Thanks for the tip! I never would have thought about the importance of protecting my hands in a crash, but it makes sense. Putting your hands under your legs might make more sense if there's a chance of flames flashing through the compartment on impact. Covering your face makes sense for the same reason. You need to…

Quote: "The ability of a driver to survive such a crash is not a primary concern."

Play dumb, act really stupid, and you'll get almost always get their sympathy and help. "Oh, another dumb American tourist," they will think. They'll even pardon that fact that you can't speak anything but English.

You forgot the most important trick—don't trust Amazon's search results even when you're using the company name and model number. When I lived in Seattle, I got that advice (directly) from an Amazon developer and (indirectly) from an Amazon lawyer.

Keep in mind some of hotel taxes can be dreadful. Seattle paid part of the cost of two stadiums it built by taxing the hotel fees of those who visit the city—independent of whether they were there for a ball game or not.

Leather jackets do have one interesting advantage, particularly if they are past their prime. Years ago, I had one so ratty, it'd been in the free bin at a garage sale. I liked it though, and often wore it when I walked around Seattle's Green Lake.

Absolutely marvelous! I credit my willingness to take on almost any situation to the fact that, from when I was about eight on, I was wandering deep into rattlesnake-infested woods, finding my own way in, making noise as I went to scare away the snakes, playing on a creek bank, and finding my own way out. I even had a…

Is this just me, or is it a bit silly to alter travel plans simply to encounter fewer trucks while traveling? Better to travel at 60 behind a truck that to be stuck some place you don't want to be.

It's also sensible to stash useful items at work or school in case you find yourself stranded there when a major crisis takes out your usual means of transportation. That might include:

Years ago, I worked at a hospital where the nursing administration had a different sandwich—criticism, really nasty criticism, criticism. The head nurse where I worked even topped that sandwich off by suggesting that matters would go better for me if I dealt out dirt about others. That I refused to do.

Check a location out before committing. This library reading room is beautiful and quiet, but by early afternoon it fills up and the WiFi slows to a crawl.

Four liters a day with branch filtering isn't very fast. It'd be far easier to use those branches in a fire and boil the water. With a one-liter pan, you've got a liter in about 15 minutes. Four liters would take about an hour.

For pricey digital stuff, do what I do.

A better way to save money is to never shop at Whole Foods.

Keep in mind that being able to cook for yourself can save money and lift your spirits in miserable weather. It can also feed you in remote locations, when you're stranded some place you did not want to be, or while you're traveling. I've cooked meals on trains and ferries.

Marvelous, absolutely marvelous. For me, Instapaper is one of the top five reasons to own an iPad. I sometimes wonder how I got along without it.

I'd add another, favor darks over white and bright colors, they'll show dirt less and dry more quickly in the sun.

Alas, putting a fancy laser system in the F-35 is like putting razors on the claws of a turkey and calling it an eagle. It takes more to make a war bird than exotic laser weapons. The ability to accelerate and maneuver, for instance. And if the other side gets these weapons, the F-35 will be a sitting duck.

If success is measured by making a lot of money, then his study, judging by the names given above, might make sense. But I'd rather he just said that these were the "eight most common traits of rich people" and be done with it.

There's no need to stay up. Just set an alarm, get up briefly to check prices, and then go back to sleep. Make sure your screen is dimmed down low, so you'll fall asleep quickly.