Dan Birchall

Last week, I purchased a  Basic Industries International   aluminum can crusher, and installed it in my kitchen. Here in Hawaii, aluminum beverage cans have a 5-cent deposit, and crushing them means I can take more of them to the recycling drop-off in a single trip. "The Crusher" comes in three different models - a single-can open-framework one, an open-framework one with a multi-can chute on top, and a solid-sided one. After checking them all out at  Ace Hardware  around the corner, I chose the solid-sided one (model 77701), since it was clearly the only design that could handle cans larger than 12 ounces, and Coca-Cola brands come in 16-ounce cans here. I think it may still not be able to handle the huge Arizona Iced Tea cans, though. Installation was easy enough, requiring only three rather sturdy screws and a stable place to mount it. I took a few photos and made a single image to show what it is and what it does. So far I like it, overall. Occasionally a h

I ate at Burger King recently, and the placemat on my tray featured NASCAR racer Tony Stewart, who is sponsored by (among others) Burger King and Office Depot.  It even included a coupon for $10 off a qualifying purchase of $30 or more at Office Depot (shown here). Hawaii residents know that although Hilo has its own OfficeMax, the nearest Office Depot is over 200 miles away, in Honolulu. But I shouldn't hold this against Burger King or Office Depot - I presume they at least checked to make sure there was a store  somewhere  in the state, and it's not their fault if going 2 counties away like that requires spending a hundred bucks or so to fly there, right? But the question of "stupid or evil?" goes deeper than that.  You can't really read the small print in this picture, since I used my phone, but here's what it reads: Valid in-store only.  Must present the original coupon to cashier at time of purchase. Photocopies/reproductions not valid. C