INPUT ARTICLE: Article: This works best on timed tests. Teachers will just think that you are checking the time.

SUMMARY: Buy a pocket watch that has a lid. Tape a piece of paper with your notes onto the watch. Pretend to check the time.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: This is especially important when it's the last performance. Compliment your actors, production crew and technicians on the good work they did. Either before or after you do this, talk to the audience to find out what they thought. After all, they are the people you are communicating with. They can provide you with insights that you had not thought of and that will enrich the next performance. When advice given to you from your audience is worthwhile, tell your actors about it. Particularly if your production has multiple performances, this is useful to both you and them. Make sure everyone arrives in a timely fashion before the next performance so that you can go over the various scenes with them and tell them what went well and what did not. A production is a learning process for all involved and no two performances are the same. Audiences differ each night, and things that work well one night may not get the same feedback from the audience another night. This does not mean that they are bad things, it is merely a matter of audience dynamics: some audiences just prefer physical action while other prefer verbal sparring. Now that you are done with this production it is time to start thinking about the future. If you're lucky, you've found some time to network or someone who saw your play wishes to hire you for a project they are financing. If you're not lucky, the cycle starts all over again or you end up without a project. Make sure, therefore, that every production you direct is one you support fully. That way, there are no regrets and you can look back fondly on the work you did, no matter how small or amateur the production.

SUMMARY: When a performance is over, congratulate everyone on a job well done. Pass on constructive feedback. Start something new.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: No matter what the actual tax rate is, this will make your multiplication much simpler. The goal in estimating sales tax is to make the math simple enough to do in your head. Don't bother with exact amounts, just estimate well enough to make sure you have enough money to pay for what you want to buy. By using an estimate of 10% it will mean that, in most cases, you are rounding up, making your estimate more than you will actually pay. If you are actually rounding the tax rate down, make sure to remember that your estimate will be a little bit less than you will need to pay. This will give you a good, quick estimate of how much tax you will be charged. No need for complicated calculations, just move the decimal over and that will give you 10% of the cost on the tag. In doing this, you are actually multiplying the cost of your item by the decimal equivalent of 10%, which is obviously really easy! For example, .10 times $20 equals $2. Because we rounded up, your estimate will probably be higher than the tax actually charged, but you will know you can afford to pay the total cost. To use our example from the previous step one more time, $20 plus $2 makes the estimated total cost including tax $22.

SUMMARY: Round the sales tax rate to 10%. Move the decimal point in the cost of your item one space to the left. Add the estimated tax to the cost of the item.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Staph bacteria are a common cause of food poisoning. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea and, when caused by staph, usually subside in a day or so. Call your doctor if you don't feel better within 24 to 48 hours. In the meantime, avoid overexerting yourself and drink plenty of water, sports drinks, or Pedialyte to stay hydrated. Try to keep down plain rice, soup or broth, and other bland foods. Wash your hands frequently to help prevent spreading germs, especially if you're vomiting or have diarrhea. Septic arthritis is a joint infection often caused by staph bacteria. Schedule an appointment with your doctor if you experience symptoms such as intense joint pain, redness, swelling, and fever. Infections typically occur in the knees, ankles, or toes and, usually, only one joint is affected. Symptoms of septic arthritis develop suddenly. In other forms of arthritis, joint pain and swelling develop gradually, often occur at distinct times during the day, and typically affect more than one joint. Your doctor will perform an examination and take a bacterial culture. They'll aspirate the joint, or remove excess fluid to decrease swelling. If they determine you have an infection, they'll inject medication into the joint or prescribe oral antibiotics. TSS can occur when staph bacteria spread to the bloodstream and internal organs. Symptoms include fever above 102F (39C), disorientation, headache, vomiting, diarrhea, and a red rash on the bottoms of the hands and feet. TSS is a medical emergency and requires immediate care. It can result from using a tampon for longer than the recommended amount time or from an infected burn, wound, or surgical site. Sepsis is a serious condition caused by the body's immune response to a widespread bacterial infection. Symptoms include fever above 102F (39C), chills, disorientation, rapid heartbeat, and shortness of breath. Without prompt treatment, sepsis can lead to blood clots, poor blood flow, and organ failure. Sepsis is a medical emergency, so you need to go to the hospital as soon as possible if you have an infection that isn't healing and have symptoms of sepsis. While anyone can develop sepsis, it's more likely to occur in people with compromised immune systems, infants, the elderly, people with chronic illnesses (such as kidney or liver disease), and after a serious burn or injury.

SUMMARY:
Get rest and drink plenty of fluids if you have food poisoning. See your doctor if you think you might have septic arthritis. Seek emergency medical care for signs of toxic shock syndrome (TSS). Get immediate help if you have symptoms of sepsis.