DIY Life

Here's a noteworthy story I just spotted on the Reuters website, titled "Man blows up apartment spraying for bugs?" The New York Daily News originally reported the story about a New Jersey man who, while spraying insects in his apartment, somehow let the contents of the spray can ignite. (Spraying near a lit gas burner, perhaps?)

The mishap caused an immense blast that blew the windows out of the unfortunate man's kitchen. The explosion then started a fire that destroyed eighty percent of his apartment. The man, Isias Videl Maceda, was unhurt.

I guess the question mark in the title of the article indicates the incident is still under investigation, but I think it's fairly safe to say that whatever this gentleman was doing, he was doing it all wrong! The episode is a good reminder for all of us that chemicals -- especially those contained in aerosol cans -- must be kept away from heat sources.

[via Reuters.]

Hurricane season has been in full swing for a few weeks now, but thankfully it's been very quiet so far. Don't let the lack of named hurricanes lull you into a false sense of security. The season stretches all the way to November 30th, and the peak of it -- August to October -- is yet to come.

Don't assume you'll have time to make preparations "if the needs arises." Of course, we all remember the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. And in 2004, Hurricane Charley was expected to head into the Gulf of Mexico and collide with Tampa. At the last minute, it made a sharp right turn and landed substantially farther south, obliterating entire neighborhoods and barrier islands.

If you live in a hurricane-prone area, and haven't yet made preparations in case one heads your way, here are a few of the most important steps you can take to keep you and your family safe this summer. You may never need to activate the plans you have in place, but it's good to know they're there.

Reminisce with me for a moment, if you will, back to your childhood, to when you and your siblings built and launched your own bottle rocket. How'd it go for you?

If you did everything correctly, your rocket probably took off with ease, and the display was celebrated with lots of hoots and hollers.

However, if you tried to elaborate on the directions, and came up with a creative way to watch your rocket fly a little longer, it may have ended badly, like it did for the two young men who won a Darwin Award honorable mention.

"Home, home on the raaange." Camping, campfires, and campfire songs are so much a part of the American summer. Kids especially love this stuff. "Can we go camping, Mom/Dad? Can we? Can we? Can we?"

Don't have the budget/energy/time to drag the whole family to a real campground? Consider building a stay-cation-style camp site at home. You can do this inside, or try setting up outside on the lawn or on your porch, deck, or patio. Invite all the kids' friends and make a party out of it!

Fake fire will be your centerpiece. I found suggestions on building a faux campfire at TheMeBuilders.com and at Cadvisor.com. This basically involves positioning a fan and some red-colored lightbulbs underneath your "campfire" (bundle of logs). A piece of colored silk scarf flickers and billows when the fan is turned on. Never, ever leave the setup unattended in case the bulbs overheat.

Did you all enjoy your Independence Day? I hope that you were able to celebrate with a safe fireworks display, either an organized event in your town, some (legal!) fireworks in your own backyard, or even a national event on your big-screen TV.

What I hope you didn't do was to try and DIY your own fireworks display -- not safe! In fact, one young man was so, shall we say, questionably innovative, as to try to become his own fireworks display.

Yes, I'm serious. After the break, I'll tell you exactly what he did.

Some would say so. I became more convinced after I read an article expounding on 10 reasons to shave with a straight razor. The reason I was so interested is that I've been a cup 'n brush man since I was 17 years old. I won't say how many years it's been since then. I was forced to use the foaming goo in A.F. boot camp and hated it.

The 10 reasons are compelling:

1. Save money. I can relate; I use a Merkur safety razor. You know, the double-edged blade like gramps used? About a buck and a half for 10 blades.
2. Go green. It's true, why keep throwing away all that plastic?
3. Be a macho man. Or babe.
4. Pamper yourself. True, like using real shaving soap, you'll get a real shave, not a scrape job.
5. Get in on the ground floor. Like the man said, straight razors are on the cusp of cool!
6. Embrace danger. Are you bold enough after watching Sweeney Todd? Where's that jugular again?
7. Make new friends. Hey, if people can get together to make scrapbooks, they can get together to shave.
8. Take up a new hobby. Shaving as a hobby? Why not?
9. Learn a new trade. What, you've never fantasized about living the exciting life of a barber? Liar.
10. And (drum roll), channel your Grizzly Adams. Don't try to tackle that mane with a disposable razor!
    

[Via onlyknives]

(This post has been edited since publication to correct a photo error.)

If I didn't have a calendar, there'd still be no doubt in my mind that July 4th is just around the corner. Every year, several homeowners in my neighborhood celebrate the season by setting off very loud and very illegal fireworks in the wee hours of the night. My poor dog will spend the majority of the week hiding under the bed.

While firing off illegal fireworks isn't really a good idea, there are plenty of legal versions that can make your Independence Day celebration a lot more fun for family members of all ages. Kids, especially, are dazzled by the bright colors. But for the holiday to be both fun and safe, everyone needs to follow a few rules.

Luckily, Howcast has you covered. They've taken the most commonsense safety rules and put them to an entertaining animated video that will help everyone remember how to enjoy this summer tradition without any exciting trips the the ER.