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

Posts for September 21, 2009

Back to top
QDear 100 Hour Board,

On the north side of the Smith Fieldhouse, right above the word "house" in the sign, there are nine triangular projections coming out of the building. They look functional rather than decorative. Why are they there and what do they do?

- JFSFH

Direct Link to Question

ADear JFSFH,

I hope you'll forgive me for the late response, but this one took a little while to answer.

Short version: I talked to a lot of people who didn't know what it was, then one of BYU's engineers pulled up the original building schematics and said that they were labeled as "flag holders."

So, there you have it. I guess the flags were inserted in a weird way or had end caps or something on them to keep them from slipping through.

Thanks for asking this question. It was fun to track the answer down, even though I was hoping for something a little more exciting than flag holders. Ya know, like, part of BYU's death ray or something. Someday...

-Commander Keen

Back to top
QDear 100 Hour Board,

I submitted a question almost two weeks ago and haven't gotten an hour. I totally understand that the board is very busy. I was actually concerned that you all had not decided to answer it because it had way to many parts. (which it probably did)

My question is this: Is there a way to tell if your question was rejected or will it just sit there as "waiting for an answer?"

This totally wasn't meant at all as a complaint.

- New

Direct Link to Question

ADear New,

If your question is deleted, you will see a message from the editors explaining why. Otherwise, it is still getting answered...and regrettably taking longer than our vaunted 100 hours.

—Laser Jock

ADear New

We try to stick to 100 hours, and the vast majority of the time we hit the mark. Sadly, it looks like one of your questions is a statistical outlier.

However, that makes your question special and unique. Yippee (how's that for a silver lining?).

-Humble Master

Back to top
QDear 100 Hour Board,

Is it possible for someone of another faith to marry someone who is Mormon without actually converting to Mormonism? Wouldn't God want two people who love each other to be together even if they might have different religious beliefs? Or am I just setting myself up for major heartbreak?

- A Nonymous

Direct Link to Question

ADear A Non

1) Is it possible for someone of another faith to marry someone who is Mormon without actually converting to Mormonism?

Yes. Absolutely they can be married. Can they be sealed in the temple, which Mormons believe will make the relationship last for time and all eternity? No.

2) Wouldn't God want two people who love each other to be together even if they might have different religious beliefs?

I think, unequivocally, God wants his children to be happy. However, religious belief is a deeply personal thing, and having different religions in a relationship may cause stress that would not exist if the couple shared the same religion. That doesn't mean that two people who have different religious beliefs cannot be happy together, they absolutely can. And two people with the same religious belief can certainly be wrong for one another. But having different religions adds a different dynamic to a relationship (especially when/if kids enter the picture).

3) Or am I just setting myself up for major heartbreak?

I imagine that you and your significant other would be the best judges of that.

-Humble Master

ADear A Nonymous,

It is absolutely possible to have an inter-religion marriage. Even with a Mormon and a non-Mormon! Of course, like Humble Master said, the couple cannot have an LDS temple marriage.

Concerning your second question, I would say yes, absolutely yes. My logical reasoning says "yes" because the Bible talks about the importance of marriage. However, for much of history there have not been temples available, and thus no temple ordinances with which people could get married. There is a much longer history of people getting married without a knowledge of the LDS church, the gospel in its basest form, or even a firm religious base. In the LDS church, a lot of times people put out the idea in various forms that if a couple is not married in the temple, then eternity is set.

Maybe it is my own current situation, but I find it very difficult to believe that God would rather people give up on one another and put off marriage if there is a good situation before them. Furthermore, every situation is different, and God would understand that. Marriages within the LDS church, or between two people of any same faith, can be good or fall apart just the same as others.

Are you setting yourself up for major heartbreak? Like Humble Master said, only you and your significant other can say for sure. If religion is a make-or-break issue for you or werf, then yes, it might be. Furthermore, if you or your significant other is unwilling to support the religious one, then while heartbreak may not be soon, the marriage will be significantly more difficult.

If you want more information about people in these sorts of relationships I recommend joining the forums at LDS.org and asking around. Also, begin asking people you know whether they know of any couples where one person is LDS and the other is not (or at least, when they got married one was a member). You may be surprised how many people are in this situation.

What you need to realize for yourself though is what do you want from your marriage. Is religion of the utmost importance, and is it an integral part of what you want from your relationship with your future family? Or are there other factors that are more important? At first it may seem like a weird question, but consider it, ask people whose opinions you value. God wants us to be happy and live righteous lives. Marrying outside of the LDS church does not mean damnation, nor does seeking a relationship with someone of a different faith necessitate heartbreak.

-Mico

ADear A Non~

The technical aspects of your question have been well-answered, but I want to chime in on the other parts. Please realize that my response is crafted on the assumption that you, o good-looking and intelligent reader, are a member of the Church. If you are, in fact, a member of another faith who is dating a Mormon, then I would encourage you to ask your significant other about werf's beliefs regarding temples and eternal marriage, which may or may not clear things up.

Wouldn't God want two people who love each other to be together even if they might have different religious beliefs?

Every time I hear a question that starts, "But wouldn't God want..." it is being used to try and manipulate someone by guilt into saying something that cuts against the grain of common sense. This is no exception.

As you know, marriage outside the temple is not binding after this life. Anything not sealed by Priesthood authority is of no effect in the eternities, and that will include your marriage. So is it possible to be happy in this life with someone to whom you are not sealed in marriage? Absolutely. Is it possible to be married to that person in the hereafter? Absolutely not. If this is not a problem for you, then I'm curious as to why you're getting married.

Or am I just setting myself up for major heartbreak?

Absolutely 100% yes, assuming you are a believing member of the Church. You may be one of the lucky few who manages to convert werf's spouse after marriage, but that's a matter that it would be much wiser to resolve before gambling eternity on it.

As Humble Master said, God wants His children to be happy. Sometimes we don't have the context or the understanding to figure out what will make us happy, and therefore God will have us do things that seem counter-intuitive.

I won't make the argument that you shouldn't date outside of the faith, even though that is a reflection of my personal feelings. Additionally, I have no doubt that you genuinely love this werf whom you're dating, and marrying them seems like it would be a great idea. However, by marrying a non-Mormon and seriously risking your chances of eternal marriage, you are setting yourself up for eternal singleness and, frankly, misery. This is probably why countless general authorities have warned against marrying outside the faith.

What you should understand, though, is that you're not giving up on marriage, nor are you giving up on love if you commit to only marrying a Mormon. God takes care of His people, and He understands your needs and feelings even better than you do. If you take the wise course and don't gamble eternal marriage on what you think will make you happy now, I promise you that you'll be happier in the long run.

As a closing note, I just want to say that I realize that clearly you're already dating this werf. Have you talked to werf about conversion? Have you shared your beliefs about temple marriage with werf? How does werf react to that?

I know I came down on you pretty hard about this, but honestly the LDS stance on this could not be more clear. How you act based on that knowledge is, as always, up to you.

~Hobbes

ADear A Non,

I agree with Hobbes. Don't give up a temple marriage for love that can only last this life.

I will go further than him, however, because I do argue you shouldn't date outside the faith except in some very specific circumstances. Namely, it's acceptable to date outside the faith if you set yourself some very specific rules designed to prevent ever even considering a non-temple marriage. My Grandpa Kirĸe was not a member when he first dated Grandma Kirĸe, but she made taking the discussions a requirement for continued dating. He converted, they married in the temple, and he's now served in high councils, bishoprics, stake presidencies, two missions, etc., and they produced a child who then produced me (yay), so I don't think "never date nonmembers" is an especially good policy.

However, dating outside the faith does need to occur within some specific parameters. The member needs to make it very clear to the nonmember that the member is only interested in a relationship that can go to the temple and that if the relationship is not moving towards the temple then the member will end it and try for a relationship that can go to the temple. This needs to happen explicitly and early on. I understand my grandparents' policy for their kids was that they could go on three dates with J. Random Nonmember and then either J. had to start the discussions or they had to break up (and the discussions needed to keep moving forward). This makes it pretty hard to get too emotionally attached to J. and lose sight of the temple.

This communication about the importance of the temple should be extremely frank and early. Leaving it for later when they may be more sympathetic is not a winner; I've been burned a bit on that road. It's actually a kind of goofy story: I dated the smartest girl of my high school, who was not just not a member; her father was actually a paid pastor of another denomination. We went on a few just-for-fun dates. Then I gave her a Book of Mormon. We went on a few more dates while she was reading and thinking about it, and I figured she was being sympathetic so we didn't need to have a frank, awkward conversation about how I wouldn't go on dates with someone who differed with my religion unless the differences were moving rapidly towards reconciliation. Then she finishes reading the Book of Mormon and rejects it completely, and of course I say we can't date anymore and feel bad that I hadn't been up-front from the beginning. Of course I could have kept dating her, but that'd only move me closer to a non-temple marriage, and then we're back in the territory Hobbes has already covered.

Moral of story: you should demand a temple marriage, and if you want to date a nonmember in hopes of taking werf to the temple (the only acceptable reason for dating a nonmember), be painfully up-front about your requirement for a temple marriage. If you're not willing to have that (awkward) conversation, don't date nonmembers. The end.

~Ƥ. Ɗ. Kirĸe

Back to top
QDear 100 Hour Board,

What is a good substitute for beer in cooking? My issue with beer that it has gluten, not that it has alcohol. I'm fine with cooking with alcohol. But most places I've looked for ideas say to use non-alcoholic beer (which still has gluten in it), watered-down malt vinegar (gluten), or chicken or beef broth. Well, chicken and beef broth are fine in theory, but a lot of already-made chicken and beef broth have wheat flour in them, and they always seem to be full of salt. I could make my own chicken or beef broth, but that involves a lot of planning ahead. There is gluten-free beer, but it's really expensive and you have to order it on the internet. I don't have a specific recipe in mind right now that I need beer for, but I know that some of my recipes call for it and I've decided to try to cook a lot of new recipes this semester so I just want to have some ideas in my head for substitutions. Any ideas?

- Nerd Girl

Direct Link to Question

ADear Nerd Girl,

According to many cooking sites, white grape juice and ginger ale can be used as beer substitutes. Depending on the brand, these products are often gluten-free.

~Hermia

ADear Nerd Girl,

Another substitute I found is mushroom broth (which is a broth, but none of the ingredient listings I found mention wheat flour. Actually, neither did the chicken or beef both listings, but you have more experience with that than I do). Also some people swear by Sprite or 7 Up and even Cherry Colas.

- Rating Pending (who does not swear by Cherry Cola)

ADear Nerd Girl,

When it comes to cooking, I don't like using substitutes if at all possible. So, I say that if it is really that important to you and you are really just that dedicated, then why not give the complex process of brewing your own gluten-free beer a try? Although, your roommates may not particularly like the idea because I find it absolutely reeks!

Of course, you could always just give A&W root beer a try.

-Sky Bones

Direct Link to Question

ADear Curious,

Zero to three. Between the both of us.

Love,
Waldorf and Sauron

ADear Curious,

I'm in the same range as Waldorf and Sauron.

—Laser Jock

ACurious.-

My husband and I use a few more, but still less than ten a month between the two of us.

- Cuddlefish

ADear Curious,

I use textbooks every day! At least four or five daily.

-Whistler

Back to top
QDear 100 Hour Board,

I coudln't find this in my search, but could you suggest some good missionary scriptures? I'm supposed to pick on to put on a plaque. While reading the scriptures, I've come across sooo many really good ones, but I can't find that many of them anymore anyways, so I need help. Thanks! (I'm going to Montevideo by the way, in case any of you went there)

- Lucy

Direct Link to Question

ADear Lucy,

Here are a few places to start looking.

Mine was this.

- Rating Pending (who thinks it's impossible to sum up your mission with one scripture, so don't stress about this too much)

AQuerida hermana,

I used Mark 10:29-30.

I've heard marvelous things about Uruguay. You are very blessed.

-Cognoscente

Back to top
QDear 100 Hour Board,

I have a question regarding the religious affiliations of Mormon converts. I've heard some people argue that most people who convert to Mormonism are "unchurched". That is to say, they may believe in the tenets of Christianity or Islam, but they don't belong to any single denomination or congregation.
I've also heard people say that Mormon converts tend to come from conservative protestant denominations.
And finally I have heard that the religious affiliations of Mormon converts tends to mirror the religious landscape of the country they're in (for example, in America, they would be roughly 51% protestant, 24% Catholic, 16% unaffiliated, etc.
Which is right? Or, to put it more simply, which religious backgrounds do Mormon converts tend to come from?

Good & Curious

Direct Link to Question

ADear Good & Curious,

In fact, those observations all contain some truth. Some converts are "unchurched," some come from conservative Protestant denominations, and to some extent, in certain countries, the converts' religions probably do reflect the dominant religions of their country. But then there are strong members of other religions who convert, and atheists, and agnostics, and people from any number of churches and religions.

Unfortunately, while the LDS church headquarters probably has this information somewhere, it is not open to the public at large. The Pew Forum published an article about LDS in the U.S. However, even there the closest hint at former religions of converts is that, in the U.S., "converts are more likely than lifelong members to come from minority racial and ethnic groups."

Quote:

Nonconverts are concentrated in the West (84%), but converts are more dispersed throughout the U.S. Half of converts live in the West (53%), but nearly a quarter live in the South (22%), 14% live in the Midwest and 11% reside in the Northeast.

Those statistics, also from the Pew Forum's article, may help us see what religious backgrounds converts might have. If we consider that the majority of people from a certain region are one religion, we could make the assumption that many converts were also from that religion. From personal experience, it seems that a lot of converts are from nominally religious backgrounds, and then they find something they connect with in Mormonism. That is only my own speculation. Everything before that was more accurate.

-Mico

AMico,

If the Church has information on this, it would be from statistical studies like the ones in the Pew Forum, not from Church records. When someone is baptized, they do not report their previous religious affiliation.

Love,
Waldorf and Sauron

Direct Link to Question

ADear Pac,

That depends. If things were different, would I know that they were different, or would the different things be the only things that I would know? If all I knew were the different things, then I imagine that I wouldn't think anything of it. I would probably think along the same lines that I do right now, about people, things, and ideas. The only thing that would be different about my thinking would be what exactly I would be thinking of.

Now, If things were different and I was aware that things were different, I would imagine that my thoughts would be very different, as well. I would probably be thinking along a similar line as Winston, the main character in George Orwell's 1984. I would probably contemplate why things were different. If the differences were a positive thing, then I would probably think about how I could best take advantage of the differences. If they were a negative thing, I would probably think about how I could make improvements on the differences.

I'm tempted to count how many times I typed any variation of the word "different"...

⋯Anomalous

P.S. It's thirteen.

P.P.S. I'm different today than I was yesterday, because of different experiences.

There. That makes it a nice fifteen.

ADear Pac~

I would oust the gumbo variant of honeydew melons.

Know what I'm saying?

~Hobbes

ADear Pac,

In which way? If things were different then I would definitely not have applied/been accepted at BYU.

If things were different I would have been famous.

If things were different, grocery stores would confuse me to the core.

-Mico

ADear Pac,

If things were different, then they would not be as they are, thus I would not be as I am, and I would not think at all.

-Sky Bones

APac-

I'd be dead, so I probably wouldn't be thinking at all.

- Cuddlefish

ADear Pac

Fish.

-Humble Master

Back to top
QDear 100 Hour Board,

Is BYU following Title 9 when it comes to female athletes vs. male athletes?

- THE MAGS

Direct Link to Question

ADear MAGS,

Yes, BYU follows Title IX. For an example of some odd consequences, see Board Question #53329. I also understand that back when Title IX was first put in place BYU had to discontinue some of their men's sports to comply, including wrestling (and probably others I'm unaware of).

—Laser Jock, who thinks it's a shame when teams get eliminated due to political correctness

Back to top
QDear 100 Hour Board,

I've searched for a map of all the missions in the world, but have come up with anything helpful. My papers are in and my friends want to predict where I will serve, but we want an actual map with all the missions. Do you know where I could find one?

- It's in the mail

Direct Link to Question

ADear mail,

Unfortunately, there is no public map of all the missions in the world. However, in Board Question #51231 Yellow linked to a Google map overlay where people have outlined the boundaries of their missions, and he invited more people to put in their missions. It's still quite incomplete, but it's the best I know of right now.

If anyone else reading this has served a mission and is willing to take a few minutes, it would be fantastic if you could put your mission in as well.

—Laser Jock

Back to top
QDear 100 Hour Board,

When a person is to be put to death by lethal injection, what substance is used?

- SN

Direct Link to Question

ADear SN,

From Wikipedia:

Quote:

Typically, three drugs are used in lethal injections. Sodium thiopental is used to induce unconsiousness, Pancuronium bromide to cause muscle paralysis and respiratory arrest, and Potassium chloride to stop the heart.

Not that I'm complaining, but what takes us 100 hours can sometimes take you a minute or less.

- The Black Sheep

Back to top
QDear 100 Hour Board,

Putting humans back on the moon (for the first time since 1972), or back in the Mariana Trench (for the first time since 1960).

Which would be:
- more dangerous?
- more expensive?
- more beneficial to science?
- more exciting?

- Jules Verne would probably choose both

Direct Link to Question

ADear both,

I'd say moon on all of them - it was the space race and not the sub race because of the greater danger, expense and excitement involved, and the moon's environment and geography offer a ton of scientific potential - but both are pretty useless to science unless the human plans/does/brings along good experiments.

~Ƥ. Ɗ. Kirĸe

ADear JVWPCB,

I agree with Kirke on all except the "beneficial to science" bit. The Mariana Trench would at least give scientists the opportunity to study living things (such as anglerfish), and how they can adapt in order to survive in extreme environments. It seems to me that this would be more relevant to humans and earth life than a study of the moon's soil and geography.

~Hermia

ADear Jules

More dangerous?

The moon, but neither is a walk in the park.

More expensive?

The moon, but neither costs pocket change.

More beneficial to science?

Hard to say, as you don't know what you'll learn until you're there. I would guess the Mariana Trench, but you never know.

More exciting?

The moon. Typically I'm against government spending for programs not outlined in the Constitution, but I love NASA and I desperately want us to go back to the moon.

-Humble Master

Back to top
QDear 100 Hour Board,

I am writing to you because I am suffering from much confusion and regret in my life. I am afraid I have errored in my life greatly and am now suffering the consequences. I dated my boyfriend for for many years. We broke the law of chastity. Not to the greatest extend but still. I began to feel guilt and told him we needed to talk to a bishop and change. We did. But after that our whole relationship changed. He told me he didn't love me anymore that it was just lust. I have trouble believing that after 2 years he just stopped loving me cause we messed up. I felt terrible, I sometimes wished that i would have never brought up that we needed to change. After that our relationship just kept going downhill. Then he started to hang out with this other girl all the time. And then he dumped me and now he is dating that girl. I feel like he cheated on me because he and that girl became so close while we were dating. They went on trips to zions, hung out weekly on what he called their "get away night" Of course I would get jealous but he would tell me I was just being jealous that they were just friends. Also he never went with just her, they always had other people which made me believe maybe they are just friends, so it was at least always a group of 3. I guess it doesn't matter, it doesn't change the end result he still dumped me. Heres my questions. First how can I ever feel whole again? I feel like am being punished by God, but that my boyfriend is not suffering at all. In fact he seems so much happier with this girl that became his new best friend while we were dating. Second, I still love him so much. The plan of salvation reminds us that if someone leaves us we will be with them again in heaven. But what about if someone abandons us by choice, if I love him enough will God somehow put us back together? How do i know if I ruined something wonderful by transgressing and God is punishing me or if God was looking out for me and trying tell he's not the one for you? I know your probably thinking why would I want to be with him agian. Well I know what him dumping me wasnt the nicest but I feel like I deserve it cause I let us break the law of chastity, like I brought it upon our relationship. I just love him, thats why i regretfully gave him so much of myself. How can i apply healing gosple principles into my life to overcome this anguishing and lonesome trial? You see i know were not married but I truly love him isn't that honored in heaven? Won't there be some thing that will set this all right? I just don't see heaven as heaven unless I'm with him. I know you guys are not prophets and such but I really trust the board, please help me. sorry its so long.

- Sincerely,
so confused

Direct Link to Question

ADear Friend,

I say this with love: some of your thinking is hurtful and just plain wrong, and I want to help you through that. As someone who's gone to the bishop before, I know how hard and humbling that is, and I respect you very much for already having done so. But now that you're forgiven, it's time to move on. The Lord remembers your sins no more, and neither should you.

Now a few statements you make, with my commentary: The plan of salvation reminds us that if someone leaves us we will be with them again in heaven. Where does the Plan of Salvation say that? If we're eternally sealed, yes we'll be with them again, but you were not. Sure I expect that we'll be able to see our friends and make new friends in the afterlife, but it is not anything close to the power of sealing. If it's not done with priesthood power it's not binding in heaven.

But what about if someone abandons us by choice, if I love him enough will God somehow put us back together? No way. God respects agency. He's not going to put you and a guy together against the guy's will. And again, love is great, but it doesn't have the eternally binding power of the priesthood.

How do i know if I ruined something wonderful by transgressing and God is punishing me or if God was looking out for me and trying tell he's not the one for you? Personally I think it's a case of your boyfriend exercising his agency more than anything else, but it's also possible that this boy is no good and the Lord is nudging you in the right direction.

...but I feel like I deserve it cause I let us break the law of chastity, like I brought it upon our relationship. You realize that it takes two, right? You both "let" yourselves break the law of chastity. It's no more your fault than his. And it concerns me that he didn't feel the need to see the bishop, that you needed to persuade him of that. That tells me that you've got more sense than he does.

I just love him, thats why i regretfully gave him so much of myself. Never, ever, ever think this thought again. Love does not induce people to tamper with their virtue and threaten each other's eternal happiness.

You see i know were not married but I truly love him isn't that honored in heaven? Once again, no no no no no. But boy wouldn't Satan like us to think so. People would avoid the hassle of marriage and have unmarried sex all over the place in the name of true love. Oh wait, they do. And I get the feeling that you still feel like love justifies immorality even after you've been through the repentance process, and that worries me.

I just don't see heaven as heaven unless I'm with him. I know you don't feel like it now, but you will. You will get over him. I promise you that. We'll get back to this later.

How can i apply healing gosple principles into my life to overcome this anguishing and lonesome trial?...Won't there be some thing that will set this all right? First of all, what do you think is "right" in this case? Maybe the ball is already rolling to "set this all right," but maybe it's not the right that you're expecting or wanting. The answer is yes. The Atonement of Christ will set all things right in the end. You've repented, so through the grace of Christ you are already cleansed and forgiven. But Christ is also a friend and a comforter. How do we take advantage of that? You already know how: get closer to Jesus, read His words, pray to Him, serve Him and others, and follow His commandments as best as you dang well can.

Now back to that "getting over him" stuff. Your situation sounds remarkably similar to Board Question #53298, and I would recommend you read it. That reader also had a boyfriend who cheated on her emotionally but was too infatuated to accept it. In my answer to that question, I posted a list of my recommendations for Getting Over a Guy in One Month, and I'd like to repost it here (with one addition). I think you should follow it to a T, and you'll be amazed at how much better you feel in a month from now:

Get busy. Pick up a hobby. Go on a trip. Do all the things you've been meaning to do - deep-clean your apartment, read that book, throw a big party. You'll feel satisfied, accomplished, and distracted while time heals your wounds.

Get active. It's no secret that exercise makes you feel better physically and mentally, and a healthier, leaner body will amplify your self-confidence. 30 minutes a day, six days a week for one month. (If you're already rail-thin and an exercise buff, you can probably ignore this.)

Get cookin'. Don't binge on ice cream, chocolate, and french fries. Just like above, feeling and looking better physically will do wonders for you. So go to the farmer's market and buy a truckload of fresh fruits and vegetables every week, get some whole grain goods and fresh meat and cheese from Buy Low, and cook for yourself for one month. Avoiding processed foods and eating out will save you money, too.

Get pretty. Now with the money you just saved on groceries, go get yourself a set of whitening strips for your teeth, a really good haircut, and/or some new clothes.

Get a new love interest. Works every time.

Get perspective. Go to the temple every Wednesday for the next month. Also do one substantial act of service every week. Throw yourself into your calling at church. Read your scriptures and pray every single day. Don't be afraid to ask for a blessing. Rely on Christ, and let Him lighten your burdens.

You can do this,
Waldorf and Sauron

ADear Confused,

In response to your question "Isn't there something that will set this all right?", I would like to also suggest that you read Elder Wirthlin's final Conference talk, "Come What May and Love It." I've been pretty stressed out lately, and reread it just last night. It's both insightful and comforting. Pay special attention to the principle of compensation; it's truly a beautiful thing.

~Hermia

ADear so confused,

I have little to add to the phenomenal answers already provided. I just wanted to address your feelings of hurt and confusion that your ex-boyfriend already has a new love interest and seems to be having a great time while your life seems to be in ruins. In addition to all the great advice about getting over someone, you should keep in mind that your own process of repentance and recovery is between you and God: it has nothing to do with him anymore. If you were an engaged couple, or were still together, it might be a different story. But resenting your ex for being happy or for not outwardly displaying the misery the situation has caused you will not help you focus on the Savior and your own repentance - it's just a way Satan has to make you wallow in the past that God will "remember . . . no more."

- Rating Pending (who liked this line from Waldorf and Sauron's response: "I just love him, thats why i regretfully gave him so much of myself. Never, ever, ever think this thought again. Love does not induce people to tamper with their virtue and threaten each other's eternal happiness.")

Back to top
QDear 100 Hour Board,

I need to record an interview for a class. The issue is: 1. I don't have a tape recorder. Can I rent one of those anywhere on campus? 2. I'm doing the interview over the phone--is there a way to record it other than putting my cell on speaker phone?

PS I'm doing this interview tomorrow, so I need help asap.

Thanks,
Jess

Direct Link to Question

ADear Jess,

We're the 100 Hour Board, not the last minute board. Sorry.

For future reference, I would simply do it on the computer using Skype and a system audio recorder like Audacity.

Love,
Waldorf and Sauron

ADear Jess,

Also, for future reference, you can check out digital voice recorders from the Multimedia lab in the library.

-Miss Scarlett, in the Conservatory

Back to top
QDear 100 Hour Board,

In my business classes, it seems like other people know a lot about the histories and recent events of major companies (like acquisitions, new products, financial highlights, etc). Is there a good news site or maybe blog where such news events (and only such news events) are posted?

- Miss Money

Direct Link to Question

ADear Miss Money,

The site you are looking for is Bloomberg.com. That is the number one site for a lot of professionals, and with it you will get some of the most up-to-date information available. Another good site is MarketWatch.com, because their site is a part of the Wall Street Journal, only named after Wall Street itself. If you want a more casual site, look into CNBC.com.

-Mico

Back to top
QDear 100 Hour Board,

Come to find out, my Dell Inspiron 1501 doesn't have an S-video outlet. I was hoping it would, since I'd like to be able to hook it up to my t.v. to watch t.v. shows off of Hulu and such (moving overseas, and am really going to miss my American shows! Don't worry, it's not a mission :)

The Question: Is there a graphics card with an S-video outlet that will fit in a Dell Inspiron Express Card slot? I thought I found one that fit, but when I opened the package, it was way too big. The only specs I can get from Dell is that the slot supports "54 mm - 1.5 V and 3.3 V" cards. I feel like I've done an exhaustive amount of research and am feeling kind of silly 'cause I don't think it should be this hard. Ergo, I'm turning to you all! Any help would be appreciated. Thanks,

- Miss Mollie

Direct Link to Question

ADear Miss Mollie,

Good news and bad news.

Good news, it isn't that hard, and you don't need a new video card. I've done some research and it looks like something like this will work. You should be able to do S-video through the VGA port, just make sure you set to a proper resolution (like 720x480 for a standard definition TV) on your computer. If you have an HDTV, you might want a USB display adapter like this one so that you can get a signal on DVI or HDMI.

Bad news: Hulu isn't available outside the U.S. due to licensing issues. There's not going to be an easy (legit) way to get your American shows overseas. You'll probably also have trouble using your TV at all overseas if you're in a country that uses PAL or SECAM for video.

If you have any other questions, let us know.

Love,
Waldorf and Sauron

Back to top
QDear 100 Hour Board,

I've been trying to learn how to display mathematical equations using HTML. Ideally, I'd like them to be pretty refined. However, my background with HTML is pretty limited and the online tutorials I find when I look for walk-throughs on Google haven't helped me much. I understand that this is a pretty involved question, so I'll ask some specifics. 1) How does one display a definite integral (complete with limits of integration)? 2) How does one display polynomial fractions (or anything) so that the numerator is directly above the denominator?

Thanks in advance,

- The Inquisitive Idiot

Direct Link to Question

ADear Inquiring,

I am pretty much not at all advanced when it comes to maths, but I do have some connections.

So the first response was, "Mmm... I don't think you can do that," followed by, "it would be much easier to type it in a math package and save it as an image."

When I brought up your fractions, the friend said, "you can probably do fractions with HTML tricks if you are a kulhaxxor. But package would still be the right way to go." So, there was a definite push for using this website. Here you can write up your equation, save it as an image file, and then just put the image on your website. Way simpler, cleaner, and doable.

-Mico

ADear idiot,

You may want to look at MathML. Good browsers support it already. But it's not widespread.

-Curious Physics Minor

ADear Inquisitive,

Using straight HTML, the results are ugly. (I've seen a couple of programs that tried to do it.) MathML would work much better, but it's probably not supported enough yet (as CPM pointed out). (Also, as an aside: it's kind of a pain to express even a basic equation in MathML—you get bogged down in all the XML. Take a look at the examples in the link CPM gave.)

To get something universal that looks good, the only real way is to create the equation in a decent equation editor (or something like LaTeX), save it as an image (e.g., take a screenshot), and use that on your page. (As a plug for LaTeX: its equation syntax is much more compact than MathML, and the results are professional-quality too.)

If you'll be doing this frequently, you might want to look at a plugin or code snippet that will take something like MathML or LaTeX and render it to an image on the fly. That's how Wikipedia handles the problem, for instance. It might take some work to get it set up properly, but after that it should make your job much easier.

(If you want to go that route and have questions about how, feel free to e-mail me at

.)

—Laser Jock

Back to top
QDear 100 Hour Board,

i have this person who is constantly texting me and i've asked them to stop and they won't. i don't want to change my phone number. does verizon wireless allow you to block certain phone numbers from texting you? if so, does it cost money?

-farmer me

Direct Link to Question

ADear farmer,

Google "verizon block text messages from number" First Result: Verizon Top Questions: How do I block unwanted text messages?

It doesn't mention cost, so you'll have to follow the instructions and see if they provide more information after you've logged in to the Verizon website.

Time to find: 5 seconds. Time to write response: 30 seconds.

-Curious Physics Minor

Afarmer me-

You could also text them and tell them you're changing your number, so they should update it in their contacts list. Then you could give them the number of someone you don't like very much. Maybe they'd figure it out after that.

- Cuddlefish

Back to top
QDear 100 Hour Board,

I've heard it rumored that there is (or once was) a class offered at BYU called "History of Rock Music" or something on the lines of that. Is this true? If so, when is it offered?

- Iddy Mokom

Direct Link to Question

ADear Iddy Mokom,

In 2001, BYU offered its first ever class on the History of Rock Music. It was taught for a few years, however there doesn't seem to be a class offered right now. If you want to transfer to Golden West and take HUM 145 History of Rock Music, it is totally transferable.

-Mico