The person or agency for which you’re providing a copy edit will determine which style guide you’ll refer to. For example, if you’re copy editing an academic journal article for an English literature scholar, you’ll need to refer to the MLA style guide. Good resources for all copy editors to have on their reference shelf include:   The Chicago Manual of Style The Associated Press style guide (especially for journalists) A reputable dictionary An in-house style guides, if your publication agency has one When you’re editing copy on paper, there are certain editorial shorthand marks which you’ll need to know and use. These marks are nearly universal and will be recognized by other editors, making your task as a copy editor much easier. For example:   A caret (^) is used to show where a new word or punctuation should be inserted. A horizontal strikethrough (―) indicates that a word should be removed. A slash through a capital letter (Ø) means that is should be lowercase. If you make an editorial revision which you wish to undo, write “STET” (Latin for ‘let it stand’) in the margin next to your incorrect revision. If you’re editing texts digitally (and not on paper), take full advantage of your software’s editorial functions. For example, if you’re providing a copy edit in Microsoft Word, you’ll need to know how to Track Changes, leave Comments, and use the Reviewing Pane.   This familiarity will allow you to quickly provide a helpful copy edit and to take full advantage of the resources that your word processing software uses.

Summary: Obtain necessary reference materials. Use copy editing marks. Familiarize yourself with the editorial software.


While you probably sleep with your phone next you, you may never have thought of bringing your car keys to bed. If you hear an intruder (either in the house, or in the room with you), press the alarm button for your car. There's a good chance that the intruder will take off. If the intruder makes it in to your room and you're already up, try to stay as far away as possible. Be on the lookout for ways to escape, and do your best to remain calm and cooperative. You should avoid confrontation and violent reactions if at all possible. Place your hands at shoulder level, which the intruder may interpret as being submissive, but which places you in a good position for self-defense. If you can't see an immediate route for escape, it is important to try to remain calm, and it's usually best to cooperate with the intruder. You may eventually be forced to defend yourself, but at least initially, you'll have a greater chance of surviving if you do what you're asked. If you haven't been able to call the police before an intruder makes it into your home, and if you have a home alarm system, you may receive a phone call from the company.  If the intruder is in the room and wants or allows you to answer (they may know that if you don't pick up the police will be sent), you should have a distress code phrase prearranged with the security company. When you say the code words, they'll know that you're in trouble. For example, you could say “Mom, I'll call you in the morning.”  If forced to disarm your security system, use your duress code on the keypad instead of your usual code:  This has the added benefit that the police will be notified silently.

Summary: Set off your car alarm. Keep your distance from the intruder. Choose a strategic stance. Try to cooperate with the intruder. Know how to answer the phone if you have an alarm system.


Some baseball players pour half a bag in their mouth at once, and chew them over the course of an hour. The more seeds you can store in your cheek, the better. You want them all to be in the same place, so you have control over them. Use your tongue to move it over so it's inside the other cheek. Use your tongue to position it between the molars, then bite down to crack the shell.  Move it over from the storage cheek to the other cheek, bite it between your molars, spit out the shell, and eat the seed. This reduces the number of reloads per serving, and it's what the pros do.

Summary: Place a handful of seeds in your mouth. Move the seeds to one cheek. Move one seed to the other side of your mouth. Crack the shell. Spit out the shell and eat the seed. Repeat with another seed. Slowly raise the amount of seeds you can hold in your spare cheek.


Grab the eye of an eye pin with pliers and carefully heat the metal over the flame of a candle or gas stove. Only heat the metal for about 5 seconds.  Work carefully to prevent accidental burns. Use an eye pin that is just a little shorter than the width of the resin piece. Grab the resin piece with one hand and carefully poke the straight side of the heated eye pin inside.  Press the pin in until it extends roughly halfway through the resin piece. This will only work if the resin is only partially cured. If you allowed it to cure completely, it will be too hard and unyielding. Once the metal eye pin is cool enough to touch with your bare fingers, slide a small jump ring into the eye. This completes the project and turns your resin piece into a wearable pendant or charm.
Summary: Heat a metal eye pin. Poke the metal into the resin charm. Attach a jump ring to the loop.