Q: If you’re a collector, this needs to be your golden rule. After all, an errant speck of dirt or smudge of chocolate could drastically reduce the value of your collectible. Similarly, have any friends or prospective buyers wash their hands before touching comics. You may feel self-conscious making this simple request. Remember, you spent a lot of time and effort building your collection. Try saying, “This one’s pretty rare, would you mind washing your hands first?” Temperatures that are too hot or cold could damage the glue in the binding of some comics or cause the quality of the paper to change unnaturally. Humidity, as you probably already know, is another enemy your comic book must be protected from.  A dehumidifier in your comic book storage room is a great way of ensuring low humidity, which is ideal for book health. An indoor storage location might be best if you’re concerned about the condition of your collection. It’ll be much easier for you to control the climate. A filing cabinet keep your bagged and backing boarded collection well-organized and protected from damage. If you have a filing cabinet with a lock, comic books stored inside will also be less likely to be stolen. These books should still be bagged and boarded, at minimum. Though if a comic is rare enough to be kept in a safety deposit box, you should really look into having that beauty certified and slabbed.
A: Handle comics with clean hands, always. Control the storage environment. Keep books in a filing cabinet. Lock away ultra-valuable titles in safety deposit boxes.

Q: Locate the row of holes on the frosting cap right behind the hairline and select a hole as your starting point. Hold the highlighting needle at an angle and keep the hook pointed upward as you insert it into the perforated hole. Gently push the highlighting needle until the hooked end is resting against the scalp.  It’s important to work from front to back so that you get even results, but if you start right at the hairline, your hair will look stripy when you wear it up. Be careful inserting the needle. Use a light touch and don’t go in vertically. Always hold the needle at an angle. Once the hooked end of the needle is resting against the scalp, angle it slightly to one side to pick up a tiny section of hair. This will happen easily, so you don’t need to dig down into the hair. The amount of hair your hook is up to you. The more hair you hook and pull out, the more dramatic the frosted highlights will be. Once you’ve hooked the hair, pull the highlighting needle away from your head to bring the hair through the perforation onto the outside of the cap. Be sure to pull the entire section of hair out of the hole so that it is neatly hanging outside of the cap. The hair should be exposed from root to tip. Take your time as you pull hair through the frosting cap to prevent tangles and snags. If you pull hair out of every hole, you’ll achieve very dramatic highlights. If you want more subtle highlights, follow a particular pattern, like skipping every other hole. Work systematically from the hairline back to the crown. Then, move to a new section at the hairline and keep pulling hair out using the same pattern.  Most frosting caps have circles or numbers close to the holes to make strategic placement easy. Use the guides to help you remain consistent. The amount of hair you pull out of each hole can vary, depending on the results you want. For example, if you want dramatic highlights around the face, pull larger sections of hair out around the hairline. After pulling the hair through the perforated holes, you will probably have a few tangles and snags. Before you start the bleaching process, comb through the sections of hair with a fine-toothed comb. Comb thoroughly from root to tip and work systematically so that you comb through each section of hair. If you don’t get rid of tangles and snags, you may end up with uneven or blotchy results.
A: Insert the highlighting needle into the first hole ½ inch behind the hairline. Hook a small amount of your hair with the end of the needle. Pull the hooked section of hair out through the hole in the cap. Continue pulling hair through the holes in a strategic way. Comb through the pulled-out strands of hair to get rid of any tangles.

Q: Involving the authorities should be your last recourse for a barking dog, because it is likely to take a good bit of time and effort to secure an acceptable resolution, and is sure to make your relationship with your neighbor uncomfortable at best — and quite possibly openly hostile.  But, if you have exhausted other options and/or see no alternative, make sure you know your rights and how to assert them.  Some municipalities have specific codes regarding barking dogs, while others include it within nuisance or noise ordinances.  Within a single metropolitan area, local codes can vary widely, so contact your local government authority for clarification.  If you and your neighbor are both part of a neighborhood association, there may be codes that cover barking dogs.  Similarly, if you are renters (especially if you have the same landlord), look into the terms of your lease. Some municipalities may provide, or be able to refer you to, mediation services (binding or non-binding) to keep such disputes out of the courts.  Contact your local government, district attorney’s office, or small claims court to inquire. The days of the dog catcher coming around unannounced and snatching up problem dogs is over, but your local animal control service may be able to intervene for you. Contact the service to find out whether it handles nuisance barking, or whether you need to involve the police first.  You may need to be persistent in your calls and/or be able to provide evidence that the dog is a nuisance for animal control to act.  Call animal control right away if the dog is barking because it is in pain, has trapped itself in a small area, has tangled its chain, or is otherwise unable to access water.  Contact the owner first if you are comfortable doing so, but don’t ignore a suffering dog that is not receiving proper care. Involving the police will usually either immediately escalate or immediately resolve the situation.  Your amount of preparation beforehand may well make the difference.  Once you make yourself familiar with the relevant dog/noise/nuisance ordinance(s) in your area, call the non-emergency police number to report a violation. Unless your local police uses the emergency number (such as 911) for all calls, do not call it to make a barking dog complaint.  It is conceivable that you may be cited for misuse of the emergency line. Many police departments and other services require you to prove that the barking is extreme before they can take action. Here is where your record-keeping — log book, recordings, statements from other neighbors, etc. — can prove invaluable in supporting your claim.  Once the police are involved, your neighbor may feel besieged and try to frame the issue as a dispute between neighbors, in which you are primarily at fault for some reason.  This is why it is essential to never give him ammunition to use against you by making threats, shouting, swearing, accosting the dog in any way, etc. If you need to go to court to prove a noise/nuisance violation, come prepared with the evidence you have gathered.  Calmly and clearly establish your case.  You may be able to sue your neighbor in small claims court for causing you loss of enjoyment of your home and property.  You’re not going to strike it rich this way (and may even end up losing money in the process), but if you provide a clear, strong case supported by documented evidence, you may be able to get your neighbor to finally quiet that dog.  If you find that the local laws regarding nuisance dogs are lacking in your area, start a petition and contact your elected leaders.
A:
Familiarize yourself with local laws/codes. Call animal control. Call the police. Pursue legal action.