tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12287093058261144422023-11-15T06:47:57.557-08:00Be more confidenttahishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543904127914150009noreply@blogger.comBlogger702125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1228709305826114442.post-26059732083736899552011-02-14T18:19:00.000-08:002011-02-14T18:17:19.087-08:00How to Find Out Who Is Sending You Valentine's CardsHow to Find Out Who Is Sending You Valentine's Cards<p> It's Valentine's Day and you've received a card. But just<br> who is it from? This article explains how you might go about<br> finding out who has sent you that secret Valentine's card. <p>!! Steps !!<p> Ask questions about the mode of delivery. How did you receive the<br> Valentine's card? There are vital clues in the mode of delivery if<br> you look closely:<p> * If it was hand delivered to your home, consider who you know who<br> lives locally, or who could possibly drop by on their way to work<br> or studies.<p> * If the Valentine's card was sent by mail to your house list,<br> consider who has access to your home address. If your name and<br> address are publicly available, this clue won't be so useful<br> though.<p> * Ask other members of the household if they saw anything or talked<br> to anyone when the card arrived.<p> * Have a look at the postmark on the front of the envelope. This may<br> give you a clue to the area your admirer is from. Be careful<br> though, the sender may have been very clever about finding a post<br> office well away from their usual haunts.<p> * If the Valentine's card was left for you to find at work, it<br> almost definitely would be from one of your colleagues. And<br> chances are they would be keeping their eye on you to make sure<br> you received it. This will narrow the field considerably.<p> Sum up the nature of the card. What type of Valentine's card is it?<br> Romantic, humorous, cute, tacky, minimal or elaborate? In most<br> cases, it's probable that your secret admirer would have unwittingly<br> selected a card that reflects their own personality. For example,<br> the hot photographer from the café would have very different tastes<br> from your pub mate. From your list of suspects, who do you think<br> best suits the card? <p> Analyse the message. What exactly has the sender written on the<br> card? Your admirer will want you to find out who they are, so will<br> have hopefully left a clue:<p> * Think back to conversations you have had with people who might be<br> the sender - does anything click between things already said to<br> your face and what is written in the card?<p> Is the handwriting familiar to you? Don't put too much thought into<br> this one though, as they may well have tried to disguised it, or<br> typed it. <p> Probe the suspects. By now you must have reduced your list down to a<br> few key players. Find a time when you're alone with each of them and<br> casually bring up the subject of Valentine's Day. Mention that you<br> received an anonymous card and watch their reaction. If they look<br> nonplussed, chances are that it wasn't from them. If they blush,<br> grin uncontrollably, or show a lot of interest - you're probably on<br> the right track.<p> Ask if they sent any cards this Valentine's Day. If they say "No",<br> drop the subject and move on. If they say they did, ask to whom.<br> This is perfect because if they tell you that it was to someone<br> else, you can feign interest as they tell you all about her without<br> losing face, but if it was to you, they will be obliged to come<br> clean. <p> Choose the next move. It's now down to you to decide whether you<br> want to take things further with your secret admirer or not. <p>!! Video !!<p>!! Tips !!<p> * If you have several cards from different admirers, you will have<br> to spend more effort on finding out which senders might have sent<br> them to you.<p> * Remember that mates sometimes send cards for a lark, so take it<br> with a sense of good humour if it turns out that they were just<br> doing it for fun.<p>!! Warnings !!<p> * Don't badger people over the card; not only is this bad manners<br> but it might change the mind of your true Valentine! Do this with<br> care and consideration for the feelings of others.<p>!! Things You'll Need !!<p> * A Valentine's card - or more than one!<p> * The envelope it came in<p>!! Related WikiHows !!<p> * How to Make Valentine's Day More Meaningful<p> * How to Make a Unique Valentine Bag<p> * How to Make Cards for Valentines Day<p> * How to Be Your Own Valentine<p> * How to Make Valentine's Day Extra Special<p>!! Sources And Citations !!<p> * Original source of article, VideoJug, How to find out who is<br> sending you Valentine's cards,<br> <a href="http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-find-out-who-is-sending-you-valentines-cards">http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-find-out-who-is-sending-you-valentines-cards</a><br> Used with permission.<p>!! Article Tools !!<p> * Read on wikiHow<p> * Discusstahishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543904127914150009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1228709305826114442.post-87333394548692785602011-02-14T12:31:00.000-08:002011-02-14T12:30:00.084-08:00How to Make a P.S. I Love You MartiniHow to Make a P.S. I Love You Martini<p> A P.S. I Love You martini can make a great Valentine's Day<br> surprise, or is great for mixing up for that special someone<br> whenever you desire. <p>!! Ingredients !!<p> * 1 oz dark rum<p> * 1 oz amaretto liqueur<p> * 3/4 oz Kahlua coffee liqueur<p> * 1 1/2 oz Amarula cream liqueur<p> * (_optional_) Baileys Irish Cream as a substitute for Amarula<p> * 1 oz cream<p> * Freshly grated chocolate<p>!! Steps !!<p> Add ice to a cocktail shaker. <p> * Add the dark rum, amaretto liqueur, Kahlua, Amarula (or Baileys),<br> and cream to the cocktail shaker.<p> Cap the shaker. Shake the ingredients vigorously for about five<br> seconds. <p> Strain into a cocktail glass. <p> Garnish with the grated chocolate. The chocolate can be grated<br> directly over the drink using microplane grater or similar tool. <br> <p> Serve the drink. A chocolate roll can make a nice finishing<br> garnish. <p>!! Tips !!<p> * The strained cocktail should have a thick, creamy froth.<p>!! Warnings !!<p> * Always drink alcoholic beverages responsibly.<p>!! Things You'll Need !!<p> * Cocktail shaker<p> * Strainer<p> * Microplane grater<p> * Cocktail glass<p>!! Related WikiHows !!<p> * How to Make a Rose Petal Martini<p> * How to Make a Brandy Alexander Martini<p> * How to Make a Toasted Almond Martini<p> * How to Make a Pear Martini<p> * How to Make Martinis<p>!! Article Tools !!<p> * Read on wikiHow<p> *tahishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543904127914150009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1228709305826114442.post-45533084915471714812011-02-14T06:12:00.000-08:002011-02-14T06:11:53.832-08:00How to Celebrate Ferris Wheel DayHow to Celebrate Ferris Wheel Day<p> Ferris Wheel Day is held on February 14 in honor of the<br> American engineer and inventor George Ferris (born Feb 14,<br> 1859). The Ferris wheel was invented for the World's<br> Columbian Exposition in Chicago, 1893. Since then it has<br> been a must-have part of every fair and is beloved by many.<br> Here are some suggestions for celebrating the day. <p>!! Steps !!<p> Visit a fairground, showground, theme or amusement park and head<br> straight for the Ferris wheel. Take a ride or two. Take along some<br> friends and make a day of it.<p> * How many times can you ride the Ferris wheel before you're either<br> tired of it, feeling woozy, or broke?<p> * Take photos from the top of Ferris wheel. Share them on Twitter<br> and Facebook – while you're up there!<p> Make it a lover's event. Given that the date is also Valentine's<br> Day, consider combining Ferris Wheel Day with Valentine's. Take your<br> sweetheart to the fair and buy tickets for two on the Ferris wheel.<br> Take your sweetheart around as many times as they'd like.<p> * While on the Ferris wheel, give your love a foot massage.<p> * Make sure to buy red food, like toffee apples and hot dogs, in<br> honor of Valentine's Day.<p> Learn about the engineering feat that is the Ferris wheel. Do some<br> online research about the invention by George Washington Gale<br> Ferris, along with his own history. The Ferris wheel was invented to<br> rival Paris' Eiffel Tower and does appear to have been as enduring.<br> Here are some questions for you to research:[1] [1]<p> * Find out how long it took the original Ferris wheel to make two<br> revolutions.<p> * What was the cost of the ride on the original Ferris wheel?<p> * How many cars did the original Ferris wheel have?<p> * How many people could fit in each of the cars?<p> * What is the largest Ferris wheel in the world today?<p> Hold a Ferris wheel party. Make a cake or some pinwheel cookies in<br> the shape of a Ferris wheel. Try to develop a fairground theme to<br> the food and decorations. Play party games associated with the<br> fairground, like throwing quoits to win a prize, throwing beanbags<br> or balls into buckets, and hitting targets. You could also develop a<br> trivia quiz game along the lines of the questions asked in the<br> earlier step.<p> * Another game idea might be to use the Wikipedia list of the<br> world's tallest Ferris wheels to create a game in which players<br> have to put the Ferris wheels in order of tall to tallest. The<br> first team to get it right wins. You might want to cull the list<br> to say, 10 good ones, and include images.<p> Practice cartwheels. Cartwheels are your own personal Ferris wheel<br> that you can practice in your backyard. If you're no good at them,<br> you don't know what you're missing out on, so here's a good excuse<br> to learn. If it's still too cold and snowed in where you are, visit<br> a local gym and use their soft mats for landing; ask for an<br> instructor to give you help and advice. <p> Use Ferris Wheel Day as an excuse to get out of Valentine's Day. For<br> the singles, the cynics, and the "enough already with the<br> Valentines", here is your perfect alternative excuse. Tell everyone:<br> "Sorry, I'm too busy celebrating Ferris Wheel Day to do that<br> Valentine's stuff." Collectible models Start a Ferris<br> wheel collection. If you're the type who loves to collect things,<br> what a neat idea for a collection. Find old and new postcards<br> featuring Ferris wheels, tourist paraphernalia associated with<br> Ferris wheels, cards, paper, models, etc., all associated with<br> Ferris wheels.<p> * Why not create a blog featuring your finds and sharing them with<br> other Ferris wheel enthusiasts.<p> Around the world with the Ferris wheel Plan a trip to some of the<br> most well known Ferris wheels in the world. Here's a great excuse for<br> a vacation with a theme. Some of the places to consider visiting<br> include:<p> * London: The London Eye<p> * Vienna: The Giant Ferris Wheel (Wiener Riesenrad) at the Prater<br> (erected in 1897)[2] [2]<p> * Osaka: Tempozan Ferris Wheel<p> * Nanchang: The Star of Nanchang<p> * Singapore: The Singapore Flyer<p> * Dallas: The Texas Star.<p>!! Video !!<p>!! Tips !!<p> * Join the Facebook Ferris Wheel Day group. It's at:<br> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ferris-Wheel-Day/322855473618">http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ferris-Wheel-Day/322855473618</a>. And<br> it exists because the initiator believes that it's a "pretty good<br> reason not to celebrate Valentine's Day".[3] [3] Do note that this<br> page appears to be active only around the time the day is<br> celebrated!<p> * Wikipedia's page on the Ferris wheel is a good starting point for<br> your research. It is at:<br> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferris_wheel">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferris_wheel</a>.<p>!! Things You'll Need !!<p> * A Ferris wheel in your locale<p>!! Related WikiHows !!<p> * How to Bake Chocolate Pinwheel Cookies<p> * How to Avoid Being a Third Wheel<p> * How to Enjoy a Theme Park<p> * How to Have a Safe Day at a Theme Park<p> * How to Review a Theme or Amusment Park<p>!! Sources And Citations !!<p>!! Article Tools !!<p> * Read on wikiHow<p> * <p>Links:<br>------<br>[1] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-0">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-0</a><br>[2] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-1">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-1</a><br>[3] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-2">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-2</a>tahishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543904127914150009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1228709305826114442.post-28995154043373518172011-02-14T00:30:00.003-08:002011-02-14T00:30:43.320-08:00How to Have Sex AppealHow to Have Sex Appeal<p> <p> Seductive, fetching, and something that improves with experience<br> – it's sex appeal. Not limited to the beautiful people, sex<br> appeal is something within everyone's reach no matter your looks<br> and age. It derives from unabashed self-confidence, healthy<br> self-love, and a belief that you're worth knowing.<p>How you talk, dress, move, and behave will ultimately define whether<br>you've got sex appeal... or not. Whether you're keen to improve your<br>sex appeal for romantic or social reasons (and really, you should<br>focus on developing it for both reasons), you can't go wrong by being<br>willing to get started.<p>!! Steps !!<p> Understand what makes people truly attractive. When assessing what<br> makes up sex appeal (aka the "X factor", the "It factor", the "inner<br> glow", etc.), don't make the mistake of assuming that looks are<br> everything. Presentation matters but looks themselves are only a<br> small part of the story and even then, the value of commonly agreed<br> upon standards of beauty can be deceptive. Think about beautiful<br> people you've known who had lacked personality, and you'll realize<br> quickly that good luck in the genetics department is definitely not<br> what sex appeal is about! Sex appeal is the entire package –<br> making the most of your positive features, feeling comfortable in<br> your skin (or as the French say, _"bien dans sa peau"_), and putting<br> your best self forward for others to appreciate. Herein lies an<br> often overlooked side to sex appeal – it isn't a case of getting<br> what you want because you're attractive. Rather, sex appeal is about<br> *giving*; principally, your allure derives from the very fact that<br> just being around a confident and insecurity-free you makes others<br> feel good about themselves. Your "glow" is a gift to others; and<br> while not everyone will accept this gift, most people will be open<br> to the warmth of being made to feel good about themselves, even if<br> it's just for a few moments in your presence. Ultimately, sex appeal<br> is the _va-va-voom_ or _oomph_ that causes you to glow more brightly<br> than most; you're magnetic and appealing because you're<br> self-assured. <p> Dress with style. It doesn't matter that you might be big boned,<br> small waisted, tall, short, or stuck with a nose you wish you could<br> trade for another. Good grooming, stylish dressing, and careful<br> deportment will do more for you than a supposedly perfect body<br> shape. Coco Chanel once quipped: _"If a woman is not well dressed,<br> one notices for her outfit, but if she's impeccably dressed, it's<br> she that one notices."_ This applies equally to men and reflects<br> that when you've got the style sorted, it's you that shines through,<br> not your cloth and gem embellishments. And keep in mind that leaving<br> much to the imagination is far sexier than wearing revealing<br> clothing.<p> * When purchasing clothes, focus on camouflaging what doesn't look<br> as great as you'd like while accentuating the best features. Know<br> what looks good on you and what's not; fashion is about wearing<br> only what flatters you, since then you will feel comfortable and<br> act more naturally.<p> * Keep your hair in excellent shape and well cared for – think<br> about how you perceive someone with unkempt hair and someone with<br> groomed hair; the appeal on the eye is very different.<p> * For women, don't overdo the makeup. Too much will always be<br> unflattering.<p> * In the workplace, there are subtle but important rules about what<br> you wear that are worth paying attention to. Having sex appeal at<br> work should be personality driven; with the clothing, it should<br> only ever be hinted at. Dress professionally for work according to<br> your workplace standards (even if it's casual, make sure you're in<br> smart, well pressed clothes). That means avoiding wearing clothing<br> that reveals enough to cause people to think they're in your<br> bedroom. For women, avoid sheer clothing, deep cleavage, skirts<br> that barely cover your backside, too much makeup, or strapless<br> tops. For men, avoid unironed, "just-got-out-of-bed" looks, sheer<br> clothing, clothing that's too tight, unbuttoned hairy chests, and<br> flip flops.<p> Love your body. Avoid obsessing over your body shape. Worrying about<br> what isn't right about you can lead to obsessing over the fine<br> details and neglecting your real assets, such as your glorious mane<br> of hair, your fabulous smile, your sense of humor, or your<br> strengths. Obsessing and worrying are the antithesis of sex appeal<br> because they cause you to focus inwardly, and to allow other<br> people's judgment of you to have too much power over you. Sex appeal<br> only works when you're able to embrace your appearance for all it is<br> and still love yourself, and project the best of you while<br> downplaying anything that you're not so keen about. And remember<br> this about those supposed "faults": nobody else magnifies them the<br> way you do, so the sooner you cease worrying about them, the better.<p> * Be comfortable about your sexual nature. Within sex appeal is the<br> word sex, after all. And for romantic liaisons, it's assumed that<br> part of your desire is sexual. Being comfortable with your own<br> sexuality is important for having sex appeal, because feeling<br> confused, disgusted, ill-at-ease, or prudish about your sexuality<br> and the sexuality of others will not give you sex appeal. If<br> you're experiencing confusion or dissatisfaction with your sexual<br> side, seek help and advice from those trained to work with sexual<br> problems.<p> * Body love and sexual identity are very closely entwined; if you're<br> going to ask your lover to turn off the light every time you make<br> love just because you're worried about your body shape, you're<br> going to feel inhibited. Spend your love life with people who love<br> you for who you are and don't want to change you; your electric<br> light bills might be a bit higher but so too will be your own<br> electricity!<p> * If you're not healthy or happy with your current body, do<br> something about it. But in the process of fixing that aspect of<br> yourself, you don't need to let your personality sink. Keep<br> projecting the lovable, affable person you are as you stick with<br> your healthy regime.<p> Be "smexy". This simply means a combination of being smart and sexy.<br> Sex appeal is about both looking your best _and_ thinking your best.<br> Put your smarts out there as well as your gorgeousness; denying your<br> intelligence is a foolhardy way to aim to be appealing. Make it<br> clear from the outset that you think for yourself and never shy away<br> from making decisions for yourself or you'll risk being viewed as a<br> docile and complacent person. Being smexy includes:<p> * Having empowering beliefs. This is not only about yourself but<br> about others too – being genuinely interested in ensuring that<br> others get ahead and have what they need is a very attractive<br> trait.<p> * Being flexible without being a pushover. This means that you're<br> willing to heed other's wishes and be flexible about these where<br> it's constructive to do so but you're also able to maintain your<br> sense of self and keep your boundaries intact.<p> * Being independent. It's very sexy to show that you can stand on<br> your own two feet financially and emotionally, and that you're<br> both resourceful and resilient.<p> * Be busy. Looking bored and not knowing what to do with yourself is<br> unappealing and even threatening. A busy person however, is<br> attractive and inspiring; others will want to know what you're<br> doing and how they can keep up with you.<p> Feel good about yourself. When you feel good about yourself and<br> believe in your own worth, it shows. This is appealing because<br> people feel instantly at ease with you, as they sense they don't<br> have to reassure you or tiptoe around you. So relax, be comfortable<br> about yourself, and let your confidence exude. Tell yourself that<br> you're beautiful inside and out, wonderful to know, and think of all<br> the great reasons why people will like you for you. Confidence is<br> the most important source of sex appeal, so if yours is feeling a<br> bit low, it's an ideal time to improve it. Here are some suggested<br> articles:<p> * How to build self confidence<p> * How to communicate with confidence<p> * How to portray confidence<p> * How to be confident<p> * How to feel confident.<p> Be positive, upbeat, and a person who smiles and laughs a lot.<br> Laughter and smiling have a lot to do with sex appeal. Everyone<br> wants to feel better about themselves and about the world around<br> them. Smiles and laughter help create that positive atmosphere and<br> reassure people that you're fun to be with and that you're going to<br> do your best to see the positive side of things even during<br> challenging times. And upbeat people notice the possibilities,<br> something that can take others by surprise and reroute their<br> pessimism. But don't confuse this with forced positive attitudes, or<br> what author Barbara Ehrenreich terms "magical thinking"; that kind<br> of thinking that causes you to see the "glass half full" when it's<br> completely shattered.[1] Rather, this is the kind of positive<br> thinking that emanates from knowing that you're strong, determined,<br> and resilient [1] enough to cope with hardships and that you pick<br> yourself up and learn from life's vicissitudes.<p> * Laugh regularly because it's good for you and because it's<br> attractive to people around you. Read How to laugh and How to<br> laugh a lot for more advice.<p> * Smile on the inside. Force a smile even if you're not in the mood<br> for it (think of yourself at your best) and notice how your body<br> starts to change. Carry around an inner smile and it will express<br> itself in the way you hold your body, walk, and react with daily<br> life. Also learn how to smile when you don't feel you can.<p> * Learn how to smile with your eyes. Model Tyra Banks coined the<br> term "smize" to sum up this very effective and all-encompassing<br> smile.<p> * Smile in the face of adversity and difficult connections with<br> others. Even if they don't return your smile, it's warming the<br> thaw just a little bit and it's for your benefit to remain upbeat<br> when others are down around you.<p> * Indulge in being funny and seeing the less serious side of life.<br> Being the tension reliever when social relations take on too<br> serious an edge is bound to draw people to you.<p> * Don't evaluate humor. Once you start questioning "is this really<br> worth laughing at", you're taking things too seriously and<br> dampening the happy spirit around you. And that's just not sexy.<br> Join in and laugh because it's good for you, good for everyone<br> else, and makes you look _fantastic_.<p> Be aware of how your body language impacts other people. Your body<br> language is a major aspect of sex appeal. You can make a decision to<br> withdraw, and pull your neck in, hold your head down, linger back<br> from the crowd, and try to make yourself as small as possible or you<br> can decide to stand tall, hold your head high, maintain a beautiful<br> posture and make your presence well and truly known. Which of those<br> two images is sexier to you? When aiming to give out the glow, some<br> of the things to be really aware of when interacting with other<br> people include:<p> * Maintain eye contact. Whether you're planning on taking things<br> further with a person in a romantic context or you just want to<br> cement a lasting social relationship with another human being, eye<br> contact is a major source of deepening your connection. Looking<br> away from people or casting your eyes downwards is a way of<br> blocking people out and staying in your own world; don't worry,<br> people won't try and enter it. To have sex appeal though, eye<br> contact is essential because it invites people into your world and<br> embraces them. And the longer the eye contact, the more you're<br> telling that person that you're really interested in them. If<br> you're currently uncomfortable with eye contact, force yourself to<br> start trying – make a pact with yourself to look at the eyes of<br> three unknown people a day and see what happens. At first it'll be<br> challenging but as you keep practicing, you're likely to find<br> yourself becoming more interesting to others and sparking a lot of<br> new connections.<p> * Use open body language. This is expressive movements that engage<br> and enfold other people in your sphere. Things that draw people<br> closer to you include hugs, open arms, leaning forward to listen,<br> open hands, uncrossed arms, facing your heart toward the other<br> person's heart. If you're wearing a coat or jacket, unbutton it to<br> show that you're opening your heart to them.[2] [2]<p> * Use touch. Touching people is a truly energizing form of<br> connecting with others. Brushing your hand against their arm,<br> holding their arm briefly, hugging them, placing your hand on a<br> shoulder, etc., are all ways that you can connect. Move in closer<br> when you touch others, and if you have romantic intentions, even<br> seek to match your breathing with the other person's.<p> * Smile and laugh. As discussed in the previous step.<p> Love people. Loving humanity as a whole will improve your sex<br> appeal. You're a human, so why is it so easy to make comments like<br> "I hate my fellow human beings, they're all so [...]". It's easy<br> because when we talk like that, we're assuming that people who don't<br> conform to our way of thinking or being, are so unlike us that<br> they're not worth loving. Setting aside those antagonistic feelings<br> lets you open up to love people for who they are. This doesn't mean<br> that you have to like individuals; naturally, there will always be<br> people you don't click with and people whose moral habits are not in<br> line with human dignity but these exceptions are not an excuse for<br> assuming the majority of human beings are not lovable. When you make<br> it clear that you love people as they are, no matter what their<br> achievements, wealth, choices, looks, etc., then you immediately<br> make them feel wanted and at ease. And that makes you desirable.<p> * Be curious about people. Asking others to tell you more about<br> themselves is a means for getting to know them better and is<br> extremely flattering. Being curious is one of the top means for<br> connecting with other people.<p> * Facilitate connections with other people. What's just as sexy as<br> being connected to you? Being connected to the people you know!<br> Help others meet the people you believe they'd benefit from<br> knowing. It's relationship building, it's empowering, and it's a<br> way of increasing the people you can rely on too.<p> * Don't let your experience with one person cloud your experiences<br> with everyone else. Sex appeal can be thwarted by carrying around<br> the emotional baggage from previous relationships and projecting<br> this onto every future prospective romantic and social<br> relationship. Don't allow the tension from one relationship lead<br> you to think that this will infect all relationships.<p> * Develop graceful ways for cutting things short with people you're<br> not keen to spend more time with. They don't need to feel they're<br> any less a person just because the two of you aren't clicking; be<br> generous in your estimation of them and make the short space of<br> time you do spend with them special.<p> You're beautiful! Compliment people. This step follows directly from<br> loving human beings for who they are. Always look for the good in<br> people and remind them of why they're fantastic to be around. It's<br> very hard to resist someone who notices the best in you. Once you<br> feel good about yourself and confident in your own direction, your<br> senses will awaken to seeing the good in others and it'll be easy to<br> point out what you appreciate about them. There is much to appreciate<br> about others in your life, including how much you enjoy their<br> company, how you're inspired by their spirit or independent nature,<br> how much you love their loyalty to their family, or even how much you<br> admire the choices they've made in their lives from pets to jobs.<br> Read How to compliment people and How to give compliments to people<br> who won't take them for more advice.<p> * Compliments are good for everyone; give them readily to family,<br> friends, lovers, colleagues, and strangers.<p> * Receive all compliments with a hearty _Thank You!_. Rejecting<br> compliments is a form of disliking yourself and distrusting<br> others. And that's not sexy. Look at it this way too – even if<br> the compliment isn't genuine, so what. It's out there in the world<br> for you to grab and make good with. Read How to take compliments<br> for more advice.<p> * Find the common interest. Try and find the common ground when<br> talking with another person. This means you meet at the same level<br> and connect on something you both feel comfortable about. When<br> spending time talking with other people, always aim to find this<br> common ground to further cement your appeal. Use compliments to<br> reassure them that you're on their wavelength.<p> Don't age discriminate. Sex appeal has longevity. For many people,<br> sex appeal increases with age and there is definitely no reason to<br> think you "lose it" after any particular age. From movies to book<br> characters, it's clear that older men are considered sexy. And while<br> women's sexiness into older age has been downplayed in the past,<br> nowadays women are also proving that being older is no barrier to<br> having great sex appeal.[3] [3] Older age brings some of the<br> following benefits for enduring sex appeal:<p> * You don't have kids in tow. They can dampen the sexiest of moments<br> but when you're older, responsibility for kids is no longer in the<br> picture and won't be again either! This is liberating because both<br> parties don't need to fear being dragged into a relationship for<br> the sake of having kids. Fashion model Cindy Joseph, who was<br> discovered as a model in her 50s, makes the prescient comment that<br> around older women, _"men have no fear of ownership or<br> possession"_.[4] Her comment cuts both ways, as many women reach a<br> stage where they don't want to feel this sense of relationship<br> possessiveness [4] either.<p> * There is less competitiveness in relationships when people age.<br> Older people tend to have assuaged their fears of being "left on<br> the shelf" and are less competitive toward one another over issues<br> of love, power, and control.[5] [5] This allows for deeper<br> concentration on others instead of being driven by the<br> inward-looking behavior that fear creates, opening you up to<br> greater levels of connection.<p> * Experience makes most of us wiser and stronger. There is something<br> very alluring about people who are comfortable with themselves<br> because they've already been through the challenges of life and<br> come out the other side more knowledgeable, more compassionate,<br> and accepting.<p> * Many older people are not afraid to be their real selves. They're<br> through with pretending to like things they don't like, to try and<br> look like people they've nothing in common with, or to be pining<br> after lifestyles that are artificial or unobtainable.<p> * Just believe in you. Finally, but most importantly, sex<br> appeal isn't something to labor over. The hard work is done when<br> you build your self-confidence, learn to love others for who they<br> are, and find your purpose in this world. Sex appeal tends to<br> exude as the fruit of your ongoing personal development. So the<br> best advice after all this advice is to not try too hard to have<br> sex appeal. Provided you've learned to love yourself and others<br> well, it'll come naturally.<p>!! Video !!<p>!! Tips !!<p> * People with sex appeal tend to appeal to everyone, young, old,<br> male, female, baby, senior citizen. This is because they resonate<br> with the other person and show interest in them for who they are,<br> showing genuine interest. In a way, this about flirting with<br> everyone!<p> * Pretty is as pretty does. Be the person you believe yourself to be<br> on the inside. Attractiveness is not just about physical<br> qualities. Charisma, magnetism and confidence are far more<br> attractive than a stereotypically "beautiful" person with a nasty<br> attitude.<p> * Stand tall and be observant. If you find someone who may have been<br> glancing in your direction, walk over and start a conversation.<br> The best line to use is "Hi my name is (state your name clearly<br> and confidently) and how are you?" Don't wait for the other person<br> to initiate.<p> * Pretending to be someone or something that doesn't fit within the<br> person you really are is a recipe for disaster and a promise of a<br> life of discomfort. Remember the Chinese proverb: "Tension is the<br> person you think you ought to be; relaxation is the person you<br> really are". Natural charm really is the most alluring.<p> * Be a little mysterious. While it's important to be open about your<br> feelings, your love for life and for others, it's also a good idea<br> to keep back some things, especially for romantic purposes. A<br> little mystery goes a long way. This is similar to the advice to<br> not wear clothes that are too revealing; leaving some things to<br> the imagination is always more appealing than revealing all.<p>!! Warnings !!<p> * Take an honest and objective look at yourself in the mirror before<br> you step out. Make sure what you see is the image you are trying<br> to portray. Too many times we fall prey to images we think we<br> ought to project rather than the one that is truly us, and that<br> creates a lot of inner tension. That tension reduces our appeal<br> because we're suffering from an internal struggle. Nobody wants to<br> take on other people's internal struggles; they've got their own<br> to contend with. The more you present an image that is in line<br> with the person you are and feel comfortable with, the more your<br> sex appeal will increase.<p> * Not everyone will find you appealing, or see you as having "sex<br> appeal". The answer to that is: So what? Just keep being the<br> pleasant, divine, and wonderful person you are and leave the<br> negaholics to fight their own battles.<p> * Avoid wearing clothes that make you look as if you needed a<br> smaller or bigger size, or clothes that do not accent the positive<br> and downplay the negative. Avoid using clothes as a means to hide<br> from the world; if you find yourself doing this regularly, it's a<br> good idea to talk this through with someone you trust because it's<br> likely that your emotional issues are driving your clothing<br> choices and you might be avoiding a much-needed healing process.<p> * Don't lead people on. They may find this offensive, feel rejected<br> and become angry or upset. Learn how to embrace all comers in your<br> life but also learn how to gracefully unhook yourself from their<br> presence when you've had enough or realize they're not the person<br> you feel like being around. Respect the person but also respect<br> your boundaries and assertively, politely, remove yourself from<br> their space.<p> * Listen to the feedback other people offer, either positive or<br> negative. Do more of what generates positive feedback and less of<br> what generates negative feedback. This isn't a reason to become<br> self-critical though; it's a really useful sounding board for<br> self-improvement where you know deep within that the suggested<br> adjustments will make things better for you. Provided you think<br> critically about other people's feedback, you'll know what<br> criticism to reject.<p> * Showing tummy overhang and butt cracks does *not* increase your<br> sex appeal!<p>!! Related WikiHows !!<p> * How to Be Charming<p> * How to Be Charismatic<p> * How to Become Sexy<p> * How to Be a Beautiful Curvy Woman<p> * How to Have Presence<p> * How to Be Confident<p> * How to Be the Life and Soul of Any Party<p> * How to Become Sexy (for Boys Only)<p>!! Sources And Citations !!<p>!! Article Tools !!<p> * Read on wikiHow<p> * <p>Links:<br>------<br>[1] <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Become-a-Resilient-Person">http://www.wikihow.com/Become-a-Resilient-Person</a><br>[2] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-1">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-1</a><br>[3] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-2">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-2</a><br>[4] <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Recognize-a-Manipulative-or-Controlling-Relationship">http://www.wikihow.com/Recognize-a-Manipulative-or-Controlling-Relationship</a><br>[5] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-4">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-4</a>tahishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543904127914150009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1228709305826114442.post-50186959349896387002011-02-14T00:30:00.001-08:002011-02-14T00:30:40.899-08:00How to Have Sex AppealHow to Have Sex Appeal<p> <p> Seductive, fetching, and something that improves with experience<br> – it's sex appeal. Not limited to the beautiful people, sex<br> appeal is something within everyone's reach no matter your looks<br> and age. It derives from unabashed self-confidence, healthy<br> self-love, and a belief that you're worth knowing.<p>How you talk, dress, move, and behave will ultimately define whether<br>you've got sex appeal... or not. Whether you're keen to improve your<br>sex appeal for romantic or social reasons (and really, you should<br>focus on developing it for both reasons), you can't go wrong by being<br>willing to get started.<p>!! Steps !!<p> Understand what makes people truly attractive. When assessing what<br> makes up sex appeal (aka the "X factor", the "It factor", the "inner<br> glow", etc.), don't make the mistake of assuming that looks are<br> everything. Presentation matters but looks themselves are only a<br> small part of the story and even then, the value of commonly agreed<br> upon standards of beauty can be deceptive. Think about beautiful<br> people you've known who had lacked personality, and you'll realize<br> quickly that good luck in the genetics department is definitely not<br> what sex appeal is about! Sex appeal is the entire package –<br> making the most of your positive features, feeling comfortable in<br> your skin (or as the French say, _"bien dans sa peau"_), and putting<br> your best self forward for others to appreciate. Herein lies an<br> often overlooked side to sex appeal – it isn't a case of getting<br> what you want because you're attractive. Rather, sex appeal is about<br> *giving*; principally, your allure derives from the very fact that<br> just being around a confident and insecurity-free you makes others<br> feel good about themselves. Your "glow" is a gift to others; and<br> while not everyone will accept this gift, most people will be open<br> to the warmth of being made to feel good about themselves, even if<br> it's just for a few moments in your presence. Ultimately, sex appeal<br> is the _va-va-voom_ or _oomph_ that causes you to glow more brightly<br> than most; you're magnetic and appealing because you're<br> self-assured. <p> Dress with style. It doesn't matter that you might be big boned,<br> small waisted, tall, short, or stuck with a nose you wish you could<br> trade for another. Good grooming, stylish dressing, and careful<br> deportment will do more for you than a supposedly perfect body<br> shape. Coco Chanel once quipped: _"If a woman is not well dressed,<br> one notices for her outfit, but if she's impeccably dressed, it's<br> she that one notices."_ This applies equally to men and reflects<br> that when you've got the style sorted, it's you that shines through,<br> not your cloth and gem embellishments. And keep in mind that leaving<br> much to the imagination is far sexier than wearing revealing<br> clothing.<p> * When purchasing clothes, focus on camouflaging what doesn't look<br> as great as you'd like while accentuating the best features. Know<br> what looks good on you and what's not; fashion is about wearing<br> only what flatters you, since then you will feel comfortable and<br> act more naturally.<p> * Keep your hair in excellent shape and well cared for – think<br> about how you perceive someone with unkempt hair and someone with<br> groomed hair; the appeal on the eye is very different.<p> * For women, don't overdo the makeup. Too much will always be<br> unflattering.<p> * In the workplace, there are subtle but important rules about what<br> you wear that are worth paying attention to. Having sex appeal at<br> work should be personality driven; with the clothing, it should<br> only ever be hinted at. Dress professionally for work according to<br> your workplace standards (even if it's casual, make sure you're in<br> smart, well pressed clothes). That means avoiding wearing clothing<br> that reveals enough to cause people to think they're in your<br> bedroom. For women, avoid sheer clothing, deep cleavage, skirts<br> that barely cover your backside, too much makeup, or strapless<br> tops. For men, avoid unironed, "just-got-out-of-bed" looks, sheer<br> clothing, clothing that's too tight, unbuttoned hairy chests, and<br> flip flops.<p> Love your body. Avoid obsessing over your body shape. Worrying about<br> what isn't right about you can lead to obsessing over the fine<br> details and neglecting your real assets, such as your glorious mane<br> of hair, your fabulous smile, your sense of humor, or your<br> strengths. Obsessing and worrying are the antithesis of sex appeal<br> because they cause you to focus inwardly, and to allow other<br> people's judgment of you to have too much power over you. Sex appeal<br> only works when you're able to embrace your appearance for all it is<br> and still love yourself, and project the best of you while<br> downplaying anything that you're not so keen about. And remember<br> this about those supposed "faults": nobody else magnifies them the<br> way you do, so the sooner you cease worrying about them, the better.<p> * Be comfortable about your sexual nature. Within sex appeal is the<br> word sex, after all. And for romantic liaisons, it's assumed that<br> part of your desire is sexual. Being comfortable with your own<br> sexuality is important for having sex appeal, because feeling<br> confused, disgusted, ill-at-ease, or prudish about your sexuality<br> and the sexuality of others will not give you sex appeal. If<br> you're experiencing confusion or dissatisfaction with your sexual<br> side, seek help and advice from those trained to work with sexual<br> problems.<p> * Body love and sexual identity are very closely entwined; if you're<br> going to ask your lover to turn off the light every time you make<br> love just because you're worried about your body shape, you're<br> going to feel inhibited. Spend your love life with people who love<br> you for who you are and don't want to change you; your electric<br> light bills might be a bit higher but so too will be your own<br> electricity!<p> * If you're not healthy or happy with your current body, do<br> something about it. But in the process of fixing that aspect of<br> yourself, you don't need to let your personality sink. Keep<br> projecting the lovable, affable person you are as you stick with<br> your healthy regime.<p> Be "smexy". This simply means a combination of being smart and sexy.<br> Sex appeal is about both looking your best _and_ thinking your best.<br> Put your smarts out there as well as your gorgeousness; denying your<br> intelligence is a foolhardy way to aim to be appealing. Make it<br> clear from the outset that you think for yourself and never shy away<br> from making decisions for yourself or you'll risk being viewed as a<br> docile and complacent person. Being smexy includes:<p> * Having empowering beliefs. This is not only about yourself but<br> about others too – being genuinely interested in ensuring that<br> others get ahead and have what they need is a very attractive<br> trait.<p> * Being flexible without being a pushover. This means that you're<br> willing to heed other's wishes and be flexible about these where<br> it's constructive to do so but you're also able to maintain your<br> sense of self and keep your boundaries intact.<p> * Being independent. It's very sexy to show that you can stand on<br> your own two feet financially and emotionally, and that you're<br> both resourceful and resilient.<p> * Be busy. Looking bored and not knowing what to do with yourself is<br> unappealing and even threatening. A busy person however, is<br> attractive and inspiring; others will want to know what you're<br> doing and how they can keep up with you.<p> Feel good about yourself. When you feel good about yourself and<br> believe in your own worth, it shows. This is appealing because<br> people feel instantly at ease with you, as they sense they don't<br> have to reassure you or tiptoe around you. So relax, be comfortable<br> about yourself, and let your confidence exude. Tell yourself that<br> you're beautiful inside and out, wonderful to know, and think of all<br> the great reasons why people will like you for you. Confidence is<br> the most important source of sex appeal, so if yours is feeling a<br> bit low, it's an ideal time to improve it. Here are some suggested<br> articles:<p> * How to build self confidence<p> * How to communicate with confidence<p> * How to portray confidence<p> * How to be confident<p> * How to feel confident.<p> Be positive, upbeat, and a person who smiles and laughs a lot.<br> Laughter and smiling have a lot to do with sex appeal. Everyone<br> wants to feel better about themselves and about the world around<br> them. Smiles and laughter help create that positive atmosphere and<br> reassure people that you're fun to be with and that you're going to<br> do your best to see the positive side of things even during<br> challenging times. And upbeat people notice the possibilities,<br> something that can take others by surprise and reroute their<br> pessimism. But don't confuse this with forced positive attitudes, or<br> what author Barbara Ehrenreich terms "magical thinking"; that kind<br> of thinking that causes you to see the "glass half full" when it's<br> completely shattered.[1] Rather, this is the kind of positive<br> thinking that emanates from knowing that you're strong, determined,<br> and resilient [1] enough to cope with hardships and that you pick<br> yourself up and learn from life's vicissitudes.<p> * Laugh regularly because it's good for you and because it's<br> attractive to people around you. Read How to laugh and How to<br> laugh a lot for more advice.<p> * Smile on the inside. Force a smile even if you're not in the mood<br> for it (think of yourself at your best) and notice how your body<br> starts to change. Carry around an inner smile and it will express<br> itself in the way you hold your body, walk, and react with daily<br> life. Also learn how to smile when you don't feel you can.<p> * Learn how to smile with your eyes. Model Tyra Banks coined the<br> term "smize" to sum up this very effective and all-encompassing<br> smile.<p> * Smile in the face of adversity and difficult connections with<br> others. Even if they don't return your smile, it's warming the<br> thaw just a little bit and it's for your benefit to remain upbeat<br> when others are down around you.<p> * Indulge in being funny and seeing the less serious side of life.<br> Being the tension reliever when social relations take on too<br> serious an edge is bound to draw people to you.<p> * Don't evaluate humor. Once you start questioning "is this really<br> worth laughing at", you're taking things too seriously and<br> dampening the happy spirit around you. And that's just not sexy.<br> Join in and laugh because it's good for you, good for everyone<br> else, and makes you look _fantastic_.<p> Be aware of how your body language impacts other people. Your body<br> language is a major aspect of sex appeal. You can make a decision to<br> withdraw, and pull your neck in, hold your head down, linger back<br> from the crowd, and try to make yourself as small as possible or you<br> can decide to stand tall, hold your head high, maintain a beautiful<br> posture and make your presence well and truly known. Which of those<br> two images is sexier to you? When aiming to give out the glow, some<br> of the things to be really aware of when interacting with other<br> people include:<p> * Maintain eye contact. Whether you're planning on taking things<br> further with a person in a romantic context or you just want to<br> cement a lasting social relationship with another human being, eye<br> contact is a major source of deepening your connection. Looking<br> away from people or casting your eyes downwards is a way of<br> blocking people out and staying in your own world; don't worry,<br> people won't try and enter it. To have sex appeal though, eye<br> contact is essential because it invites people into your world and<br> embraces them. And the longer the eye contact, the more you're<br> telling that person that you're really interested in them. If<br> you're currently uncomfortable with eye contact, force yourself to<br> start trying – make a pact with yourself to look at the eyes of<br> three unknown people a day and see what happens. At first it'll be<br> challenging but as you keep practicing, you're likely to find<br> yourself becoming more interesting to others and sparking a lot of<br> new connections.<p> * Use open body language. This is expressive movements that engage<br> and enfold other people in your sphere. Things that draw people<br> closer to you include hugs, open arms, leaning forward to listen,<br> open hands, uncrossed arms, facing your heart toward the other<br> person's heart. If you're wearing a coat or jacket, unbutton it to<br> show that you're opening your heart to them.[2] [2]<p> * Use touch. Touching people is a truly energizing form of<br> connecting with others. Brushing your hand against their arm,<br> holding their arm briefly, hugging them, placing your hand on a<br> shoulder, etc., are all ways that you can connect. Move in closer<br> when you touch others, and if you have romantic intentions, even<br> seek to match your breathing with the other person's.<p> * Smile and laugh. As discussed in the previous step.<p> Love people. Loving humanity as a whole will improve your sex<br> appeal. You're a human, so why is it so easy to make comments like<br> "I hate my fellow human beings, they're all so [...]". It's easy<br> because when we talk like that, we're assuming that people who don't<br> conform to our way of thinking or being, are so unlike us that<br> they're not worth loving. Setting aside those antagonistic feelings<br> lets you open up to love people for who they are. This doesn't mean<br> that you have to like individuals; naturally, there will always be<br> people you don't click with and people whose moral habits are not in<br> line with human dignity but these exceptions are not an excuse for<br> assuming the majority of human beings are not lovable. When you make<br> it clear that you love people as they are, no matter what their<br> achievements, wealth, choices, looks, etc., then you immediately<br> make them feel wanted and at ease. And that makes you desirable.<p> * Be curious about people. Asking others to tell you more about<br> themselves is a means for getting to know them better and is<br> extremely flattering. Being curious is one of the top means for<br> connecting with other people.<p> * Facilitate connections with other people. What's just as sexy as<br> being connected to you? Being connected to the people you know!<br> Help others meet the people you believe they'd benefit from<br> knowing. It's relationship building, it's empowering, and it's a<br> way of increasing the people you can rely on too.<p> * Don't let your experience with one person cloud your experiences<br> with everyone else. Sex appeal can be thwarted by carrying around<br> the emotional baggage from previous relationships and projecting<br> this onto every future prospective romantic and social<br> relationship. Don't allow the tension from one relationship lead<br> you to think that this will infect all relationships.<p> * Develop graceful ways for cutting things short with people you're<br> not keen to spend more time with. They don't need to feel they're<br> any less a person just because the two of you aren't clicking; be<br> generous in your estimation of them and make the short space of<br> time you do spend with them special.<p> You're beautiful! Compliment people. This step follows directly from<br> loving human beings for who they are. Always look for the good in<br> people and remind them of why they're fantastic to be around. It's<br> very hard to resist someone who notices the best in you. Once you<br> feel good about yourself and confident in your own direction, your<br> senses will awaken to seeing the good in others and it'll be easy to<br> point out what you appreciate about them. There is much to appreciate<br> about others in your life, including how much you enjoy their<br> company, how you're inspired by their spirit or independent nature,<br> how much you love their loyalty to their family, or even how much you<br> admire the choices they've made in their lives from pets to jobs.<br> Read How to compliment people and How to give compliments to people<br> who won't take them for more advice.<p> * Compliments are good for everyone; give them readily to family,<br> friends, lovers, colleagues, and strangers.<p> * Receive all compliments with a hearty _Thank You!_. Rejecting<br> compliments is a form of disliking yourself and distrusting<br> others. And that's not sexy. Look at it this way too – even if<br> the compliment isn't genuine, so what. It's out there in the world<br> for you to grab and make good with. Read How to take compliments<br> for more advice.<p> * Find the common interest. Try and find the common ground when<br> talking with another person. This means you meet at the same level<br> and connect on something you both feel comfortable about. When<br> spending time talking with other people, always aim to find this<br> common ground to further cement your appeal. Use compliments to<br> reassure them that you're on their wavelength.<p> Don't age discriminate. Sex appeal has longevity. For many people,<br> sex appeal increases with age and there is definitely no reason to<br> think you "lose it" after any particular age. From movies to book<br> characters, it's clear that older men are considered sexy. And while<br> women's sexiness into older age has been downplayed in the past,<br> nowadays women are also proving that being older is no barrier to<br> having great sex appeal.[3] [3] Older age brings some of the<br> following benefits for enduring sex appeal:<p> * You don't have kids in tow. They can dampen the sexiest of moments<br> but when you're older, responsibility for kids is no longer in the<br> picture and won't be again either! This is liberating because both<br> parties don't need to fear being dragged into a relationship for<br> the sake of having kids. Fashion model Cindy Joseph, who was<br> discovered as a model in her 50s, makes the prescient comment that<br> around older women, _"men have no fear of ownership or<br> possession"_.[4] Her comment cuts both ways, as many women reach a<br> stage where they don't want to feel this sense of relationship<br> possessiveness [4] either.<p> * There is less competitiveness in relationships when people age.<br> Older people tend to have assuaged their fears of being "left on<br> the shelf" and are less competitive toward one another over issues<br> of love, power, and control.[5] [5] This allows for deeper<br> concentration on others instead of being driven by the<br> inward-looking behavior that fear creates, opening you up to<br> greater levels of connection.<p> * Experience makes most of us wiser and stronger. There is something<br> very alluring about people who are comfortable with themselves<br> because they've already been through the challenges of life and<br> come out the other side more knowledgeable, more compassionate,<br> and accepting.<p> * Many older people are not afraid to be their real selves. They're<br> through with pretending to like things they don't like, to try and<br> look like people they've nothing in common with, or to be pining<br> after lifestyles that are artificial or unobtainable.<p> * Just believe in you. Finally, but most importantly, sex<br> appeal isn't something to labor over. The hard work is done when<br> you build your self-confidence, learn to love others for who they<br> are, and find your purpose in this world. Sex appeal tends to<br> exude as the fruit of your ongoing personal development. So the<br> best advice after all this advice is to not try too hard to have<br> sex appeal. Provided you've learned to love yourself and others<br> well, it'll come naturally.<p>!! Video !!<p>!! Tips !!<p> * People with sex appeal tend to appeal to everyone, young, old,<br> male, female, baby, senior citizen. This is because they resonate<br> with the other person and show interest in them for who they are,<br> showing genuine interest. In a way, this about flirting with<br> everyone!<p> * Pretty is as pretty does. Be the person you believe yourself to be<br> on the inside. Attractiveness is not just about physical<br> qualities. Charisma, magnetism and confidence are far more<br> attractive than a stereotypically "beautiful" person with a nasty<br> attitude.<p> * Stand tall and be observant. If you find someone who may have been<br> glancing in your direction, walk over and start a conversation.<br> The best line to use is "Hi my name is (state your name clearly<br> and confidently) and how are you?" Don't wait for the other person<br> to initiate.<p> * Pretending to be someone or something that doesn't fit within the<br> person you really are is a recipe for disaster and a promise of a<br> life of discomfort. Remember the Chinese proverb: "Tension is the<br> person you think you ought to be; relaxation is the person you<br> really are". Natural charm really is the most alluring.<p> * Be a little mysterious. While it's important to be open about your<br> feelings, your love for life and for others, it's also a good idea<br> to keep back some things, especially for romantic purposes. A<br> little mystery goes a long way. This is similar to the advice to<br> not wear clothes that are too revealing; leaving some things to<br> the imagination is always more appealing than revealing all.<p>!! Warnings !!<p> * Take an honest and objective look at yourself in the mirror before<br> you step out. Make sure what you see is the image you are trying<br> to portray. Too many times we fall prey to images we think we<br> ought to project rather than the one that is truly us, and that<br> creates a lot of inner tension. That tension reduces our appeal<br> because we're suffering from an internal struggle. Nobody wants to<br> take on other people's internal struggles; they've got their own<br> to contend with. The more you present an image that is in line<br> with the person you are and feel comfortable with, the more your<br> sex appeal will increase.<p> * Not everyone will find you appealing, or see you as having "sex<br> appeal". The answer to that is: So what? Just keep being the<br> pleasant, divine, and wonderful person you are and leave the<br> negaholics to fight their own battles.<p> * Avoid wearing clothes that make you look as if you needed a<br> smaller or bigger size, or clothes that do not accent the positive<br> and downplay the negative. Avoid using clothes as a means to hide<br> from the world; if you find yourself doing this regularly, it's a<br> good idea to talk this through with someone you trust because it's<br> likely that your emotional issues are driving your clothing<br> choices and you might be avoiding a much-needed healing process.<p> * Don't lead people on. They may find this offensive, feel rejected<br> and become angry or upset. Learn how to embrace all comers in your<br> life but also learn how to gracefully unhook yourself from their<br> presence when you've had enough or realize they're not the person<br> you feel like being around. Respect the person but also respect<br> your boundaries and assertively, politely, remove yourself from<br> their space.<p> * Listen to the feedback other people offer, either positive or<br> negative. Do more of what generates positive feedback and less of<br> what generates negative feedback. This isn't a reason to become<br> self-critical though; it's a really useful sounding board for<br> self-improvement where you know deep within that the suggested<br> adjustments will make things better for you. Provided you think<br> critically about other people's feedback, you'll know what<br> criticism to reject.<p> * Showing tummy overhang and butt cracks does *not* increase your<br> sex appeal!<p>!! Related WikiHows !!<p> * How to Be Charming<p> * How to Be Charismatic<p> * How to Become Sexy<p> * How to Be a Beautiful Curvy Woman<p> * How to Have Presence<p> * How to Be Confident<p> * How to Be the Life and Soul of Any Party<p> * How to Become Sexy (for Boys Only)<p>!! Sources And Citations !!<p>!! Article Tools !!<p> * Read on wikiHow<p> * <p>Links:<br>------<br>[1] <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Become-a-Resilient-Person">http://www.wikihow.com/Become-a-Resilient-Person</a><br>[2] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-1">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-1</a><br>[3] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-2">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-2</a><br>[4] <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Recognize-a-Manipulative-or-Controlling-Relationship">http://www.wikihow.com/Recognize-a-Manipulative-or-Controlling-Relationship</a><br>[5] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-4">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-4</a>tahishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543904127914150009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1228709305826114442.post-78661766492741265072011-02-13T18:24:00.000-08:002011-02-13T18:21:45.183-08:00How to Get a Body Like Beyonce (Think she's just lucky? Think again)How to Get a Body Like Beyonce (Think she's just lucky? Think again)<p> In 2010, Beyonce Knowles won six Grammy Awards, setting a<br> Grammy record.[1] [1] Not only does she have amazing musical<br> talent but she also looks fabulous, has curves in the right<br> places, and is nicely toned. For some, she even has "the<br> perfect body". If her shape and appearance inspire you, here<br> are some steps that will help you get in shape like Beyonce.<br> <p>!! Steps !!<p> Eat healthy and don't starve yourself. Beyonce enjoys snacks to keep<br> her energy levels up, foods such as fruit, oatcakes with cottage<br> cheese, or yogurt-covered almonds.[2] It's important not to skip<br> meals; Beyonce aims for three meals with two snacks in between each<br> day.[3] [2] Eat plenty of vegetables [3] and fruit, whole grains,<br> and two servings of fish each week.<p> * Drink plenty of water, just like Beyonce.<p> * Cut down on sugary foods, salty foods, and junk food, in general.<br> But don't cut these out of your diet completely; after all,<br> Beyonce allows herself treats occasionally, saying that "When I'm<br> being bad, I'm bad – burgers, pizza, French fries, the<br> lot...".[4] [4] Enjoy junk food in moderation now and then; just<br> don't go overboard.<p> * Provided you're exercising regularly, the aim is not necessarily<br> to lose weight, and curves are good. The aim should be to tighten<br> up your body with better nutrition.<p> Form an exercise plan. Beyonce has to be able to handle the<br> strenuous pace of dancing, singing, and touring. She works out five<br> days a week and does 100 squats, 100 step-ups, and 100 walking<br> lunges a day.[5] Beyonce does circuit training, and runs<br> two-and-a-half miles each day.[6] [5] If you enjoy running [6], this<br> can be a great form of exercise. While you might find her schedule<br> way too punishing unless you're doing a music tour too, you can<br> borrow some of her ideas. For example, try choosing exercise that<br> you can follow at least two days of the week; three is better. Have<br> a day of rest between exercise days.You could try swimming, running,<br> dancing, lifting weights, or doing aerobics, whatever exercise fits<br> in with your working out strengths and is something that you enjoy.<p> * Do your exercise to music. Beyonce suggests that this is how to<br> make it fun,[7] [7] thereby motivating you a lot more.<p> * Beyonce works out with weights, including 5 pound weights for<br> bicep curls during an entire song, or 3 pound weights to box for<br> the length of one music track.[8] [8]<p> * Beyonce loves cycling and dancing as fun ways to improve her<br> fitness levels.[9] [9]<p> * If nothing else, follow a walking program. Walking is easy, but it<br> is one of the better overall exercises. Get one or more friends to<br> walk with you for more fun and motivation.<p> * Consider getting a personal trainer if you think this will help<br> keep you focused and you can afford the expense.<p> Find a source of motivation to keep you going. Beyonce has a goal<br> and so too should you. She keeps a poster of an Oscar on the wall of<br> her gym to inspire her to keep working at it.[10] What's your goal?<br> Perhaps it is to keep fit, or to stay healthy for all your life, or<br> to get ahead in a career or hobby aspiration. Whatever your reason,<br> ask yourself how will you represent this goal [10] visually so that<br> it can serve as a source of motivation for you. A poster, messages,<br> or photos of your goal can all be good ways to inspire you. Be sure<br> to put these in places where you'll be reminded often of the purpose<br> of getting a great body. <p> * Be consistent. Beyonce works constantly to achieve her goals,<br> including dancing all day long in high heels in order to get ready<br> for a music tour.[11] [11] Set yourself regular exercise schedules<br> that you can stick to, no matter what else is happening in your<br> life.<p> Be proud of your body. Beyonce has said that she "wears skimpy<br> outfits" because she's "proud of her body".[12] She's not afraid to<br> show off what she's got, being proud to celebrate her body shape the<br> way that it is. She accepts that she is not naturally skinny and she<br> detests fad diets after trying them and finding they don't work.[13]<br> [12] Take a leaf from her book and love your body the way it is and<br> don't harm your health with fad dieting [13].<p> * Love your curves. They are attractive and beautiful.<p> Wear what suits you. Beyonce is renowned for wearing beautifully<br> tailored clothes that make the most of her good features. If you can<br> sew or get your clothes tailored to your own body shape, you'll find<br> that you look your absolute best; clothes that fit properly flatter<br> your body. Clothing off the rack is trying to fit a range of sizes<br> that may or may not suit your own shape and this can be made worse<br> by the broad-ranging belief that you should fit into a single size.<br> The reality is that a good wardrobe may well be filled with the<br> sizes that fit in each style of clothing you try on. That may mean<br> that you have larger tops and smaller bottoms, or larger jacket and<br> smaller blouse sizes. Don't make the mistake of preferring a smaller<br> size in the hope it'll look better on you; something that looks too<br> small will ironically make you appear larger! Get the sizing right<br> and a lot of your quest to appear "bootylicious" is sorted.<p> * Even jeans can be worn skin-tight with curves. Look for versions<br> that are made with curves in mind, such as jeans with fake pockets<br> around the thigh area, so that bulk is removed.[14] [14] Wear<br> skinny jeans with high heels to elongate your look. The boot cut<br> is also an excellent style for women with curves.[15] [15]<p> * If you can't figure out what looks best on you by yourself, invest<br> in spending some time with a personal stylist to help you or<br> search in stores and/or on the Internet for your body shape and<br> what suits it.<p> * Love the person you are. Don't seek to transform into<br> Beyonce or be a dead ringer for her. You're a unique wonder in<br> your own right and while she offers a great inspirational role<br> model, your ideal image of her must be tempered by the realities<br> of what's achievable with the body and lifestyle you've got. Love<br> what you have and make the very most of it; use Beyonce's<br> inspiration to motivate you to exercise regularly and to eat well.<p>!! Video !!<p>!! Tips !!<p> * Keep to your exercise timetable by writing down your plan on the<br> calendar or separate paper.<p> * Exercise with one or more friends to provide social motivation and<br> fun. You're much more likely to stick with it if you're enjoying<br> the exercise experience as a whole.<p> * Running up a hill and walking down it is a good way to keep your<br> butt and thighs well toned without losing their shape.<p>!! Warnings !!<p> * If you gain some weight while you're exercising regularly, it is<br> probably muscle, and muscle weighs more than fat. You want shape<br> and fitness rather than a certain body weight, so don't get too<br> concerned about this. Just remember to eat properly and get the<br> exercise habit; if you have any concerns, speak to your doctor.<p> * Buy clothes that fit. Vanity sizing is a waste of your money and<br> good looks. Don't buy smaller in the vague hope it'll make you<br> look smaller; all it will do is emphasize what isn't fitting into<br> your clothes!<p> * Diets should always be undertaken after conferring with your<br> doctor. If you have any health conditions or particular problems<br> exercising, etc., speak to your doctor before making major changes<br> to your nutrition and exercise regime.<p>!! Things You'll Need !!<p> * Comfortable workout clothes and shoes.<p> * Optional: weights, jump rope, exercise bands, bike, exercise mat,<br> tread mill, and so on.<p>!! Related WikiHows !!<p> * How to Get a Huge Butt<p> * How to Tone the Butt With Walking<p> * How to Enjoy Life As a Young Female<p> * How to Show off Your Curves<p> * How to Get a More Curvy Appearance (Skinny Girls)<p> * How to Make Your Butt Bigger<p> * How to Get Your Legs and Butt in Shape<p>!! Sources And Citations !!<p>!! Article Tools !!<p> * Read on wikiHow<p> * <p>Links:<br>------<br>[1] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-0">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-0</a><br>[2] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-2">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-2</a><br>[3] <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Steam-Vegetables">http://www.wikihow.com/Steam-Vegetables</a><br>[4] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-3">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-3</a><br>[5] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-5">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-5</a><br>[6] <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Category:Running-for-Fitness">http://www.wikihow.com/Category:Running-for-Fitness</a><br>[7] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-6">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-6</a><br>[8] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-7">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-7</a><br>[9] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-8">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-8</a><br>[10] <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Accomplish-a-Goal">http://www.wikihow.com/Accomplish-a-Goal</a><br>[11] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-10">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-10</a><br>[12] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-12">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-12</a><br>[13] <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Go-on-a-Raw-Food-Diet">http://www.wikihow.com/Go-on-a-Raw-Food-Diet</a><br>[14] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-13">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-13</a><br>[15] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-14">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-14</a>tahishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543904127914150009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1228709305826114442.post-86400990617432753992011-02-13T12:43:00.000-08:002011-02-13T12:41:58.969-08:00How to BackstitchHow to Backstitch<p> Backstitch Backstitch is a stitch used in embroidery and<br> sewing stitches. Stitches are sewn backwards to the<br> direction of the sewing. They form lines and usually used to<br> outline shapes or add detail to an embroidered picture. It's<br> an especially suitable stitch for creating fine lines and<br> details, as well as forming a foundation for combination<br> stitches. <p>!! Steps !!<p> Thread a needle and tie a knot in the end of the thread. Poke the<br> needle down into the fabric, over about a quarter inch (6.35mm), and<br> back up again. <p> * Pull the thread taut so that the knot lies against the fabric.<p> Poke needle down by knot then over and up a quarter inch (6.35mm) to<br> the left of the previous needle up position. <p> Pull thread taut so that thread lies smooth against the fabric. <br> <p> Put needle down into the fabric at the left hand end of your<br> previous thread loop. <p> Slide the needle over to the left, underneath the fabric, through<br> the fabric approximately a quarter inch (6.35mm) to the left of<br> your last "up" position. Pull the thread taut to get the thread to<br> lay smooth against the fabric. <p>!! Video !!<p>!! Tips !!<p> * It can be easier to mark a line on the fabric if you're unsteady<br> or cannot see where the stitching is headed.<p>!! Warnings !!<p> * Needles are very sharp. Handle with care.<p>!! Things You'll Need !!<p> * Needle<p> * Thread<p> * Fabric and embroidery design<p>!! Related WikiHows !!<p> * How to Sew a Button<p> * How to Thread a Needle and Tie a Knot<p> * How to Sew By Hand<p> * How to Gather Fabric into Ruffles<p> * How to Baste Fabric<p>!! Article Tools !!<p> * Read on wikiHow<p> *tahishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543904127914150009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1228709305826114442.post-75255684376897129862011-02-13T06:43:00.000-08:002011-02-13T06:42:10.853-08:00How to Make a Heart Shaped PizzaHow to Make a Heart Shaped Pizza<p> Gals and guys – do it from the heart. Make a heart-shaped<br> pizza for your sweetie (or even for your kids). It's easy,<br> it's fun, and you'll be appreciated for the extra effort you<br> put into it. It's a big hit for Valentine's Day and a small<br> amount of effort will go a long way. Here's what to do. <p>!! Ingredients !!<p> * Pizza dough<p> * Pizza toppings<p>!! Steps !!<p> Make or purchase pizza dough. If purchasing it, follow the<br> instructions accompanying the dough for mixing it. Usually dough<br> that comes in a box will tell you to place the flour mixture into a<br> bowl, put in the right amount of warm water, stir, cover, and set<br> aside for a short amount of time. If making it from scratch, read<br> How to make pizza dough.<p> In addition, obtain pizza sauce, shredded cheese, and any toppings<br> you'd like. <p> Knead the dough. Follow the instructions on the packet or in the<br> recipe as to length of kneading time. Toss it if you know how; this<br> can be part of the romance! <p> Create the heart shape. Once you've kneaded it to a smooth<br> consistency, here's where your fabulous unique imagination will<br> come into play to mold this dough into a beautiful heart.<p> * Roll out the pizza to form a circle.<p> * Pinch in the dough at one place to draw it down into the distinct<br> heart shape, with two rounded edges and a dip. Alternatively, use<br> a sharp knife to cut the angle into the dough and remove the dough<br> piece.<p> Shape the base to appear pointed, for the end of the heart. <p> Spread on the pizza sauce.<p> This is easiest to do with the back of a large spoon. <p> Tumble on your favorite toppings. It's really up to you what<br> toppings you add; be sure to add toppings that the person for whom<br> this is intended will like. Some ideas include:<p> Just tomato. <p> Plain tomato and cheese. <p> Pepperoni. <p> Greens. <p> Shrimp, bacon, and artichoke hearts. <p> Mushroom and cheese. <p> Place in the oven at the temperature suggested by the recipe<br> suitable for your dough and chosen toppings, usually around 160ºC<br> or 320ºF degrees for 15 to 25 minutes. Keep an eye on it, don't<br> let it burn. <p> Remove it from the oven when baked. Hold it up and take a picture<br> of it because the next thing that will happen is that it gets<br> eaten. <p> Present it to your favorite person. Eat, laugh, be happy. <p>!! Video !!<p>!! Tips !!<p> * If it's for your kids, let them help make this; they'll love the<br> idea of changing the shape of the pizza to a heart.<p>!! Warnings !!<p> * Always use oven mitts or similar heat resistant items to handle<br> hot foods in and from the oven.<p>!! Things You'll Need !!<p> * Mixing bowl for dough<p> * Clean, floured work surface<p> * Knife for shaping<p> * Pizza pan<p>!! Related WikiHows !!<p> * How to Toss Pizza Dough<p> * How to Turn Frozen Pizza into a Gourmet Delight<p> * How to Make Pizza<p> * How to Make a Pizza in a Toaster Oven<p> * How to Make a Hawaiian Pizza<p>!! Article Tools !!<p> * Read on wikiHow<p> *tahishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543904127914150009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1228709305826114442.post-52210837190576934162011-02-13T00:46:00.001-08:002011-02-13T00:46:45.299-08:00How to Make a Two Hearts Lapel PinHow to Make a Two Hearts Lapel Pin<p> Reveal your crafty and amorous side by making and then<br> wearing this heart shaped lapel ornament. It's a fun token<br> for Valentine's Day – you might even like to make two and<br> give one to your beloved. <p>!! Steps !!<p> Take two standard pipe cleaners and mold each into interlinked heart<br> shapes. Follow the shape as shown here. <p> Twist three pipe cleaners together, leaving the ends free. This will<br> form an arrow with feathered and barbed ends, as shown here. <br> <p> Weave the arrow up and over the linked hearts. <p> Glue or cement the stationary side of a safety pin to the back of<br> the ornament. Give it a few minutes to dry. <p> * Pin the finished ornament on your clothes. Or pin it on your crush<br> for a sweet surprise!<p>!! Tips !!<p> * This is a project both kids and adults can enjoy. It's a fun way<br> for kids to participate in Valentine's Day crafts in the classroom<br> or at home.<p>!! Warnings !!<p> * Watch the sharp end of the safety pin when opening it and when<br> pinning it on yourself.<p>!! Things You'll Need !!<p> * 5 pipe cleaners in the color of your choice (red is good for<br> Valentine's Day)<p> * 1 safety pin<p>!! Related WikiHows !!<p> * How to Fold a Note Into a Heart<p> * How to Make a Pipe Cleaner Cat Toy<p> * How to Start a Crafts Business<p> * How to Inspire Creativity in Your Kids<p> * How to Make a Pipe Cleaner Dragonfly<p> * How to Make a Pipe Cleaner Butterfly<p> * How to Make Pipe Cleaner Stick Figure People<p>!! Sources And Citations !!<p> * Original source: Estrin, M., editor, (1945), _Fun for a Rainy<br> Day_, New York: WM. Penn Publishing Cord. Copyright on book not<br> renewed. Public domain resource.<p>!! Article Tools !!<p> * Read on wikiHow<p> *tahishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543904127914150009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1228709305826114442.post-66555188108851442202011-02-12T18:56:00.001-08:002011-02-12T18:55:35.772-08:00How to Make a Honey Bunny DrinkHow to Make a Honey Bunny Drink<p> This white and silky treat is a sweet drink to take your<br> mind off worries or to sweeten the bond between you and your<br> lovey bunny. Try this honey bunny drink to add some<br> sweetness to your life or romance. <p>!! Ingredients !!<p> * 1/2 ounce / 14.7ml Baileys<p> * 1/2 ounce / 14.7ml Frangelico<p> * 1/2 ounce / 14.7ml vanilla vodka<p> * 2 ounces / 60ml half and half cream<p> * 2 scoops vanilla ice cream<p> * 1 cup crushed ice<p> * 1 ounce / 30ml liquid honey<p>!! Steps !!<p> Measure and pour all ingredients except for the honey in the<br> blender. <p> Blend everything to a smooth mixture. <p> Drizzle the honey around the inside of a hurricane glass or other<br> suitable glass. <p> Pour the blended mixture in the glass. Garnish if wished – a<br> cute little bunny on a straw or an orange slice cut into a carrot<br> shape with two mint leaves for the carrot top might be a sweet<br> idea. It's now ready to serve to the honey bunny in your life. <p>!! Tips !!<p> * You can drizzle chocolate syrup instead of honey.<p>!! Things You'll Need !!<p> * Blender<p> * Honey drizzle stick<p> * Serving glasses – hurricane glass for a cocktail look or another<br> glass shape will work just as well<p>!! Related WikiHows !!<p> * How to Make a Batida Mango Cocktail<p> * How to Make a Rum Runner<p> * How to Make a Creole Cocktail<p> * How to Make an Apricot Lady Cocktail<p> * How to Mix a Sweet Blue Arctic Cocktail<p>!! Sources And Citations !!<p> * Maran Graphics. Maran Illustrated Bartending. Boston: Maran<br> Graphics & Thomson Course Technology, 2005<p>!! Article Tools !!<p> * Read on wikiHow<p> *tahishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543904127914150009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1228709305826114442.post-9542296197647872712011-02-12T18:56:00.000-08:002011-02-12T18:53:51.720-08:00How to Make a Honey Bunny DrinkHow to Make a Honey Bunny Drink<p> This white and silky treat is a sweet drink to take your<br> mind off worries or to sweeten the bond between you and your<br> lovey bunny. Try this honey bunny drink to add some<br> sweetness to your life or romance. <p>!! Ingredients !!<p> * 1/2 ounce / 14.7ml Baileys<p> * 1/2 ounce / 14.7ml Frangelico<p> * 1/2 ounce / 14.7ml vanilla vodka<p> * 2 ounces / 60ml half and half cream<p> * 2 scoops vanilla ice cream<p> * 1 cup crushed ice<p> * 1 ounce / 30ml liquid honey<p>!! Steps !!<p> Measure and pour all ingredients except for the honey in the<br> blender. <p> Blend everything to a smooth mixture. <p> Drizzle the honey around the inside of a hurricane glass or other<br> suitable glass. <p> Pour the blended mixture in the glass. Garnish if wished – a<br> cute little bunny on a straw or an orange slice cut into a carrot<br> shape with two mint leaves for the carrot top might be a sweet<br> idea. It's now ready to serve to the honey bunny in your life. <p>!! Tips !!<p> * You can drizzle chocolate syrup instead of honey.<p>!! Things You'll Need !!<p> * Blender<p> * Honey drizzle stick<p> * Serving glasses – hurricane glass for a cocktail look or another<br> glass shape will work just as well<p>!! Related WikiHows !!<p> * How to Make a Batida Mango Cocktail<p> * How to Make a Rum Runner<p> * How to Make a Creole Cocktail<p> * How to Make an Apricot Lady Cocktail<p> * How to Mix a Sweet Blue Arctic Cocktail<p>!! Sources And Citations !!<p> * Maran Graphics. Maran Illustrated Bartending. Boston: Maran<br> Graphics & Thomson Course Technology, 2005<p>!! Article Tools !!<p> * Read on wikiHow<p> *tahishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543904127914150009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1228709305826114442.post-68779549083448290742011-02-12T12:21:00.000-08:002011-02-12T12:19:57.769-08:00How to Draw a VampireHow to Draw a Vampire<p> <p> Drawing a vampire can be as complex or as simple a procedure as<br> befits your drawing skills. You'll need a good idea in your mind of<br> the type of vampire you'd like to depict, as well as taking your<br> level of drawing skills into account. Here are some suggestions for<br> drawing a vampire.<p>_Note: Each image can be clicked on to enlarge._<p>!! Steps !!<p>!! Punk Vampire !!<p> Draw a punk vampire. Punk lends itself well to the vampire genre as<br> you can take some of the slick punk hair-do and fancy clothes to<br> dress up the vampire's overall appearance.<p> * Focus in particular on creating strong, jagged lines for the hair,<br> darkened eyes (perhaps glowing if colored), long hands with long<br> nails, an elongated face. For the clothing, either a long cloak or<br> a cape is ideal, and maybe some studs or other "punk"<br> paraphernalia.<p>!! Female Vampire !!<p>Decide what type of female vampire you'd like to draw. You could draw<br>a seductive, burlesque female vampire, a super fit female vampire, or<br>a fairly straightforward and simple female vampire who gives little<br>away other than her fangs. Here are some possible interpretations; <p> * Black and white Painted version This female<br> vampire is almost an ordinary girl, apart from her fangs and the<br> blood dripping from her eyes. This is a simple line drawing, and<br> you'll need to know how to draw a face well, along with hair. The<br> additional touches are the fangs and blood. You might also<br> consider bloodshot eyes, or a neck with fang marks.<p> * A more "vampish" vampire, with a V shape suggesting a<br> very vampiric shape! When creating this drawing, keep the "V"<br> design flowing through, including an angular face, angular eyes,<br> and angular lips. Long, dark hair is best for this look.<p> * Draw a female vampire about to take a bite. In this<br> image, the focus is on the open mouth with the fangs showing<br> clearly.<p>!! Trick Or Treat Vampire !!<p>This is a fairly standard style for a vampire, the type you'd see out<br>trick or treating.<p> * Follow the example provided in this image. Draw a<br> slickly designed vampire in the old-fashioned mold with a cape,<br> high collar, slicked hair, and the typical widow's peak comb-back<br> for the hair. Add a bat bow-tie.<p>!! Vampire Face !!<p>When you need to concentrate just on the face of the vampire, here is<br>a good suggestion.<p> * When developing this face, concentrate on making the<br> eyes well-defined, and a smirk for a smile, with the fangs<br> showing. The hair should be swept off the face, and dark in color.<br> Make the ear pointed.<p>!! Vampire With Outstretched Cape !!<p> * When creating a vampire where the focus is heavily on<br> the cape, concentrate on drawing its folds and a high collar, with<br> an elegant evening shirt under the cape, as shown here.<p>!! Bat !!<p>Some believe the vampire can change into a bat and fly away. Drawing a<br>bat based on vampire legend is fairly stylized.<p> * Trace around the design or copy it by site. Color it in<br> one color (black is best but you're not restricted to one color).<br> Color the eyes differently or leave blank.<p>!! Message Vampire !!<p> If you need to make a vampire for an invitation or sign, this<br> design is a good one that allows you to add a message.<p> * Leave the cape wide open with a white or light colored space where<br> you'd normally draw the drapes, clothes, and body. Fill this in<br> with your message.<p>!! Smiley Vampire !!<p>This is a cute depiction of a vampire, suitable for adding as a<br>smiley.<p> Decide how you'd like to "draw" this icon. You could draw it by<br> hand, or draw it using a computer drawing program that allows you<br> to create smooth lines and shapes. Things to focus on include:<p> * Draw a circle for the body, draw a cape like the one here, add<br> fangs and dominating eyes. Perhaps some drops of blood are<br> appropriate, depending on how you style the Dracula smiley.<p>!! General Characteristics For Drawing Vampires !!<p>When drawing a vampire, consider some of the more typical depictions<br>of vampires to add in to your drawing: <p> * Some images for inspiration Dark eyes, darkened<br> under-eyes, or around eyes. A vampire has dark eyes when he or she<br> is thirsty. This will make your character look scarier. Lighter<br> eyes are suitable for when the vampire is happy. Alternatively,<br> you can draw eyes with slits in them to give them a more feral<br> look.<p> * Slicked back hair, often dark in color; Widow's peaks are<br> commonplace, and bangs or fringes don't tend to be used much<br> (allows for more of the face to show).<p> * If coloring, keep a whitish, or pasty look to the face, and stick<br> with dark colors for the clothing. Most vampires look pale but not<br> all do; and not all vampires have dark hair; try black hair with<br> white streaks, white hair, or any other variant suited to your<br> depiction.<p> * Draw the vampire with a gaunt, skin-and-bone look. Focus on<br> creating emphasized cheekbones to bring out the gaunt look.<p>!! Tips !!<p> * If liked, draw a few lines under the vampire's eyes. Smudge them<br> so it looks like the vampire has circles under his/her eyes,<br> because he or she doesn't sleep at night.Don't smudge the features<br> too darkly or it can appear excessive and "drug-addicted".<p> * Don't make the vampire look too cheerful unless you're doing a<br> humorous depiction. Generally, vampires aren't really that<br> cheerful all the time.<p> * Remember that you can use your artistic license. When you get<br> better at drawing vampires, feel free to change the way you draw<br> them!<p>!! Warnings !!<p> * Don't make the eyes too wide.<p>!! Things You'll Need !!<p> * Drawing medium<p> * Pens, pencils, charcoal, crayons, markers, paints and brushes,<br> etc.<p>!! Related WikiHows !!<p> * How to Draw Basic Human Figures<p> * How to Be Like a Vampire<p> * How to Draw a Monster<p> * How to Draw an Alien<p> * How to Get the Vampire Look<p>!! Article Tools !!<p> * Read on wikiHow<p> *tahishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543904127914150009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1228709305826114442.post-63563897328032579012011-02-12T06:48:00.001-08:002011-02-12T06:49:20.610-08:00How to Write a Valentine Poem That RhymesHow to Write a Valentine Poem That Rhymes<p> Be original and write your own funny but endearing<br> Valentine's poem. You'll want to aim for a poem that flows<br> well and more importantly, makes the object of your<br> affection think you're the most intelligent, creative and<br> downright gorgeous person they've ever known! <p>!! Steps !!<p> Choose your Valentine. This technique can be used on anybody:<br> long-term partners, someone you've been dating for a few weeks, or<br> someone you've got a secret crush on. The main thing is to make it<br> rhyme and to include plenty of compliments. <p> Change the old to new. The old cliché of 'roses are red, violets<br> are blue' is too retro and not so original. Nevertheless, it's a<br> great basis for starting your own poem with; you just need to give<br> it a modern twist. For example:<p> * 'Lilies are white, Daffodils are yella, I lie in bed at night,<br> Feeling smug you're my fella!' etc.<p> * You can pick any flower and any colour you like.<p> Oh Valentine! You make me rhyme! Find the rhyme. You can make<br> anything rhyme; it's not as hard as it sounds. Just think of a<br> sentence you might want to write to your loved one such as: 'You<br> always make me smile'. Then just go through the alphabet trying out<br> every letter that could rhyme with smile, for example: dial, file,<br> I'll, mile, Nile, pile and so forth, until you find something that<br> could begin to make sense in the third sentence. After working that<br> out, build your next line around finishing with that word. For<br> example:<p> * 'You always make me smile, When I'm down you come round, You're<br> number I just dial, You lift my chin off the ground.'<p> Avoid breaking the flow Keep to the same theme. The theme should<br> flow smoothly and not jolt from one metaphor to another without a<br> smooth transition. For example, don't talk about how great your love<br> is in bed on the one line, and how lucky you are to breathe the same<br> air as them on the next. To avoid such a disjointed approach, look<br> for ways to keep concepts together over at least two lines at a time.<br> Oh my Valentine, I know this is line 549... Decide your<br> own length. There's no word limit, and once you get in the swing of<br> things you might want to write pages and pages of witty yet touching<br> prose, or you can just stick with four lines.<p> * Note: Shorter versions are advised if you're in a new relationship<br> or you're being a 'secret admirer' – you don't want to scare<br> away with all the hundreds of obsessive things you've noticed<br> about them while you were spying or making out!<p> * Be genuine, not poetically perfect. You don't have to be<br> clever or try and give Shakespeare a run for his money. As long as<br> the poem sounds like you wrote it, then that's great. For<br> instance, if you and your partner spend your time going clubbing<br> and eating take-out food, lying around with one another and having<br> a laugh, it might be a bit weird if you start mentioning how the<br> sun shines on everything now you've met them, or that your heart<br> beats to the sound of a thousand drums when you're together, etc.<br> Keep it real.<p> * Oh dear, I seem to have lost the rhyme... Don't get hung<br> up on rhyming. Not everything has to strictly rhyme. You're not<br> doing English literature, you're just writing a love poem. And<br> with that, enjoy writing it!<p>!! Video !!<p>!! Tips !!<p> * If you're writing to a someone who you've admired from afar, don't<br> make it too personal or creepy, like 'I stole a pair of your pants<br> and keep them in my pocket...' Put in a compliment that will make<br> them think, "Aw, sure, that's spot on."<p> * Still on the secret admirer theme - if you're not sure how they<br> will react, or they have never spoken to you before, or there is a<br> risk that your poem may end up on Facebook or turned into<br> hilarious flyers, then just don't bother. It's not worth the<br> humiliation.<p> * Have fun with it. Be silly, be charming and say things that will<br> make them laugh.<p>!! Warnings !!<p> * Poems are very cute and endearing and thoughtful, but they don't<br> smell as nice as perfume or look as good as that new bag your<br> darling hinted about. Bear that in mind if your darling is the<br> sort to expect a gift _and_ a poem. However, if you're truly broke<br> and can barely afford the paper your poem is written on, it's<br> definitely enough and your girlfriend will love the thought.<p> * Don't write anything that will make them think, 'restraining<br> order'!<p> * Unless you know your Valentine really well, keep it clean!<p>!! Things You'll Need !!<p> * Writing implements and paper or a computer and printer<p> * Inspirations (look at images, gardens, love hearts, etc.)<p>!! Related WikiHows !!<p> * How to Survive Valentine's Day When You're Single<p> * How to Be Your Own Valentine<p> * How to Make Your Kids Smile on Valentine's Day<p> * How to Plan a Romantic Valentine's Day Date<p> * How to Write Funny Poems<p>!! Article Tools !!<p> * Read on wikiHow<p> *tahishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543904127914150009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1228709305826114442.post-52187483275163131632011-02-12T06:48:00.000-08:002011-02-12T06:47:45.211-08:00How to Write a Valentine Poem That RhymesHow to Write a Valentine Poem That Rhymes<p> Be original and write your own funny but endearing<br> Valentine's poem. You'll want to aim for a poem that flows<br> well and more importantly, makes the object of your<br> affection think you're the most intelligent, creative and<br> downright gorgeous person they've ever known! <p>!! Steps !!<p> Choose your Valentine. This technique can be used on anybody:<br> long-term partners, someone you've been dating for a few weeks, or<br> someone you've got a secret crush on. The main thing is to make it<br> rhyme and to include plenty of compliments. <p> Change the old to new. The old cliché of 'roses are red, violets<br> are blue' is too retro and not so original. Nevertheless, it's a<br> great basis for starting your own poem with; you just need to give<br> it a modern twist. For example:<p> * 'Lilies are white, Daffodils are yella, I lie in bed at night,<br> Feeling smug you're my fella!' etc.<p> * You can pick any flower and any colour you like.<p> Oh Valentine! You make me rhyme! Find the rhyme. You can make<br> anything rhyme; it's not as hard as it sounds. Just think of a<br> sentence you might want to write to your loved one such as: 'You<br> always make me smile'. Then just go through the alphabet trying out<br> every letter that could rhyme with smile, for example: dial, file,<br> I'll, mile, Nile, pile and so forth, until you find something that<br> could begin to make sense in the third sentence. After working that<br> out, build your next line around finishing with that word. For<br> example:<p> * 'You always make me smile, When I'm down you come round, You're<br> number I just dial, You lift my chin off the ground.'<p> Avoid breaking the flow Keep to the same theme. The theme should<br> flow smoothly and not jolt from one metaphor to another without a<br> smooth transition. For example, don't talk about how great your love<br> is in bed on the one line, and how lucky you are to breathe the same<br> air as them on the next. To avoid such a disjointed approach, look<br> for ways to keep concepts together over at least two lines at a time.<br> Oh my Valentine, I know this is line 549... Decide your<br> own length. There's no word limit, and once you get in the swing of<br> things you might want to write pages and pages of witty yet touching<br> prose, or you can just stick with four lines.<p> * Note: Shorter versions are advised if you're in a new relationship<br> or you're being a 'secret admirer' – you don't want to scare<br> away with all the hundreds of obsessive things you've noticed<br> about them while you were spying or making out!<p> * Be genuine, not poetically perfect. You don't have to be<br> clever or try and give Shakespeare a run for his money. As long as<br> the poem sounds like you wrote it, then that's great. For<br> instance, if you and your partner spend your time going clubbing<br> and eating take-out food, lying around with one another and having<br> a laugh, it might be a bit weird if you start mentioning how the<br> sun shines on everything now you've met them, or that your heart<br> beats to the sound of a thousand drums when you're together, etc.<br> Keep it real.<p> * Oh dear, I seem to have lost the rhyme... Don't get hung<br> up on rhyming. Not everything has to strictly rhyme. You're not<br> doing English literature, you're just writing a love poem. And<br> with that, enjoy writing it!<p>!! Video !!<p>!! Tips !!<p> * If you're writing to a someone who you've admired from afar, don't<br> make it too personal or creepy, like 'I stole a pair of your pants<br> and keep them in my pocket...' Put in a compliment that will make<br> them think, "Aw, sure, that's spot on."<p> * Still on the secret admirer theme - if you're not sure how they<br> will react, or they have never spoken to you before, or there is a<br> risk that your poem may end up on Facebook or turned into<br> hilarious flyers, then just don't bother. It's not worth the<br> humiliation.<p> * Have fun with it. Be silly, be charming and say things that will<br> make them laugh.<p>!! Warnings !!<p> * Poems are very cute and endearing and thoughtful, but they don't<br> smell as nice as perfume or look as good as that new bag your<br> darling hinted about. Bear that in mind if your darling is the<br> sort to expect a gift _and_ a poem. However, if you're truly broke<br> and can barely afford the paper your poem is written on, it's<br> definitely enough and your girlfriend will love the thought.<p> * Don't write anything that will make them think, 'restraining<br> order'!<p> * Unless you know your Valentine really well, keep it clean!<p>!! Things You'll Need !!<p> * Writing implements and paper or a computer and printer<p> * Inspirations (look at images, gardens, love hearts, etc.)<p>!! Related WikiHows !!<p> * How to Survive Valentine's Day When You're Single<p> * How to Be Your Own Valentine<p> * How to Make Your Kids Smile on Valentine's Day<p> * How to Plan a Romantic Valentine's Day Date<p> * How to Write Funny Poems<p>!! Article Tools !!<p> * Read on wikiHow<p> *tahishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543904127914150009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1228709305826114442.post-16644941923998285152011-02-12T01:19:00.001-08:002011-02-12T01:19:06.227-08:00How to Set up a Computer Centered WorkspaceHow to Set up a Computer Centered Workspace<p> An ergonomic workstation Want to enjoy working at your<br> computer, thinking better, and getting your work finished<br> faster? Take a hint from activities that require much more<br> sitting (like watching TV), endurance (like trucking), and<br> sustained maximum performance (like car racing). Don't slump<br> over your work – recline and look up into it! Unless your<br> job requires it, there's no need to look attentive like a<br> receptionist (an activity of interruption and stress).<br> Instead, focus on setting up a computer centered workspace<br> that helps you to work in a comfortable way. <p>!! Steps !!<p> In space, you can work in the fetal position. On Earth, you'll need a<br> few adjustments. Adopt a neutral posture.[1] [1] Arrange your body<br> in its natural relaxed geometry. Unfortunately, since that is the<br> fetal position, you'll have to make a few changes to be able to do<br> anything. Sit up to free your arms for work. Since doing this puts<br> weight on your back, straighten out so that the weight not supported<br> by the back of the chair transfers neatly down your spine without<br> strain on the back muscles and connective tissues. And balance your<br> arms and legs so that they don't pull on your back or put stress on<br> the more delicate extremities. This will free your full attention for<br> work.<p> * Use what you have. You might not have a particular kind of<br> equipment, your equipment might not have a particular adjustment,<br> or a particular adjustment might be incompatible with your work<br> (perhaps you're a receptionist required to sit erect). Go through<br> all these steps and get as close as you can to the suggestions<br> outlined here. Adjustments to one part of your setup can often<br> mitigate deficient adjustments to others. Then consider where<br> money might well be spent on additional equipment to fix remaining<br> problems.<p> Manager's chair Select a chair. Look for:<p> Surface: <p> * Vinyl[2] [2] or similar smooth plastic requires little care.<br> ("Bonded leather" is essentially vinyl, not leather: don't pay<br> extra for it.)<p> * Leather[3] [3] is stylish and also tends to stay clean. "Full<br> grain" leather is best; "top grain" is a middle grade; "split<br> grain" is cheaper but can still be fine.<p> * Cloth is grippy, breathable to prevent sweat accumulation, and can<br> stay cleaner if treated with fabric protectant such as<br> Scotchgard[4] [4] by the manufacturer or after purchase,<br> preferably when brand new to protect as clean fabric as possible<br> and not seal in dirt.<p> * If you're buying used, you may prefer an impermeable surface such<br> as vinyl, shiny leather in good condition, or wood or hard plastic<br> (for which you'll need an exact fit) because it can easily be made<br> about as clean as new. Natural materials often require more<br> careful cleaning than synthetics.<p> * Support: Mesh is a surface and a support. It allows air to<br> circulate for coolness. But since each part is supported only by<br> adjacent parts, it tends to sag like a hammock or waterbed, and<br> ramp up toward a relatively immovable edge supports. Adjustments<br> within the middle of large padded areas, such as for the lower<br> back, and clever design of edges which the body will contact, such<br> as a rolled-over or foam-padded seat front, can help. Foam<br> supports better, lifting each small area discretely from<br> underneath, like a mattress. Avoid thin, soft-when-new foam (or,<br> with used furniture, foam with softened or compacted spots): it<br> will rapidly "bottom out" under heavier areas.<p> * Style: The chair should support the back and the shoulders. This<br> style is often known as a "manager's" chair. Your neck should be<br> straight so your head will balance itself and not need the<br> headrest characteristic of an "executive" chair. While an<br> executive chair can work, be sure to check that it has the full<br> range of adjustments. Some are more ostentatious than practical.<p> * Fit: There are many different kinds of chairs carefully designed<br> many different ways. Most of them probably fit someone very well<br> before the manufacturer decided to make many, many copies. More<br> expensive ones often adjust more to fit more people in more<br> positions. It's generally best to try out and buy a chair in<br> person to make sure it can fit you, and well worth paying a<br> reasonable premium for having the facility to try it and the<br> salesperson to explain it. Sit in it at a desk as if typing, not<br> just relaxing or hunching attentively forward. Look for one that<br> fits well with each of its major adjustments somewhere in the<br> middle of its range, not all the way at one end: you might decide<br> you'd like your chair a little different later.<p> * An old-fashioned highly adjustable wooden chair looks great, but<br> make sure the contours fit you perfectly and the armrests (which<br> are typically not adjustable) are at a proper height and will not<br> interfere with keyboard placement. If they do, they'll support you<br> just as well as a foam chair your body would mesh to that shape.<br> These chairs tend not to have upper-back support, though.<p> * You can even Make a desk chair from a car seat.<p> Adjust the chair. You may need to fine-tune some settings once the<br> others are about right. <p> Adjust the back tilt. The further you recline, the more the weight of<br> your torso rests on the chair back and the less it presses down on<br> the backbone. Try 20 to 30 degrees back.[5] [5] This substantial<br> tilt will also gently pull you back into the better-supported<br> reclined position rather than letting you slump forward into a slouch<br> after you lean forward out of, or to show, interest in something.[6]<br> [6] <p> * Lock the back in place at the proper tilt.<p> * If the back can't be locked, see if you can set the maximum amount<br> of recline and reduce the tension so it readily flops into place.<p> * If the amount of recline can't be adjusted (on some chairs it may<br> lock at each end of a range, neither of which is desirable),<br> adjust the tilt tension so that the chair tends to balance at the<br> proper angle when you relax in it.<p> * Reclining more would reduce the stress on your back even more, but<br> would require odd placement and angles for the monitor, keyboard<br> and other office equipment.<p> * Adjust the seat tilt. The seat should be tilted back a little so<br> that your hips are not extended unnaturally and the angled<br> downward force from your back doesn't tend to slide you out of the<br> seat. Some chairs tilt the back and seat as a unit; others tilt<br> the seat with the back, but not as much, through a more<br> complicated mechanism often called "synchro-tilt". Some might<br> allow tilting the seat separately. See which you prefer.<p> * Adjust the back height. Chair backs often have a more protrusive<br> part to go under the mid-back and a hollower part for the<br> shoulders. Adjust the back (or, on some chairs, different parts of<br> the back) to put these in the right places.<p> * Adjust the seat extension. Chair seats often have a hollower part<br> to go under the upper thighs and a fatter part to go under the<br> lower thighs. Slide the seat forward so that the lower thighs are<br> well-supported, but not so far forward that there is pressure on<br> the inside part of the knees or associated tendons. The tailbone<br> should go all the way against the back of the chair.<br> Adjust the feet. The feet should be supported at a neutral angle<br> (extended a little), and at a height such that the legs neither<br> dangle and pull on the knees and themselves, nor push up the knees<br> allowing the hips to twist forward and not support the lower back<br> as well. There should be a moderate amount of pressure on the lower<br> thighs. <p> * The best way is an angled footrest. Some are adjustable.<p> * Don't wear high-heeled shoes; if you must, prop the balls of the<br> feet on something for a comfortable angle in them.<p> Adjust the arms. The armrests should be close to the body, so the<br> arms don't tend to slide out from supporting the shoulders. The<br> armrests should be at a height just a little lower than that to<br> which the arms would dangle naturally on their own, so as not to<br> allow the arms to pull on the shoulders or push them up. The wide<br> part of the forearm muscles, the central outside surface of the<br> forearm bones, or both, not the point of the elbow or the wrist,<br> should rest on the armrests. The forearms should balance in such<br> a way that the wrists extend straight from them (as viewed from<br> the back surface of the hand) to a point an inch or so over the<br> keyboard, propped up gently by the natural relaxed curl in the<br> fingers which are resting on rather than striking keys at any<br> given time. This will balance the arms so there is no weight<br> continually to be supported by the wrists, except a tiny amount<br> supported by the fingers in their naturally curved positions, or<br> hanging continually on the shoulders. Allow the upper part of the<br> upper arms to rest against the chair back, in plane with the torso<br> (but elbows out a little so the arm muscles can all move freely).<br> The elbows can rest on the arm rests too, but much of the weight<br> should be on the fat part of the forearms. <p> * Broad, convex, padded armrests are best.<p> * The armrests and their supports should not extend forward much<br> lest they interfere with the keyboard drawer extension. The<br> armrests normally extending forward from a post on some chairs can<br> be reversed side to side to extend backwards. The<br> then-backward-extending part is ignored, and the forward-extending<br> part is just long enough to set the forearm muscles on. The<br> armrest for the non-dominant arm may need to be a little higher<br> because the muscle leaning on it may not be so large.<p> * The distance from the armrests to the body is often nonadjustable.<br> Avoid a chair that is very wide, unless you are too.<p> * The wrists should not be supported directly, only by leverage from<br> a well-balanced forearm and weakly by the relaxed and key-striking<br> fingers. They have many tendons running across the inside surface<br> that control the hand and wrist with muscles in the arm.[7] [7] <br> They tend to bob outwards with use and are much more sensitive to<br> tangential pressure than the arm muscles. Wrist pads can actually<br> make them sore.<p> * Don't support the palms directly, either. Without an<br> unusual-shaped support, this would require bending the wrist,<br> stressing the tendons running through it, and twisting it, making<br> finger-control awkward; impede swinging the whole forearm slightly<br> reach out-of-the-way keys quickly and without finger strain, and<br> require more key striking force to come from the weaker fingers<br> than from the stronger wrist, hand and arm, which otherwise shift<br> about a little as you type.<p> * You don't need a headrest. The head and neck should be perfectly<br> vertical so they tend to put all their weight neatly onto the<br> bones, requiring only small weak muscle movements to maintain the<br> position.<p> Microsoft Natural Elite ergonomic keyboard Select a keyboard. An<br> "ergonomic" style, curved outward and preferably raised at the<br> center, is best, but takes a while to get used to. It keeps the<br> wrists straight and at their relaxed state of rotation when the<br> elbows are at the user's side or out just a little, so that the<br> shoulders are supported, and the arms turned inward toward the center<br> of the keyboard.<p> * The keys should have a snappy feel for feedback when they are<br> pressed. Don't push them so hard they "hit bottom" firmly; the<br> shock is very wearing to the body. If you can't stop doing that,<br> get a buckling-spring type keyboard like an IBM Model M[8] [8],<br> which can be tapped harder. Those are very loud, though.<p> * Unless you spend much time entering numbers, look for the absence<br> of a numeric keypad so that the mouse can be closer to the<br> keyboard.<p> * You might like to try a keyboard like the Microsoft Natural Elite<br> keyboard. Microsoft keyboards and mice work well with most<br> operating systems and programs, including free software.<p> Adjust the keyboard. Make it close to flat (retract any rear<br> props). Place it so the typing "home keys" are directly in front<br> of you, close to your body, and low enough that your forearms stay<br> straight, with your wrists straight and fingers curving gently<br> down onto the keys. That will probably require a keyboard drawer.<br> <p> * Remember not to rest your wrists on or in front of the keyboard,<br> even if it has an extended area there.<p> Optical scroll mouse Select a mouse. If you mostly type, the mouse<br> is not very important. Ideally, it should be an optical mouse, which<br> works more consistently than a ball-containing mouse, and on a<br> cloth-covered neoprene mouse pad for smooth movement. If you're<br> left-handed, get a left-handed or symmetrical mouse. Some users like<br> trackballs, which require less wrist movement, but they're less<br> precise and, because sensitivity thus can't feasibly be increased as<br> much, slower. A mouse with buttons discrete from a fat rear part upon<br> which the front part of the palm simply rests (namely, most mice<br> aside from some Apple ones) allows the hand and arm to stay relaxed.<p> * A mouse with a cord is lighter and easier to move than one without<br> a cord. The cord will also keep it from falling off a small<br> surface like a keyboard tray and getting lost. Secure the cord<br> loosely to something near the mouse, leaving some slack, so the<br> weight of most of the cord has no effect on moving the mouse.<p> * Avoid some more-complicated keystrokes by using a mouse that has<br> the full range of common buttons, including at least a left<br> button, right button, and clickable scroll wheel. Five buttons are<br> the most that is commonly used. A scroll wheel that clicks as it<br> scrolls is less smooth but more precise and much better for games,<br> in which each click performs a discrete act such as making a new<br> selection.<p> * Some trackballs and touchpads are integrated into keyboards. The<br> best place for these devices is generally a spot on the keyboard<br> easily reachable from the typing "home" position, such as in the<br> plastic flange "wrist-rest" (use thumbs).<p> Adjust the mouse. It should be near the keyboard to reduce arm<br> motion and the need to extend the arm to a less-than-optimal<br> position. <p> * If you're left-handed, consider switching the left and right<br> buttons' function in the operating system.<p> * Increase mouse sensitivity, preferably with acceleration, to<br> reduce the total distance you need to move the mouse. Gentle wrist<br> or even finger motion should be all that is needed.<p> * Select other input devices as necessary. Try to keep them near and<br> at the same level at the keyboard.<p> Keyboard drawer with mouse tray Try a keyboard "tray" or "drawer".<br> The arms and tops of the hands, which contain tendons extending into<br> the arms by which the fingers are controlled, should extend straight<br> forward. The easiest way is with a keyboard "tray" or "drawer". It<br> should be just about on your lap – the precise height will depend<br> on your arms, their supports, and the keyboard itself.<p> * A big wide tray is usually best because a mouse can go next to it<br> and things will not tend to slide off, but sometimes interferes<br> with armrests.<p> * The elbows should be slightly outward so the hands need not<br> themselves turn inward to reach the keys. This will mean the<br> keyboard needs to be close to the stomach. Pull the tray out, and<br> pull the chair up to it.<p> Wraparound LCD monitor array Select one or more monitors. LCD<br> monitors are pretty much universal now and tend to cause less<br> eyestrain than CRTs. Use digital connections such as DVI (no need for<br> expensive cables; a major benefit of digital transmission is that a<br> problem not large enough to turn "zeros" into "ones" has no effect<br> whatsoever). Some monitors do not support digital connections; some<br> video cards do not support digital connections or resolutions over<br> 1920x1200, many do not support two monitors, and few support three.<br> Getting these features is more a matter of looking for them than<br> paying much of a premium, except perhaps for triple-head video cards.<p> * If you have a CRT monitor, turn up the refresh rate (60 Hz or<br> slower is badly noticeable as flicker; 70 Hz is better; 85 Hz or<br> higher is good) and consider a glare filter. If you're choosing a<br> CRT monitor, look for one that is vertically or entirely flat, so<br> that its entire surface faces the same way (with respect to at<br> least one axis) and by tilting slightly can reflect glare from a<br> given direction unnoticeably away from you across its entire<br> surface.<p> * The monitors should cover a wide enough area that you can have all<br> of the documents you would work with at once open simultaneously<br> and showing enough data that you don't have to regularly click or<br> scroll back and forth, wasting time and struggling to remember<br> their contents.<p> * Place multiple monitors side by side. The neck unbalances when<br> tilted up and down, and the eyes do not move very far up and down<br> on their own, so there is little to gain from stacking monitors.<p> * Bezels can be distracting, particularly between multiple monitors.<br> Choose a monitor with a narrow, unobtrusive, non-glare bezel,<br> preferably matte black or gray. Huge monitors are more expensive<br> per unit area than medium size ones, though. One or more 2560x1600<br> 30 inch (76cm) monitors are great, but 1920x1200 24 inch (61cm)<br> monitors would be a better bargain for most.<p> * The higher the resolution, the better (generally). If text is too<br> small, you can scale it up to be bigger but very sharp.<p> * Covering an area wider than your forward field of view with<br> monitors brings diminishing returns.<p> * Avoid glossy monitors. They look better when turned off, but not<br> much different when turned on, and create glare by reflecting<br> bright lights behind the monitor.<p> Comfortable monitor placement Adjust the monitors.<p> * Place them toward the back of the desk to reduce too-close<br> focusing. This will reduce eyestrain and possibly nearsightedness.<br> The most-used monitor should be directly in front of you to<br> facilitate keeping the body straight. Others should be on one or<br> both sides. <p> * Identify the most-used monitor to the operating system as the<br> primary monitor so items such as program menus can be placed on it<br> automatically. If your monitors are different sizes, use the<br> biggest one.<p> * With your head straight, raise the monitors so their centers,<br> height-wise, are roughly directly in front of your eyes or even a<br> little above. This will prompt you not to slump.<p> * Tilt them so that they are perpendicular in both axes (i.e.,<br> normal) to your field of view. Multiple monitors should be in an<br> arc, with their centers equidistant from your head. This keeps as<br> much of them in focus at once as possible; your eyes won't have to<br> refocus as you glance around.<p> * Match monitor illumination to ambient light. Don't work in the<br> dark. Keep ambient light as diffused as possible and adjust its<br> intensity to keep white objects in the room not much dimmer than<br> white areas on the monitor – which is pretty bright. You can<br> also adjust the monitor brightness, but with most monitors will<br> likely prefer that turned down most of the way. Match the white<br> balance on the monitor roughly to the ambient light, generally<br> with a setting on the monitor or in the operating system.<p> * Make your papers an extension of your monitors. Just as it's<br> easiest to switch attention between computer documents by having<br> them near one another across a wide monitor area, it's easiest to<br> switch attention between paper documents and a computer by keeping<br> the paper documents near the computer and a similar distance from<br> your eyes. Prop a paper document up on a stand next to the<br> computer if you'll just read from it, or on a sturdy stand in<br> front of and tilted up toward the monitor if you'll write on it<br> too. Make sure the stand can't bump or scrape the screen.<br> Adjust your work environment. <p> Galileo thermometer showing a comfortable 76 degrees *Temperature*.<br> Keep warm. Cold numbs, stiffens and slows the fingers. Excessive heat<br> or cold numbs, stiffens and slows the mind. 72 degrees Fahrenheit<br> (22 degrees centigrade) is best for most people.[9] If the office is<br> too cold, wear something that is warm and, particularly around the<br> wrists, loose-fitting. If too warm, wear less-covering, thin, loose,<br> and porous clothes, and cool off with a fan [9], preferably quiet, or<br> a natural breeze.<p> * Heat doesn't flow well from the heat-producing, contiguous,<br> insulated body core to the fingers when one is just sitting at a<br> desk, so insulating yourself with heavy clothes to conserve enough<br> heat to keep the fingers supple in a cold environment may overheat<br> your core (and head) a little and make you sleepy. A sufficiently<br> warm environment makes this trade-off unnecessary.<p> * Feet don't usually need to do much at the computer, but can<br> distract you relentlessly if they get cold. You can heat them<br> selectively with a heated footrest, or with a heater under the<br> desk – preferably the forced-air type so it can't set fire by<br> radiation, and with all modern safety features – which will<br> consume much more energy and heat the legs and torso significantly<br> too.<p> Window open for fresh air *Air quality*. Keep it clean. Perhaps<br> scented if you're good with aromatherapy.<p> * Stenches, excessive dust, or other pollution will be distracting,<br> and will have to be dealt with according to individual<br> circumstances.<p> * Carbon dioxide can build up in densely populated areas and cause<br> lethargy and a distracting general sense of "stale air".[10] [10]<br> Houses generally leak in more than enough fresh air for their<br> limited number of occupants, but one can use a carbon dioxide<br> meter to adjust ventilation equipment for adequate air replacement<br> in a big building. (Too rapid air replacement wastes heating<br> energy in winter and cooling energy in summer.)<p> * Too-low humidity commonly causes dry skin and sinuses in winter.<br> Correct it with a portable or automatic permanently-installed<br> humidifier. Too-high humidity can, most often in summer, cause<br> mold, leading to bad smells and illness. Air conditioning will<br> generally correct excessive humidity: it chills the air and the<br> condensate is drained away or evaporated outdoors. (A <br> dehumidifier is essentially an air conditioner whose warm coils<br> are indoors too; it's generally better to use an air conditioner<br> and keep the cooling.)<p> * Pleasant aromas can improve mood and attentiveness. For instance,<br> citrus may increase alertness, flowers may calm and improve<br> concentration, and forest scent may relax.[11] You can tend to<br> become acclimated to and not notice scents [11] after a while.<br> It's therefore a good idea to alternate them with scent generators<br> on timers: buy an integrated unit, or simply plug an electric<br> vaporizer into a timer.<p> Bright, soft office lighting *Lighting.* Darkness probably makes<br> you sleepy. It strains your eyes to focus precisely, and your mind<br> as, having shallow depth-of-field from dilation, a lag for focusing<br> precedes seeing much when you shift your field of view.[12] It may<br> come as no surprise that dark winters can even depress [12] you.[13]<br> [13].<p> Bright, even light is best. Aim for at least two 27-watt-plus compact<br> fluorescent light bulbs (or four-foot fluorescent tubes) to light a<br> small room; four for for a big one. <p> * Incandescent bulbs require wasteful or even<br> dangerously-hot-running wattages for this kind of light. And the<br> color temperature is wrong.<p> * Fluorescent troffers with diffusers, shop-lights inverted atop<br> shelves to reflect off the ceiling, or multi-bulb torchieres are<br> best.<p> * You may prefer the look of a table lamp, but high-wattage<br> compact-style fluorescent bulbs are hard to fit in them. Use a<br> plain white synthetic fabric, namely, largely translucent, shade<br> to diffuse the light while blocking as little as possible. A<br> Sylvania 65W Dulux-EL bulb is particularly small for a<br> high-wattage bulb and a 12 inch (30cm) lamp harp can be bent wider<br> (at the top and back again at the bottom) to fit around it.<p> * Even relatively diffuse light has "hot spots", typically the<br> fixtures themselves or the ceiling spots above them, specular<br> reflections (glare) from which can distract. A dark, matte desk<br> surface is best. If yours is light or shiny, try a plastic desk<br> pad. Look for one with a soft-looking, leather-like surface, not<br> just a texture in a shiny surface. A visor or baseball cap keeps<br> overhead light out of the field of view from entering the eyes<br> directly or off the cheeks to produce subtly distracting and<br> tiring veiling flare.[14] [14]<p> * Fluorescent lights should have "electronic" ballasts which flicker<br> unnoticeably thousands of times per second, not "magnetic"<br> ballasts that flicker noticeably, especially in peripheral vision,<br> or at least annoy subconsciously. Cheap compact fluorescent bulbs<br> and fluorescent fixtures often have the magnetic type.<p> * Color temperature (tint).[15] Incandescent and "warm white"<br> fluorescent bulbs (2800-3400 K color temperature) are orange, like<br> early-morning and late-evening light. "Daylight" (5000-6500K)<br> bulbs are blue-white, like noon sun and sky light. "Bright white"<br> or "cool white" (4000 K) bulbs are in-between, common in kitchens<br> and commercial buildings. Daylight bulbs look distinctly blue next<br> to the other kinds, but you'll probably get used to them over<br> time. And, because the tint suggests to the body that the time is<br> mid-day, they increase alertness [15].[16] [16] Bright white<br> provides a partial benefit.<p> * Balance brightness and color temperature. Bright light and<br> blue-white high color temperature are best, but they need to go<br> together.[17] [17] Just as a blue sunset rather than an orange one<br> would make the world look very strange, a daylight-type bulb's<br> blue-white light looks odd if there isn't very much of it. <br> Conversely, intense warm-white light looks dingy. If you find<br> bright light distracting, or don't have enough light fixtures for<br> the intensity needed to make daylight bulbs' light look right, use<br> bright-white.<br> Eventually you'll need sleep, even if only a little. Constant<br> bright, blue-white light can make you lose track of time and extend<br> your energy past your bedtime and past your intelligence. You may<br> not want too much of it at home. Notice the light outside if<br> possible and glance at the clock occasionally to leave work on time<br> and leave your home computer at a reasonable time. <p> * You could put a daylight bulb on a timer to turn off on a schedule<br> leaving a dimmer, yellower bulb behind as a gentle reminder to<br> finish each day. There is even a program available, Redshift, that<br> will automatically adjust your monitor color balance to mimic<br> nature as the hours go by.[18] [18]<p> *Sound*. Quiet is usually best. White noise is better than<br> distinct, distracting sounds. <p>Reduce noise, including computer noises, as much as possible. <p> * Keep noisy office equipment above or below you, shielded by<br> furniture, and with noise-emitting orifices directed away if you<br> can't move it elsewhere entirely. But don't block its vents.<br> High-speed printers can sometimes be set to run a little slower<br> and much quieter.<p> * Noisy office driving worker to distraction Earplugs or<br> noise-blocking or canceling headphones can calm excess noise. A<br> white-noise generator can mask more-distracting noise, but keep it<br> near you so its volume can stay low and contribute little to the<br> overall noise level for everyone.<p> * Fast, cheerful music (try Internet radio) can help keep your mind<br> semi-occupied rather than frustrated and pace you through simple,<br> repetitive tasks requiring little concentration. But don't<br> distract others: consider headphones.<p> * *Shift and stretch*. Even with the best workspace, you'll be more<br> comfortable if you shift about in your chair occasionally. Stretch<br> or walk every couple of hours to relieve and redistribute<br> pressure, stress and strain, and see and hear a few new things. <br> Maybe even humans.<p>!! Tips !!<p> Receptionist's ergonomic workspace If you have to look attentive:<p> * Recline less, but not so much that you tend to slump forward when<br> relaxed.<p> * See and be seen past your monitor (or two little monitors). If<br> you are short, raise your seat and footrest higher. Lower your<br> monitor so you can see and be seen over it, but not so much that<br> you have to lean your head down into it and strain your neck to<br> keep it from slumping further. Maintaining sufficient distance<br> will reduce the angle by which you have to look down. Consider a<br> desk with a beveled corner in which to arrange the computer for<br> comfort but see people in your peripheral vision.<p> * Readjust your monitor angle perpendicular to your line of sight<br> toward its center, and your footrest angle to prop your feet<br> slightly extended.<p> Laptops present a few options, depending on how much extra<br> equipment you want to have at the place of use: <p>Connect an external monitor, keyboard and mouse, directly or through a<br>docking station, to use a laptop almost exactly as a desktop. <p> * A laptop as a desktop does introduce a few compromises. The fan<br> is often loud and high-pitched compared to a desktop's fans, and<br> the laptop often can't practically be placed on the floor to<br> distance its noise from you. Often carpet would cover the air<br> inlet. Laptops rarely support dual monitors or resolutions over<br> 1920x1200 externally, or ECC RAM for improved stability in<br> extended operation.[19] [19]<p> * Connecting accessories with radio links built into the computer<br> such as Bluetooth, or with small wireless adapters that sit almost<br> flush with the edges of USB ports and can be left in place,<br> reduces the chance of dropping the computer or breaking connectors<br> by accidentally pulling on the accessories or pushing on their<br> plugs.<p> * Elevate a laptop on a less-slippery rubber-footed stand, or, in a<br> pinch, a more-slippery box or books to put its screen at a correct<br> height, and connect an external keyboard and mouse to optimize<br> everything but monitor size.<p> * If you're just using a laptop by itself, try putting it in a<br> keyboard drawer (a big one with a rim, to avoid dropping the<br> laptop).<p> * Or simply recline in a chair with it in your lap. Rest your arms<br> on the armrests or simply in your lap. While resting your<br> forearms on your lap or resting your palms in front of the<br> keyboard and angling your hands up into the keyboard area isn't<br> ideal, it's not nearly as bad with a laptop as with a regular<br> keyboard because a laptop is typically thin and the keyboard is<br> slightly recessed. Check that your leg isn't blocking any bottom<br> air intake; a laptop with air intakes and exhausts on the edge<br> rather than the bottom is best.<p> * Try the Dvorak keyboard layout to reduce finger motion by<br> assigning more-common letters under more-easily reached and pushed<br> keys. You simply tell the operating system to "remap" (recognize<br> different symbols for) the keys, and re-label them if you like;<br> you don't need a new keyboard and can switch back easily. Your<br> finger dexterity won't go away, but the new key positions will<br> take some time to learn.<p> * Lose Weight so there's less of you to support, and Build Muscle so<br> you can support it better.<br> Wear lower-body garments, including underwear, that when you stand<br> are loose around your waist. Sitting will tighten them as it pulls<br> the back down and pushes the front up so they fit around you<br> obliquely. When you sit for hours, they should still be somewhat<br> loose and comfortable. If you relieve the pressure by slouching to<br> widen the angle your abdomen and legs form by curving your lower<br> back, you'll trade the gentle support of your chair and strength of<br> a straight spine for straining a bent spine. So, instead, eliminate<br> the pressure. <p> * A garment suspended from the shoulders, like a pair of pants with<br> suspenders or a dress, is best because it doesn't need to hold<br> onto the waist to not fall down.<p> * A garment that doesn't fit tightly around the legs, such as a<br> loose skirt, shouldn't pull itself crooked as much. But it might<br> tighten as you sit as some body areas push upward. Look for one<br> just snug enough in areas that tighten little or not at all to<br> hold it up, and loose in the areas that do constrict.<p> * A garment suspended from the hips only, like pants without<br> suspenders, can if necessary for moving about be tightened<br> temporarily with a belt. Or it can snug itself gently with<br> elastic or an elastic-bearing belt.<p> * Compare elastic-bearing garments carefully. Look for ones with<br> plenty of extra length in the pleated and interwoven non-stretchy<br> cloth associated with the elastic so it stretches with tension<br> that is not high and increases only modestly over the range it<br> will stretch as you sit, stand, and move about.<p> * Leaning back in the chair with your feet forward a little but<br> supporting your knees pushes the chair backward. If it tends to<br> roll away from its most comfortable position, avoid a slick<br> plastic chair mat or even add a rug with a non-slip pad to keep it<br> from rolling too easily.<br> Keep these principles in mind as you adjust other kinds of seats and<br> controls, such as those on a car. <p> * Sometimes there's a tradeoff between relaxation and leverage. In<br> a power-everything, cruise-controlled car, keep your seat low and<br> rest your heel on the floor so you need only extend rest and<br> extend your foot periodically to stop or go. Keep your elbows<br> rested to the sides, preferably on level armrests, and hands<br> rested in a self-leveling fashion around the eight and<br> four-o-clock positions on the wheel-not an unstable position near<br> the top. You may need to offset your hands a little so the car<br> tracks straight (or very slightly away from oncoming traffic)<br> without constant strain if your arm rests aren't level, or<br> something isn't entirely symmetrical. For a vehicle or driving<br> style requiring greater or more frequent effort, you might prefer<br> to sit up over or closer to the controls to bear down on them. No<br> matter what's most comfortable, make sure you have enough reach<br> and range of motion to manhandle the controls in an emergency.<p> The most expensive part of most computing systems is not anything<br> in the computer, but the operator in front of it.[20] [20] So,<br> removing bottlenecks in the operator's sustained focus, clarity of<br> thought and data-entry speed and accuracy is a great place to start<br> efforts to improve productivity.[21] [21] Soft armrests might save<br> much more time in transferring data to the fingers than a fast CPU<br> would save in shuffling it around once it's reached the keyboard. <p> * Keeping the space around a computer well-lit and at proper<br> temperature will pay for itself many times over through increased<br> productivity.[22] [22]<p> * To save energy on climate-control of a big, mostly-empty house,<br> choose a cool area in summer, and a warm area, space heater, or<br> electric blanket in winter.<p>!! Related WikiHows !!<p> * How to Set Up an Ergonomically Correct Workstation<p> * How to Sit at a Computer<p> * How to Recline and Use a Computer<p> * How to Select an Ergonomic Office Chair<p> * How to Buy a Computer Desk<p> * How to Build a Powerful Quiet Computer<p> * How to Get Rid of Bad Back Pain<p>!! Sources And Citations !!<p> * Cornell University Ergonomics Web, <a href="http://ergo.human.cornell.edu/">http://ergo.human.cornell.edu/</a><br> - research source<p>!! Article Tools !!<p> * Read on wikiHow<p> * <p>Links:<br>------<br>[1] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-0">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-0</a><br>[2] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-1">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-1</a><br>[3] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-2">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-2</a><br>[4] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-3">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-3</a><br>[5] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-4">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-4</a><br>[6] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-5">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-5</a><br>[7] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-6">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-6</a><br>[8] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-7">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-7</a><br>[9] <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Buy-a-Ceiling-Fan">http://www.wikihow.com/Buy-a-Ceiling-Fan</a><br>[10] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-9">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-9</a><br>[11] <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Scented-Candle-in-a-Glass">http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Scented-Candle-in-a-Glass</a><br>[12] <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Tell-if-You-Are-Depressed">http://www.wikihow.com/Tell-if-You-Are-Depressed</a><br>[13] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-12">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-12</a><br>[14] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-13">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-13</a><br>[15] <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Increase-Alertness">http://www.wikihow.com/Increase-Alertness</a><br>[16] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-15">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-15</a><br>[17] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-16">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-16</a><br>[18] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-17">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-17</a><br>[19] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-18">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-18</a><br>[20] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-19">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-19</a><br>[21] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-20">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-20</a><br>[22] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-21">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-21</a>tahishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543904127914150009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1228709305826114442.post-4576703322341105302011-02-11T18:36:00.000-08:002011-02-11T18:33:32.844-08:00How to Eat Chocolate SeductivelyHow to Eat Chocolate Seductively<p> <p> It's really not very difficult to eat chocolate seductively; its<br> creamy smoothness and sensuous taste already lends itself to pure<br> eating enjoyment.<p>If you're keen to try out a seductive chocolate eating experience for<br>Valentine's Day or for a special date occasion, all you need is your<br>partner, plenty of chocolate, and a little imagination.<p>!! Steps !!<p> Prepare beforehand. Grab a hot chocolate, settle down somewhere<br> comfortable and Wi-Fi optimized to read How to taste dark chocolate<br> and How to eat chocolate with your partner.<p> * Think ahead and borrow a book or two about chocolate from the<br> library so that you can read about the history of chocolate<br> together; mark all the romantic bits in advance.<p> * And if you'd like to set up a romantic evening consisting of a<br> little wine and a lot of chocolate tasting, read How to pair wine<br> and chocolate, just so that you can do it all properly.<p> Select quality chocolate. The most romantic chocolate is the best<br> quality chocolate available. Failing that, choose the chocolate that<br> pleases both you and your partner, regardless of its provenance.<p> * Consider taking your partner to the best chocolate store in town.<br> Spend at least quarter of an hour making your selection. This is a<br> special event! Choose chocolate bars, single handcrafted truffles,<br> and other types of chocolate on display. Chocolates with cream<br> centers have a sensuality all of their own; perhaps get a mixture<br> for a varied experience.<p> * Don't forget chocolate coated cacao beans and coffee beans. These<br> can bring a sensual pleasure all of their very own, and have a<br> very interesting crunchy texture.<p> Unwrap the chocolate bar or box with a gleam in your eye and a sense<br> of purpose. Weave your beloved a tale of chocolate seduction;<br> perhaps that you just _cannot_ wait to taste the chocolate, to feel<br> the plumpness of its texture against your teeth, and to run your<br> tongue across its smooth lines.<p> For the more daring, unwrap the chocolate bar using your teeth<br> alone. <p> Once opened, shut your eyes and waft the chocolate across the air<br> under your nose. Take a deep breath and smell the aroma of the<br> chocolate. Invite your partner to smell it too.<p> * Can you determine any special flavors through this initial sniff?<p> * If it's a cream or liqueur filled chocolate, can you tell what it<br> is by smell alone?<p> Place your tongue on the chocolate first. Rather than going straight<br> for the bite, use your tongue to gently lick the chocolate and to<br> detect an initial taste. Invite your partner to do the same.<p> * Does the taste match the smell?<p> Gently bite off a small portion of chocolate using just your front<br> teeth. This is no occasion for stuffing it all in and chewing!<br> Instead, hold the piece of chocolate on your tongue for a time. Then<br> gently roll it over and over in your mouth to savor the flavor. Hold<br> it to the roof of your mouth. Let it drop back onto your tongue.<br> Continue enjoying the full taste without biting it again; eventually<br> it will melt away completely; it's the melting process that creates<br> a long-lasting sensuous buzz.[1] [1]<p> * If you're enjoying a cream or liqueur centered chocolate, you'll<br> need to vary the eating method. One way might be to suck the<br> center out gradually and use your tongue to lick out the rest<br> through the hole you've made. Decide on the rules with your<br> partner before eating it!<p> Vary the chocolate seduction. Here's where it gets really<br> interesting – did you know that chocolate produces a longer brain<br> and body buzz than kissing, lasting four times longer than the most<br> passionate kiss?[2] [2] Fortunately, chocolate doesn't care whether<br> you're male or female; it's very generous in sharing its buzz. So,<br> for this step, have you and your partner devise new ways to enjoy<br> the pieces of chocolate together, including sharing it and finding<br> ways to maximize that buzz:<p> * Gently push a sucked piece of chocolate out of your mouth to rest<br> on your lips and have your partner gently kiss it away from you.<p> * Be more daring and have your partner French kiss the chocolate<br> back and forth.<p> * Lick pieces of chocolate off your fingers. Let some chocolate melt<br> on your lower lip as you eat it, then suck it off seductively.<p> Aaaah! Discuss your feelings about the chocolate. Let your partner<br> know how enjoyable it is by making comments as to how tasty,<br> delicious, smooth, etc. the chocolate is. Emit joyous noises to back<br> up your enjoyment of the chocolate. A few "mmm's" and "ah's" can add<br> to the appreciation. It's an entire experience; go with the flow and<br> say whatever comes to mind. <p> Open the next box, packet, or bar and repeat. Perhaps change<br> rooms to reflect your change in mood. Luckily for you, chocolate<br> is very portable and is considered perfectly acceptable from the<br> lounge to the boudoir... <p>!! Tips !!<p> * Try to keep the wrapper on the bar; this prevents it from melting<br> on your fingers and looking messy.<p> * Play chocolate related music in the background; the more romantic<br> or seductive, the better. Do a search through sites such as iTunes<br> and Jamendo to see what you can find under "chocolate".<p>!! Warnings !!<p> * Chocolate and love are both addictive;[3] whether it's easier to<br> break a love addiction [3] or a chocolate addiction remains the<br> subject of much debate.<p> * Chocolate can stain. Here is how to clean it from a carpet (just<br> what were you doing eating it on the carpet?) and from a white hat<br> (well, you never know when you might meet a chocolate chef...).<p>!! Things You'll Need !!<p> * Chocolate bar, box, packet, or pieces<p> * Seductive music (optional)<p> * Comfortable location<p> * Wine or liqueur (optional)<p>!! Related WikiHows !!<p> * How to Make Chocolate Dipped Spoons<p> * How to Taste Dark Chocolate<p> * How to Make Home Made Chocolates<p> * How to Try Different Chocolates<p> * How to Make a Cream Filling for Chocolates<p>!! Sources And Citations !!<p>!! Article Tools !!<p> * Read on wikiHow<p> * <p>Links:<br>------<br>[1] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-0">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-0</a><br>[2] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-1">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-1</a><br>[3] <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Overcome-Addiction-in-60-Days">http://www.wikihow.com/Overcome-Addiction-in-60-Days</a>tahishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543904127914150009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1228709305826114442.post-32812237946347462342011-02-11T12:16:00.001-08:002011-02-11T12:14:58.264-08:00How to Make Valentine's Day Special on a BudgetHow to Make Valentine's Day Special on a Budget<p> <p> Love with diamonds and a five star meal is neither a necessity nor<br> necessarily a meaningful expression of love for Valentine's Day.<br> Having the means to pay for expensive gifts and experiences does not<br> relieve the giver from expressing love personally, nor does it<br> relieve the recipient from returning such love personally.<p>If you're worried that your funds can't stretch far enough to give<br>your beloved a Valentine's Day to remember, realize that the best<br>experience on Valentine's Day is having your partner come away from it<br>with the absolute knowledge that they're loved, cared about, and<br>wanted. Save your money and still have a great Valentine's Day.<p>!! Steps !!<p> Avoid equating love with consumption. It's easy to get bogged down<br> in the buying frenzy surrounding Valentine's Day, as retailers vie<br> to rake in some decent profits from romance-inspired lovers. Love<br> isn't about what you give in goods though; it's about what you give<br> by way of time, attention, and acknowledgment of the other person.<br> And none of those can be purchased. Once you view Valentine's Day<br> from the perspective of it being about acknowledging and celebrating<br> your love by spending time together, it's easier to realize that a<br> budget Valentine is still a perfect date opportunity. <p> Minimize rather than do without. One of the tricks to saving money<br> on Valentine's Day is to still indulge in some of the traditional<br> Valentine's accessories but to reduce them. For example, instead<br> giving her a dozen red roses, give her one, held in your teeth, and<br> accompanied by your best impression of a Spanish dancer. Or, give<br> him a special brand of chocolate bar instead of a whole box of<br> expensive chocolates. In this way, you can still participate in the<br> essence of Valentine's Day but spend very little. <p> Make your own. A homemade card is always more meaningful than a<br> purchased one. It says not only what you write in it but also "I<br> took the time to make this because I care enough about you to give<br> that time." As far as mementos go, it's likely the card will be kept<br> for many years to come! Other things can be made too, for gifts.<br> Draw on your own skills when making gifts; for example, if you're a<br> keen gardener, give something from the garden; if you're a keen<br> cook, make something delectable; if you're a keen outdoor<br> enthusiast, give a fully guided nature walk or a lesson in your<br> favorite sport. <p> Think of something you can do for your love. An excellent way to<br> show your love can be through making love coupons or vouchers. These<br> can contain promises that range from the mundane to the downright<br> sexy, all depending on your willingness to do things for your love.<br> Make a large heart from construction paper, attach as many coupons<br> as you're willing to give. Some examples include:<p> * This voucher is good for one week of dish washing by me, no<br> questions asked.<p> * This voucher is good for guaranteeing one season of your favorite<br> TV show to be shared with me. And a promise that there will be no<br> channel surfing during said show.<p> * This voucher is good for one loving foot massage. To be redeemed<br> any time.<p> * This voucher is good for one massage in a bubble bath. Any time of<br> day or night.<p> * This voucher is good for a long snog in front of a movie of your<br> choice.<p> * This voucher is good for the night of your wildest dreams. To be<br> redeemed when you're in the mood.<p> Exchange cheesy but sweet gifts that remind you of one another, for<br> whatever reason. You can either initiate this yourself, or suggest<br> it as a Valentine's tradition for the two of you. The item should be<br> very affordable, and recall some experience that the two of you have<br> had together. Make a nice card that explains the gift but don't be<br> too cheesy in what you write. For example:<p> * A cheap plastic snow globe with two hearts inside. Write that it<br> reminds you of the night when she fell in the snow, and that when<br> you came to pick her up, you couldn't help noticing how adorable<br> she looked surrounded by snow.<p> * A plastic surfboard keyring. Write that it reminds you of the<br> month the two of you spent surfing in Bali and how it was there<br> that you realized you wanted to surf the rest of your life with<br> him.<p> * A brooch featuring a computer and mouse. Write that it is a<br> reminder of how the two of you met online and how you'll never<br> forget the beauty of her first smile by video chat.<p> Give time. Giving time is the ultimate romantic gesture. It will<br> mean a great deal if you're usually stretched for time and you<br> choose to give up the whole day to spend with your beloved, doing<br> things together that have nothing to do with work, raising a family,<br> paying bills, etc. Banish the mundane and just allow the day to be<br> about the two of you together. As part of this, be thoroughly<br> attentive, listen, and take the chance to share dreams and hopes for<br> the future, including renewing dreams that might have been taken for<br> granted over time.<p> * If you can, find babysitters for the kids so that you're truly<br> alone. If not, let the kids know that this is a day for "mom and<br> dad" and get them helping in making it special.<p> How about a romantic picnic on the carpet? Create a special evening<br> at home together. Make a meal in which you go to extra trouble. It<br> doesn't have to be expensive food; just spend time making it more<br> complicated and interesting than the usual daily meals. Look online<br> for recipe ideas to help you turn ordinary ingredients into something<br> fabulous. If you're going to watch a special DVD together, be sure to<br> make some tasty popcorn to share.<p> * Spell "I love you" on the plate using food! Use your beloved's<br> favorite food if you can.<p> * Make a love heart pizza.<p> * Playing boardgames is another entertaining option for passing the<br> evening in fun rivalry. Or, set up a video or online game that the<br> two of you can get deeply involved in, provided both of you really<br> enjoy such games.<p> Stargaze. Put on warm clothes and step out to check out the night<br> sky. If you have to travel, add picnic rugs, a thermos of warm<br> drink, some snack bars, and a full tank of fuel. Find somewhere on<br> the city outskirts where the sky is clear. Take along a star chart<br> and look for stars that you know. Choose a star just for the two of<br> you and make a promise to look for it every Valentine's Day. <br> <p> Be spontaneous. Do the unexpected and thrill your beloved. Secretly<br> learn a few dance moves and surprise her by taking out to dance.<br> Memorize his favorite poem and recite it after dinner, then present<br> him with a rose you've grown yourself. Make it appear as if the two<br> of you are set to have a movie night in, then suddenly gasp: "Oh my!<br> We mustn't miss ......" And drag her out the door to see the sun<br> set, watch a movie, listen to a visiting band, or whatever else you<br> think is most appropriate. <p> Take a walk down memory lane together. Take your beloved to<br> somewhere they told you was special to them as a child. Spend time<br> walking around it and asking questions about their feelings. Explain<br> that it might not be the same as when your beloved was young but<br> that now your beloved has two memories of the special place – one<br> without you and one with you. Be sure to take a photo of the two of<br> you there!<p> * Another way of remembering the past is to dig out old photos and<br> go through them together. Look at photos from both your childhood<br> times and your times together. It's great to have an excuse to<br> enjoy all those photos that get stowed away and forgotten about!<p> * Say "I love you". It doesn't cost anything but it says<br> and means a great deal. Don't be shy; say it a lot during the day.<br> Tell your love how you really feel. He or she will appreciate your<br> honesty and it will mean more than any gift could.<p>!! Video !!<p>!! Tips !!<p> * Whatever you do, put all of you into it. It always shows.<p> * If you're not positive it's going to be a hit, scrap the idea.<br> Nothing worse than a guess on the day of love.<p> * Ask someone to help you make your idea better, by going over it<br> with you or helping out in making it come true.<p>!! Warnings !!<p> * There's a difference between cute cheesy, and _way_ too cheesy.<br> It's a fine line. Don't cross it.<p> * Turn off your cell phone so that you can't be tempted to be<br> interrupted. This might also require turning off your computer if<br> you're spending the evening at home together.<p> * If you're still worried that your love would rather an expensive<br> gift over your kind words and deeds, bear in mind that no gift can<br> replace honest expressions of love and a gift that tries to excuse<br> lack of loving gestures through the rest of the year can never<br> hope to make up for such neglect.<p>!! Things You'll Need !!<p> * Time to spend together<p> * Small tokens<p> * Ingredients for a meal<p> * Photo albums<p> * Craft materials to make cards and gifts<p>!! Related WikiHows !!<p> * How to Write a Love Letter<p> * How to Make Cards for Valentines Day<p> * How to Make a Cool and Unique Valentines Day Box<p> * How to Make Valentine's Day More Meaningful<p> * How to Create a Collage As Birthday or Valentine Card<p> * How to Celebrate Valentine's Day<p>!! Article Tools !!<p> * Read on wikiHow<p> * Discusstahishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543904127914150009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1228709305826114442.post-10228854059902420862011-02-11T12:16:00.000-08:002011-02-11T12:14:56.894-08:00How to Make Valentine's Day Special on a BudgetHow to Make Valentine's Day Special on a Budget<p> <p> Love with diamonds and a five star meal is neither a necessity nor<br> necessarily a meaningful expression of love for Valentine's Day.<br> Having the means to pay for expensive gifts and experiences does not<br> relieve the giver from expressing love personally, nor does it<br> relieve the recipient from returning such love personally.<p>If you're worried that your funds can't stretch far enough to give<br>your beloved a Valentine's Day to remember, realize that the best<br>experience on Valentine's Day is having your partner come away from it<br>with the absolute knowledge that they're loved, cared about, and<br>wanted. Save your money and still have a great Valentine's Day.<p>!! Steps !!<p> Avoid equating love with consumption. It's easy to get bogged down<br> in the buying frenzy surrounding Valentine's Day, as retailers vie<br> to rake in some decent profits from romance-inspired lovers. Love<br> isn't about what you give in goods though; it's about what you give<br> by way of time, attention, and acknowledgment of the other person.<br> And none of those can be purchased. Once you view Valentine's Day<br> from the perspective of it being about acknowledging and celebrating<br> your love by spending time together, it's easier to realize that a<br> budget Valentine is still a perfect date opportunity. <p> Minimize rather than do without. One of the tricks to saving money<br> on Valentine's Day is to still indulge in some of the traditional<br> Valentine's accessories but to reduce them. For example, instead<br> giving her a dozen red roses, give her one, held in your teeth, and<br> accompanied by your best impression of a Spanish dancer. Or, give<br> him a special brand of chocolate bar instead of a whole box of<br> expensive chocolates. In this way, you can still participate in the<br> essence of Valentine's Day but spend very little. <p> Make your own. A homemade card is always more meaningful than a<br> purchased one. It says not only what you write in it but also "I<br> took the time to make this because I care enough about you to give<br> that time." As far as mementos go, it's likely the card will be kept<br> for many years to come! Other things can be made too, for gifts.<br> Draw on your own skills when making gifts; for example, if you're a<br> keen gardener, give something from the garden; if you're a keen<br> cook, make something delectable; if you're a keen outdoor<br> enthusiast, give a fully guided nature walk or a lesson in your<br> favorite sport. <p> Think of something you can do for your love. An excellent way to<br> show your love can be through making love coupons or vouchers. These<br> can contain promises that range from the mundane to the downright<br> sexy, all depending on your willingness to do things for your love.<br> Make a large heart from construction paper, attach as many coupons<br> as you're willing to give. Some examples include:<p> * This voucher is good for one week of dish washing by me, no<br> questions asked.<p> * This voucher is good for guaranteeing one season of your favorite<br> TV show to be shared with me. And a promise that there will be no<br> channel surfing during said show.<p> * This voucher is good for one loving foot massage. To be redeemed<br> any time.<p> * This voucher is good for one massage in a bubble bath. Any time of<br> day or night.<p> * This voucher is good for a long snog in front of a movie of your<br> choice.<p> * This voucher is good for the night of your wildest dreams. To be<br> redeemed when you're in the mood.<p> Exchange cheesy but sweet gifts that remind you of one another, for<br> whatever reason. You can either initiate this yourself, or suggest<br> it as a Valentine's tradition for the two of you. The item should be<br> very affordable, and recall some experience that the two of you have<br> had together. Make a nice card that explains the gift but don't be<br> too cheesy in what you write. For example:<p> * A cheap plastic snow globe with two hearts inside. Write that it<br> reminds you of the night when she fell in the snow, and that when<br> you came to pick her up, you couldn't help noticing how adorable<br> she looked surrounded by snow.<p> * A plastic surfboard keyring. Write that it reminds you of the<br> month the two of you spent surfing in Bali and how it was there<br> that you realized you wanted to surf the rest of your life with<br> him.<p> * A brooch featuring a computer and mouse. Write that it is a<br> reminder of how the two of you met online and how you'll never<br> forget the beauty of her first smile by video chat.<p> Give time. Giving time is the ultimate romantic gesture. It will<br> mean a great deal if you're usually stretched for time and you<br> choose to give up the whole day to spend with your beloved, doing<br> things together that have nothing to do with work, raising a family,<br> paying bills, etc. Banish the mundane and just allow the day to be<br> about the two of you together. As part of this, be thoroughly<br> attentive, listen, and take the chance to share dreams and hopes for<br> the future, including renewing dreams that might have been taken for<br> granted over time.<p> * If you can, find babysitters for the kids so that you're truly<br> alone. If not, let the kids know that this is a day for "mom and<br> dad" and get them helping in making it special.<p> How about a romantic picnic on the carpet? Create a special evening<br> at home together. Make a meal in which you go to extra trouble. It<br> doesn't have to be expensive food; just spend time making it more<br> complicated and interesting than the usual daily meals. Look online<br> for recipe ideas to help you turn ordinary ingredients into something<br> fabulous. If you're going to watch a special DVD together, be sure to<br> make some tasty popcorn to share.<p> * Spell "I love you" on the plate using food! Use your beloved's<br> favorite food if you can.<p> * Make a love heart pizza.<p> * Playing boardgames is another entertaining option for passing the<br> evening in fun rivalry. Or, set up a video or online game that the<br> two of you can get deeply involved in, provided both of you really<br> enjoy such games.<p> Stargaze. Put on warm clothes and step out to check out the night<br> sky. If you have to travel, add picnic rugs, a thermos of warm<br> drink, some snack bars, and a full tank of fuel. Find somewhere on<br> the city outskirts where the sky is clear. Take along a star chart<br> and look for stars that you know. Choose a star just for the two of<br> you and make a promise to look for it every Valentine's Day. <br> <p> Be spontaneous. Do the unexpected and thrill your beloved. Secretly<br> learn a few dance moves and surprise her by taking out to dance.<br> Memorize his favorite poem and recite it after dinner, then present<br> him with a rose you've grown yourself. Make it appear as if the two<br> of you are set to have a movie night in, then suddenly gasp: "Oh my!<br> We mustn't miss ......" And drag her out the door to see the sun<br> set, watch a movie, listen to a visiting band, or whatever else you<br> think is most appropriate. <p> Take a walk down memory lane together. Take your beloved to<br> somewhere they told you was special to them as a child. Spend time<br> walking around it and asking questions about their feelings. Explain<br> that it might not be the same as when your beloved was young but<br> that now your beloved has two memories of the special place – one<br> without you and one with you. Be sure to take a photo of the two of<br> you there!<p> * Another way of remembering the past is to dig out old photos and<br> go through them together. Look at photos from both your childhood<br> times and your times together. It's great to have an excuse to<br> enjoy all those photos that get stowed away and forgotten about!<p> * Say "I love you". It doesn't cost anything but it says<br> and means a great deal. Don't be shy; say it a lot during the day.<br> Tell your love how you really feel. He or she will appreciate your<br> honesty and it will mean more than any gift could.<p>!! Video !!<p>!! Tips !!<p> * Whatever you do, put all of you into it. It always shows.<p> * If you're not positive it's going to be a hit, scrap the idea.<br> Nothing worse than a guess on the day of love.<p> * Ask someone to help you make your idea better, by going over it<br> with you or helping out in making it come true.<p>!! Warnings !!<p> * There's a difference between cute cheesy, and _way_ too cheesy.<br> It's a fine line. Don't cross it.<p> * Turn off your cell phone so that you can't be tempted to be<br> interrupted. This might also require turning off your computer if<br> you're spending the evening at home together.<p> * If you're still worried that your love would rather an expensive<br> gift over your kind words and deeds, bear in mind that no gift can<br> replace honest expressions of love and a gift that tries to excuse<br> lack of loving gestures through the rest of the year can never<br> hope to make up for such neglect.<p>!! Things You'll Need !!<p> * Time to spend together<p> * Small tokens<p> * Ingredients for a meal<p> * Photo albums<p> * Craft materials to make cards and gifts<p>!! Related WikiHows !!<p> * How to Write a Love Letter<p> * How to Make Cards for Valentines Day<p> * How to Make a Cool and Unique Valentines Day Box<p> * How to Make Valentine's Day More Meaningful<p> * How to Create a Collage As Birthday or Valentine Card<p> * How to Celebrate Valentine's Day<p>!! Article Tools !!<p> * Read on wikiHow<p> * Discusstahishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543904127914150009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1228709305826114442.post-71806788235273243022011-02-11T06:53:00.000-08:002011-02-11T06:55:47.319-08:00How to Have a Happy, Healthy and Spiritually Fulfilled Old AgeHow to Have a Happy, Healthy and Spiritually Fulfilled Old Age<p> <p> Old age is not something society tends to view in a glowing and<br> positive way most of the time; much of the advice concerning old age<br> is about trying not to reach it and pretending that old age is<br> something that won't ever catch up with us.<p>But old age is a time to be celebrated as much as any other time in<br>the full cycle of life and it's a time when we can find deep<br>self-fulfillment and happiness. For many people, it's the first time<br>in their lives where they have the chance to fully live without being<br>burdened by the expectations and ideas of others who have impacted<br>them throughout life. Yet, it's crucial that you don't confuse<br>self-realization with the mere acting out of external needs, for such<br>needs are short-term and lack deep fulfillment. To be truly happy in<br>the depths of your soul, inner happiness must be cultivated too and it<br>is never too late to learn how.<p>!! Steps !!<p> * Don't conform to age stereotypes. If you enjoy something, get out<br> and do it. If health problems interfere, find ways to work around<br> them and still get into the things that matter to you. Associate<br> with groups of diverse people, not all in your age group. Don't<br> think of your life as over, look at your future and plan for it<br> actively. Socializing with young people who share your interests<br> is a good way to keep in balance and avoid getting socially<br> sidelined.<p> Practice the five principles of health. It might be tempting to say<br> you've reached this point of life without worrying about your health<br> habits but your best strategy for avoiding lengthy hospital stays,<br> autonomy-sapping medical care, and bossy nursing home regimes is to<br> look after yourself as much as possible. Treasure the health you<br> have now and give it a boost by making sure that you stick the five<br> basic principles of health:<p> * Eat healthy. This includes eating raw vegetables and fruit every<br> day.<p> * Avoid or quit unhealthy substances and habits. If you haven't<br> already done so, now is the ideal time to give up taking drugs,<br> excess alcohol, smoking, and over-eating.<p> * Stay active. There are plenty of sports ideal for the older body,<br> and many of these can also involve being around other people (and<br> beautiful scenery if you choose your exercising location well).<br> Try sports like walking, jogging, swimming, yoga, and aqua<br> aerobics to maintain an optimal fitness level.<p> * Practice positive thinking.<p> * Take up meditation. If you're not already meditating, this is the<br> perfect time to start. It will settle your mind and any unrest<br> like nothing else.<p> Aim to be active every day for at least half an hour or one hour. Go<br> walking, jogging, swimming, cycling or do intensive yoga. Visit a<br> health center or have an exercise bike in the comfort of your own<br> place. It could be said that if you sweat once a day, the illness<br> keeps away! <p> Cultivate happiness. In old age, inner happiness must be cultivated.<br> Old age often brings energy loss, disease, a sense of<br> meaninglessness, and worry about external problems over which you<br> have no control. When the nerves are getting weaker, inner<br> positivity is at great risk of declining. In old age, it's necessary<br> to make an effort to cultivate happiness through everyday exercises<br> that can maintain both physical health and strengthen your inner<br> happiness. Make the choice to stay involved with your continued<br> growth rather than giving in to socially condoned decline. <p> Read a spiritual book for one hour each day.There are many good<br> books who can inspire you on your way of inner happiness, all you<br> need to do is choose the ones that align with your own<br> interpretation of spirituality. Reading is the best trainer for<br> maintaining a positive mind and for answering many of your probing<br> questions, and is also a perfect means for controlling your negative<br> thoughts. Being exposed to spiritual writing and passages on a daily<br> basis is uplifting and helps you to continue to hone your sense of<br> purpose. Look for the positive sentences and learn them by heart, or<br> at least say them over to yourself several times. And make a deal<br> with yourself to start every day with a positive vision. <p> Practice yoga and meditation every day for one hour. Awaken your<br> enlightenment energy through meditation. A calm mind is a positive<br> mind, and using yoga and meditation to self calm whenever you feel<br> doubt or unhappiness is an ideal practice. If yoga doesn't work for<br> you, keep looking to find the spiritual exercise which is helpful<br> for you. And be sure to practice daily: You can have every positive<br> religion or philosophy you want, but you must practice it to get the<br> bliss. <p> Have a hobby. Life has purpose when you make choices about the<br> things you want to do and then do them. A hobby is an excellent way<br> to remain fulfilled and interested in what is happening around you.<br> Inevitably, a hobby will always provide a way to reach out to others<br> who are interested in the same hobby as you, thereby increasing your<br> fulfillment through interaction with other people. It doesn't matter<br> what sort of hobby you have provided it is enjoyable, affordable,<br> and is practiced with restraint. <p> Spend time with friends. You can find friends on the internet, in<br> collaborative projects like wikiHow, in spiritual associations, in<br> social organizations, and through volunteer work. It's a good idea<br> to meet up regularly with one or more people so that you connect and<br> feel part of a greater whole. Spend good times together and speak up<br> if you're not enjoying what you're doing. The time for putting up<br> with things is long gone.<p> * If people pretend to be your friends and hurt you, wish them the<br> best and part ways. There is a time and a place for trying to mend<br> things with people but as you grow older, there is less time and a<br> need for faster acceptance that some relationships are simply not<br> meant to be. Don't sweat it; find the people who fill you with joy<br> and happiness and spend more time with them<p> Love an animal. If you like pets, be sure to have one. The love,<br> comfort, and connection with a pet is as important to you in old age<br> as it was to you at any age. Animals don't judge us the way people<br> too, and animals don't care what our age is provided we ensure<br> they're well fed, groomed, and loved. Choose a pet that is easy to<br> care for and can be handled by you without a worry. <p> Consider doing positive things for others. This can be a time of<br> life where you're more than happy to give back to others, and you<br> also have the free time to do so. Volunteering, teaching, or guiding<br> can be good ways to pass on your experience, knowledge, and skills<br> to others and in return, you continue to connect with people and to<br> receive the joy of knowing that you are helping others to learn. A<br> part of you will always live on in every person you help and teach,<br> so do good and live in the energy of love.<p> * In doing good for others, you become the mother or father of the<br> world, not just of the children you have parented. This extended<br> family is a privilege of old age, and as your wisdom is treasured<br> by many others, your mind will change into love.<p> Learn to stop fearing dying. Your spiritual exercises are a very<br> important means for helping you to break through the fears and<br> worries that you may hold about death and letting go. Meditation and<br> chanting mantras can also be a source of great comfort. Realize that<br> after your death, you will earn the great benefit of your spiritual<br> old age. You will move into a dimension of light, peace, and love.<br> Even if you don't believe in a life after death, the comfort to be<br> obtained from viewing death spiritually, as a cycle, and accepting<br> it as what is meant to be, will be great. <p> Motivate yourself every day. In old age, thinking can easily become<br> negative because ways are set and change becomes something to be<br> loathed. Yet, giving up is worse than dying; never wanting to learn<br> another thing, never wanting to change another thing allows decay to<br> set in and your old age will lack harmony and purpose. While it's<br> not easy to motivate yourself to exercise each day, to practice your<br> spiritual reading and meditations, and to find the will to cook<br> healthily, these are important sources of re-energizing yourself and<br> of helping you to cope with the changes of life. To help you get<br> motivated, find a helpful phrase that will energize you and cause<br> you to react positively.<p> * What is your helpful phrase? Every day, find a way to re-energize<br> the power to live a positive life. Start the day with spiritual<br> music, a word of a spiritual master or a spiritual exercise like<br> yoga with positive thinking.<p>!! Video !!<p>!! Tips !!<p> * One day a yogi held a lecture about positive thinking in a senior<br> center. Most of the older people were very negative. But two of<br> them were happy and positive. He asked them for their secret. The<br> positive old lady did three hours of spiritual exercises every<br> day. She meditated, read in a spiritual book and walked for one<br> hour. She said, that her spiritual exercises helped her stay<br> positive to go through difficult times. The positive old man<br> organized positive activities for his old fellow people. That made<br> him feel positive. He lived as a karma-yogi and got therefore<br> love, happiness and a deeper sense in his life. The simple moral<br> of the story is that staying active and thinking about the many<br> more possibilities life still has to share with you are great<br> motivators in keeping positive.<p> * Swami Sivananda[1] [1] taught, "Sadhana is any spiritual practice<br> that helps people to realize themselves. Sadhana is the highest<br> wealth. It is the only thing that has lasting value."<p>!! Warnings !!<p> * Making a choice to "be old" is the most debilitating thing that<br> you can do to yourself. Our body may age but our mind can continue<br> to remain sharp and alert should we choose to care for it and<br> believe in our own ability to stay fit, agile, and connected.<p>!! Related WikiHows !!<p> * How to Control Diseases in Healthy Aging<p> * How to Be a Karma Yogi (Religion of Love)<p> * How to Be a Yogi<p> * How to Do Yoga and Positive Thinking<p> * How to Do the Ten Ethic Principles of Patanjali (Yoga Sutra)<p> * How to Do Yoga Walking<p> * How to Overcome Pain and Grief With Positive Thinking, Yoga and<br> Meditation<p> * How to Overcome Loneliness Through Meditation and Positive<br> Thinking<p> * How to Do Your Part to Save the World<p> * How to Do the Sermon on the Mount (from the Perspective of<br> Enlightenment)<p> * How to Find Scientific Proof of God<p> * How to Argue for a Life After Death<p> * How to Practice the Five Principles of Health<p> * How to Play With an Angel Oracle<p>!! Sources And Citations !!<p> * <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Age">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Age</a><p>!! Article Tools !!<p> * Read on wikiHow<p> * <p>Links:<br>------<br>[1] <a href="http://www.bemoreconfident.info/#_note-0">http://www.bemoreconfident.info/#_note-0</a>tahishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543904127914150009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1228709305826114442.post-24120041847139954532011-02-11T05:45:00.001-08:002011-02-11T05:45:02.007-08:00Working with Lazy People - Motivating idle colleaguesWorking with Lazy People - Motivating idle colleagues<p>Do you work with a lazy or poor performing colleague? Instead of<br>shouldering their workload as well as your own, learn how to get them<br>to do their work.tahishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543904127914150009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1228709305826114442.post-80567860156020789202011-02-11T00:25:00.003-08:002011-02-11T00:25:43.924-08:00How to Win a Gotcha WarHow to Win a Gotcha War<p> <p> A "Gotcha War" involves having an argument with someone who is<br> taking out their anger on you in order to minimize or avoid their<br> own inner uncertainties and fears. For the other person, it's easier<br> to identify you as the problem and to take out their frustrations on<br> you rather than accepting that the real issue resides within their<br> own inability to confront the problem. A Gotcha War argument tends<br> to leave you feeling stupid or crazed, despite the fact that you're<br> more in the right than the person arguing with you.<p>Those particularly adept at "winning" the Gotcha War argument include<br>adolescents, control freaks, and addicts, all people who can suffer a<br>fair amount of uncertainty and fear about where their lives are<br>headed. It is possible to extricate yourself from such an argument<br>though, and you win when you prevent your emotions from controlling<br>your response. Here's what to do to win a Gotcha War.<p>!! Steps !!<p> Learn to identify when you're being drawn into a Gotcha War. You<br> might not be sure what is happening, but you know you're getting more<br> and more emotional and a bit crazed. Or you might find yourself<br> trying to say "No" when the other person only wants to hear a "Yes"<br> and you're beginning to feel uncertain that your insistence is<br> correct. Such an argument usually occurs when someone wants you to do<br> something you don't want to do. A large part of the problem is that<br> the person arguing with you plays on your shortcomings and enlarges<br> them; while you're well aware that they're exaggerating things all<br> out of proportion, there is just enough truth in what they're saying<br> to make you feel defensive and want to retaliate because you hate<br> feeling persecuted like this, or being made out to look like a fool.<br> You'll know that you're entrenched in a Gotcha War when you feel<br> uncertain about being right (even though you were right) and guilty<br> or angry wrong for responding in the way that you did. The following<br> illustration details the progression of a Gotcha War: <p> Know who is most likely to draw you into a Gotcha War and for what<br> sorts of reasons. Examples of common situations where you may feel<br> pressured include: <p> * A teen wants you to permit some behavior you don't want to permit<br> such as buying beer for a party of his underage friends.<p> * A date or friend wants you to drink more than you want to drink.<p> * A mate wants you to spend money you think is sensible.<p> * An addict wants you to support his or her habit.<p> Put a stop to the argument. As soon as you realize you're being<br> drawn into a Gotcha War, stop trying to convince the other person<br> you're in the right. It may feel as if you're denying yourself the<br> chance to set things straight, but bear with it; withdrawing to<br> minimal responses is the best approach.<p> * Read How to take a feeling temperature for how to check your<br> feelings. It's important to calm yourself, soothe your feelings,<br> and to avoid being wound up any further.<p> * Realize that this is about _them_ not about you. _They_ need to<br> let off steam; you just happen to be the current target who needs<br> to remain stalwart. Stay calm and polite throughout the remainder<br> of the encounter.<p> Watch your body language signals! Be aware of your posture and body<br> language. You want to be both strong and relaxed.<p> * Keep your shoulders pulled down.<p> * Do not make fists.<p> * Keep your face calm by making sure you don't pull your eyebrows<br> together; keep your eyes open wide, your teeth unclenched, and<br> your jaw relaxed.<p> Respond as little as possible to anything the other person says.<br> Soften your facial features and look at the other person as if to<br> say "I know where this is headed and I'm not falling for it but I<br> respect your need to vent." In other words, look as compassionate<br> as you can - bemused, surprised, tolerant are words to keep in<br> mind. The following responses are minimal responses: <p> * Nodding your head. If the other person has come back at you for<br> the way you're now looking at them, shake your head briefly and<br> appear even more compassionate.<p> * Shrugging your shoulders. This indicates letting go of the<br> challenge they're presenting to you.<p> * Saying "huhuh" or "mmmmmm." These are suitable<br> non-confrontational, non-confirming replies to aggressive<br> questions.<p> * Informing them: "I hear what you are saying."<p> Maintain the minimal response approach. If asked a direct<br> question, continue to make minimal responses. For example, "Can I<br> go to the party?" could be responded to with either: <p> * "Yes" if you agree.<p> * "No" if you don't agree.<p> * If a simple "Yes" or "No" isn't working, try "You want me to do<br> _____ but I can't/won't."<p> Wait for the conclusion. There are several things that may happen:<br> <p> * If the person is running out of steam, that's a sign the war is<br> ending. Either remain quiet and let them have the last word or<br> ask: "Is there something else you need from me?"<p> * If the other person is heating up and getting angrier, suggest a<br> time out to think things over.<p> * Let go of it. When the war is obviously over, do not refer to it<br> again. It's over and done with. And they'll have learned that you<br> won't allow yourself to be wound up in this manner again.<p>!! Tips !!<p>Use self soothing tools: <p> * Calming breaths<p> * Soothing self talk<p> * Thinking of a safe place.<p> * Create and use an anger feeling thermometer to help you<br> decide if you need to ask for a time out.<p>!! Warnings !!<p> * Most Gotcha War players are not violent, but if you're dealing<br> with a person who is prone to violence and that means has acted<br> violently in the past, be alert to signs that their anger is<br> growing.<p> * If you are worried about being physically hurt, suggest a time<br> out. Say "I need time to think about what you are asking. Right<br> now our arguing is making it hard for me to think."<p> * If the other person does not agree, say, "I'm going out, I'm<br> afraid either one of us might get so angry we'll do something we<br> regret. I want to solve this but right now we're just going in<br> circles.<p> * When dealing with someone who is violent prone, counseling is a<br> must. Your safety depends on it. And be sure to exit immediately,<br> for your safety.<p>!! Things You'll Need !!<p> * Patience<p> * Emotional strength<p>!! Related WikiHows !!<p> * How to Meditate in One Minute<p> * How to Take a Feeling Temperature<p>!! Sources And Citations !!<p> * Original source of article, Emotional Fitness Training,<br> <a href="http://emotionalfitnesstraining.com/2011/01/25/parenting-22/">http://emotionalfitnesstraining.com/2011/01/25/parenting-22/</a>.<br> Material used with permission.<p>!! Article Tools !!<p> * Read on wikiHow<p> *tahishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543904127914150009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1228709305826114442.post-4934306241719503862011-02-11T00:25:00.001-08:002011-02-11T00:25:34.232-08:00How to Win a Gotcha WarHow to Win a Gotcha War<p> <p> A "Gotcha War" involves having an argument with someone who is<br> taking out their anger on you in order to minimize or avoid their<br> own inner uncertainties and fears. For the other person, it's easier<br> to identify you as the problem and to take out their frustrations on<br> you rather than accepting that the real issue resides within their<br> own inability to confront the problem. A Gotcha War argument tends<br> to leave you feeling stupid or crazed, despite the fact that you're<br> more in the right than the person arguing with you.<p>Those particularly adept at "winning" the Gotcha War argument include<br>adolescents, control freaks, and addicts, all people who can suffer a<br>fair amount of uncertainty and fear about where their lives are<br>headed. It is possible to extricate yourself from such an argument<br>though, and you win when you prevent your emotions from controlling<br>your response. Here's what to do to win a Gotcha War.<p>!! Steps !!<p> Learn to identify when you're being drawn into a Gotcha War. You<br> might not be sure what is happening, but you know you're getting more<br> and more emotional and a bit crazed. Or you might find yourself<br> trying to say "No" when the other person only wants to hear a "Yes"<br> and you're beginning to feel uncertain that your insistence is<br> correct. Such an argument usually occurs when someone wants you to do<br> something you don't want to do. A large part of the problem is that<br> the person arguing with you plays on your shortcomings and enlarges<br> them; while you're well aware that they're exaggerating things all<br> out of proportion, there is just enough truth in what they're saying<br> to make you feel defensive and want to retaliate because you hate<br> feeling persecuted like this, or being made out to look like a fool.<br> You'll know that you're entrenched in a Gotcha War when you feel<br> uncertain about being right (even though you were right) and guilty<br> or angry wrong for responding in the way that you did. The following<br> illustration details the progression of a Gotcha War: <p> Know who is most likely to draw you into a Gotcha War and for what<br> sorts of reasons. Examples of common situations where you may feel<br> pressured include: <p> * A teen wants you to permit some behavior you don't want to permit<br> such as buying beer for a party of his underage friends.<p> * A date or friend wants you to drink more than you want to drink.<p> * A mate wants you to spend money you think is sensible.<p> * An addict wants you to support his or her habit.<p> Put a stop to the argument. As soon as you realize you're being<br> drawn into a Gotcha War, stop trying to convince the other person<br> you're in the right. It may feel as if you're denying yourself the<br> chance to set things straight, but bear with it; withdrawing to<br> minimal responses is the best approach.<p> * Read How to take a feeling temperature for how to check your<br> feelings. It's important to calm yourself, soothe your feelings,<br> and to avoid being wound up any further.<p> * Realize that this is about _them_ not about you. _They_ need to<br> let off steam; you just happen to be the current target who needs<br> to remain stalwart. Stay calm and polite throughout the remainder<br> of the encounter.<p> Watch your body language signals! Be aware of your posture and body<br> language. You want to be both strong and relaxed.<p> * Keep your shoulders pulled down.<p> * Do not make fists.<p> * Keep your face calm by making sure you don't pull your eyebrows<br> together; keep your eyes open wide, your teeth unclenched, and<br> your jaw relaxed.<p> Respond as little as possible to anything the other person says.<br> Soften your facial features and look at the other person as if to<br> say "I know where this is headed and I'm not falling for it but I<br> respect your need to vent." In other words, look as compassionate<br> as you can - bemused, surprised, tolerant are words to keep in<br> mind. The following responses are minimal responses: <p> * Nodding your head. If the other person has come back at you for<br> the way you're now looking at them, shake your head briefly and<br> appear even more compassionate.<p> * Shrugging your shoulders. This indicates letting go of the<br> challenge they're presenting to you.<p> * Saying "huhuh" or "mmmmmm." These are suitable<br> non-confrontational, non-confirming replies to aggressive<br> questions.<p> * Informing them: "I hear what you are saying."<p> Maintain the minimal response approach. If asked a direct<br> question, continue to make minimal responses. For example, "Can I<br> go to the party?" could be responded to with either: <p> * "Yes" if you agree.<p> * "No" if you don't agree.<p> * If a simple "Yes" or "No" isn't working, try "You want me to do<br> _____ but I can't/won't."<p> Wait for the conclusion. There are several things that may happen:<br> <p> * If the person is running out of steam, that's a sign the war is<br> ending. Either remain quiet and let them have the last word or<br> ask: "Is there something else you need from me?"<p> * If the other person is heating up and getting angrier, suggest a<br> time out to think things over.<p> * Let go of it. When the war is obviously over, do not refer to it<br> again. It's over and done with. And they'll have learned that you<br> won't allow yourself to be wound up in this manner again.<p>!! Tips !!<p>Use self soothing tools: <p> * Calming breaths<p> * Soothing self talk<p> * Thinking of a safe place.<p> * Create and use an anger feeling thermometer to help you<br> decide if you need to ask for a time out.<p>!! Warnings !!<p> * Most Gotcha War players are not violent, but if you're dealing<br> with a person who is prone to violence and that means has acted<br> violently in the past, be alert to signs that their anger is<br> growing.<p> * If you are worried about being physically hurt, suggest a time<br> out. Say "I need time to think about what you are asking. Right<br> now our arguing is making it hard for me to think."<p> * If the other person does not agree, say, "I'm going out, I'm<br> afraid either one of us might get so angry we'll do something we<br> regret. I want to solve this but right now we're just going in<br> circles.<p> * When dealing with someone who is violent prone, counseling is a<br> must. Your safety depends on it. And be sure to exit immediately,<br> for your safety.<p>!! Things You'll Need !!<p> * Patience<p> * Emotional strength<p>!! Related WikiHows !!<p> * How to Meditate in One Minute<p> * How to Take a Feeling Temperature<p>!! Sources And Citations !!<p> * Original source of article, Emotional Fitness Training,<br> <a href="http://emotionalfitnesstraining.com/2011/01/25/parenting-22/">http://emotionalfitnesstraining.com/2011/01/25/parenting-22/</a>.<br> Material used with permission.<p>!! Article Tools !!<p> * Read on wikiHow<p> *tahishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543904127914150009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1228709305826114442.post-67571845065373483302011-02-10T16:16:00.000-08:002011-02-10T16:13:52.719-08:00How to Make a Small Tabletop Light ReflectorHow to Make a Small Tabletop Light Reflector<p> A small reflector would be helpful for photographing food<br> like this If you do tabletop photography for your blog,<br> website, portfolio, or other work, you might need a light<br> reflector that doesn't take up half the room. This article<br> will teach you how to make a very small table top reflector<br> that is easy to move and put away when not in use. <p>!! Steps !!<p> Things You'll Need Gather together the things you'll need. You'll<br> need a piece of cardboard of a decent size, reflective material and<br> tape. There's no need to go looking for expensive reflective material<br> – as you can see from the photos in this tutorial, a cleaned-up<br> potato chip packet was recycled as reflective material. <p> * Spread out the reflective material on the workspace. Face the<br> reflective side away from you.<br> Reflector in progress Put the cardboard on top of the<br> reflective material. Center it so that what is taped<br> isn't too bulky on one side or the other.<p> * Tape the long sides down.<p> * Cut the corners at an angle Cut the corners of the<br> reflective material at an angle. This will help it tape flatter<br> when you tape it completely.<p> * Be sure that everything is taped in the back.<p> * Reflector supported by a can Stand the reflector up.<br> Obviously, it won't stand up by itself, so find something sturdy<br> to prop it up against that is able to be hidden behind the<br> reflector. It's now ready to be used in your tabletop photography<br> projects.<p>!! Video !!<p>!! Tips !!<p> * This could also be used for shining light back up onto something.<p> * For a different reflective look, wad up the material before taping<br> it.<p> * Keep the reflector in an easy to access place on or near your<br> photography workspace. This will make it easy to retrieve whenever<br> needed, as well as keeping it clean.<p> * If you're concerned about anyone mistaking your homemade reflector<br> for recycling, write what it is on the back of it.<p>!! Things You'll Need !!<p> * Small piece of fairly sturdy cardboard<p> * Tape<p> * Some type of light reflective material; the material used in this<br> article is a cleaned up potato chip bag<p>!! Related WikiHows !!<p> * How to Create a Pringles Can Light Reflector<p> * How to Create an Inexpensive Photography Lightbox<p> * How to Take Photos With a Blacklight<p> * How to Take High Quality Photos in Low Light With a Camera Phone<p> * How to Use Light in Photography<p>!! Article Tools !!<p> * Read on wikiHow<p> *tahishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543904127914150009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1228709305826114442.post-40670494863247374012011-02-10T09:19:00.000-08:002011-02-10T09:18:49.105-08:00How to Set a Trap in the King's Gambit Accepted Opening As WhiteHow to Set a Trap in the King's Gambit Accepted Opening As White<p> The *King's Gambit Accepted* Opening. This line of play is<br> full of potentials for traps and combinations, requiring<br> extra care to play. Here is a famous trap you can set up in<br> the King's Gambit Accepted Opening in Chess while playing as<br> white. This lethal trap may catch the unsuspected player<br> unfamiliar with the King's Gambit opening. <p>!! Steps !!<p> * Set up the board and proceed as outlined in the following steps.<br> Algebraic chess notation is used to explain the moves.<p> 1. e4 e5 e4. Moving the King pawn two spaces forward is the most<br> common move played in professional and amateur chess. It opens up the<br> center as well as the diagonals for White's Queen and King Bishop.<p>*e5*. Moving the King pawn two spaces, for the same reasons above, is<br>the most common move in reply to d4. 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 <br>f4. Moving the King Bishop Pawn two spaces forms the King's Gambit<br>Opening, by offering the pawn for Black's King Pawn. This is an<br>aggressive move in an attempt to dominate the center by trying to get<br>Black's King Pawn away from the center.<p>*exf4*. Accepting the gambit. This move is perfectly fine to play,<br>although caution is needed to avoid traps. 1. e4 e5 2. f4<br>exf4 3. Nf3 d5 Nf3. King Knight move to f3 is one of the best move<br>in the King's Gambit Accepted Variation. The knight move develops an<br>important piece to prepare for kingside attack, and protects the h4<br>square. A more daring move is Bc4, but after 3...Qh4 4. Kf1, White can<br>no longer castle.<p>*d5.* Queen Pawn moving two spaces to open up the center is a daring<br>move forming the "Modern Defense" in the King's Gambit Accepted<br>Variation. Other possible moves here include g5 (protecting the pawn<br>at f4), Nf6 (developing the King Knight), Nc6 (developing the Queen<br>Knight), d6 (more conservative center pawn play), and Be7 (aiming at<br>the h4 square). 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 dxe4 <br> Nc3. Developing the Queen Knight, attacking Black's Queen pawn, and<br>protecting the King pawn. exd5 simply taking the pawn is also<br>plausible here.<p>*dxe4.* Taking the King Pawn. 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3<br>d5 4. Nc3 dxe4 5. Nxe4 Bg4 Nxe4. Taking the pawn back.<p>*Bg4.* Pinning White's King Knight to the Queen. 1. e4 e5<br>2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 dxe4 5. Nxe4 Bg4 6. Qe2 Bxf3 Qe2. The<br>Queen's move sets a trap.<p> *Bxf3?* Taking the Knight with the Bishop, Black falls for the lethal<br> trap. The correct move here is Be7. <p> * 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 dxe4 5. Nxe4 Bg4 6.<br> Qe2 Bxf3 7. Nf6 Nf6. The double check is mate!<p>!! Video !!<p>!! Tips !!<p> * The King's Gambit Opening traditionally has a low percentage of<br> draws in tournament plays. So if you are in the position to try to<br> play for a win, this opening is a good bet.<p>!! Warnings !!<p> * Watch out for this trap! Double checks can be deadly.<p>!! Things You'll Need !!<p> * Chess set<p>!! Related WikiHows !!<p> * How to Read Algebraic Chess Notation<p> * How to Set a Trap in the King's Gambit Declined Opening As Black<p> * How to Do Fool's Mate in Chess<p> * How to Do Scholar's Mate in Chess<p> * How to Do the French Defense Opening in Chess<p> * How to Play Chess<p> * How to Open in Chess<p>!! Article Tools !!<p> * Read on wikiHow<p> * Discusstahishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543904127914150009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1228709305826114442.post-21504697858211242842011-02-10T00:15:00.000-08:002011-02-10T00:16:01.131-08:00How to Cook Like a RomanHow to Cook Like a Roman<p> Roman food and kitchenware Much of Western cooking, and<br> especially Mediterranean cooking, descends from Roman<br> cooking. To cook like a Roman today you need to use only<br> ingredients that were available to the Romans, adapt your<br> cooking techniques somewhat, and learn to combine flavors in<br> ways that may be new to you. <p>!! Steps !!<p> Create a Roman pantry. If possible, set up your food storage so that<br> Roman foods and non-Roman foods are stored on different shelves to<br> make it easier for you. Stock up on the following important Roman<br> staples:<p> * Olives and olive oil. Pliny the Elder sang the virtues of the<br> olive by claiming that: "Except the vine, there is no plant which<br> bears a fruit of as great importance as the olive". Buy "pure"<br> olive oil for cooking and "extra virgin" for flavoring uncooked<br> things;<p> * Honey. Use this instead of sugar. Or, you can also use dates to<br> sweeten dishes;<p> * Chickpeas (also known as "garbanzo beans") and lentils;<p> * Whole grains and whole grain flour such as "emmer", "spelt" or<br> "far" (kinds of wheat) and barley. Emmer and spelt are available<br> in "health food" stores. Emmer is a very ancient variety of wheat<br> and is the most authentic choice for early Roman cooking. Rye was<br> also consumed by the Romans;<p> * Salt;<p> * Vegetables such as radishes, parsnips, carrots, cabbage, leek,<br> endive, celery, globe artichokes, cucumber, marrow, lettuce,<br> onions. pennycress, nettles, asparagus and beets;[1] [1]<p> * Fruit such as grapes, raisins, currants, sultanas, figs, dates,<br> medlar, mulberry, damson, plums, cultivated cherry, apples, pears,<br> crab apple, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, and elder<br> berries;[2] [2]<p> * Many herbs and spices such as oregano, dill, mustard, lovage,<br> rosemary, rue, sage, sweet marjoram, thyme, aniseed, borage, black<br> pepper, poppy seeds, fennel, mint, flat parsley, garlic, and<br> savory;[3] [3]<p> * Nuts include walnut, almond, chestnuts, and stone pine;[4] [4]<p> * Meat in the form of chicken, mutton, or pork (and ham, bacon,<br> sucking pigs) was far more common than beef, although beef was<br> supplied as rations to Roman garrisons in Britain and was much<br> enjoyed in Roman Britain;[5] wild fowl was common, such as duck<br> [5] and goose, and other birds we're less likely to eat nowadays<br> like swan, stork, flamingo, and crane;[6] [6] rabbit, hare, and<br> deer would also have been consumed by Romans;<p> * Fungi (edible mushrooms);<p> * Snails and frogs (the French weren't there first!);<p> * Seafood including many types of fish (eel, perch, pike, carp,<br> etc.), crustaceans, and shellfish was very popular;<p> * Several sauces, including _garum_ (a fish sauce similar to that<br> used in Thai and Vietnamese cooking) or fermented fish sauce<br> (_liquamen_); _oenogarum_ was fish sauce mixed with wine. See<br> "Tips" for how to make your own fish sauce;<p> * Cheese both hard and soft was made by Romans. Ricotta and feta are<br> two very suitable types;<p> * Wine (cooking and drinking) and vinegar. Vinegar added a sharp<br> taste to sauces, preserved fruits, vegetables, and fish. The<br> Romans also brewed beer.[7] [7]<p> Not Roman food... Avoid using the wrong ingredients when cooking<br> Roman style. Some common non-Roman foods that you should not use in<br> authentic Roman dishes are these foods from the Americas: tomatoes,<br> potatoes, chilies, corn (maize). Broccoli is a modern hybrid and<br> pasta (except lasagna) was not known to the Romans. <p> Prepare your kitchen equipment. By the time of the Romans, cooking<br> equipment had become far more complex than previous cooking<br> cultures.[8] Cooking was done over a raised brick hearth with a<br> charcoal [8] fire. While some foods such as meat or fish could be<br> grilled direct on the charcoals, other food had to be cooked in<br> tripod pots over the coals. In addition, it is likely that the<br> Romans used steaming methods. Baking and roasting was also done in<br> an oven using wood or charcoal as fuel.[9] [9] Naturally, your<br> modern day oven and stove will be perfect substitutes. As for your<br> cooking equipment, the extent of the authenticity is up to you but<br> here are some common Roman items and possible substitutes:<p> * Use a good, large mortar and pestle (_mortaria_). This is your<br> Roman style food processor. A marble one is best because it will<br> not pick up flavors from such common ingredients as garlic.<br> Naturally, if you're feeling lazy, the Romans would probably have<br> snapped up food processors in the blink of an eye, so don't<br> hesitate!<p> * Use a pizza stone for baking.<p> * Use a large pot for stews. The Romans used iron cauldrons but<br> there's a good reason we don't tend to anymore – they're<br> _heavy_! A large casserole can also be used as a Roman oven.<p> * Use a frying pan (_fretale_ or _sartago_) for cooking fish and<br> frying vegetables. A _patella_ was used as a slightly deeper<br> frying pan that could also be taken to the table, and the _patina_<br> was an even deeper pan for more complex dishes. Perhaps use such<br> items as paella pans and casserole dishes without lids for<br> substitutes.<p> * Use jugs and pitchers (_amphorae_) for storing and pouring your<br> olive oil, wine, and other liquids. Naturally, a measuring jug is<br> also perfectly acceptable as a modern-day substitute.<p> * Roman knives, strainers, pots, and pans were generally similar to<br> our modern day ones, so it's likely your kitchen is already<br> well-equipped for Roman cooking.<p> Know how to prepare the food. The cooking methods include: baking,<br> roasting, steaming, raw (salads), frying in oil, and heating. Grain<br> could be milled, so flour for baking and sauces is permissible<br> (_amulum_ thickened sauces), as well as ground grain dishes such as<br> porridge and gruel (_puls_ or _pulmentus_). If you're really keen,<br> look for your own flour mill to grind the flour fresh at home.<br> Although extra work, the freshness can make it worth your while.<br> Bread was common but there are different types: _autopyron_ was a<br> slave and dog bread made from mostly bran with a little flour;<br> _athletae_ was unleavened bread mixed with soft curd cheese;<br> _buccellatum_ was the troop's staple dry biscuit; and _artophites_<br> was light leavened bread made from the best flour baked in a<br> mold.[10] [10] <p> Find some recipes. Several ancient writers left collections of<br> recipes, but they are really hard to use. Some good modern<br> interpretations of Roman cookbooks are listed below. Try making some<br> of the following:<p> * Libum (like cheese bread) or moretum (a garlic and vegetable<br> cheese spread) to start.<p> * Cooked mussels, prawn cake, and oyster omelet<p> * Seared fish<p> * Grilled pork chop using a dry method<p> * Cooked chicken<p> * Roman sweet cake and honey cakes.<p> Serve the food. Serving the food was a little different from<br> nowadays, where fingers are relegated to fast food and nibbles,<br> while table food requires the use of modern utensils. In Roman<br> times, eating food with the fingers was far more common and napkins<br> were an essential for wiping dirty fingers. Romans had knives and<br> spoons but they lacked forks.[11] It's up to you how far you wish to<br> live without your fork! Once again, no doubt Romans would have<br> embraced the fork if they'd thought of it first. Spoons [11] were<br> used for sauces and soft food, with a small spoon known as a<br> _cocleare_ used for removing shellfish from shells.[12] [12] It is<br> also likely that larger spoons served as ladles. Solid foods were<br> eaten using the fingers.<p> * Romans had bowls, plates, cups, finger bowls, jugs, goblets, and<br> wine ladles.<p> * Items were typically made from a range of materials including<br> pottery, glass, silver, bronze, iron, pewter, etc. You may wish to<br> research further if you're trying to achieve an authentic table<br> look along with your Roman food.<p> Add the wine. Romans adored their wine, so feel free to add wine to<br> your meal. In Roman times, it was considered bad manners to drink<br> wine undiluted[13] [13] but you might want to ignore than nicety<br> given the care taken in making modern day wines "just right". And<br> the other drink? Water. That makes the choices easy! <p> Hold a Roman banquet. Romans were renowned for banqueting. Once your<br> Roman cooking skills have broadened, consider holding a mini-banquet<br> for your family and friends, to introduce them to the delights and<br> healthy aspects of eating like a Roman.<p> * Bear in mind the presentation was a very important aspect of a<br> successful banquet. Place candelabra on the table, use your best<br> dinnerware, and add some fresh flowers to the dining room<br> (_triclinium_) for beauty.<p> * Romans would often recline to eat, placing three couches around<br> the table.[14] [14] So, you have a good excuse to pull the couches<br> up to a low lying table and to chill out as you enjoy your Roman<br> banquet.<p> * Guests would be expected to bring their own dining napkins with<br> them; at the end of the evening, they'd fill their napkins with<br> leftovers to take home as what you might perceive as a sort of an<br> eco-friendly Tupperware equivalent![15] [15]<p>!! Video !!<p>!! Tips !!<p> * Romans often cooked over charcoal, so a hibachi-type charcoal<br> grill is pretty authentically Roman! Be careful using charcoal,<br> and don't ever use it indoors because you risk carbon monoxide<br> poisoning.<p> * Romans either milled their own flour by hand or bought it from<br> millers who used large stone mills. Course stone-ground whole<br> wheat flour is your best choice.<p> * Romans usually reduced sauces before cooking, unlike now, when we<br> usually reduce sauces while cooking.<p> * Horse meat was sometimes eaten. It is likely that if Romans went<br> to Australia they'd also have eaten kangaroo or if they'd gone to<br> North America, they'd have indulged in bison. The Romans weren't<br> afraid to try new foods, so it's really up to you how far you<br> extend the ban on non-Roman foods. You might prefer to adopt the<br> overall cooking styles and flavors, keeping to foods in their<br> unprocessed and healthy state, rather than completely abandoning<br> New World foods.<p> * To make fish sauce (_liquamen_): In a bowl mix sprats with fish<br> intestines. Add olive oil to cover. Pour it all into a clean<br> container (in those days they usually used a clay container).<br> Sprinkle with herbs. Place in the sun for three days. It will<br> ferment during this time. Strain the fish sauce; it's now ready to<br> eat.[16] [16] Note: this is an Ancient Roman recipe and you might<br> not wish to run the risk of leaving fish intestines in the<br> sunshine and then eating the resulting sauce!<p>!! Things You'll Need !!<p> * Suitable utensils and cooking equipment as outlined<p> * Drinking vessels (goblets, etc.)<p> * Couches to recline on, napkins, tablecloth for a banquet<p>!! Related WikiHows !!<p> * How to Make Moretum (Garlic Cheese)<p> * How to Make Libum<p> * How to Make Posca<p> * How to Make Mulsum<p> * How to Buy, Store and Cook With Garlic<p>!! Sources And Citations !!<p> * Dalby, A., Grainger, S, _The Classical Cookbook_, 1996. ISBN<br> 0892363940. An excellent book which combines historical discussion<br> and classical recipes for satisfying results.<p> * Patrick Faas, Shaun Whiteside trans., _Around the Roman Table:<br> Food and Feasting in Ancient Rome_, 2003, University of Chicago<br> Press. ISBN 0226233472.<p> * Grant, M., _Roman Cookery: Ancient Recipes for Modern Kitchens_,<br> 2008. ISBN 1897959605. New illustrated edition of the 1999 text.<br> An excellent collection of recipes for preparing everyday Roman<br> meals.<p> * Gozzini Giacosa, _A Taste of Ancient Rome_, 1994, Univ. of Chicago<br> Press. ISBN 0226290328. Nicely translated and illustrated The bulk<br> of the recipes come from Apicius and include the standard<br> numbering from that work. The Latin is always included, then<br> translated, then converted into a modern recipe.<p> * Jane Renfrew, _Roman Cookery: Recipes & History, 2004. English<br> Heritage, UK. ISBN 1-85074-870-5. Most recipes are derived from<br> Apicius. – Also used as a research source to authenticate this<br> article._<p> * Segan, F., _The Philosopher's Kitchen: Recipes from Ancient Greece<br> and Rome for the Modern Cook_, 2004, Random House. ISBN<br> 1400060990.<p> * Paul Elliott, Legionary Rations,<br> <a href="http://www.comitatus.net/research_files/rations.pdf">http://www.comitatus.net/research_files/rations.pdf</a>. (PDF)<p> * Alternative Wheat Cereals as Food Grains, Emmer,<br> <a href="http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/proceedings1996/V3-156.html#EMMER">http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/proceedings1996/V3-156.html#EMMER</a><p> * AncientRomeKit, Experiments with wheat,<br> <a href="http://ancientromekit.wikispaces.com/Wheat">http://ancientromekit.wikispaces.com/Wheat</a><p>!! Article Tools !!<p> * Read on wikiHow<p> * <p>Links:<br>------<br>[1] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-0">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-0</a><br>[2] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-1">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-1</a><br>[3] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-2">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-2</a><br>[4] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-3">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-3</a><br>[5] <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Quarter-a-Duck">http://www.wikihow.com/Quarter-a-Duck</a><br>[6] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-5">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-5</a><br>[7] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-6">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-6</a><br>[8] <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Charcoal">http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Charcoal</a><br>[9] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-8">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-8</a><br>[10] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-9">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-9</a><br>[11] <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Hold-a-Spoon">http://www.wikihow.com/Hold-a-Spoon</a><br>[12] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-11">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-11</a><br>[13] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-12">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-12</a><br>[14] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-13">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-13</a><br>[15] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-14">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-14</a><br>[16] <a href="http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-15">http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-15</a>tahishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543904127914150009noreply@blogger.com0