No ticks AT ALL in Alaska — HaHaHaHaHa!!!!!

Clearly the Indian version of bad hombres.

Two Subaru household here. 2000 Outback (bought in November ‘99) and 2009 Impreza (Oct ‘08). Both bought new, no major repairs, neither has even broken down or even failed to start. And we live on a mountainside in Alaska where the cars are driven on icy/snowy roads 7-8 months/year.

I think “most Americans’ who eat sushi with any frequency know that raw fish with nothing else is called sashimi.

Obviously, it would be better to eat it. Perhaps they will make a version from rice flour?

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.