Keep the scooter still and lift the front wheel off of the ground to practice the barspin. As you stand on the scooter, lift your non-dominant hand away from the handlebars and spin them towards your body with your dominant hand. Keep rotating the bars as far as you can move them. To keep your scooter still while you practice, you can put the back wheel up against a wall. Alternately, you can just stand on the brake on the back of your scooter to keep it from moving. You could also position the scooter so that the front wheel is over a curb and isn't touching the ground. Once you have rotated the bars as far around as you can with your dominant hand, reach your non-dominant hand under the dominant one to grab the other handle as it comes. Keep spinning the bars towards their starting position, rotating your dominant hand back to a normal, forward-facing grip as you do.  Keep on practicing until you can do this one smooth motion. It’ll be much easier to do the trick when you can spin your handlebars without thinking about it. Once you’ve got the movement sorted, you can practice spinning while the scooter is moving. Stand with your legs shoulder-width apart and swing your scooter between them so it moves front to back. When the scooter reaches it’s highest point in front of you, try and spin the handles. This is the best way to mimic a real barspin without you having to leave the ground. In order to do a barspin, you’ll need to get some air with a bunny hop. Start riding your scooter at a comfortable speed and then jump straight up in the air. As you do, hold onto the handlebars of the scooter and lift it up with your body. Practice doing a bunny hop until you can jump easily and as high as possible.  The higher you jump, the more time you’ll have to get your barspin perfect and regain control of the handlebars before you hit the ground. See how high you can bunny hop. Make sure you keep your feet firmly planted on the deck of your scooter and keep your front wheel straight when you land your bunny hop. Start riding on your scooter at a comfortable speed and do a bunnyhop, keeping your scooter level. As you reach the highest point of the hop, use the hand movement you practiced to spin the bars around and catch them again.  Hold on tightly to the handlebars and bend your knees slightly as you land to give you more control over the scooter when you’re back on the ground. If you’re worried about crashing, you can practice on a softer surface like grass first. You don’t need to be moving to do this, just practice jumping and spinning the bar until you’re ready to try it while moving.

Summary: Practice spinning your handlebars. Learn to catch the handlebars. Practice the perfect bunny hop. Combine a bunny hop with a barspin to complete the trick.


Some people associate hipsters with hippies and assume that they don’t shower regularly or otherwise don’t practice proper hygiene. This is a misconception. Though some hipsters participate in the no shampoo movement (which is still very clean), most practice normal hygiene (with bonus artisanal and environmentally-friendly soaps!).  While hipsters do shower regularly and clean their teeth, they're just less interested in forking out money for hairstyling, spa sessions, pedicures/manicures, and large make-up kits because these are signs of conforming to cultural ideals of beauty. Arguably, hipsters aren't so interested in "making the most of their assets" because they see their entire self as an asset; from a self-esteem point of view, this is actually a rather healthy outlook. Messy hairdos are just fine. The "bed look", long unkempt hair, and hair that resists any attempts to stay flat without chemicals are acceptable looks.  Blurring gender lines with haircuts and styles is part of the hipster culture. Greasy hair is considered okay by some in the hipster culture. That doesn't mean you need to concur and a squeaky clean but uncombed do might be more your thing. For men, large beards and/or waxed mustaches are not a must but are preferred if one can grow them. Some hipsters like to dye their hair in an obvious way. Consider growing your own food or turning vegetarian. Use compost if possible. Eating meat isn't always popular with the hipster culture, and many hipsters tend to be vegetarian or vegan. If you do eat meat, you must assert that choice as a cynical transcendence of vegetarians' futile attempts to save the world.  Fruit, coffee, Asian food, etc., are all hip foods. If you have absolutely no space to grow your own produce (not even a balcony or a windowsill), go to a natural foods market instead. Often, hipsters are foodies and love making gourmet meals. If you can't cook, consider getting some good cookbooks today.

Summary: Ignore the comments about improper hygiene. Keep your hair casual. Take a green approach to food.


Dogs' fur is designed not only to keep them warm but to protect their skin from the sun. Some breeds have heavier coats than others, and you may want to take them to a dog groomer to have their coat trimmed for the summer months. That said, do not shave your dog, or you may leave them at risk for sunburn and overheating. If you have a backyard where your dog runs free, you should leave out a full bowl of water when they are running around in the heat. Refill this bowl every time your dog goes outside to make sure that it is cool and fresh. Dogs will need shady areas to rest while they are outside so that they do not overheat. If you have a backyard, you might want to provide your dog with an area of shade, either by giving them a dog house, an umbrella, or by planting trees. If you are planning on taking your dog to the beach, be aware that there might not be much shade available. Sand can also become hot, burning your dog's paws. Some dogs are kept outside tied to a tree or post. Others might wait outside while their owner goes into a shop. Either way, in the summertime, it is inadvisable to leave your dog tethered for more than fifteen minutes. If you need to go shopping, leave the dog at home. Symptoms of heat stroke include heavy panting, difficulty breathing, loss of energy, drooling, and any obvious weakness or stumbling. If your dog is starting to show these signs, you can hose them down with cool (but not cold) water. If you do not have a hose, you can put your dog in the shower. As you do this, check the dog's rectal temperature every 30-60 seconds until the temperature is down to 103.5°F / 39.8°C. The goal is to slowly bring the dog's temperature down. You should have the dog checked out by a veterinarian.  You can also soak rags or wash cloths in cool water. Place these inside of the dog's thighs. Do not use cold water, ice packs, or iced water. These can actually prevent the dog from cooling down.  If you do not have a thermometer or cool water available to you, go directly to the vet.
Summary: Trim but do not shave their coat. Leave a water bowl outside. Give dogs plenty of shade. Avoid tethering your dog outside for long periods of time. Cool down the dog if they exhibit signs of heatstroke.