living in Las Vegas, not far from the proposed Yucca Mountain repository, I know that there are few in Nevada that welcome it with open arms. If there had been a reverse Dutch auction, there might be people in Nevada (or any other state with deserts, like New Mexico or Washington) who would want it to come there.

Julian Simon, as many readers of TCS know, was a great believer in the power of ideas to change society for the better. His ideas still live on — and may they continue to do so.

The writer is author of “Slaying The NIMBY Dragon.”

If you are a producer or reporter who is interested in receiving more information about this article or the author, please email your request to [email protected]

(Courtesy of )

http://www.theadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041216/NEWS01/412160324/1002

PAIR LIVES 'GREEN' LIFE
Couple creates ecologically friendly home
Jan Risher
[email protected]

OPELOUSAS – Tony Adrian and Marie Bossard live in a beautiful 1,400-square-foot house on the outskirts of town.
Their monthly electricity bill is zero.

Their monthly water bill is zero.

In fact, they don't even receive utility bills.
All of the home's energy comes from solar panels situated in the side yard. All of the home's water comes from the sky, safely stored and filtered through a rainwater harvesting system.

Adrian said that if it's not the only home in Louisiana “100 percent off the grid,” it's one of a very few.

“It's a system. It's not just a house,” said Adrian, a transplant from New Mexico who fell in love with French Louisiana culture shortly after he moved to the area in 1976. Adrian, 46, and Bossard, 45, run their home-based nursing software business out of their carefully built home.

Adrian explained that when he and his wife approached architect Eddie Cazayoux, they had three criteria. They wanted their home to be energy efficient, easy to clean and made of recycled materials when possible.

Cazayoux, of Breaux Bridge, is a University of Louisiana architecture professor. He went beyond the couple's expectations in his creation of a state-of-the-art home that utilizes technology of long ago.

“The house works because of the clients. They're unique people,” Cazayoux said. “Part of what I do is sustainable design – you look at what you have locally and how can you use it.”

Cazayoux said that the two major concepts in the home's design were shading and ventilation.

“It's nothing new,” Adrian said. “It's the way people used to build homes before we got cheap electricity.”

Free electricity and water

The home is built on “stilts” made of recycled drill pipe from oil fields. The house's elevation makes the most of what nature has to offer.
“The wind comes from the south over the trees, comes over the house and creates a negative pressure to pull air through the house,” Adrian said.

Cazayoux refers to the negative pressure as “suck-ulation rather than just ventilation.”

Adrian and Bossard moved into the home in May; they said they survived their un-air-conditioned Louisiana summer just fine. Adrian challenges “any reasonable person to come at 4 on an August afternoon and say that it's not comfortable.”

Bossard said the home's solar energy is actually more dependable than the public utility system that served their previous home in St. Martinville.

“Where we used to live, we had power outages. Now, we don't,” Bossard said.

According to Adrian, the house, including the 342-square-foot downstairs utility room and the wrap-around porch, which offers as much square footage as the home itself, cost about $175,000 to build.

The solar energy system cost about $16,000 and the rainwater 5,500-gallon system cost about $4,000.

“We are very, very picky about anything that uses electricity or water,” Bossard said as she transferred wet clothes from washer to dryer.

The couple installed standard appliances in their home. All of the new appliances were purchased at Sears.

“I never thought I'd be talking up Sears, but they deserve the credit because of their commitment to selling and promoting low-energy usage appliances,” Adrian said.

Pointing to the pair of dishwashers in the couple's kitchen, Adrian said, “One of these costs the same as a good cabinet.”

He explains that the two dishwashers only add to the home's efficiency – when one dishwasher is empty, the other is full, alleviating the need for cabinets and fitting the home's “easy to clean” criterion.

The only concession the couple has made in energy usage has been on the rare occasion of several consecutive days of shade.

“When we get a week of shade, we don't wash clothes on the shady, shady days,” Adrian said.

To maintain the solar energy system, Adrian adjusts the solar panels twice a year and tops the batteries off with water once every two months. The home uses standard electrical plugs and light switches.

The rainwater harvesting system requires a little more maintenance, but Adrian said he believes the end product is well worth the effort.

“In a nutshell, rainwater properly done is multiple times cleaner than other water,” Adrian said.

He explained that when harvesting rainwater, the first step is to keep the water going in clean. The system diverts water from the first 10 minutes of a rain “because the first five to 10 minutes of rain cleans the air.”

Adrian stores their home's water in three tanks. He said that a four-inch rain provides enough water for four months. The home's roof serves as the rainwater harvest area; water is funneled through a series of three filters before it runs out of a faucet inside the home.

Reusable materials

Throughout the home, Adrian and Bossard point to other examples of their commitment to making the most of the environment and avoiding waste.
Take their wood floors, for example. The couple used their portable sawmill to salvage trees downed by Hurricane Lili. They are proud that no trees were cut to build their house.

The bricks came from a home being torn down in Crowley.

Someone upgrading a kitchen gave them the old oven hood.

Their doors are old doors from UL buildings.

“We tried to recycle as much as we could without going nuts – and when given the opportunity, we bought locally,” Bossard said.

Adrian and Bossard are proud of their home.

“It's an oasis,” Bossard said.

The couple recognizes that their lifestyle isn't for everyone, but both agree that it works for them and that it's important to lead the way toward conserving available resources.

“The short answer is: we wouldn't go back,” Adrian said.

For Bossard, a native of France, it's easy to see a global trend toward conservation, even if that's not always apparent in the United States.

“The rest of the world is changing,” Bossard said.

Adrian said he realizes that few people will go to the lengths he and his wife did to conserve and reuse.

“You don't have to do what we did, but it's good to see a different way of life,” Adrian said. “For us, we had to ask, 'How could we not afford to do this?' “

Originally published December 16, 2004

Suppose he bought he ads–would groups like CSPI have the right to get an injunction to block them until the courts decided that he was acting “independently”? How would a court decide whether he was acting “independently” or under the auspices of a corporation?

You appear to think that because corporations get limited liability protections, you have the right to suppress the speech of the corporate employees. How far are you willing to take that line of reasoning? What if the government aids you in other ways? What if you're a government employee? What if you receive tax breaks? Student loans? What if your industry enjoys tariff protection? Diplomats enjoy diplomatic immunity–do we get to suppress their speech as well? Why do you single out recipients of limited legal liability for speech suppression?

And I note that this hypothetical is rather far from what is in practice now. In practice, regardless of your willingness to accept liability, no one can buy cigarette TV ads now without facing fines or prison time.

Note that I have no objection to making people liable for any fraudulent claims that they make (whether they make them as an individual or as a corporation). Your beef seems to be with corporate liability laws, with which I probably agree with you. But your distaste is such that you're willing to advocate the suppression of the speech of corporate employees.

http://morelife.org/personal/health/smoothie.html

To appease my clamoring fans who have demanded this (all 2 of them :-),
here it is:

Breakfast Whole Fruit Smoothie

Ingredient list:

- 1/2 pink grapefruit or occasionally a whole orange or half of each
(white grapefruit can be used but I prefer pink for the lycopene content
and taste)
- 1/4 lemon or lime
- apple occasionally substitute a pear or peach or use half of each
(vary the kinds of apples and pears. I simply use what is currently
cheapest)
- 1 medium sized banana (completely ripe – from freezer or fridge if you
like
- 3 dried apricots
- 5 pitted prunes
- 4 oz 100% fruit juice (whatever is handy)
One or two of the following:
- 2-3 oz berries (usually strawberries)
- 1 kiwi
- 2-3 oz grapes
- 2-4 oz cantaloupe or other melon
- 2-4 oz of any other fruit
- 2 ox of mixed raw nuts (I prefer almonds, walnuts, brazils, pumpkin
seeds)
- 1 tbsp of flaxseed oil or Udo's “perfected oil blend”
- 10g (approx 2 tbsp) of whey protein concentrate (70% protein)
- 10g (approx 1 tbsp) of soy extract powder
- 1/8 tsp (approx 500 mg) vitamin C powder (to prevent oxidation
-browning – while blending)
- 1/16 tsp 1% biotin powder (equal to approx 2 mg biotin activity)

Preparation Method

Soaking Apricots and Almonds

Apricots

I find that these will not blend sufficiently fine enough without
soaking.
Soaking is accomplished in bulk by filling a 16 oz cottage cheese or
yogurt container 2/3 full loosely with dried apricots, topping up with
spring or distilled water and placing in the refrigerator at least one
day before first use. When first opened, you will find the water level
has gone down and you will need to top it up again. When only the liquid
is left, it can be used in place of the juice. Apricots soaked in this
manner appear to keep almost indefinitely in the refrigerator.

Almonds

Although the other nuts grind up fine, I find dried raw almonds
generally too hard to blend properly with the fruit unless they are
first softened by soaking. To do this proceed as with the apricots but
leave at least two days in the refrigerator before first use. At time of
first use, drain water and rinse almonds thoroughly with fresh tapwater
and store in refrigerator without water in the container. Unless you do
this almonds will not keep well. If you can't use them within 1-10 days,
you should probably soak only 1/2 container at a time. BTW, they are
also delicious to eat straight this way.

Addition of ingredients

The only reason for this order is to allow ease of blending. My method
is simply to prepare and place almost all ingredients in the blender
before starting the blender with “juiciest things going in first. There
are probably other methods which are just as convenient or better. I use
a much as possible of the whole fruit: all the pulp and seeds of melons,
the skin of the kiwi (only removing stem attachment part). Naturally,
hard pits like peach, cherry, plum, prune, apricot, etc which the
blender will not cut up must be omitted. I have used only seedless
grapes and having not tried to blend grape seeds – I don't think it
would work.

- place juice and oil in blender container
- peel section and cut (half sections) grapefruit and/or orange leaving
as much “white stuff” as possible. Include any seeds. Even include the
“navel” of the orange if not too large or containing too much peel.
- wash lemon or lime, quarter and cut quarters in 3-4 pieces. Include
peel and seeds.
- dice and add any other “juicy” fruit (berries, melon, grapes, etc)
- add nuts
- peel and slice banana into container
- quarter and slice apple or pear into container (leave core in or omit
as you prefer – I have not tried it with the core in yet since my dog
loves to catch and eat the quarter cores – and always one pitted prune -
which I feed him while I am doing the preparation)
- add any remaining fruit
- sprinkle in vitamin C and biotin power (I don't actually bother
measuring these but just get some out of the container on the end of a
knife blade)

I now start the blending and only add the protein powders when the major
smoothing work is complete (because they greatly thicken the mixture).

Blending method

I do not use a special expensive blender, just the cheapest one from
Wal-Mart.
I start at low to medium speed and give the bottom juicy ingredients a
little time to liquefy. Usually, the other ingredients get “stuck” up in
the container. I always need to stop and shake everything down 2 or 3
times before it all begins circulating. At this time you can also
increase the speed somewhat. Once is begins to circulate freely and you
see that everything has been drawn down, wait until it is as smooth as
you desire and then add the protein powder just before completion of the
blending. Sometimes it is so thick that the protein powder will not all
sink in at first. The trick here is to again stop and start the blender
which will cause anything sitting on the surface to be drawn down and
completely mixed.

Drinking and Cleanup

While preparing and adding the ingredients to the container, you should
be puting the unused portions back in the refrigerator. When the
blending operation is complete, I just drink it right out of the
blender. If this is too “piggish” for you then I suggest pouring it
into a bowl and eating it with a spoon since it is usually too thick to
“drink” without being a bit “piggish”. If you do not like it so thick
you can always add more juice, or some other liquid and less fruit, but
I like it thick find it extremely painless to swallow a total of 30+
pills in 3-4 sets with a mouthful of thick smoothie.

One problem with the thickness is that after completely unending it into
my mouth there is still usually several oz left in the container (and
its so yummy and I am so frugal that I cannot possibly waste that). The
answer here is to use a rubber scraper to gather the remainder together
*as* you drink it near the end and get the last by licking it of the
scrapper. Once you get adept at this, you will find it takes very little
time and you can get out everything but about 1 teaspoonful. You may be
satisfied with that and simply wash the container (possibly by blending
warm water in it) to complete the cleanup. I, however, am not satisfied
with even that little waste, so I dribble water down the sides of the
container from my bottled water dispenser, swish the water around the
bottom and drink the resulting mixture.

This completes the breakfast smoothie portion of my day.

Next, a recipe for my raw vegetable smoothie :-)

–Tom
Tom Matthews

A TASTY VEGETARIAN HEALTH SHAKE (NO LIE)
(c) 1995 Steve Harris, M.D.
For many reasons, breakfast is the most important meal of the
day, just as mom used to tell you.

For one thing, in the AM, your brain's hormonally controlled
desire for carbohydrates is high, and for fat, low. This makes
it easy to eat “perfect” low-fat meals in the AM, but also makes
it increasingly difficult to eat low fat as the day wears on.

For another, breakfast calories count less, as we know
now– the popular idea that calories eaten in the evening are
more likely to get turned into fat during sleep, is an old wives'
tale which is perfectly true.

Since your body “counts” calories during the day, eating a
significant amount of calories (even low fat calories) for
breakfast offers you the opportunity to have the willpower to
bypass those nutritionally disastrous foods which may be the only
things you'll find in vending machines, cafeterias, or fast food
places while at work.

But many people don't eat breakfast. They don't because they
don't have much time in the mornings, and they mistakenly believe
that they should take advantage of the relative lack of appetite
which many people have just after getting up (sometimes boosted
by coffee, or even a cigarette). But this strategy doesn't
really work, and in fact tends to backfire. The average over-
weight person does not eat breakfast (beyond perhaps some wake-up
coffee), has one or two high-fat snacks during the day, then
begins to eat high-fat foods continuously from the time he or she
arrives home from work in the afternoon, until the time for bed
at night. The results speak for themselves. Sometimes people
think that the results would be even worse if they started eating
at breakfast, but with the right breakfast, they are wrong.

A decently-planned breakfast shake is an alternative to the
daily starve and binge cycle of too many people. Such shakes are
quick and easy to make with a blender, and are also easy to
design to near nutritional perfection. The components of a good
shake are carbohydrate, protein, fat, fiber, and flavor– and
with a blender it's possible to put in exactly what we need, and
still get something that tastes good. Let's take the components
one at a time:

Carbohydrate: A little sugar is necessary for a good shake,
but most of the calories ought come from easy-to-dissolve, but
nearly tasteless small sugar polymers. These are intermediate
between starch (which is hard to dissolve), and sugars. These
smaller polymers are digested slowly enough not to raise insulin
as much as simple sugars. The small sugar polymer product
derived from corn is called “maltodextrin,” and it can be bought
under trade names like “CARBO-HIT” (Mega-Pro) in the
body-building sections of health food stores. Any body-building
product which is 100% carbohydrate, but contains no sugar, is
maltodextrin (even if the label does not contain the word).
Maltodextrin is a white powder containing about 225 Calories per
1/2 cup (56 grams). It is lactose-free.

Protein: Here the choices are between soy, milk, and egg
proteins. Soy protein (available as 90-95% isolates in body
builder sections of health food stores) has a number of benefits,
including low methionine for low homocysteine production (unless
methionine is added– stay away from these products); and low
lysine for low insulin levels. Soy products also contain other
compounds like saponins and isoflavones (principally genistein)
which both inhibit cancer (prostate, breast, colon), and impress-
ively lower cholesterol levels (far better than equal weights of
bran or corn oil). Soy protein is also present in soy milk,
which is available in non-fat versions which have 6 or 7 grams
protein per cup (don't bother with the 3 g protein per cup
versions). Soy protein isolate contains about 60 Calories per
1/4 cup (13 grams protein).

Fat: polyunsaturated omega-6 fats– such as occur in corn or
safflower oil– lower cholesterol levels, but apparently increase
cancer rates. On the other hand, most saturated fats, such as
occur in coconut or palm oils; and also trans-fats, which occur
in hydrogenated oils, raise cholesterol levels. Thus, the ideal
fats to stave off fat-hunger and add calories, are the
monounsaturate residue triglycerides, which lower blood
cholesterol without causing cancer. The best sources of these
fats are hazel nut oil, avocado oil, extra virgin olive oil,
unhydrogenated Canola oil, macademia nut oil, and almond oil. Of
all these, the author prefers almond oil, and finds that the
others have peculiar “olive-like” tastes which are hard to hide
in a sweet breakfast shake. Oil could be left out of a shake
completely, but it's hard to fool the body completely about fat
in the diet, and any shake which “sticks to the ribs” through
lunch should contain a little fat. The 1 tablespoon of almond
oil added to this shake (14 g fat) contains 120 Kcals.

Fiber: for fiber and body in a shake it's hard to beat a
banana, which not only adds flavor, but also potassium and 100
nearly fat-free Calories. This, plus ice for cooling, and
vanilla for flavor, completes our recipe:

Jenny Stein's “Soy Vey!” Banana-Vanilla Anti-Cancer Anti-Heart
Disease Shake:

To a blender add:

1/2 cup maltodextrin
1/4 cup soy protein (no added methionine)

(This can be done as dry ingredients the evening before. A mix
of 2 parts maltodextrin and 1 part soy protein powder (by volume)
can also be made up in bulk, for even faster measurement)

In the AM add:

8 oz non-fat 6 or 7 gram protein per cup soy milk
(author's favorite: SOY-MOO brand)
1 tablespoon almond oil
5 drops vanilla extract
2 large ice cubes (made from distilled water)
1 large banana

Blend on “low” blending setting, until smooth (60 seconds or so),
for a drink of 16 oz. Chug it down, rinse the blender under the
tap, and you're out the door.

For other flavors, chocolate syrup or frozen strawberry fruit can
be added to taste. Non-fat fruit yogurts can also be added.

Nutritional Analysis (for the plain banana/vanilla version):

Protein: 20 grams (about 1/3 of daily protein requirement)
Carbohydrate: 105 g (~30 grams sugar)
Fat: 15 grams (70% monounsaturate)

Energy: 615 Cals (Kcals), 20% from fat
——————————————————

Again, note that some fat and fat-calories have been added
deliberately, in order to avoid “daily Calories eaten late in the
day” trap. There is no point in trying to make this a “low-
calorie” shake– that defeats the entire purpose of the thing!
Also, vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids have been not
been balanced, on assumption that supplement pills, fruits,
vegetables, and other fat sources will be added later in the
daily diet.

Some health-seekers will immediately think of adding the
traditional things like brewer's yeast, vitamins, and lecithin to
this recipe, and my advice is: don't. These things taste awful!
It takes an unusual person to drink something most mornings over
the long run if it doesn't taste pretty good.

ENJOY!

Steven B. Harris, M.D.

http://www.vsh.org/smoothies.htm

15 pounds Fully ripe tomatoes;chopped
2 cups Celery;chopped
3 large Onions; chopped
3 cloves garlic; minced/mashed
1/4 cup Sugar; or to taste
Salt
3/4 teaspoon Pepper
2 teaspoons Prepared horseradish
1/3 cup Lemon juice
Worcestershire to taste
Directions:
Over medium high heat bring the vegetables to a boil and boil gently for about 20 minutes. In a covered blender (food processor) and a portion at a time process until smooth. Strain and discard pulp. Add seasonings and bring to just under boiling if canning, or chill

Source Sunset From: Sharon Stevens

This recipe for Homemade V8 Juice serves/makes 12.

Chewy Fruit Smoothie

Spicy Vegetable Shake

1 Cup Ice
2 Cups Ice Water
2 Cups Chopped Fresh Fruit (e.g., pineapple, banana, and blueberries)
1 Tb Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 Tb Ground Cinnamon
1 Scoop Egg Protein Powder
1 Scoop Hemp Protein Powder
1 Tb Blackstrap Molasses
1 Tsp Ground Ginger
2 Tbs Freshly Ground Flax Seeds
1 Tb Freshly Ground Hemp Seeds
1 Tb Ground Psyllium Husk

Directions

Put ice and water in blender with chopped fruit. Liquefy on high. With blender going, add remaining ingredients one at a time. Stop and start blender as necessary. Grind the flax and hemp seeds, before putting in the blender, in a countertop coffee bean grinder. Drink immediately. For another recipe, Click Here. 1 Cup Ice
1 Cup Tomato Juice
1 Cup Non-fat Organic Yogurt
2 Cups Chopped Veggies (e.g., tomato, cooked broccoli, and cooked spinach)
1/2 Cup Salsa
1 Scoop (35 grams) Protein Powder
1/4 cup Freshly Ground Almonds
1 Tb Ground Psyllium Husk

Optional
1 Tb Solgar Greens & More powder

Directions

Put ice and tomato juice in blender with chopped veggies. Liquefy on high. With blender going, add remaining ingredients one at a time. Stop and start blender as necessary. Grind the almonds, before putting in the blender, in a food processor. Drink immediately.

Cathedral of Junk

The Cathedral of Junk stands quietly in the backyard of a small house on a suburban street on the south side of Austin. Unlike other busybody constructions that we've visited over the years — the Forevertron, the Garden of Eden, the Orange Show — this one blends with its neighborhood. From the street, it's invisible.

The man who built it, Vince Hannemann, is similarly unassuming. He didn't build the Cathedral to get attention. Although he's been dubbed a “yardist” by the local art community, he's a very down-to-earth guy who harbors no illusions about the significance of his creation. “I just did it because it was kinda cool,” he tells us. “It's my clubhouse. It's fun. Kids, when they come through, they know what it is.”

Vince began building the Cathedral in 1988, when he was in his mid-twenties. He's added to it steadily ever since, and he estimates that it now contains over 60 tons of junk. “People ask me all the time, 'What made you want to do this?' Like it had some sort of profound meaning. I just did it because I liked it. And when I stop liking it I'll take it down.”

Wrapped in years of subtropical Texas vegetation, the Cathedral is a hollow framework of improvised trusses, around and within which Vince has wired and packed all manner of mass-production cast-offs: lawnmower wheels, car bumpers, kitchen utensils, ladders, cables, bottles, circuit boards, bicycle parts, brick-a-brack, and a lot of stuff that is frankly unidentifiable.

Illuminated beer signs, clocks, and other electric do-dads still operate, powered by unseen cables and outlets hidden within the shadowy silvery-green. Walk through the Cathedral's passages, and one is eerily reminded of scenes from the film Aliens, where half-organic walls are built of humans waiting to be sucked dry.

The Cathedral is, in fact, assembled mostly from stuff that people bring to Vince, which makes charting its overall growth somewhat problematic. “You can't tell people what to bring,” Vince notes. But he is fussy and, he admits, “my tastes change. Lots of things don't fit in.”

Planning ahead, we brought Vince a “pipe of peace” from the Toilet Museum and an aluminum rooster from The Flower Man, which we hope he will add to the Cathedral if they pass muster.

The Cathedral seems small, at least from the outside, which is understandable given the small size of Vince's back yard. Once you enter, however, it magically expands. Perhaps it's the stairways and multiple levels, or the vaulted ceilings, or the observation platforms, or the “Throne Room,” whose chair, made of god-knows-what, sits at the Cathedral's heart and on which Vince sits and answers our annoying questions. Whatever the reason, the effect is impressive.

Vince tells us of a “moment of decision” that he faced in 2000. “I wanted to regain control over it,” he confesses. “You know, 'I have a life! I have a life! I'm sick of this. I just wanna get out of here.' But, no. I have no control. I couldn't tear it down.”

“I tried,” Vince continues. “I tore down the three-story tower in the back.”But he then used the junk from the tower to build more rooms. “I decided to go less World Trade Center and more Frank Lloyd Wright.”

“I was deluded,” he laughs. “I was just stressed out.”

The yuppies in the townhome complex behind Vince's yard wouldn't mind if Vince tore down his Cathedral. They've complained to the city, and the city has sent engineers — several over the years — who shake and study Vince's creation, trying to find its weak spots, but it has none.

“This is built to withstand Texas storms,” Vince notes with satisfaction.

The only part of the Cathedral that Vince has had to demolish was his “Pyramid of TVs” — 200 in all. “One guy told me, 'This isn't a pyramid, this is only a pile.' I said, 'Well, what kind of pile expert are you? Aren't we just a kind of pile?” The engineer was not swayed by Vince's metaphysical argument, and the pyramid came down. Its remains are now the smaller “zen garden of TVs,” some of which still flicker fitfully.

Vince, who has a day job, is happy to show visitors his creation when he's around. The Cathedral has hosted weddings, CD debut parties, bachelor parties, and is a popular destination for tour groups of schoolkids and senior citizens.

“Some people recognize junk that they used to have. Women, mostly,” Vince tells us. “A few people get overwhelmed and have to leave. Sometimes people get weird. Some people cry. Women again. They just get overcome or something, I dunno.”

Unlike medieval cathedrals, whose construction often spanned several generations, the Cathedral of Junk will be finished well within Vince Hannemann's lifetime, if he has anything to say about it. “Oh, no. I'm not doing this for the rest of my life. I want to retire to the back porch. I want to putter.”

(Cathedral of Junk: 4422 Lareina Drive, Austin, TX [Show Map] Directions: On the south side of town. US 81/290 to the Hwy 71 (Ben White Blvd E.) exit. Hwy 71 west to the Congress Ave. exit. Head south a couple of blocks, turn right on St. Elmo Rd W., then take the second left onto Lareina. Admission: Free, donations accepted. Hours: By appointment only. Call Vince first — he has a day job. Phone: 512-299-7413)