Last month I figured out how to put Mobipocket format books on the Kindle. Unfortunately, that leaves out the vast majority of library books out there, which are in ePub format. I put off figuring out ePub this long because I thought it was going to be much more complicated, but it’s actually not. However, most ePub books are Adobe ePub, and therefore DRM-protected, so we’re wading into an ethical gray area. But let’s deal with the unprotected kind first.

Unprotected ePubs

These are available, for example, at Google Books and Project Gutenberg. All you have to do is change the format to one that can be read on the Kindle: specifically, Mobipocket.

The first time:

• Download the Calibre program. Move it to Applications.
• Open it and run the welcome wizard (under the Tools icon in the top right corner, if it doesn’t start automatically).

Each time you download a book:

• Click the Add Book icon in the upper left corner and choose the book you downloaded.
• Highlight the new book and click the Convert Book icon at the top.
• Once it’s done converting, and your Kindle is plugged in to the computer, click the Send to Device icon at the top. I said it was easy, didn’t I?

DRM-Protected ePubs

In order to convert an Adobe ePub book with DRM to a format readable by the Kindle, the DRM has to be completely stripped. This removes the software that makes a library book expire after its due date, so it’s technically illegal. Personally, I would feel comfortable doing this because it’s a library book, not something stolen, and I’d be reading it once, not putting it online or trying to sell it. But you make your own call.

The first time:

• Install Digital Editions.
• Go to this blog and download both the key-retrieval script and the decryption script.
• Double click “ineptkey.py”
• This will bring up an IDLE window. In the menu, click Run, then Run Module.
• You should get a pop-up window that says “Key successfully retrieved to adeptkey.der.” Keep this file. You’ll need that key to convert each book.

Each time you download a book:

• Double click the book file. This opens it in Digital Editions and converts it from .acsm to .epub.
• Double click “ineptepub.py”
• This will bring up an IDLE window. In the menu, click Run, then Run Module.
• You should get a pop-up window that says “Select files for decryption”. Choose the file you want to decrypt. It’s usually in Documents, Digital Editions.
• This should output an unprotected .epub file. Follow the steps above to convert it.

I think this may be even easier than making Mobipocket books readable on the Kindle, mostly because the Calibre program is awesome. But even after doing all this research, I don’t think I’m going to be using this information very often—it’s just so much easier finding books on Amazon than trolling through library sites.

Didn’t answer your question? Check out part 3, Calibre Plugins.

One year ago: Worm Composting.

This is the second year that we’ve had our CSA, and although the farm is very welcoming—with public events throughout the year and a work-for-food option—we’ve never actually visited it. I’ve wanted to, but it’s two hours away in Belchertown.

Stone Soup Farm

Last Saturday Stone Soup hosted an edible plant walk with John Root, so it seemed like a perfect opportunity to see what the place was like. I’d already gone on an edible plant walk in the spring, but it’s not actually redundant—plants look completely different in the middle of summer.

John Root holds up a jewelweed plant; crushed into a paste, it prevents/relieves rashes from poison ivy and stinging nettle.

My favorite new discovery—lambsquarter (otherwise known as goosefoot or pigweed). Its leaves are supposed to be more nutritious than spinach—and I can attest that it’s better tasting. It would make a good salad. Unfortunately, its leaves are vaguely the same shape as (poisonous) nightshade, so it’s important to recognize its clear characteristics, such as a white powder at the base of the leaves and a reddish color in the crook where the leaf meets the stem. It’s something I would want to clearly identify before eating, but it’s well worth taking the time get to know.

Lambsquarter

While we were there we collected some milkweed pods (up to 2 inches long). Once we got home we tried them both boiled and sautéed, and they were surprisingly good. Some people compare them to okra. The outside tasted very green, and the seeds and silk on the inside were bland and a little sweet. Boiled was definitely better—the insides absorbed the water and became smoother.

They kind of look like Body Snatcher pods, don't they?

It bothers me that no one talks about pollution when it comes to wild edible plants. I asked John, and he said that’s why we were at an organic farm, but that doesn’t help me much on a daily basis. David Craft said to use common sense—don’t collect by the sides of roads or where you know they spray pesticides. But what I’d really like to know is which plants absorb the most heavy metals, whether berries are likely to be less polluted than the bodies of plants, things like that.

After the presentation, Jason and I took a long walk around the farm and saw the chickens that we get our eggs from. They live in a chicken tractor, a mobile henhouse that gets moved around the fields to till and fertilize them. It looked like a really good setup for the chickens—they’re probably happier than our cats!

Don't they look happy?

One year ago: Prius.

I’ve decided to switch to a Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday schedule because it fits better with my life right now. Because I’m sure you all wonder when a post is a day late…

• On World Population Day, Take Note: Population Isn’t the Problem – Grist. Women are having fewer children, especially in countries that consume the most resources.
• What’s the Carbon Footprint of . . . a Banana? – Guardian Green Living Blog. (via Boing Boing) Boat transportation and lack of packaging make the banana one of the more efficient fruits. Thanks, Jason!
• Bike Sharing in Boston Gets $3 Million Federal Grant – Boston Globe. We’re not going to be the Netherlands anytime soon, but by fall Boston is supposed to have 35 miles of bike lanes and 750 public bike racks.
• A Vision for the Future: Swimming in the Charles – NPR. The Charles now gets a B+ from the EPA, and swimming would be okay on most summer days (unless it rains). I can testify that I didn’t have any ill effects from my accidental dunk in it. Thanks, Alison!
• How Green Are You Quiz – Practically Green. (via Pays to Live Green) My result? “Impressively green”—8 out of 10. The to-do list they gave me: recycle electronics, line dry my laundry, turn my thermostat down, reduce showers to 5 min. or less, buy clothes from consignment stores… I could go on and on.
• Massport Buys Clean-Air Buses for Logan – Boston Globe. 50 hybrid or natural gas buses replace 94 diesel buses.

Wow—that’s all good news, isn’t it? Perfect for a lovely summer day. Remember, if you come across anything interesting this week, send it my way.

I know I should be buying from the bulk bins at Whole Foods and Harvest to save on packaging, but until this week I never had. It just seemed like so much trouble. If you use the plastic bags and containers that they offer, you’re still using just as much packaging. And if you bring in your own jars from home, it weighs (and therefore costs) extra.

Then the Good Human turned me on to reusable produce bags from Flip & Tumble. They’re lightweight and see-through, so they’re perfect for bulk purchases. And the fine mesh works great for things like nuts and beans (although not so great for things like sugar and flour—to Jason’s consternation!). I tie them at the top, because the drawstring doesn’t close tightly enough for smaller foods, but they’re easily large enough to tie. After you empty them, you can toss them right in with the laundry.

Cashews, black beans, and pine nuts

I haven’t actually used them for produce yet. I got out of the habit of produce bags a long time ago, because it seemed silly to think that fruit and veggies were going to get dirtier on the way home than they did on the way to the supermarket. But I have heard that the bags make them stay fresh longer. Has anyone tried this? It always bothers me when stuff goes bad in the refrigerator.

One year ago today: Stone Soup Farm CSA

Patagonia doesn’t only offer recycled polyester clothing, they also accept some old Patagonia clothes for recycling through their Common Threads recycling program. Now, this is limited to some Patagonia clothes and Polartec fleece, and I know reusing old clothes is better than recycling them, but this is a step. I wish more manufacturers would take responsibity for their products full life cycle.