Q: Look at your artwork, knicknacks, book collection, and other decorations in the room you're trying to brighten up. Is anything adding to the feeling that the space is overly dim? It might be time to switch out that old black-and-white print for something more lively and bright. If you have stacks of books, a collection of old dolls or a wall of deep green plants, it might be time for those to go, too. If you're committed to brightening up your space, you might have to make some tough decisions about what to keep. Choose your top 10 or so favorite books and display them artfully, rather than having your entire collection take up a wall in the dark room. The space that was previously covered with books can now be brightened up with something more cheerful. If you're a plant lover, think about getting rid of big, dark plants and replacing them with plants that are lighter in color. Displaying a few succulents or ferns is an attractive touch, but having racks of plants can make a room feel darker. Now that you've cleared away some space, try adding a few mirrors to the room. They'll reflect what light does leak into the room and make it seem at least a little brighter. Choose mirrors with light-colored frames that add to the room's airy feel. Hanging mirrors in a room has the added benefit of making it feel larger. Do you have floor-to-ceiling wooden bookshelves that add to your room's dark feel? How about a dark cherry TV cabinet, or a big wooden bed with rich, dark posts? Heavy furniture can make even the brightest room look a little dreary. If you want to brighten things up, choose furniture with lighter wood. You can also paint or refinish your existing furniture to give it a room-brightening makeover. Buy brightly-colored slipcovers for your sofa and chairs. If you're like most people, you've got tangles of wires and cables snaking across your floor. Black wires can contribute to a room feeling dark and cluttered. Try keeping them neatly wound and secured with a piece of velcro. You can also tape the wires against the baseboard using light-colored electrical tape to keep them out of the way. You'll find that this seemingly trivial change makes a big difference. Another trick for making a room appear brighter is to eliminate the need for a lot of furniture. Instead of having a bunch of bookshelves and tables, try installing wall-mounted shelves that are composed of light-colored wood or painted white. Use them to store your books and a few decorations. Now you've eliminated the shadows cast by extra tables and other furniture.
A: Assess your decorations and accessories. Add mirrors. Change up your dark furniture. Keep wires tucked away. Install wall-mounted shelving.

Q: After you have decided to hire a lawyer, you have to communicate with him or her. To help your lawyer work as efficiently (and cheaply) as possible, get all your details together. If you're prepared to answer the lawyer's questions, you can make the most of any meetings you have. You should also provide the lawyer with any documentation that you have pertaining to your legal matter. If your attorney is billing by the hour, you want to minimize the time that he or she has to spend on your matter. Many attorneys bill in six-minute increments, so even a quick phone call to your attorney will cost 1/10th of an hour (possibly $25). This doesn't mean you shouldn't contact your attorney. However, be efficient. Don't call your attorney five times during the day. Make a list of things you'd like to talk about and call once. The same applies to email. Keep your address and phone number current with your attorney at all times. Provide documents and information to your attorney as soon as he or she requests it. If your attorney has to spend time chasing you down or repeatedly requesting information from you, he or she will have to charge you for those actions. Minimize your attorney's fees by being as cooperative and timely with your attorney as possible. Your attorney is not your therapist or your friend. If you use your attorney in this manner, you will end up spending far more in attorney's fees than you had planned. Your attorney will have no choice but to charge you for the time that is spent counseling you or even having his staff members talk to you about issues that aren't really legal in nature.
A: Provide all the details. Group your questions. Help yourself. Rely on your attorney for legal advice only.

Q: Always treat a gun as though it were loaded, even if you know it isn't. This will usually be on the right side of the gun, where the barrel meets the stock. Unlike a pump-action shotgun, a break action has no magazine tube to load several shells at a time into. Instead, the gun breaks open to allow you to load a shell directly into the chamber of your barrel (or barrels). This means your gun needs to be reloaded after every shot, or every two shots if you have a double-barreled shotgun. Be careful: these may be hot if the gun was recently fired. Try not to let your hand touch the metal of the barrel. The business-end of the shell should slide into the barrel. Your gun is now loaded and ready to fire.
A:
Make sure the safety is on and the gun pointed away from you in a safe direction. Find and engage the barrel breach lever, latch or button. Open the break-action and lower the barrel away from the body of the shotgun. Remove and discard any spent casings. Replace each used casing with a fresh shell. Bring the barrel back up and close the break until you hear and feel it click.