INPUT ARTICLE: Article: You will need a set of pick up sticks before you can play. Colorful wood and plastic sets are available. Some sets even feature special sticks that can be used to pick up the sticks. Keeping score is optional, but you will need to keep score if you want to make the game last for several rounds of picking up sticks. You will need at least two people to play Pick up Sticks, but you can play with more than two people as well. This game is great for children and adults, so you can play with your parents, siblings, or friends.

SUMMARY: Get sticks to play the game. Get a sheet of paper and pen to keep score. Ask someone to play with you.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Has the character's past affected him in any way? What are the circumstances in the character's life now? Try not to make it too long. A paragraph or two is good. Any basic you can think of goes in this section. You can add more to the list if necessary. It would be good to expand a bit when describing the different relationships. Name: Age: If you don't know the exact age of your character, then you can put its approximation, such as late thirties, mid-twenties, etc. Birth date: Blood Type: Zodiac: Nationality: Hometown: Current residence: Occupation: Income: Birth order: Siblings: (describe relationship) Spouse: (describe relationship) Children: (describe relationship) Grandparents: (describe relationship) Grandchildren: (describe relationship) Significant others: (describe relationship) Best friend: (describe relationship) Worst enemy: (describe relationship) This is the section for letting your mind roam free. You'll want your character to look completely different from any other anime character. Make it yours. Make it unique. Your character's appearance can reflect a lot about him/her, so keep that in mind as you create. Height: Weight: Race: Eye color: Be specific about the color. Hair color: Again, make the color specific. Hair style: Glasses or contact lenses?: Skin color: Distinguishing features: Style: (elegant, shabby, etc.) Habits: (smoking, drinking, etc.) Health: Disabilities: In this section, you'll be discovering your character's overall being, what makes him/her up as a person, the depths of his/her personality. Don't let yourself be limited in any way. This is another section for exploration. Go where others have not yet gone with their anime characters. Make your character as unique as possible. General demeanor: This is how your character generally acts and comes across to other people. Educational Background: Intelligence Level: Prejudices: Does the character hate slow drivers? Or maybe the prejudice is against anyone who doesn't play video games. Against anyone who doesn't enjoy dinosaurs? Against anyone who doesn't engage in political debates? Any mental illnesses?: Learning Experiences: Character's short-term goals in life: Character's long-term goals in life: How does Character see himself/herself?: How does Character believe he/she is perceived by others?: How self-confident is the character?: Does the character seem ruled by emotion, logic, or some combination of both?: What is the character's favorite childhood memory?: What is the character's least favorite childhood memory?: What was the character's worst childhood fear?: What is the core need of the character?: What drives the character?: Mannerisms: How does the character walk?: Hobbies: Are these hobbies old (from childhood) or new? Favorite Sayings: Speaking style: Greatest flaw: Best quality: Talents/Skills: Relationship skills: Here, you'll find out about the temperament of your character and how he/she responds in various situations in life. You'll delve a little deeper into your character's soul, and dig out his rawest emotions from underneath the surface of his persona. Perhaps, the role that your character displays in public is separate from his/her inner self. Strengths/Weaknesses: Introvert or Extrovert?: How does the character deal with anger?: With sadness?: With conflict?: With change?: With loss?: What does the character want out of life?: What would the character like to change in his/her life?: What motivates this character?: What frightens this character?: What makes this character happy?: What makes the character laugh?: Is the character judgmental of others?: Is the character generous or stingy?: Is the character generally polite or rude?: If your character is spiritual, be sure to describe exactly what form of religion he/she believes in and/or practices. Does the character believe in God? What are the character's spiritual beliefs? Is religion or spirituality a part of this character's life? If so, what role does it play? You can expand a great deal here. It's up to you to create your story and how this character and other characters will play their roles in it. Character's role in the novel: (Main character? Second main character? Side character? Hero? Heroine? etc.) Scene where character first appears: Relationships with other characters: With this detailed profile, your vibrant, multifaceted characters will come to life!

SUMMARY: Write a description of your character's life, past and present. Decide basic statistics. Create physical characteristics. Decide intellectual, mental, and personality attributes, and attitudes. Decide emotional characteristics. Decide spiritual characteristics. Decide how the character is involved in the story. Pull out this anime character profile worksheet the next time you're stuck on characterization, and get to know someone new.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Dampen a sponge with cool water and gently blot the stain several times. To make your carpet shampoo solution, mix 1 part liquid carpet shampoo with 4 parts water. Apply the solution to the stain with a brush or a towel. Again, remember to do a quick patch test to ensure the solution won't damage your rug. Allow the area to dry completely, then vacuum to remove the stain. If the stain persists, repeat steps 1-3. If you cannot remove the stain, consider calling a carpet cleaning company.

SUMMARY: Blot the stain with cool water. Make and apply a diluted carpet shampoo solution. Vacuum.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: If your keyboard is only mildly sticky, you might be able to clean it with a simple disinfectant wipe. Wipes including Sani-Cloth Plus, Cavi-Wipes, and Clorox Disinfecting Wipes are safe for most computer keyboards and will remove bacteria as well as sticky substances. Make sure the wipes are not overly damp by squeezing out excess liquid before cleaning. Opt for a disinfectant wipe that contains up to 0.5 percent hydrogen peroxide. Take a lint-free cloth and dab it in isopropyl rubbing alcohol. Gently rub the cloth over the keys. Pay special attention to any keys that are particularly sticky. These keys made need more than one pass of the cleaning cloth. Never pour alcohol directly on to the keyboard or keys! Some areas of your keyboard will have more sticky buildup than others. These areas may need an extra scrubbing. High traffic keys like the space bar or enter key might require you to scrub a little more thoroughly than other keys. If you find that rubbing alcohol or a keyboard-friendly wipe aren't removing tough debris, try a toothpick. Use the end of a toothpick to carefully dislodge debris and grim that is stuck to the keyboard. Once you have cleaned the sticky reside from your keyboard, you can polish the keys. Use a soft, dry lint-free cloth and gently swipe it over and around the keys. Your keyboard should now be clean, dry, and free of sticky substances!

SUMMARY:
Try a keyboard-friendly wipe. Clean the keys with rubbing alcohol. Pay special attention to heavily used areas. Use a toothpick to remove stubborn buildup. Polish the keyboard with a dry, lint free cloth.