Here are this week’s five things you should know.
01. Don’t use gasoline containing ethanol for home maintenance machines
Gasoline containing ethanol will generally shorten the life of your snow thrower, lawn mower, etc. Use a stabilizer and/or purchase gas without ethanol. I use gas station gas, premix it with a stabilizer and run it out after every use. Then I add a small amount of ethanol free gas (expensive) to the tank and run that out too. It’s a pain, but better and cheaper than getting all of my small motors repaired every year.
Alcohol eats away at anything rubber while absorbing any moisture leading to corrosion of steel parts. On all equipment that is not your car or daily driver, it is a really good idea to stabilize fuel. It is also a good idea to go to a high traffic station that has its tanks cleaned regularly to prevent particles from old rusting fuel tanks in your fuel. Average shelf life of today’s fuel is 90-100 days.
02. Choking is silent
This is really for parents. Coughing equates to air movement, so does gasping. Choking completely block air movement. When adults are choking they hold their hands at their neck to show that they need help. Kids don’t know how to come tell you, and/or they are locked into a high chair when they eat. Always supervise your kids when eating, and don’t assume that silence means everything is all good.
03. You can make movie theater popcorn at home, with this one ingredient
It’s called Flavacol, and it is dirt cheap online. I could only find it online where a minimum order was $10. That meant that I had to buy 4 quarts of flavored salt. At 3/4 teaspoon per batch, it’s literally a lifetime supply. I’ve been doling it out to my friends and acquaintances for years, spreading the goodness of at-home theatre popcorn. The best recipe for at home theatre popcorn is what I call ‘1.2.3.4’: 1/2 cup popcorn to 3/4 teaspoon flavacol. Use just a small glug of oil, you don’t need much.
04. You can buy cheap prescription drugs at Costco without membership
The Costco pharmacy often offers prescription drugs 75ish% cheaper than drugs stores. You don’t have to be a member to partake. Drug stores make their money off…drugs. Costco wants foot traffic.
05. Shifting into neutral downhill won’t save you gas
While driving a stick shift/manual transmission vehicle, putting your car in neutral to “coast” down a hill does not save you gas. When you put your car is neutral your ECU will direct your fuel system to a 14.7 air fuel ratio. This is the typical air fuel ratio that a vehicle uses when at idle. When going down a hill while engine braking, say in third gear, the engine uses almost zero fuel. Essentially, the engine is rotating but using no fuel.
