Rules of Thumb II

Blasting a Stump - You can blow most tree stumps out of the ground if you use one stick of dynamite for every four inches of stump diameter - Joe Kaiser

Monster Enters Left - Horror film makers know that the human eye has a tendency to drift slightly to the right side of the screen when viewing a movie, so they have the shocks and surprises come from the left side - Will Musham, writer

Re-Orient Express - Culture shock occurs only in the first three countries you visit; after that you'll subconsciously focus on similarities rather than differences. Gary Gaile, photographer

A Silent Charging Dog - If a dog is charging you and barking, it is merely defending territory and will not bite. But a dog that's charging and not barking is going to attack. Rulesofthumb.org Review Board

Reducing your personal backlog - Make a new "to do" list every day from your larger list of projects, goals, and things to do. If something gets transferred to the next day's list ten times, drop it. There's a reason you're avoiding the task. Rulesofthumb.org Review Board

Swapping Cat Food - When introducing a new food, allow three days for the cat to pout before you decide to try a different food. Rulesofthumb.org Review Board

Storytelling Precision - If you can't fit the idea of your story into one simple sentence, you don't understand your story. Craig Moorehead, writer

A Poorly Fitting Suit - If your lawyer tells you that the prospective lawsuit is a "slam dunk," retain a new lawyer as soon as possible. Stephen Verbit, attorney

Mickey's Mob - At Disney World, the crow is most likely to turn to the right. Therefore, the rides to the left are less crowded. Carolyn Lloyd

Stirring up a cocktail party - Make sure to have at least 12 guests at a cocktail party. With fewer guests, the party becomes one conversation in which only one person speaks at a time. But with 12 people, the conversation splits into two or more groups with more chance for interplay and movement. - Tom Nelson, photographer

Rules of Thumb

Brilliant Guestimates, Shortcuts, and a few Shots in the Dark.

• Not sure which puppy to pick from the litter? Choose the one whose tail wags in sync with its stride, a sign of calmness.
• Exercising for life: For every hour that you're physically active, you can expect to live two hours longer
• Calling in an order: When buying something over the phone, ask for the salesperson's full name. Then he or she is less likely to make a mistake with our order.
• Buying an eyesore: The best way to make money in residential real estate is to buy the worst home on the best street.
• Saving for Retirement: Buy age 30 you should aim to be saving an investing at least 10 percent of your income for retirement.
• Handsome handwriting: the most pleasing height for lowercase italic letters is five times the width of the pen pint, or nib.
• Four Legged Search parties: One trained dog equals 60 search-and-rescue workers.
• Caught Napping: An hour's nap in the middle of the day equals three hours of sleep at night.
• Sleeping in Tongues: You know you've become comfortable with a foreign language when you dream in that language.
• Pausing to Think: When asked an important question, always pause for at least a silent count of three before answering. You will appear to be more thoughtful and intelligent.