Techniques that help parents get back some free time. -- child

A high concentration of sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) can cause problems for patients who have dry mouth. Toothpastes vary in the amount of SLS they contain. Avoid SLS. Some toothpastes include plaque-control agents such as pyrophosphates and zinc citrate that prevent plaque from sticking to the teeth after they've been brushed. These are good. Rinsing with an essential-oil containing dentifrice (mouthwash) for 30 seconds twice daily after brushing helps prevent plaque buildup. -- health

The easiest way to solve the Rubik's cube, for absolute beginners. This step-by-step tutorial shows how to repeat the same four-move sequence until the cube is solved. -- game

I searched around and tried several sites which either failed or did a bad job of converting the Val-des-Monts council meeting PDFs to text. This one seemed to work well, but only converted the first page. -- service

I searched around and tried several sites which either failed or did a bad job of converting the Val-des-Monts council meeting PDFs to text. This one mangles the formatting but gets all the pages. Maybe it's better when converting to DOC. -- service

Translate French to English -- service

Buy a pair of 7X50 binoculars and a planisphere. -- gear

Vitamin C has been studied for many years as a possible treatment for colds, or as a way to help prevent colds. But findings have been inconsistent. Overall, experts have found little to no benefit from vitamin C for preventing or treating the common cold. -- health

Collected works of Mark Crislip. Health articles with a focus on debunking. -- health

Mark Crislip, MD argues that if you are normal, leaving good enough alone is probably the way to go. -- health

A five storey modular home clings to the side of a cliff in this conceptual design by Modscape. -- art

Great detailed article on the best way to get plywood cut at Home Depot. -- fixit

Shocking. Controversial. Believable. Presentation to a Michigan House committee looking at the topic of low level radiation. The LNT hypothesis states than any level of radiation exposure in dangerous. The contrary argument is while high levels will kill you, low level radiation is beneficial. Skip to the the 11:14 minute point to get to the start of the presentation. Was originally posted at http://www.house.mi.gov/MHRPublic/PlayVideoArchive.html?video=ENER-101717.mp4 -- health

The internet speed test that raises money for charity -- service

Nanokirigami is based on the ancient arts of origami (making 3-D shapes by folding paper) and kirigami (which allows cutting as well as folding) but applied to flat materials at the nanoscale. Now, researchers at MIT and in China have applied this approach to the creation of nanodevices to manipulate light, potentially opening new possibilities for light-based communications, detection, or computational devices. -- research

Elaborates on a hand-picked selection of features from the HTML5 specification and other fine standards. Content aside, this is worthwhile looking at just for the presentation (which is itself an example of HTML5). -- web

Eventually I decided to update my ultrasonic device to an infra-red activated product. This significantly helped. Infra-red won’t activate due to movement, but only when it detects heat from something living. This meant that the cats were always caught, even if they tried to venture around an obstruction. Suggests "Defenders Mega-Sonic Solar Cat Repeller" https://www.amazon.ca/Defenders-Mega-Sonic-Solar-Repeller-Green/dp/B07D9XWQX1/ -- fixit

Lay standard chicken wire down on the surface. Plants can usually grow in between the gaps, but cats will find the texture of the wiring unpleasant to walk on. If the plants need additional room to grow, you can use wire cutters to cut larger holes directly above the plants needing more room. + If a cat has already marked its territory in your garden, you might need to wash its scent away before it will consider going anywhere else. Spraying or pouring ordinary white vinegar around an area that a cat has attempted to claim can discourage it from using that spot again. + Use an ultrasonic device to deter cats. These emit a high-frequency sound that cats detest, but which humans cannot hear. These devices are motion-activated, so that when a cat walks by, it is startled by the high-frequency sound and should leave the area. -- fixit

Do thinning before the young fruit exceeds an inch in diameter. In most locations, you will no longer need to be concerned with thinning your fruit trees after July. -- fixit

Fruit is borne in clusters of two to six. A large cluster means that you did not thin enough the prior year. You can pluck by hand or use sterilized, sharp shears. Be careful not to damage the spur when you are thinning. If you are hand plucking, grasp the small fruit between your fingers and pull backwards so the stem snaps cleanly off. Of the two to six small fruit, thin to one large, healthy apple, with about 6-8 inches between the other apples left on the tree. If you can't decide, remove the apple with less sun exposure. -- fixit