Friday, March 20, 2020

Laundry Detergent Glowing Skull

Laundry Detergent Glowing Skull If you have laundry detergent, you can make a glow-in-the dark skull that you can put on your sidewalk or window that will be invisible during the day but will glow at night. Heres how you do it. Glowing Skull Materials You only need a few basic household materials for this project, plus a black light. Liquid laundry detergent or else mix powdered detergent with a bit of waterSponge or paper towelArtistic talent or else a stencilBlack light Make the Decoration Download a skull stencil pattern and print it.Cut out the eyes, nose, and mouth of the skull.Select the location for your decoration. You may wish to choose part of the front walkway near a porch light so you can switch out the normal light bulb for a black light. You could also use a black light and an extension cord to put the decoration anywhere. This project works well on a sidewalk or a wall. You could put the skull on a windowpane if you wanted.Dampen a sponge or paper towel with liquid laundry detergent. You want it wet enough to deposit the color, but not dripping wet.Place the stencil where you want the decoration.Blot over the stencil with the detergent-coated sponge to fill in the shapes of the skull. If you mess up badly, just wash it off and try again.Turn on the black light when you want to see the decoration. Turn the light off when you dont want to see it. Wash away the picture when Halloween is over. How It Works Laundry detergents contain brightening agents that glow when exposed to light. They are intended to make whites appear whiter by adding a bit of blue light to them under ultraviolet light, like in sunlight or under fluorescent lights. When you shine a black light on detergent, you get a very bright glow. The glow is bright enough that you dont need total darkness to get a nice effect.

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Answers to Questions About Usage

Answers to Questions About Usage Answers to Questions About Usage Answers to Questions About Usage By Mark Nichol Many writers native English speakers and nonnative speakers alike are confounded by uncertainty or confusion about usage, the complicated issue of what, exactly, a given word means regardless of its practical or official definition. Here are some questions and comments Daily Writing Tips readers have sent me about definitions and connotations, along with my responses. 1. One of the words I hear all the time, which I believe is improperly used, is hopefully, as in â€Å"Hopefully, we’ll be successful.† I’d love to hear your thoughts about using this word hopefully, you’ll agree with me. For better or worse, in the usage you abhor, hopefully is firmly established, and employment in its original sense (â€Å"in a hopeful manner,† as in â€Å"I waited hopefully for her response†) has all but disappeared. The only thing one can do to curtail its use is avoid using it oneself, but this is a case in which the people have spoken: The new sense will prevail. 2. For the past few years, I’ve been noticing the use of â€Å"only ever,† as in â€Å"I only ever stay on the weekends.† Isn’t ever unnecessary and perhaps incorrect? Yes, ever is an extraneous intensifier. It’s not incorrect, but it should be avoided in formal writing. 3. May â€Å"Thank you for correcting me† sound ironic in Modern English? I once used it and got negative feedback. And I think it has pejorative connotation in English, though in my mother tongue it’s just a way to express gratitude or thanks. Yes, â€Å"Thank you for correcting me† looks perfectly neutral, but it’s not: In English, the notion of correcting someone has a negative connotation, like being criticized or scolded, and someone who receives that comment from you may assume that you’re resentful for the assistance. Depending on the situation, it would be better to say or write, â€Å"Thank you for providing me with the correct information† (less concise, but neutral in tone) or â€Å"Thank you for clarifying that for me.† In American English, at least, an informal, friendly way to acknowledge correction is â€Å"Thanks for setting me straight.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:12 Types of LanguageOne Fell SwoopWood vs. Wooden