Not Just for Hippies and Libertarians

Yesterday I indulged my inner Off-the-Grid Homesteader when we attended the Midwest Renewable Energy Association fair. I'm not going to run off and join a compound in Idaho, but I did geek out a bit over some of the exhibits, including super-smooth bamboo flooring samples, solar ovens, straw-bale homes, and my next car--a hybrid Honda Civic.

Hey, look! This button is labeled "invisibility cloak."

I've always wanted to drive my toaster. Do you see the man in the background? The handwritten sign on