The recent newspapers (or their electronic equivalent) have brought some interesting news about reuse about stuff that had become useless:
- Reusing Satellites. An interesting article (found by way of /.) about how the Pentagon is planning to reuse old satellites. Basically, DARPA has started a program that hunts down unused communications satellites still orbiting the Earth, and harvests parts from them , turning those bits and pieces — antennas in particular — into an array that operates as a low-cost “communications farm” for troops on the ground. Cool.
- Reusing The Forum. You remember the Forum, don’t you? Big white structure in Inglewood. Used to be home to professional sports teams, who all ran off to downtown. Then home to a church and the occasional concert. Well, it has been bought by Madison Square Garden, and they plan to refurbish it and turn it into a concert venue to compete with Staples. Of course, AEG (owners of Staples) don’t like this, so they are calling the Forum a “B” venue, in a bad part of town.
- Reusing Donated Clothes. Have you ever wondered what happens to your clothing after you donate it. I mean really after, when it has gone to the Thrift Store and hasn’t sold. Well wonder no longer, for this story tells you.
Glad to hear about a second (third, fourth) life for the Forum. I never spent much time down there, with the Forum and the Sports Arena, but it was certainly part of the mental furniture when I lived in LA.