Home & Garage

Fix it, build it, maintain it. The house is the biggest thing you own — act like it.

The BRO Code. What to do, what not to do, and a few laughs on the way.

Do's & Don'ts: Neighbors & Guests

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The moon doesn't follow the car, and other things I looked up later

The grandkids assume you know why the sky is blue and how to change a tire. By the end of this, you actually will.

StoryDadsSam OrtizOct 7, 20266 min

Why the dog spins, and other things I said with total confidence

Stars, storms and one circling dog. A dad's bluffs exposed on the back porch, with the real answers you can use tonight.

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Build me a revision plan that I will actually stick to

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StoryMarriageSam OrtizOct 7, 20266 min

She Fixed My Dinner From Across the Room

Nine kitchen rules my wife never had to look up, from grease fires to raw chicken, and the night I finally started writing them down.

Names.com — The name is the first thing you sell

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Moms6 min read

Answered With Total Confidence and Absolutely No Idea

Gum in hair, a fever at 2 a.m., and why the sky is blue. First the bluff, then the real answer you can use tonight.

Poll

How many days a week are you actually training?

StoryDadsSam OrtizOct 7, 20266 min

Fractions, Pluto and the capital I got wrong at dinner

A fourth-grade worksheet, a seventh-grade essay and a dad bluffing his way through both. The real answers are in here, too.

GuideGadgetsRay OkonkwoOct 7, 20265 min

Two-year phone upgrades versus running it into the ground

The driveway version says keeping your old phone saves two grand. The real version still says keep it, just with a lot less swagger.

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

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GuideFamilyRay OkonkwoOct 7, 20265 min

The lake cabin beat the theme park, and I kept the receipts

Two vacations, one spreadsheet and the only unit that counts: the stories your kids still tell a year later.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

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

StoryDadsSam OrtizOct 7, 20267 min

How the car goes, where wind comes from, and other bluffs

Eight questions from the back seat I couldn't answer, plus the real answers you can give your kids tonight.

GuideCarsRay OkonkwoOct 7, 20265 min

The transmission quote that almost bought me a new truck

One $3,200 repair bill made a new truck payment look like a bargain. Then somebody asked what the truck costs besides the payment.

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What should I wear to this?

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GuideMoneyRay OkonkwoOct 7, 20265 min

The ten-cent gas station that costs you eight dollars

Crossing town for cheaper gas feels like beating the system. Run the real numbers once and you'll never pass three stations again.

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

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StoryTools & OrganizingDean ShawOct 7, 20265 min

The Weekend Rate Isn't a Personal Challenge

What you learn standing in the Saturday line for a floor sander, and the lesson inside every line you'll hear before your name gets called.

Poll

How often do you see your closest friends?

StoryWoodworkingWes DunbarOct 7, 20265 min

Nobody at the lumber yard thinks your 2x4 is two by four

A Saturday morning in the stacks, a napkin sketch, and the lessons the guys in line learned the hard way so you don't have to.

StoryCarsDean ShawOct 7, 20265 min

Nobody at the parts counter can guess which engine you have

A Saturday morning in line at the auto parts counter, where every wrong guess comes with a lesson you can use before your next oil change.

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

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StoryTools & OrganizingDean ShawOct 7, 20265 min

What Gets Said in Aisle Nine Before the Coffee Kicks In

A breaker labeled with a question mark, a paint chip called "wall color," and the real lessons hiding behind every line at the Saturday counter.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

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

BRO Seniors6 min

I told a frozen grandson the whole carburetor story

Cars5 min

How to jump a dead car, in the order it really happens

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Pressure-test my business idea

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GuideTools & OrganizingDean ShawOct 6, 20265 min

How to Build Flat-Pack Furniture and Still Be Speaking Afterward

The box says two hours and one person. It's wrong about both, and the argument usually starts at step one, not step nine.

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Gadgets6 min read

The watch that keeps telling Grandpa to stand up

It buzzed while he was flat on his back under the sink. He has complaints, a few good jokes, and one concession that matters.

Poll

When did you last ask for a raise?

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