Tricks of the Trade

Children's Librarian

When reading books to young children (5 and under), make it interacrive. If you're reading "Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?", for example, ask the kids what sound a duck makes when you're on the page that shows the duck. Get them to count with you during number books. Ask them to identify the items pictured for each letter in an alphabet book. If the book has a chorus, or a repeated phrase, have them to help you with it. With "Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom!", I tell the kids to clap their hands and yell "Boom boom" every time I read the "chicka chicka" part. They love that.

But do NOT ask open-ended questions of this age group, like "Have any of you ever seen a duck?" If you do, be prepared for long and rambling monologues about how once? This one time? My big brother petted a duck? And the duck's name was Quackers? And it bit him? And he had to go to the hospital? And he was very sad? But the doctor gave him a lollipop? And I like lollipops, but I didn't get one? Do you have any lollipops?

-- John C.

Waiter

Late at night most restaurants adopt a "Seat Yourself" policy. Here's something you can do if you're working this shift and want to attract customers to your section.

When you see someone approaching the door, go to a table in your area of the restaurant and wipe it with a towel. Finish up just as they enter, straighten up the condiments, and walk away briskly. Nine times out of ten, they'd head right over.

-- Sean

Animator

If the animation you are working on just doesn't look right, get out of your chair and act it out yourself. If you exaggerate the movements, you'll eventually pick out the subtleties you were missing.

Even better, film yourself acting out these bits. Many digital cameras have a short video setting, and it can really help with the timing. Just make sure that these videos don't find their way onto the internet.

-- Will

Furniture Refinisher

Unusual tools do wonders.

To strip thick paint from a cove moulding, use paint stripper and a spoon. By tilting the angle, you can match almost any curve, and scrape out the paint without gouging into the wood. Once you have most of the paint removed, you can use steel wool to get the last of it.

The next time you're at the dentist, ask the hygienist if she has any old picks that you can have. Different types of picks are work great for getting into the tight spaces and corners of fancy moulding or carved designs.

-- M Blaze Miskulin

Home Cook

If you have an over-abundance of one particular ingredient and you would like to quickly find good, reliable recipes using that ingredient, search on the web for farm and trade organizations that represent the producers. Their websites will be sure to have many recipes that show off the item's diversity, and it's safe to say the recipes have been vetted by growers' families.

For example, if you want sweet potato recipes, look at the recipe page for the North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission; for strawberries, check out the California Strawberry Commission; for avocados, try the California Avocado Commission.

Museum Curator

When working the dinosaur halls at the natural history museum, an eager parent will often bring up his or her less than eager child, saying that the kid has a question. Young children, even if they do have a question, are generally too terrified at the prospect of talking to a stranger to do anything other than hide behind dad's legs. By asking the child a question, such as what their favorite dinosaur is, you can get them talking.

Even if that is not enough, and with very small children its often not, it satisfies the real desire of the parent: to make sure that their child gets some personalized attention.

-- Chris

Medical Examiner

Instead of using a tongue depressor when examining a patient's throat, ask the patient to yawn and then immediately yawn at them. This causes the patient yawn in response, raises the soft palate, and lowers the tongue, enabling you to visualize everything without having to use the "popsicle stick" and risking an overactive gag reflex! Works every time, especially for kids.

-- Scott Buttrick PA-C

Mother

Be familiar with your health insurance policy regarding emergency room visits and specialists, as well as if a referral is required for a specialist. Most pediatrician's offices will not do stitches, and the emergency room can be daunting to a child and you will most likely wait forever for treatment. If it is during office hours, try to go directly to a plastic surgeon (if your insurance covers it) for the treatment. You will get in quickly, will get the best treatment and often the copay is less than that for the ER visit.

-- Jennifer Blake

DJ

When playing as a DJ on a wedding, birthday party, or any event which involves a heterogeneous public:

Only play music your public likes, even if you hate it yourself.

Play mainly music aimed at the women. Men will only start to dance when there are chicks to score/impress on the dance floor.

Play the most widely accepted music first, and move to the younger, harder genres later in the evening when the elder family members have left. This way everyone gets to hear some music they like.

Make the dance floor dark enough;people won’t dance when they are too exposed in the light.

When someone requests a song that you wouldn't normally play (because you think it’s not going to work), tell them that you'll only play it if they promise to dance to it. You should especially do this if it's a man making the request.
When the dance floor is opened early and there’s not much dancing: don’t worry--people still have to talk, and when more alcohol is consumed, they will start dancing.

-- Vincent De Munck

Reader

If you are in a middle of a book and someone who has already read it before asks you where you are in the story, always name a point a few chapters earlier than where you really are. Then, if they say something boneheaded like "Oh, the part where X gets shot?" it won't ruin anything for you.

-- Todd

Legal Secretary

If you wish to re-use file folders, put a piece of clear tape along the length of the tab, before applying a label. Then, when you're ready to re-use your file folder, the original label will peel off cleanly.

-- Patty

Roller Derby Skater

Email:

I'm a Roller Derby skater, coach and captain for the NYC team - Gotham Girls Roller Derby. I just spent a very long day of evaluations with our all-star team, and then, when i came home, stumbled upon your site. Here's some tips I said I said over and over again today. If your feet are cramping after every jam or on long warmup drills, lace your skates up every other hole. This reduces the pressure on the top of the foot when you lean into and around turns 1 and 3. If you still get cramps, or feel out of control, loosen your trucks a little so you get more give on the turns, making your crossovers tighter.If this adjustment helps, in the long run you will need to get softer bushings, but just playing with the tightness will help diagnose the problem.
Natily Blair aka "Ginger Snap" Captain of the Bronx Gridlock and the Gotham Girls Roller Derby Travel Team. gothamgirlsrollerderby.com

Pharmacist

When pouring liquid out a large container, pour from the opposite end of the spout. Doing so will allow you to stop abruptly, and you'll have less chance of a spill.

-- Jerry Russo

Singer

For increased diaphragm strength and breath support, lie on your back and place a small weight on your belly. Inhale and exhale, concentrating on making the weight rise and fall with each breath. The lying down keeps your shoulders from moving; the concentration brings your breath to the diaphragm where it belongs.

Heather

Air Conditioning Contractor

Here's a trick for changing air filters on ceiling mounted return air filter grills. After you have removed the dirty filter and are ready to install the clean one, turn the "fan" switch on the thermostat to the "on" position. The intake from the fan will hold the filter in place, leaving you with both hands free to lift and refasten the grill.

-- Brad