# Learn something new.



## der_kluge (May 20, 2005)

In this thread, we'll each teach everyone something that they might not otherwise know. This should be something useful, or something that makes our lives easier.  Maybe a piece of knowledge, or about some new piece of software that you really like using, that not everyone already knows about. Whatever it is. Share with us here, and we'll all be a little bit smarter.

I'll start with an esoteric Excel trick.

Say you have columns in Excel like
A  B  C  D  E

You can highlight them, and copy them to the clipboard.
Then, click on an empty field (say, a2)
and then go to edit, paste special, and click "transpose", and then hit ok.
You know have
A
B
C
D
E

Neat, huh?  It's a handy little Excel trick, that can save you mountains of time if you need to transpose from columns to rows (or vice-versa).

Share something you know.


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## VirgilCaine (May 20, 2005)

There is lots of free stuff on the 'Net to help with RPGing.

For example, here: http://www.enworld.org/index.php?page=toolbox
is an index of D&D gaming tools of various sorts.

Here: http://www.seventhsanctum.com/  is a site with a huge amount of generators for a variety of genres. 

The book generator is nifty, it can generate notes and codes and similar extras as well as include the quality of the information in a book and why is it good/not good.

Oh, and don't forget all the free stuff that WotC throws up on their website every month. Surely some of it is useful to someone.

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/downloads

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/arch/dnd

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/oa/20030530b


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## Psionicist (May 20, 2005)

You can use google as a calculator or conversion utility:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&safe=off&c2coff=1&q=15+ev+in+joule&btnG=Search
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&safe=off&c2coff=1&q=30+degrees+celsius+in+kelvin&btnG=Search
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&safe=off&c2coff=1&q=pi+*+5&btnG=Search
( http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...+life+the+universe+and+everything&btnG=Search  )


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## Henry (May 20, 2005)

Slightly wilted lettuce or celery can be refreshed by leaving it in clean cold water for a few hours.

Kind of an obvious one: Grease fires should be extinguished by either smothering the flame or with a NON-WATER-based extinguisher.

White vinegar acts as a non-abrasive and safe cleaning agent on items used in public food consumption in a pinch. Many items such as coffee brewers even suggest using it periodically to remove both stains and molds.


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## Psionicist (May 20, 2005)

Oh, this is important too: If you need help (such as medical aid) in a crowded area dont shout help, try to get attention from a single person. "You, the man with the blue jacket. Yes you. I need you to call 911".


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## Mr. Kaze (May 20, 2005)

In the original 1937 release of _The Hobbit_, Gollum promises Bilbo "a present" if Bilbo wins the riddle game, with the full intention of giving him the ring of power and it is only after Gollum finds the ring missing that Bilbo suggests that Gollum could just show him the way out instead.  This was drastically re-written after _Lord of the Rings_ was released to more-consistently ascribe the corruptive and jealous power that the ring exerts over its steward.

Something for anybody opposed to "Special Edition"s to think about.   

Source:  _The Annotated Hobbit_


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## Jdvn1 (May 20, 2005)

Psionicist said:
			
		

> You can use google as a calculator or conversion utility:
> 
> http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&safe=off&c2coff=1&q=15+ev+in+joule&btnG=Search
> http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&safe=off&c2coff=1&q=30+degrees+celsius+in+kelvin&btnG=Search
> ...



In the same vein:
Just about everything you need to know about Google is here.


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## reveal (May 20, 2005)

If you find a dish in a resturant/fast food joint that you love and wish to emulate at home, http://www.topsecretrecipes.com/ is a great source for recipes of that nature.

The [Windows Key] + D key, pressed at the same time, will minimize everything in Windows XP and show you the desktop.

1 pint = 1 pound (A pint's a pound the world around!)


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## Hand of Evil (May 20, 2005)

There is a little pocket sized black book you can buy at hardware stores call *The Book About Everything*.  The shear knowledge it contains is freaking amazing!


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## Angcuru (May 20, 2005)

Seagulls and piranahs don't get along when bathed in molten saltwater taffy.


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## reveal (May 20, 2005)

Angcuru said:
			
		

> Seagulls and piranahs don't get along when bathed in molten saltwater taffy.




Dammit! Well that ruins my evening...


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## RangerWickett (May 20, 2005)

reveal said:
			
		

> The [Windows Key] + D key, pressed at the same time, will minimize everything in Windows XP and show you the desktop.




This also works with Windows key + M.

The first recorded oil gusher was in Spindletop, TX, just outside of my home town of Beaumont, in early January 1901. Oil sprayed into the sky for three days from a hole drilled in the ground, until finally they invented a way to cap the spray.  Apparently the smokers were a little nervous, what with thousands of gallons of oil just covering the ground.


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## Psionicist (May 20, 2005)

Please dont make this into a "worthless facts"-threat. OP said



> In this thread, we'll each teach everyone something that they might not otherwise know. This should be something useful, or something that makes our lives easier.


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## reveal (May 20, 2005)

Psionicist said:
			
		

> Please dont make this into a "worthless facts"-threat. OP said




"Worthless?" How can knowing 1 pint = 1 pound be worthless?


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## CarlZog (May 20, 2005)

reveal said:
			
		

> If you find a dish in a resturant/fast food joint that you love and wish to emulate at home...




And you actually want the plateware itself, check out Fish's Eddy: http://www.fishseddy.com/

On a separate note, Lea and Perrin's Worcesterhire Sauce will polish bronze. 

I also know a trick for making mercator projection lat/long grids from scratch. I don't how useful that is to most people, but it often impresses the hell out of other mariners. 


Carl


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## Thotas (May 21, 2005)

CarlZog, I always want more info on better/easier map-making!


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## WayneLigon (May 21, 2005)

A Pilot Razor Point pen will write perfectly well over smooth correction fluid spots without fading or smearing.


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## haiiro (May 22, 2005)

When someone asks if you want to do something, and you can't do it (for one reason or another), the natural instinct is to say, "I'd love to come to your party, but I have to work late that night." Apparently, what people remember is the part that comes _after_ the "but" -- that they asked you, but you had some reason not to.

In these situations, flip the order around when you respond: "I have to work late that night, but I would have loved to be able to come to your party." Now that part after the "but" is what you want remembered -- that you wanted to go. They feel better, and they're more likely to ask you again the next time something comes up.

A friend of mine learned this in med school (in a seminar on delivering bad news to patients, I believe), and I've been making a conscious effort to do it for the past few months. I don't have a way to prove that it does what it's supposed to, but it _seems_ like it does! 

-----

In a similar vein, I used to be terrible with names -- or so I thought. Really, I just wasn't putting any effort into it, so I decided to get better at remembering names.

There are lots of tricks to doing this, but the one that has worked -- amazingly well -- for me is this: when someone tells you their name, use it right away ("Hi, Bob, it's good to meet you"), and then use it again at the end of the conversation ("It was great talking to you, Bob"). You'll be much more likely to remember it.

It sounds corny, but it works -- and I've been surprised at how much of a difference this makes in interacting with people in all sorts of contexts. Even silly things like calling to change your billing address -- where you'll probably never talk to the person on the phone again -- seem to go better.


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## der_kluge (May 22, 2005)

If you use dial-up for the internet, and have call-waiting, and are tired of missing phone calls, then don't!

Get Call Wave! Call Wave is software that runs on your computer. It detects incoming calls, answers the phone (with a message indicating to the caller that you're online) and then has the caller leave a message. Once they hang up, Callwave plays you their message so you can hear who just called.

I might be misremembering, it might play it as it's being recorded.

At any rate, it's really cool software. My Mom uses it.


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## Queen_Dopplepopolis (May 22, 2005)

der_kluge said:
			
		

> If you use dial-up for the internet, and have call-waiting, and are tired of missing phone calls, then don't!
> 
> Get Call Wave!




I used Call Wave for a very long time (before I left for college).  It was a great program that was really helpful and I loved it... there was a time when it was free (ahh, the good old days).  Doesn't appear to be that way, now.

However, the charges show up on your phone bill and are not charged directly to your credit card which - I think is kind of cool.  *shrugs*   

This thread is absolutely awesome, guys!


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## Impeesa (May 22, 2005)

Henry said:
			
		

> Kind of an obvious one: Grease fires should be extinguished by either smothering the flame or with a NON-WATER-based extinguisher.




Less obvious: You can indeed extinguish liquid fires with a firehose if you have what are often referred to as "mad skillz." I've seen someone demonstrate by putting out a large 'pan' full of burning diesel fuel (normally the pans are used for fire extinguisher training). He put the hose on a wide spray and used sort of a circular sweeping motion to push the flames off the surface of the fuel. Pretty impressive. 

--Impeesa--


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## CarlZog (May 23, 2005)

haiiro said:
			
		

> In these situations, flip the order around when you respond: "I have to work late that night, but I would have loved to be able to come to your party." Now that part after the "but" is what you want remembered -- that you wanted to go. They feel better, and they're more likely to ask you again the next time something comes up.




That's really good. I believe that would make a difference.



			
				haiiro said:
			
		

> There are lots of tricks to doing this, but the one that has worked -- amazingly well -- for me is this: when someone tells you their name, use it right away ("Hi, Bob, it's good to meet you"), and then use it again at the end of the conversation ("It was great talking to you, Bob"). You'll be much more likely to remember it.




This is also very true, and, though it sounds even cornier, it also helps if you think to yourself, "This is Bob" as you make eye contact and greet them. I've often worked with field trips of students who I would only see for half a day. This made it easier to remember their names and interract with them. They were always stunned that someone in that situation would actually ask AND remember, and they responded with a lot more interest and enthusiasm.

Carl


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## reveal (May 23, 2005)

Make your own Frito Lay Bean Dip

1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, drained
4 bottled jalapeno slices (nacho slices)
1 tablespoon juice from bottled jalapeno slices
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Combine drained pinto beans with the other ingredients in a food processor. Puree ingredients on high speed until smooth. Cover and chill for at least an hour before serving.

All the ingredients except the pinto beans can be used over and over again. It will get to the point where it costs you about 50 cents to make the same bean dip that costs over $2 a can.


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## DarrenGMiller (May 23, 2005)

When you first feel the onset of a sore throat, try drinking or gargling with a small quantity of vinegar.  Do it every few hours for the first day and your sore throat usually diminishes.  The gist of it is that most things that cause the sore throat find it more difficult to survive in an acidic environment (or so I have been told).

DM


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## Xath (May 24, 2005)

Mr. Kaze said:
			
		

> In the original 1937 release of _The Hobbit_, Gollum promises Bilbo "a present" if Bilbo wins the riddle game, with the full intention of giving him the ring of power and it is only after Gollum finds the ring missing that Bilbo suggests that Gollum could just show him the way out instead.  This was drastically re-written after _Lord of the Rings_ was released to more-consistently ascribe the corruptive and jealous power that the ring exerts over its steward.
> 
> Something for anybody opposed to "Special Edition"s to think about.
> 
> Source:  _The Annotated Hobbit_




I love that book!  I got it because Doug Anderson was coming to guest lecture in my Tolkien seminar, and it's awesome.  

As for helpful tips...

If your clothing stretches out of shape, you can reduce the stretch by steaming it.

Place your iron on top of the stretched area and press the steam button for a few seconds, then lift it off vertically, still holding the steam for a few seconds more.  (This lets the steam enter the fibers of the fabric and shrink them down to the original size)

If you want a piece of fabric to hold a shape (loosely) or take a curve, do the same thing above, but place your fabric on something that is the same shape you want your fabric to be (NOT something meltable.  if you think it might be meltable or dyed, put a scrap piece of fabric between your fabric and the shape)  When you lift the steam off, push the fabric onto the molds using your hands (you may need oven mitts) and hold tightly.  Depending on the shape, you may need to repeat this a few times, but it works very well.


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## CarlZog (May 24, 2005)

Hangover avoidance (or at least, reduction): At the end of the night, before falling asleep, pop one of the massive, mega multi-vitamins from places like GNC and two large glasses of water. The combination seems to re-supply what you've depleted in an evening of drinking, making life a lot more bearable in the morning.

Carl

P.S. I also had aspirin listed, which I've always used as a word to mean any of the popular otc pain killers. But later in this thread someone else suggested ibuprofen and another said to avoid Tylenol and alcohol, due to the possibilty of liver damage, and yet another person warned that excess ibuprofen can lead to kidney stones..... So stick to vitamins and water I guess.


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## mojo1701 (May 24, 2005)

CarlZog said:
			
		

> Hangover avoidance (or at least, reduction): At the end of the night, before falling asleep, pop one of the massive, mega multi-vitamins from places like GNC, along with a couple aspirin and two large glasses of water. The combination of the three seems to re-supply what you've depleted in an evening of drinking, making life a lot more bearable in the morning.
> 
> Carl




Well, according to my driving instructor, hangovers are caused by dehydration by alcohol, so it's probably the water, that helps out.


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## Greylock (May 24, 2005)

If you've recently had a hip replacement surgery, don't let them tell you a core decompression on the other is outpatient. Stay in as long as you can and get all the morphine you can handle.

HTH


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## Tarrasque Wrangler (May 24, 2005)

You can find a list of secret, off-menu In-N-Out Burger items here.

The answer to life, the universe and everything is 42.

Allow yourself a couple of extra minutes in the morning and park in an distant corner of your office's parking lot.  Park a block away if you feel like it.  You'll be guaranteed a bit of exercise everyday (which is better than nothing) and you won't have to worry about some jerk tagging your car when he opens his car door.


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## Pbartender (May 24, 2005)

wolf70 said:
			
		

> When you first feel the onset of a sore throat, try drinking or gargling with a small quantity of vinegar.  Do it every few hours for the first day and your sore throat usually diminishes.  The gist of it is that most things that cause the sore throat find it more difficult to survive in an acidic environment (or so I have been told).
> 
> DM




Heavily salted water also works well.

Often bacteria will die through dehydration via osmosis due to the high concentration of salt...  Shrivels them up like pouring salt on a slug.


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## Zappo (May 24, 2005)

You know those "find-the-differences" games and arcades where you are presented with two very similar images and have to spot the minute differences? You can instantly become supernaturally good at them if you cross your eyes so that the two images superimpose (a bit like what you do with stereoscopic images). 90% of the differences will become obvious. I don't know how useful this is, but I think you could win a few bets.

Fresh blood stains are best cleaned with cold water and soap. Remember this after you've murdered someone in a fit of RPG-induced madness.


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## Pbartender (May 24, 2005)

Vinegar is a good inexpensive substitute for Jet-Dry type dish solvents.  The vinegar's acidity helps remove water deposits not only from the dishes, but also from the dishwasher's water lines.


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## Voodoo (May 24, 2005)

If you have a heavy night drinking planned eat a whole pack of 12 Jaffa Cakes (I'm not sure if you get them in the US, they have a very tangy orange jelly in them) before you start. This will in no way prevent you vomiting from over-indulgence, but the whole experience will taste much better than it would otherwise.


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## Pbartender (May 24, 2005)

Voodoo said:
			
		

> If you have a heavy night drinking planned eat a whole pack of 12 Jaffa Cakes...




You know the first thing that flashed through my mind was Teal'c from Stargate: SG-1 munching on a jelly-filled doughnut.


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## Inconsequenti-AL (May 24, 2005)

haiiro - wow! Those were really cool. Going to try those out!


If you've absolutely got to touch a wire you think is electrified, use the back of your hand. If you use the palm, then the reflex action from the shock is to close your hand... which is really not good if the wire is live.   

Not that I'm advocating touching live wiring!


*CarlZog* - Re: The hangover thing. The multivitamins and water is good. Asprin helps... but IME better if you replace Asprin with Ibuprofen... It has anti inflamatory properties - reduces swelling - which apparantly cuts down the headache the next day. Don't know if this has any basis in real medicine, but it sounds sensible to me. If not, then got to love that placebo effect.


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## reveal (May 24, 2005)

Inconsequenti-AL said:
			
		

> *CarlZog* - Re: The hangover thing. The multivitamins and water is good. Asprin helps... but IME better if you replace Asprin with Ibuprofen... It has anti inflamatory properties - reduces swelling - which apparantly cuts down the headache the next day. Don't know if this has any basis in real medicine, but it sounds sensible to me. If not, then got to love that placebo effect.




Back in my youth, I used to drink a lot and hardly ever had a hangover. My secret? I forced myself to throw up before I went to sleep. I then drank a glass of water, 2 aspirin and 2 pieces of bread. It helped get rid of the alcohol in my stomach. Not advocating that, of course, but it's what I did and it seemed to work.


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## CarlZog (May 24, 2005)

Inconsequenti-AL said:
			
		

> *CarlZog* - Re: The hangover thing. The multivitamins and water is good. Asprin helps... but IME better if you replace Asprin with Ibuprofen... It has anti inflamatory properties - reduces swelling - which apparantly cuts down the headache the next day. Don't know if this has any basis in real medicine, but it sounds sensible to me. If not, then got to love that placebo effect.




Makes sense. Alleve, Tylenol, Motrin -- all different stuff but most would seem to work.

Carl


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## diaglo (May 24, 2005)

reveal said:
			
		

> "Worthless?" How can knowing 1 pint = 1 pound be worthless?



if you pay 1 pound for a pint. i want to know which pub you go to...


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## reveal (May 24, 2005)

diaglo said:
			
		

> if you pay 1 pound for a pint. i want to know which pub you go to...




If I found a pub that charged only 1 pound per pint, I'd never leave.


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## Psion (May 24, 2005)

If you find yourself wanting to put non-'mericun/English characters in your posts, like for example in a favorite performing artists threads when one of them has an uhmlaut in their name , and you don't happen to have a non-English keyboard, in Windoze(TM), go to Start -> Accessories -> System Tools -> Character map, and select and paste the characters you need. (XP has this installed by default; you might have to manually install it in older versions.)

If you have kids old enough to play with the computer but young enough to not be trusted when you walk away from it for a few seconds, hit [Windows Key] + L to quickly lock the computer.

Papa john's lets you order pizza online; they have a little pizza-make feature that lets you put in exactly the pizza you want without trying to communicate complexities such as "all extra cheese, peperoni on half, sausage and olives on the other" etc., over the phone.

If you get blood on something, try putting peroxide on in quickly.


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## Xath (May 24, 2005)

Your own saliva will clean your blood off of many things.  It doesn't work for other people's blood, but if you bleed on your clothing and suck on it for a minute, most of the time the blood will come out.


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## Xath (May 24, 2005)

Also, here are some things I found out about my Best Buy warranty yesterday.

- If you put a laptop on warranty, you are entitled to a free battery and power cord every year.

- You can extend your warrenty as long as you want by calling the Best Buy number when your warranty is about to expire.

- There is an (apparently secret) Platinum Plan warranty for electronics for about double the price of the normal warranty.  If you send your computer in, they'll back it up for free automatically (usually a $90 charge) and you're guaranteed to have your item back in 7 days (usually 4-6 weeks).  

I wish I had known about these when I bought my laptop and my camera.  It would have saved me alot of trouble.


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## Warrior Poet (May 24, 2005)

Wood fire-building:

In a fireplace, before you start the fire, it helps to light a section of kindling or primer paper (newspaper, for example) and hold it up inside the flue for a few seconds (watch your fingers!).  This starts to warm the column of air (which is usually cold if the fireplace has been dormant for a few hours) already inside the flue.  Excessive cold air in the flue traps smoke from the logs, sometimes forcing it back into the room, even if the flue is open.  Warm the air in the flue, and the smoke flows out nicely, reducing the risk of smoke inside the room.

General fire building at a campfire or in a fireplace:  arrange the kindling first, in a slightly pyramidal shape, instead of flat.  Then arrange the logs in a similar fashion, leaning together at a common apex, over the little kindling pyramid.  It's usually good to start the fire with smaller logs at first (around 2-3" diam., say, and obviously make sure the timber is dry), so that it can catch, before adding larger logs later.  The sloped shape of the logs helps the flames course upwards along the length of the wood for a better burn that consumes more fuel and leaves less "dead" spots on the wood.  It also ensures nice airflow between the logs, which is critical to a successful fire.  Just make sure when arranging the logs that, when they "settle" (fall as they lose material consumed by the fire), they do so toward the center of the fire, and back toward the brick, not forward into the room!  This is a great way to build a good fire (don't use liquid fuels as a starter!).

If you don't have a bellows, you can make one very easily, with a section of metal pipe (not plastic), around 3/4" diam., with a threaded end.  Attach a "mouthpiece" section to the threaded end that just fits your lips, the way a mouthpiece on a trumpet, trombone, or other brass instrument works.  The pipe should be no less than 3' long.  Hold the pipe with both hands, and blow down the length of the pipe; the narrow diameter focuses your breath in a very tight area, allowing you to bellows specific areas of the fire (where the embers are) in order to rekindle, and you don't have to get too close, or wind yourself with excessive blowing.  It also helps reduce the amount of water vapor you pour onto the fire.   Obviously, the metal of the pipe should be something it's o.k. to put your lips on (never lead!). 

More as I think of them,

Warrior Poet


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## reveal (May 24, 2005)

This conversion table is great for those converting from Metric to US measure and vice versa when cooking.

http://www.recipegoldmine.com/kitchart/kitchart2.html


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## Rel (May 24, 2005)

If you're ever having cranberry sauce from a can and you want it to retain the can shape then open one side of the can with a can-opener as usual and put a small hole in the other end with a church-key.  Then hold the can invertd over whatever bowl or plate you wish to serve it from and blow into the small hole in the bottom.  The cranberry sauce will shoot right out into the bowl.

I don't know how useful that really is but it impressed the hell out of my neices and nephews last Thanksgiving.


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## der_kluge (May 24, 2005)

Psion said:
			
		

> If you find yourself wanting to put non-'mericun/English characters in your posts, like for example in a favorite performing artists threads when one of them has an uhmlaut in their name , and you don't happen to have a non-English keyboard, in Windoze(TM), go to Start -> Accessories -> System Tools -> Character map, and select and paste the characters you need. (XP has this installed by default; you might have to manually install it in older versions.)




Alternatively, you can just go start-> run > "charmap" All the windows accessories programs can be run without providing a path here, assuming you know the command name.


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## Queen_Dopplepopolis (May 24, 2005)

Rel said:
			
		

> If you're ever having cranberry sauce from a can and you want it to retain the can shape then open one side of the can with a can-opener as usual and put a small hole in the other end with a church-key.




... what is a "church-key"?


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## reveal (May 24, 2005)

Queen_Dopplepopolis said:
			
		

> ... what is a "church-key"?




It's a slang term for a bottle opener. You take the pointy end and make a traingular hole in the bottom, like we used to do for the old cans of Hawaiian Punch. 

http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-chu2.htm


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## Warrior Poet (May 24, 2005)

Queen_Dopplepopolis said:
			
		

> ... what is a "church-key"?



Triangular shaped end of a bottle opener.  It has a small lip to grip the edge of a can. When pressed down on the smooth top of a can, it punches a triangular hole in the can, allowing access to the liquid inside.

Juices used to come in completely sealed cans, and you had to punch two holes opposite one another (on the same end of the can) in order to liberate the contents therein (I'm old).  They used to make this stuff called Hawaiian Punch, red, super-sugar-juice, came in cans like that.  Had to be opened with a church-key.  I think the key is so named because it resembles the facade of a church (arched/peaked roof), but I'm not sure about the name derivation.

Warrior Poet

Edit:  "And coming in second, it's Warrior Poet, just behind reveal by a nose!  In the next race . . . "


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## reveal (May 24, 2005)

Warrior Poet said:
			
		

> Triangular shaped end of a bottle opener.  It has a small lip to grip the edge of a can. When pressed down on the smooth top of a can, it punches a triangular hole in the can, allowing access to the liquid inside.
> 
> Juices used to come in completely sealed cans, and you had to punch two holes opposite one another (on the same end of the can) in order to liberate the contents therein (I'm old).  They used to make this stuff called Hawaiian Punch, red, super-sugar-juice, came in cans like that.  Had to be opened with a church-key.  I think the key is so named because it resembles the facade of a church (arched/peaked roof), but I'm not sure about the name derivation.
> 
> Warrior Poet




See my post just above yours.   I'm glad someone else remembers HP in a can!


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## reveal (May 24, 2005)

Warrior Poet said:
			
		

> Edit:  "And coming in second, it's Warrior Poet, just behind revear by a nose!  In the next race, it's yearlings!"




Who is this "reaver" person you refer to?


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## Warrior Poet (May 24, 2005)

reveal said:
			
		

> See my post just above yours.   I'm glad someone else remembers HP in a can!



Yep!   I edited.  You were succinct; I . . . wasn't.  Do they still make Hawaiin Punch (I don't want any, just wondering)?

Warrior Poet


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## Warrior Poet (May 24, 2005)

reveal said:
			
		

> Who is this "reaver" person you refer to?



Edited, sorry.  Typing faster than my ability to think.

Warrior Poet


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## reveal (May 24, 2005)

Warrior Poet said:
			
		

> Yep!   I edited.  You were succinct; I . . . wasn't.  Do they still make Hawaiin Punch (I don't want any, just wondering)?
> 
> Warrior Poet




Yup. My son likes it a lot. They have a low-sugar version that tastes just like the real thing. It comes in big plastic bottles now.


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## Warrior Poet (May 24, 2005)

reveal said:
			
		

> They have a low-sugar version that tastes just like the real thing.



I'm not so sure this is a good thing.   

Warrior Poet


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## Rel (May 24, 2005)

reveal said:
			
		

> See my post just above yours.   I'm glad someone else remembers HP in a can!




Make that at least two "someone else"'s. 

In a related (and possibly useful) tip:  Get yourself a bottle opener key-chain and carry it with you at all times.  A host of people from beautiful women to trusted friends will need their imported beers/ciders/whatever opened from time to time and they'll beat a path to your spot at the party.

Over time you'll become the "go to guy" for beverage entry and you'll be useful and beloved.


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## der_kluge (May 24, 2005)

Rel said:
			
		

> Make that at least two "someone else"'s.
> 
> In a related (and possibly useful) tip:  Get yourself a bottle opener key-chain and carry it with you at all times.  A host of people from beautiful women to trusted friends will need their imported beers/ciders/whatever opened from time to time and they'll beat a path to your spot at the party.
> 
> Over time you'll become the "go to guy" for beverage entry and you'll be useful and beloved.




Real geeks carry tape measures on their key chain.  Hey, you never know when you might need to measure something!


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## Rel (May 24, 2005)

der_kluge said:
			
		

> Hey, you never know when you might need to measure something!




Particularly after you've had enough beer....


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## Queen_Dopplepopolis (May 24, 2005)

Rel said:
			
		

> Make that at least two "someone else"'s.
> 
> In a related (and possibly useful) tip:  Get yourself a bottle opener key-chain and carry it with you at all times.  A host of people from beautiful women to trusted friends will need their imported beers/ciders/whatever opened from time to time and they'll beat a path to your spot at the party.
> 
> Over time you'll become the "go to guy" for beverage entry and you'll be useful and beloved.



 I have been asking for a multi-tool of sorts (bottle openers, knives, etc) for Christmas for two years.  People never seem to think I'm serious about it, but I am!  They're incredibly useful!


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## Warrior Poet (May 24, 2005)

A good tactic for dealing with oil on cloth textiles is baking soda, corn starch, or talc.  Cover the oil spot with the powder, and leave for a while (I usually leave it for 24 hours).  After that, wash as normal.  The powder does a really good job of drawing out the oil, which might otherwise be set as a stain if it were to go straight into the wash.  Sometimes the outline of the area touched by the oil or grease might remain, but it's usually faint.  Obviously, care should be taken with the more delicate cloths.

Warrior Poet


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## Henry (May 24, 2005)

I have it on good authority that the Leatherman Multi-Tool is the ONE to buy - it's the tops! 



> Assorted screwdrivers, can openers, scissors - The Leatherman's got EVERYTHING. You could knock over a Central American junta with one of these babies.



(Tarrasque Wrangler, ENWorld Boards, Aug 2003)


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## Queen_Dopplepopolis (May 24, 2005)

Henry said:
			
		

> I have it on good authority that the Leatherman Multi-Tool is the ONE to buy - it's the tops!
> 
> 
> (Tarrasque Wrangler, ENWorld Boards, Aug 2003)



 [Veruca] *stomps foot*  I want one now! [/Veruca]  Hopefully the husband reads this... hehehe...


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## Kid Charlemagne (May 24, 2005)

CarlZog said:
			
		

> Makes sense. Alleve, Tylenol, Motrin -- all different stuff but most would seem to work.




Actually - DON'T use Tylenol.  Tylenol + Alcohol = risk of liver failure.


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## Warrior Poet (May 24, 2005)

Rudimentary evaporative cooling (swamp cooler) air conditioner for temporary relief:

I did this one summer at my first apartment without central air, trying to get to sleep on particularly brutal night of heat (and before I purchased a window unit).  It's a holdover measure until you can get circulated air, window unit, etc.

You need a box or floor fan, a bucket or pan, and access to a store that sells bags or blocks of ice.  If you have a working freezer, store extra bags of ice in there for regular change out.

Place a bag or block of ice in a pan, or atop the bucket, to catch the melt.  Position the fan just behind the block/bag/bucket/pan combination, so that it blows the air over the ice.  Situate your sleeping arrangment near this, preferably near or at floor level (heat rising as it does).  As the fan blows, it passes the air over the ice, cooling slightly, and drifting near your sleeping area, gently and gradually reducing the nearby temperature to a level that allows you to doze (if not necessarily sleep well).  The bucket/pan catches the melt (which you can recycle if the container is clean, or use on houseplants, etc.), and eventually you'll have to replace the melted water with another block or bag, but until more permanent relief arrives, it helps you make it through a miserable night.  Note, the effect of the ice on the temperature will be more noticeable in dry climates as opposed to humid ones.

Warrior Poet


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## reveal (May 24, 2005)

Kid Charlemagne said:
			
		

> Actually - DON'T use Tylenol.  Tylenol + Alcohol = risk of liver failure.




Taking too much Ibuprofen can lead to kidney stones. So either way you're screwed.


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## Rel (May 24, 2005)

Henry said:
			
		

> I have it on good authority that the Leatherman Multi-Tool is the ONE to buy - it's the tops!




I prefer the Gerber Multi-Plier myself.  One Amazon reviewer had this to say about the differences:



> The dominant multi-tool on the market is likely the Leatherman Wave. The Gerber has two main advantages versus the Leatherman (and one weakness).
> The first advantage is that all the tools lock (not so for the Leatherman though the blade locks). A locking blade is clearly desirable, but a nice feature for other tools as well.
> 
> The second advantage is the strength of the pliers. It's hard to see from the image, but the pliers retract into the handle versus the Wave where the handles unfold to expose the pliers. Having looked at both before buying the Gerber, I suspect (but am not sure) that the strength of the Gerber design is greater. While the Leatherman's pliers have a pivot for each arm (plus the center pivot), the Gerber only has the center pivot.
> ...


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## CarlZog (May 24, 2005)

Rel said:
			
		

> I prefer the Gerber Multi-Plier myself.




Me too. Quick, one-handed deployment was a critical feature for me.

Carl


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## CarlZog (May 24, 2005)

Kid Charlemagne said:
			
		

> Actually - DON'T use Tylenol.  Tylenol + Alcohol = risk of liver failure.




Oooh, good to know. Will edit previous posts....


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## Henry (May 24, 2005)

Boy, you learn all kinds of things here... how to start 'em up, how to shut 'em down, and what to carve 'em up with... 

Incidentally, that Tylenol + Alcohol thing is curious, because that's the two of the four main ingredients in *Nyquil*!


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## reveal (May 24, 2005)

In actuality, Tylenol alone, in large quantities over time, can cause liver toxicity. Alcohol hurts when taking Tylenol because acetaminophen, in large quantities over time, can weaken the liver and alcohol, as we all know, hurts the liver well enough on its own.

http://www.tylenoldanger.com/html/liver.html


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## Queen_Dopplepopolis (May 24, 2005)

reveal said:
			
		

> In actuality, Tylenol alone, in large quantities over time, can cause liver toxicity. Alcohol hurts when taking Tylenol because acetaminophen, in large quantities over time, can weaken the liver and alcohol, as we all know, hurts the liver well enough on its own.
> 
> http://www.tylenoldanger.com/html/liver.html



 Mono also causes liver damage if you let it go far enough... as such, if you take Tylenol to alleviate symptons of Mono, you can end up in a ton of trouble and your liver can almost totally shut down.

Trust me, it's fun!  I know from personal experience!


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## Hijinks (May 24, 2005)

When in an argument with another person, you will have more success in winning them over to your way of seeing things if you use "I" language. In other words...


Instead of 
"You never do the dishes!"

Say
"I feel I do the dishes more than you do."

Instead of
"You're cheating on me!"

Say
"I feel neglected and wish you were home more."

The other person feels less attacked, and you are asserting your feelings and/or thoughts in a non-threatening way.

Try it. It works


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## Pbartender (May 25, 2005)

Xath said:
			
		

> Your own saliva will clean your blood off of many things.  *It doesn't work for other people's blood*, but if you bleed on your clothing and suck on it for a minute, most of the time the blood will come out.




I'd have to challenge this assertion.  There's nothing notably different between one person's saliva and the next (aside from your particular blend of bacteria, and even then...).  If you can do this with your own blood, it should work for anyone else's*.  Likewise, if it doesn't for everyone else's, it shouldn't work for yours either.

*That said, it would be a *VERY BAD IDEA* to suck on someone else's blood stain...  You don't know what you might catch.



Also...  Soaking a blood stain in hydrogen peroxide for a 10-20 minutes before washing will take the stain right out, even on colored clothing.  It's a trick commonly used by hospitals and veterinarians.


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## Rel (May 25, 2005)

Hijinks said:
			
		

> When in an argument with another person, you will have more success in winning them over to your way of seeing things if you use "I" language. In other words...




I'm going to try this myself.

Instead of
"You suck!"

I'll say
"I hate you and I wish you would die!"


Brilliant!!


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## Xath (May 25, 2005)

reveal said:
			
		

> See my post just above yours.   I'm glad someone else remembers HP in a can!




I remember Hawaiian Punch in a can, and I'm only 19.  We used to have to use the church key on that and Juicy Juice.


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## Warrior Poet (May 26, 2005)

This thread kinda tapered off pretty quick, huh?  :\ 

I haven't owned a car in years, so I don't know if this is as much of a problem anymore, but I used to see battery corrosion build-up on my automobile's battery points (it was an old car, and time for a new battery).  I found a quick, easy way to remove the corrosion without touching the battery at all, using club soda.  When poured over the battery points, the the basic soda water helps neutralize the acidic corrosion build-up, and the water washed it away, cleaning the points until I could get them properly maintained by a mechanic.  Can also be tried by mixing baking soda in regular water.  Incidentally, this procedure was done when the engine was cool, and I protected my eyes/skin against splashback.

Warrior Poet


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## Warrior Poet (May 26, 2005)

If you go camping in the desert, make sure you bring a tent that seals completely, and put your sleeping bag in the tent.  Becuase the desert's usually warm (except the winter, which can be quite cold in the desert, don't be fooled), it's tempting to "sleep out under the stars."  Resist this temptation.

Rattlesnakes like nice, warm, cozy spots where they can curl up.  The human burrito that is a person snug inside a sleeping bag is inviting.  You'd hate to wake up in the morning to find a 3' mojave coiled lazily on your chest, and none too happy that suddenly the source of warmth in the cave has to get up, fix coffee, and hit the trail.

Leave your sleeping bag wrapped up inside the closed tent until it's time to bed down.  Enter, close the tent behind you, unroll the bedroll, and shake it out CAREFULLY.  All clear?  OK, make sure the tent is tightly shut and enjoy your rest!

Also, next morning, before putting on your boots, shake them out, too.  Scorpions, dontcha know.

Also, when camping in National Park areas provided with steel food lockers in bear-travelled areas, stow and lock away the food FIRST, then start setting up camp, tents, bedrolls, campfire, etc.  Bears are smart enough to wait until folks start setting up tent to stroll down and wander off with someone's pack, still laden with food, and in areas where they're "used" (relatively) to seeing people, they tend not to be too worried that you'll try and do something about it.

Warrior Poet


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## Warrior Poet (May 26, 2005)

More desert stuff:

If, while hiking, you encounter a rattlesnake, stop.  You should hear the thing before you see it.  The snake is uninterested in you, because you don't make good food, and if they're uninterested in another animal, they let the other animal know that they're there with the rapid shaking of the thing at end of their tail that gives them their name.

Look around to make sure you can see where the snake is.  Temptation says run.  Don't.  If you can't see it yet, it may be very, very close.  Once you spot the snake, resist the urge to move just yet, unless the thing is lunging for you, in which case get the hell outta the way.  First, check around to make sure there aren't any other snakes in the vicinity.  Rattlers often have families, and whole dens of the things congregate.

Once it's clear, back away very slowly, so as not to startle the animal (it's already startled, so try not to make it worse).  Keep note of where the rattler is, and make sure your exit path is clear, too.  Once you're out of striking range, you're clear to keep moving on (and do so cautiously).

Needless to say, don't hike the desert with anything less than a good pair of hiking boots.  A few inches of good shoe leather can sometimes make the difference between venom-to-circulatory-system transfusion and some cosmetic scratches on your footwear.  Actually, the boots are good idea for hiking in general, not just the desert.

Warrior Poet


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## der_kluge (May 26, 2005)

Remind me to never hike in the desert.


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## reveal (May 26, 2005)

der_kluge said:
			
		

> Remind me to never hike in the desert.




der_kluge, remember to never hike in the desert.


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## Thornir Alekeg (May 26, 2005)

If someone puts ballpoint pen marks on your LCD screen (ahh, the joys of children), do not use alcohol or acetone based cleaners to remove it as it will ruin the screen.  Instead use Endust for Electronics and a soft cloth.  You may have to repeat this a few times and use gentle pressure, but it will come off.


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## Cthulhu's Librarian (May 27, 2005)

Warrior Poet said:
			
		

> I think the key is so named because it resembles the facade of a church (arched/peaked roof), but I'm not sure about the name derivation.




Never thought of it that way before. My Dad called any bottle/can opener a churchkey, and told me that it was called that because opening a bottle of beer was a better religion than going to church on Sunday...


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## Cthulhu's Librarian (May 27, 2005)

If you have books that get wet and you need to dry the pages, do it as soon as you find out the pages are wet. 

Get several rolls of heavy duty, industrial paper towels (the brown ones you find in many public restrooms, not the ones you have in the kitchen), a large fan, and a table or other work surface. Gently open the book, and place a paper towel between each page, and let the end of the towel hang out the side of the book. Don't force the towel down into the spine (the added thickness can break the spine), but make sure to cover most of the page. After you get paper towels between all the pages, open the book somewhere near the middle, lay it down on the table opened up as if you were reading, and let the fan gently blow over top of the book from across the room, not enough to move the pages, but enough to keep the air moving gently. After about 2 hours, go back and change ALL the paper towels, open the book to another set of pages, and do the same thing. Continue changing the paper towels and letting the air gently blow over the pages unitil the book is COMPLETELY dry. If it's not completely dry, you will likely end up with mildew in the book. Check the book periodically afterwards, to make sure there is no mildew started even if you think you got all the moisture out of the pages.


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## der_kluge (May 27, 2005)

Cthulhu's Librarian said:
			
		

> If you have books that get wet and you need to dry the pages, do it as soon as you find out the pages are wet.
> 
> Get several rolls of heavy duty, industrial paper towels (the brown ones you find in many public restrooms, not the ones you have in the kitchen), a large fan, and a table or other work surface. Gently open the book, and place a paper towel between each page, and let the end of the towel hang out the side of the book. Don't force the towel down into the spine (the added thickness can break the spine), but make sure to cover most of the page. After you get paper towels between all the pages, open the book somewhere near the middle, lay it down on the table opened up as if you were reading, and let the fan gently blow over top of the book from across the room, not enough to move the pages, but enough to keep the air moving gently. After about 2 hours, go back and change ALL the paper towels, open the book to another set of pages, and do the same thing. Continue changing the paper towels and letting the air gently blow over the pages unitil the book is COMPLETELY dry. If it's not completely dry, you will likely end up with mildew in the book. Check the book periodically afterwards, to make sure there is no mildew started even if you think you got all the moisture out of the pages.




NOW you tell me.  I left a crack in the windows the other day, since it was hot out, and we got drenching downpour that afternoon. A couple of my CDs in the passenger seat got wet, and the little booklets got wet. I doubt there is anything I can do for them, though. They're all wrinkly now.


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## Cthulhu's Librarian (May 27, 2005)

der_kluge said:
			
		

> NOW you tell me.  I left a crack in the windows the other day, since it was hot out, and we got drenching downpour that afternoon. A couple of my CDs in the passenger seat got wet, and the little booklets got wet. I doubt there is anything I can do for them, though. They're all wrinkly now.




I don't know about CD booklets. The paper in them is different that in most books, although you could try it. My method is what the library uses for wet books that are primarily white paper liek you find in novels and general reading books. Glossy paper might have a different procedure, but I've never had to deal with drying them out.


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## Warrior Poet (May 27, 2005)

Cthulhu's Librarian said:
			
		

> If you have books that get wet and you need to dry the pages . . .



As a bibliophile, I have always wanted to know the best way to handle this problem, and I thank you!   



			
				Cthulhu's Librarian said:
			
		

> My Dad called any bottle/can opener a churchkey, and told me that it was called that because opening a bottle of beer was a better religion ...



I'll drink to that.

Warrior Poet


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## reveal (May 28, 2005)

Learned this last night on "Good Eats."

Soy beans are named "soy beans" because they are used to make soy sauce and not the other way around.


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## Brain (Jun 2, 2005)

You can get answers to "yes or no" style questions in this thread


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