Books

What to read next, the classics worth the effort and how to make reading a habit again.

Down for wind, up for gas: how to shelter in place

Shelter in place means different rooms for different dangers. Here's the order of moves, the room to pick, and what to keep in it before you need it.

GuideSurvival & Self-DefenseCal BrennanOct 10, 20265 min

Panic isn't what gets people killed. The next bad move is.

Fear is normal and you can't switch it off. What you can do is slow your next decision down, and that's a skill you can practice before you need it.

Ask BRO

Give me something to do with my kids this weekend

Ask it

GuideCan You Fix ItWes DunbarOct 6, 20266 min

The Doorknob Hole in the Hallway, Fixed the Way It Really Goes

A patch nobody can find later takes three coats, two days and one door stop you should've installed in April. Every step, honestly.

Dude.com — 16 AI advisers who listen, talk and are here with you

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Preparedness6 min read

Two ways out of every room, and a drill the kids will ask for

A fire escape plan takes one evening to build and ten minutes twice a year to practice. Turn it into a race and your kids will want to run it.

Poll

How often do you see your closest friends?

GuideSurvival & Self-DefenseWes DunbarOct 10, 20265 min

Search and rescue starts looking at your kitchen table

The search for a missing hiker begins with a piece of paper, a phone call and a time. Here's how teams find people, and what you can do before you leave.

GuideGarden & YardWes DunbarOct 6, 20265 min

Your Mower Sat All Winter and Now It Has Opinions

The box says pull the cord. The box hasn't met your shed. How to wake a hibernating mower without wrecking your Saturday or your shoulder.

Shirts.com — Design it with AI. Wear it this week.

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GuidePreparednessCal BrennanOct 11, 20266 min

A fan won't save you in 98 degrees. A neighbor might.

When fans stop working, where to go when the house gets dangerous, and how to check on the people on your street without being a nuisance.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

Six questions. No email required, no sales pitch at the end.

GuideSurvival & Self-DefenseWes DunbarOct 10, 20266 min

The note on your fridge is the real rescue plan

A trip plan only works if someone else holds it and knows exactly when to call. Write one that does.

GuideHomeWes DunbarOct 6, 20266 min

Hanging a heavy picture straight on the first try

One frame, two hooks, zero extra holes. The way it really goes, plus the bathroom scale trick nobody mentions.

Ask BRO

Pressure-test my business idea

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GuidePreparednessWes DunbarOct 11, 20266 min

Get under the table, then bolt the bookcase to the wall

Drop, Cover, Hold On takes ten seconds to learn. The bookcase behind you takes one Saturday to fix, and it's the part most people skip.

Delicious.com — Nine thousand recipes and a plan for tonight

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GuideCan You Fix ItWes DunbarOct 6, 20265 min

Replacing a Toilet Flapper Takes Ten Minutes and Two Trips

The cheapest plumbing fix in the house, written the way it really goes, including the second trip to the store nobody plans for.

Poll

Where does your best time with your kids happen?

GuideRecipesWes DunbarOct 6, 20267 min

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls You Start Friday and Bake in Your Slippers

Do the work Friday night, and Saturday is just coffee, a 350-degree oven and a kitchen that smells like a bakery by 8 a.m.

GuideFoodWes DunbarOct 5, 20267 min

The hand without the knife is the one that cuts you

Pinch the blade, claw the food, and learn five cuts slowly. Speed takes care of itself once your other hand knows its job.

Coconut.com — Tell us when. We find where the sun is.

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GuideCan You Fix ItWes DunbarOct 6, 20266 min

The Bathroom Sink Clog Is Always Hair, and It's Always Gross

Skip the bottle of drain cleaner. A plastic strip, a bucket and twenty patient minutes clear almost every slow bathroom sink in the house.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

Five questions, honestly answered, and a plan for the next two weeks.

Meal Plans6 min

Ten Freezer Dinners From Four Pots in One Afternoon

Food6 min

Your cast iron is sticky because you used too much oil

Ask BRO

Rehearse the raise conversation with me

Ask it

GuideRecipesWes DunbarOct 5, 20267 min

A Sunday Roast Beef Dinner Timed for One Oven

Low oven for the beef, hot oven for the potatoes, gravy from the pan in between. Get the schedule right and the rest falls into place.

GermProof.com — An invisible germ barrier on your skin for hours

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Meal Plans6 min read

Feeding Six on a Budget Starts With Tomorrow's Lunch

Dinner isn't what breaks a big family's grocery budget. Lunch and snacks are. This full week is built so every supper pays for the next day.

Poll

Where does your phone charge overnight?

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