Expert Circles Search Results

How To: Make Tight Loops When Fly Casting

When casting a flyrod, in most cases, tight loops will allow the fly to travel farther, more accurately, and with less effort. To cast these tight loops, the tip of the rod must travel in a straight line path, slack must be eliminated, and there must be a constant acceleration to a sudden stop. The most common mistake is using the wrist to move the rod which causes the tip to travel in a half circle or windshield wiper type motion.

How To: Why 'Whipping' Cooked Pasta in Sauce Creates a Perfect Dish

Most cooks know they should stir pasta a few times while it's cooking, for obvious reasons: as the noodles cook, they release a glue-like starch that makes them stick to one another. Stirring prevents them from clumping together in an unwieldy, inedible mass. Now Mark Bittman in The New York Times discusses a great technique from Italy that helps you produce a plate of tender, toothsome pasta evenly coated in rich sauce every time, but it involves stirring the pasta at the end of its cooking ...

How To: Truth or Dare + Spin the Bottle: Play These Classic Party Games Right on Your Android Phone

Classic party games like Spin the Bottle and Truth or Dare, immensely popular in the '80s and '90s, seem to have been long forgotten and abandoned by today's youth. Today, new forms of party games are all the rage, a prime example being Cards Against Humanity. Yes, CAH is hilarious and fun, but the classics can still be appreciated, as long as we catch them up to the times.

How To: Do Smokey Eye Makeup

There is nothing more stunning than accentuating eyes with smokey makeup for a special occasion. Here's a tutorial for you on how to get smokey eyes for a stylish evening or a sophisticated day look in less time. Great for beginners.

Hack Like a Pro: Linux Basics for the Aspiring Hacker, Part 1 (Getting Started)

Welcome back, my hacker trainees! A number of you have written me regarding which operating system is best for hacking. I'll start by saying that nearly every professional and expert hacker uses Linux or Unix. Although some hacks can be done with Windows and Mac OS, nearly all of the hacking tools are developed specifically for Linux. There are some exceptions, though, including software like Cain and Abel, Havij, Zenmap, and Metasploit that are developed or ported for Windows.

How To: Make Your Own Auntie Anne's Pretzels at Home

As a kid, I remember begging my mother almost every single time we went to the mall to buy me a pretzel from Auntie Anne's. Now, whenever I pass one of those little blue and white stands, that delicious, buttery smell instantly takes me back to being an impatient four-year-old who wants a pretzel right now. The only bad thing about Auntie Anne's is that you usually have to deal with annoying places like malls and airports to find one. Wouldn't it be nice if you could just whip some up at home...

How To: Make a Super Cheap Pinhole Lens Filter for Your DSLR Camera

There are tons of ways to make your own pinhole camera out of everything from a juice box to a pine nut. If you have a DSLR, you can make a DIY pinhole lens for it for just a few bucks. David O'Sullivan over on DIY Photography made this one using a cheap body cap and an aluminum can. Here's how to make your own. David put up a template you can follow to make things easier, so start off by downloading it, then use a ruler to draw a line directly through the center of the body cap. Cut out the ...

How To: Create a Light Painting Vortex Using a DIY Reusable Steel Wool Cage

There's no shortage of uses for steel wool, but the majority of them tend to be on the pyromaniacal side, like DIY fireworks. This trick by Mike Mikkelson is no different—it uses a homemade reusable "wool cage" to create a spinning vortex of light, like in the photo below. You can do this with just a piece of steel wool on a cable, but Michael wanted something he could easily reuse no matter how many shots he took, so he built a small cage to house the steel wool out of chicken wire, a small ...

How To: Make Your Favorite Song Last Forever with Infinite Jukebox

The first album I ever bought with my own money was Nirvana's MTV Unplugged in New York. It featured mainly lesser-known songs and covers, but was on constant repeat on my Walkman. While the whole album was fantastic, there was one song that stood out the most to me—"The Man Who Sold The World." The song (originally written by David Bowie) kept me under a spell, which had me replaying the song over and over and over and over. As I got older, I found myself sharing this relationship with a han...

How To: Make a Tiny "Small Wrap Up" Braid

Hello! Today I would like to introduce a simple tiny braid - so called the small wrap up. I recommend it to every person who wants to prevent the hair from falling onto the face. It is suitable especially for the people who have long or medium sized hair and very delicate skin. And for all who just want to quickly bind together some hair.

How To: Identify aphids or whiteflies on your ash tree

County expert John White determines how to solve some pesky plant problems for the area. The first problem - cutter bees on Crepe Myrtle - is an obvious one, with the deep curved "bites" showing on most of the leaves. He suggests using an insecticide but then points out the signs of a second problem - beetle damage. Crepe Myrtle is prone to beetle infestations and he advises to get out a flashlight and look for them at night when they are at their worst. A problem with heat scorching on Euony...