I live in Alaska. No way are my winter layers made of cotton! That’s a recipe for feeling cold, and woe unto you if you sweat at all or get snow on your clothes. Cotton literally kills. Instead, we wear fleece and wool. And we don’t use blankets to stay warm. We use down throws (for sitting under) and comforters…

For cars parked on the street, instead of using a hair dryer and a very long extension cord (lots of voltage loss if it even reaches), use a clothes iron. Heat it up inside, wrap it in a towel, press it to the car’s door next to the lock, and wait a bit.

Take it from an Alaskan (me) who in addition to going on lots of backcountry trips, sometimes has to camp for work because my employer manages a system of natural areas that’s celebrating its centennial this year: eat something before you go to bed if it’s cold. High fat foods work best due to their slow burn. …

When we lived in Melbourne we cooked the turkey out on the terrace in a terracotta barbecue. Still didn’t feel like bingeing on creamed onions and mashed potatoes, though.

No. There are many airports that don’t have space for this. Case in point (I was there last week) the Alaska Airlines gate in Terminal C at Logan (BOS). Barely room for the basic equipment. That said, as a veteran opter-outer (I get Pre-check free most of the time as frequent flyer and the rest of the time I…

Interesting that the term you used for male harassment of women, “douchebaggery,” uses a feminine hygiene device metaphor to make the point that the behavior is obnoxious. Because, you know, anything to do with lady parts is revolting, dirty and ugly, unlike male pubes. Why can’t we find a term for sexist behavior…

What the heck is “a touch of dry sweetness”??? Is it anything like a touch of damp dryness? Or sere wetness? Or round flatness?

Of course you can repackage and freeze! Plus this makes it easier to nest the milk in the freezer — you don’t have to find a gallon jug-sized space. BTW, instead of “sitting around waiting for it to thaw,” if you plan ahead, you can recapture some of the energy that was used to freeze the liquid in the first place if…

Don’t try this in most of my state (Alaska). Permafrost is right beneath the layer of tundra vegetation and nothing decomposes when frozen solid. Instead, just peel back the flap of tundra and recover after you’re done. Or, better still, in many places, pack it out. Yes, that’s right. Take a look at the Leave No Trace…

Yes, I use the roll system and put my shoes right above the wheels to ensure a low center of gravity while rolling through the airport. The problem with a well organized suitcase is that it immediately becomes a mess of wrinkled clothes and (sometimes) spilled liquids after the TSA selects it for random inspection.

And that is the problem with all even slightly complex coffee brewing methods, because I’m not awake until I’ve had at least one cup . . .

Boiling water (212 F) is waaay too hot for the Aeropress method (175 F is recommended for medium to dark roasts) and it takes many minutes for it to cool. Unless you live at a high altitude where water boils at lower temps?

Missing 4% of the states as usual. Sigh . . .

Take it from someone who lives in Alaska: never, ever, eat farmed salmon. There is a HUGE difference in nutritional value, flavor, and texture. Plus salmon farming techniques are terrible for marine habitats. We ban fish farming here.

1) The federal government requires employees to be citizens. So it’s perfectly legal for this to be asked at an interview for a federal job.

To UUs (like me), social justice and living ethically IS religious. Keep in mind that the root of the word “religion” is the concept of living in relationship — to others and the world.

Alaska. Some parts of the state are located within boroughs but vast portions are unincorporated, and we have no counties whatsoever. Neither does Louisiana (parishes). Only two of our boroughs are depicted on the map —there are 19 total.

We don't have counties in my state and, as usual, most of the state is MIA on the RealtyTrac website. I'm getting really tired of websites (and associated Lifehacker links) that purport to compare "national" statistics on just about anything, but that manage to omit 2-4% of the states in the USA (usually AK and HI…

They're only DDs because I wear a 32 band — they'd be Cs in a 36 . . .

Seriously, I keep hearing this urban legend but have never seen any scientific evidence to back it up. Hearsay from some unidentified "seamstresses" (know any? I don't, mainly because I don't live in Asia) doesn't hack it in my book. Does elastic really care if it's been allowed to rest for 10 hours v. 30? If so,…