Also note: He lives in San Diego. Cooling and heating that shed to a comfortable working temperature could get pretty expensive for several months of the year in other regions.

People who have studied such things say that judging the best place to live is a matter of dozens of intangibles dependent on each person's particular needs/tastes/situation. However, the single factor that *all* such experts concur will make you miserable is a long commute. That's something to keep in mind when you…

When I want to save on the grocery bill, I, too, turn to the humble bean. Dry beans are even cheaper than canned, and the extra time is all in the soaking and boiling, which doesn't require any attention from you.

The problem with any curtain is that it's only useful when you've got the windows closed. If you want to do without the air conditioner except when strictly necessary, you can't get a cross-draft with curtains.

I'd never drink a peanut butter smoothie, but I am nevertheless reeling at the news that the one at Jamba Juice has 1,170 calories! That's insane. Even the preferred option has enough calories for an actual meal, but I guess some people do use them as meal substitutes.

Anything that requires a microwave or any other large piece of equipment with few (for me) uses, like a potato ricer or food mill. As far as I can tell, microwaves are good for reheating coffee, and that's about it. Everything else can be done better with simpler equipment, and my kitchen is too small to accommodate a…

Um, that bacon in the bacon & eggs photo is *turkey* bacon.

I'm with Lula Mae. I don't have a hacksaw, and wouldn't trust myself to use one probably, actually. But I'd shell out for a readymade drill-brush attachment. Where to find one, though?

I just got done purging my bookshelves. My work requires me to refer to a lot of varied information and literary classics, so it was a bit tricky, but I kept in mind something a friend said recently. He pointed out that when you belong to Amazon Prime you can get a copy of almost any book in two days without paying…

Yep, it's broken. I got pointers to nonexistent sites in my neighborhood, and the ones I know about — like the free and comfy public library — aren't listed.

This would be perfectly awesome if it were just a little more customizable. Like most free wallpaper sites, it's got maybe 1 out of 10 designs that I really like, but I can't cherry pick them. (There's no "My Favorites" option.) The closest it comes is "Top Rated" and that's just the images that got the most votes…

Vote: iGTD

Thanks for the [chipotlefan.com] link! I'm pleased to discover that the meal I thought of as an indulgence — hard tacos with barbacoa, tomato salsa and lettuce — is actually pretty low in calories. Even if you get a burrito with no dairy or guac, however, you're still looking at a big calorie hit. It's the flour…

My apartment is too small for an unmade bed to go unseen — in fact, I have to keep it shipshape or the disorder begins to affect my morale while I'm working. However, you can skip reading the newspaper (on or off line) if you listen to radio news while doing these brief chores every morning (or while cooking…

I managed a book in about a year with 500 words per day. The sooner you start, the less words you have to write per day! It's very do-able, if you can write at all, but you have to have the discipline to do it every day. Even a one-day break can really mess you up.

It keeps me from getting sick, getting migraines, getting insomnia and getting depressed. If I go for even more than a day or two without it, I feel stiff and stale and my back starts to hurt. I started out of vanity, and have stuck with it because it's better than any drug or any vitamins. It's just a no brainer: any…

Bossa sure is pretty, but I wish there was more out there for those of us who use iTunes primarily for podcasts. I subscribe to about 20 - some updated daily, most weekly — and I use it as an alternative to NPR, since my local station often broadcasts shows I don't like.

I don't really understand this. I use sponges, rinsing them with hot water and soap when done, and air drying. I don't have a microwave or dishwasher. Yet, after doing this for many years, I have not been felled by whatever dread disease will supposedly strike whoever fails to sterilize their sponges. In fact, I…

You don't have to soak dry beans before cooking them, although you will have to cook them a bit longer if you don't soak.

Yes, but even so, some non-local/organic foods are better than others. With coffee you can easily buy Fair Trade varieties, and it's relatively easy to find traditionally produced Italian olive oils. But strawberries are major pesticide repositories unless you buy organic, and all of the out of season berries in my…