101 101 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW HOW TO DO Michael Powell METRO BOOKS NEW YORK •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Publisher's Note This book is for entertainment purposes only Some of the activities dis cussed should not be attempted without professional supervision, or unless the reader has been properly trained or instructed in their technique Published exclusively for Metro Books by Gusto Company AS All rights reserved No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of the publisher - © 2005 Gusto Company AS Written by Michael Powell Executive editor and original concept by James Tavendale Designed by Allen Boe Illustrated by Allen and AnnDnĐa Boe ISBN-13: 978-1-4351-1026-7 579108642 ããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããã ããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããã Introduction There's a right way and a wrong way to everything, and then there's a better way Just because you've been brushing your teeth for years, doesn't mean that you're doing it right The same goes for pitching a baseball, packing a suitcase, or choosing a pair of sunglasses Most of us are clueless when it comes to the simplest tasks Did you know that some of the most basic life skills are the most poorly learned? Then what about all those things you've always wished you could but never got around to, like juggling, belly dancing, dancing the waltz, and making a shelter in the wild And that's before you even consider the corr rect way to eat a lobster and choose a good pair of shoes Nothing is more important than getting back to basics! Nothing! That's why you'll love this book It's an absolutely essential collection of clear and straightforward advice-everything you need to start coping with the - miscellany of modern life It even shows you how to get out of a chair, because-what you know-we all screw that one up! The only thing we haven't included is how to suck eggs (although we show you how to cook them and check if they are fresh) This pocket-sized primer will help you maneuver the daily challenges of social etiquette, business, household management, home and family, relationships, health and hygiene, and sports and leisure It will make you wonder how you ever dared get out of bed in the morning •• •• II • ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Contents How To Speed-Read 10 Ride A Bike 12 Play Poker 14 18 Play Chess Play Billiards Juggle 22 .24 Make A Paper Airplane 26 Draw A Horse 28 Knit 31 Read Music Scales .34 Sing At A Karaoke Bar Belly Dance 40 Dance T he Waltz .43 _ -.38 Do A Cartwheel .45 Brush Your Teeth Take A Power-Nap Reduce Snoring _ 50 52 Get Served In A Crowded Bar Propose A Toast Get A Good Haircut Choose A Pair Of Sunglasses Dress Well For Your Body Shape Understand Care Labels On Clothes Fold Clothes Iron A Shirt And Pants Tie A Tie Choose Shoes Polish Shoes 48 Behave In A Restaurant T ip Shave - "54 "56 60 "62 64 66 68 70 73 76 - - - 80 82 " " "84 -86 •• II •• ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• - Sew A Button 88 Repair A Sock .90 Introduce People 92 Shake Hands 94 Get Out Of A Chair .96 Hang Wallpaper 98 Paint A Room 102 Lay Carpet 104 Buy A Sofa 106 Frame A Picture 108 Hang Shelves 110 Make A Bed With Hospital Corners 112 Arrange Flowers 114 Vacuum A Room 116 Remove Clutter 118 Treat Stains 120 Unclog A Sink .123 Repair A Dripping Faucet .125 Shovel Snow .127 Mow The Lawn 130 Mop The Floor 132 House-Train Your Puppy 134 House-Train Your Cat 136 Change A Diaper 138 Hold A Baby 141 Decorate A Christmas Tree 144 Wrap A Gift 146 Tie Knots 148 Set The Table 152 Tell If An Egg Is Fresh 154 Cook An Egg .156 Make Pancakes Select Fruit Chop An Onion Eat A Lobster ·· • •• a 158 160 164 166 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Scoop Ice Cream 168 Use An Espresso Machine Use Chopsticks 170 172 Taste Wine Open A Bottle Of Champagne 174 176 Pour A Beer With A Perfect Head 178 Make A Perfect Bloody Mary 180 Avoid And Treat A Hangover .182 Smoke A Cigar Quit Smoking Stop A Nosebleed .184 186 188 Treat Stings And Bruises Lift Correctly 190 192 Perform CPR 194 Pitch A Baseball Hit A Golf Ball Wash A Car Shoot A Free T hrow In Basketball Swim 198 .202 200 204 210 Jump- Start A Vehicle Change A Flat Tire 213 Parallel Park Drive On Snow Avoid Jet Lag Read A Map .219 222 224 226 Take A Photograph Get An Airline Upgrade - .216 Pack A Suitcase 228 231 .234 Find Direction Using The Sun And Stars 236 Chop Down A Tree 1239 Pitch A Tent 241 Build A Shelter (In The Wild) 243 Build A Campfire 245 Bait A Fishing Hook Fly -Fish 249 247 •• II •• •• •• S P E E D-READ ••••••••••••••••••••••• ••••••••••••••••••••••• Speed-reading is an invaluable way of soaking up important information quickly and efficiently When you need to read a mountain of material fast, there are several techniques at hand to help you cut down your reading time Speed-reading is a skill that is much in demand in today's informa tion-flooded age Know What You Wa nt The most impo rtant req u i rement is to decide what i nformation you need to get from the docu ment before you start to read it If you need an overview, or the basic facts, you can read faster than if you need to understa nd and retain mi nute details Read Blocks Of Words M ost of us learn to read l etter-by-letter, then word-by-word, but fewer of us take the next step and tra in ou rselves to read blocks of words at a time To speed-read you need to increase the n u mber of words you can rea d in each block Avoid Reg ressi n g Reading never progresses sm ooth ly from l eft t o right O u r eyes constantly fl ick back to a word or block of words to check meaning While this is normal, exces sive regressing is i nefficient and has been shown to red uce com p rehension as we l l as speed It is also much more tiring for the eyes Consciously reduce how much you r eye regresses This can be ach ieved in iti a l ly by smoothly running a piece of paper l i ne-by-line down the page, a bove the line of print as you read Or, you can run you r finger down the page faster than you wou l d norma l l y read and try to keep up with it liil •• • •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• • •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• [7] Drive pegs i nto the ground a few feet away from the tent, a n d attach the guy ropes (the tent wi l l have to of them) Ensure the guy ropes a n d the pegs form a ninety-deg ree an gle, so that the guy ropes won't pull the pegs out of the g round Tighten all the guy ropes [8] Attach the dome cover to the top of the tent (this goes over a mesh venti la tion a rea) •• •• BU I LD A S H E LTER ( I N TH E WI LD) ••••••• •• •• ••• •••••••• If you ever find yourself lost in the wild, and too far from help to hike in a day or two, building a good shelter to protect you from the worst of the elements and enable you to rest may mean the difference between life and death Ch oose Yo u r Location Whatever the weather conditions, you wi l l need to fi nd the right place to con struct you r she lter Avoid exposed a reas a n d look for a shaded spot beneath trees, preferably on higher g rou nd Before Yo u Start Before you decide what kind of shelter to build, bear in mind the fol l owing b asic tips [1] Don't overdo it The smaller the better when it comes to a temporary sh elter The bigger it is, the harder it will be to build and to heat [2] If the temperatu re is d ropping, you will need to b u i l d i n ventil ation so that you can keep a fire going inside yo u r she lter There is a risk from carbon m onoxide if the smoke can not escape [3] If the grou n d is covered with s now, only attempt a s now she lter if the snow is dense enough that it d oesn't leave a deep footpri nt as you wa l k Building A Snow S h e lter Once you have ascerta i ned that the snow is dense enough, the quickest way to s h e lte r in the s now is to dig out recta ngular blocks of snow until you h ave built a bu rrow-like tunnel, l eaving enough snow ove rhead for a stu rdy roof M a ke several venti lation h o les a n d dig the tunnel away from the wind so that the entra n ce stays free from d rifting snow Keep you r tools with you j ust in case 11!11!11 • • illiil • • ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• ••••••••••••••• • • • • •• •••••••••••••••••••• B u i l d i n g A Lea n -to Look for a large object such as a fa llen tree tru n k, a stump, or a l a rge rock Lay one large branch on the grou nd, raised by the object at one end N ow use this branch as a means of laying further smaller branches out, fi lling i n holes a n d gaps with s m a l l twigs, l eaves, moss, etc Building A Tepee You need to fi nd three fairly sizeable branches and fasten them together at the top with rope o r whatever you can fin d Spread the three legs out a n d use this framework to support as many more branches as you can fi nd Use a nything sma l l to fi l l i n the gaps: twigs, leaves, moss, etc - ""' • • liiillli •• •• BU I LD A CAM PFIRE ••••••••••• ••••••••••• Knowing how to build a campfire in the wild makes the difference be tween dancing flames, warm meals, and camaraderie, and lying shivering and hungry in a sleeping bag Pitch Camp Choose a suitab l e p l ace to build you r fire It should be sandy or rocky, and pref erably close to a sou rce of sand or water, so that you can put out the fire q u ickly if necessa ry It should a l so be dry, partially she ltered (too much wind will make the fire rd to l ight), a n d close to a source of tinder (dry material which ign ites with a spa rk-wood shavin gs, feathers, paper, straw, etc.), kindling (twigs, small pieces of wood, etc.), and fu el (material which bu rns more slowly-thicker branches and logs, coal, twisted dry reeds, etc.) H e re a re fou r common methods o f fire b u i l d i n g , e a c h suita b l e for different conditions Te pee B u i l d tinder and fuel into a e or tepee shape around a core of tinder or k i n d l i ng Light the midd le Air is d rawn i nto the bottom of the tepee a nd, as the i nside material bu rns, the outside b ranches fa l l i nto the center, so the fire req u i res little mai ntenance Also, if the outside bra nches a re damp, they will have a chance to dry before they burn Cross-ditch If you are having difficu lty lighting the fire, use a stick or kn ife to scrape a cross in the grou nd about a foot across and three- inches deep Place lots of tinder i n the center of the cross a n d build a tepee of kind l i ng above Light the tinder; as it bu rns, air is drawn through the cross and u n de rneath the fire to p rovide oxyge n for the flames !II! • • iilllil • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• •• • • • • •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• • • •• • • •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• Lea n -to Place a stick in the ground at a thirty-degree angle, poi nti n g in the direction of the wind Lea n kindling on either side of this stick and p l ace tinder deep i nside Light the tinde r As the fire progresses from the short to long sticks, add more kindling and fu el Te rrace Place two larger logs parallel a n d then lay severa l thinner logs across them to form a p l atform, leavi ng ventil ation gaps in between the logs Add a second l ayer at right a ng l es to the last, using even thinner logs, and repeat u ntil you have a te rraced pyramid Place tinder and kindling on top and l i g ht it This fire bu rns from the top downward, so it req u i res l ess ma intenance Before you b reak camp, ensure you r fire is com pletely exti nguished and cold to to uch Flick it with water and cover with no n-flammable material l i ke sand •• •• BAIT A FISH I NG HOOK • • • • •••••••••• •••• • • • • •••• •• •• •• •••• The thrill of your first catch is made all the sweeter if you have baited your own hook skillfully, and fooled a fish into ta king the bait There's more to it than skewering a worm on your hook For starters, you want live bait to stay just that-alive, or at least to look alive H a n d l e the worm as l ittle as possib l e You r hands a re covered with te l ltale scents a n d amino acids that coat the worm a n d warn the fish away Syringe- l i ke devices a re ava ilable which bait hooks auto matica l ly, without the angler havi ng to touch the worm with his or her nds Alternatively, you can wea r disposable latex g l oves H ere a re th ree ways of baiting worms In the first d i agram, the hook p asses thro u g h the tip of the body, so that the tip reaches the tip of the hook I n the second diagram, the worm has been threaded onto the hook l engthwise through its whole body-sl imy yet effective, because not only does it fo l l ow the conto u r of the hook (hiding it), it is also very secure and wi l l not fa l l off In the third d iagram, the worm is attached in a concertina sha pe, a n d the hook passes through its body several times This is secure and helps to give the i l l u sion that the worm is a l ive, making it more inviting to the fis h 111!!1 • • filii • • • • • • • • • • • • •• •• • • • • •••••••••••••••••••••• ••••••••••••• •••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Bait crickets a n d g rassh oppers in their backs behind the head Bait minnows tilrough the top of the mouth or underneath the dorsal fi n - When baiting with live fish, o n l y h a n d l e them with wet hands, otherwise you will rem ove scales and slime and d a mage them Do not hook l ive bait through the eyes N ot only i s this a n i nsecu re method, but you want the baitfish to see the a pproaching fish because then it will d a rt a bout in a n attem pt to escape This will excite the other fish, making it more aggressive, i ncreasing your chances of a bite, and the frequency of bites •• •• FLY-FISH • •• •• •• •• •• •• •••• •••••• • •• •• •• •••••••••••• •••• In fly-fishing, artificial flies such as fur and feather are used as bait Skillful casting gives the illusion that the bait is al ive Unlike spin-casting which uses a weight to pull the line out of the reel, fly-casting uses a heavier line and a back-and-forth rod action; it is these that provide the momentum Pra cti c c s t i n in an open space away from the water until you h ave m astered the techniqu (A field of g rass is ideal Don't cast on aspha lt, as this w i l l dam age yo u r l i n ) T ie a l ittle bright fly on the end of the l i n e so you can see it [1] Pu l l tw nty-five to thirty feet of l i n e from the ree l and lay it on the ground i n front o f you [2] H o l d the rod nd l e fi rmly i n you r palm, close your fi ng ers a rou n d it, and pl ace you r thumb on top Keep the rod b utt under your wrist a n d along yo u r forearm [3] Sta nd facing yo u r target, with your weight o n the balls of your feet If you r ta rget is t twelve o'clock ( re l ative to the elevated rod ), when you cast you will move the rod briskly between e l even and one o'clock [4] Hold the l i n e in yo u r left hand and keep it tight d u ring the cast, j u st above waist l eve l [5] Beg i n with a swift stroke that sweeps the rod to eleven o'clock a n d then to one o'clock, a n d stop abruptly This will make the l i n e fl ick behind yo u 1!19!11 • • fiiliil • • ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• [6] Watch the l i ne As it straightens behind you a n d becomes horizontal (but before it touches the gro u n d), fl ick again to e l even o'clock a n d stop abruptly there This will make the line fl ick forward and l a n d at twelve o'clock i n front of yo u [7] The longer your l i ne, t h e longer i t w i l l take for t h e l i n e to straighten out behind you, so the longer you should l eave between forward and backward casts If you r line makes a cracki ng noise, it is a sign that you should wait longer between casts [8] For a short cast aim about fo u r feet above the g rou n d ; for longer casts, aim higher Practice dista n ce by setti ng up ta rgets on the ground; mod ify your cast and aim accord i n g ly [9] D u ring the cast the tip of yo u r rod should travel i n a stra ight l i ne If you use too m uch force the tip w i l l d rop down, the l i n e will form a "tai ling loop," a n d the fly will land off target [10] When you a re confident o n g rass, and you i nsti nctively know what a good cast feels like thro u g h you r rod, you a re ready to cast on water !!!� • • fiiilii • • - • • • •• • • • • • • • • •• • • • • •• •••••••••••••••••••• ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• I N D EX A c Anchor bend, 51 Cat's Paw, 49 Apricots, 60 Change A Diaper, 38 Arra n g e Flowers, 1 Change A F l at T i re, Avocados, 62 Cherries, 60 Avo i d And Treat A H a n g over, 82 Choose A P a i r Of S u n g l asses, 68 Avoid J et Lag, 228 Choose Shoes, 84 B Bait A Fishing Hook, 247 Bana nas, 60 Chop An Onion, 64 Chop Down A Tree, 239 Cook An Egg, 56 Behave I n A Restau rant, 54 D Belly Dance, 40 D a n ce The Wa ltz, 43 Brush You r Teeth, 48 Decorate A C h ristmas Tree, 44 Build A C a m pfire, 245 Do A Cartwheel, 45 Build A S h elter ( I n The Wild), 243 Draw A Horse, 28 Buy A S ofa, 06 D ress We l l For You r Body S h a pe, 70 D rive O n Sn ow, 222 ·· � • • liiilil ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• E H Eat A Lobster, 66 H a lf H itch , 50 F F i g u re - Ei g ht Kn ot, 48 F i n d D i rection Using The S u n And Stars, 236 H a lf W i n d sor, 82 H a n g S h e lves, 1 H a n g Wa l l p a p e r, 98 H i t A G o l f B a l l , 202 Fisherman's Bend, 51 H o l d A B aby, 41 Fisherma n 's Knot, 49 House-Tra i n You r C at, 36 Fly-Fish, 249 House-Tra i n You r Puppy, 34 Fold Clothes, 76 Fra m e A Picture, 08 F u l l Windso r, 82 G G et A Good H a i rc ut, 66 G et An Airl i n e U pgrade, 226 I ntroduce People, 92 I ro n A S h i rt And Pa nts, 80 - J J ug g l e, 24 J u m p-Start A Ve hicle, G et Out Of A C h a i r, 96 G et Served In A Crowd ed B a r, 60 K G p efru its, 63 Knit, G pes, 62 � ·· liiiilil • • • •• •••••••• •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• • •• •• • • • • • • • • •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• - L p Lay Carpet, 04 Pack A Su itcase, 224 Lemons, 63 Paint A Room, 02 Lift Correctly, 92 Papaya, 163 M Parallel Park, 219 Passion Fruit, 63 M a ke A Bed \Ciith H os pita l Corners, 1 Pawpaw, 163 M a ke A Paper Airplan e, 26 Peaches, 62 M a ke A Perfect B l oody Mary, 80 Perform CPR, 94 M a ke Pancakes, 58 M a n goes, 62 Melon, 62 Mop The Floor, 32 Mow The Lawn, 0 Open A Bottle Of Cha m pa g n e, 76 Pineapples, 163 ' Pitch A Base b a l l, 98 Pitch A Tent, 241 Play B i l l i a rds, 22 P l ay C hess, Play Poker, P l u m s, 62 Po l ish Shoes, 86 Oranges, Pou r A Beer With A Perfect Head, 78 Overhand Knot, 48 Pratt Knot, 83 P ropos e A Toast, 62 ·· •• a •• • • • • •••••••••••••• •• •• • • •• • • • • • • • • ••••• ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Q Sheepshank, 49 O u it Smoking, 86 Sheet Bend, 50 R S h e l by Knot, 83 Raspbe rri es, 60 S h oot A Free Th row I n Basketba l l , 200 Read A M a p, 231 S h ove l S now, 27 Read M usic Scal es, 34 S i n g At A Karaoke B a r, 38 Red u ce Snoring, 52 Smoke A Cigar, 84 Reef Knot, 51 Speed-Read, Remove Clutter, 1 Square Knot, 51 Repair A Dripping Faucet, 25 Stop A Nosebleed, 88 R e p a i r A Sock, 90 Strawberries, 60 Ride A Bike, Swi m , 204 s T S a i l o r's Knot, 50 Ta ke A P hotograph, 234 Scoop Ice Cream, 68 Ta ke A Power- N a p, 50 Sel ect Fru it, 60 Taste Wine, 74 Set The Ta b l e, 52 Te l l If An Egg Is Fresh, 54 Sew A Button, 88 Tie A Tie, 82 S h a ke Ha nds, 94 Tie Knots, 48 Shave, 64 Tip, 56 - !1!!1!1 • • iillill • • •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• , Treat Sta ins, 20 Treat Stings And Bru ises, 90 u U n cl o g A Sink, 23 Understand Care Labels On C l othes, 73 Use An Espresso M a ch i n e, 70 Use C h opsticks, 72 v Vac u u m A Room, 1 - w Was h A Car, Wrap A G ift, 46 • • f!ll!ll!ll • • iiiiil ... 101 101 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW HOW TO DO Michael Powell METRO BOOKS NEW YORK ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••... on a toothbrush between brushes, so you should also replace you r toothbrush after a cold or a sore throat, because the bacteria on you r brush can cause rei nfection H ow To Store You r Tooth... a n d you will be provided with the lyrics to sing i nto the microphone •• 1!1!1 •• liil [8] Don't sing too close to the microphone as you r voice will be distorted a n d it will spoil you r