This should be enough water to touch the bottom of the cups when they're placed in the pan. Place the pan over medium or high heat on the stovetop to bring the water to a simmer. Go with medium heat to best avoid a mess. If the water boils too vigorously, this may cause the egg whites to splash out and harden, creating a mess. To prevent the eggs from sticking, spray the cups with cooking oil before you add the eggs. You may need to crack each egg into a measuring cup first to make it easier to get into the poaching cup.  If you are not using all the cups, fill the extra cups with water to avoid any burning. Be sure you don't break the yolks when you pour the eggs into the cups. Some people like to poach their eggs for as long as 5 minutes, but this ultimately depends on how runny you want the yolk to be. Use oven mitts to remove the pan from heat and empty the poaching cups into a separate bowl or plate. You'll know the eggs are cooked when the outsides are pale white and the yolk is soft. The longer you cook the eggs, the firmer and less runny the yolk will be.

Summary: Bring a little less than 1⁄2 inch (1.3 cm) of water to a simmer in the pan. Crack 1 egg into each individual poaching cup. Cook the eggs for at least 2-3 minutes, then take them out of the pan.


If you have never played a Call of Duty game before or have never played a shooter before, this will be the best place to start. You can choose “Campaign” from the main menu. You will be given live tutorials while playing the game. The campaign does not give the same experience of playing against a live opponent and does not have any multiplayer capabilities, but you will see the difference once you are able to understand how the controls work. You can change the difficulty of the campaign before you play. You won’t need to complete the campaign in order to prepare yourself, but it will at least provide the basics on how the game plays overall. If you want to play team based games, Extinction mode is a survival mini game that can be played with three other players. Choose “Extinction” from the main menu. You can choose to play online by choosing “Online” or “Xbox Live.” You can also play with a friend in split-screen multiplayer by choosing “Local Play.” Work with others and communicate with team members to defeat hordes of enemies. Each Call of Duty game plays similar to one another, but will feature a few changes to make it easier to play the game compared to previous iterations.  If you have played a Call of Duty game before, you can easily understand the basics of movement, how to run, aim down your sights and activating streak rewards. If there are actions you would feel more comfortable with a different button or if you want to adjust your turning speed, you can adjust these under the “Control Options” in the “Options” menu. There are a few changes to how the game plays, such as the dolphin-dive move from Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, now known as the run and slide. Initiate a sprint then press the crouch button to slide on your knees. If you press and hold the crouch button you will slide until you are lying down into the prone position. You can also lean around corners by standing toward a corner. Once you see an arrow appear near your aiming reticle, you can hold the aim button to lean in the direction the arrow was pointing. Private matches allow you to play against computer controlled opponents or “bots” that simulate playing against live opponents. You can also play the game with a friend with up to two players in split screen on consoles. Use private matches as an opportunity to see how unlocked weapons work. See how each weapon can be the most effective for you before trying to use them against live opponents.

Summary: Play the campaign. Play Extinction Mode. Master the controls. Play a private match.


It's important to consider which piercing technique you're most comfortable with. Piercing guns, like the ones used at Claire’s and Icing, push the earring straight through the skin.  Piercing guns, while quick and inexpensive, often cause more infections. The guns can be disinfected but not completely sterilized because they are made of plastic and do not hold up under sterilization techniques used for needles and other professional tools.   Although this method is not widely recommended, as it does cause some blunt-force trauma to the ear, it is still common and many people choose it out of convenience. Tattoo shops and professional piercing studios use the hollow needle method, which creates a clean hole instead of forcing the earring through the skin.  This method sounds more painful, but many report that it's actually less painful. The hollow needle method is preferable because it won’t infect as easily or heal over as quickly if you go without earrings for a long period of time. A good piercer will have ample experience. If you’re not confident that they are prepared and experienced enough, it may be worth finding a different piercer or location.  It's okay to ask the piercer how much experience they’ve had. At locations like Walmart, the piercer receives very little training and may not have any experience, so it's better to ask than have something go wrong. Generally, professional piercers should have at least a year of experience before they start working alone.  Checking reviews online is a great way to get a feel for the piercer's experience and the quality of service. A dirty studio is a red flag, so look around for general cleanliness. Make sure the piercer uses disposable gloves and sterile packets for each new needle. This is a crucial safety measure. If they don’t use proper sterilization techniques, you should probably find a different studio. When you get your ears pierced professionally, you will likely have to choose from the in-store selection. It’s important to know how to choose the best and safest earrings, since these will stay in your ears for the next six weeks. Look for earrings free of nickel and cobalt, as these materials commonly cause allergic reactions. The safest earring materials are surgical stainless steel, platinum, titanium, and 14K gold. If these are over your price point, gold and silver are generally safe options as well. The piercer will use a surgical marking pen to place dots where the earrings will go. Examine the dots in the mirror and make sure they’re placed where you want them. The piercer can always wipe off and re-draw the dots if needed. Prepare yourself by taking a deep breath and the piercer will guide you through the process, which, for lobe piercings, is usually painless and takes less than a minute. You’ll feel a slight pinch on your earlobe, and then you’re done. For less common piercings, the pain may be higher and the piercing may take a bit longer. Cartilage is harder to push the needle through, so it may take a few moments to complete the piercing.
Summary: Decide whether or not you want to use the piercing gun method. Consider the benefits of the hollow needle method. Make sure that the piercer is experienced. Check for cleanliness. Pick the earrings you want to have your ears pierced with. Be careful about choosing a hyper-allergenic material, particularly if you have any metal allergies. Fine-tune the placement of the piercing. Take a deep breath.