The parts of the map shown here are missing the most earthquake prone part of the USA. We had a 5.6 yesterday that I’m sure none of you heard about, but it sure got our attention. Had a 7.1 a little over a year ago and a 9.2 back in 1964, which was the second greatest earthquake ever recorded anywhere. Guess which…

Apparently its hood is so well-designed that it obviates the need for a bike helmet!

Apparently its hood is so well-designed that it obviates the need for a bike helmet!

John Rock, trying to get the RC Church’s approval. See http://gladwell.com/john-rock-s-error/

& “Mrs. Smith”

Forget to mention that these devices don’t fit well on commodes with wide rounded bowls, i.e. if the porcelain rounds out between the back of the seat, where the hinges are, and the front. This is a somewhat common design in older one-piece toilets. The bidet has a plastic flange that fastens to the hinge area, but…

Forget to mention that these devices don’t fit well on commodes with wide rounded bowls, i.e. if the porcelain…

Septic system here, too. Bought a cheaper model at Amazon for DH for Christmas (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01A17T3N6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1, $19 at the time). The water is “chilly” (our well water is just above freezing at this time of year here in Alaska) but you actually get used to…

Septic system here, too. Bought a cheaper model at Amazon for DH for Christmas (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0…

Winter’s first storm? Here in Alaska, that was last October, which is actually pretty late for us. By now we’ve been driving on snow and ice for four months, with another 2-3 months to go. We don’t use salt and there isn’t enough sun to melt down to black asphalt, so we get pretty skilled at white roads. And a…

Actually, traditionally-garbed Alaska Natives did sometimes have to work intensely enough that they sweated. But they wore two layers of animal skins when outside: an inner layer that was worn 24/7, made from lighter skins with the animal hair facing inwards, and a heavier layer with the hair facing out. The inward…

Make your own oral rehydration therapy. Or drink a glass of water (H2O), eat some saltines (sodium), and a banana (potassium). Cheap!

You say that now but I’m guessing you have not had the pleasure of using an outhouse at -40F too many times . . .

Agree. Here in Alaska, most cars have block heaters and many have battery blankets. The practice is to plug in your car if it’s 20 F or colder out, in part to reduce the terrible pollution created by partially burned gas in a cold engine. Many people have timers so they don’t waste electricity heating their engine…

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…