Speaking of childish encounters with swarms of insects, I also have a wonderful story about trying to prevent a one hundred pound air conditioner from plummeting out of the window down upon the hunched spine of my aged mother as a hive of wasps inserted their spiny protuberances into every pore of my face. Unfortunately, the full details of this epic tale of boy vs. air conditioner vs. a million angry wasps would far exceed Gawker’s newly instituted post character maximum limit.

But the mere mention of the event should explain my mistrust of the quarter-ton behemoths vomiting frost from their tremulous perches upon upper story window sills. That more people are not crushed to death by air conditioners is an absolute marvel.

Luckily, lovely Gina over at Lifehacker has clued us in to a cheap, DIY alternative to the windowsill air conditioner, just in time for what will no doubt be a sweltering summer. A cheap fan, a styrofoam cooler full of ice and a coil of pipe is all you need to make yourself a $30 air conditioner! And you don’t need to worry about wasps establish a hive between your window panes! A very neat little project.

Make Your Own Air Conditioner [Lifehacker]

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