Liquid Fence’s information page on their snake repellent asks: “Are Snakes Terrorizing your Family, Pets, and Livestock?”. #@!$ no! Snakes are terrorizing me! My wife and pets can fend for themselves–all I have to be is faster than them. I dislike snakes. A lot. I know I am not alone in this–but seriously–what are they for? Fine. Get all PETA on me and tell me how many uses snakes have. I think they belong in two places: Hell and Zoos. Both are probably similar from the snake perspective. [click to continue…]
My MP3 player just died. I am under deadline and due for a flogging from the ‘Fixated editors, and now I have no tunes to listen to while sequestered in my office. Fortunately, I have a cure–in the form of hearing protection. Hearing protection is lame. It really is. Foam plugs can be uncomfortable and turn into a science experiment. The soft plastic bands just don’t fit some people—and see above. That $@#& was in my ear? For any (sane) DIYer it is necessary and important to protect your hearing. The Digital WorkTunes from AO Safety should be standard in anyone’s shop or tool bag. [click to continue…]
1978 was a very good year. It marks the appearance of the first cell phone (which was probably the size of a football), a pound of bacon cost just $1.20, and the country was enamored with a dancing-singing John Travolta. Most importantly, yours truly made her glorious debut into the world that year. It was also a good time for home owners. It was in 1978 that the government took your safety more seriously and banned the use of lead-based paint.
But what if your home was built prior to 1978? The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that 64 million dwellings in the United States currently contain lead-based products, so there’s a fair chance your pre-80s home is among them. As of this April, there are new regulations from the EPA concerning renovation, repair and painting work in your home – and you need to know about them. [click to continue…]
Photo Credit: Robert Couse-Baker
Let’s talk ladder safety. But before we do, a brief caveat. If you have spent any time kicking around the site, you may have stumbled into the “About” section and had the misfortune of reading about me. I made a statement about Ladders that I should not have said. I am not here to talk about the past, nor have I ever used any DIY performance enhancing drugs. (Coffee doesn’t count, right)? I am merely studying levitation in an effort to relieve all ladders of their burden of holding us aloft.
Until I do find a way to levitate, using a ladder will have to suffice. Once my findings are complete, the How-To will surely be readily available on this site. What we all should know about ladders are: Falling doesn’t hurt. Landing does. Use these ladder safety tips to keep you safe when using our friends: Ladders. [click to continue…]
