These days, extreme weather events are both more extreme and more frequent. After an unusual ice storm knocked out power at my house for days this year, I found myself feeling weirdly vulnerable without a way to heat my home, so I decided to look into power backup options.
While a whole-home solution was not within budget, I knew I wanted at least enough power to keep myself warm and to power my phone, laptop, and modem (on the off chance internet wasn’t out, too). While portable power stations and solar generators are an option, they’re somewhat limited in how many volts/watts they can sustain and for how long. To really achieve something that could carry me for a few days, I needed to go bigger—to a power station. Luckily, Anker was willing to let me try out its new F3800 unit, and it might just be exactly what I was looking for, but it comes with a hefty price tag.
The first thing to know about the F3800 is that it is only portable in the loosest of definitions. UPS struggled to get the box to my door, I struggled getting it out of the box, and I really struggled moving it from my front door to my energy panel. Sure, there are wheels and a handle, but it’s still 130+ pounds. If you dream of hauling something like this camping, forget about it.
However, the unit is tall and has a compact footprint, so it tucks away neatly and looks at home in a closet, for example. It also required zero installation. Out of the box, you can just plug it into the wall and let it charge. It also comes with cables to daisy chain with additional batteries. Really, the only thing you need to do is bring up the Anker app and pair the unit, although the device will work fine without that. The app just adds some convenient features, like fine tuning how the unit works and monitoring it from afar.
And at $4,000, the F3800 is no small investment, but it’s something that will grow with me. While it's possible to just plug the F3800 into the wall and wait for the power to go out, it can also tie into a home’s solar panels, which made it more appealing as a long-term option. The real benefit is that I can, now or in the future, install a subpanel on my electrical panel and wire the F3800 to it. That way, if the power goes out, my home will immediately start using the power in the backup unit.
Along with the F3800, I received two PS400 portable solar panels ($899 each), and while these did not weigh as much as the station, they were substantial in size and weight. I waited for a sunny day and hauled the station close enough to the patio so that I could charge it off the solar panels. We had a run of 70-degree, cloudless days here unusually early, and the F3800 achieved an 80% charge after seven hours of sunlight. The rate at which the sun can charge something like this is highly variable, changing with factors like placement and weather conditions. According to Anker, if you maxed out the number of solar panels this unit can accommodate (2,400 watts total), it could charge in 1.5 hours.
The F3800 is 6,000 watts, which is pretty beefy, but you may need more. Anker says the system is expandable up to 53.8 Kwh, which is impressive, if you’ve got the room—and the funds.
In order to use a backup unit, you need enough outlets to power all the stuff you want to use. Luckily, the F3800 is well-equipped, with six 120v outlets. Of those 120v outlets, three are UPS outlets, meaning they have uninterrupted power. I’ve mentioned in the past that I love UPS as a way to keep my internet stable during unstable power conditions, and I’ll go a step further here to say that the F3800 could be a way to keep your entire smart home up and running through a short outage.
Then, there is a 240v NEMA 14-50 AC Port and a L14-30R AC Port, which would allow you to run something larger like a clothes dryer, but it also brings up the second use for a power station like this: delivering power where you don’t have it. That might include something like a work site, or just a garage workshop with terrible power servicing, for example. Again, I don’t recommend hauling this unit around town, but I kept coming up with scenarios in which the F3800 would be useful, like powering an EV or a garage freezer. There’s also a number of USB ports for fast phone and accessory charging.
There isn’t a lot to compare the F3800 to because there aren’t many power stations of this capacity available to everyday buyers—but so far, I'm impressed. (EcoFlow does have a new station, the Pro Ultra, with slightly higher capacity than the F3800 at 7,200 watts. It's also more expensive, at $5,199. I have not tested it, but it appears to be the same kind of expandable system.)
As I was thinking about how to really test the F3800 in the conditions it was meant for (an actual outage), a windstorm swept through that knocked out my power. As soon as it was clear the outage wasn’t momentary, I moved the F3800 into place. I connected it to my modem, TV, router, laptop, cell phone, fridge, a heater, and—with one absurdly long power cord snaked through the doggy door—the garage freezer. For the next two hours, my dog and I were happy, warm and entertained.
The power came back on by nightfall and I checked in with my power station. I’d only consumed 18% of the energy. If I had been a little more conservative in what I was powering up, I could have kept this party going for eight hours or more. The biggest obstacle, really, was extension cords.
Earlier this month, Apple quietly adjusted its Apple Store review guidelines, adding new language specifically states, "retro game console emulator apps can offer to download games," marking the first time the company has allowed emulators on iOS. Hooray!
It didn't take long for someone to take advantage of this new allowance: iGBA, a Game Boy emulator, made its debut on the App Store over the weekend, quickly topping the free apps charts. The introductory emulator seemed to play by Apple's new rules: As piracy is, obviously, illegal, the app would only run ROMs you downloaded yourself to the Files app on your iPhone. iPhone gamers rejoiced. Then Apple removed the emulator from its marketplace, just days after it launched. iPhone gamers mourned.
While we still don't know exactly why Apple took away iGBA, there seems to be a likely explanation—and it has nothing to do with pirated games. Developer Riley Testut took to Threads on Sunday to highlight the fact that iGBA appears to be a knock-off of their own emulator, GBA4iOS. Despite Testut not giving permission to use his code, somehow iGBA managed to pass through Apple's strict App Review process to land on the App Store itself.
Tetsut has been trying to launch their alternative app store, AltStore, in the European Union for over a month, and plans on publishing Delta, a revised version of GBA4iOS, once that happens. With all this up in the air, Testsut says he's particularly frustrated Apple was so quick to approve a rip-off of his app.
That said, it seems Apple took Testut's claims seriously. I assume the company launched an investigation, and once Apple confirmed iGBA was indeed made from stolen code, it promptly removed it from the App Store.
The process seems to have followed wha tis outlined in the company's App Review Guidelines:
Make sure your app only includes content that you created or that you have a license to use. Your app may be removed if you've stepped over the line and used content without permission. Of course, this also means someone else's app may be removed if they've "borrowed" from your work.
There's a lot to be learned from this experience. First, don't steal. It's wrong, and Apple will boot you from the App Store for doing it, no matter how successful you are. Second, and more pertinent to most of us, is to not download the first emulator to hit the iOS App Store. Tetsut says iGBA was rife with ads and tracking, which means those happy retro gamers playing Pokémon on their iPhones this weekend likely had their privacy breached. There's no evidence iGBA was malicious, but it's easy to imagine another emulator app sneaking onto the App Store with bad intentions.
While you can't download iGBA going forward, it won't disappear from your iPhone if you already installed it. While you can continue using it, given the situation, I'd recommend you just delete it. While this change in Apple's policy is positive, it's important to take a breath: I'm sure Apple is going to be even more stringent with its emulation reviews going forward, but it might be best to wait until an emulator has been further vetted before diving into your favorite retro game.
If you miss this week’s tax filing deadline, you might be feeling anxious about getting hit with late-filing penalties by the IRS. However, if you don’t have a recent history of filing your taxes late, it’s possible to apply for something called a first-time penalty abatement, which will waive some of your penalties. Here’s a look at how you can apply.
First, if you are expecting a refund, there’s no penalty for filing late; however, if you owe taxes and miss the April 15 deadline without requesting an extension, you should file quickly to limit penalties and interest.
Typically, late tax filers owe a failure-to-file penalty—5% of your unpaid tax balance per month (though the total penalty won't exceed 25% of you tax due). But if you file more than 60 days after the tax filing deadline, your penalty becomes the lesser of $435 or 100% of your unpaid tax balance. If you filed on time but couldn’t afford to pay your taxes, the penalty is much smaller, at 0.5% of your unpaid balance per month.
Note that some taxpayers may have extra time to file their tax returns and pay any taxes due, including disaster victims, taxpayers living overseas, military service members, and eligible support personnel in combat zones.
Now for the good news: If you have a history of filing and paying your taxes on time, the IRS may be willing to waive those penalties through a first-time penalty abatement, along with the interest accruing on your penalty. The agency may also offer penalty relief for a reasonable cause—which includes things like natural disasters, no access to your records, or a family member’s death or illness.
To qualify for the first-time penalty abatement, you’ll need to meet the following criteria:
Three years of on-time filing and tax payments
You filed all currently required returns or filed for an extension of time to file
That you have paid—or have arranged to pay—any money you owe
If you have received a failure-to-file notice from the IRS, look for the toll-free number in the top right-hand corner and call the agency to see if you qualify for relief through abatement or another waiver. (The lines are often busy, so check out this Lifehacker post for some tips to get routed to an agent).
Alternatively, if you prefer to put the request in writing, you may also contact the IRS by mail—but it may take up to 30 days to get a response. Also, another tip: You might improve your chances of relief by making the request after paying your tax balance. If you received a notice or letter stating that the IRS didn’t grant your request for penalty relief, you try the Penalty Appeal Online Self-help Tool.
Mason bees are pretty incredible: They’re docile, they are easy to raise, and they are amazing pollinators of spring flowering fruit and nut trees. These bees don’t use hives the way honey bees do, instead preferring to place their eggs in narrow holes, plugged up with mud (hence the name “mason”).
Their gentle nature and solitary habitat preferences make mason bees a great species to “keep” in your yard. That is, if you do it right. If you don’t do it right, you might be harming them more than you’re helping them.
Former evolutionary biology professor Colin Purrington took to X (then Twitter) a few years back to tell us all the ways our good intentions have gone awry, and it's worth a reminder if you want to set up a mason bee house in your yard or garden this spring.
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If you’re going to make your own mason bee house, Purrington offers his own tutorial here, along with a slew of additional reading you can take advantage of. If you’re leaning toward a store-bought variety, don’t simply grab the first cute structure labeled “mason bees” that you see. It’s important to educate yourself about the species first to understand how to most effectively help them—and not accidentally harm them instead.
The biggest problem Purrington points out with some store-bought mason bee houses is that the blocks and reeds are glued to the back of the house. That means you can’t add new nesting material each spring, greatly increasing the risk of parasites and fungus.
You’ll find some great info here on the year-round care of mason bees, including storing the nesting tubes and blocks and harvesting the cocoons.
Mason bee houses should be placed against a flat surface in an area protected from high winds, approximately six feet off the ground and south-facing, if possible. Do not hang mason houses by a string from a tree limb; allowing the eggs to be knocked around in every passing breeze isn’t helpful. They’ll also need to be close enough to pollen-producing plants (they won’t travel farther than 300 feet), as well as a good supply of claylike mud to cover up their nesting holes.
The roof of a good mason bee house will have a bit of an overhang to protect the holes from rain and lower the risk of the larvae and pupae rotting inside the nest.
If you’re now questioning the quality of your mason bee house, you can always ask Purrington directly for his opinion (hey, he offered).
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Your 3D printer can be used for all sorts of hobbies and projects around the house. While a 3D printer is great to create fun stuff, it can also be practical. Designing and printing your own components for home-improvement projects is a fantastic way to develop your skills and make your home customized for your needs and style.
Making a cable reel to store charging and other power cords to keep them from getting tangled is a simple and practical project to try with your 3D printer. Depending on the size of your 3D printer, you can scale your cable reel to fit a variety of cable types all the way up to big extension cords for use in your home workshop.
You can use your 3D printer to create custom outlet covers and light-switch plates. Printing your own allows you to match the style to the rest of your home or create something unique that’s perfect for you. To make a switch plate or outlet cover, you’ll need to take into account the screw placement as well as holes for the outlet and light switch.
If you want to hang a shelf on the wall, you can print brackets with your 3D printer. You’ll need to create a shape that has a right angle and has holes for using screws to attach it. Adding an angled support to make the bracket more sturdy is a good idea to make sure your shelf is structural.
You can 3D-print coat hooks, plant hooks, and hooks for hanging up Christmas lights and other holiday decorations. Make sure to use the appropriate filament if you plan to use the hooks outdoors so that they will stand up to the weather. You can also create custom designs to fit with your decor as well as making multiple hook brackets for use in a bathroom for towels, or a mud room for coats.
If you’re updating cabinets or furniture, you can print some drawer pulls with your 3D printer to customize your new look. Make sure to take note of sizing if you choose to use a pre-made file instead of one you customize yourself. You can use your imagination to create a drawer pull that will look the best with your decor and function well with your furniture.
Keeping leaves from clogging up your downspout can be a challenge. But luckily you can print your own downspout filter with your 3D printer to keep leaves and other debris from ending up inside your downspout. While you can likely find a file that’s designed for your type of gutter, you might need to modify one for an exact fit.
To level furniture on an uneven surface and protect your floor from scratching, 3D-print some adjustable feet. Note that you’ll need to also get hardware in the right size. Once the feet are placed on the ends of your furniture legs, they can be screwed in and out for leveling.
If you’re a gardener, or if you just have an expanding collection of climbing house plants, getting the right support for growing plants or training them into the shape you want is important. You can 3D-print your own plant clips. There are a few different designs available if you don’t want to make your own file, so you can get the size and shape you’re after.
Que faut-il retenir des actualités sur le marché immobilier en avril 2024 ? Voici notre habituelle revue mensuelle des principales informations et des chiffres importants à connaître pour gérer vos projets immobiliers ou faire votre veille sur le secteur. Où en sont les taux de crédit immobilier en avril 2024 ? Depuis le 1er janvier […]
L’article Immobilier avril 2024 : les chiffres et informations du mois est apparu en premier sur Immobilier-danger.
Malgré la réputation amicale de leur espèce, les mâles bonobos s'en prennent beaucoup plus souvent à d'autres mâles que les mâles chimpanzés, selon une étude surprenante.
Lors de sa première semaine d'étude des bonobos en République démocratique du Congo, Maud Mouginot se souvient parfaitement d'avoir vu « deux boules de poils se poursuivre comme des fous dans les arbres ».
« Il était cinq heures du matin et les bonobos venaient de se réveiller. Les assistants de terrain ont dit "C'est une agression". Et je me suis dit : "Attendez, on parle bien du bonobo pacifique ?" », raconte Maud Mouginot, aujourd'hui anthropologue à l'université de Boston.
L'image harmonieuse des bonobos s'explique en partie par leur recours fréquent à la copulation pour apaiser les désaccords. Contrairement aux chimpanzés, ils sont également prêts à partager leur nourriture, non seulement avec leurs amis, mais aussi avec des bonobos qu'ils ne connaissent pas.
Maud Mouginot soupçonnait déjà les bonobos d'être plus complexes qu'on ne l'imaginait. Mais lorsqu'elle a commencé à comparer le nombre de comportements agressifs enregistrés chez les bonobos et les chimpanzés sauvages de cinq groupes différents, elle a eu du mal à croire ses résultats. « J'étais tellement troublée que j'ai examiné chaque agression une par une pour m'assurer qu'il n'y avait pas de doublon. »
Comme le rapportent Mouginot et ses collègues dans la revue Current Biology, il a fallu 2 047 heures de suivi de bonobos mâles individuels dans la réserve de bonobos de Kokolopori pour recenser 521 cas d'agression, comme se poursuivre, se frapper, se donner des coups de pied et se mordre. Dans le parc national de Gombe Stream, en Tanzanie, où les chimpanzés sont étudiés depuis plus de 60 ans (avec le soutien partiel de la National Geographic Society), il a fallu plus de 7 300 heures aux chercheurs pour dénombrer 654 actes d'agression.
« J'ai été surpris, mais les données sont solides », déclare Richard Wrangham, primatologue à l'université de Harvard, qui n'a pas pris part à la nouvelle étude.
Wrangham est également intrigué depuis longtemps par les différences flagrantes de comportement entre les chimpanzés et les bonobos. « Une explication plausible pourrait être que l'agression chez les mâles bonobos est beaucoup moins dangereuse que chez les chimpanzés, et qu'il y a donc moins de raisons de la limiter. »
Maud Mouginot partage cet avis. « Nous n'avons pas encore de rapports de bonobos s'entretuant, alors qu'il y en a beaucoup chez les chimpanzés. Les mâles chimpanzés forment des coalitions, de sorte qu'un mâle qui s'en prend à un autre mâle risque de subir des représailles de la part de la coalition, ce qui peut s'avérer très dangereux. Je pense donc que le tribut de l'agression est plus imprévisible et souvent plus élevé chez les chimpanzés, ce qui pourrait expliquer pourquoi les bonobos y ont recours plus facilement dans la vie de tous les jours. »
Les bonobos ont également une approche très différente de la défense territoriale, explique Martin Surbeck, coauteur de l'étude, primatologue à Harvard et explorateur National Geographic, qui étudie les bonobos à l'état sauvage depuis vingt ans.
« Les domaines vitaux des bonobos semblent beaucoup plus vastes que ceux des chimpanzés, de sorte qu'ils ne sont peut-être pas en mesure de les défendre en tant que territoires comme le font les chimpanzés. Alors que les coalitions de mâles chimpanzés n'hésitent pas à tuer des individus d'autres groupes, les bonobos de groupes différents peuvent se côtoyer pacifiquement et même se toiletter et partager de la nourriture lorsqu'ils se rencontrent. »
Mais pourquoi les mâles bonobos sont-ils si prompts à se quereller ? La recherche suggère que ces disputes ont souvent pour enjeu un meilleur accès aux femelles. Dans cette étude, en tout cas, les mâles bonobos les plus agressifs ont engendré beaucoup plus de petits que ceux qui étaient moins belliqueux.
C'est assez surprenant, car contrairement aux mâles chimpanzés, les mâles bonobos s'attireraient toutes sortes d'ennuis s'ils se montraient hostiles envers les femelles.
« Les femelles bonobos sont souvent agressives envers les mâles. Elles peuvent être très méchantes avec eux », explique Michael Wilson, primatologue à l'université du Minnesota qui travaille à Gombe depuis des décennies. Les femelles bonobos se regroupent pour dominer les mâles et ont tendance à choisir elles-mêmes leurs partenaires.
En revanche, « les femelles chimpanzés sont très soumises aux mâles et les craignent beaucoup ». C'est pourquoi, ajoute-t-il, les mâles chimpanzés peuvent parfois contraindre les femelles à s'accoupler.
Maud Mouginot estime que les femelles bonobos ne sont pas attirées par l'agression elle-même, mais plutôt par les mâles de haut rang qui ont recours à la force pour repousser leurs concurrents lorsqu'elles sont prêtes à s'accoupler.
En fait, les femelles pourraient jouer un rôle encore plus actif dans le succès des mâles, selon le primatologue Takeshi Furuichi, de l'université japonaise de Kyoto, qui étudie les bonobos à l'état sauvage depuis de nombreuses années.
« Les bonobos mâles dont la mère a un rang élevé défient souvent les autres mâles avec le soutien de leur mère, qui peut ainsi augmenter le nombre de ses petits-enfants », explique Furuichi. « Dans une étude récente, nous avons constaté que les interactions les plus agressives se produisaient entre les fils des mères de haut rang. »
Cet article a initialement paru sur le site nationalgeographic.com en langue anglaise.
The FDA has approved the first app for treating major depressive disorder, a condition estimated to impact 21% of U.S. adults at some point in their lifetime. The app, Rejoyn, is intended to supplement treatment for major depressive disorder: In a clinical trial of 386 adults with major depressive disorder (who were also being treated with antidepressant medication), participants who used the app saw improved depression symptoms after 6 weeks of treatment.
Using digital tools to improve mental health is not new, of course. There are tons of apps available for meditation, journaling, and even connecting to a therapist—and there have been apps approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat ADHD, substance use disorder, and insomnia.
Rejoyn is expected to be available by prescription for iOS and Android devices in summer 2024, but there’s no information yet on how much the app will cost or whether insurance companies will cover it. Here’s what we know so far about how Rejoyn works and whether you should look into it when it’s available.
Rejoyn uses a six-week program of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) lessons, exercises, and personalized reminders and messages. During the program, you will complete three lessons and three exercises each week. For four weeks following the program, you can still access the lessons for review. Lessons (a short video followed by an off-app or interactive activity) take 3-4 minutes and exercises take 11-26 minutes each.
According to Otsuka, the company that made Rejoyn, lessons focus on cognitive restructuring (observing and re-framing maladaptive cognitions such as cognitive distortions), behavioral activation (deliberately increasing goal-directed behavior, physical activity, and interpersonal interaction), and emotional regulation (an individual’s ability to modulate or control the influence an emotion has on them, or to modulate the degree to which an emotion is experienced).
Rejoyn is intended for people who are 22 or older and are diagnosed with depression. It will be most suited to people who are tech savvy and want to use digital resources to accompany talk therapy and medication for depression.
“It's essential to note that while Rejoyn represents a significant milestone as the first prescription digital treatment for major depressive disorder, its efficacy and suitability for individuals may vary,” said Dr. Sanam Hafeez, neuropsychologist and director of Comprehend the Mind. “As with any treatment, consulting with a therapist is crucial to determine whether Rejoyn is an appropriate option and to develop a comprehensive treatment plan tailored to the individual's needs.”
Rejoyn requires a prescription, so you will have to talk to your primary care doctor, psychiatrist, or psychologist about your depression symptoms and treatment.
“During this consultation, the healthcare provider will conduct an evaluation to assess the individual's symptoms, medical history, and current treatments. Based on this evaluation, the provider will discuss various treatment options, including Rejoyn, alongside traditional therapies like medication and psychotherapy,” Hafeez said. “If Rejoyn is deemed suitable for the individual, the healthcare provider will issue a prescription for the app.”
“While it may provide tools and resources for managing symptoms, it may not address the underlying causes of depression in the same way that therapy and medication can,” Hafeez said. However, it could be a source of support between therapy sessions.
Hafeez said there are non-prescription apps that show promise in improving symptoms of depression. She shared these examples:
Headspace offers guided mindfulness and meditation exercises aimed at reducing stress and promoting emotional well-being. "Research has suggested that mindfulness-based interventions can be effective in reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety," Hafeez said.
Woebot is a chatbot-based app that delivers CBT techniques through conversational interactions. "Research has found that Woebot can be effective in reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety, particularly among younger users," Hafeez said.
Happify offers activities and games designed to promote happiness and well-being by targeting negative thoughts and behaviors. "While research on Happify specifically is limited, interventions focused on positive psychology principles have shown promise in improving mood and psychological well-being," Hafeez said.
While the number of digital tools available for tending your mental health are growing, don’t ditch therapy and meds yet.
“It's important to note that while these apps have shown effectiveness in research studies, they are not intended to replace professional treatment for depression,” Hafeez said. “Individuals experiencing depression should consult with a healthcare provider to determine the most appropriate treatment options for their needs. Additionally, ongoing research is needed to further evaluate the efficacy and long-term effects of digital interventions for depression.”
Every home should have an herb garden. Access to fresh herbs, all the time, will fundamentally change the way you cook and eat at home. While you can buy fresh herbs, they’re expensive, and you have to buy them by the bunch, when you might only need a little. But if there’s fresh dill outside, you might grab a little for an impromptu potato salad. You’ll chop crisp parsley to toss on some pasta, and every single chicken I’ve roasted has been made better by stuffing it with a fistful of mixed herbs from the yard. Herbs generally grow easily, too, but there are tons of them, and they like different growing conditions. Some are tender, and some are perennial, some enjoy shade while others love the sun. For all those reasons, an herb spiral—a unique architectural element for your garden—is a great idea.
Shaped like a seashell or snail, the raised bed curls inwards and upwards, the outer wall forming a spiral. The inside of the bed is taller than the outside due to the spiral, so you create a long curving row to plant in. Larger perennial herbs are planted in the spiral to provide shade and protection to more tender herbs, allowing them to co-exist and thrive. This design also makes it easier to harvest the herbs, as you can walk around the spiral, and lean over the spiral to harvest. You can elevate the entire spiral, so you don’t even have to crouch.
You can make the bed out of anything you’d like, but bricks or large landscaping rocks are common. You could just as easily use wood for a faceted spiral, or landscaping edging for a low-profile spiral. The bed can be as large or small as you’d like, from a simple six foot by six foot imprint, to a sprawling curving wall around the entire garden. The idea is to make it large enough to accommodate the herbs you want to grow, but it should also make sense in your garden from a design perspective.
Start by making a list of what you’d like to grow, and remember that some herbs are seasonal, like basil and cilantro, and some are perennial, like sage and rosemary. You don’t have to play it safe, either: You can grow teas and edible flowers and medicinal herbs. Some herb seed houses to look for inspiration are Strictly Medicinal and True Leaf Market.
You should always look at growing zones, and how large plants will actually get. With this list, start surveying where your spiral can go, keeping in mind you want a level space, in the full sun. Take some measurements. Head to your sketchpad, using those measurements, and start laying in plants from your list into the spiral, with a pencil. Drought-tolerant herbs will go at the top, and less drought-tolerant plants go near the bottom. Plants that need full sun should go on the north or south side so they sun all day. Plants that need some shade should go on the east or west side so they only get morning or afternoon sun, and you should plant them between more shrubby herbs, so they’re protected.
Consider what will go around the spiral, remembering you’ll be walking on it. Mulch like wood chips or gravel will keep the spiral accessible even in wet weather. When planning for the size of the bed, consider that you’ll need to be able to reach the middle of the bed to access the herbs. Also consider how this spiral will get watered, planning for drip irrigation to be integrated into the bed itself, or planning for the bed to be near a hose spigot.
Start by using the materials you’ve chosen to build the base of the bed, which will be a circle. Remember you want enough height on the wall so the bed is deep enough to plant in, so at least eight inches, but 12 or more would be better. While you don’t necessarily need to, cementing in the walls means they’ll last longer and are more stable. Once the circle is built, you remove enough bricks or stones for the width of the row at the northernmost point of the circle, and use them to start the spiral inward. Continue laying at least one course or layer of building material in the spiral pattern, until you reach the middle of the spiral. Remember, the “middle" is actually a smaller circle at the top. Now, start filling the circle in with your planting soil, up to the first level of bricks or rocks. You can fill the center of the spiral with pea gravel or other rocks, remember that you’ll be planting the middle well above where you are now, and this gravel will help with drainage and stability.
With the base bed filled, you can start building up the inner spiral walls. Add more bricks or rocks to the walls as they move towards the center, filling the inner spiral in with more soil to support the wall. When you arrive at the top of the spiral, fill in the middle circle, and then tamp down the soil for the whole spiral and backfill as you need to.
Planting time is the most exciting part, because now you can lay out the plants and start putting them in the soil. Consider adding decorative plant labels. You can add edible flowers or plants that attract pollinators. Also consider how some plants spill over the side and hug the wall, like creeping thyme, nasturtiums, and chamomile. Think really hard about plants that spread wildly—like mint, oregano, and lemon balm—and consider omitting them from the spiral. They’re best planted in planters that will contain them from spreading. Make sure you give each plant enough space to grow, and don’t overcrowd them. They’ll fill in the space in time if you let them.
Some herbs are seasonal, and will need to be replaced each spring. If you let the plants go to seed, you may find the herbs perennialize, meaning they come back on their own each year. You might add herbs as time goes on, and keeping shrubbier herbs in check through pruning is important. Over time, you’ll learn which herbs you may want more of, instead of those you use less. Mostly, what will keep the spiral happy is using the herbs— so get in there and chop the cilantro, parsley, dill and basil back heartily and use it.
WD-40 is designed to prevent rusting by displacing the water in cracks and crevices in metal (that's what the "WD" stands for). It is also a versatile lubricant, and can even be used as a solvent—but there are some places you should never spray it.
WD-40 doesn’t have the same viscosity as traditional grease or oil, and it can erode certain finishes, and it can cause problems when used as a substitute. Though it's tempting to think it is a good idea everywhere you need to cut down on friction, here are some places you should definitely never use WD-40.
If you’re trying to lubricate a hinge on a pair of sunglasses or remove a price tag from the surface of a plastic container, you might be tempted to reach for the can of WD-40...but you should never use it on a clear plastic surface or on polystyrene or polycarbonate plastic.
Commonly labeled #6, products that contain styrene include things like toys, disposable cups and cutlery, and appliances like smoke detectors. Polycarbonate, known as #7, can be found in kitchen appliances like refrigerators, clear packaging, plastic lenses, and safety gear. Because of the chemical makeup of WD-40, it can cause damage to these plastics and ruin things like sunglasses with plastic lenses. If you’re in doubt, it’s better to avoid using WD-40 on plastic.
WD-40 can dissolve wax finishes. If you’re using WD-40 to clean, you should keep it clear of wood floors and furniture. Since wax creates a water resistant barrier that protects woodwork from water damage, it’s better to leave the wax where it is. Also, because WD-40 can seep into the grain of unfinished wood, it’s generally not a good idea to use it on any wood surface, not just waxed ones.
Because WD-40 is good for lots of cleaning tasks, you might be tempted to try it on stone tile or countertops. But natural stone is porous, and you shouldn’t use WD-40 to clean it—WD-40 can soak into the surface of the stone and stain it. Also, many stone surfaces are treated with wax polish, and WD-40 can dissolve wax finishes.
Some appliance companies recommend using WD-40 to clean stainless steel, but you should never use WD-40 on surfaces that will be in contact with food. While a streak-free shine is a powerful motivator, WD-40 obviously shouldn’t be consumed. and while incidental contact with food isn’t a big deal, surfaces where food is in frequent or prolonged contact should never have WD-40 on them.
You should never use WD-40 on electronics, which can react with some plastics as well as attract dust and other particles. Getting WD-40 on your smart phone or laptop can not only damage the screen, it can ruin the buttons or make its way into the internal components. It’s best to use a cleaner specially formulated for electronics.
Although WD-40 is sometimes used as a stand-in lubricant, it's not a good substitute for bike-specific lubricant. It doesn't have the right viscosity to be used as a chain lubricant and it can allow dirt and fibers to stick to it over time. While you can use WD-40 to clean your bike chain, it's not a good idea to use it as a lubricant, and if you do decide to use it to clean your chain, you should reapply your regular chain grease afterwards.
This should be obvious, but unfortunately requires saying: In spite of persistent claims to the contrary, WD-40 will not help relieve arthritis pain or creaky, stiff joints. While there are plenty of ways that WD-40 can help lubricate things, your joints will not respond to it the same way as a stuck bolt. Human bodies definitely don’t use the same lubricant as engine parts, and medical professionals recommend against using WD-40 to treat any type of medical condition.
During a recent attempt to purchase tickets to see a comedian at a local arena, I was shocked that the fees tacked on were nearly as much as the cost of the ticket itself. The fees Ticketmaster charges have become a well-known frustration, but as someone who once covered the culture beat, I had gotten used to getting tickets for free. Paying out of my own pocket reinforced the higher cost of enjoying live events these days, and I was newly motivated to find a way to avoid giving Ticketmaster a considerable chunk of my money.
Here are a few ways to lower the ticket fees you pay or, in some cases, avoid them altogether. They all have pros and cons, but in this economy, doing a little more to save a few bucks can go a long way to keep more of your money in your pocket.
One of the conveniences Ticketmaster provided was avoiding the hassle of going to a venue's box office. You could just stop by your local record shop or department store or, eventually, go online and get a ticket to the big concerts coming to town. Of course, the fees weren't that high back then. Now, it's a different story.
While driving to the venue might be a hassle, at least you won't have to pay some of the excessively high fees Ticketmaster adds on. However, instead of being open daily, many venue box offices are only open a few hours before an event, making things more inconvenient, especially if you want to see a high-profile concert.
If you're willing to pay for a membership, many artists offer pre-sale tickets that are sometimes cheaper than those available to the general public. For instance, Canadian rock band Nickelback offers yearly memberships to its fan club for $33, giving you the opportunity to purchase exclusive merch, a membership card, and early entrance to shows, but also access to an allotment of seats before they go on sale to the general public. Sure, fan clubs can be a risky investment, but if you're a true devotee of Nickelback, the benefits could outweigh the costs.
If you use a Chase, Capital One, American Express, or Citi credit card, you might have access to tickets before they go on sale to the general public. In some cases, tickets might be cheaper because they're being offered at a discount, or you're avoiding dynamic pricing, which can boost ticket prices as demand for events increases, according to Forbes. However, be aware that this could also translate to higher annual fees on your credit card.
Tickets to select events are available in limited numbers on the same website where your parents got the discount on that hot air balloon ride they took last year. For example, lawn seats for The Queens of R&B Tour in Phoenix are 52% off the listed price with no fees. (The only drawback is being outdoors in Arizona in July.)
Websites like theXchange and CashOrTrade.org offer a way to bid on tickets like a hotel room on Priceline.com or trade them for a small fee or, in the latter's case, no fee. The former provides a buyer guarantee to avoid scams, and its sellers must go through a vetting process. If fraud does happen, the site will penalize the seller monetarily. If these websites don't work for you, there's always Facebook Marketplace, right?
When TickPick started, you could bid for event tickets. Nowadays, it promotes that it sells to fans with "no hidden fees" and guarantees that if you find seats cheaper elsewhere, it will refund you 110% of the difference (in credit, of course). It's a good way to find affordable tickets to sporting events at the last minute. However, according to TechCrunch, TickPick still makes its money from fees. They're just being upfront about it instead of surprising you at checkout.
Venues often release more seats to events on the day of the show. If you snag these tickets online, you will have to pay Ticketmaster their fees. However, in many cases, the value of the ticket drops to a more reasonable amount to fill seats, which can offset the costs the seller tacks on.