Preparedness

Storms, outages, emergencies. Calm, practical readiness for the household, without the paranoia.

The BRO Survival & Preparedness GuideThe printable family manual: a kit and go-bag builder, water and food calculators, the core skills and a family emergency plan.Get ready, calmly

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The drag show laws turn on their definitions

Tennessee, Florida and Texas wrote different laws, and courts treated them differently. Here's what the text says, what's been decided, and where you come in.

GuideSurvival & Self-DefenseDean ShawOct 11, 20266 min

Your survival kit doesn't fit on a wrist

Bracelet kits, credit-card tools and hollow-handle knives sell the feeling of being prepared. Here's what to skip and what to carry instead.

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Plan a cook for eight people

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StoryHistoryJosh HalloranOct 12, 20266 min

The Lie About a Dead Boy in Norwich That Wouldn't Die

A rumor born in England in 1144 spread across Europe for eight centuries. The people who stood against it deserve to be remembered by name.

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

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Civics6 min read

Who actually runs your public library, and how you get a say

Your library answers to a board, a budget and a written policy. Find out which of the three you can reach, and how to be heard.

Poll

Where does your phone charge overnight?

GuideSurvival & Self-DefenseDean ShawOct 11, 20266 min

The water filter that outlasts the trip, and the parts that decide it

A filter can fail without a single visible sign. Here's what wears out, what to read in the warranty, and how to tell a keeper from a one-season gadget.

StoryCan You Fix ItWes DunbarOct 10, 20266 min

Nobody has improved on the plunger, and plenty have tried

A rubber cup on a stick has outlasted every gadget built to replace it. Here's why, and how to buy one that outlives you.

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

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StoryGarden & YardWes DunbarOct 10, 20265 min

The square shovel and the hoe have nothing left to fix

Two flat blades on two long sticks do most of the work in any yard. Here's why nobody has beaten them, and how to buy ones your kids will inherit.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

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

GuideSurvival & Self-DefenseWes DunbarOct 10, 20265 min

The spark was never the hard part

A ferro rod throws a fat shower of sparks. The rookie still ends up in the dark. The veteran lights it on the first strike.

StoryFoodWes DunbarOct 10, 20265 min

The cast iron skillet has nothing left to prove

It sears, fries, bakes and rides from campfire to oven. Here's why nobody has improved on it, and how to buy one that outlives you.

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

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GuideCan You Fix ItWes DunbarOct 9, 20265 min

Miracle sprays and magic tapes fix the demo, not your house

The as-seen-on-TV repair aisle sells speed. Six gimmicks to leave on the shelf, what to do instead, and the one case where each earns its keep.

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

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GuideSurvival & Self-DefenseWes DunbarOct 10, 20265 min

The first night under a tarp, done wrong and done right

One guy learns at 2 a.m. what another learned decades ago. A rookie and a veteran pitch the same tarp, and only one of them sleeps.

Poll

How often do you see your closest friends?

GuideHomeWes DunbarOct 9, 20265 min

The kitchen drawer you can't close is full of these

Seven single-job gadgets that take up space and do worse work than a knife, a pan, or a fork you already own.

GuideCan You Fix ItWes DunbarOct 9, 20265 min

The multimeter worth owning is rated CAT III 600V

One handheld meter, a few safety markings, and the checks it lets you make before you call an electrician or touch a wire.

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

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GuideSurvival & Self-DefenseWes DunbarOct 10, 20264 min

The bow drill set that makes smoke instead of excuses

Friction fire is a real skill with real steps. Here's how it actually goes, including the part where your first forty minutes produce a warm stick.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

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

Home5 min

One good kitchen knife beats the block of twelve

Can You Fix It7 min

The mower you can fix yourself outlasts the one you can't

Ask BRO

Rewrite my CV so it actually gets read

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GuideSurvival & Self-DefenseSam OrtizOct 10, 20266 min

Hand your teenager the map and then keep your mouth shut

A weekend hike, a $20 compass and one rule for you: let them be wrong while it's still safe. How to teach a teenager to read a topo map on the trail.

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

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Home6 min read

Buy the appliance somebody will still be able to fix

A stand mixer is the best test of a kitchen appliance's staying power. Here's how to judge the gearbox, the warranty and the parts catalog before you pay.

Poll

What was your first ever job?

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