( culture / writing / advice )
What are the main ELEMENTS OF A STORY?
Setting;
Character;
Plot;
Conflict;
Theme;
Point-of-view;
Tone;
Style;
: Elements of a Story... read more
( family / pets / dogs / advice ) "If you're anything like us here at Breed Advisor, we simply can't imagine life without our four-legged family members. That's why we were horrified to learn that approximately 2 million canines are dognapped each year.
Sadly, dog abductions have become increasingly common over the past decade... read more
( life / help / advice ) I had no idea. Good to know. See bartender-uses-fake-receipt-save-women-hit-creep"If you ever feel uncomfortable at a bar, or require some form of assistance, order an angel shot and a bartender will escort you to your car. It could save your life."... read more
( culture / writing / advice ) VARIOUS WRITERS' RULES Write a draft. Then let it rest. -- Stephen King;Read a lot. -- King;Never use a long word when a short one will do. -- George Orwell;Never use the passive voice when you can use the active voice. -- Orwell;Know and understand your audience. -- Pierre Berton;Recycle and read t... read more
( life / travel / advice ) If you're looking to get away from it all, here is some hopefully useful information. If you're primarily English-speaking (maybe looking to move permanently), here's a list of countries (whose primary language is NOT English) ranked by English Proficiency Index for their English skills. The top 1... read more
( life / help / advice ) "Question authority, including the authority that told you to question authority." -- Sixth grade girl Go to wakingtimes.com/5-reasons-belief-authority-dangerous-superstition/... read more
( culture / writing / advice ) People read fiction seeking clarity. One of the worst things a writer can do is to create confusion. I'm referring to the payoff at the end of the book. People also read fiction for something better than reality, or at least better than their own. So, keep it clear and concise and, most importan... read more
( culture / writing / advice ) Louis L'Amour once said he could write while sitting in the middle of the freeway. That didn't impress me at the time, but now it does.Not one, but two dogs threw up behind me as I wrote. Was that a commentary on my writing? Wouldn't be the first time.As I told these guys in the job interview, If y... read more
( family / pets / advice ) See how to get rid of dog urine smell for details, but it's basically hydrogen peroxide, vinegar, baking soda, sodium bicarbonate, and lemon.... read more
( education / tech / energy / advice ) A cousin just installed a 16kW generator to power the whole house. It goes on and off automatically, triggered by power failure and restoration, and runs on natural gas. See video here. It costs about $4K plus installation. Various models on generac.com. He says, I was going to use a smalle... read more
( culture / writing / advice ) "Pop culture today is obsessed with the battle between good and evil. Traditional folktales never were. What changed?" Go to the-good-guy-bad-guy-myth... read more
( life / help / advice / politics ) Malaysian leader Mahathir Mohamad, the world's oldest prime minister, has offered the world's youngest, Finland's Sanna Marin, some words of wisdom as she takes on her new role: Ask "old people" for their advice. mahathir-marin-finland-advice... read more
( life / travel / advice ) The Hobo Traveler tells it like it is: don't rent a car, some cultures dishonest, police dangerous. See youtu.be/GNBfZ6oX73w"What Countries Give You The Most Respect, The Least?"... read more
( life / help / advice ) I realized halfway through the task of draining the toilet that I didn't know how. I'd never done it before. I've drained the tank plenty of times, but not the toilet bowl itself. It all started after I had to use a "snake" to unclog it. The snake left marks. My wife bought some "Bart... read more
( life / health / advice ) STROKE: Remember The 1st Three Letters... S.T.R. A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke... totally . He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3... read more
( life / health / advice ) Great idea!"... around the world, people are using a system of exchange that requires something everyone is, for the most part, given equally, every day: Time." are-you-tired-banks-credit-cards-and-debt-consider-system-trading-time-instead... read more
( family / advice ) Parenting Tip #426: When taking out recycling/trash, check its contents. I almost threw out our daughter's purse and wallet! #parentingtips... read more
( life / help / advice ) If your brakes ever go out, just shift into Park. Better to ruin the transmission than to die! You're welcome!.Don't ask. :)... read more
( culture / writing / advice ) Publishers and writing "gurus" preach that writers need followers. The problem is that emotionally-stable people don't want followers, they want friends, compatriots, people who listen, not followers. Especially zombie followers. They're the worst! :) But seriously, I don't trust anyone who actively seeks followers... read more
( life / help / advice / animals ) Just 'cuz you cut off its head... don't assume it's harmless. Chef dies after spitting cobra he was cooking bit him on the hand ... 20 minutes after he had cut its head off. See Chef-dies-spitting-cobra-cooking... read more
( culture / writing / advice ) A writer's narrative perspective (their voice, or, how they come across to their reader) must be: This is me talking to you. That's it. Nothing more, nothing less. It's not: This is me 100 years ago speaking in a classical voice. It's not: Speaking as if from professor to student or from adul... read more
( life / health / advice ) ... like my father always said. Apparently, there's more than just a physical benefit. The Science Behind Posture and How It Affects Your Brain"Body language is closely related to posture - the way we move our bodies affects how others see us as well as our own moods and hab... read more
( life / help / advice ) Good guidelines. The snippet below is the most useful part: Lessons in the Art of Living Psychology Today. "In DBT dialectical behavior therapy, the skill is encapsulated in a mnemonic device known as..." ... read more
( life / help / advice ) Click below for more info:fija.org"FIJA works to inform potential jurors...of their traditional, legal authority to refuse to enforce unjust lawsthat they cannot be required to check their consciences at the courthouse doorthat they cannot be punished for their verdictsInform everyone that juro... read more
( culture / writing / advice / novels ) Good article for writers.
"Writing a novel and building a house are pretty similar when you think about it. For instance, most builders or homeowners spend a lot of time dreaming...
Read the rest here Y... read more
( life / help / advice ) Instead of joining one more group, walking on one more march, giving to one more money bomb, sending one more breathless email about how important this issue is, do me a favor, go to the mirror and say to yourself...You Are the Solution You've Been Looking For."Instead of joining one more gro... read more
( culture / people / advice / crime ) If you're ever unlawfully detained, this might be good to know:escape from zip ties - rearescape - front... read more
( life / help / advice ) To anyone teaching or raising kids, of any age, here's some advice recently (2011) dished out at a high school speech about 11 things they did not learn in school. He talked about how feel-good, politically correct teaching has created a full generation of kids with no concept of reality and how thi ... read more
( life / health / advice ) Click below: dont-take-potassium-iodide-unlessHere's a website all about nuclear energy, courtesy of my brother: all things nuclear/... read more
( culture / writing / advice ) Anis Shivani: New Rules For Writers: Ignore Publicity, Shun Crowds, Refuse Recognition And More."These rules totally go against every prescription for writing success you'll hear as a young new writer from all quarters: ... read more
( education / tech / computers / advice ) To anonymize your browsing, use one of these anonymizer sites and/or programs:SitesAnonymouse.orgConnectInPrivate.comThe Cloak.comHideMyAss.comTheFreeCountry.com ProgramsFreeNetProject.orgGnuNet.org --... read more
( education / tech / computers / advice ) Q: I had some problems with this program. I fixed the POP and SMTP server designations, and it works now. However, I've lost my contacts - the folder is blank. The funny thing is, when I type some letters in the to box, names come up. Do you have any idea how I can restore my contacts list? A ... read more
( education / tech / computers / advice ) copied from helpdesk.ilstu.edu/kb/index.phtml?kbid1326 By default, when you launch Outlook it opens to your Inbox. You can create a shortcut to Outlook so it opens to your calendar instead. To force Outlook to open your calendar as your default view, do the following:1.Right-click on your desktop ... read more
( education / tech / computers / advice ) QUESTION: How do I transfer iTunes to my new computer?ANSWER: I have copied your iTunes from the old computer to the new. If you haven't already authorized your current computer, here's how. ... read more
( education / tech / computers / advice ) To recreate/fix your Outlook 2003 profile, do the following:Click on Start, Settings, Control Panel, Mailclick on Show ProfilesAdd a new profilegive it any NEW name you wantclick OKAdd your same old account back as a new account, click NextAdd it as a POP3 account, click NextYou can use the same s ... read more
( education / tech / computers / advice ) Well, it's happened again, luckily for only the second time in my career. A customer called me to their house, only to not be home or pretend to not be home when I got there. People, if you change your mind, just call and cancel! There is no cancellation fee! In this case, I had called her about an ... read more
( education / tech / computers / advice ) QUESTION: I started getting notices that my mailbox is over its limit. I have archived items over 90 days. What else can I do to stop these messages?Isn't this pretty much the same as archiving to my hard drive?I use three months. ANSWER: You can create an Outlook Personal Folder (PST file) where y ... read more
( life / help / advice ) You're asking me?! Actually, here's some advice: People need to be listened to -- preferably agreed with -- more than anything else. If you could do one thing for someone that would be it. Controlling a bad habit can be like controlling a car. You have to get inside it and take the wheel. Rising ab... read more
( life / help / advice ) Reheat Pizza Heat up leftover pizza in a non-stick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really works. Easy Deviled Eggs Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till ... read more