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Is my new avatar racially insensitive?

Gurk_MacGuintey

Gurk_MacGuintey

Valhallan Ambassador
I'm wearing it to honor negroes for black history month.

Nigger Minstrels were a fine old American Tradition that are given short-shrift, IMO.

:bigass:
 
> Categories > Art & Antiques
How to Make Art from Guitar Strings





After changing your guitar strings, you don't have to throw the old ones away. You can be creative and turn them into a work of art. The finished product can make an interesting centerpiece or even a wonderful gift for a musical friend!
Steps





  1. Collect about 30 old guitar strings. You can probably get them free at any guitar or music store. Buy some pretty picks while you're there or make your own.
  2. Gather the rest of your supplies, as listed in the Things You'll Need section below.




  3. Glue the wine bottle cork to the center of the CD(shiny side up) using Super Glue or a hot glue gun.
  4. Cut the guitar strings about 14 inches in length.




  5. Cram the straight ends of each string down into the cork, varying heights and locations.




  6. Glue the picks together and glue them to any string, so that they resemble butterflies.

  7. Set your creation in direct sunlight and watch it wiggle and sparkle.


Warnings

  • When the strings are cut, watch out for sharp ends. They can give you quite a nasty cut.
  • Be careful not to burn yourself with the glue gun.
  • Use Scotch tape to cover the hole on the underside (non-shiny side) of the CD so that you won't spill glue onto the table.


Things You'll Need

  • Any old CD
  • Wine bottle cork
  • Needle-nose pliers
  • Hot-glue gun or Super Glue
  • Matching guitar picks
  • Old guitar strings


Related wikiHows

 
e > Categories > Courteous Presentation
How to Be Charismatic


John F. Kennedy


Have you ever noticed how some people captivate everyone they speak to? No matter what they look like or how much money they have, they can walk into a room and instantly be the center of attention. When they leave, people think highly of them and want to emulate them. That's charisma, a sort of magnetism that inspires confidence and adoration. Like beauty, luck, and social position, charisma can open many doors in life. Unlike these other qualities, anyone can become more charismatic. Steps

  1. Relax. Charisma is all about channeling your energy to other people. If you channel stress and anxiety, people will be repelled. If you channel relaxation and tranquility, people will be attracted to your calmness, and they'll want to be more like you.
  2. Look confident. Charisma isn't the same thing as confidence, but appearing confident can make you more charismatic because your confidence will put others at ease and inspire faith in your abilities.
    • Improve your posture. Nothing conveys confidence like good posture. Stand or sit up straight, but not rigidly. When you meet someone, give a firm handshake and look the other person in the eye. Display positive body language while you're talking to someone and even when you're just waiting around. Sit facing the person or people you're talking to, uncross your legs and arms, and keep your hands away from your face. Look at ease, and don't fidget or convey nervousness.
    • Be anyone's equal. No matter who you're talking to, treat them as an equal. If you're talking to a potential employer, a group of wealthy donors, or an attractive guy or girl, for example, don't put them on a pedestal. Be respectful of other people, of course, but respect them as equals, and expect that they will accept you as such.
  3. Get in touch with your emotions. Research has shown that people who are generally believed to be charismatic feel emotions strongly, and they are also able to relate to what others are feeling. Ironically, in many societies, the suppression of emotion is considered desirable. Don't be afraid to feel anger, pain, sadness, or elation, and don't be afraid to communicate your emotions.
  4. Match your body language to your speech. Perhaps the defining characteristic of charismatic people is the ability to use body language effectively when communicating. Gesturing is important, but good gestures aren't arbitrary.
    • Watch how other people gesture. Notice how some speakers' gestures appear fake or out of sync with their message. They come off looking shifty or uncertain as a result. Other speakers use body language exceptionally well. These are generally the more effective communicators and appear more trustworthy and competent. These people are often successful actors, religious leaders, and pundits. Look for good and bad examples of the use of body language. Pay attention, and learn.
    • Think about your own gestures. When you speak, does your body language back you up, or do you look nervous, uncaring, or bored? If you're passionate about something, do your gestures communicate this, or do you play it cool?
    • Practice in a mirror. Watch yourself in the mirror and give a speech or even pretend to hold a conversation. What are your eyes doing? How about your hands? Do you look like the shifty politician or the charismatic one? Could someone know what emotion you're trying to convey even if they couldn't hear you? Practice regularly, and make note of what you need to improve.
  5. Think before you speak. Reduce the fluff and filler material in your daily communications. Try to make every word count, and think about how you're going to phrase something before you open your mouth. If you don't have something important to say, remain silent. With continuous effort, the right words will come to you more easily.
  6. Speak with conviction. Like gesturing, the way you say something can be just as important as what you say. Say something important and say it with conviction. Speak at a relaxed pace and speak clearly. From this baseline, vary your tone, rhythm, volume, and pitch to emphasize your most important words and to keep your speech interesting. Record yourself speaking, and ensure that your phrasing complements your message.
  7. Treat people as they want to be treated. Make each person you meet feel as though he or she is truly important, regardless of your first impression or that person's reputation. If you make people feel good about themselves, they'll be drawn to you and hold a higher opinion of you.
    • Listen actively when others speak. Give someone your full attention when he or she is speaking to you. Make good eye contact, and nod in agreement or make brief interjections, such as "I see," or "Okay," to assure the person that you are listening and you're interested in what he or she has to say. In a nonprofessional setting, a brief touch on the upper arm can emphasize your agreement or empathy with something someone says, and it can make the person feel connected to you.
    • Make people feel special. Learn and remember people's names, and address people by their names. Smile genuinely when you greet someone. Compliment people freely, but genuinely, and accept compliments graciously and without any fuss.


Tips

  • Charisma is an art. The general guidelines above can help you be more charismatic, but your charisma must come from within you and must reflect you as an individual or it will appear fake. Fortunately, everyone has the ability to be charismatic, and it simply needs to be coaxed out. Practice and take note of what works and what needs improvement.
  • Don't mimic others. People with well developed charisma have a remarkable ability not only to sway people's opinions but also to cause others to emulate their personalities and even gestures. At the same time, however, research has shown that charismatic people do not emulate other charismatic people. Their individuality sets them apart.
  • Have a message. Don't be afraid to be controversial, to push the envelope. If you believe in something or feel strongly about it, communicate that in a respectful way. Your charisma will help people be accepting of your ideas.
  • Take an acting class. Actors and charismatic people use the same techniques to captivate their audience and evoke emotion.


Warnings

  • Consider your audience and be careful not to offend them. It can be good to be controversial, but being offensive can make people feel uncomfortable. Challenge, but do not offend.
  • Don't try to fake charisma. You can learn charisma, but trying to be charismatic without practice can make you seem bizarre and untrustworthy.
  • Success requires more than charisma. If you don't have the skills or dedication to do what you set out to do, you will eventually fail.
 
How to Tie a Square Knot

The square knot, also known as the reef knot, is a simple, handy knot for temporary ties. It's great for tying your shoes (the "bow knot" is a double-slipped square knot), but it is not suitable for connecting two ropes together or any application where it will take a high strain. (Click images to enlarge.)
A very useful rhyme to help remembering the steps is
Right over left and left over right, Makes the knot neat and tidy and tight. The knot can as easily, and correctly, be tied left over right, right over left.
Steps

  1. Make an X with the right end on top.


    Make an "X" with the rope ends, with the right end on top.

  2. Tie an overhand knot.


    Tie an overhand knot, twisting the right end around the left end.

  3. Make an X with the new left on top.


    With the "new" right and left, put the left over the right.

  4. Tie an overhand knot.


    Tie another overhand knot.

  5. Tighten.


    Pull tightly.
  6. The knot should look very neat (like a square) essentially looking like a loop stuck in another loop.

Tips

  • A slipped square knot.


    A "slipped" square knot (forming a loop with one or both of the ends before step #3) gives this knot instant-untie ability. The common shoe-lace "bow knot" is a double-slipped square knot.

Warnings

  • A granny knot, nowhere near as strong as a square knot.


    A "granny knot" results when you do not switch directions on steps 3 and 4. Right over left, under with right. Right over left, under with right. This isn't nearly as useful as a well tied square knot, which will hold much longer.

  • A capsized knot.


    A quick jerk on one end and its standing part (the part leading away from the knot) will "capsize" the knot, making it very easy to slide off. This is a desirable trait, making the knot easy to untie, but it can also happen under strain, which is why the knot must not be used in critical situations such as joining two ropes together before abseiling.
  • A square knot is unstable when it ties two ropes of different sizes. In that situation, a sheet bend should be used.
  • The Square knot is most likely responsible for more deaths and injuries than all other knots combined. Under load it may capsize and fall apart. Use it for tying parcels, but NEVER where safety could possibly be an issue!
 
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