371

So you want to break up with your girlfriend, but you don't want to make her sad?

What you will need: 12 torches, 1 roll of sellotape, 1 dark cape or blanket and 1 tub of hair gel. 

Step One: Turn all of the torches on. In the style of a suicide/illumination vest, attach six of the torches to your torso using the sellotape. Attach a a torch to each thigh and shin and one to each forearm.

Step Two: Cover yourself in a thick dark blanket or cape.

Step Three: Break into your girlfriend's house in the dead of night.

Step Four: Unscrew any lightbulbs that may exist inside the room (Not the ones inside your torches).

Step Five: Remove the cape/blanket.

Step Six: Scream very loudly.

Step Seven: Once your girlfriend is awake, calmly say the words "Be not afraid". This will help her to not be afraid.

Step Eight: Once you are 100% sure that your girlfriend is not suffering from fear, say the following words:

"(Insert Girlfriend's name) , I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is I am a ghost. I have been a ghost this whole time. My spirit has remained here on Earth because I never got to experience true love. The good news is I have finally found true love and that love is the one I share with you. My soul can finally be put to rest. Goodbye."

At this stage your girlfriend will be 70% certain that you are a ghost. The light coming from your torches will have created an otherworldly spiritual glow, like that of Patrick Swayze in the final scene of the popular sad movie 'Ghost'.

Step Nine: Turn to leave. Just before you get to the door, reach into the tub of hair gel, take out a handful and rub it on the handle. Exit the room. Close the door.

Because of the 30% doubt that you might not have really been a ghost, your girlfriend will now attempt to follow you. To do so she will need to activate the door handle. Upon doing so she will find her hand covered in what she will instinctively mistake for ectoplasm (the sweat of ghosts). All doubt will now be erased from her mind.

Step Ten: Leave the country forever. Your girlfriend will not try to contact you or experience sadness because she will know that you have gone to Heaven; a wonderful happy place that has no phones.

310

Easy Solutions #2

So, you want to kiss your sexy neighbour, but you've never even said hello.

What you will need: 1 x computer with photoshop, 1 x printer, 1 x A4 envelope, 1 x black pen, 1 x red pen, 1 x stamp, 1 x pot of extra strength glue, 1 x photo of yourself with a lady.


Step One: Use your computer to photoshop Angelina Jolie's head onto the lady's body in your photograph. If you are unable to do this, seek the assistance of a ten year old child.

Step Two: Print out the photo, place it in a frame and hang it in your hallway.

Step Three: Use your computer to write a script for a short Hollywood film. Put all of your effort into it, because although it will probably never get made, you might discover that you have a hidden talent.

Step Four: Print out two copies of the script and place them in the envelope. Write your name and address on the envelope using the black pen. Then, using the red pen, write the words "Confidential" and "Urgent" in bold capital letters. Exclamation marks are optional.

Step Five: Lick the stamp and stick it on the top right hand corner of the envelope.

Step Six: On Saturday morning stand outside your neighbour's house until the postman arrives. As soon as he posts your neighbour's letters run up to her door and post your envelope.

Step Seven: Return home and glue your letterbox shut.

Step Eight: Pretty soon your neighbour will discover your envelope and she will immediately bring it to the correct address, because of the bold red writing. She will be unable to simply post it through your letterbox, because you have glued it shut. When she knocks your door, answer it.

Step Nine: When she hands you the envelope say the words "Oh, thank God. I was worried I wasn't going to get this in time before Monday." The "Confidential" written on the envelope will have made her curious, so she may ask what the envelope contains.

Step Ten:Even if she doesn't, casually announce that it's just the script for a new film you're starring in with Angelina Jolie. While your neighbour is being impressed mention that you've just opened a bottle of wine. Ask her if she would like a glass. You won't need to have a bottle ready. She will automatically decline, because it's Saturday morning, but it will make you appear artistic, because only creative types drink wine in the morning.

Step Eleven: There's a 50/50 chance that she will now ask if you know Angelina Jolie. Even if she doesn't ask this question it is important that you now point her towards the photograph hanging in your hallway, thus causing her to enter your house.

Step Twelve: Whilst she is looking at the photo, open the envelope and say the words "Why have they sent me two?"

Step Thirteen: After she is done admiring the photograph say the words "Hey, you wouldn't mind running through a few scenes with me, would you?" She will be reluctant to decline, because she's already declined your offer of wine and won't want to seem rude, especially to a man who she now believes to be an associate of a top movie star.

Step Fourteen: Take her into the living room and tell her that you aren't in many of the early scenes, so you should start with the final act.

Step Fifteen: After she's read a few lines, compliment her by saying "You're very good. Have you done any acting before?" This will put her at ease.

Step Sixteen: Now, if you've written your script correctly, you will have included a climax where you and Angelina Jolie's character kiss. It's Hollywood writing 101. Upon reading the direction notes of this scene your neighbour will instinctively be reluctant to kiss a man she's only just met on a Saturday morning.

Step Seventeen: However, before she says the words "We don't have to kiss, do we?" she will start to think about Angelina Jolie and her lips. All women have the exact same strong feelings about Angelina Jolie, and no matter what they say, it is thinly veiled jealousy. Your neighbour will start to wonder about you kissing Angelina Jolie on Monday. At first she will realise that this is her one opportunity to beat Angelina Jolie by being a better kisser. Then she will imagine the kiss chain from her, to you, to Angelina Jolie, to Brad Pitt. This will seal the deal in her mind.

Step Eighteen: When your neighbour moves her mouth close to your's, begin to kiss her. Mission accomplished.

Step Nineteen(Optional): If you want to take a risk, you can make your script about a man who kisses his neighbour by doing this exact thing. Your neighbour might appreciate the Charlie Kauffman quality to it. It's a good way to come clean and rid yourself of the guilt. If she admires your efforts you might enter into a love affair. Sadly this step will only work 60% of the time.

Notes: Women can use this tutorial by simply replacing the photo of Angelina Jolie with Johnny Depp.

311

Easy Solutions #3

So, you want your favourite singer to write a song about you, but she has no idea that you even exist.

What you will need: 1 x Superman t-shirt, 3 x Tough Guys, 1 x Van, Basic Fighting Skills.

Step One: Start by locating the singer. Until Google releases its Celebrity Locator program, the best tool you have at your disposal is Twitter. Celebrities often use Twitter to announce their exact location to the world.

Step Two: When the singer is leaving her location signal for the three tough guys to attack her and steal her handbag/purse/petty cash. Depending on the singer’s level of fame, she might have a bodyguard. Increase the toughness of your guys accordingly.

Step Three: Wearing your Superman t-shirt stop the singer from being attacked. Use basic fighting techniques to subdue the tough guys.

Step Four: It is vital that during the fight you are hit in the mouth, causing your lip to tear on your teeth. Unless you have some kind of blood disorder you should now bleed heavily from the mouth.

Step Five: Once you become victorious the attackers should run away. At this point you should shout the words “You’d better run.”

Step Six: Ideally the singer would have been pushed to the floor during the attack. After the attackers have fled you can help her up by grabbing her hands. This physical contact soon after an attack will form a strong bond between the two of you. Show no signs that you know who the singer is.

Step Seven: The singer will look upon your chest and see the Superman logo and it will be impossible for her to resist saying something like “You’re a hero.” Play this down by saying “It’s just a t-shirt”. She will be impressed by your modesty. In her mind you and Superman will now be linked. Under no circumstances must you swap the Superman t-shirt for the full costume. And it has to be Superman. Do not risk wearing a Batman t-shirt, because of his mental health issues.

Step Eight: Offer to walk the singer wherever she’s going. She will prefer to get a taxi, but all of her money will now be in the possession of the attackers. If she persists in asking for a taxi, simply say “I’m pretty sure those guys were taxi drivers.”

Step Nine: As you walk with her be as charming as possible. If you are not a charming person simply adopt the personality of a Will Smith or Owen Wilson type character. Do not use an accent unless you can maintain it consistently.

Step Ten: As you chat away, seemingly oblivious to your singer’s fame, she will find the whole experience a refreshing change. She will open up in ways she never thought possible since her rise to stardom. Using information you’ve picked up from her interviews, make yourself seem like her ideal lover. For example, if you know that she likes cats, comment on how good you think cats are.

Step Eleven: When you arrive at the destination she will have developed feelings of a romantic nature for you. As you say goodbye she will want to kiss you. This is why it is important for your lip to be bleeding. Kissing will not be an option. It will cause her to be frustrated.

Step Twelve: As you walk off, turn around and call back to her, something that references one of her songs. She will be amazed that you knew who she was the whole time. These words will also be the signal to the van that has been following you both.

Step Thirteen: The van containing the three tough guys must now pull up alongside you. Two should get out and proceed to beat you up. Once you are beaten into a bloody pulp, they should pick you up and throw you into the back of the van, not before one of them shouts “Dammit, Danny, you’ve killed another one.”

Step Fourteen: Your favourite singer will now be heartbroken. She will never get that kiss. Wanting to avoid a media scandal she will not report these events to the police. It would be bad for her career to be connected to a murder. Instead she will go into her room and do the only thing she knows how – she will write a song about the man who died saving her life, the man she never got to kiss.

Step Fifteen: Wait for the singer to release her latest album. Listen to it until you hear a song that references the events of steps 2-13. It should be easily identifiable, because it will contain the line “I didn’t even know his name.”


Notes: You will have reservations about doing this, because you will have seen this tactic used in every single sitcom, always with terrible results, but this is real life and it will work. It's advisable not to try this any anyone who is too famous.

309

Easy Solutions #1 

So, you're in love with one of your friends, but she has a boyfriend and probably wouldn't have sex with you anyway.

What you will need: 1 x knife, 1 x ring, access to a sunbed, the ability to grow a beard.

Step One: Place the ring on your wedding finger and avoid contact with your friend for a month.

Step Two: Stop shaving and use the sunbed to gain a tan.

Step Three: After a month when your beard is full and your tan is noticeable, remove the ring from your finger.

Step Four: Remove all your clothes and break into your friend's house.

Step Five: Use the knife to cut your body in various places. Avoid the face. If possible, focus on your back. The more blood the better.

Step Six: Enter your friend's bedroom and lie face down on the floor. Wait for her return.

Step Seven: When she enters the room pretend to be unconscious. Allow her to turn you over and try to wake you for a few seconds before you open your eyes. The injuries to your body will serve as a distraction to your nakedness. She will be more concerned about your wellbeing instead of fearing the naked man in her room.

Step Eight: When she asks you what's happened you should ignore her questions. Instead you must act confused and ask the date. If it's September 15th she will say 'September 15th' to which you must reply 'No, what year is it?'

Step Nine: Upon hearing the year say the words 'It worked.' Pretend to lose consciousness again for a few seconds, implying that whatever it is that has worked took a great effort.

Step Ten: If your friend is a curious person she will probably ask 'What worked?', even if she doesn't ask this question it is important that you now say the words '(Insert Friend's Name), I'm from the future' in your most deadpan voice.

Step Eleven: Pause for ten seconds to allow the incrediblness of the situation to sink in. There will be no reason for her to doubt your claim, because your beard will make you appear many years older and your cuts would add weight to the idea that you've come from a post-apocalyptic future where a war is currently taking place.

Step Twelve: Raise your left hand to your face. All women are very observant, so your friend will immediately notice the tanline on your wedding finger. If she is educated to a decent standard she will realise that you are married and your ring has simply disappeared, because clothing and other items cannot travel through time. Your nudity will support this.

Step Thirteen: Now comes the hard part - The monologue. In your own words you must give a speech in which you mention all of these key points:

a) You are married to each other in the future
b) Her current boyfriend is dead
c) The world is coming to an end. It's up to you to pick a reason, but I would recommend a war against machines. This whole situation will be backed up by the Terminator franchise
d) In the future your relationship is not going well
e) You've come back in time because you can't help but feel that she would have been happier with her current boyfriend if he hadn't been killed
f) Her current boyfriend is going to be hit by a bus on a day six months from her present. She should stop him going to work that day
g) If she does exactly what you say this current version of yourself will be erased and you will never get married. If she questions this flaw in your time travel logic, because you cannot change the past, simply reference Back to the Future

Step Fourteen: Unless your friend is made of stone she will now be overcome by emotion, especially at your selflessness. Get to your feet and go to kiss her goodbye. It is important that you do this with the confidence of a man who has done this to her many times.

Step Fifteen: There is now no possible way that you aren't about to have sex with her. You're naked, kissing her, in her bedroom, agreeing to erase a version of yourself from history to make her happy. And as far as she knows you've had sex many times in a future that will no longer happen, so she thinks to herself that maybe she should have one memory of it.

Step Sixteen: After having the sex, ask to borrow some clothes then leave.

Step Seventeen: Shave off your beard and coat your wedding finger in fake tan. Carry on as if nothing has happened. There will be three possible outcomes:

1) During the sex some feelings that she didn't know existed are awakened and she will leave her boyfriend for you.
2) Life will carry on as normal.
3) You will be filled with guilt because of this moral grey area where you aren't entirely sure if what you've done counts as some kind of low level rape. You will take your own life by hanging, overdose or wrist cutting.