Best UnBuild Podcasts (2025)

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138 - Finding a High-Performance Builder 36:01

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7d ago36:01

36:01

If you can't find an experienced high-performance builder, then find a professional builder who is willing to listen and learn! And add in time and money in the budget for that listening and learning. The same can go for your architect. But as Steve says: "SOMEONE has to drive the bus. Put on your big boy pants and move your business to the next le…

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137 - Another two-fer - Thermally-broken basement slab-to-Superior Wall panel connection AND exterior sump pumps 40:03

21d ago40:03

40:03

All 3 UBIP podcasters are fond of the Superior Wall System, but connecting the extended "foot" of the foundation wall panel to the basement slab is a bit tricky. But not for Steve, but of course. And while sump pumps OUTSIDE are a mystery to Pete, Jake & Steve walk Pete through it. And a bonus: using gravel to spread the structural load and better …

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A Continuous Struggle: The Revolutionary Life of Martin Sostre 1:25:59

27d ago1:25:59

1:25:59

Join Ruth Wilson Gilmore and Garrett Felber for the virtual release event for the long-awaited biography of Martin Sostre—the revolutionary political prisoner who laid the foundation for contemporary abolitionist struggles and Black anarchism. Martin Sostre (1923–2015) was a Black Puerto Rican from East Harlem who became a politicized prisoner and …

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No Cop City, No Cop World 1:26:36

29d ago1:26:36

1:26:36

Join the editors of No Cop City, No Cop World for a panel discussion on the fight for police abolition and for a livable planet for all. The Stop Cop City movement is a decentralized effort to stop the construction of a $120 million police training facility and the destruction of 170 acres of the Weelaunee Forest outside of Atlanta, Georgia. No Cop…

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America, América: A New History of the New World 1:25:25

1M ago1:25:25

1:25:25

The story of how the United States’ identity was formed is almost invariably told by looking east to Europe. In America, América Greg Grandin vividly demonstrates that the nation’s unique sense of itself was in fact forged facing south toward Latin America. In turn, Latin America developed its own identity in struggle with the looming colossus to t…

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Haymarket Presents: Silky Shah on Unbuild Walls 1:21:08

1M ago1:21:08

1:21:08

Join us for an event in the Haymarket Presents speakers series, as Silky Shah is joined by historian Charlotte E. Rosen for a conversation on Shah’s book, Unbuild Walls: Why Immigrant Justice Needs Abolition. Co-sponsored by Organized Communities Against Deportations, Asian Americans Advancing Justice Chicago and Illinois Coalition for Immigrant an…

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Heaven Looks Like Us: An Evening of Palestinian Poetry 1:28:47

1M ago1:28:47

1:28:47

Join editors and contributors to the new Palestinian poetry anthology Heaven Looks Like Us for a virtual reading in commemoration of Nakba Day. A love letter to Palestinian ancestors, their descendants, and their land, to all anti-colonial and anti-imperialist struggles, to a history that will never be forgotten, and to a future in which there thri…

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Love in a F*cked Up World: Dean Spade in conversation with Eman Abdelhadi 55:40

1M ago55:40

55:40

Join Dean Spade and Eman Abdelhadi in conversation about Spade's new book Love in a F*cked-Up World: How to Build Relationships, Hook Up, and Raise Hell Together. This event is cosponsored by Haymarket Books, Pilsen Community Books, and In These Times. More about the book: Lifelong activist and educator Dean Spade dares us to decide that our interp…

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The Sustainability Class vs Working-Class Environmentalism 1:27:25

1M ago1:27:25

1:27:25

We are currently witnessing the dismantling of environmental policies and a reversal of climate commitments on a large scale. But what kind of environmentalism do we really want, and for whom? Environmentalism is not about switching out plastic for paper straws, electric vehicles, carbon-neutral yachts, or eco-friendly waterfront real-estate. It’s …

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136 - We Want More! Permanent Wood Foundations & Career Pivotal Moments 30:19

1M ago30:19

30:19

Once again, we drive wood into the ground, but only in the context of Permanent Wood Foundations. No surprise that this discussion is all about water & drainage. And some episodes ago, the boys each revealed pivotal moments in their careers in the building industry and wrapped up with a request for your pivotal moments. We got one, but what a doozy…

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135 - ZIP-R for CZ 6B - New Construction? Continuous Air Control Layer for Exterior Retrofit CZ 4A? 38:25

2M ago38:25

38:25

Two great questions about wall assemblies. The boys dig deep, exploring all the variables to consider for both wall assemblies. And no big surprise: Much of the conversation is about how to get these three control layers right (water, air, thermal) and ALSO get the drying potential (vapor) correct. PETE'S RESOURCES: - 2021 IRC - Montana NOTE: The I…

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134 - Another Double Feature - SIPs vs Stick-Frame & Thermal Degradation of Rigid Insulation 34:59

2M ago34:59

34:59

Whole bunch of reasons to consider SIP building systems BUT switching from stick-framing is not a walk in the park. But UnBuild It has a ton of experience with SIPs. Next up: Just how stable are the R-values of rigid insulations (the plastic ones with blowing agents) over time? The boys spend just the right amount of time on this on...(just could n…

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Theory of Water with Leanne Betasamosake Simpson 1:17:45

3M ago1:17:45

1:17:45

Join Leanne Betasamosake Simpson for a conversation with Sarah Haley to celebrate the release of her new book Theory of Water: Nishnaabe Maps to the Times Ahead. In her powerful new book, Theory of Water, Leanne Betasamosake Simpson offers a radical rethinking of relationships between beings and forces in the world today. Simpson draws on Nishnaabe…

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133 - Deep Dive on That Pesky Transition: Top-of-Foundation/Bottom-of-Above-Grade Wall 34:23

3M ago34:23

34:23

Should exterior above-grade wall sheathing or framing line up flush to the outside face of the foundation? Is sealing the bottom of the above-grade wall and foundation with a sill sealer product like Protecto Wrap Triple Guard a good idea? This sets off Jake, Steve, and Pete on balancing water protection, air sealing, and drying potential at this k…

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132 - The Pre-Construction Process? 36:27

4M ago36:27

36:27

Plenty of reasons for the question mark: Pete wondered what this term really meant; Jake points out that for most of his career, he was not involved in this process as a builder; Steve gets pretty heated when this process does not include budget (at least a realistic budget...). Gem here from Steve: "70% of a home's budget is hardwired into the num…

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Haymarket Presents: Malcolm Harris on What's Left 1:27:02

4M ago1:27:02

1:27:02

In this inaugural event in the Haymarket Presents speakers series, best-selling author Malcolm Harris will be joined by activist-historian Gabriel Winant for a conversation on Harris’s new book, What’s Left: Three Paths Through the Planetary Crisis. Co-sponsored by Pilsen Community Books. Climate change is the unifying crisis of our time. But the s…

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Who's Afraid of Gender? Judith Butler in Conversation with Lisa Wedeen 1:18:44

4M ago1:18:44

1:18:44

Join Judith Butler and Lisa Wedeen for a bold and essential conversation of how a fear of gender is fueling reactionary politics around the world. Judith Butler, the groundbreaking thinker whose iconic book Gender Trouble redefined how we think about gender and sexuality, confronts the attacks on “gender” that have become central to right-wing move…

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131 - Two Q's: Isn't ZIP-R backwards? Shouldn't we rainscreen roofs as well as walls? 29:04

4M ago29:04

29:04

Two great questions on which the boys pontificate in fine form. Yes, ZIP-R is "backwards" (rigid insulation interior to structural sheathing) but that does not mean that it doesn't work; it does, just differently. So why don't we typically rain screen roof claddings? The short answer is it always costs more, regardless of the type of roof cladding.…

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Disposable: America's Contempt for the Underclass 56:47

4M ago56:47

56:47

Join Sarah Jones and Sarah Lazare in conversation around Jones' new book Disposable: America's Contempt for the Underclass. This event will take place at Haymarket House, and will also be live-streamed on our YouTube channel. In a compelling blend of personal narrative and in-depth reporting, New York magazine senior writer Sarah Jones exposes the …

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How MAGA is Winning Hearts & Minds Among the Progressive Base 1:10:28

4M ago1:10:28

1:10:28

Join us for a conversation with Dr. Daniel HoSang and Micah English with a response from longtime organizer and strategist Gihan Perara, moderated and introduced by Dr. Carmen Rojas. How are conservative groups like Turning Point USA building new onramps to the right for young people, people of color, and other parts of the progressive base? How do…

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Criminalization: the Core of Authoritarianism, Fascism, and Resistance 1:32:52

4M ago1:32:52

1:32:52

Criminalization is not only a primary tool to suppress dissent, silence opposition, and enforce policies that consolidate and enforce power - it is at the core of how Right wing, authoritarian and fascist agendas, movements, and regimes are enacted, legitimized, and entrenched. Interrupting criminalization - a political process that extends beyond …

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Trump's Hammer, Our Hope: An Emergency Town Hall 1:23:41

4M ago1:23:41

1:23:41

Join Naomi Klein, Chenjerai Kumanyika, Astra Taylor, and Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor for an emergency town hall on the continuing attacks on both marginalized communities and on free speech at the hands of the current administration. As events have continued to unfold at a blistering pace under the current Trump administration, it has remained crucial …

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The Gate of Memory: Poems by Descendants of Nikkei Wartime Incarceration 1:24:00

4M ago1:24:00

1:24:00

Join us as we celebrate the launch of The Gate of Memory: Poems by Descendants of Nikkei Wartime Incarceration edited by Brandon Shimoda and Brynn Saito. The event will begin with words from poet and concentration camp survivor Mitsuye Yamada followed by readings and conversation with Cathlin Goulding, Michael Ishii, Mia Ayumi Malhotra, Emily Mitam…

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Reconsidering Reparations 1:15:17

5M ago1:15:17

1:15:17

Join Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò for a conversation with Ash-Lee Woodard Henderson to celebrate the release of the new paperback edition of Reconsidering Reparations. A clear, new case for reparations as a “constructive,” future-oriented project that responds to the weight of history’s injustices with the equitable distribution of benefits and burdens. Centu…

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Blood in the Face: White Nationalism from the Birth of a Nation to the Age of Trump 1:18:42

5M ago1:18:42

1:18:42

Join Rick Perlstein, Jean Casella, and David Neiwert as they discuss the updated edition of Blood in the Face by James Ridgeway. In 1990, Blood in the Face: The Ku Klux Klan, Aryan Nations, Nazi Skinheads, and the Rise of a New White Culture was the first book to uncover the contours, beliefs, leaders, and wider influence of the American racist far…

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130 - Two Qs: Job Site Safety & Garage Moisture Management 28:40

4M ago28:40

28:40

What could be more fun than yammering on about scary job site stories and just how confusing a space your garage can be? You listeners ask the damndest questions, so we just keep on cranking... Per usual, Steve closes us out with humor worthy of these two questions... PETE'S RESOURCES: - "Does Safety Affect Productivity in Construction?" - From our…

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Abolitionist Social Work in Unsettling Times 1:23:28

5M ago1:23:28

1:23:28

Join editors and contributors of Abolish Social Work (As We Know It) and Abolition and Social Work for a discussion about the intersections of abolitionist politics and principles and social work. Pick up a copy of Abolish Social Work (As We Know it) here: https://btlbooks.com/book/abolish-social-work Pick up a copy of Abolition and Social Work her…

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Surviving State Violence: The Case of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui and Incarceration in Women’s Prisons 1:28:23

5M ago1:28:23

1:28:23

Dr. Aafia Siddiqui is a Pakistani-Muslim woman who is currently serving an unjust 86-year sentence at the only federal medical prison in the United States, FMC Carswell, notoriously known as the “Hospital of Horrors.” For Aafia and countless others at the Hospital of Horrors, their punishment goes beyond captivity, and mirrors a pattern of abuse an…

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Metastasis: The Rise of the Cancer-Industrial Complex and the Horizons of Care 1:22:00

5M ago1:22:00

1:22:00

Join Nafis Hasan and Tayyaba Jiwani in conversation on the rise of the Cancer-Industrial Complex and how to center our efforts to combat cancer on the basis of care. Organized by Common Notions, Jamhoor, Science for the People, and Haymarket Books. More than fifty years after the declaration of the War on Cancer, we are nowhere closer to victory. T…

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Skyscraper Jails: The Abolitionist Fight Against Jail Expansion in New York City 1:28:40

5M ago1:28:40

1:28:40

Join Zhandarka Kurti, Jarrod Shanahan, and Dylan Rodríguez for a damning account of mass incarceration that reveals how powerful nonprofits and "progressives" used the language of social movements to build new jails. In Skyscraper Jails, scholars and organizers Jarrod Shanahan and Zhandarka Kurti detail how progressive forces in New York City appro…

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Palestine in a World on Fire w/ Ilan Pappé, Katherine Natanel, and Laleh Khalili 1:28:47

5M ago1:28:47

1:28:47

Join Ilan Pappé, Katherine Natanel, and Laleh Khalili as they connect the struggle for Palestinian liberation to various liberatory movements around the world. As more and more people align themselves with the Palestinian people, Palestine in a World on Fire provides the global perspective and analysis needed to inform how we forge ahead on this pa…

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Black Studies and the Fight Against Fascism 1:32:15

5M ago1:32:15

1:32:15

Join us Robin D.G. Kelley, Barbara Ransby, Davarian Baldwin, Robyn Spencer-Antoine, Johanna Fernández, and Sarah Haley for a discussion on the fight to defend Black studies in the face of ongoing fascist attacks against education. Speakers: Davarian Baldwin is a leading urbanist, historian, and cultural critic. Baldwin is the author of In the Shado…

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Responding to Repression: Executive Orders, Resistance, and Rights 1:20:02

5M ago1:20:02

1:20:02

Join PARCEO and Haymarket Books for a discussion with organizers, educators, & social justice lawyers addressing the moment we are in Speakers: Moderator: Nyle Fort, a minister, organizer, and scholar, is currently an Assistant Professor of African American and African Diaspora Studies at Columbia University. Lara Kiswani is the Executive Director …

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Ukraine’s Fight for Self-Determination: Three Years of Resistance Against Russian Imperialism 1:29:25

5M ago1:29:25

1:29:25

February 24th marks the third anniversary of Russia’s imperialist invasion of Ukraine. Ever since, the Ukrainian state and its working people have resisted and fought for their self-determination. While they received support from the US and Europe, it came with a price tag of debt and neoliberal restructuring, and now the new Trump administration h…

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Mastering the Universe: The Obscene Wealth of the Ruling Class, What They Do with Their Money, and Why You Should Hate Them Even More 1:32:21

5M ago1:32:21

1:32:21

Join economist Rob Larson, and Real News Network editor-in-chief Max Alvarez for a dissection of the lifestyle, moral bankruptcy, and stupidly large sums of money hoarded by the billionaire class. The fact that we live in one of the most unequal societies in the history of the world was already common knowledge before the richest man in the world a…

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129 - A Crazy Space - Decks Over Garages (or worse) & Living Spaces 32:17

5M ago32:17

32:17

The advice starts with "don't ever do this" and then dives into the details for doing it right: slope, overhangs, pedestal systems, step-down from house to deck, and truck liners. Wait, what? Jake describes a long-past project involving a spray-on truck bed liner protective coating (and there actually ARE spray-on residential roof systems for decks…

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Social Work, Racial Capitalism and the Struggle for Abolition 1:31:32

5M ago1:31:32

1:31:32

Join the Network to Advance Abolition in Social Work in collaboration with Haymarket Books for a conversation about the intersections and entanglements of social work and racial capitalism, and how they can shape struggles for abolition. This will be the first in a two part series geared towards the social work community deepening our understanding…

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Charity, Control, or Solidarity? Reclaiming "Care" as Revolutionary Praxis 1:27:16

5M ago1:27:16

1:27:16

We often talk about the various ways in which the state, nonprofits, and service providers coopt abolitionist demands for "care" to justify their own repressive and reformist agendas. But even within leftist spaces, we think about care work in terms of survival, not in terms of ensuring that marginalized communities can actually thrive. So there is…

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Protecting Journalism against Rising Fascist and Ethnonationalist Threats 1:06:10

5M ago1:06:10

1:06:10

International journalist and author Rula Jebreal is currently facing criminal prosecution in Italy for her tweets re PM Meloni’s weaponization of language from the Nazi’s great replacement conspiracy theory, as well as her tweet about Fabio Rampelli’s involvement in a fascist rally (Rampelli is vice president of Italy’s parliament, and a mentor of …

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LA Burning: Capitalism, Climate Change, and Resistance 1:29:25

5M ago1:29:25

1:29:25

A combustible combination of capitalist development, climate change, and neoliberal policies transformed normal patterns of wind and fire into an inferno that has laid waste to whole sections of LA. This human made disaster has had devastating impacts particularly on the city’s multiracial working class. Join this Spectre Live event to discuss the …

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I Know What the Red Clay Looks Like 1:27:39

5M ago1:27:39

1:27:39

Join Rebecca Carroll in conversation with Donika Kelly and Chanda Prescod-Weinstein as they discuss and celebrate the newly imagined edition of I Know What the Red Clay Looks Like. The first edition of I Know What the Red Clay Looks Like, published in 1994, remains an essential text for readers of Black feminist literature in all genres. Featuring …

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Not Your Rescue Project: Migrant Sex Workers Fighting for Justice 1:33:39

5M ago1:33:39

1:33:39

Join longtime organizers and authors Chanelle Gallant and Elene Lam in conversation with Harsha Walia on ways to deepen solidarity with migrant sex workers. In Not Your Rescue Project: Migrant Sex Workers Fighting for Justice, long-time organizers Chanelle Gallant and Elene Lam deftly expose the harms of criminalization in the name of “anti-traffic…

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We Grow The World Together: Parenting Toward Abolition 1:32:10

5M ago1:32:10

1:32:10

Join Dorothy Roberts, Harsha Walia, Kim Wilson, and Maya Schenwar for a virtual book launch and conversation on caregiving, abolition, and hope amid chaos! As we await a second Trump presidency, it's easy to feel frozen -- as if any action we take can't possibly be enough, and may be futile. Now is a moment to bring in the stories of folks who are …

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Solidarity Is the Political Version of Love: Lessons from Jewish Anti-Zionist Organizing 1:03:05

5M ago1:03:05

1:03:05

Join Rebecca Vilkomerson, Rabbi Alissa Wise, Omar Barghouti, Nyle Fort and Stefanie Fox as they discuss the new book Solidarity Is the Political Version of Love: Lessons from Jewish Anti-Zionist Organizing The book asks What does the politics of solidarity look like in practice, and how can left-wing organizations grow—in numbers and power—while re…

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Country Queers 54:19

5M ago54:19

54:19

Join Rae Garringer and special guests Neema Avashia, Kijana West, and David Rodriguez for a virtual launch and celebration of Country Queers: A Love Letter. Part photo book, part memoir, part oral history project, this volume paints a vivid portrait of queer and trans experiences in rural areas and small towns across the US. After years as a DIY, m…

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We The Gathered Heat: Asian American and Pacific Islander Poetry, Performance, and Spoken Word 1:18:46

5M ago1:18:46

1:18:46

Join Bao Phi, Terisa Siagatonu, George Abraham, David Mura, Saba Keramati and other special guests for a live celebration of their poetry anthology We The Gathered Heat: Asian American and Pacific Islander Poetry, Performance, and Spoken Word. A rich anthology featuring some of the brightest voices in contemporary poetry who challenge, expand, and …

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Visualizing Palestine with Linda Sarsour, Noura Erakat, Yosra El Gazzar, and Aline Batarseh 1:22:49

5M ago1:22:49

1:22:49

Join Linda Sarsour, Noura Erakat, Yosra El Gazzar, and Aline Batarseh as they discuss Visualizing Palestine: A Chronicle of Colonialism and the Struggle for Liberation, Edited by Jessica Anderson, Aline Batarseh, and Yosra El Gazzar and Created by Visualizing Palestine. The book is a striking collection of more than 200 full-color infographics is a…

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Set the Earth on Fire: The Great Anthracite Coal Strike of 1902 and the Birth of the Police 1:29:59

5M ago1:29:59

1:29:59

Join David Correia, Kim Kelly and Judah Schept as the discuss Corriea’s latest book, Set the Earth on Fire: The Great Anthracite Coal Strike of 1902 and the Birth of the Police. The book is an eye-opening account of the Great Anthracite Coal Strike of 1902, showing how the strike—and the violent backlash that ensued—reveal the genesis of modern pol…

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Resisting Borders and Technologies of Violence 1:25:16

5M ago1:25:16

1:25:16

Join Mizue Aizeki, Matt Mahmoudi, Harsha Walia, Migrants Organise and Books Against Borders in this virtual discussion of Resisting Borders and Technologies of Violence on September 12, 2024, at 7pm UK time. This event will also act as the launch for a new, in-person reading group for organisers in London, starting September 18th Our current moment…

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128 - Master Plumber Eric Aune Part III: Water Sources/Water Quality 31:46

5M ago31:46

31:46

Different water sources lead to different water quality issues. Eric walks us through: sources of tap water; testing water; appropriate water treatment systems responding to the testing results; and a new water frontier: PFAS in our tap water (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances). Yikes! PETE'S RESOURCES: - Eric Aune Mechanical Hub - Water testing …