. An anemometer is a tool for measuring wind speed. You can buy one online, or make a simple one yourself in about 30 minutes using the steps below. If you bought one, skip down to the step in which you count the rotations – or just read the wind speed directly, if yours has a digital display. Take four small paper cups, and punch a single hole in each one, about ½ inch (1.25 cm) below the rim. Take a fifth cup, and puncture four evenly spaced holes, about ¼ in. (6 mm) below the rim, then punch a fifth hole in the center of its base. You can use a pencil to punch these holes, if you don't have anything sharper. Stick a plastic straw into a single-hole cup, about 1 inch (2.5 cm) into it. Push the other end of the straw through two holes of the five-hole cup. Stick the free end of the straw into another single-hole cup. Turn the two single-hole cups so they are pointing in opposite directions, along the same plane as the straw. Staple the straw to the cup. Repeat with another straw, putting it through the remaining two holes of the central five-hole cup. Rotate these two new cups until each cup opening is nearer the base of the next one. In other words, the top cup points right, the right cup points down, the bottom cup points left, and the left cup points up. Staple the straws and cups together. Slide the two straws until all four cups are the same distance from the center. Stick a small pin through the intersection of the two straws. Stick the eraser end of a pencil through the hole in the base of the central cup, and push it gently onto the pin. You can now hold the anemometer by the pencil tip, and use it to measure wind speeds. Hold the anemometer upright in a windy area. Watch a single cup (draw on it with a marker if it makes it easier to follow) and count the number of times it rotates. Use a stopwatch or a friend watching the second hand of a clock to time 15 seconds, and stop you when the time is up. Multiply your count by four to get the number of revolutions per minute (rpm). For greater accuracy, count the number of rotations in 60 seconds (and don't multiply by anything). Measure the distance from one edge of the anemometer to the other to find the diameter of the rotating circle, d. The circumference of the circle, is equal to πd. This is the distance traveled in one revolution. If you don't have a calculator, you can use 3.14 as an estimate of π, or even just 3 for a rough estimate. Convert the circumference you calculated into a more useful unit for measuring wind speed (miles or kilometers). Multiply the result by the rpm you calculated to get the total distance traveled in one minute. Multiply the result by 60 to get the distance traveled in one hour (mph or km/h). Here are the full formulas in imperial and metric units:  Imperial: (__circumference__ inches/revolution) * (1/12 ft/inches) * (1/5280 miles/ft) * (__rpm__ revolutions/minute) * (60 minutes/hour) = __wind speed__ in miles per hour. Metric: (__circumference__ centimeters/revolution) * (1/100000 kilometers/centimeter) * (__rpm__ revolutions/minute) * (60 minutes/hour) = __wind speed__ in kilometers per hour.

Summary: Decide whether to make or buy an anemometer Punch holes in small paper cups. Construct one half of the basic shape. Finish the basic shape. Make a base for the anemometer. Count the number of rotations the anemometer makes. Calculate the circumference. Calculate wind speed.


A small beard comb works wonders when it comes to identifying and removing stray whiskers . . . and food crumbs. The Van Dyke is a refined look; inattention will show! The shape of your chin beard has a huge effect on your overall appearance, so keep the lines clean as time passes. While new beard growth is inevitable, daily attention to your face, and precision upkeep of your mustache, soul patch and chin beard area with a pair of sharp scissors and a beard trimmer will help you extend the mileage on your Van Dyke. Beard and mustache wax - especially when applied with a twist of your fingers - can turn your Van Dyke into a show stopper at a party or special event. Be sure to wear clothes as stylish as your beard.

Summary: Comb your beard. Keep the lines defined. Employ wax to fancy it up.


Observe the techniques the stylists use. Watch how they put the curlers in your hair. Note how long the chemicals are being applied. With this information, you'll be able to get a perm kit at the store and safely give yourself a perm at home. Your stylist will use a series of plastic curlers to give you a perm. Small curlers are best to create the tightest afro. If the curlers are too big, your perm will only achieve a wavy look instead of the afro look you are going for. Don't wash or comb your hair for a day or two immediately after your perm. Letting the perm settle will help the effects of the perm to last longer and keep your hair healthy. The goal is to loosen up the curls just enough to make it possible to backcomb. You can also use your fingers to gently separate the curls. This will further separate the curls and give your hair a fuller afro look.  Hold a small section of hair taut with your fingers. Smaller sections will make for greater volume in your hair but will take a bit longer to do. Use a fine-toothed comb to gently comb the hair downward toward your scalp. Use just enough pressure to create some tangles, but not so much that the hair breaks. Repeat until the section has the desired volume. Ditch your combs! Shape your afro hair with your hands and a pick comb. Only apply hairspray to help it hold if needed. Since curly hair tends to get dry, you can apply shea or coconut butter regularly to help keep your hair moisturized and glossy.

Summary: Get a perm at a salon. Request the smallest possible curlers. Wait a few days to allow the perm to settle. Comb out your curls with a wide-toothed pick comb to separate the curls. Rat out the curls by backcombing with a fine-tooth comb. Style your afro.


You will have three numbers to use in your calculation. For example, say that Joe Smith plays for 6 innings in a 9-inning game and allows 3 men to score. For this, divide the number of earned runs by the number of innings played. Following our example, it would be 3/6, giving us the number .5. That means we would take our number of .5 and multiply it with 9, giving us 4.5. Depending on your preference, you can calculate ERA two ways. The first (shown above) is ERA= total innings(earned runs / innings pitched). You can also formulate it as ERA = earned runs x total number of innings / innings pitched. Test your answer using the alternate method.
Summary: Gather your information. Make the first calculation. Multiply this number with the total number of innings. Test your number.