Civics

How the republic actually works. The Constitution, your rights, your vote and how to be heard by the people you elect.

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GuideMarcus ValeSep 23, 20266 min

Reading the Declaration of Independence Line by Line

About 1,300 words, 27 grievances, four mentions of God, and a to-do list that still has your name on it.

GuideMarcus ValeSep 23, 20266 min

Why We Have a Bill of Rights and What Each One Says

George Mason asked for one at the Convention and lost 10 states to nothing. Then he took the fight to the country and won.

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Pressure-test my business idea

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BRO TakeMarcus ValeSep 23, 20266 min

How the Electoral College Actually Works and Why It Should Stay

The Constitution never uses the word "college," 270 is the only number that matters, and the best argument for keeping it isn't about small states.

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

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6 min read

What the Second Amendment Actually Says and How Courts Read It

Twenty-seven words, two centuries of argument, and six Supreme Court cases you should be able to name before you argue about any of it.

Poll

How many days a week are you actually training?

GuideMarcus ValeSep 23, 20266 min

How a Case Reaches the Supreme Court and Gets Decided

Four votes, a $300 fee, and a booklet-sized brief. The path from losing in a lower court to a published opinion, step by step.

GuideJosh HalloranSep 23, 20266 min

What the Courts Have Actually Held on Religious Liberty

Sixteen words in the First Amendment, two centuries of cases, and a set of rules you can use at work, at church and at the school board.

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GuideMarcus ValeSep 23, 20265 min

What the First Amendment Actually Protects, and What It Doesn't

Forty-five words, a handful of narrow exceptions, and a lot of myths. Know the difference before you step up to the microphone.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

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

GuideMarcus ValeSep 23, 20266 min

What each of the seven articles of the Constitution actually does

The whole document runs about 4,500 words and takes half an hour to read out loud. Here's the plain-English tour, article by article.

The Prairie Had No Trees, So They Built Houses of Grass

Homesteaders who reached the treeless Plains had 160 acres and no lumber. What they built from the ground itself is a lesson in grit.

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Rehearse the raise conversation with me

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GuidePreparednessWes DunbarNov 8, 20265 min

Know Your Medication's Number Before the Lights Go Out

Most people reach for a cooler of ice when the power dies. Done wrong, that can ruin the very medicine you're trying to save.

CancerDefying.com — The research, protocols and reading in one place

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GuideGarden & YardWes DunbarNov 8, 20265 min

Beans Don't Feed Your Corn This Summer. They Feed Next Year's

Tuck bush beans between the hungry crops, but know when the nitrogen actually pays out, and what to do with the plants in September.

Poll

What was your first ever job?

StoryHistoryMarcus ValeNov 8, 20264 min

A Wire Crew Finished the Pony Express in 112 Days

In the summer of 1861, crews strung wire across roughly 2,000 miles of wilderness in the middle of a war. When they finished, ten days became minutes.

GuidePreparednessWes DunbarNov 8, 20265 min

The rotten-egg smell is your alarm, and it can fail

Propane has no odor of its own. The smell is added on purpose, and a few situations can mute it. Learn them before you need them.

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

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GuideCan You Fix ItWes DunbarNov 8, 20266 min

The Drip Under Your Sink Isn't Where the Leak Is

A leaking sprayer hose can ruin a cabinet floor in months. Find the real source with a paper towel, fix it for under thirty bucks, and know when to call a plumber.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

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

Food6 min

Why your rice is gummy, and the ten minutes that fix it

Home5 min

Seal the rim joist and your basement stops fighting you

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Build me a revision plan that I will actually stick to

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GuideGarden & YardWes DunbarNov 8, 20265 min

Build a Rain Barrel That Actually Lasts Through July

One barrel, one downspout, about a hundred dollars and a Saturday. Here's the sizing math and the mistakes that leave most barrels empty by midsummer.