Trades & Careers

Electrician, lineman, welder, plumber. How to get in, get certified and get paid what the work is worth.

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

Take Your Pulse Before Coffee, and Do It for Two Weeks

Your resting heart rate costs nothing to check and says more as a trend than as a single number. Here's how to measure it and when to call your doctor.

NewsSportsBRO DeskNov 7, 20261 min

LeBron James has a rough night in Cleveland as 76ers fall to Cavaliers

James scored eight points on 3-for-12 shooting with six turnovers in Philadelphia's 119-96 NBA Cup loss.

Ask BRO

Build me a revision plan that I will actually stick to

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BRO TakeBe a ManMarcus ValeNov 7, 20265 min

Promise less and finish everything

A name for getting things done isn't built on big wins. It's built on small promises you keep, which means making fewer of them.

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

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Cars5 min read

Ten minutes and a voltmeter before you buy another battery

A dead battery and a dying alternator look identical in the driveway. A twenty-dollar meter tells you which one you've got before you spend the money.

Poll

Where does your best time with your kids happen?

GuideGadgetsDean ShawNov 7, 20266 min

A projector replaces a TV only if it survives Saturday at noon

Most projectors look great at 9 p.m. with the lights off. The ones worth swapping your TV for look good at 1 p.m. with the blinds open.

GuideOutdoorsWes DunbarNov 7, 20266 min

Leave Your Own Rod in the Truck

Fishing with your kid works best when you don't fish at all. Here's the gear, the water, and the pace that get a kid hooked on the sport.

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

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GuideFamilyCal BrennanNov 6, 20265 min

Write the summer work list before the last day of school

By the first Wednesday of break, someone will say "I'm bored." If you and your wife haven't planned for it, the tablet answers for you.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

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

StoryHistoryMarcus ValeNov 6, 20265 min

A Poor Man's Quarter Section Cost Eighteen Dollars and Five Years

The Homestead Act handed ordinary families 160 acres for a filing fee. The land was cheap. Getting to keep it was the hard part.

BRO TakeSchool & LearningAde FisherNov 6, 20265 min

A child who reads "horse" for "pony" was taught to guess

Decades of reading research point one direction. Here's what it says, where whole language got it right, and how to check what your child's school is doing.

Ask BRO

What should I wear to this?

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BRO TakeDadsCal BrennanNov 6, 20265 min

"Look at me when I'm talking to you" has never worked

When your son stares at the floor, he isn't being defiant. Here's what he's usually doing instead, and how to get the conversation anyway.

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

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GuideStyleDean ShawNov 6, 20265 min

Fix the collar that curls and the cuff that slides

Most collar and cuff trouble comes down to a quarter inch of fit or one missing piece of plastic. Here's how to find yours and fix it.

Poll

What was your first ever job?

$Do the watt-hour math before you buy any backup power$

GuidePreparednessWes DunbarNov 6, 20266 min

Do the watt-hour math before you buy any backup power

A generator is the wrong first purchase for a medical device. Two phone calls and one multiplication problem come before it.

$Do the walk-out math at the trailhead, not at mile six$

GuideSurvival & Self-DefenseWes DunbarNov 6, 20266 min

Do the walk-out math at the trailhead, not at mile six

Most people guess wrong about how far and how long the walk back is, and they all guess in the same direction. Here's how to get it right before you need it.