{ Valuable Life Skills }

I would have to say that my work has taught me a lot of skills: Mastery of the key design programs, negotiation tactics, keeping calm under pressure... the list goes on and on. But no lesson has been as valuable as the lesson we learned during a 10 minute break last week at work: How to effectively (and impressively) rip a phonebook in half.

I guess one of our owners got a hold of a bunch of phonebooks, and naturally we decided that phonebook-ripping lessons were the best way to utilize their potential. Jon, one of our sales team, learned the skill from a man he knew in California. I am sure he had no idea how handy that skill would be on a slow Friday, years later. It's definitely way easier than I thought it would be. But, it should be noted that I could only rip a little one in half. The guys got the big ones though. Here's the formula:

STEP 1: Wiggle and bend the center of the phone book like nobody's business.


STEP 2: Place your hands toward the center of the phone book and form a distinct line in the pages. NOTE: The side of the phonebook that is near your thumbs should be flat, and the bottom part by your fingers should carry the slack for the crease line.


STEP 3: In a quick, tough motion, roll your wrists outward while pulling your elbows down and into your sides (this should "pop" the phonebook and start your rip). Obviously you can see how serious business this is by how blurry the photo is.


STEP 4: Finish your initial rip all the way through the book, and BAM! Phonebook-tearing fame!



Does this say victory or does this say victory?


PS -- Ireland pictures and stories to come either tonight or tomorrow.