The only sure-fire way to have a baby boy is to use in-vitro fertilization and gender selection. However, you may not want to rely on these procedures to have a baby boy. Before you try getting pregnant, talk to your doctor about your wishes. They may check your health to ensure you are healthy enough to get pregnant. They may also have some non-surgical tips on conceiving a baby boy. Recognize that many old wives tales or other suggestions for having a baby boy have no medical evidence to support them. Women only carry female X- chromosomes. Men have both one female X- and one male Y-chromosome. This means that the male partner determines the sex of a baby. A male Y-chromosome sperm may swim faster than the female X-chromosome, but the X-chromosomes have more endurance. Keeping track of your ovulation cycle with a calendar or app can help you have sex closest to when your body releases the egg. This might increase the likelihood of having a boy because the Y-chromosome sperm may not tire out before reaching the egg Consider avoiding sex the week before you ovulate to increase your significant other's sperm count. Have sex on the day you ovulate, if possible. Although not proven, it may increase your chances of conceiving a boy. Having sex in positions that deeply penetrate the woman could increase the chance of having a baby boy. This may give the male Y-chromosomes a head start on reaching the egg because they can swim faster than female X-chromosome sperm, though there is no evidence to prove this. Try any of the following are deep penetration positions: Standing up Straddling (woman on top) Doggy style, or from behind Missionary with the woman's legs pulled toward her chest. Women's orgasms may give Y-chromosome sperm another head start. This is because orgasms move the sperm closer to the cervix. A female orgasm may also create a more alkaline environment in the vagina, which can also increase the chances of the male Y-chromosome sperm reaching the egg first. Hinder the man's orgasm if possible. Be aware that there is no medical evidence to prove this increases your chances of having a baby boy. Consider manual or oral stimulation before penetration. This may help a woman orgasm more quickly than the man.
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One-sentence summary -- Consult your doctor. Time your ovulation. Do deep penetrative position. Let the woman orgasm first.

Hard-shell clams or "quahogs" like large chowder clams, littlenecks, and cherrystones should have tightly closed shells. If you can separate the shells easily, then the clam inside is dead. Clams that are already dead should not be purchased or, if already purchased, should be discarded. Hold one clam in the palm of your non-dominant hand. Use your dominant hand to pass the blade of a small, dull knife in between the two closed shell halves. Work with on clam at a time. Hold the clam with a towel to prevent juice from dripping onto your hand and to provide extra traction as you cut. The knife should have a blade that is thin enough to pass in between two tightly closed shell halves, but the blade should also be fairly blunt to minimize the risk of accidentally cutting yourself. Use a shucking knife if possible. Slide the knife around the perimeter of the clam to loosen both the adductor muscles and hinge. Close your hand around the clam as you work, squeezing it slightly to put pressure on it. Note that it will likely be difficult to pass the knife around the perimeter of the clam, and you may have to press or squeeze the knife in between the two shell halves. Twist the knife, rotating it from side to side, until the top shell lifts off. Sever the top shell completely by cutting the upper adductor muscles with the blade of your knife. Lift off the top shell. Slide the knife below the exposed crab meat, severing the lower adductor muscles. Do not lift the crab meat out of the bottom shell yet. Fill a shall baking pan with ice and lay the shucked clams on top of the ice until you are ready to add them to the chowder. Place the clams in the ice shell-side down.
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One-sentence summary -- Purchase live hard-shell clams. Pass a blunt knife through the two shell halves. Sever the hinge. Pry open the top shell. Loosen the crab meat. Set aside until ready to use.

Drum keys are used to tune drums and cost about two dollars at a music store. If you're going to play drums, it's a good idea to get one and make sure your kit is in tune with itself. To start tuning your drums or changing the heads, all you need is a stick and your drum key. Turn the snares off and you're ready to start. If you have any drummer friends, you can ask if they have spare keys to lend or give you. Consider using two drum keys at rods opposite each other on the drum. You'll be able to tune faster and will get a more even tension (so long as you continue keeping them across from each other as you move diagonally around the drum). Center the new head on the drum and put the rim and tension rods back onto the drum. You might want to place the rim back on the drum in the spot it was originally since the rim's shape has probably moved to fit in that position. Tighten all of the tension rods evenly using your hands (no drum key yet) and keep going until all of the tension rods are finger tight. Keep your tension rods and drum lugs clean and lubricated. To lubricate the rods, rub a little oil, petroleum jelly, or paraffin wax over them. Prevent your drum from repeatedly going out of tune by pushing down in the center of the drum with your fist. Do this 5-10 times. Don't worry, you won't break it. You should be able to put a good portion of your body weight onto the drum. Don't be alarmed if you hear popping or glue-cracking sounds. Make sure the tension rods are all still tight and adjust them as needed. Once you've got the new head seated and the tension rods relatively tight, you're ready to start tuning the drum.
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One-sentence summary --
Get a drum key. Seat the drum head. Break in the drum head.