Old School: Wisdom From Grandma & Grandpa

Common sense, hard-won lessons and the way our grandparents did it, from the people who lived it. Still works.

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

A hum that changes in the turns is a wheel bearing talking

A wheel bearing hums at 40 mph and gets louder when you steer. That's the clue that tells you which corner of the car to look at.

GuideGadgetsDean ShawNov 7, 20266 min

Wire the front door, battery the rest, solar only where it's sunny

The power source decides whether a security camera protects your house or becomes another chore. Match it to the spot, not the brand.

Ask BRO

Rehearse the raise conversation with me

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GuideMoneyRay OkonkwoNov 7, 20266 min

Read the invoice before the check, not after the argument

Once the check clears, you're the one chasing. Before it does, you hold every card. Here's how to read a contractor's final bill line by line.

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

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Outdoors6 min read

Scout with a kid before you ever hunt with one

Three Saturdays, no gun, one kid with a map. It's the best hunting prep you'll do, and it teaches more than opening day will.

Poll

When did you last ask for a raise?

GuideSkillsWes DunbarNov 7, 20266 min

Fix a torn belt with a saddle stitch that won't unravel

A belt almost always fails at the stitching, not the leather. Redo it with a saddle stitch and the repair will outlast the rest of the belt.

StoryHistoryMarcus ValeNov 7, 20265 min

Boone and Crockett Never Met, and Both Hunted Past Any Help

The two men the famous hunting club is named after lived 52 years apart. Their wilderness had no rescue in it, and they paid for that.

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

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GuideStyleDean ShawNov 7, 20265 min

Your shirt fits. The cloth is what's fighting you.

Cotton can be tissue or tent canvas. Learn weight and weave and you'll know why a garment feels wrong before you buy it.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

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

GuidePreparednessWes DunbarNov 7, 20266 min

Build your parent's kit for the day you can't get there

The drive takes twenty-two minutes on a good day. In a storm it may not happen at all, so the kit has to work without you.

GuideSurvival & Self-DefenseWes DunbarNov 7, 20267 min

Your buddy is hurt and you're four miles from the truck

A tourniquet runs about $30 and a satellite messenger about $300. Here's what to do in the first hour after a serious injury, and who walks out.

Ask BRO

Plan a cook for eight people

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GuideGearWes DunbarNov 7, 20265 min

Your work belt doesn't sag because it's cheap. It sags because it's loaded wrong.

Before you spend a dime on a new tool belt, find out what's actually dragging your pants down. Then buy the belt that fixes it.

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

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GuideCan You Fix ItWes DunbarNov 7, 20266 min

A sagging cabinet door is usually a two-dollar fix

Before you buy new hinges, find out which of three things is wrong. Most sagging doors need a toothpick, a screwdriver, or a piece of cereal box.

Poll

Where does your phone charge overnight?

GuideFoodWes DunbarNov 7, 20266 min

Your spice rack is a museum. Cook from twelve jars.

Most of what's on your rack lost its punch years ago. Here's the short list worth keeping, where to store it, and how to tell when a jar is done.

GuideWoodworkingWes DunbarNov 7, 20265 min

Make your own mallet, and keep steel off your chisels

A hardwood mallet takes one afternoon and a board you can buy for the price of a pizza. It's also the best first lesson in joinery you'll get.

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

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GuideTools & OrganizingDean ShawNov 7, 20266 min

Most stripped screws are the wrong driver, not bad luck

A #2 Phillips in a Pozidriv screw will chew it up. Here's which tip goes where, what a decent set costs, and which cheap sets are worth it.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

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

Movies & TV5 min

Documentaries that send you to the workbench

Garden & Yard5 min

Mulch Goes Down After the Soil Warms, Not When You Get Excited

Ask BRO

Build me a 30-day training plan around two sessions a week

Ask it

GuideHomeWes DunbarNov 7, 20265 min

Stand outside in the rain and watch where your gutters send it

A clean gutter that drops water at the base of your wall is still a bad gutter. Here's how to check yours in one storm and fix it for the price of a few extensions.

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

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Fishing6 min read

Rinse it, back the drag off, and the salt never wins

Most saltwater gear dies from what happens after the trip. Ten minutes in the driveway, plus one yearly teardown, keeps a good reel working for decades.

Poll

How many days a week are you actually training?

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