How to Avoid Looking Like an American Tourist

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

As an American traveling in a foreign country, the last thing you want to do is stand out like a sore thumb. Not only do you have a greater chance of getting sucked into tourist traps, but you're also a more obvious target for getting mugged or even kidnapped. So, are you aware of the things you do, say, and wear that make you look like the stereotypical tourist?

Steps

Clothing

1. Ditch the athletic shoes. White athletic shoes (otherwise referred to as tennis shoes, or sneakers) are stereotypically American. Any shoes that don't look like they were meant for exercise will suffice. If you do wear socks, make sure they're dark. Flip-flops are also very noticeable as American attire.
   
2. Buy accessories at local stores, especially ones that you see the locals wearing, like scarves. Sometimes not wearing something could signal that you are a tourist. For example, in some countries, hats or scarves are worn by the majority, or, in winter, most people might wear neck scarves. Also, head scarves in some religious establishments. It would be wise to research this in advance and be prepared to take something with you if you plan to visit religious places.
   
3. Avoid US brand name clothing with easily readable names (eg. Nike, Gap, Abercrombie, Patriotic, Texas A&M, etc.). In fact, don't wear any slogans (like "Virginia is for lovers") that will tie you to a specific place.
   
4. Dress a little nicer than usual. Casual dress (wearing sneakers, sweatshirts, t-shirts, jeans, or shorts (especially athletic shorts) instead of slacks or skirts with shirts or blouses) is not as common outside the US. Jeans are not universally accepted as appropriate in all social situations. Take some pairs of trousers or slacks in lieu of jeans. And don't wear shorts, especially if you are a woman. Look around and see whether people tuck their shirts in, or leave them hanging out--sometimes this differs for men and women in the same country.
   
5. Dress appropriately for the local weather. Shorts and a t-shirt in cool climates (or winter time) are a clear sign that you are not in touch with the local weather.
   
6. Camouflage. What colors do the locals wear? Mostly black and other neutral shades, like in London, or bright, bold colors like in the Caribbean? Wear colors that you see the locals wearing. Your hot pink sweater vest or bright blue collared shirt might be fashionable in Minneapolis, but it won't fly in Budapest.
   
7. Leave your baseball hats, backpack and water bottles at home
   

Food

1. Take whatever condiments they give you. Requesting typical US condiments (ketchup, salt, pepper, etc.) is a sure giveaway that you are an American tourist. Use the typical condiments in your host country, and if you don't like them or can't bear to eat without your American condiments, bring your own. Take small packets with you to use rather than insisting that the restaurant supply you with it.
   
2. Give up the ice. In many parts of the world, you will be served your drinks with little or no ice - much less than you're accustomed to in the US. Of course, if you want ice in your drink because that's how you prefer it and you're paying for it, you're perfectly entitled to ask for it...but the point of this article is to help you avoid being labeled as an American, and requesting ice is a definite giveaway.
   
3. Eat local food. Many American tourists visit US chain restaurants for every meal, afraid to dabble in the local cuisine, but becoming a regular at the local McDonald's and Pizza Hut will tip everyone off that you're an American really quickly.
   
4. Use local table manners. For example, in Europe, a fork and knife are used differently than in the US. In some Southeast Asian nations chopsticks might be more appropriate.
   
5. Order like a local. In some countries, for instance, a salad is the last item served, not the first. In others, people don't eat what we in the US think of as a "salad".
   
6. Don't request decaf unless you can see in the menu that it is offered.
   
7. Don't ask for a seat in the "non-smoking" section, unless you already know there is one.
   
8. Don't insist on drinking “Coke” with every meal.
   

Behavior

1. Keep the map out of sight. Pulling out and looking at your map in a public space is a no-no. Study it before you leave your hotel, and if you do need to consult your map, step into a store or any other less public place. Have the maps pre-folded so they may be easily accessed and read. Same goes for other items:
   
   • If you must use a dictionary to translate a sign or menu, be discrete. For example, copy down the words of the sign and move aside to a less public place to work out the translation.
     
   • Don't carry US newspapers, magazines or books in plain view.
     
   
   
2. Be quiet! Many Americans are recognized for being louder than is customary in other parts of the world. Large arm and hand movements and boisterous behavior should be avoided until you know how the locals act. Adults in many non-American cultures use lower voices in public places. Either way, you're always better off being a little more reserved and quiet, at least for starters, than blasting onto a foreign scene with your vitality and making the wrong impression.
   
3. Don't brag or be showy. When you pull things out of your bag in public to show your friends or family what you purchased, you might as well yell "I have money and I'm ready to spend it, unless you want to take it from me against my will!"
   
4. Avoid talking about the local people and culture. Something as seemingly harmless as "Oh, I just love the scarves here!" will mark you as a tourist. And don't assume people can't understand what you're saying, just because you said it in English. In many parts of the world, people are taught to speak English along with their native language.
   
5. Mind your personal space. Not every country is as "spacious" as the US (unless you're in New York City, where space is at a premium). When you're at a counter, for example, don't spread out your arms; when you're sitting down on the bus or train, don't stretch out your legs in a way that might get in someone's way.
   
6. Don't chew a lot of gum. It's just not very common outside of the US, and even within the US, it's a breach of etiquette under some circumstances.
   
7. Don't wear your camera around your neck. When traveling to a foreign country, you are bound to take pictures. However, having a camera strap and wearing it around your neck for easy access is a sure way to look like a tourist. If you can, keep it in a pocket or in a purse and pull it out when needed.
   
8. Try to speak the language. Okay, you're American and everybody knows your language, but why not try to make an effort to speak the local language? It's a sign of respect and appreciation of the local culture. Learn a few basic words like "Hello", "Please" and "Thank you". Nobody will mind if your accent is not perfect; the fact that you've been willing to speak their language, even when you could well have spoken yours, is a thing that many people appreciate in tourists.
   

Tips

• These are only guidelines. You can do whatever you want as a tourist, but this article outlines some things you might want to avoid doing if fitting in and avoiding unwarranted attention is a concern.
  
• In the UK, most men wear closely-fitted, dark clothing. If you are visiting during winter months, a snugly-fitted jacket will help you blend in with the local crowd.
  
• Avoid baseball caps if possible.
  
• If you are travelling alone, especially a woman, buy the local newspaper and keep it under your arm when walking, or open it if on a bus or train.
  
• Always buy a pair of local shoes - especially what people wear for comfort.
  

Warnings

• Don't wear a fanny pack. They make you a ridiculously easy target for pick-pocketers. A pick-pocketer could unzip the fanny pack and effortlessly take out the contents without you being aware.
  
• If you look different (like if you have different color skin, or are more overweight or underweight than everyone else) people are going to think you're a tourist, or at least a foreigner, no matter what. But if you follow the steps above, hopefully they won't think you're a stereotypical American tourist, and they won't treat you as such.
  
• If you are a woman, your best bet is to keep money, your id, your credit card, or anything of value you would need with you, in your bra. You may not feel someone pulling objects out of your pocket, but you will definitely know if they're inside your shirt!
  
• Men should carry wallets in their front pockets which are more easily guarded.
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Be Safe in a Foreign Country
  
• How to Travel Beyond the Tour Bus
  
• How to Travel With One Bag
  
• How to Get Cash when Traveling in Europe
  
• How to Travel to India—Native Style
  
• How to Travel Around the World
  

Sources and Citations

• http://studyabroad.tamu.edu/travel_avoid.asp - Research source.
  
• http://traveltravelfargo.blogspot.com/2008/04/17-ways-to-avoid-looking-like-tourist.html - Research source.
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Avoid Looking Like an American Tourist. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Make a Kusudama Flower - wikiHow

Make a Kusudama Flower - wikiHow

How to Make a Kusudama Flower

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

A pretty kusudama flower can be made by folding five or six square pieces of paper. If you make twelve flowers, they can be assembled into a beautiful kusudama ball. Even if you use colorful sticky notes, the result is very impressive and can be used for decorative purposes or even worn as a temporary brooch.

Steps

1. Gather the supplies you need listed in the Things You'll Need section, located at the bottom of this article.
   
2. Take the paper square, and fold it in half the diagonal way. It should now look like a triangle.
   
3. Take the two 45 degree angle flaps, and fold them to the top point. You should now have a formed square.
   
4. Fold the flaps backwards, half way, so that the folded back edges line up with the edges of the square beneath.
   
5. Unfold as shown.
   
6. Open each flap and flatten it along the creases made in the previous steps. If you are confused, take a look at the image for further guidance.
   
7. Turn it over.
   
8. Fold one of the triangular flaps in, against itself.
   
9. Repeat with the other flap and turn over again.
   
10. There should be a crease going along the middle of each of the two flaps or triangles, fold along those creases.
    
11. Glue the top of the folded flaps, or where indicated by the image. Using a glue stick may be a good idea, since it dries so quickly, or you can use white liquid glue as shown here.
    
12. Take the folded flaps and bring them together, fastening them in place, it may slip off, so you could try lightly taping it together, or hold it in place.
    
13. Make five more of these.
    
14. Apply glue to the "center" of each piece. The "center" is where the folded edges meet (where they were glued together previously). Spread out the glue so that the centers of the pieces can stick together securely.
    
15. Wait for the glue to dry completely, otherwise, the petals will slip apart.
    
16. Repeat with all of the other petals. Glue everything together in a circular formation. Using paperclips to hold the petals together works well.
    
17. You are now finished.
    

Tips

• Make sure your folds are sharp, precise, and crisp. It will give it a clean look.
  
• Try adding more and more petals to make it look even fancier.
  
• Make 12 of these and try making a traditional Kusudama sphere.
  
• You may find that a glue stick dries more quickly.
  

Warnings

• Sticky notes can be difficult to work with (because the folds will stick together).
  

Things You'll Need

• 6 pieces of square paper (for example, Sticky Notes)
  
• Glue (white liquid or stick)
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Make Origami
  
• How to Make an Origami Jumping Frog
  
• How to Make an Origami Swan
  
• How to Make Origami Paper Claws
  
• How to Assemble a Semba Zuru (1,000 Origami Cranes)
  
• How to Make an Origami Dog Face
  
• How to Fold an Origami Star (Shuriken)
  

Sources and Citations

• The Peace of Paper - Research source.
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Make a Kusudama Flower. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

PC World - Broadband Caps Coming to AT&T

PC World - Broadband Caps Coming to AT&T: "Broadband Caps Coming to AT&T

JR Raphael, PC World

Nov 4, 2008 4:38 pm

The days of unlimited data transfers may be dwindling. AT&T is now testing the idea of a monthly data cap for its broadband Internet users, the company has confirmed, and could move toward a more widespread rollout in the future."

DSCN3830.jpg

DSCN3830.jpg
Originally uploaded by jere7my

I love these. A lady painted these classic Greek scenes onto black Chuck Taylors.

Make Some Music!

BSO.jpg (JPEG Image, 1000x457 pixels)

BSO.jpg (JPEG Image, 1000x457 pixels)

We’ll Miss Them When They’re Gone: 7 Aging Hollywood Badasses

This is a well-written and humorous article

Regarding Samuel Jackson:

While for many action heroes it’s all about the eyes and body language, for Sam Jackson it’s about the menace he exudes when he has unleashed the full force of his very vocal, operatic rage. Appearing stiff and out of place for most of the running time of the Star Wars prequels, the preeminent “badass mother fucker” is finally unleashed during his climactic lightsaber fight with Darth Sidious in Revenge of the Sith. After having his hand cut off by Anakin, he lets out a scream of pain and fury that for a split second gives you the idea he’s preparing to beat both Anakin and Sidious to death with his cauterized stump.

“Say ‘unlimited power’ again, mother fucker! Say that one more goddamn time!”

It would have been a far superior conclusion to the film, in my humble opinion.

and it gets funnier. Regarding Sean Connery:

Is he still badass? Like Eastwood, Connery is also pushing 80. And he is officially retired from acting. Nevertheless, he is absolutely, indisputably still a badass. If you don’t believe that, find him at a pub some day and say something like, “The Scottish National Party is full of Nancy boys who couldn’t govern their way out of a wet paper sack!” Be prepared, however, as from that point forward your wife and kids will be known as your widow and orphans.

Althouse: Palinsanity.

Althouse: Palinsanity.: "Zaplito said...

Someone posted at the Atlanta Journal Constitution 'Vent' page:

'I am not concerned about Sarah Palin's being a heartbeat away when I consider that Nancy Pelosi is just two heartbeats.'

Indeed!"

Boil Green Peanuts - wikiHow

Boil Green Peanuts - wikiHow

How to Boil Green Peanuts

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Green (also called "raw") peanuts are ones that haven't fully matured yet; they've reached full size, but haven't dried out. Boiling green peanuts is a tradition in the rural southeastern US where peanuts are grown both in small gardens and large farms. They are also enjoyed in India, Nigeria, the Philippines, Indonesia, China, Australia, and Vietnam.[1] There are many variations, depending on the seasoning used, but the basic method is the same for all of them, and the process of boiling makes the peanuts healthier for you, since boiled peanuts have more polyphenol antioxidants than roasted ones.[2] Here are the steps for this fun project.

Steps

1. Select the right peanuts for boiling. Jumbo green peanuts are preferred by many, but most standard peanuts work well, so long as they are still green, or uncured (dry). Do not attempt this recipe with roasted peanuts, as they will not become soft, no matter how long you cook them. In the south, farmer's markets and roadside vendors sell green peanuts from early August through mid-October, but the earlier peanuts are usually better for boiling.
   
2. Wash and pick through your peanuts, removing loose soil and sprouts, stems, weeds, and leaves. You can place your peanuts in a large pot or bucket and use a sprayer on a garden hose to rinse your peanuts, and when the water floats the nuts, the loose debris will float to the top when the contents of the pot is agitated or stirred.
   
3. Set up a cooker if you are boiling a large amount at one time, or get a good heavy pot to place on the stove. In the photos, the peanuts are boiled outside, using a propane burner and a 20 quart (5 gallon) stainless steel stock pot.
   
4. Pour your peanuts into the pot, and add water. Most will float to the top, so the amount of water may have a deceptive appearance. Push the peanuts down with your (clean) hands, and you will be able to tell how much water is in the pot.
   
5. Add salt to taste. This can be tricky, but a rule of thumb is to add 1/2 cup salt for every ten pounds of green peanuts. For older, tougher peanuts, more salt may be needed so the nut will absorb enough salt to season your nuts. After extinguishing the flame the longer they set, the more salt will be absorbed.
   
6. Add other seasonings if you prefer. Here, sliced jalapeno peppers are added to give the finished peanuts a bit of heat. Garlic, either fresh or powder, liquid crab boil seasoning, chili powder, and other strong spices may be used as well.
   
7. Bring the contents to a boil. On the propane stove, you light the burner and turn the flame up high, on a cooktop, turn the burner to high until the water is rapidly boiling, then reduce the heat/flame so that it maintains a rolling boil without wasting excess heat.
   
8. Stir the peanuts about every 20-30 minutes, making sure the water has not boiled down. Covering the pot will reduce the amount of water evaporating from the pot, but will increase the risk of your pot boiling over while the peanuts cook.
   
9. After an hour or so, remove some of the peanuts with a slotted spoon and test (taste) them. Peanuts that have fully absorbed water will sink to the bottom of the pot. When they have become tender, and the nut falls from the shell when it is opened, the peanuts are done. Cooking may take as long as 2-10 hours, depending on the altitude.
   
10. Taste for saltiness. If you desire, before removing the nuts from the boiling water, additional salt can be added and the peanuts can continue to boil for another 30 minutes or so. Keep in mind that with the increased salinity of the water, and the additional boiling time, the already cooked peanuts can become too salty very quickly, so use caution at this stage.
    
11. Turn off the stove/burner when the peanuts are salty and tender enough to suit you. Drain away the excess water, being very careful not to scald or burn yourself while doing so, and place the boiled peanuts in a bowl to cool and enjoy, they are also great before being cooled.
    
12. Refrigerate or freeze leftover peanuts in zipper type freezer bags for later enjoyment. Remove frozen peanuts from the bag when you want to eat them, and warm them by heating for a minute in a microwave.
    

Tips

• Use the greenest peanuts you can get, they will cook more quickly, and yield a more tender snack. Very green peanuts, known as pops, can be eaten whole (shell and all) if they are thoroughly cleaned before cooking, but avoid eating too many.
  
• Invite friends, build a campfire, and break out a cooler full of ice cold beer to make your peanut boiling a true traditional event.
  
• Green peanuts can be frozen for boiling in the cooler months if doing so outdoors in August is just too much for you, but the results will not be as good.
  
• If you don't live in the area where green peanuts are easily found, you can order them online. They can be shipped fresh or frozen.[3]
  

Warnings

• Boiling water can cause serious burns. Use caution, and if the peanuts are boiled outside, keep close watch over the process.
  
• Many people are allergic to peanuts and peanut products, so be careful when eating them for the first time.
  

Things You'll Need

• Stove or outdoor burner (in the past, campfires were used)
  
• Large cast iron or stainless steel pot (lid preferred)
  
• Green peanuts
  
• Salt and additional seasonings
  
• Slotted spoon, and possibly a colander to strain the finished peanuts
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Cope With Allergies to Peanuts
  
• How to Remove Packing Peanuts Without the Mess
  
• How to Make Peanut Butter
  
• How to Make Honey Roasted Peanuts
  

Sources and Citations

1. ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boiled_peanuts


2. ↑ http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/sample.cgi/jafcau/2007/55/i22/html/jf071877l.html


3. ↑ http://greenpeanuts.net/

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Boil Green Peanuts. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Take High Dynamic Range Photographs - wikiHow

Take High Dynamic Range Photographs - wikiHow

How to Take High Dynamic Range Photographs

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Have you ever seen those hyper-real and ultra-contrasty photos and wondered how they're done? A normal digital camera sensor cannot capture all the detail in a scene -- some parts will usually end up over-exposed (which will lose, for example, cloud detail), or some parts might be under-exposed -- i.e. it has a low dynamic range. However, by taking three different shots, merging them (into a high dynamic range image), then employing some digital trickery to reduce the dynamic range without noticeably losing detail (called tone mapping), you can bring out all the details in a scene. Here's how.

Steps

Taking Your Photographs

1. Choose your scene. HDR will often bring out the best in any scene, so this is up to you. If you're out of ideas, search Flickr to see what other people have done in HDR. Failing that, find a scene with plenty of cloud; HDR photos bring out a stunning amount of cloud detail.
   
2. Set up your camera. Put your camera on a tripod if you have one; find a solid surface to rest it on if you don't. If you have a remote release for your camera, all the better; you could also use a short self-timer if you don't. Whatever you use, it is very important that the camera does not move between shots. If your camera has automatic exposure bracketing, then use it (this is called AEB on the menus on Canon cameras). Setting AEB to -2/+2 EV is usually okay, but experiment to see what works best for you.
   
3. Take your photographs. If you have set up AEB on your camera, then just fire off three shots in a row. If you don't have AEB, then take a photo, adjust the shutter speed one or two stops faster (i.e. if you're at 1/250 sec, go to 1/500 or 1/1000 sec), take a photo, then adjust it one or two stops slower than your original shutter speed (i.e. if you were at 1/250 sec, then set it to 1/125 or 1/60 sec), and take another photo. You will now have three photographs: one overexposed, one underexposed, and one normal.
   
4. Go home, and copy your photographs to your computer. You will now create and tone-map an HDR image from the three photographs you just took.
   

Creating and Tone-Mapping an HDR Image

1. Download and install qtpfsgui. There are other programs for the purpose, but qtpfsgui is free, open source, and works on many platforms (Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X).
   
2. Run qtpfsgui and click "New Hdr". In the window that pops up, click "Load Images" and browse for the three photographs you just took. qtpfsgui should automatically determine the exposure value from the EXIF metadata in the image; if it cannot (for example, if there is no aperture set in the EXIF data, for those using old lenses with a DSLR via an adapter), you will have to set it yourself. Click "Next".
   
3. Ignore the next window that comes up. Just click through it by hitting "Next"; you probably won't want to bother with anything therein.
   
4. Ignore the window after that, too. Again, these parameters do have some effect, but the defaults are usually pretty sensible. Hit Finish. You now have a high dynamic range image, but not one that can be displayed in a low dynamic range format (like the universal JPEG format). This is where tone-mapping comes in: compressing the dynamic range of the image you have created so that a 24-bit format like JPEG can appear to have more dynamic range than it really does.
   
5. Tone-map the HDR image. Hit the "Tonemap the Hdr" button in the toolbar. A window will pop up with a slightly bewildering array of tone mapping algorithms and parameters. For the most part, the Mantiuk algorithm (which is the first one shown) does a very good job. But you may want to play with the others as well. Hit "Apply" to tone-map the image.
   
6. Start small. Experiment with algorithms and their parameters on a reduced-size version of your image (you can pick a smaller one from the dropdown box of different sizes near the top left). Tone-mapping is a very mathematically demanding operation; the Mantiuk algorithm can take many minutes to render a photo at full size on slower computers, but only a few seconds to process a 256x170 version of the same.
   
7. Save your image. Go to File -> Save as... Under "File name", be sure to give your file a jpg extension.
   
8. Optionally, post-process your image a little. You'll need Adobe Photoshop, or its free and open-source alternative GIMP, or photo editing software of your choice. Fix the colour/white balance (this should not be done with photos before creating your HDR image, as it can have weird effects). Applying subtle amounts of "Unsharp mask" can be a very good thing. You may also have weird ghosting artifacts that you will want to edit out.
   

Things You'll Need

• A camera with either automatic exposure bracketing, manual exposure compensation, or manual shutter speed control. All digital SLRs worth their salt will have these features, and many point-and-shoot cameras will have the former feature, too. You don't even necessarily need a digital camera for this; as long as you're able to set the shutter speed manually, you can use a film camera.[1]
  
• A tripod, if you have one, or a solid surface to rest on if you do not. A remote release is handy, too, if you're using very long exposures, but not essential.
  
• qtpfsgui. There is other software that can do the same thing, but qtpfsgui is free, open source, and very effective.
  
• Optionally, your favourite photo editing software; GIMP is free, though allegedly more difficult to use than most.
  

Sources and Citations

1. ↑ See Flickr search results for "hdr film".

• The qtpfsgui home page.
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Take High Dynamic Range Photographs. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Centrfugal Force

Surge

Alas, the surge is over.
Gone are the days when the picture of the fat wonder woman graced the first page of Google Image Search.

Will I ever taste such glory again?

French cookery scientist Hervé This says that the 10-minute boiled egg is the wrong way to go about cooking your eggs. Temperature and not time is the governing factor to gloriously boiled eggs.

Recall that when an egg cooks, its proteins first unwind and then link to form a rigidifying mesh. But not all its proteins solidify at the same temperature. Ovotransferrin, the first of the egg-white proteins to uncoil, begins to set at around 61 degrees Celsius, or 142°F. Ovalbumin, the most abundant egg-white protein, coagulates at 184°F. Yolk proteins generally fall in between, with most starting to solidify when they approach 158°F. Thus, cooking an egg at 158°F or so should achieve both a firmed-up yolk and still-tender whites, since at that low temperature only some of the egg-white proteins will have coagulated.

"Cooking eggs is really a question of temperature, not time," says This. To make the point, he switches on a small oven, sets the thermostat at 65°C, or 149°F, takes four eggs straight from the box, and unceremoniously places them inside. "I use an oven in the lab; it's easier. But if the oven in your kitchen is not accurate, cook eggs in plenty of water, using a good thermometer." About an hour later -- timing isn't critical, and the eggs can stay in the oven for hours or even overnight -- he retrieves the first egg and carefully shells it. "The 65-degree egg!" he announces. The egg is unlike any I've eaten. The white is as delicately set and smooth as custard, and the yolk is still orange and soft.

From biancolo)

Get Rid of Ants - wikiHow

Get Rid of Ants - wikiHow

How to Get Rid of Ants

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Few pests are harder to get rid of than ants once they've established themselves in your home. If you're tired of stumbling upon a swarm of ants on a regular basis, you'll need to make a concentrated effort to keep these uninvited guests away. This article will review every course of action available to you--why it works, whether it's safe around pets and kids, and how to do it properly.

Steps

1. Shut down the ant buffet. The reason ants are coming into your humble abode is because it's a free-for-all (or at least it was at some point in the past, and they're hoping it might be again). The cleaner you keep the house, the less they'll have to eat, and the more they'll look elsewhere for goodies.
   
   • Wipe down all surfaces. Tables and counter tops should be regularly sprayed and cleaned with a mild bleach or vinegar solution. Sweep, mop and vacuum regularly.
     
   • Put food in air-tight containers. This has the added bonus of keeping the food fresher.
     
   • Keep the sink clean: no dirty dishes, no standing water for ants to drink, no food in the drain.
     
   • Put pet food bowls in a slightly larger bowl and add some water to the larger bowl, creating a moat around the pet food that the ants can't cross (too bad you can't put one of those around your house!).
     
   
   
2. Squish the scouts. Colonies regularly send out lone ants to check for food sources. If you see an individual ant strolling across your coffee table, don't let it make it back to the nest alive. It'll tell the colony where you spilled the apple juice. If the scout made it back to the nest and brought back some friends, they'll be following a scent trail, single file. Unless you're ready to bait them as described below, kill them all. Quickly.
   
   • Spray the trail with all purpose cleaner or a bleach and vinegar solution, then wipe it up with a wet paper towel. Only do this if you can get them all, however, because spraying like a mad man might encourage them to split up, go home, and establish new colonies.[1]
     
   • For a less hands-on solution, vacuum them all up, then vacuum some talcum powder or diatomaceous earth to finish them off.
     
   
   
3. Barricade your home. Since ants are tiny, they can find thousands of tiny doorways into your residence. Some of them of are easy to identify; others will only be discovered when there's a parade of ants of marching through them.
   
   • Seal windows, doors, and any cracks the ants crawl through with caulk. An additional benefit with this is better temperature control and lower energy bills. Plus, it's the least risky method when kids or pets are involved.
     
   • Line suspected entryways with deterrent substances.
     
     • Diatomaceous earth is a fine powder that kills ants by pulling all the moisture from their bodies. Since it's so absorbent, however, it's only effective in dry environments.[2] You also don't want anyone in the house (pets included) sniffing it up.
       
     • Talc in various forms is presumed to deter ants, although the mechanism is poorly understood.[3] Tailor's chalk and baby powder usually contain talc and can be used to create a barrier for ants. Regardless of which form of talc you use, keep in mind that there are concerns about the potential carcinogenicity of talc,[4] although baby powder is used by many parents nonetheless.*Many sources recommend using normal chalk, but this is made of gypsum, not talc, and could be the result of confusion with "ant chalk" (an insecticide that looks just like normal chalk; outlawed in the US in the '90s, but still sold in Chinatowns illegally).*Some baby powder brands are made of corn starch and will not work effectively against ants. Check the ingredients.
       
     • Cornmeal can be used as a weapon against ants, and it's not poisonous to people or animals. Ants eat it and after consuming water, the cornmeal swells inside their digestive organs, causing them to die.[5]
       
     • You can also apply scents and substances that ants simply don't like for various reasons: vinegar, peppermint oil, cinnamon, black pepper, cayenne pepper, whole cloves, and bay leaves. Some of these might be harmful to pets and irritating to curious children.
       
     
     
   
   
4. Bring down the nest. If ants continue to raid your home, you're going to have to raid theirs--except that you're too big to get inside. If you're able to locate the nest, however, you can pour several gallons of boiling water into it and that'll be that. But if you don't know where they're coming from, your only alternative is to bait them.
   
   • Pick your poison. Mixing boric acid powder or borax with sugar water is the most common bait (that is what a popular commercial ant poison, Terro, basically consists of). Boric acid affects ants both externally (when in powder form; similar to diatomaceous earth) and internally (when ingested).[6] The ants bring the poison (borax or boric acid) with them to the colony and spread it around. If you get the quantity and timing just right, you can wipe out a large colony, but it might take several weeks to a few months.[7] A bait that's too strong will kill the ants before they make it home, and a bait that's too weak will only weaken the colony temporarily, so here are some recipes that people have had success with:*1 cup water, 2 cups sugar, 2 tablespoons boric acid[8]*3 cups of water with 1 cup of sugar and 4 teaspoons of boric acid.[9]
     
   • Remove any deterrents (from previous steps) and wait for the ants to show up. Don't lure new ants with the bait; you could attract new colonies.[10] Once there's a trail, place the bait next to it (not on it, or else you'll interrupt their march home).
     
   • If you have pets and/or children around (see Warnings below) put the bait in a jam jar. Screw the lid tightly and seal with adhesive tape. Pierce two or three small holes in the lid, and smear the outside with a little bit of unpoisoned bait. If you're concerned about the jar getting knocked over and the poisoned bait spilling out, loosely pack the inside with cotton balls.[11]
     
   • Just to cover all the bases, leave out some peanut butter bait as well (peanut butter mixed with borax or boric acid powder). Ants' cravings vary depending on the needs of the colony (sometimes they want sweets, sometimes they want something oily)[12] so providing both will increase the likelihood that they'll take the bait.
     
   • Give them as much fresh bait as they'll take, replenishing it as needed, and let them bring it back to their nest (no squishing or killing!). Once they've had their fill, remove all bait; you don't want to attract a neighboring colony.
     
   
   

Video

A video explaining some of the more common solutions for ant eradication.

Tips

• Ants love aphids and scale--particularly, the sweet, sugary substance they make. Treat outdoor plants for aphids and scale during the spring and summer months (when they are abundant) and ants will have less to hang around for.
  
• If you see an ant that's a little larger than all the rest, it might be a queen produced by a large colony and looking to establish a new nest. Make sure it doesn't get a chance.[13] Queens are usually 2-3 times larger than workers, possess wings before mating, have very large abdomens.[14]
  

Warnings

• Use gloves and a breathing mask if using any ant-deterring substances. At best, they're irritants; at worst, they're poisonous.
  
• Contact with boric acid or borax can have negative effects:[15][16]
  
  • inhalation can cause mild irritation; if this happens, let the person get fresh air
    
  • does not irritate intact skin
    
  • can be irritating to eyes; rinse and seek medical attention if symptoms persist for more than 30 minutes
    
  • if more than a teaspoon is swallowed by an adult, drink two glasses of water and seek medical attention
    
  
  
• Planting mint around your house and garden may deter ants, but they can be invasive, so speak to a knowledgeable garden centre before planting it directly in the ground.
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Get Rid of Roaches
  
• How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies
  
• How to Make a Wasp Trap
  
• How to Get Rid of Spider Webs
  
• How to Get Rid of Flesh Flies
  
• How to Get Rid of Hornets
  

Sources and Citations

1. ↑ http://www.entomology.umn.edu/cues/em/Treatment.html


2. ↑ http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/entomology/444-513/444-513.html


3. ↑ http://www2b.abc.net.au/science/k2/stn/archives/archive86/newposts/1430/topic1430689.shtm


4. ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talc#Safety


5. ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornmeal


6. ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boric_acid#Insecticidal


7. ↑ http://www.entomology.umn.edu/cues/em/Treatment.html


8. ↑ http://www.grinningplanet.com/2004/04-27/ant-control-ant-killer-article.htm


9. ↑ http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/examiner/archive/1998/02/11/NEWS1019.dtl


10. ↑ http://www.entomology.umn.edu/cues/em/Treatment.html


11. ↑ http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2001/03/07/HO181614.DTL


12. ↑ http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/entomology/444-513/444-513.html


13. ↑ http://www.quamut.com/quamut/home_pest_control/page/how_to_control_ants.html


14. ↑ http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/housingandclothing/M1166.html


15. ↑ http://www.borax.com/pdfs/dist/MSDS_Borax_Decahydrate.pdf (PDF)


16. ↑ http://www.incidetech.net/msdsboricacid.pdf (PDF)

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Get Rid of Ants. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Separation of Sense and State: A Clarification for the People of the Church in Northern Colorado

I am reprinting here a letter from the archbishop of Denver in response to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's incorrect public statements on abortion and when life begins:

To Catholics of the Archdiocese of Denver:

Catholic public leaders inconvenienced by the abortion debate tend to take a hard line in talking about the "separation of Church and state." But their idea of separation often seems to work one way.

In fact, some officials also seem comfortable in the role of theologian. And that warrants some interest,not as a "political" issue, but as a matter of accuracy and justice.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is a gifted public servant of strong convictions and many professional skills. Regrettably, knowledge of Catholic history and teaching does not seem to be one of them.

Interviewed on Meet the Press August 24, Speaker Pelosi was asked when human life begins. She said the following:

"I would say that as an ardent, practicing Catholic, this is an issue that I have studied for a long time.And what I know is over the centuries, the doctors of the church have not been able to make that definition . . . St. Augustine said at three months. We don't know. The point is, is that it shouldn't have an impact on the woman's right to choose."

Since Speaker Pelosi has, in her words, studied the issue "for a long time," she must know very well one of the premier works on the subject, Jesuit John Connery's Abortion: The Development of the Roman Catholic Perspective (Loyola, 1977). Here's how Connery concludes his study:

"The Christian tradition from the earliest days reveals a firm antiabortion attitude . . . The condemnation of abortion did not depend on and was not limited in any way by theories regarding the time of fetal animation. Even during the many centuries when Church penal and penitential practice was based on the theory of delayed animation, the condemnation of abortion was never affected by it.

"Whatever one would want to hold about the time of animation, or when the fetus became a human being in the strict sense of the term, abortion from the time of conception was considered wrong, and the time of animation was never looked on as a moral dividing line between permissible and impermissible abortion."

Or to put it in the blunter words of the great Lutheran pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer:

"Destruction of the embryo in the mother's womb is a violation of the right to live which God has bestowed on this nascent life. To raise the question whether we are here concerned already with a human being or not is merely to confuse the issue. The simple fact is that God certainly intended to create a human being and that this nascent human being has been deliberately deprived of his life. And that is nothing but murder."

Ardent, practicing Catholics will quickly learn from the historical record that from apostolic times, the Christian tradition overwhelmingly held that abortion was grievously evil. In the absence of modern medical knowledge, some of the Early Fathers held that abortion was homicide; others that it was tantamount to homicide; and various scholars theorized about when and how the unborn child might be animated or "ensouled."

But none diminished the unique evil of abortion as an attack on life itself, and the early Church closely associated abortion with infanticide. In short, from the beginning, the believing Christian community held that abortion was always, gravely wrong.

Of course, we now know with biological certainty exactly when human life begins. Thus, today's religious alibis for abortion and a so-called "right to choose" are nothing more than that - alibis that break radically with historic Christian and Catholic belief.

Abortion kills an unborn, developing human life. It is always gravely evil, and so are the evasions employed to justify it. Catholics who make excuses for it - whether they're famous or not - fool only themselves and abuse the fidelity of those Catholics who do sincerely seek to follow the Gospel and live their Catholic faith.

The duty of the Church and other religious communities is moral witness. The duty of the state and its officials is to serve the common good, which is always rooted in moral truth. A proper understanding of the "separation of Church and state" does not imply a separation of faith from political life. But of course, it's always important to know what our faith actually teaches.

Most Rev. Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap.
+Archbishop of Denver

James D. Conley
+Auxiliary Bishop of Denver

Wonder Woman!

Christians Insulted

This article is reprinted from Catholic Online. I chose to reprint it in its entirety because it is important, and the author asked his readers to do so.



Opinion: Barry Lynn/'Americans United' Insult Rick Warren and Christians

By Deacon Keith Fournier
8/19/2008
Catholic Online

Barry Lynn impugned Rev. Rick Warren, disparaged orthodox Christians of every confession,promoted an anti-faith agenda and misrepresented the Civil Forum at Saddleback Church.

CHESAPEAKE, Va. (Catholic Online) - I was driving down the road in Chesapeake, Virginia and decided to turn on National Public Radio for their spin on the news of the day.

While turning the dial (even the expression dates me in the digital age)I happened upon the “Diane Rehm Show” just in time to hear her guests opine on the now famous Saddleback Forum, where evangelical Protestant Pastor Rick Warren hosted both Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain for an historic event during the Presidential campaign of 2008.

The topic of the hour-long program was “Religion in the 2008 Presidential Campaign”. The guests were John Meacham, an editor of Newsweek and co-moderator of "On Faith”; John Green, senior fellow in religion and American politics, Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life and a director of the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at the University of Akron in Ohio; and, Reverend Barry Lynn, the Executive Director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State and the author of "Piety & Politics".

Rev. Barry Lynn is the self appointed watch dog who runs “Americans United for the Separation of Church and State”; a well funded 501 c3 exempt public policy and educational organization. I am well acquainted with Rev. Lynn.

For years, while I served as the first Executive Director of the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), in the 1990’s, a public interest law firm committed to an authentic view of religious freedom, we crossed paths quite a few times. He still regularly debates my friend, the Chief Counsel for the ACLJ, and noted Supreme Court Advocate, Jay Sekulow.

I will admit something up front.

I believe that Barry Lynn’s interpretation of the Establishment Clause, Free Speech Clause and Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution is simply wrong. It is not faithful to history, it is not a proper reading of Constitutional law, it is not good for the public order and it does not promote or serve the common good.

This clause was never intended by the American founders to prevent religious groups from full participation in the public square not to censor out religious speech or the religious speaker from civic participation.

The “Establishment Clause” is better understood as an “anti-Establishment Clause” because it was intended to prevent the erection of a National Church. Of course, as a Catholic, I am quite sensitive to the fact that the early colonies were not, for the most part, very Catholic friendly. However, over time, that changed.

And, properly understood, the First Amendment to the United States Constitution has allowed for a robust diversity of religious expression (or non-expression) and the flourishing of a dynamic model of religious freedom in America. That is, when it is properly interpreted and applied.

Sadly, Rev. Lynn wants to erect a Wall far greater in scope than the metaphorical wall which has been used in Establishment clause jurisprudence to explain the American notion of separation. His notion of a wall would expunge religious expression from the public discourse and impede the freedom of the Church to speak to the great moral issues of the age.

That became quite obvious as he excoriated Rev. Rick Warren and the Saddleback Forum in his comments and responses on this radio show.

Please, do not misunderstand me. Barry Lynn is a rather likeable fellow in person. He is just plain wrong on the Constitution and he is, unfortunately, an anti-Christian bigot in Christian clothes. He has failed repeatedly in his efforts to frighten people into thinking that anyone who believes that religious practice and expression is a “good” which promotes the common good is, in reality, some kind of nut and a threat.

Fortunately he has also failed in his tiring efforts to persuade the public to accept his own apparent belief that orthodox Christians and other religious people can not really make good Americans.However, on this radio program he tried again. It reminded me of the old "No Name" party, the virulently anti-Catholic group which tried to disparage catholics in America for so many years.

In the early days of my own work as a Constitutional lawyer, my Catholicism was a problem for Rev. Barry Lynn. Because of me, and others like me, he was unable to convince folks that all Christian people with whom he disagreed over the Right to Life and a host of other issues were all “fundamentalists”. He wanted to denigrate us all by assigning us to what he hoped to argue was a small segment of Protestant Christianity, the "fundamentalists', who were a threat to the Republic.

So, Barry Lynn joined the ranks of those back then who came up with the phrase “religious right” and then slowly expanded its definition in order to use it as a verbal weapon against most orthodox Christians, be they Protestant, Evangelical, Orthodox or Catholic.

Well, as this radio program unfolded, it became clear that Barry Lynn is still singing the same old tired song.

He quickly fell into his habit of verbal abuse, calling Reverend Rick Warren, the Pastor of Saddleback Church who hosted the Forum, a member of the “Far Right”. He accused him of having only a veneer of concern for issues other than abortion.He consigned him to what Lynn considers the narrow “right wing” and he ridiculed him.

He actually dismissed the commendable concerns for the poor demonstrated by Rev. Warren and his congregation and his teaching on other issues such as environmental stewardship as some kind of subterfuge on his part. It was just plain awful!

As the questioning unfolded, Rev. Lynn continued to mock Rev. Warren rather than to actually discuss the issues which came up in the Forum. He referred with disdain to the Pastor’s best selling book, “Purpose Driven Life”, dismissing its phenomenal sales in a peevish way. He noted that he had written books and never sold that number.

Of course, the comment gave rise to the obvious. I found myself speaking in my car and saying "earth to Barry, maybe your books were not as helpful to people". In fact, they are filled, as is all his communication, with bigotry against classical, orthodox Christians.

He lumped Rev. Warren and those who attended the event at Saddleback Church among thos he has consigned to that favorite boogeyman class of his, the “religious right”. Again, it was interesting to see that never once in this interview did Barry Lynn deal with people like me, Catholic Christians who were delightfully surprised as the evening at the Saddleback forum unfolded.

Instead he issued his dire warnings, indicating that this helpful event was some kind of threat to America. The tenor of his responses to the host’s questions and his answers to call ins to the show were all aimed at perpetuating his favorite tactic of guilt by association.

Anyone who watched the event, attended it or spoke favorable of it were consigned to irrelevance as a part of the small minority of Evangelical Protestants he views as being “on the fringe”.

Diane Rehms’ repeated efforts to call these folks “Values Driven” voters did not resonate with Lynn. He took every opportunity to paint them instead as a threat to the American order. He disparaged both Presidential candidates for even participating in the Forum, attributing their participation an example of the danger of some kind of creeping “theocracy” in America.

I tried to call in to the show from my cell phone but was unable to get through. So, I did something I have never done before. Once I returned to my office I sent an E-Mail to the show which I now set forth for my readers:

“I am appalled that Barry Lynn is allowed to go unchallenged in his effort to dismiss the Saddleback Forum as promoting some kind of "theocracy" and playing to some fringe of "evangelical" Protestant voters.

"I am a Catholic Deacon, a constitutional lawyer and a trained theologian. I am whole life/pro-life (accepting the entire spectrum of life issues from the womb to the tomb) pro-poor, pro-peace, pro-marriage and family. I opposed the Iraq war. I have always opposed capital punishment.

"In opposing every induced abortion as the taking of innocent human life, I insist that Science has only confirmed what our conscience has already told us all along, these children are our neighbors and it is always wrong to kill your neighbor.

"These kinds of positions are not simply based on the teaching of my Church, though I do seek to inform my life by my Catholic faith. Rather, my pro-life position, respecting every lifefrom conception to natural death, my insistence on giving a love of preference for the poor, my opposition to misguided militarism is all based upon reason and the Natural law.

"I am neither "liberal" nor "conservative" in the common political parlance. I am offended by Barry Lynn trying to marginalize the role of Catholics, other Christians, and other people of faith and people of good will who are simply exercising their faithful citizenship.

"Barry Lynn kindles fear. He mocks those with whom he disagrees, a sign of his inability to truly debate the issues he has made a living off of re-presenting over all these years like a broken record. His latest effort on this program to compare orthodox Christians to militant Islamic extremists with his absurd innuendos of censorship and to charge them with such insane notions as wanting to destroy books is an example of his own bigotry and his desire to feed the misguided fears of others.”

Barry Lynn impugned Rev. Rick Warren, disparaged orthodox Christians, promoted an anti-faith agenda and misrepresented the Civil Forum at Saddleback Church.In this interview and in his responses to listeners, he also showed his errant misunderstanding of the meaning of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution's protection of the freedom of speech, the free exercise of religion, the freedom of assembly and the proper role for people of faith and religious institutions in the American experiment in ordered liberty.

- - -

Deacon Keith Fournier asks that you join with us and help in this vital mission by sending this article to your family, friends, and neighbors and adding our link (www.catholic.org) to your own website, blog or social network. Let us broadcast, we are PROUD TO BE CATHOLIC!

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Make Origami Paper Claws - wikiHow

How to Make Origami Paper Claws

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

If your Halloween costume needs some claws or you're just feeling a little fierce, you can make paper claws that'll slip over each finger. They are sharp and pointy, though, so don't get carried away...They're just for show!

Steps

1. Place the paper on a flat surface.
   
2. Position the paper with the longest side running from the top to bottom.
   
3. Fold the top right corner in to the left side.
   
   • The top of the sheet now shows a point, while the edge of the fold lines up with the left side of the paper.
     
   
   
4. Fold the pointed top down to the bottom left corner, keeping it aligned with the left side of the paper.
   
5. Fold the right hand side of the sheet so that the edge aligns with the slanted edge of the previous fold. It should look like a square.
   
6. Fold the square in half, along the two slanted edges, to make a triangular shape.
   
7. Position the paper with the right angle of the triangle pointing up, or away from you.
   
8. Identify the side that has two folded edges not the side with four individual edges.
   
9. Imagine a vertical line (up and down line) dividing the triangle in half, from the point to the base, right down the middle.
   
   • You may want to draw this line in pencil the first couple of times. Use a T-square to make sure the line down the middle is at a right angle to the base of the triangle.
     
   
   
10. Fold the "two folded edges" side into this imaginary line, in other words fold it directly to the half-way line of the triangle.
    
    • The fold's outer edge should be going straight down, perpendicular to the bottom and even extending below the bottom of your triangle.
      
    
    
11. Repeat the previous fold two more times, folding the same side over itself again.
    
    • Be careful to line each fold with your imaginary pencil line.
      
    • The claw shape will begin to show.
      
    • Make sure you keep each fold very tight and at the same angle. If the folds start to slant upwards, instead of staying aligned, the claw won't be as good.
      
    
    
12. Hold the claw together by tucking the bottom flap into the end. Now you have a paper claw!
    
13. Open the smaller triangle in the middle of the folds, and stick your finger in there. >
14. Your finger should not go on the side where you tucked it in, or the other side, but in the middle.
    
15. It may be a tight fit at first, but if you work your finger it will fit.
    
16. The tighter the fit the more likely the claw will stay on your finger.
    


17. Repeat the above steps as many times as you want to create additional claws!
    

Tips

• This is hard. Your claws will get better and better the more you make.
  
• Practice on thin, cheap paper before using expensive materials.
  
• Make your folds as exact as possible. Consider using a paper folder or a ruler. Sharp, exact folds are the key to success in almost any origami project.
  
• You can change the color by using black paper or even painting. Construction paper is heavier and harder to work with but makes more durable claws and is available in a variety of colors.
  
• Some people might have fingers that are too large or small. You can always use bigger or smaller paper, just make sure it has the same proportions.
  
• Buy some black gloves in a thrift store, or look for old ones around the house, and cut off the ends from the fingers. Put your claws on over the gloves for an even cooler look.
  
• Younger children may need help doing this.
  

Warnings

• Don't go around clawing people. You could actually scratch them or damage their eyes.
  

Things You'll Need

• An 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper, standard letter size in the United States.
  
• A hard surface to fold on.
  
• Optionally, a paper folder or ruler.
  
• Optionally, a T-square.
  

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• How to Make an Origami Dog Face
  
• How to Make an Origami Dog
  
• How to Make an Origami Bunny
  
• How to Make a Simple Origami Rose
  
• How to Make an Origami Flying Bird
  
• How to Make a 3D Origami Boat
  
• How to Make an Origami Cat Face
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Make Origami Paper Claws. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

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