Tools in The Self-Employed Man

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How to Change a Car Battery Without Frying Your Electronics

Negative comes off first, goes on last. That one rule prevents most of what goes wrong, and the rest of the job takes twenty minutes.

GuideHealthCal Brennan23 Sept 20266 min

Anxiety Tools That Work and the Point Where You Call a Doctor

Slow your exhale, audit your caffeine, stop avoiding the thing. And know the honest line between a hard month and something that needs treatment.

Ask BRO

Rewrite my CV so it actually gets read

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GuideWoodworkingWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

Pocket screws, mortise and tenon, dovetails, in that order

Three joints cover nearly everything you'll build. Pick the wrong one and the table racks by Thanksgiving.

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

PartnerCancerDefying.com

Can You Fix It6 min read

Straightening a Leaning Fence Post Without Tearing Out the Fence

Most leaning posts don't need replacing. Find out which kind you have with a screwdriver, then fix it in an afternoon for under fifty bucks.

Poll

Where does your phone charge overnight?

GuideBoys & GirlsWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

First Tools for Kids Start With a 10-Ounce Hammer

Buy the real hammer, not the plastic one, then give your kid a job that actually needed doing. Here's what fits small hands and what goes wrong.

GuideAutosDean Shaw23 Sept 20266 min

Pull Your Own Check Engine Code in Ten Minutes

A twenty-dollar scanner and a parking space is all it takes to find out whether that light means a loose gas cap or a tow truck.

PartnerWhackAWoke.com

GuideCan You Fix ItWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

What to check when the hot water quits

Start at the breaker or the pilot light, not at the parts counter — a step-by-step diagnosis for gas and electric tanks, and the point where you stop.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

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

GuideSchool & LearningAde Fisher23 Sept 20265 min

Learning a Language at Any Age Without Quitting by March

The hour count is bigger than the apps admit and smaller than you fear. Here's the schedule, the four-tool kit, and the week it falls apart.

GuideAutosDean Shaw23 Sept 20266 min

Changing Your Own Brake Pads on a Saturday Morning

Two hours, about a hundred dollars in parts, and one step most people skip that ruins the whole job.

Ask BRO

Give me something to do with my kids this weekend

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GuideCan You Fix ItDean Shaw23 Sept 20266 min

Fix a Flat and Dial In the Brakes on Every Bike in the Garage

Four bikes, one Saturday morning, about sixty dollars of tools. Diagnose the flat before you patch it, and never skip the brake check.

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

PartnerGermProof.com

GuideGarden & YardWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

Gardening After Sixty Without Wrecking Your Back

Build the bed at the right height, buy one kneeler that won't fold, and stop hauling water. The rest is just showing up.

Poll

When did you last ask for a raise?

GuideMovies & TVSam Ortiz23 Sept 20265 min

Vet a Movie in Eight Minutes Before Family Night

The rating letter tells you almost nothing. The one-line reason underneath it, plus four free tools, tells you everything.

GuideCan You Fix ItWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

Unclog a Drain With a Plunger, a Snake and Ten Minutes

Skip the caustic bottle. Diagnose the clog first, then work through the stopper, the plunger and the trap in that order.

Dude.com — 16 advisers who listen, talk and pray with you

PartnerDude.com

GuideGarden & YardDean Shaw23 Sept 20266 min

Garden Tools Worth Buying Once and the Ones That Aren't

A snapped shovel handle in frozen clay costs more than the shovel did. Which tools earn a lifetime purchase, and which ones you should buy cheap on purpose.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

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