How To Make Beef Jerky

How To Make Beef Jerky

Beef jerky is an all time favorite, and a great way to preserve a meat. So how do we go about making jerky? There's only a few slight differences you can make to make it, but the slight differences can change the taste. Here we go:

First make sure you have beef, some marinade, a dehydrator an oven or firepit, and some time to keep an eye on it.

Second, cut the beef into thin slices. This makes it better for dehydration and easier to eat.

Third get your dehydrator, oven, or firepit started. Dehydrator is the easiest all you have to do is put it on there, an oven you have to keep cracked open and on a low temperature, a fire you hang it above the fire and keep the fire lit.

Fourth, put the marinade on the meat. Might be a mixture of garlic powder, Worcester sauce, and pepper. You could use something you created as well!

Fifth, keep it on your device using to dehydrate for many hours and wait until all the moisture has been dried out of it. Once you reach this point it should be just about done and ready for eating or storage. 

Rewritten Version Of Greensleeves By Chris Thompson

Rewritten Version Of Greensleeves By Chris Thompson

Original Greensleeves

My version is below this one

Just wanted to put this one here for a comparison

e|--0-------0-------0-------0---------------------------|

B|--1-------1-------1-------1---------------------------|      Just this chord 4 times for intro

G|--2-------2-------2-------2---------------------------|

D|--2-------2-------2-------2---------------------------|

A|--0-------0-------0-------0---------------------------|

E|------------------------------------------------------|

Verse 1

e|-----------0---1-0-------------------------------------|

B|----1---3------------3---0---------0--1----------------|

G|-2--------------------------0---2----------------------|  

D|-------------------------------------------------------|

A|----0------0--------------------------0----------------|   

E|---------------------3------3--------------------------|

Verse 1 ending 1

e|-------------------------------------------------------|

B|----------------0--------------------------------------|                                          

G|--2--2---1--2-------1----------------------------------|  

D|-----------------------2-------------------------------|          

A|-----0----------2--------------------------------------|                                         

E|-----------------------0-------------------------------|

Verse 1

e|-----------0---1-0-------------------------------------|

B|----1---3------------3---0---------0--1----------------|

G|-2--------------------------0---2----------------------|  

D|-------------------------------------------------------|

A|----0------0--------------------------0----------------|   

E|---------------------3------3--------------------------|

Verse 1 ending 2

e|------------------------------------------------------|

B|--0---------------------------------------------------|

G|-----2--1------1--2-----------------------------------| 

D|------------4-----------------------------------------|

A|--------2---------0-----------------------------------|

E|------------------------------------------------------|

Verse 2

e|--3---3--1--0-----------------------------------------|

B|---------------3---0---------0--1---------------------|

G|----------------------0---2---------------------------|

D|------------------------------------------------------|

A|--3---3-------------------------0---------------------|

E|---------------3------3-------------------------------|

Verse 2 ending 1

e|-------------------------------------------------------|

B|---------------0---------------------------------------|

G|--2--2---1--2-----1------------------------------------|

D|---------------------2---------------------------------|

A|-----0---------2---------------------------------------|

E|---------------------0---------------------------------|

Verse 2

e|--3---3--1--0-----------------------------------------|

B|---------------3---0---------0--1---------------------|

G|----------------------0---2---------------------------|

D|------------------------------------------------------|

A|--3---3-------------------------0---------------------|

E|---------------3------3-------------------------------!

Verse 2 ending 2

e|------------------------------------------------------|

B|--0---------------------------------------------------|

G|-----2--1-----1--2------------------------------------|

D|-----------4------------------------------------------|

A|--------2--------0------------------------------------|

E|------------------------------------------------------|

Go back and play all of the verse one again in the same order then we move onto the second part

Rewritten by Chris Thompson

Verse 1

e|---------------0--------0--1--0--------1--0----------0----------|

B|-----1------1-----1--3-----------3--1--------3--1--3----3--0----|

G|--2-------------------------------------------------------------|

D|----------------------------------------------------------------|

A|-----0---0--------------0---------------------------------------|

E|---------------------------------------------3------------------|

e|-----------------------------------------------------|

B|--------0--------------------------------------------|

G|--0--2-----2-----------------------------------------|

D|--------------2--------------------------------------|

A|-----------------------------------------------------|

E|--3--------------------------------------------------|

Verse 1 Ending 1

e|------------------------------------------------------|

B|-----0--1------1-------------0--------------0---------|

G|--2----------0----2--2----2----2--0-----------0-------|

D|-------------------------------------2----2-----==----|

A|--------0--0---------0--0-----------------------------|

E|-------------------------------------0--0---------==--|

Verse 1

e|---------------0--------0--1--0--------1--0----------0----------|

B|-----1------1-----1--3-----------3--1--------3--1--3----3--0----|

G|--2-------------------------------------------------------------|

D|----------------------------------------------------------------|

A|-----0---0--------------0---------------------------------------|

E|---------------------------------------------3------------------|

e|-----------------------------------------------------|

B|--------0--------------------------------------------|

G|--0--2-----2-----------------------------------------|

D|--------------2--------------------------------------|

A|-----------------------------------------------------|

E|--3--------------------------------------------------|

Verse 1 Ending 2

e|-----------0---------------------------0------------------|

B|-----0--1----1----0-----------0----------0----------------|

G|--2------------0----2--1----1-----1--2-----2--------------|

D|--------------------------------4-------------------------|

A|--------0--------------2--2----------0--------------------|

E|----------------------------------------------------------|

Verse 2

e|--3--3------1--0------------------------------------------|

B|-------0----------3--3--1--3--0--0----0-------------------|

G|---------0--------------------------0---0-----------------|

D|----------------------------------------------------------|

A|--3-------------------------------------------------------|

E|------------------3--------------3------------------------|

Verse 2 ending 1

e|------------------------------------------------------|

B|-----0--1------1-------------0--------------0---------|

G|--2----------0----2--2----2----2--0-----------0-------|

D|-------------------------------------2----2-----==----|

A|--------0--0---------0--0-----------------------------|

E|-------------------------------------0--0---------==--|

Verse 2

e|--3--3------1--0------------------------------------------|

B|-------0----------3--3--1--3--0--0----0-------------------|

G|---------0--------------------------0---0-----------------|

D|----------------------------------------------------------|

A|--3-------------------------------------------------------|

E|------------------3--------------3------------------------|

Verse 2 Ending 2

e|-----------0---------------------------0------------------|

B|-----0--1----1----0-----------0----------0----------------|

G|--2------------0----2--1----1-----1--2-----2--------------|

D|--------------------------------4-------------------------|

A|--------0--------------2--2----------0--------------------|

E|----------------------------------------------------------|

Now repeat Verse 1 with both of the endings

How To Make A Wooden Bowl

How To Make A Wooden Bowl

Making a wooden bowl depends on what kind of wood you have. Do you have a log, or do you have a chunk of wood from your local home repair store? There's a few different ways to go about this, so ill put the most common ones.

1. Wood Turning

If you are going to do wood turning you will need wood from the store. Basically, what this does is it you rotate the wood slowly and scrape off wood with a chisel. There's special kinds of chisels for this. With this way you can make a very nice bowl and it can be somewhat symmetrical. This takes a little strength to do, so make sure your chisels are strong as well. After you do this, you should get a salad bowl finish so you can eat out of it.

2. Burning

For burning you really don't need anything special. Just a log and a knife. Maybe some matches and kindling too. To start off you just set the log on it's side and carve a tiny hole so you can put kindling and twigs in to to burn. After that, you just keep the fire lit and let it burn the inside of the log out. You should be cooking your freshly caught fish or whatever you got while you do this. Remember to multitask. Keep that fire burning and carve out the sides with your knife every so often. Eventually you should have a bowl shape, and all you have to do (to keep it natural) is just soak it in olive oil for a while to give it a natural finish. It's really that simple just hard work. This method will usually get the inside pretty symmetrical.

3. Hammer and Chisel

It really doesn't matter which kind of wood you use in this process. This process will not get it 100% symmetrical but you can normally make it look alright. You just chisel out the shape of a bowl carefully, and sand it down afterwards. Then you should finish it with either olive oil or salad bowl finish. Its up to you.

Simple process, lots of work. It's a project that's definitely worth doing, and will prove to be productive for you.

Update On Lamellar Armor Project

Update On Lamellar Armor Project

Ok so far I have finished some tiles for the project to test a little further. So far its looking pretty good but I have decided to double up the thickness of this armor.

This makes a HUGE difference in the armors soon to be overall strength. I put it in a scaled pattern to see how the thickness will be and here's how it looks.

Its so thick and so strong I don't think I could cut through it with an axe. People must really underestimate the strength of paper.

So now its just back to mass producing scales (ugh). It's not too fun but its well worth it. 

How To Make Non Alcoholic Ginger Ale

How To Make Non Alcoholic Ginger Ale

Ginger ale is one of those drinks thats it's hard to get tired of. Especially if you made it yourself. It always has that nice type of bitterness for a cold winter, and it can soothe stomach aches. So why not learn to make your own.

What you'll need:

1 cup peeled and finely chopped ginger

3 cups water

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup club soda

a few drops of lime juice

lime wedges for garnishing

Now here's how you do it:

1. Boil 2 cups of water in a saucepan

2. Add the ginger and reduce heat to a simmer

3. After 5 minutes of simmering let it cool for 20 minutes

4. Strain the liquid using a fine mesh strainer (or cheese cloth)

5. In another pan mix 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water and boil it. When the sugar is dissolved its ready.

6. Now mix the ginger water club soda and the mixture you made in step 5.

You should now how ginger ale!

• 
  

List Of Things To Do When You're Bored

List Of Things To Do When You're Bored

Pun Intended

Anyways, recently I've found myself and my brother very bored. So I had inspiration to come up with as many things as possible to do! I'll post some of them here!

1. Learn a new skill

This can assist in other times of your life and you aren't entirely wasting your time either

2. Play an instrument

This is good for your soul! Get other people involved if you like.

3. Fix something thats broken

Maybe you have that leaky faucet or a small hole in the wall. Fix it!

4. Play video games

Not a huge fan of video games myself but it passes time

5. Go out with friends

Go doing something fun! Maybe something like paintball!

6. Plan for the future

Planning for the future will give you a game plan for a sticky situation.

7. Start making money

Article here: http://howtotime.blogspot.com/2013/12/how-to-make-quick-money.html

8. Build something/start a project

This can cause you to make something useful or interesting.

9. Invent something

Try coming up with something new and cool

10. Go through old pictures/memories

Good time to reflect and think on your life. Maybe grow as a person during this process.

11. Take a walk

You'll burn fat and you can think during this time.

12. Join a sport

Good for your health and make friends in the process.

13. Clean your room/house/apartment

Cleaning is good for obvious reasons.

14. Get a part time job

Earn some money while occupying your extra boring time.

15. Read a book

Educational and if you like it not as boring as just sitting around.

16. Write a blog (ahem)

Writing blog articles can let you get your message to people and occupy what spare time you have as well.

17. Explore a new place

Lets you get to know a place better

18. Help someone

Helps someone else so you do something good while making a friend

19. If you have enough money go shopping

Shopping can be unhealthy if you aren't careful

20. Read this blog: howtotime.blogspot.com

Just come here and read this blog for more how to ideas and articles!

How To Make Glue

How To Make Glue

Ahh glue, we meet again. Doesn't it remind you of those annoying cut and paste sheets that the teacher always assigned to you in kindergarten? It sure does with me.

Anyways, on my most recent project (The Chinese Paper Armor Project) I have run into a slight issue. It's the cost of glue. This project uses a lot to harden the tiles so I decided I was going to learn to make my own for when I run out (very soon). That's exactly what I did.

You know how when you hold sugar sometimes it makes your hand sticky? That's because the sugar is mixing with the moisture on your hand. That's why it will be one of our ingredients on this small project. Do you also know how flour is used to thicken soups and other liquid foods? We are going to use that to make it like a paste!

First you are going to want to get a bowl with water in it. Then you add a lot of sugar until it wont mix in anymore (or until you feel like stopping). Just make sure you get a decent amount in there so it will be sticky. Now start adding some flour. This should make the liquid start turning a milky white. Try to make this a little runny but not watery. It should be paste like. Once this happens, cover it with plastic wrap and cool it.

After you are done cooling it for a few hours, it should be ready for use! Good luck on your next project!

How To Make Chinese Bark Cloth Paper Lamellar Armor

How To Make Chinese Bark Cloth Paper Lamellar Armor

As of a few days ago I have began researching a new project. I had once heard that the Chinese during the feudal period used bark cloth (type of paper) armor. They said soldiers came out of battle with multiple arrows sticking out of them. I thought the idea sounded cheap, easy to make, and pretty darn awesome. So I will be posting my results as I complete more. There may be other misc articles in between as I cannot work on this project nonstop (although I wish I could.) Here's my results so far-

So I made the first tile for testing and I used a special sap mixture for glue (to keep it somewhat realistic)

It ended up becoming very solid and hard. It could still bend, but I also see how it could stop an arrow how strong it was. I could have probably thrown it at you and it would hurt.

The next day I began testing this single scale to see how well it actually worked. It actually stopped a 20 pound COMPOUND bow from about 5 feet away, and a cleave from a freshly sharpened machete while laying on a board. This is what it looked like.

That tile alone could probably stop another 2 arrows or another cleave. When I actually make the armor it is either going to be doubled or quadrupled in thickness so imagine the strength. It will also be painted red possibly with a waterproof sealing paint. You don't have to paint it though as it gets stronger when wet.

As I make more progress I will keep you posted.

How To Join A Forum

How To Join A Forum

In this past day I had a wonderful experience of joining a DIY forum (I will post link below). During this process I learned a lot about what you should and shouldn't do in forums. I will post my experience and what not to do in a forum.

1. Do not ask general questions

People will think you are a troll if you do this. You need to be specific on what you are asking for. People will generally be nice to you, but if you are acting stupid (like I did) they are going to be rude.

2. Be respectful to everyone

I understand this may be hard to do, but always try to be respectful to everyone on a forum. If you don't no one will ever want to help you.

3. Try to make your posts as clear to read as possible

This will make it hard for people to answer your question, if you don't make it clear. <- that was an example of a harder to read sentence. Do not do that

4. Make as many friends and if possible local contacts as well

This will prove to be helpful in the future. Plus you will get some pretty cool people to talk to at the same time!

5. Read the individual forum rules

If you do not know the rules you will get banned in an instant.

Ill post a DIY forum I recommend. The people on there are nice, feel free to contact me I am zsezse4.

diychatroom.com

Christmas Craft Ideas

Christmas Craft Ideas

Christmas is just around the corner, and some people like to celebrate with some crafts. So here's a list of craft ideas for you and your kids!

1. Pipe Cleaner Ornaments-

You can make any shape with these. It could be a tree, bell, star, etc. Very simple easy to do!

2 Sew/Knit your own stockings-

This one is still easy, but is very time consuming. I would not recommend this one for children. You can sew designs onto it, or maybe some pipe cleaner ornaments (cough cough).

3. Candy Christmas Trees-

What you do is you take a ice cream cone and turn it upside down. Paint it with green icing, and decorate with m&m's or other candies!

4. Family Picture Ornaments-

This is an ornament where you take a picture of you and your family, then put it on a ornament you made. This probably wont work for the pipe cleaners, so maybe that squishy paper and some glue would work. Good project to capture memories for years to come.

5. Candy Cane Plant Stakes-

This one will only work if you are in a warm place like florida. If you are one of those people, all you have to do is paint a dowel rod like a candy cane.

Paper Plate Poinsettias-

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/christmas/poinsettia/

This site here has lots of good ideas-

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/christmas/

Maybe try coming up with your own ideas with household items!

How To Make Quick Money

How To Make Quick Money

Sometimes you might be a little low on cash and need a little extra to go out to dinner. Of course using these methods you probably wont make as much as in the picture above, but you'll make enough to maybe get that nice shirt you wanted or to take your wife/girlfriend out to dinner.

1. Ask around for odd jobs.

More than likely there will be one person around you needing some help and willing to pay for it. If you don't ask the answer is always no. This is a very easy way to get a quick buck, just make sure you do a good job.

2. Have a yard sale/get a booth at a flea market. This is a great way to get rid of old items, while making cash. Just be sure to advertise your yard sale in the newspaper.

3. Refinish furniture. This one is a little harder, because you have to find someone who wants to buy it. You could always advertise it in the newspaper after its completed or put up signs. Even ads on craigslist would help.

4. If you are in a state that pays well for soda cans, you could collect soda cans. I know some states pay a few cents a can. That can really add up.

5. Get a part time job. I know this is a longer term solution than these other ones, but if you have lots of extra time and nothing to fill it with why not work?

6. Offer people rides for money. Basically, a temporary cab service. Just make sure you turn a profit, and make sure they pay up front.

7.  If you are skilled in something like carpentry, advertise your services. You might get a few requests here and there. Just to supplement your income.

How you make money is completely up to you. You must use your creativity. No one else is going to do it for you.

How To Plant A Tree

How To Plant A Tree

A tree is something you only have to take care of for about a year, then it will continue to provide for the rest of it's life. Some people may not know how to plant a tree, but there's not much to it. You just have to remember your daily routine with it, and it should be fine.

First, start by looking for what kind of tree you want. Do you want a tree that does not produce, or do you want a tree like an apple or chestnut? Why not get all three!? Ok, just pick one if you don't have enough room.

Dig a hole, and put the tree in the ground. Nothing too complictated. Just make sure its firmly in the ground. If its a fruit or nut tree be sure to put compost on it as well. It needs the extra growth help.

After you've done that, for a while it might need a steak to hold it up. The kind you think of stabbing a vampire in the heart with. Of course not the food (sheesh).

Now here's the annoying part, you have to water it a little every day. Not just on wednesdays when you are just sitting at home drinking tea, every day. Do this for about a year (maybe longer if its unhealthy) and you should have a great tree!

How To Select The Right Computer For You

How To Select The Right Computer For You

Oh gosh, I could go on and on about computers, but I guess i'll take it as simple as I can for you. Computers are a major part of peoples lives today, and some even live off of their computers. By that I mean they run a home business. There are many choices to pick from, but you probably don't want to spend thousands on a computer you only use for Microsoft Excel right?

If you run a business, unless it's business in rendering graphics, you are probably only going to need a small computer. Nothing too fancy, just something with a lot of hard drive space. You could always get one of those clickfree external hard drives. They can store around 200 GB.

If you are a gamer, sucks to be you because you are going to have to spend a lot of money. You are going to wants 8 Gigabytes (GB) of Random Access Memory (RAM), 2.8 Gigahertz (GHZ) CPU/Processor or up, a graphics card with a good rating, and lots of hard drive. You probably will not find this in a laptop, unless you spend over 1000 dollars. You may find this in a desktop for 500 and up.

If you travel a lot and write articles or run a business, a laptop or notebook will be for you. These are lightweight and easy to get. They can be costly though if you run a graphics rendering business though because you will need the same thing as a gaming computer. Just don't get anything with less than 2GB RAM, and make sure its got a decent sized hard drive.

If you are really pressed for cash and want to start a blog or something, you could get a netbook. Netbooks are cheap, but they are slow. They can not be used for anything other than reading articles or writing articles because they are so slow.

How To Keep Warm In Winter Without Air Conditioning

How To Keep Warm In Winter Without Air Conditioning

(picture above is of a wild onion)

Winter is a season most dread due to the cold and driving conditions. I personally like it because it means I can sleep at night. Anyways, some of you may not have air conditioning in your home, so you'll have to find other solutions. I'll make it easier to read and put it in a list formation just for you!

 Electric heating-

Electric heating is simple. You plug it into the wall and turn it on, then it heats up your house. These things work like magic, but they cost a lot of electricity. They also can cost a pretty penny depending upon which one you get.

Wood Stove-

A wood stove is basically a thing where you put wood chips in a grill type thing, light it on fire then it will keep the house warm. Speaking of fire, that brings me to my next choice.

Fireplace-

Some of these are gas and some are actual fireplaces. I don't like the gas ones. I'm afraid it will explode. The real ones are a little harder to use though, because you have to clean them out after.

Blankets-

A simple and cheap option, but it leaves you immobile for a while. Plus, you might fall asleep under there. At least they keep you warm.

Coats/Heavy Pants-

These are a better option than blankets, because you can get up and actually do something. They are just more expensive, but not by much.

Wall Heaters-

I know some houses have these. I don't understand why you would put heaters in a wall, but ok.

Eachother-

On this very fine winter's morning/night, be sure to make time for your significant other. Don't want him/her freezing to death after all.

How To Get Over A Fear Of Bugs

How To Get Over A Fear Of Bugs

Why do we have a fear of bugs? Is it for survival? No, in fact many bugs are edible and very high in protein. So why exactly do we fear them. I honestly don't see a reason.

Some people like me might find a tarantula cute, but others shriek in fear every time they see one. Getting over a fear of bugs is really not hard, but you have to be able to endure. If you have weak discipline it will not work.

When I was a child, I was scared to death of bees. I don't know why I just was. One day, I had to go help a family member with an outdoor project and guess what I worked next to. A bee hive. Just my luck of course. I wanted to get the project done but I had so many bees flying around me. How I did it was I just stayed out there, and did my work anyways. Sure I was startled a few times and I even had bees smack into me, but I got rid of my fear that day. Since then i've never had a fear of bees.

When you get into a situation like this you learn that if you don't bother them they wont bother you. Almost like a mutual agreement between a different species. This does not apply to rabid animals or carnivorous animals.

I guess the ultimate test to see if your fear is gone is to eat one. I know you can't eat a bee, but you can eat some spiders, crickets, locusts, etc. I've eaten a cricket before it tasted like stale bread. Mine was coated in cheese though so basically cheesy stale bread. Wasn't too bad actually. Scorpions are pretty good too, but still not my favorite thing. They taste like a strange peanut butter. Crunchy on the outside, squishy on the inside.

That probably wasn't the best visual for you if you are scared of scorpions. Sorry. (insert evil smile here)

A Simple Instant Ramen Recipe

Ramen has been a popular and very cheap food for a very long time. It's pretty good with just the package in it as well! There are many things you can put in ramen, but they will cost a little bit. It is completely worth it when you get to enjoy a nice tasty meal with an all time favorite food.

I have been eating ramen for years now, and I have experimented with many recipes. Some of them failed miserably, and some of them were the best thing i've ever tasted. Here we go:

First put some water in a pot along with the ramen and cook it like normal.

You can add the packet but that's a lot of sodium. About 400 Grams to be exact.

Now add either tomato paste (just until the broth is red.) or some curry paste or powder

Next, some baby spinach and bean sprouts

Here you should add some protein, so maybe some egg. You can hard boil the egg or mix it into the broth. I prefer hard boiled. Your choice

Now we NEED meat in it, or it just wouldn't be complete! Unless you are vegetarian... if you are then ignore this part. So you are going to either want beef (do not use ground beef), or chicken. They should be thinly sliced.

Cook all of this inside the same pot. You want the flavor of everything to be in the broth. It must taste like the food being cooked inside it.

WARNING: The smell you will get from this is amazing and worthy of a god, and the taste is even better. Do not cry tears of joy into your soup.

List Of Songs To Play On Acoustic Guitar

A List Of Songs To Play On Acoustic Guitar

I know this isn't a how to article, but it does give you something to do. I've noticed the lack of lists for songs to learn on the internet so i'm going to make one! A lot of these songs will either be ones I am able to play or learning to play. Some of them are very hard. If you want to find the tablature you can google the song and and put tab next to it and it should come up. Good Luck!

1. Classical Gas - Mason Williams

This songs will make you appreciate the skill of any guitarist who can get remotely close to playing it.

2. Malaguena

This song can be hard depending on the version you are playing. I like the tab written by a guy with the last name Lucarelli.

3. Greensleeves (Oh What Child Is This)

Very simple tune, would be a good intro to finger picking.

4. Acts Of Man - Midlake

This song will be a challenge not because its hard to play, but because there's no tablature for it. They do have pages that show you the notes though. You just have to figure out in what order to strum the strings.

5. Fur Elise - Beethoven

Very hard because it was written for piano.

6. He's a Pirate (Pirates Of The Caribbean Theme)

Lots of tabs out there for it. Simple to play, hard to learn.

These songs are great tests of skill. If you think you can handle them, then try it.

How To Deal With People You Don't Like

How To Deal With People You Don't Like

Why I Chose Maslow's hierarchy of needs for the post's main picture, is because it can teach us a lot about people. I'm sure at some point in your life you haven't been completely happy. It's because one of the things above were violated either by a death, loss of a relationship, etc. When you were  feeling miserable how did you act? Do you remember?

Everyone else sure does.

The point I am trying to get at here, is that when someone treats you horribly it's not normally just to screw with you. It will have a deeper meaning than that. Could be jealousy, instability at home, lack of respect, or many more things. (sounds cliche)

A quote I remember from the book The Art Of War written by sun tszu is that when you fake weakness it means you are hiding strength, but when you fake strength it means you hide weakness. Most people pick on you to make themselves feel better about themselves. They might not even realize that they are doing it either. 

When you understand these facts, it can be a lot easier to sympathize with those who harass you. That doesn't mean you should let them, but understand why they do it. Of course you might be in a situation where you can't do anything about their harassment. If that's the case then just ignore everything they say. It's a lot easier than you think. Just let it go.

If you are in school like me when all of this had to be learned the hard way, then you are probably worried a little too much about your social standing. If you think about it how often do you think about people at school (not the ones that pick on you). Probably not very often unless you are friends with them and hang out a lot. I'm talking more about the people you hardly talk to.

Well, if you hardly ever think about them or worry about them why would they to you? Your social standing in school might matter then but once you leave all of it becomes irrelevant.

How To Go Camping

How To Go Camping

If you're like me, and never had any family interested in the woods, hunting, fishing, etc. while growing up and you want to take your child in the woods to go camping, here's a small guide for you. Camping isn't some form of magic, it's mostly just making sure you packed all of the right stuff.

A list of things you will probably need is here:

http://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/family-camping-checklist.html

All of those things up there are recommended if you plan on going camping, although some of them may not apply to you. For example, if you don't have a pet, you wont need a pet bed. Make sure you always have essentials for when camping in the woods. Always make sure you have a way of contacting people in an emergency such as a phone. You never know when something bad might happen.

A few extra helpful hints that I picked up when going in the woods are, you should dig a small trench around your campsite, seal all of your food, and bury your fecal matter once you are finished doing your business. All of this is to ensure safety, prevent flooding, and prevent infection or sickness from entering your camp. 

If you are using tents, always make sure they are 100% waterproof. You can contract hypothermia and it can be deadly. Also make sure to light a fire often, as fire and smoke keeps animals away from your shelter. That includes bears, snakes, raccoon, and bugs.

Since you'll probably want to keep something either you made or found in the woods, maybe bring a box or some form of storage for extra items to bring back. Possibly the bag you brought the extra food in would serve well for that purpose if you ate all of it. If you run a home business like me, you may want to bring your phone with a data plan on it. One camping trip isn't worth ruining your whole life.

Bring a gun as well. That should be self explanatory.

Some tricks you might pick up on the way may help you in other aspects of your life as well. A good example would be some of the lashes and knots. You can tie two things together, catch something, or secure something with all these knots. Maybe, you will pick up carpentry or carving skills. Those could be useful in obvious ways.

Camping can be a great experience; its all in what you make of it. Bring people you get along with, and plenty of extra stuff. That way you don't have to go back to your house or store to get what you forgot.

How To Make Your Computer Secure

How To Make Your Computer Secure

Computer security can be a very important thing to have under your belt, especially if you work for a large company or handle important information. Today's threats of hackers and hacking is growing steadily with each passing day. More and more exploits are being found in our computers. Today, I will show you some ways to minimize the risk of a hacking attack.

First of all, make sure your firewalls are on for both on your computer, and on your network. What a firewall does, is it prevents things that aren't supposed to be in your network from getting into your network. They are a very important part of preventing attacks.

Also, be sure that your wireless network is not WEP encrypted. WEP encryption is very, very easy to break into. WPA encryption is a little harder to get into, so switch it out for that. What these are is basically passwords to prevent anyone from using your WI-FI. I wont go into detail on what exactly they are, because you might not understand it.

Be very careful downloading anything. Check the website and make sure that it is realistic or professional looking. Sometimes your computer will tell you these files may harm your computer, it's normally only right 1 out of 10 times. Just make a careful judgement of the website and the actual file you are downloading, and you've already won half of the battle.

Do not ever give out any personal details. These will only help the attacker locate you, and possibly make it easier for him to attack you. Personal details like geographic location, name, or anything else somewhat related to this are dangerous to give out in real life. Why would you tell someone you've never met on the internet.

Some physical defenses you can do is turn your webcam away, or cover it with a sticky note. Some really skilled hackers can access your webcam and you won't even realise it. You could also turn off internet access when you are not using it. That will prevent anyone from being able to get into your network unless they attack directly onto your internal network.

Some people may seem trustworthy, but it's not recommended that you trust them with too much. This can, and probably will eventually backfire on you.

How To Shop For Bargains

How To Shop For Bargains

Shopping for bargains is almost an essential skill with today's insanely bad prices. You might be asking yourself, "how do I go about shopping for bargains/extreme couponing"? It's a fairly simple process, but there's always a trick or two that can save you that extra 5 dollars when you shop.

You should start by collecting coupons for items you are interested in. Just do a google search for free coupon printouts, or go to a stores website and see if they have coupons on there. Now, if you are doing extreme couponing you are going to have to buy in bulk. By in bulk I mean probably fill your garage up with items.

After you get those coupons, always check the clearance isles for items you may want. On some rare occasions there might be an item in there on sale that you can also get extra percent off with a corresponding coupon. Don't go in with an attitude that you have to buy something (unless its groceries). If you do that you are going to lose more money than earn.

Sometimes around the store they might have other sales on items as well. Also, there are days such as "black friday" where the entire store gives you a percentage off of any purchase. Use these to your advantage. Normally on these days they don't have any clearance put up because they clear out so many items anyways. Isn't that the purpose of clearance?

One more thing. Some stores like krogers will have a card that can get you a percentage off of your purchases. They normally cost some money to buy, so decide if you actually purchase that much from that store. Don't forget to add in gas and ink for printing coupons. It's the small things you forget that makes you lose your money more than anything.

Kids Carpentry Projects

Kids Carpentry Projects

Who said carpentry was only for adults? Well, maybe the bigger stuff like building houses should be reserved for adults but children can get a head start on learning woodworking too! There's many projects that the could start on but if they were anything like me, they will probably want to jump right in and build a house. Please, for all that is good, do not let them do that.

1. The first project I would recommend is also what medieval carpentry apprentices did first. Their very first project was a wooden box. Yea, a wooden box. Doesn't sound like much but you have to start simple. Basically, you just teach your child the basics of measuring then have them nail a box together. Nothing much, but if for some reason you need help here's a link.

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Wooden-Box

2. After you teach your child the absolute basic of carpentry, then you should probably have your child build a shelf. Its not that much harder, but don't underestimate the curiosity of a child. Basically you just get 2 long 2x4s and 4-6 shorter ones (that are the same length) and nail them together. If you want help with this one here's another link!

http://diy.blogoverflow.com/2013/03/how-to-build-sturdy-garage-shelves/

Wasn't exactly what I was talking about, but carpentry is all about coming up with new ideas.

3. Now that you got storage for tools out of the way, lets move on to a better project. This one is a little harder because it's not just a box shape. Try putting together with your child a birdhouse. Sounds very cliche, but it's actually a decent project to test your wits. This one you have to drill a hole, put enough room for a birds nest and birds, put a perch on, and you should put some design on it. So you are going to need a link indefinitely.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Building-the-2-Birdhouse/

4. So far this has been a great introduction to carpentry, but lets build something useful you could use in your home now! Don't worry its not TOO hard, but it will take a little skill. Why don't you try some furniture. I would recommend a chair. You aren't going to want to use cheap plywood for this. If you do you will get splinters. You have been warned. You might was a power sander for this as well. Here's some project designs for you!

http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/11743365/

I thought this one was pretty clever.

Well, I hope my version of carpentry 101 will get you through your first few projects and earn you some experience. It's really not too hard to do basic projects, but don't just go and try to build a house right after this unless working along a professional. Be sure you know what you are doing safety wise as well. If you hurt yourself doing these projects I will not be held responsible.

How To Make Pottery From Mud (or clay)

How To Make Pottery From Mud (or clay)

Pottery is an ancient art often used as a form of storage for something. Maybe for carrying water, or just simply storing salt to preserve your meat with. Pottery is normally made with soil that has a large amount of clay. Mud can also be a decent substitute but should be strengthened with straw or grass so it doesn't become too brittle.

First you will want to either buy pottery clay, or go collect some mud with a large amount of clay in it. It's really not too hard you should just be able to go find a place with hard to dig soil maybe near a creek and dig some up.

After you do that, you need to figure out what you are going to be using this pottery for. Is it a cup to drink out of? A bit strange to use pottery for but, ok. Just shape it your desired shape. If using mud then use grass too to help it hold its shape.

Now, you must put it in an oven to bake. Sometimes you can sun dry it if its a REALLY hot day, but lets just use the oven for now. Put the oven on a very low temperature and set the pottery on a baking sheet. Just leave it in there until all the moisture is dried up. Do not leave it in there too long, as it will become brittle and crack.

It's so easy, a caveman can do it.

How To Survive In A Dangerous Wilderness Situation

How To Survive In The Woods

The picture above is of the sassafras plant.

In the wilderness there are many things to be wary of. It might be a wild animal, a large fall, or maybe even your own personal outlook on life. The best thing you could do in this situation is to stay calm and think clearly. Panicking will only decrease mental capacity.

First priority, tend to any wounds of you or others around you (if any). You do this by learning first aid. Its a very basic skill to have to keep yourself alive as well as those around you longer.

Second priority, shelter. You can do this by using materials around you to create shade, cover from the rain, and insulation to keep warm. These things can be fashioned out of many materials such as pine needles, sticks, mud, etc.

Third priority, water. Water is something we always need. Most average humans cannot survive more than three days without water. Even less if you are in a desert. If you are in dry lands look for where vegetation is. Normally there will be water around. If you're in a forest or wetlands, don't worry you'll eventually come across water.

Fourth priority, Food. Humans can go much longer without food comparatively to water. You could probably last about a month without food if you didn't use too much of your energy, but still who wants to wait a month before we can eat again. Food is everywhere. Plants, trees, animals, even bugs can be eaten. Just be careful which ones you eat....

Last priority, help. The reason why this is last priority is because you want to make sure that you are going to be alive once someone finds you. If you have plenty of resources to travel with, then you shouldn't have an issue finding people eventually.

Overall, it's not the hardest thing in the world to do if you pick up some tips and tricks beforehand. That way you aren't completely clueless when you are stuck in such a situation. If you are that is...

How To Learn The Basics Of Guitar

How To Learn The Basics Of Guitar

1. Decide what style of guitar you want to play. Do you want to play classical, spanish, or something like modern guitar. Acoustic, electric, or base? As a guitar player of 7 years, I can say that acoustic is definitely my favorite guitar to play.

2. Decide If you want to learn songs from tablature, or notes? Tablature is definitely the easiest thing to learn songs on. Basically, in tablature the number specifies which fret on the guitar should be played. The line specifies which string. Along with tablature you can often find youtube videos to assist you in your playing.

3. Realize this isn't going to be an easy task. Before you can play anything major you absolutely must learn the basics, and have practiced them over and over again until mastery. It will get irritating, and you will get sick of it, BUT the payoff is so much more worth it.

4. I would start by learning powerchords, chords, and small tunes. The very first song I ever learned on guitar was greensleeves. It was also a very hard one to learn on guitar as well, but now I can play it almost perfectly about 7 years later.

5. Practice at least 15 minutes a day. Just pick it up when you're bored. You don't have to work too hard because then you'll just stress yourself out and get discouraged. In the beginning its mostly about building up your finger dexterity and flexibility. Scales will help with this as well as some finger excersizes.

6. Joining a class or club in playing guitar will help inspire you to play more. It will also introduce you to different kinds of music that you might come to enjoy. It isn't required but its highly recommended.

Guitar is something, if you keep at it, that you will do for the rest of your life. Eventually you will become so good that you just don't want to stop.