Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.

Posts for August 26, 2009

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QDear 100 Hour Board,

I've been an avid user of Facebook for the last four years. During this time, I have updated my status at least a thousand times and endured numerous site updates. Do you know of any programs that allow you to view all of your status updates since the creation of a Facebook account? Better yet, is there some way a potential employer could see the number of times I have complained about lack of sleep, finals, or previous jobs?

- Glad to be speaking in the first person

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ADear Speaking,

I'm pretty sure that the only way to view all your status/profile updates is to go to your profile and click "Older Posts" at the bottom of the page. I got back to February 2007 or so, but I used to delete everything I did, so who knows how far back you may be able to see.

So long as you edit your privacy settings (under the 'Settings' tab at the top of the page) to appropriately filter out what others can see, your potential employers shouldn't be able to see what you've been up to. It's customizable enough that it should work for you.

-Commander Keen

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QDear 100 Hour Board,

I once again say, if this is in your archives and I just plain couldn't find it, I sincerely apologize. I just wanted to start off with a disclaimer- I tried.
What are some good/funny/creative/cute (basically not boring) ways to tell people a baby is on the way? Brilliant minds like yourselves have got to have a few great ideas.

- the oven

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AThe Oven-

My sister-in-law wrapped up a tiny little box with a tiny baby figurine inside of it and gave it to my parents for Christmas. It was very cute.

- Cuddlefish

ADear You Stole My Name,

(Seriously. I asked questions as The Oven while I was pregnant.)

I told my mother by finding stickers of the numbers 1 and 5 (this was to be her 15th grandchild), sticking them to the belly of my shirt, and making her guess what they meant. It took her a while.

If you can wait, I like the idea of giving out ultrasound photos (you'll likely get one from your doctor at 20 weeks, but if you look around there are often clinical trials looking for qualified women who will give ultrasounds earlier than that. For free). There are several presentation ideas over at etsy you might want to look at (ignore the sinister fetus paintings).

But then sometimes simple and straight-forward is rad. Especially mixed with cookies.

Congratulations,
Waldorf and Sauron

ADear Waldorf,

Ah, and here I was thinking this was you figuring out how to announce you were pregnant again.

Dear oven,

You might also check out Board Question #36167, which has a few more suggestions. (Don't worry, the archives are big.)

—Laser Jock

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QDear 100 Hour Board,

One of my best friends had a traumatic and life altering experience earlier this year. Now he is back and I am so very glad to have him, but he is different. A lot has changed, I don't deny that, but I miss the old him. I was talking to him and he said "I am damaged now in a way that I wasn't before". I don't really agree with that, but it has definitely caused him to grow up and change.

How can I get over reminiscing about the good old days? I think if I don't I will be miserable for wanting to go back. I miss my friend.

- A reader

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ADear Reader,

Bear in mind that this experience is something fresh and recent for your friend. He still has time to go through the healing process and slowly recover. Rather than dwelling on who your friend once was, focus on helping him in any way you can.

When a close friend of mine was altered by something that happened to her, there was a part of me that became frustrated and wanted to tell her to just snap out of it and get on with life. Of course, it wasn't going to be that easy for her to return to a more normal level of functioning. When I look back on how I treated her at this time, I regret the attitude I had toward her and her new behavior. I spent far too much time working myself up in indignation and distancing myself from her, and not nearly enough time being the friend that she needed at that time in her life. Now that she has returned to a more experienced, mature version of her old self, our friendship is improving again, but I always feel the regret that comes from those lost years and opportunities.

Know that while your friend may indeed, in some ways, be changed permanently, he still likely has much improvement yet to make. Things will get better. Meanwhile, don't be frustrated and expect him to conform to your own time table; let him work at his own pace, standing by to give help when he needs it. If you focus on serving him, you will have much less time to spend brooding about the way things used to be.

~Hermia

ADear A reader,

Your question is really pretty vague, and I can understand why you'd like to leave it that way. I sent your question to one of my friends for ideas and feedback, and she said what she thought was hard about it was that she thought it needed to be more of a discussion, and (as always) I think she has a great chance of being right. If you want to talk about this more after you read my response, feel free to contact me directly via email.

One thing that I think is important to remember is that while a lot about your friend has changed, he is still your friend. His most core beliefs and values are likely still the same. He just has more experience than he had before. Don't lose sight of that in light of what has happened. If you care about your friend and he cares about you, I think you have all the chances in the world to reforge or strengthen a good friendship.

If, however, you can't be his friend right now for whatever reason (maybe he's still dealing with a lot of problems that are just too much for you, or you just can't connect with him right now), you're allowed to step away or at least create a little space. There's no shame in doing that. You do not have to be anyone's friend just because you have been in the past, and you should do what's right for you. While I'm sure your friend appreciates all the love and support he can get right now, do not feel obligated to stay close to him. What you want and need is just as important as what he wants and needs.

- The Black Sheep

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QDear 100 Hour Board,

I 'as read Board Question #53185 innit and it got me wonderin, Pandora don't work in Camden n it's probs da case for da whole UK. Me reckons iz blocked or whatevs.

Is der another place I cans go for my musak?

- Smiffy da loveable but deprived Cockney

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ACockney-

The very question you referenced gave some good suggestions.

- Cuddlefish

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QDear 100 Hour Board,

What is the best way to get courage, barring a visit to the wonderful wizard of Oz?

Thanks!

- Fredjikrang

p.s. The new "Ask a Question" page is nice. Much cleaner. :D

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ADear Fredjikrang,

Think about how you would act if you had more courage in any given situation, and then act as if you have that courage. Maybe you'll find out that whatever you thought you needed more courage to do wasn't all that scary in the first place, which will give you more courage. Or maybe you'll find that the situation really was that scary but you faced it or tried to face it anyway, which will also give you more courage.

- The Black Sheep

ADear Fredjikrang,

-Yellow

P.S. Glad you like it. The editors have been going on a bit of a cut-away-the-cruft crusade of late, so it's nice to hear that it's appreciated.

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QDear 100 Hour Board,

What is it that holds fingernails and fingers together? How do they reattach in the case of finger injury?

Thanks again!

- Fredjikrang, owner of a sharp knife

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ADear Ouch!

The nail is attached to the nail bed at the hyponychium, a thickened layer of skin at the distal end (the end furthest from the body and closest to the end of the finger) of the nail bed. So when you try to dig dirt out from under your fingernails, it's the hyponychium that stops you from going too far.

In cases where the nail is completely or partially detached from the nail bed, you just have to wait for it to grow back. It takes about six months for an entire nail to grow. You'll want to keep a bandage or covering on it for a while, too, to protect the area from infection.

Good luck.

~Hermia, owner of river shoes that like to remove her toenails

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QDear 100 Hour Board,

Would a student with Generalized congenital hypertrichosis (Wolfman syndrome) be required to have a beard card?

- Hairy

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ADear Hairy,

This has actually been answered before. Lots of people wish they could have beards here at BYU.

However, if you want the official information it is on BYU's website. All you need to do is to make an appointment at the BYU Student Health Center, and have a doctor check out your face. If they say it is a serious medical condition, then the student in question would have to obtain a beard card.

-Mico

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QDear 100 Hour Board,

How do you reserve a conference-type room in the Wilk? I know my old Freshmen Academy mentor did it, but I can't find an online link. I want to throw some sort of back-to-school shindig but my apartment is much too small. Thanks!

- Deary Deer

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ADear Deary Deer (oh, that was cute!),

BYU has an almost hidden scheduling page. On there, you can find which rooms in which buildings are available, for dates all the way through Winter semester 2010.

After poking around on there, I would suggest you call the number provided on that page, or go to the scheduling office in the WILK. Finding exactly how to reserve online is tricky, so a person-to-person chat for scheduling will be simpler.

Have a nice party.

-Mico, uninvited? :(

ADear Dreary Deer,

I am 90% sure that you can only reserve a room in the Wilk if you are associated with BYU somehow (i.e., a BYUSA club, an activities chair of a BYU singles' ward, or a BYU employee with good reason). I can't call them now, but give it a shot!

-Whistler

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QDear 100 Hour Board,

I want to learn Spanish fast. What's the best way to do that? I'd like to take the accelerated Spanish 101 and 102 at BYU in a semester but I'm not ever going to have room for eight credits of fun in my schedule. Do you have any other ideas? Like for good books, or good websites? I have about 150-200 words in my vocabulary just from traveling, but I don't know a thing about grammar. I'm pretty fast at learning, though. Would it be possible to learn enough in the next two weeks or so to take 105 this fall? I'm open to any suggestions you guys have.

- Pura Vida

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ADear Pura Vida,

Once this posts, you will not have the two weeks you mentioned. Hopefully you have been studying your Spanish in the meantime. Rosetta Stone is a bona fide, good way to learn a language, however it is fairly expensive. If you purchase that (or borrow it from a friend), you will need to dedicate yourself to studying a few hours every day, at least.

There are a lot of online sources to supplement your vocabulary, read stories, and learn about grammar.

If you are already in the Provo area, you may want to consider a few resources for your speaking skills: the ELC; if you go into the basement of the JFSB, there is a board with names and phone numbers of people willing to tutor different languages; or, if you feel confident, you could go to the MTC and volunteer to help Spanish-speaking missionaries (that may be too advanced for now, but is a good option any time you want to practice).

Keep in mind, learning a language is not an overnight thing, nor a fortnight thing. It takes time, and your very best option is to be patient and take one Spanish class this semester. If you work very hard, and study a lot on your own, perhaps you can skip ahead to a higher level during Winter semester. Even if you were able to cram enough Spanish into your head before taking the Spanish 105 class, the class would be more difficult than if you were to take it slower.

Ultimately, it is up to you. Having gone through four straight semesters of language classes, I can tell you learning a language is not like any other subject. People study languages their whole lives without being as fluent as a native. You have time, I suggest attending the beginning class(es) and learning as much as you can there, then moving ahead once you are at a higher level.

-Mico

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QDear 100 Hour Board,

Why do you have to let dough rise if you're just going to punch it back down again?

- froggie

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ADear froggie,

When you let dough rise for the first time (or only time, depending on your recipe), much more is happening to the dough than meets the eye. Aside from forming gas bubbles, the fermenting yeast also alters the structure of the dough, affecting its flavor, texture, and workability.

~Hermia

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QDear 100 Hour Board,

I had a couple hours to burn today, and it was hot and terribly, terribly humid (I'm eager to get back to the desert), so I went into a bookstore. It's a dangerous place for me to go, but I did manage to refrain from any purchases (my amazon.com wishlist, however, grew by about $150).

Anyway, one of the books I picked up and leafed through was Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. It didn't get added to my wishlist, but it was mildly entertaining, especially since I recently read the original Pride and Prejudice.

And so my question: have any of you read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies? Whether you have or have not, if you know anything about it, what do you think?

- A (trying to buy fewer books)

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ADear Trying,

Oh my pie, do you have any idea how timely your question is? Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is a novel that has been sneaking around, undead-like, for months, with not nearly enough publicity. I think that it is a great example of a classic book being modernized. I am not a big zombie fan myself, however I find the whole novel much more compelling as zombies traipse about.

Quote:

Before Mr. Darcy could respond, a chorus of screams filled the assembly hall, immediately joined by the shattering of window panes. Unmentionables scrambled in, their movements clumsy yet swift; their burial clothing in a range of untidiness.

Guests who had the misfortune of standing near the windows were seized and feasted on at once. Elizabeth watched Mrs. Long struggle to free herself as two female dreadfuls bit into her head, cracking her skull like a walnut, and sending a shower of dark blood spouting as high as the chandeliers.

Seriously! Zombies are unmentionables, or dreadfuls, this is English sweetness trying so hard to deal with a zombie attack. Some critics think P&P&Z is an awful concept, ruining a classic novel. This interview explains well my opinion, which is that this novel is a reinterpretation, but not necessarily a negative one.

On the other hand, people should not think this is the first book from that time period to have an undead agenda. Wuthering Heights has more necrophilia than Pride and Prejudice and Zombies could have brought to the table. If you want a naturally creepy book, go for Wuthering Heights, but if you are into good old zombie fun, P&P&Z is for you.

-Mico

P.S. Coming soon to a theatre near you?

AA-

I think it'd be entertaining to read, but only once.

- Cuddlefish

ADear A

This book has been much discussed on various sites I frequent (it's been readily adopted in geek culture). Alas, I haven't read it, but I have read all about it. Here are some links and some general info I've gathered about it.

You can read an informal review of it here. Here's a selection from that review:

Quote:

In all seriousness, the zombie-battling probably made the book less annoying to my 21st-century sensibilities. After all, who wants to read a book where the heroines’ sole employment is wafting around annoying men and being annoyed by them? Zombie-killing gives them something to DO, while not removing the still-compelling love story across class lines. Grahame-Smith inserted a background of Shaolin kung fu into the Bennet sisters’ backstory and for laughs, plays up the class/racial discrimination against the Chinese training from the more posh neighbors, who prefer Japanese fighting styles. It oddly serves to make the snobbery more apparent and understandable.

You can read some news articles about it here and here.

It's also being adapted into a graphic novel, which you can read about here. You can read an interview with the writer who is adapting it here. Here's an excerpt from the interview:

Quote:

As I mentioned earlier, I know a lot of people out there with a massive amount of love for the original piece, and that many of them feel that this is some kind of **** clone, an unwanted afterbirth of a book. They won't go near it, or don't want to know about it, which is a shame, really, as the people who have read this that I know, who are also fans of the original, have enjoyed it immensely while taking it in the vein that it's meant. It's not a parody in the strictest sense of the word; it is it's own beast. It's quite loyal to the source material – well, as much as something like this can be.

That said, I also know a lot of people who never read the original, instead choosing to learn about the characters from the movie or television adaptations. To them, I say that this graphic novel is perfect. Easily read and enjoyed. And with a movie adaptation coming out in a year or two, there'll be ample opportunity to discover the zombie-slaying deadly arts of the sisters Bennet.

And you can view a short movie preview of the publisher's next Austen mash-up offering, Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, here (warning: there is a dismembered hand at the end if you are squeamish). The writer of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is not writing this follow-up; he has moved on to writing an issue of a comic book called Marvel Zombies and is working on his next literary work, Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter.

There are also rumors of a movie version being made with an eye towards getting released in 2011.

-Humble Master

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QDear 100 Hour Board,

What kind of car does Bronco Mendenhall drive? (Couldn't find it in the archives.)

- Kslymanguy

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ADear Kslymanguy,

Bronco Mendenhall does not always drive a car. In fact, he frequently rides a Harley-Davidson.

What an easy-going man. His wife does not always approve, which is something all motorcycle-riding men should keep in mind.

-Mico