Our article has 1604 words. If you’re wanting to get the real scoop on preparing for a bikini wax, where do you think you’ll get it? I’m all for being concise, but I also think we have an obligation to provide detailed and thorough information too.

Some more new articles we’ve made live include:

• How to Blanch Vegetables
• How to Choose College Classes
• How to Buy an Air Conditioner
• How to Serve Breakfast in Bed
• How to Delete Your Browser’s History

We’re also making some changes to the layout and design of the site to make it more user-friendly. We’re going to be displaying our featured articles in our sidebar on every page of the site, so you can browse through our most popular articles more easily.

We’ve also been adding links to additional related resources throughout our site’s articles. We understand that no one is going to stay on one website forever, so we’re providing links to related content on other pages and other sites to help you get a more robust experience as you surf the Internet.

I’m going to start posting a little more regularly on the blog here, but I’m going to be including fewer how-to posts and more site update posts.

So you’ve decided to finally ask that girl out you’ve had your own on for a while, but you have no idea how to ask a girl out.

Follow the steps below and you’ll put yourself in the best position for getting a date with that hottie on the periphery of your life. There’s no sure thing in dating, but you can do things to help yourself when you try to get the big date.

Have a Plan

Actually have a plan for the date. Don’t simply ask her “want to go out some time?” or “want to go out next weekend?”. Have an idea of where you want to go, when you want to go and what you want to do on the date. Consider a backup plan or two, in case she doesn’t like the activity you have planned or she isn’t free when you want to go on the date.

This does several things for you. One, it makes it look like you have a social life and you simply want to include her in it. Two, you’re telling her you want to spend time with her, but you aren’t ONLY telling her you want to spend time with her. Three, it gives her a graceful out if she wants to let you down easy (can’t do it that day, don’t enjoy that activity, etc).

Prepare for a No

Along that train of thought, expect she’ll say yes, but be prepared for a “no”.

Being prepared for a “no” means you take it in good grace and don’t sull up when she shoots you down: as they say, you “take it like a man”. You might think that’s not important, but it’s actually incredibly important. You’re presumably still trying to impress this girl and acting like your whole world was just crushed isn’t going to be very impressive.

Once again, pouting or acting distracted does several things, none of them good for you. One, it makes the moment more awkward than it already is. It’s torturous for you, but don’t make it torturous for her, or she won’t want to hang out with you anymore. Two, if you act casually about a no, you’re showing her that you’re not a loser and you have other options – whether you feel like a loser or not.

Suppose she really does have other plans or doesn’t like to do what you asked about her. Suppose she’s not sure if she wants to hang out with you or not. Showing her it’s no big deal demonstrates you have a social life and you’re confident someone else will go with you – maybe another girl. It’s always nice to have options. If you don’t really have options, it’s never a bad thing if the women in your life at least think you have options. Don’t lie about your social life, but don’t act like you’re pathetic, either. Pathetic never wins a girl’s heart.

The Mechanics of the Ask-Out

Okay, now that we’ve discussed the big general picture, let’s focus on the mechanics of asking a girl out. You’re going to want to get this right, so we’ll go over this step by step. Once again, approaching this with as much calm and confidence as possible is the best idea. Being casual about the whole thing shows both of those traits, so be as casual as you can be.

Friendly Conversation

Talk to her as you would a friend, without saying anything inappropriate, insulting or uncomfortable. If that’s how you normally talk to your friends, that can be a problem. Make some small talk. Share a joke. Just be friendly.

Do this several times before you approach the date subject, if you feel the need.

Don’t be afraid to give her a compliment. The less cliched the compliment, the better. Show her respect, but don’t be afraid to show a little bit of admiration – but just a little bit. Don’t fawn over her.

In other words, treat her like a person. This girl is just like you. She might be pretty; you might think she’s out of your league; that’s no reason to pretend she’s out of your league.

Be Specific

Ask her specific questions. Get to know her. When she responds, try to pick up on her responses and continue to talk about her. Try not to always bring the conversation back to your and your thoughts and interests, but explore her thoughts and interests.

People tend to like talking about themselves. They tend to like people who seem genuinely interested in learning about them. If you convince them to open up just a little bit, they are going to come away from that conversation thinking the two of you made a connection. Whatever she says, keep it in confidence.

Read Her Body Language

You can usually pick up a few things about body language. Notice if her body is turned towards you when she talks, or she is turned the other way. Notice if she looks at you a lot. When she is looking at you, do her eyes dart around your face, or simply staring into your eyes. (Actually, darting around is better, since she’s tracing the outline of your face, studying your features. That means she thinks you’re cute.) Is she looking at friends or other people a lot? (That’s bad, since she’s probably looking for a way to get out of the conversation.)

Does she touch her face or hair? Does she touch her lips? Does she brush you on the arm or shoulder? All of these things are good things.

Try to take stock in all the body language signs and mannerisms. Don’t take any one as the Gospel. You’ll probably get mixed signals, so go with the way the majority of signs point. If most of these are pointing towards attraction, that’s a good sing.

Ask Her Out

Get around to the question. Ask her if she wants to hang out with you at _____. Be specific, whether it’s a concert, club, bar, sporting event, movie, play, comedy club or whatever. Have something specific you want to do. If you want to ease into it, there’s nothing wrong with “hanging out” or “tag along” or something like that. Casual is a good thing.

If she says no, reply with something like, “Maybe some other time, then.” Give a shrug and keep a poker face. Do not freaking look glum, disappointed, sad, angry or whatever emotion you’re feeling. That’s what you do when your mother doesn’t give you what you want. It works on your mother, but not on girls. She might feel sorry for you and be your friend, but you won’t come off as the mysterious, worldly guy she wants to date.

Finally, get her contact information. Once you do this, find a time shortly afterwards to gracefully exit. There’s not much positive you can say or do after you get a yes, so end the conversation with her wanting more.

Verify Later

Sometime between asking her out and the actual day of the date, call to confirm. Once again, verify time and details of the date. This gives you an out without standing you up, lets you avoid being stood up and maintains a sense of contact.

Once again, get off the phone quickly. Leave her wanting more. There’s nothing you can say or do on the telephone that’s going to make her want you more. Be cool and casual whenever you see her before the date. Be friendly, like you were before, but don’t loom over her.

That’s pretty much how to ask a girl out. Rememer, if this one doesn’t work out, there are plenty of nice, pretty girls out there who will smell nice and act nice and find you attractive. Don’t stress out if she says no, because it happens to the best of us.

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Most guys don’t know that lesbian bars—and gay bars, too—are great places to meet women. Believe it or not, you can find straight and bisexual girls in these environments. Picking up girls at lesbian bars gives many frustrated guys an alternative to the usual challenges—namely, competition from other men—associated with the typical club scene.

Why Lesbian Bars?

First, it’s important to understand why straight and bisexual girls go to lesbian bars. It’s no exaggeration that most highly-attractive girls get hit on ten times a day, on average. At a typical bar or club, it’s even worse: the pressure associated with fending off creepy guys can be overwhelming. Lesbian and gay bars are great alternatives for straight and bisexual women who are simply looking to have a good time.

But let’s get one thing straight—in most cases, guys have no business being at lesbian bars, and if you’re planning to go to one, you can expect that people will try and figure out your deal. Here are a few assumptions they might make:

• Your friends dragged you there.
• You’re intentionally trying to corner the market of lesbian bar girls.
• You accidentally found yourself there.

It’s best to be the guy that was dragged there, and that’s why it’s important to gather up a group of friends—guys and girls—and head out to the local lesbian bar. You can use you “unfortunate” circumstance to your advantatage. Because you’re out of place, girls will likely approach you and ask what you’re doing there. Even if they’re lesbians, they may have a couple of friends who are straight or bisexual. In any case, you’ve got immediate connections and a way of getting comfortable immediately.

Building Rapport

If you do happen to meet an attractive straight or bisexual girl, you can create immediate rapport with her simply on the basis that the two of you are a little out of place—it’s a great way of getting her on your side. Together, you can find ways to have an excellent time, despite the unusual circumstances.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Part of the reason going to lesbian and gay bars is the best-kept secret for picking up girls, is because girls have a different attitude in those environments. A woman will be more excited to talk to you in a lesbian bar than she would in a different situation. This is because they know you’re not necessarily “on the hunt” to pick up women. They can let their guard down and get to know you in a more natural way. But remember to have a good time. The more fun you’re having at a lesbian bar, the more girls will notice. This is because they can assume that you’re a guy who’s able to adapt to different environments, and is comfortable in his own skin.

Lastly, keep in mind that girls who go to lesbian bars will typically go in groups. So, instead of focusing on winning the affections of one girl, be prepared to try and win the trust of the entire group. This will encourage them to take you under their wing, and you can spend the evening exploring your options.

I’m assuming most people reading “How to Apply Makeup” are going to be either young or relatively inexperienced applying makeup, so this is a beginners guide to putting on make-up.

If you’re just learning to apply makeup to your face, practice at the house and see what it looks like afterwards. You’ll want to get this skill down before you go out on the town in makeup too often.

Pick a Makeup Plan

Decide what look you’re going for. If you are applying makeup for night time, use darker fashions. If you are applying makeup for daytime use, using lighter shades. If you are going to transition from day to night, use neutral makeup.

Get Your Supplies Ready

Make a list or mental note of everything you want to apply to your face. Once you have that list, collect all the makeup supplies you’ll need. These will probably include eye makeup, lipstick, blush, brushes, tweezers and, of course, foundation.

Choose Your Colors

Make sure you use colors that are right for your hair color, skin tone or complexion and the clothese you’ll be wearing. You don’t want to clash. You want synergy.

Below is are a couple of short primers on how to match hair colors and skin tone to your makeup: hair colors and style chart. The gives basic info, while the second can be played around with to give you practice.

Ask the ladies at the local salon their opinions. Get ideas from friends, but in the end, go with what you feel comfortable with.

Use Moisturizer

Apply moisturizer to your face before foundation. Moisturizer keeps your skin from drying out and therefore keeps it soft. This is especially important on windy days or during the winter.

Apply Base or Foundation

Good foundation is pivotal to doing your makeup well. Good base should help to cover up blemishes, while blending your natural skin tone with your makeup. Base can be “makeup primer”, come in a cream or powder, or a bronzer. Play around with it at home and decide which you prefer, or whether some combination will work best.

If you use a concealer, apply concealer before your base. Otherwise, you won’t be able to see what you need to conceal as well. Also, the base will cover up obvious differences in the color between makeup and complexion.

Apply Eye Makeup Next

Brush eye shadow on. Next, add eye liner. Finally, apply mascara.

It’s common for young girls to overdo the eye liner, which sends the wrong signal. Remember, makeup around the eyes can be overdone easily and is a big tipoff, because people naturally look at your in the eyes.

Spread Blush

Blush is applied to a woman’s cheeks to add a hint of color. Remember to blend, blend, blend when applying blush to your face. You don’t want there to be a noticeable line between the blush and the rest of your makeup. Subtlety is the key.

Apply Lip Color

Lip makeup gives you those rich, full, kissable lips that everyone in the world appreciates. Apply lip gloss or lipstick, or even a combination of the two. A woman should know how to put on lip gloss when being watched, because it’s a great way to attract attention to your lips.

Add Finishing Powder

Finishing powder is the final touch and it should be applied ever so lightly. This is wrapping up the gift.

Don’t Be Afraid to Retry

If you mess something up in the process, don’t be afraid to start over. The last thing you want is to misapply makeup.

Listen to the Reviews

When you get compliments and good reviews on a particular color you use, use that color makeup again.

How to Apply Makeup like Lady Gaga

Alright, I’m not really going to suggest all you younger girls out there wear your makeup like Lady Gaga, but I wanted to direct our readers to Youtube makeup tutor, Michelle Phan, if you want to see how to apply makeup in a variety of different ways. Scroll down the “More From MichellePhan” links on the right side of the page to see various tutorials.

You’ll learn a lot about how to apply makeup and, if you do better with visual instruction, these Youtube videos can help. And after you’ve practiced and practiced, move on to the Lady Gaga style – or whoever is popular by the time you get around to celebrity makeup styles.

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Trying to be popular when you aren’t at the top of the social ladder in your social scene is full of pitfalls.

If you get slapped down by the people you live around, your attempt to be popular might make your worse off than you were before.

When studying how to be popular, understand that this is a going to be a slow, transforming process that might not seem natural at first. There are a set of skills that most popular people display, though, that makes them charismatic. While you might not have natural charisma, a person can become more attractive and engaging with a little practice. Here’s how to learn the skills that are going to make you more popular.

Be Attractive

I’m going to say this right off: you know I’m right. Some people are popular because they’re physically attractive. Good-looking people naturally attract people’s notice and attention. Often, they attract that person’s admiration. Sometimes, an attractive person doesn’t even have to be smart, nice, outgoing or funny. It’s called animal magnetism.

Most of us aren’t in this category, so you probably think you can’t take a lesson from this factor. Actually, you can.

No matter what you look like, look your best.

Be as attractive as you can be. Dress as sharply as you can. Wear clean clothes. Get an attractive haircut. Smell nice by wearing deodorant, wearing perform or cologne and having fresh breath. Work out enough to keep in shape and, if you’re out of shape, work out enough to gain energy and confidence.

The point being, you might not be able to be the hottie everyone is attracted to, but you can control one thing: you can always look your best.

Be Engaging

If you aren’t drop-dead attractive, you have to find other ways to get noticed. Be willing to get out of the comfort zone. Engage with people. When you are engaging, you don’t have to rely on people noticing you. You get noticed.

Engaging people involves being willing to make conversation, throw out a jooke and flirt with the opposite sex. Interact with people. Sure, being shy and introspective has its advantages, too, but if you want to be popular, you’re probably not going to do that being too shy to engage people.

You want to be on good terms with people. To do that, you have to be willing to meet people and make an impression. This might require taking a few chances, particularly the chance that you’re rejected. You might feel uncomfortable at first, if it’s not your natural incliniation. But once you conquer your shyness, you’ll become more comfortable meeting new people and getting out of your normal comfort zone.

Be Friendly

You would be amazed at what simply being friendly does for your attractiveness and ability to make friends. Stay on friendly terms with people, if it’s realistic. Be friendly with parents, teachers and janitors at your school. Be friendly to kids and to old people alike.

Get in the habit of making friends. Show that you are willing to be friendly. If nothing else, you’ll be able to practive your conversation skills with all these people you’re meeting.

Learn the gift of gab. Learn how to make small talk. Be polite. Politeness reflects on you, not the person you’re being polite to. Don’t interrupt. Don’t make people feel uncomfortable. Don’t boast and make up lies.

In other words, don’t be annoying, but be friendly. Once you learn to talk to a wide range of people and be casual about it, you’ll start to be noticed for it. People will start to figure out that you like people and people like you.

Stop Being Selfish

When I say “selfish”, I’m not talking about greed. I’m talking about the person who thinks only of themselves. I’m talking about the person who is so wrapped up in his or her life and their own problems, that they can’t take time to relate with other people. I’m talking about having and showing a little empathy.

Empathy is the ability to imagine another person’s problems and feel for that person. An empathic person doesn’t wait for a person to stop talking, just so they can talk about their problems. An empathic person listens to a person and relates to what that person is saying. They worrying about making that person feel better, not burdening them with their own selfish concerns.

Assume you’ll get your turn, but not right now. If someone is trying to relate to your something that’s troubling them, don’t start whining about your troubles. That’s being selfish.

Listen to people. Listening doesn’t mean only hearing, but hearing and understanding. Learning how to listen will make you a more popular person, because most people don’t have that ability.

Learn How to Laugh

Learn how to laugh, not at people, but with people. Laughing is one of the ways how you become popular.

Learn how to laugh at yourself – just not too much. That is, if you’re going to be sarcastic and wry, try to make yourself the butt of jokes, and not someone else. But self-deprecating humor can be taken too far, if people naturally start to believe you’re laughable.

Find ways to relate to people with a shared joke. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Don’t take the world too seriously. If you can make a joke that includes everyone around you and make them laugh, you’ll be the life of the party.

Be Yourself

Here’s where practice becomes so important, because you aren’t going to be popular until you can be yourself. But if “yourself” isn’t an attractive personality, “being yourself” isn’t going to work.

Work on everything above, but do it in your own individual way. There are all kinds of popular people in the world, though most of them embody the qualities I’m spelling out here. It’s how you embody these qualities in your own special way that makes you unique.

Once you can be yourself and still succeed at being engaging, friendly and unselfish, you’ll start to gain popularity.

Be at Ease

Don’t try too hard to do all these things. Most popular people handle themselves with a natural self-ease that makes them “cool”. If you try too hard to be popular, you’re going to come across as a fake.

One of the key ways a person becomes well-liked is by putting people at ease. When a person makes other people around them comfortable, those people want to be around that person. So learn how to carry yourself with ease. People will sense if you aren’t really comfortable.

Be Confident

Confidence is an amazing quality to have. When humans see a confident person, most of them assume the person has a reason to be confident.

I’ve seen this so many times in my life. A person with natural confidence can be the biggest goof in the world and still win friends and influence people. You might meet someone else with all kinds of talent and attractive qualities, but someone who lacks confidence, and that person goes relatively unnoticed.

Of course, I’m not suggesting you become a con artist who is all bluff and bluster, and no substance. The best way to gain confidence is to have your act together.

Let me reiterate, skill comes with practice. It’s the same with schoolwork or sports. It’s the same with the artist in front of a painting, the farmer out in the field and the surgeon in the operating room. Why shouldn’t that be the same with social interaction?

The more you practice the social skills and how to be popular, the better, more at ease and more confident you’ll become. Eventually, you’ll be popular.

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For most guys, picking up girls at dance clubs can be anything but a piece of cake. That’s because, unlike other social settings, dance clubs force guys to get out of their heads and into their bodies.

It’s a well known fact that dancing, to many women, is essentially the equivalent of foreplay, and the way you move with her—in her eyes—is a good indicator of how you’re going to “move with her” between the sheets. That’s why it’s important to ask yourself these questions before tackling the dance club scene:

1. How comfortable am I in my body, in general?
2. How comfortable am I dancing with someone else?
3. What basic dance moves can I do?

Being able to dance can give you great advantage. Think about it: women are going out to be danced with, and if you’re the one guy who can dance, and is willing to lead her, you’re going to capture the attention of every girl in the room. Here are a couple of ways to learn how to dance:

Do a search for “basic dance moves” at www.youtube.com and you’ll find several tutorial videos that teach you the basics. Dance in front of a mirror. Refine your moves.

Call up a female friend and ask her to teach you. Girls are more than happy to teach guys how to dance. Experiment with her.

Before you go out, pay attention to what you wear. Dancing at a club can be like putting your body on display to an entire room. Wear clothing that makes you feel attractive and comfortable. When you’re at the club, wait until the dance floor fills up—for most dance clubs, it takes a couple of hours. Next, find a place on the dance floor that has an abundance of girls. This will give you the power of options, and there’s nothing more aggravating than being surrounded buy a barricade of guys.

How to Connect to a Girl

The best way to connect with a girl on the dance floor is by using eye contact and a smile. If she smiles back, it’s usually an indicator that she wants to dance with you. Unfortunately, some girls don’t make initial eye contact easy, so try using physical touch. Brush your arm against hers, bump into her, or, if you want to be bold, just grab her and start leading her in dance.

Enjoy the dance. It’s crucial to stay present to the experience and simply enjoy the physical connection. As long as you’re moving with her, she’ll have a great time. After you’re done dancing, take her to a quiet spot in the dance club if you want to continue the conversation, and proceed to get her contact information.

Lastly, one of the most important principles of picking up girls at dance clubs is to keep your options open. After dancing with one girl, migrate and dance with another. By switching it up, you build social proof. When other girls see you dancing with other girls, you’ll be approached by more of them than you can handle.

Learning how to be a gangster is a bit like learning how to be a Jedi: you have to let go of your fear.

Gangsters dare to live outside the laws and customs of conventional life, no matter what type of ganster you become: mobster, gangsta or Yakuza.

Being a gangster means you have streets smarts and you follow your instincts, the instincts of the street.

Gangster life isn’t about just surviving, even though you do what you have to do to survive. Lots of people survive in the neighborhood. Being a gangster is being a king of the streets. That takes power, and power takes attitude, and attitude take fearlessness.

So here’s how you stop acting and start living like a gangster.

Gangster Mind

A gangster has gone through the school of hard knocks and knows what life is like on the streets. You may not be book smart, but you’re street smart – and that’s two different things altogether.

Be Your Own Man

Gangsters are individuals. Gangsters don’t just follow the pack. Sure, you might have your gang, but each of you is a man. Weakness is not allowed, so be strong.

To be strong, you have to be your own man. Accept yourself and don’t just imitate others. You may walk the walk and talk the talk, but something about you is your own. No matter what it is, have something that is yours and yours alone.

Understand the Streets

Understand what life on the streets means. Understand street realities. The first reality is that people fight on the streets. Street life is a struggle and you plan to win that struggle.

Have Guts and Follow Your Guts

Follow your instincts. Gangsters don’t think; they act. A gangster has to be fearless. Quick mind, quick reflexes. It’s all instinctual.

See the World for What It Is

At the same time, maintain a cautious mind. You know from the streets to be wary of people and their motives. Everyone has an angle. Don’t fool yourself.

You can be fearless and smart at the same time. Fearlessness isn’t just pulling a gun at the drop of a hat. Fearlessness means using your smarts and your instincts and your streetwise, then acting on it without thought.

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“Once you learn how to be a ninja, no force on this Earth can withstand your fury.”

I’m quoting myself there. I was going to try to be funny and follow that direction for the rest of this page.

After looking at how many other funny ninja how to’s there are online, I decided there aren’t enough real guides to becoming a ninja on the Internet.

So I’m going to give you a serious online how to guide for studying ninjutsu and learning what it is to be a ninja. Besides, if I’m serious, that should keep masked men in black from slipping through the perimeter of my compound and slicing my throat as I scream in terror.

You’ve probably only seen movies and tv shows where ninjas are depicted as either teams of cravenly assassins or noble warriors somewhat resembling the samurai warrior in skill and ethics. Neither of those are exactly true.

What Is a Ninja?

The ninja, also known as “shinobi”, were covert agents during the Feudal Age of Japan (roughly from the years 1185 to 1868) who used infiltration techniques for sabotage, espionage and assassination in the internecine strife of Japanese feudal life. The ninja were the special forces of their day, employed for tactics that samurai were ill-suited towards. Samurai tended to look down on the ninja for these underhanded tactics.

Ninja History

Ninjutsu techniques probably were taught possibly as early as the 12th century, though they really did not become known to the Japanese until the strife of the 14th and 15th centuries.

The famous Iga and Koga ninja clans rose to prominence in these times, as these two neighboring ninja groups emerged from their mountain training grounds in modern-day Shiga Prefecture to hire themselves out as mercenaries for one side or the other in the wars.

What Did Ninjas Do?

These ninjas hired themselves out in the years between 1485 and 1581, when the forces of Oda Nobunaga invaded Iga territory and wiped them out as an organized clan. The Iga and Koga had been respected allies before the wars, but 80 Koga ninja had joined forced with Tokugawa in 1560, and their raid on an Iga castle led to years of conflicts, when it was said no Iga or Koga met without their being a fight. This strife weakened the two powerful ninja groups and helped lead to their downfall.

Ironically, Iga Clan ninjas, including Hattori Hanzo, would later serve as the Tokugawa’s bodyguard. Tokugawa won the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 and esablished the Shogunate, which would hold power (instead of the Emperor) until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. The Meiji Restoration ended the feudal age of Japan and ushered in the modernization of the Japanese industries, military and society.

Despite laws against carrying swords, the legends of ninja warriors continued to grow in Modern Japan. In the 20th century, ninjutsu schools formed, though what it means to be a ninja in modern society is hotly debated by different practitioners. I’ll let you settle that for yourself.

For the time being, here’s the best way to go about becoming a ninja master yourself.

Read About Ninjitsu

Buy a book about Ninjitsu to learn about the tradition. Examples of ninja books include Ninjitsu: History and Tradition or The Way of the Ninja: Secret Techniques, both by Masaaki Hatsumi. The first book will give you the ninja background and history. The second delves more into the techniques, truths and wisdom of Ninjitsu.

If you don’t happen to like Masaka Hatsumi’s philosophies or writing style, you can read Ninjutsu: The Secret Art of the Ninja by Simon Yeo, which discusses the long history of ninja warriors, training advice, body movement, balance and pressure points. Another option is Ninpo Ninjutsu: The Complete History and Training Guide by Tadashi Yamashita.

Watch Ninja Videos

Go to a website like Martial Arts Training Videos and buy some videos that show specific ninja skills and training techniques. This will give you visual assistance in designing your own training techniques. Of course, you’ll eventually want to learn ninjutsu from a ninja master.

Ninja Training Academies

For those who are truly dedicated to ninjutsu, there are ninja training schools such as Bujinkan Martial Arts, which is where Masaaki Hatsumi is Soke (grandmaster). There are several in Japan, though you are less likely to find them in the United States or North America. Still, there are online ninja training schools, where you can get direct instruction.

Being a Ninja

I’m not sure what you’ll do, once you become a ninja. But if you want to know how to be a ninja, you’ll need to study about ninja ethos, ninja history and ninja training. Then you’ll need to train your body and mind in the techniques that have prevailed for centuries.

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Let’s face it, movie theaters are unconventional places to pick up girls. Unlike bars and clubs, they aren’t exactly set up for pick up. You buy your ticket, make a quick stop for popcorn and licorice, then you’re off to zone out for a couple of hours. How can us guys leverage the movie theater atmosphere to pick up girls?

Three-part Structure

Easy. Going to the movies has a three-part structure that is actually conducive for picking up girls. The first part, when everyone’s dilly-dallying in the lobby, is an ideal time to build attraction and give a girl a lasting impression. The second part—watching the movie—is her time to build you up in her mind. And the third part, when everyone’s shuffling out to the parking lot, is a great time to say, “I have to go, but give me your information so we can hang out.”

Choosing the Right Movie

Of course, it’s first important to choose the right movie. Epic, highly advertised movies will attract virtually everyone, and can provide an abundance of opportunities for pick up. Romatic comedies, on the other hand, will probably draw couples and aren’t ideal for picking up single girls. Once you’ve chosen the movie, show up early—this will give you ample time to make connections. Make no mistake: fun is what girls are looking for. As www.datingclass.com says, “A good sense of humor is amazingly attractive to most girls. They want a man who is fun to be with.” Here are a few ideas:

• Chat with her about the movie you’re going to see and make sure the conversation creates an excuse to meet-up afterwards. For instance, you can make a bet with her about how the movie will end. Set up a reward for whoever’s right.
• Hang out at the video arcade. Challenge her to a racing or fighting game. This will create a fun challenge between the two of you, and make for a memorable experience. Tell her you want to have a re-match when the movie’s over.
• Stroll with her down the hallway and dicuss the posters of upcoming movies. Most girls love role-play, so choose one of the movie posters and pretend to be different characters with her. Stay in character even when you meet-up with her after the movie’s over.

When the movie starts, create distance. Sit somewhere else. If you’ve created a strong impression, she’ll be thinking about you during the movie. And if you’ve done really well, she might ignore the movie altogether.

Once the movie’s done, find her, and open with a comment that recalls some element of the moment you shared with her before the movie. This will bring her back, emotionally, to that moment. Tell her you have to meet up with your friends and get her contact information before you go.

Part of the advantage of picking up girls at movie theaters is that most girls are looking to meet guys in ordinary places, in extroardinary ways. Instead of telling their girlfriends they met a dude at a bar, they get to say, “I met him at the movie theater. It was kind of romantic. We played video games and made fun of movie posters.”

How does a person become happy?

Figuring out how to be happy is one of the easiest things for those who are naturally contented and fulfilled, while it can be one of the hardest tasks you’ll ever undertake if you aren’t naturally a happy person.

People have a talent for all kinds of things and being happy is one of them. If you tend to be dour, depressed, disagreeable, negative or pessimistic, these traits can affect your life. As they say, attitude is everything.

Why Are So Many People Unhappy?

Becoming happy for a person like that means going against your instincts. Throughout your life, whether through bad experiences or brain chemistry, something has pushed you to be unhappy and look at life with negativity and dismay. Your reasons for doing so might be well justified, but knowing that doesn’t help you overcome your unhappiness. You have a habit of being unhappy.

Learning new habits and living your life a little differently will help you be a happier person. Happiness might not come easily to you, but that doesn’t mean that living the happy life is a hopeless cause. But you are going to have to evaluate yourself and your life and, instead of focusing on the negative side of things, begin to explore the positive possibilities that stretch out before you.

Know Yourself

Decide what you find important to you. Is your family most important? Is your job most important? Is having a romantic partner the way to happiness? Is having a whole lot of different experiences? Your own creativity? Social interactions? Solitude? Relaxation? Religious Values?

Whatever the case, figure out what is most important to you and then find a way to make that the focus of your life. You’re going to be happier putting your time into things you enjoy and that make you happier.

That isn’t to say you will be able to focus on just what’s important to you. Most of us have to work, but make sure the rest of your time is devoted to what brings you joy and pleasure. Speaking of work, let’s discuss careers.

Get Your Career Set

Studies show that an overwhelming majority of Americans hate their job. It’s so widespread, it’s the default expectation that we’re going to dislike our job. But since the job is approximately 1/3rd of your waking adult life and 1/2 of you work week, that’s a huge chunk of life that you’re going to be suffering, if you hate your job.

Now, unless you stand to inherit a lot of money or you just won the lottery, you’re probably going to be working most of the rest of your life. So figure out what type of things you enjoy and find a way to make a living at that. Get the education you need to be in the career path you like. Find a way to make a living with that vocation online. There are so many possibilities these days, you can find a good job for you, if you get creative. Don’t just expect to hate your job.

Don’t get me wrong. Virtually every job you can imagine is going to have difficulties and challenges. You’ll have your good days and your bad ones. But if you enjoy what you’re doing, you’re going to perform your job assignments better and you’ll enjoy up living a happier life. Regardless of whether your career is the most important thing to you or not, you’ll never be truly happy until you get this one squared away.

Live and Learn

When I said earlier that you should “know yourself”, that can be more complicated than it sounds. People change as they grow older, and their priorities change along with that. What you held most dear a year ago may no longer apply. What you thought was most important 5 or 10 years ago is almost certain to have changed – at least a little bit.

That girl you met whom you thought you would spend the rest of your life with? She may be way in the rearview mirror by now. Maybe you didn’t think family was that important at age 20, but at age 30, you’re starting to realise you relate to your parents and siblings now and that you value the time you spend with them. You might get the sense the clock is running out and you only have so many years left to spend with these people you love.

As we get older, we begin to grapple with our own mortality more and more. That might manifest as a desire to get to know our aging parents better or to have children of our own. It might manifest as a shift from career-oriented goals to enjoying life more or exploring avenues of life we’ve sublimated to our careers (the classic “mid-life crisis”). Maybe we start to wonder about retirement and decide that we haven’t worked hard enough or saved well enough for an old age we thought was ages away, if it ever came at all.

Whether we just “grow up” or gain a little extra perspective from experience, life looks different as we grow older. So evaluate yourself and consider whether you are “truly happy” every once in a while, so you don’t absent-mindedly fall into the trap of letting life pass you by or weigh you down. Take stock of what’s most important to you occasionally and see whether your life is headed in that direction. If not, don’t be afraid to make a change.

Stay Positive

If what you have been doing isn’t working for you, don’t beat yourself up over it. Chalk it up to experience, learn from living and make new decisions.

Staying positive is a huge part of being happy. Hope and expectation are a lot more conducive to happiness than despair and dread. Find aspects of your life to be happy about. Find things to look forward to, even if others find them trivial. Know that whatever circumstance you find yourself in is temporary. One thing about life is that it changes all the time, so if things are bad right now, they aren’t likely to be as bad in the future.

Studies show that people who remain positive live longer. Negativity literally drains the life from you. Sure, you’ll have your moments where you get jaded, but don’t let that rule your life. Positivity and positive energy will make you happier. Even if you’re naturally a pessimist and have to fake it or fool yourself in the beginning, try to learn the habit of optimism. Look at the glass as half full long enough and you’ll be able to start seeing the good in things naturally. A good attitude is a miracle worker.

Focus On the Good Times

Don’t dwell on the bad times of the past. Think about all the good times in your life and the positive moments you’ve shared with others. If you have a loved one who is no longer with you, try to think of something they said or did that brought a smile to your face or made you laugh. If they enjoyed laughing about your eccentricities, cherish those warm moments when the two of you shared that bond. A loved one will always be a part of your life, as long as you choose to remember their love.

Put Happy Thoughts in Your Head

If you find there are certain moments or influences in your daily life that are negative, try to marginalize them as much as possible. When you have a chance, put positive thoughts in your head. Avoid negativity of all kinds. Read positive books or watch positive movies and tv shows, if you have to. If you find the overwhelming majority of the culture you run through your mind is negative and it’s not healthy for you, replace those with positive culture. Some people have no negative side effects from bombarding their brains with negative stimuli, but some people do. If you are one of those people, avoid the bad stuff.

Sure, you might not be able to avoid that negative person at work who tries to bring their poor attitude and resentments into the workplace, but that doesn’t mean you have to reinforce those bad feelings when you get home. If your entertainment time resembles your real life and you don’t like that, change what you entertain yourself with.

Don’t Compete with Loved Ones

I’m not saying you shouldn’t shoot baskets or play cards against your family and friends. I’m saying you shouldn’t compare your life to theirs, because it’s apples and oranges.

Life has a different meaning for different people. You have different interests, likes and dislikes from every other person on the planet. Even those whom you are closest to, or whom you have many things in common with, will have different opinions and values about what is important in life. Support your friends and family in helping their dreams come true and don’t turn your relationship with them into a competition.

You’re going to do one of two things when you compare your life with those of the people in your life. One, given your different values, you’re likely to look down on their accomplishments as virtually worthless. Two, you will decide they have a better life than you and you’ll be filled with envy and resentment. Neither of those is a good option for maintaining a healthy, happy set of friendships and relationships. Life isn’t a zero-sum game, where one person winning means another person loses. Work together.

The fact of the matter is, you are going to be competing in one arena or another most of your life. There’s no need to bring competitiveness into your the most important relationships of your life, or you’ll miss what’s important about those friendships.

Improve Yourself

Just because you aren’t trying to outdo everyone in your life, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to improve yourself. When you challenge yourself to do something new or different, you grow as a person. New experiences stimulate your brain and that dynamic experience brings new energy into your life.

If you don’t know how to improve yourself, start small. Start taking a walk to get in better shape. Read a little bit every day to stimulate your brain. Take a course at a community college or online. If you don’t have the money, join a civic organization or a local club. Heck, buy a new cologne or bath oil and improve the way people perceive you.

When you take the time to improve yourself even in small ways, you gain confidence in yourself and that’s priceless. Set a simple goal and achieve it. Achievement of any kind let you improve your self-image.

Find Happiness in Yourself

Here’s where things can get tricky sometimes. When I tell people to find something that makes them happy and make that the centerpiece of their life, people are often conditioned to think “find love and live happily ever after”. If you want to live happily, though, you have to enjoy spending time with yourself.

Don’t just look for happiness in other people. If you depend on finding that soul mate to fill a void in your life, you may be searching for a long time. Most of what I’ve talked about today has been about self-improvement and self-confidence. That’s because you won’t be happy until you are like yourself and enjoy being you.

Once you find happiness in yourself, people will be more likely to spend time with you and want to be around you. True happiness is attractive. If you want to attract the opposite sex and be the true love of another, make yourself the kind of person worthy of that love and affection.

Doing it the opposite way is called “putting the cart before the horse”. Sure, we all want instant gratification, but well-earned gratification is much more satisfying and is, in fact, much more realistic. Find happiness in yourself and you’ll find everything else just might fall into place.

Be a Giving Person

I’m not sure what religion or creed you follow, so excuse me if this sounds like I’m making an ethical or religious argument here. Try to share more and be a more giving person and you’ll find that people respond to you more often. Generosity and magnanimity are important traits.

When I say that, I’m not saying you should tip better and give bigger gifts at Christmas. I’m saying you should be more willing to share your thoughts and feelings and positive emotions with other people in your life. Try not to be so critical of others. Be a little more willing to laugh at a stupid joke or show a little more compassion.

Being “magnanimous” tends to have an economic connotation, but the truly magnanimous person is willing to give a person the benefit of the doubt or forgive a person for their minor faults. We all have faults, so don’t judge another person more harshly for theirs than you judge yourself for yours.

When you share with people, some won’t return the feelings. Never mind them. There will be people who respond positively to your new attitude. Take the opportunity to get to know these people better and enjoy each other’s company. Being generous and magnanimous in life is giving energy, not taking it away.

Appreciate What You Have

Finally, appreciate the good things in your life: family, friends, the world around you. We live in an age of leisure and, if you’re reading this, you probably live in the United States, Canada or another English speaking country. If that’s the case, you are one of the privileged few who live in a free, open society where people really are free to choose how to live their lives.

Even if things aren’t so great right now, you have the power to live a happy life.

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