|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Login Ask a Question Search About Us Policies Frequently Asked Questions Top-10 Favorites Order T-Shirt Archives Today's Posts (18) 21 20 19 18 17 16 14 13 12 11 10 09 07 06 05 04 03 02 31 30 29 28 27 26 24 23 22 21 20 19 17 16 15 14 13 12 10 09 08 07 06 05 03 02 01 30 29 28 26 25 24 23 22 21 19 18 17 16 15 14 12 11 10 09 08 07 05 04 03 02 01 31 29 28 27 26 25 24 22 21 |
Back to top QDear 100 Hour Board, Why do some Texans say everything's bigger in Texas, when it seems only their pride is? Their mountains, cities, rivers, population are all smaller than ones in California and New York, which has the biggest city in the US and bigger rivers. I don't know what exactly they're referring to. One who messes with Texas
ADear One who messes with Texas, Don't forget belt buckles and drawls. -glib ADear One who messes with Texas, I ran a Google search, and these are the first ten things that popped up as things that are bigger in Texas:
- The Black Sheep ADear One My assessment of Texas in the "Which three states should we get rid of" question:
-Humble Master ADear Messy, I am a fan of Texas so allow me to stand up for it. That slogan is pretty old, from back in the days when people lived on the cramped east coast with no wide open spaces. Many people had only seen cows in Harpers Weekly and had no concept of "riding the range." About 1901, the Texas oil boom caused a population influx and Texas was no longer just for the hardy westerny, independent types. Ordinary schmoes from NYC could witness the huge open spaces, the huge longhorn cattle, the huge hats. Texas is the only state I can think of where people (my dad and a few of my friends) can live for a couple years and desire to claim citizenship there. Around that time, Dallas was one of the biggest cities in the United States. Today, three of the biggest cities in the U.S. are in Texas: Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas. Dallas is so big it is in five different counties; how many cities can boast that? If you look at the table of the largest metropolitan areas in the United States, Texas is the only state with two in the top ten where the metro areas are completely within the state boundaries. Cherry on top? Alaska is the only state that is bigger than Texas, but most of our parents have been alive longer than Alaska has been a state, and Texas has 30 times the population of Alaska. Dr. Smeed ADear Mess, Everything is bigger in Texas, that is why. Egos aside, the traffic jams are way bigger, the hurricanes are some of the biggest, and you can get some pretty questionably large hamburgers there, too. The universities are huge, and football is way bigger than in many states. Arguably not everything in Texas is the absolute biggest; however many things have a tendency to be bigger. The humidity is higher, and the temperature is way too hot most of the time. There are big differences in climate during one season throughout the state, which no other state can claim to have. And the controversies are bigger in Texas (Texas chainsaw massacre, the YFZ Ranch, the entire Bush family, that one woman who killed her children in a bathtub, a lot of support for the death penalty - you see?). Dude, this is without mentioning the unreasonably big statue of Sam Houston, or the big fourteen-hours-plus car drive it takes to drive across the state. -Mico, who lived in Texas for nearly two-thirds of her life! AOh dear... Y'all forgot hair...oh wait, Utah's still got Texas beat on that one. In defense of Texas-sized pride, I'd like to submit that Texans are just as disgruntled by a general lack of state pride as you are with their exorbitant amount. It's like meeting a Ute at the BYU game that's shocked to encounter some banter. Of course Texans think everything is better in Texas; how many times have you heard that BYU has the best education per dollar, the cleanest campus, the most stone-cold sober, the best place to study Physics, Accounting, Business, Nursing, etc.? I'm proud to be a Cougar because I go to BYU, and I'm proud to be a Texan because I grew up in Houston. When I say "Texas is awesome," I'm always taken aback that I hear grumbles instead of a chorus of exclamations: "Nah, it's all about Ohio," "No, Nevada rocks," "Whatever, everyone knows Florida is the place to be. I mean c'mon, 'The Most Magical Place on Earth'?" I would also like to clear the air of a few rumors. "Don't Mess with Texas" is a just a clever marketing ploy for an anti-littering campaign, not a state-funded propaganda machine. There's no conflict of interest between Texas and the good ol' USA. We're Americans first and foremost. And no, I didn't ride a horse to school. -Ineffable Back to top QDear 100 Hour Board, Why is Mr. Miyagi so rich? He works as the handyman at an apartment complex, a job which I have had before and doesn't pay very well. Also, he has a lot of days off to train Daniel-San in the exquisite art of karate. He has like 7 restored cars and a huge and beautiful backyard garden, in California where the property values are pretty high. - Sweep the leg
ADear Wax on, Let's turn to the Wikipedias before beginning our speculation:
From that, it seems that he is a single guy (remember, his wife and son died) who is adept at living within his means. He has had a few jobs that pay well, if he was a good carpenter he could have made a pretty good living, and because it is inferred that he did classic car restoration, he could have made a killing from that, while not needing to pay for gas or insurance himself because he could never drive the cars. Southern California is quite the place to make money from classic cars. I say it is a combination of discipline, frugality, and hard work that made Mr Miyagi so wealthy. He is just a handyman to give him something to do. Dr. Smeed ADear one of my favorite movie quotes As already pointed out, the movies don't provide much info on how he might be wealthy. However, it is implied that he restored the cars himself, and built his backyard decks and landscape himself, which is a big money-saver if you have patience. -Humble Master Back to top QDear 100 Hour Board, I'm sure you all heard the news about Barack Obama getting awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for quote unquote "things he will do in the future" (I wonder if Emmett Brown is on the committee). For some reason I was sort of reminded of how Napoleon was crowned by the Pope (well, by himself, actually). Anyways, what other historic examples are there of leaders who were awarded with things they didn't deserve (yet)? (I'm not trying to make a political statement, but seriously, they might as well have given the award to Dr. Zaius.) - Marty McFly (now on the McDonald's dollar menu)
ADear Marty, Um, who are you quote-unquoting? Have you read the press release explaining why he received the Peace Prize? Thorbjorn Jagland, chair of the prize's selection committee, explicitly said:
Three cheers for primary sources, Waldorf and Sauron ADear Waldorf and Sauron, Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Let's not get carried away. Are you suggesting that sound bites generated by strategists of opposition groups are not the best way to become educated on issues? *Gasp* It's almost as if you're advocating thinking for yourself! Next thing we know you'll be telling us that Fox News isn't a trustworthy and unbiased source for our opinions! We will have no part in your fantasy world of rational debate and educated opinions. And, by golly, if we hear one word out of your mouth about the so-called "scientific method" we'll picket your grocery store for selling food to you. If that doesn't work then we'll make fun of your children. -The American Public *Author's Note: Please read this as a satirical, hyperbolic commentary. ADear Marty, In response to your real question (which, I mean, come on - it was a totally politically charged question. Regardless...), I'm not sure that anyone keeps a big list around of undeserved awards given throughout history. I am with you, however, on the fact that if there were such a list, this Nobel Peace Prize would be added to it, despite what Mr. Jagland said. Of course, we can't hate on Obama personally - he hasn't done anything to deserve it (meaning that in more than one way - get it?!), so it's kinda ridiculous to - "HEY COMMANDER KEEN, I'M REALLY HAPPY FOR YOU AND I'MA LET YOU FINISH, BUT I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT AL GORE HAD THE BEST PEACE PRIZE EVER!" ...which is to say, this topic is about as old as that Kanye West bit. Some laud Obama as the world's Anointed One and a harbinger of a new world order (whatever that may be...); many feel he hasn't done anything worth meriting big awards. Let's all give it a rest, eh? -Commander Keen ADear Marty Back to your original question, here are some things that were given awards/titles before having completed the action that the title lauded them for: Jesus Christ as Savior (see all Old Testament revelations about a savior): Status - Achieved The United States of America as an independent country (see The Declaration of Independence): Status - Achieved James Cameron as King of the World (see 1998's Oscar ceremony): Status - Unachieved at current date Michael Jackson as King of Pop (see Jackson's own declaration in 1989): Status - Achieved, lost, then reachieved when, following his death, the world gave him a mulligan for the last two decades of his life Eric Clapton as God (see a famous piece of graffiti): Status - Unachieved at current date Dionne Warwick, Madonna, Janet Jackson, Kylie Minogue, Britney Spears, and Christina Aguilera as the Princess of Pop: Status - Contested Whitney Houston, Madonna, Janet Jackson, Celine Dion, and Mariah Carey as the Queen of Pop: Status - Contested -Humble Master ADear Marty~ I was also unable to find the quote you mentioned, but the original CNN dispatch I saw on it seemed to me to be clearly expressing hope in his future success, rather than any specific past accomplishment. As you know, this has brought no end of vitriol from Obama's political opponents. Notably, Obama would have been nominated in February, when he had been president for an incredibly short amount of time. I was actually pretty irritated by it myself at first, but when I dug in and looked, I realized that the Nobel Peace Prize has a history of being handed out in order to promote causes, not just reward successes. My angry liberal friend linked me to this video, made by an angry liberal, which shows that Obama deserved the Peace Prize because it's been handed out like Pop-Tarts in the past. Now, unfortunately, I only watched the highlights with my angry liberal friend, so I can't account for the material in the entire thing. Anyway, please enjoy that list of people who received the Peace Prize for something they hadn't done yet. ~Hobbes Back to top QYo, Black Sheep. My mom grew up in Magrath and has an intense prejudice/rivalry against Raymond. Do Raymond people feel the same way. - Roseteak, who is probably related to Black Sheep.
ADear Roseteak, who is probably related to Black Sheep, First of all, you should definitely email me your mother's maiden name so we can figure out if we are indeed related. I'm with you; we probably are. I asked around to some of my relatives and friends who spent more time in southern Alberta, and I began to hear that, yes, people in Raymond generally feel the same way. Apparently it's a sports thing and it has existed since the dawn of time, or at least the early 1900s when the two towns were founded. In fact, I asked a family friend who isn't even from southern Alberta about the Raymond-Magrath sports rivalry, and he knew all about it. It's legendary, apparently. It just goes to show how little my dad knows about the intricacies of southern Canadian living, even though he did go up there to visit all the time, because when I first asked him about it he could only tell me about the cool second-cousin doctor in Magrath he had and he figured that Raymond people were generally more grumpy toward Cardston (they got the temple) than they were toward Magrath, though he also said Magrath should be jealous of Raymond, since it has a better Stampede and everything (he was just joking). Once he heard the truth, though, he told me that my grandfather and great uncle were probably partially to blame for that whole thing, thanks to their olden-timey basketball prowess. I've seen their pictures (several times) in the Raymond museum for their olden-timey basketball prowess, even! I don't know what says AWESOME more than having relatives featured in a museum in small-town Canada. - The Black Sheep, who has Raymond pride ADear The Black Sheep, Irrelevant to the answer, but I just want to get it out there: Raymond is not just "ultra-sketchy," but also evil. Very evil. My relatives tell me, so it must be true. -A writer who has already dropped too many geographical references Back to top QDear 100 Hour Board, I thought of another book question! This one may be too specific, though. Two of my favorite books are Paper Towns (by John Green) and 13 Little Blue Envelopes (by Maureen Johnson). The main thing these books have in common is that they both have the main characters following a series of clues to reach a destination, but it's not so much a treasure hunt as an adventure in which they learn more about themselves and those close to them. This may not make sense if you haven't read both (or either) of these books, but do you know any other books that have this plot element? (Another thing they have in common is that they are listed under the "Children's Books > Educational > Explore the World" category, but I don't know if that really helps any.) - Also a Bibliophile
ADear Also, One of my favorite novels is The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon. It is a very uniquely written novel, and one which will have you laughing while near tears. It is definitely a psychological-exploration novel, but in the end the main character doesn't necessarily learn something about himself. I think the other characters learn about themselves, and the reader will become aware of many things, but the main character's changes come more in the way of acceptance. The type of book Amazon.com thinks you are looking for would be Children's Mysteries, Espionage and Detectives Literature. That list contains a smattering of good literature and fun books, so peruse it and find something to your liking. The Curious Incident is the only novel I could think of from personal experience, though. Mico, who didn't see any red cars in a row today. Back to top QDear 100 Hour Board, What is the definition of "defiance" in the context of war? Is simply not working hard enough to be considered defiance, or do you need to be actively resisting? -Tough Licorice
ADear Tough Licorice, I don't think there's a very hard-and-fast definition specific to war. However, we can apply the general definitions: 1. The act or an example of defying; bold resistance to an opposing force or authority. 2. Intentionally contemptuous behavior or attitude; readiness to contend or resist. So it seems slacking off could potentially be defiant, but it would depend on circumstances. For one example of slacking extreme enough that it could be considered defiance, consider French behavior surrounding the Eiffel Tower:
Failing to repair an iconic landmark for years as an intended personal snub should qualify as "intentionally contemptuous behavior" and thus as defiance. At the same time, people working for armies that have just conquered them are basically never going to pour heart and soul into it like they might for their own country. This sort of disgruntled low-level slacking is pretty clearly not defiance. Summary of what I think: it depends on context, but in some cases slacking can constitute defiance. ~Ƥ. Ɗ. Kirĸe Back to top QDear 100 Hour Board, I've been looking for a copy of New York's subway map from between 1990 and 1993 for nostalgic reasons, but recently haven't found people selling them on eBay. I don't think people in Provo would have them to sell on Craigslist, so I came to you. What are good websites for such an obscure item, or do any of you have a copy to spare? New York Subway Nerd
ADear Nerd, Have you ever considered going straight to the source and contacting someone that works with the New York Subway? Their customer service phone number is 718/330-3322, and I'm sure they'd be the most useful source in tracking down your obscure map. As a sidenote, I found a pretty cool archive that shows subway maps from about 1924 to today!...You know, in case you want to view any other obscure subway maps, without having to pay for them. Marzipan Back to top QDear 100 Hour Board, I have this habit of trying not to study when I know I absolutely have to. Especially when I'm in front of a computer (with or without Internet). How do I get myself out of this habit? It's ruining my grades. - Desperado
ADesperado, Why don't you come to your senses? Man, I have the same problems at times. I try and surround myself with people who are working on the same subject. I like study groups for that reason, but only small ones. It adds a sense of accountability for me, having to participate. If not in a study group, I try to study in an area applicable to the subject at hand. If I'm studying chem, I try to study in the tutor lab so that I feel some pressure to work on chem. Get what I mean? So, those are things that have helped me. Desperado, you ain't gettin' no younger. The queen of hearts is always your best bet. Know that you're the one in control. You better let somebody love you, - Commander Keen ADear Des, I can relate to this. Here are a few things I've found helpful. 1. Clear your schedule. This means preparing to study by making sure any other homework for the day is taken care of in advance. Make sure that your study time can be really dedicated and you don't have other things floating around your mind. It sounds odd, but a lot of the time it's harder to act when there are several things on your plate than if you just have one task to focus on. 2. Get out of your house. Everyone has to find a study place that works for them. Some people love the quiet of a library desk. I prefer a bit of hubbub, so I study at a table at the Wilk. Try different places and see what helps you stay focused. 3. Leave the computer at home. Do everything you can to keep your study independent of your laptop. This can be tough, especially as a lot of professors are teaching off PowerPoint these days, but it may be worth a few bucks to print out all the PowerPoints rather than sit on the computer not studying them. 4. Keep a munchie on hand. It's best if it's something at least healthy-ish, but having something to keep your blood sugar up and your body engaged can help you focus better on your work. 5. Give yourself rewards. Very few people can just study like a machine. Set a schedule. For instance, tell yourself you can study for two hours, and then take twenty minutes to go to the computer lab and surf the internet. Then be strong enough to go back after your twenty minutes are up. Which brings me to the final point: 6. Just do it. You're stronger than you think you are. You know you need to study. Just get it done. Good luck on this tough change of habit. I believe in you. -Claudio Back to top QDear 100 Hour Board, Why does no one really care if president Obama has a legal birth certificate or if he was even born in the united state?. and why has a birth certificate not been asked of him if it is national policy and part of the constitution that the president be a natural born citizen? Repulicus Maximus
ADear Republicus Maximus, Well, a copy of it is in Hawaii's Department of Health files, and the Obama campaign provided this copy to the American public a long time ago. People looked at copies over the internet and called them forgeries, but the document is consistent with others issued in the same time and place, and the reason it wasn't signed and that it didn't have a seal was that they didn't show up on the scanned copy. Lawsuits on this matter have been brought and been dismissed, and, as a fun side note, Snopes says that Honolulu's newspapers reported President Obama's birth, which is a really cool lie to think of 40-plus years before the event. All of that aside, though, I just don't really give a care. Besides thinking that the evidence is at least satisfactorily convincing, like I said a few days ago, I think the law is terribly outdated. If this sort of thing had happened with anyone of any political persuasion I would have been equally concerned. Who cares if he was really born in Hawaii or not? He has lived here for almost his entire life and I doubt he has any dangerous South African loyalties. I guess I'd hate to think that he'd be willing to lie in such a way that could potentially ruin his entire career after some simple fact checking, but is this really important enough to devote resources to anyway? - The Black Sheep ADear Republicus Maximus Interesting side note, in a class I TA for we recently taught a large section on conspiracy theory/theorists. The two main examples (to cover both sides of the political spectrum) were Truthers, those who say 9/11 was planned by the Bush administration (and who have Charlie Sheen as their spokesperson) and Birthers (those who claim that President Obama was not born in America). Despite the widely varying political agendas of both conspiracy theories, they demonstrate a lot of the same methodologies in describing/promoting/proving their theories. Oh, and both theories have been generally accepted to be false by the scientific/legal/political world. -Humble Master Back to top QDear 100 Hour Board, What is the most delicious food ever made and what is the recipie? Republicus Maximus
ADear Pubby, If I had the recipe for the most delicious food ever made, rest assured I would be too busy being rich to give it to you. One of the best things in the world, though, is a good loaf of bread. The aroma, the taste, the feeling of satisfaction for really nailing it...it can't be beat. Here's one of the best white bread recipes I've ever had, courtesy of Dragon Lady:
My chocolate chip cookies also rank pretty high up there, but that's a recipe I keep sacred. -Claudio ADear Republicus Maximus, It's no secret that I have a bit of a sweet tooth, and one of my favorite things in the entire world is fudge upside down cake. Now, just a little disclaimer here, I've never actually made it from the recipe I just linked to, but that one looks very similar to the one I always use. The regular recipe I use happens to come from my favorite cookbook in the entire world: The Magic Spoon Cookbook. I'd be more than happy to give you the recipe from it, but my beloved book happens to be in the U.S. and I am currently in Japan. But everything I have made from that amazing cookbook has been super easy and very delicious, especially the fudge. And in case you were wondering, I received that cookbook as a Christmas present many, many moons ago and my Magic Spoon happens to be purple, not blue. -Sky Bones Back to top QDear 100 Hour Board, I have been flying in planes my entire life. When I was around twenty, I started experiencing flight anxiety, which has steadily gotten worse. My fear of flying has gotten to the point that I feel sick and stop eating about two days prior to the upcoming flight. During the flight i am totally wired and extremely nervous. I haven't used an airplane bathroom for five years at least because I can't bring myself to take off my seat belt. I have no idea where this anxiety came from and no comforting statistics about safety records have ever helped. A few websites I have read recommend drinking some alcohol before takeoff, which is not really an option for me. I've tried taking sleep aids to try and sleep through it but I am way too wired for that to work so then I just feel more sick. I have heard that you can get prescribed pills for anxiety in some cases. Is what I have a diagnosable condition? I don't have health insurance or a therapist or even a regular doctor. Do people get prescriptions for specific events sometimes, as opposed to a regular refillable prescription? Side question: Do any of you writers experience any irrational fears? What of and how do you deal with it? Thanks, -Flying home for christmas. AAAGH!!
ADear Flying home, Your specific phobia is indeed diagnosable ("fear of flying" is fine, or you could call it aerophobia if you want to get fancy; aerophobia can also stem from other specific phobias like claustrophobia or acrophobia). There is anxiety medication designed to be taken for special events, but it would require a prescription. If you can go to a doctor, he/she could prescribe you some medication for your condition (though there are no guarantees that it will work any better than your sleep aids). I don't know much about your situation, but if you are a BYU student you can get some free therapy from the counseling center. If you're not a student, go to your public library and see if they have any self-help books on anxiety (especially with phobias). If you can't afford therapy, you could try The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook, which is recommended by the counseling center (see the bottom of this page). I have a lot of irrational fears, but none of them have manifested themselves as severely as yours have. If nothing works, and you can't afford professional help, you might consider hitching a ride or taking a Greyhound bus to wherever you're flying, if possible. Normally avoiding your fears only makes them worse, but it seems that confronting yours hasn't helped you. -The Supershrink Back to top QDear 100 Hour Board, I have had a crappy job with this great girl for about a year. The nature of our work allows us a lot of time for small talk, which sometimes turns into big talk. We have these great conversations that are really funny and sometimes deep. Anyways, I've really liked her for a while but only recently decided to ask her out. When I did so, she told me that she has a boyfriend. Boyfriend?! In all the conversations we've had about her family and her roommates and traumatic events from her childhood, and her testimony issues, and how much we hate singles wards, she has never ever mentioned this "boyfriend." I give her rides home sometimes and I've met her roommates. Let's just say I was a bit skeptical. So I pressed her a bit and asked her where he was from. Anyways he is back where she is from, on the east coast. I know from previous conversations she hasn't been there in over two years, and doesn't like to go back there. Not wanting to increase the awkwardness of the conversation which is already at a high level, I left it at that. So, assuming she made up this boyfriend to avoid a date with me, what should I do? Is there any chance she really does have a long distance boyfriend that she hasn't gone to visit for two years and doesn't talk about to her somewhat close friends? Do girls do this a lot? I know she doesn't owe me anything, including honesty I guess, but I'd really like to know what's going on without being rude. Asking her if she's lying seems rude. what can I do? - Shot down in flames
ADear Shot Down, Wait, really? You think she's straight up lying? I guess it's possible, and I don't know the girl, but it's not the first conclusion that I'd jump to. I'm guessing this is the real situation: she has a romantic past, and possibly a romantic future, with this boy. Things are complicated. She's attracted to you and could probably tell that you were attracted to her, therefore she hasn't mentioned him to you. I've turned down a date because of unpublic romantic goings-on with another boy before. It happens, sure, but it's not a devious thing that girls do for fun. I don't think there's anything you can or should do. Maybe you can let her know that you're still interested in case things ever get less complicated with the other dude, but prying isn't a winning move here. You already do "know what's going on" - she's given you the basic facts, and I don't think she's lying. Best of luck, Waldorf (and Sauron) ADear Shot Down, Being a girl is a difficult thing, and turning a boy down is also difficult. However, most girls don't just make up boyfriends. Or, if they do, it is more of a process than on a whim. I have heard of people (my own cousin, even!) wearing fake engagement rings to ward off the other sex. But from personal experience, I know it is hard and often awkward to bring up a long-distance relationship. A lot of people don't approve, or will ask prying questions to which werf may simply have no answer. You probably shouldn't assume this girl was lying to you. I agree with Waldorf (and Sauron) on this one. You should let her know you are still interested, but prying and pushing will not get you any closer to a date. Don't lose hope, long-distance complicated somewhat-secret relationships can be hard, you totally have a chance. -Mico ADear almost-Jim from The Office, I can't say what most girls do or don't do. I think they mostly don't make up boyfriends. But some definitely do. My wife had a roommate who did it all the time when a guy she didn't like was getting a little too close. For crying out loud there was a Seinfeld episode about it!
What should you do about it? Well, I think you should back off trying to romance her and try to be a good friend, provided that won't be too hard for you to do. Whatever you do, don't confront her about it because that, my friend, will burn your bridge as thoroughly as almost anything could. - Rating Pending (who has never been steered wrong by Seinfeld) Back to top QDear 100 Hour Board, I met someone about 3 months ago through a church activity who I think is really great. We've hung out a couple times since then and had some good conversations. I'm a female and feel like I've done a fairly good job of being assertive (ie. after the first time we went out I sent him a follow up email suggesting we do it again). However, I'm fairly certain he doesn't like me (clue: he has talked to me about asking out other people...never a good sign) and isn't asking me out. My issue with this (and this is totally a girl defensive mechanism) is that he doesn't know me that well so how could he have already decided against dating me? I'm a pretty cute girl! My question is this: should I give up on the guy since he doesn't seem to like me and is not pursuing me romantically OR maintain contact in the hopes that something might develop? Unfortuately, our lives don't really overlap at all so any contact has to be intiated by one or the other of us. Thanks! RG
ADear RG, The answer to this depends on a couple of things. First, is he still being friendly? If so, then there's nothing wrong with being friends. If he seems like he's trying to avoid you, then you should probably back off. Secondly, are you okay with being just friends? If you keep pursuing him when he's not interested, I can guarantee that that will be awkward and uncomfortable for him, and he's going to have even more reason not to want to date you. If he's still friendly, and if you can back off and just be friends without pushing for more, then there's nothing wrong with staying in touch and occasionally doing casual things together. Don't get your hopes up too much, though, because even if you're a great girl he may well never be interested. —Laser Jock Back to top QDear 100 Hour Board, What percentage of people who try out for the Washington Generals make it on the team? - Has no ball skills, and therefore feels fully qualified
ADear Shandon Anderson, I don't know the numbers, they don't release them, but I found a contact link on their website. Don't get your hopes up, however, as there is a saying "you have to try really hard to be that bad" which applies to the Generals for sure. The Washington Generals are a professional team. They aren't composed of dunderheads and dumbkopfs. From the Harlem Globetrotters FAQ sheet on their website:
From the Generals' own website:
Therefore, you have to be a good player with sound fundamentals, just not as good as the Globetrotters. Sweet Dr. Smeed Back to top QFemale board writers, Where is a good place to buy curvy-girl jeans? I have a caboose that is...well, not little. But I have a really little waist. So when I buy jeans that are big enough to fit my, um, behind, they gape open at my waist. Any suggestions? Thanks! - Hontytonkbedonkadonk
ADear Are you my sister?... she says that all the time, I assume you are probably referring to the aptly named "apple bottom jeans," nay? While I can't exactly speak from personal experience, I'm quite certain you can usually find said jeans in Rue 21, T.J. Maxx, and Wet Seal. I would also imagine that a lot of department stores would carry such jeans, too. Of course, not all of the jeans in these stores are what you'll be looking for so you might have to do a little bit of searching. Hitting the dressing rooms is always a good idea, too. If you can find your perfect size, then you should also try searching online. Best of luck! -Sky Bones ADear got back,  Approves. -Cognoscente ADear Hontytonkbedonkadonk, Or you can do as Stacy London and Clinton Kelly suggest and buy cheaper jeans that fit your tush and take them to a tailor to have them taken in at the waist. What, me, watch TLC? Wouldn't dream of it. In addition to Apple Bottom jeans, friendly internet folk suggest jeans that are associated with people known for having some extra, sexy junk in the trunk, like Baby Phat, Dereon, and Rocawear. Other suggestions are looking at the Buckle (which apparently does alterations free) and trying Sweetheart jeans at Old Navy. Other suggestions include looking for the smallest pair of stretch jeans you can fit into and wearing them for a while to break them in and looking for a dark wash. - The Black Sheep Back to top Q Dear 100 Hour Board, I really don't have a very optimistic attitude about marriage and I truly don't know what I should have a right to expect from it. I have never seen an example of marriage around me that I would ever want to be a part of. Of all the people I know, from my own parents to friends to extended family to neighbors to ward members, I just don't see very positive marriages . Now I understand that I don't have full insight into these people's marriages so perhaps I am way off base to begin with. However, I hope to keep that aside. I know this sounds silly, but I absolutely love Jim and Melinda's marriage in The Ghost Whisperer (based on Seasons 1 & 2, since that is all I have seen). Obviously it's just a show, but there isn't anything extreme about their marriage so I hope that one day I can have something similar. And here is what I see them as having. They have passion in their marriage. They are unbelievably supportive and understanding of each other. Their needs seem to be taken care of not because they each look out for themselves, but because they each look out for each other. They make time to be together. I absolutely love it when they drop in on each other during lunch or other times during the day. And I like that they leave the house together in the morning and always get ready to go to bed together. And they are just so obviously in love it’s adorable. So here are my questions. Can I expect these things in marriage? Can I expect them to last through the years? Can they continue after children enter the equation? Do any of you have or know people who have truly strong and loving marriages? Is there any Church counsel on marriage expectations? Sorry for the long question. I hope you can help because I am truly confused. I hope to have an eternal marriage someday and I know that realistic expectations will be a very important factor in my own happiness. - Perhaps Just a Hopeless Romantic
ADear Just, Totally valid question. I haven't seen the show, but I submit a real-life example of a long-term married couple that have most of those things going for them: my parents. 39 years and they're still making out every chance they get. The problem about looking to a TV couple for guidance is that they work from scripts written by professional screenwriters. They can be an ideal to work toward, and that's totally fine, but even the best marriages aren't 100% like that 100% of the time. Every marriage will have lulls, moments of frustration, stagnation, boredom, tedium, etc. Those are the dragons we have to slay in our great domestic adventure. But that being said, it doesn't sound to me like you have unrealistic expectations. You should expect to be happy. I know what you mean - we observe these middle-aged couples in our home ward that just seem dried up and colorless, going through the motions, surviving but not thriving. I think it's a good sign that you're looking at examples, both of what you want and what you don't want. It is certainly possible to have a great, sparkling marriage. (I speak from not a wealth of experience - just under two years - but it's something.) But, like most good things, it doesn't always come naturally. You have to work for and choose to have such a marriage. You have to be forgiving, flexible, optimistic, compassionate, and just about every other virtue. This is just one tiny slice of advice among millions, but one thing I've learned lately that helps to keep a marriage bright is to compliment your spouse (both in and out of their presence) in public as much as possible (and, relatedly, to never disparage them in front of other people). It'll make your spouse feel like a million bucks, encourage them to continue living up to the praise, and define your own attitude toward your spouse by making you both accountable to others. As for children coming into the picture, we've found that our baby boy has enlivened our marriage. It's not that the love has to be spread thinner to cover more area, but there's just more love all around. (Sharing a drink with our baby is also like love—you get more back than you started with.) You already knew this, but in the end it's up to you and your spouse. Discuss this with your future marriage prospect when the time is right. See if they feel the same zeal that you do. Pray about it. Make sure they know how important it is to you. Become the kind of spouse you want to have for yourself. You reap what you sow. Marriage is lots and lots of fun. We promise. Sincerely, Waldorf and Sauron ADear Romantic, I haven't seen the show you mentioned, but it's absolutely possible to have the kind of marriage you're describing. See what my parents say about each other in Board Question #53428 and Board Question #53939. I really admire their marriage and I can't think of anyone I'd rather emulate. Granted, like Waldorf pointed out, marriage isn't always thrilling. I'm reminded of a quote from Jenkins Lloyd Jones which President Gordon B. Hinckley quoted in "A Conversation with Single Adults," March 1997 Ensign. You may have heard it before: There seems to be a superstition among many thousands of our young [men and women] who hold hands and smooch in the drive-ins that marriage is a cottage surrounded by perpetual hollyhocks to which a perpetually young and handsome husband comes home to a perpetually young and [beautiful] wife. When the hollyhocks wither and boredom and bills appear the divorce courts are jammed. …The rest of President Hinckley's talk is worth reading too. It addresses a slightly different set of topics than your question, but there's plenty of overlap. As for what the Church says about expectations in marriage, I'd recommend checking out their article "Marriage" in the gospel topics on lds.org. There are a number of talks linked, as well as a fair amount of information under "Additional Information." Here are a few statements I found there: Life's greatest joys are found in the family. Strong family relationships require effort, but such effort brings great happiness in this life and throughout eternity.—Laser Jock Back to top QDear 100 Hour Board, I'm a big reader and have read many, many books in my years here at BYU. If only I had kept a record of those titles! My failure to do so leads me to ask this question: How can I obtain a record of all the books I have checked out from the HBLL? - Hbller
ADear HBLLer, In short, you can't. I spoke to a very helpful young lady at the circulation desk, and she said that the library does not keep a record of the books that individual patrons check out. The account that you ever had the book is deleted shortly after you return it to the library. I guess you'd better start keeping a list for yourself from here on out. Sorry all those years of reading are lost to you! -Claudio ADear ller, On the other hand, they do keep track of books you turn in late. So if you're willing to pay $1 per book, just turn in each book one day late. Or, you know, just start a list on your computer for free. (You also won't tick off the people in circulation that way.) —Laser Jock Back to top QDear 100 Hour Board: I'm in one of those situations where you think you know what you should do, but you just want to talk to someone and get their input anyway. So (without trying to do any self-psychoanalysis here) I have really terrible self-esteem. Nearing rock-bottom. I'm a member of the Church and I believe what we've been taught about individual worth - at least, that what's I THINK. But that doctrine, plus other things I've read on the subject lately, don't seem to have too much of an effect on the side effects of my self-deprecating attitude (e.g. random but nasty enmity and/or jealousy towards others, among other things). What should I do? I don't think I'm a head case but I think I have a significantly larger problem with this than most people. -Frustrated and a Bit Down P.S. I have touched briefly on this subject with a priesthood leader. I have been praying and studying in the scriptures about this.
ADear Frustrated and a Bit Down, I'm not sure that I understand precisely what you're asking, but if you want to know what I think about self worth and advice I've given to people who wrote in about it (bonus: advice by Dragon Lady and Cuddlefish, too!), check out Board Question #48289, Board Question #51050, and Board Question #53979. Basically, what I think you should do is the same thing as what I told each of those people: remember that you aren't the exception to all those really great things you believe in regarding individual worth, continue talking about it with a priesthood leader, and consider some therapy to help you identify and correct any cognitive fallacies you have going on. Don't worry so much about the jealousy, as that will hopefully go away once you start strengthening your sense of self worth. Yeah, that's what I think you should do. And I hope that you don't feel like you're on a conveyor belt or anything, as I definitely realize that your problems are valid and individual and significant. It's just that I gave my best in those answers and therefore don't have anything much to add. I wish you all the best. - The Black Sheep Back to top QDear 100 Hour Board, Okay, relationship advice. I recently returned from a mission. I think I'm already over most of those post-mission adjustments (in the social aspects, etc.). Thanks to some awesome friends, I have been on a couple of dates. I'm living off-campus now and enjoying my classes and my ward, and getting to know people. But I guess I'm sort of scared of girls. :) Okay, not really. But I AM sort of scared of - I don't know, getting interested in girls? Mostly right now I just want to get to know members of "the fairer sex" and have fun and whatnot. But I'm TERRIFIED of asking a girl out or something if it turns out that she isn't really interested in me - that I'm not her "type." Like, the girl saying, "Oh, great, that ONE guy thinks that I'm his type! Bleck!" Or in other words: I'm sort of afraid of trying to get to know girls "out of my league" for rejection and all that fun stuff. What advice do you have for me, oh Wise Board Writers? -If only there was a way to read their minds or something... P.S. Also, any suggestions on "checking out" the availability of a girl? (I know absolutely nothing about all that stuff everybody does with facebook and... all that stuff.)
ADear hopeful mind-reader, Just keep dating in the proper perspective. You're not asking a girl to marry you by asking her on a date. It's just sayin', "Hey, you're cool and I'd like to get to know you better; also, maybe we could make out sometime?" (Just kidding, ladies - don't hate me!) Really though, if a girl shoots you down in a way you described, she's not worth your time anyhow. Also, you can't expect every girl you ask out to be your type. You can, however, expect them to react decently (as long as you're not a creeper in how you ask them on dates, that is). Everyone has perceptions of members of the opposite sex as being "out of their league" but I know that I, for one, have seen some guys with super-attractive (in multiple ways) significant others and thought, "Man, really? How did he manage THAT?" (Don't judge me, you know you've all done it.) So, have some confidence (without acting like a cocky son-of-a-gun) and don't create those boundaries for yourself. She may be super-attractive, but you don't know what's attractive to her. Perhaps you fit the bill! As far as a girl's availability, well...I mean, there's always the ring check, or if there's some guy all up on her already...those are usually pretty good indicators. Other than that, just get to know her. Such things often have a way of coming up in conversations about their weekend activities, friends, etc. Best of luck, guy. Practice makes perfect, so ditch the fear, go find a girl that you've been contemplating asking on a date, and just do it. I'll probably do the same, actually... - Commander Keen ADear Carnac the Magnificent, One of the worst things that I tried to do was read the minds of the females. Trying to tell if a girl liked me was a fruitless endeavor at BEST, especially if I didn't really know her. My advice to you is to just cultivate friendships for now and not make any moves for a while. Don't get all "But Elder Oaks said not to hang out" with yourself just yet, that time will come if you let it (side note: don't let it; don't be thirty and still hanging out with college chicks, that's weird). Just hang out with large numbers of girls in order to find out what you like and don't like. I made that mistake when I got home from my mission. I immediately developed crushes on the girls in my FHE group and scared them off one by one. Sure it made the most fun FHE group ever (one big Oktoberfest (usual potty word caveat)) but because I had limited my contact with girls to those four, I didn't really find what I was looking for. After a while of hanging out with more girls, opening my horizons, and not assuming anything, I felt more at ease with asking girls out, not thinking to myself, "based on the characteristics I have observed over the past ten minutes, this girl and I would really get along!" Eventually, I married my best friend, a girl I had already been friends with for two years. Sure, she was out of my league and that is why I didn't try for a romantic relationship right out of the gate. Like every man should, I indeed married above me but because we knew each other so well, it didn't matter that she was out of my league. Life works out pretty well; just keep on keeping on. ROMANCE TIPS WITH DR. SMEED WAS A TERRIBLE IDEA ...Righty-o Dr. Smeed ADear If only, I know what you mean. And let's face it, most girls you approach won't be interested. However, they also won't be mean about it. (Despite what your imagination might say.) I like Commander Keen's point that you should keep dating as a low-key activity. If you treat it as just a way to get to know a girl better, it's not a huge deal if it doesn't go anywhere. So ask a girl out, have fun, and don't treat it like something you need to stress over. As for seeing if a girl is available: the best way is to talk to her a bit first. (Really, this is always a good idea before asking her out.) Asking about her weekend and so on will often help. You might still end up asking out a taken girl, though, and if so, oh well—it happens. —Laser Jock ADear guy- First of all, give up on reading the female mind; most of the time they don't know what they want, either. It's one of the most beneficial things I've learned about dating thus far. In any case, I'm going to warn you about one of my personal pitfalls...as Speechwriters LLC would say, "the problem with my heart is I can't keep the thing in line/I'll spend an afternoon beside you, and I'll need to make you mine." I am a dude who falls way too fast for girls, thus going against the very wise advice already given above to stay casual. It's not something I can wholly control, but I now regularly give myself a reality check: "this is only a date, you don't know this girl really well yet, calm down." Also, especially in this context, make sure you really like the girl if you're considering taking things further. I came home from my mission and started dating quite a bit (this, as an aside, may also be good advice for you--I set benchmarks and goals for myself. For instance, I'd never started talking to a girl and gotten her phone number within a few minutes of meeting her. So I picked a girl and I went and did it. Success! Setting goals, striking up conversations, getting contact information, and arranging follow-up visits; these are all things you've been doing for two years! They can be useful!). I'd gone on many of these dates and considered many girls as candidates for relationships, when I started getting to know a girl in my class...and I liked her! I had been out of the dating scene for so long that I'd actually forgotten the feeling of truly liking someone. And that was after I'd been home for 6 months! Nothing really ever came of things with that girl specifically, but it was a very useful lesson in the difference between cursory interest and genuine attraction. Make sure you eventually pursue a girl who really makes you feel happy like that. In any case, don't push things too hard. That is to say, make an effort, but don't fake being someone you're not. The girl you'll find eventually will like you for you. Theoretically, at least. Still looking, -Foreman Back to top QDear 100 Hour Board, What is the relationship between Dreyer's and Edy's ice cream? I am assuming they are the same since the logo and flavors are the same. If that is the case, how did two names come about? And why maintain two brands? The only reason I could think of is a merge but I couldn't find any information to validate that. - New to Edy's
ADear New to Google, The two names are used to honor the founders of the company: Mr. Dreyer and Mr. Edy. Love, Waldorf and Sauron ADear New, Hooray for the archives! —Laser Jock Back to top QDear 100 Hour Board, I've heard people brush aside the thought that there are too many humans on the planet with the following argument: "There's enough food produced in the world to support X people!" Where X is a number even higher than the current world population. But isn't that oversimplifying the issue? It takes more than food to support a population, wouldn't you agree? - 13+ Terawatts is alot Source: http://news.stanford.edu/pr/94...
ADear lots, I agree that it takes more than food to support a population and that implying otherwise is oversimplifying the issue. I doubt anyone disagrees. Whether or not the result of the oversimplification is actually wrong is another question, which you did not ask. But I will tell you anyways: I think the earth can support more people than are currently on it. If you're Mormon, this seems to be a silly thing to disagree with. Multiply and replenish the earth - not breed at or slightly below replacement rate. God wouldn't command it if it's not going to turn out ok. If you're not Mormon, I would need to make a more elaborate, non-theological argument. I suppose you can ask for the full version if it's actually relevant, but I won't spend a lot of time on it here. Briefly, nuclear power from fast breeder reactors could easily (and using existing technology) supply the power necessary to support all the people the earth could feed, so I don't think your implied objection is very problematic. ~Ƥ. Ɗ. Kirĸe ADear Tera, Without sounding like the bad guy from Saturday's Warrior, I find fault with the idea that we should breed as prolifically as possible and use the scriptures to justify it. I'm in favor of having large families, I intend to have a large family myself, but I think there is a difference between "supporting" a population and "providing for" a population. This may seem like semantics, and perhaps it is, but just because the scriptures said Adam and Eve should multiply and replenish the earth doesn't mean it is our job to fill it up. We should still be responsible with our resources. Sure, the earth may be able to support more people than it currently holds but what about quality of life? I, for one, would not want the earth to have a Mir- or Skylab-space-station quality to it. Those things support life, but very minimally. Men are that they might have joy, and I am not joyous when I live in overcrowded conditions because someone feels it is their religious duty to have more kids than they can provide for. I am not just talking about food or energy. I am talking about every facet of life: education, industry, literature, effective government. In my observation, the bigger a population gets the more problematic it becomes to ensure each of these facets of life. As far as I have seen, I could be wrong but I'm probably not, the only argument for breeding well above replacement rate (besides babies being cute and fun) comes from short-sighted religious arguments. It all starts in the family. If a family lives miserably with four kids, they should not have four kids. Lest you think I am heartless, I hold the same standard to the other side. If a family can live happily with ten kids, by all means they ought to have ten kids. I think that applies to countries. I don't think that America can provide for too many more people than it has. I do not think that Egypt can support more people than it has. I know that Jordan should not have any more people or it will collapse. I don't think that there is one hard and fast rule for the entire earth, but my opinion that underlies everything is we should be responsible with what we have been given. We know that the Lord can revoke His promises, and I think that the promise that there is "enough and to spare" applied in 1834 and is up for revocation at any time. Dr. Smeed Back to top QDear Board-100, How long did you read the Board before you applied to write for it? - Board-M
ADear Board-M, About 1 1/2 years. I didn't actually ever plan on applying to be a Board writer. It kind of happened somewhat by accident and on a whim. But I think it's all worked out great so far. -Sky Bones ADear Boredom, I've known about the Board ever since my friend introduced me to it many years ago. I'd say about five or six years ago, perhaps. But I didn't start officially following the Board until the summer before I came to BYU. It was fun to immerse myself in the culture in that way!...and, I was really, really bored at my job (being a receptionist gives you plenty of opportunity to waste time on the internet). I played around with the idea of applying to be a writer my freshman year. I knew I couldn't apply until I was older, but I certainly thought about it. Then, one autumn day, quite recently in fact, I applied. It seemed like a fun way to spend the weekend. Much to my surprise, a few weeks later, I was hired. I guess it's a good sign that I'm still here... Marzipan ADear Board-M, I started reading the Board at the start of a semester (fun story, that) and began the application process just after the end of it. ~Ƥ. Ɗ. Kirĸe ADear M, I discovered the Board just before my first semester at BYU, and read it for eight or nine months, until leaving on my mission. I considered applying that winter, but knew it was pointless because of the aforementioned mission. After I got back from my mission I re-addicted myself to the Board in just a few weeks and applied. —Laser Jock ADear Board Somewhere between six months and year, but I'm not actually sure. -Humble Master Back to top QDear 100 Hour Board, If you had the time and money for any hobby, which one would you take up? - Silly Sally
ADear SS, Skydiving/BASE jumping. -Commander Keen ADear Silly Sally, Scuba diving, or at least snorkeling. - The Black Sheep ADear SillySally, Piano Technology, for sure. I even studied it one summer, but not enough to get my RPT license thing. -Whistler ADear Silly Sally, Horseback riding archery! It's one of my greatest aspirations in life. I took horseback riding lessons for several years and I'm pretty good at archery, I've just never had the money to combine them. But perhaps someday... -Sky Bones ADear Silly Sally, Traveling and photography. I would travel all over the world and learn as much as I could about the different cultures that I would come across. I would visit museums and ancient ruins and all sorts of fascinating stuff, and I would record it all with photographs. It would be fascinating. ⋯Anomalous ADear Sally, Jet aeroplane flying. Oh, to be like John Travolta and soar through the skies in my very own jet plane! Dr. Smeed ADear Silly Sally, We'd make an indie sci-fi film. We'll soon have the time but not the money. Rich investors, please email us at waldorfandsauron (at) theboard.byu.edu. Seriously. Please. Love, Waldorf and Sauron ADear Sally, Cooking, as taught by the great chefs and old women. Let's be honest...old ladies are usually pretty amazing cooks. -Claudio Back to top QDear 100 Hour Board, A question just in time for Halloween! I was drinking from a fountain in the MARB basement and it tasted pretty grody, sort of metally. It then occurred to me that when one tastes werf's own blood (such as when werf accidentally bites werf's tongue, or werf has a bloody nose) there is a similar flavor. Yuck. So, my question is, what gives blood its characteristic flavor? I'm thinking iron, maybe... Mulţumesc, - Count von Curious
ADear Count von Curious- You, sir, are correct; it's iron in your blood that gives it the distinctive taste. Specifically, it's hemoglobin, an iron-containing protein in the red blood cells. From Wikipedia:
The nature of the protein allows this molecule to create a reversible bond with O2, which is what carries the oxygen to your tissues. And from this site:
Now for a strange personal story! When I was but a freshman, I dated a girl who ran cross-country. The team doctor told her to get more iron, so she had to take an iron supplement twice a day; she told me it tasted like blood. Isn't that a lovely visual to associate with the lips you're kissin'? In case you find yourself...liking it?...I also stumbled across this support group called "I Love the Taste of Blood." Nice. -Foreman Back to top QDear 100 Hour Board, Can dogs drink from straws? If not, why? How would this be fundamentally different from them nursing as puppies? - Musical Monkey
ADear Musical Monkey, No, dogs can't drink from straws because they don't have lips and they can't make a perfect seal around a straw. I remember one of my biology professors briefly discussing this in class once. The way a puppy nurses is very different from drinking from a straw. Milk flows from the nipple once a puppy has created a suction, and it is able to do so because it doesn't have any teeth to get in the way. Once some milk has built up in the mouth, a puppy then uses its tongue to help swallow it. Drinking from a straw requires changes in air pressure and water pressure (or whatever liquid it is you are drinking). Click here for a great explanation of how drinking from a straw works. -Sky Bones Back to top QDear 100 Hour Board, What happens to my housing agreement if I decide to transfer from BYU to a different university? Do I lose money? Am I responsible to find someone to take my contract? - Thinking about the future
ADear Future, Well, unless your contract has some sort of clause to the contrary, you're still under contract to pay monthly rent. Your contract may allow for you to sublet or transfer your contract, but it may not allow those either. Basically, your contract has nothing to do with your attendance at school or even your presence in Provo. You agreed to pay monthly rent, and that's what you'll do unless you can sell the contract. -Claudio Back to top QDear 100 Hour Board, Can you give me a general idea of how much money it would cost to fly first class to (round-trip) and stay in Japan (probably Tokyo) for 5 days? I don't even know where to begin with international vacation planning. - Jane
ADear Jane, Yes, I absolutely can give you a general idea of about how much said trip would cost: $10,000. This is including an estimate of the round trip flight (first class- $8,000), hotel ($900), food ($300), transportation ($300), and entrance fees to tourist attractions/souvenirs ($500). Now, I really had to round some numbers here a bit because certain expenses can depend upon a lot of things that you didn't mention. For example, the cost of the flight depends a lot upon the season and from where you are flying. I looked up round-trip flights from Los Angeles, California, since that is a very typical layover airport for flights to Japan. Generally, it's the most expensive to fly to Japan in the summer. It's way too hot here during the summer anyway, so I would highly recommend visiting during spring. In fact, if you visit in April, you might be able to catch the cherry blossoms. Also, I just wanted to let you know that if you didn't fly first class and just stuck with the economy/coach cabin instead, you could easily knock off at least $6,000 from the total trip cost. Economy/coach really isn't that bad. I've flown to Japan three times, and the most recent time I had a six-week-old baby with me, and it really wasn't that bad! Also, you could get a better deal on either Japan Airline or All-Nippon Airways if you went with economy/coach. Trust me, Japanese airlines are the best. I know you didn't ask for this specifically, but here are some suggestions/tips about visiting Japan: - Keep in mind that overall Japan is an expensive country, particularly the Tokyo area, so the above totals are just estimates. I have no idea how much food you eat, how many souvenirs you plan on buying, how many tourist attractions you plan on visiting, etc. so I did my best to give you a decently round estimate based on average costs. - If you are visiting Japan on a tourist visa, the absolute best way to get around is by getting a Japan Rail Pass. - You might want to consider staying in a ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn. They usually have decent prices and often have some kind of hot spring or sauna attached to them. - Some places in or around Tokyo that you should consider seeing are the Meiji Shrine, Harajuku, Shinjuku, Shibuya Station with the Hachiko statue, Kokyo (the Imperial Palace and its gardens), Ginza (particularly the Sony headquarters/showroom), Tsukiji, Ueno Zoo, the Edo Museum (and many, many other museums of all kinds), Yasukuni Shrine, Tokyo Tower, a kabuki play, and the Ghibli Museum. - Tokyo is an awesome place to visit, but might I suggest you consider visiting the Kyoto area instead? If you can visit both places, that would be even better. Kyoto was the capital of Japan from 1180-1868 and is considered the country's cultural heart. It was barely touched during World War II, whereas Tokyo was almost completely destroyed by air raids. Kyoto has some amazing ancient sites that are still intact, including Fushimi-Inari Shrine, Kinkakuji, Ginkakuji, Heian Shrine, Ryoanji, and Nijo Castle with its incredibly awesome nightingale floors, a ninja's worst nightmare. Please let me know if you have any further questions about visiting Japan. I would be more than happy to help you. -Sky Bones Back to top QDear 100 Hour Board, Which term is less offensive to little people: midget or dwarf? Also, do you have to pronounce the w in dwarf? - this isn't a joke, I'm really curious
ADear this, Uh, why not go with "little person" and offend no one? -Sardonic. ADear Really Curious, There are differences between dwarves and midgets. This site has a clean little table you can look at to compare them. I think the most important difference is that a dwarf has "a medical condition where a person is extremely short with disproportionate body parts," whereas a midget has "a condition where a person is extremely short." Both dwarves and midgets are less than 147 centimeters, but a dwarf has disproportionate body parts, while a midget's body is proportionate. According to that website, "midget" is an offensive term, but "dwarf" usually is not. Of course, you have the power to make any word derogatory, so please be careful. If you are actually talking to someone who is extremely short, maybe you should ask that person what they would rather be called. Also, yes, you do have to pronounce the "w." No one wants to be called a darf. -Mico Back to top QDear Source of Unnecessary Knowledge, What has happened to the Haka before football games? The players performed it after our victory against Oklahoma, but I have been unable to spot it since. -The All-seeing Y
ADear All Seeing Y There was a ruckus a couple years ago about The University of Hawaii performing the haka before a game (they received a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty), and there were a couple times players from opposing teams perceived BYU's performance as a challenge and were at mid-field to...express their desire to accept the challenge when they were stopped by teammates and officials. I thought the combination of those factors may have led to BYU no longer performing the haka before games. But, as you pointed out, they performed the dance after the Oklahoma game (I was there, I saw it, it was awesome). Perhaps they began performing the dance after games to avoid any controversy, such as I described above. As to why they stopped doing it after games?
If you think about the season, that means they performed the haka after their first two wins, but have not performed it since the rather embarrassing loss to Florida State. I'm not sure why, and neither is Bronco, but I'm pretty sure if BYU had defeated Florida State you would have seen the haka then, and after the subsequent victories as well. -Humble Master Back to top QDear 100 Hour Board, I am dating a guy who has finally agreed to take a dance class with me. His only stipulation is that the class has to be one where we don't have to change partners. Do you know which, if any, partner dancing classes have that option? Couples only classes? Thanks! - dancingqueen
ADear feel the beat of the tambourine, I do in fact. Dance 180 sec 31 is the couples-only section which you seek. -Ineffable ADear dancingqueen, Ineffable already answered this question sufficiently, but I happen to know a primary source about this particular class. Here's their response:
- Rating Pending (who thinks that really would be awkward if they broke up and had to keep coming to class) Back to top QWhat religions did the signers of the United States constitution belong to? -JCN Doubter
ADear JCN Doubter, The website adherents.com, on the page titled "Religions of the Founding Fathers" (coincidentally the first one that shows up when you search for "religion signers constitution") gives this breakdown (Name of Signer (State) - Religious Affiliation):
Interesting stuff. The website I already linked also provides a religious breakdown of the signers of the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation. - Rating Pending (who thinks we can all agree that it would be awesome to have the name "Gouverneur" for about five seconds and then people would realize you weren't really a governor) Back to top QDear 100 Hour Board, Following is a description of something I have been known to do. I almost did it (or something similar) again just now, but thought I'd better ask the Anonymous People I Respect first. I was once studying in the library much later than my wont and didn't want to walk home alone. I was also, erm, pursuing a young man at the time, so after I called my roommates (no answer) I called him. However, I didn't want to give the impression of pursuit, so I had a story ready, made better by the fact that my call went to voicemail. My story was: "I seriously thought I was calling my home teacher until I heard your answering machine. Sorry about that!" I didn't leave a message, but had faith he would call back. He did, and he duly walked me home. My subterfuge was a success. That's not the only time I've done something like this (not always with a young man I'm, "erm, pursuing"). Is that unforgivable? Have any of you ever done this kind of thing? (Did it work out for you?) - C is for Canny, who is useless at searching the archives for "relationship questions"
ADear C, Although what you did sounds fairly harmless in the end, why lie? I'm a fan of honesty, myself. If someone did that kind of thing to me I wouldn't be terribly upset, but my opinion of them would be slightly lower. No, it's not unforgiveable, but I think you're better off sticking with the truth. —Laser Jock ADear C, Imagine with me, if you will, that a young man left a similar message on your voicemail (only, for the sake of his masculinity, let's say he was wanting to borrow some Top Ramen seasoning and said he thought he was calling his Ramen-obsessed FHE sister). Now, as more time passes, let's say that you begin to get suspicious that this young man is, shall we say, keen. Looking back on the message-leaving incident, don't you think you would be a little skeptical as to the veracity of his explanation? For example, many years ago, I was on a long drive with a group of youth from my stake. Sitting next to me was a young man from my ward whom I didn't know very well. During the course of the trip, said young man "falls asleep," nodding dramatically until his head comes to rest on my shoulder. Now, at first I thought this might be an innocent mistake. However, as this young man began to show an increasing interest as the stake trip wore on, I soon began to suspect (along with everyone else who had shared that car ride) that the whole closed-eyes-nodding thing was nothing more than an act. The moral: be careful of subterfuge, my friend. If you plan to continue your acquaintanceship with the involved party, chances are good you will be found out. ~Hermia ADear C (is for Cookie I'll have you know!), I think that a little subterfuge isn't the worst thing sometimes. There are a lot of little things that people do to try to get closer to a potential someone special: hang around ward prayer a little longer than you normally would, just happen to be at your FHE sister's apartment when she comes over to visit teach one of them, or pretend your next hour class is canceled so no, it's really no problem at all for us to walk to my car so I can give you a ride home! One potential backfire is that if are too sneaky, and have too many ready excuses, he'll never get the hint, or assume that you are just trying to extend you circle of platonic friends. - Rating Pending (who did something similar to the car-trick with his now-wife) Back to top QDear 100 Hour Board, How do I become stylish? What pieces do I need in my wardrobe keeping in mind I don't have a lot of money. Some girls were clothes and it's an outfit and they look stylized. But when I wear clothes it doesn't look "put together" likes theirs do. Help! I am thinking preppy or feminine, classic, sophisticated stuff. - Help me Stacy & Clinton
ADear wanting help, Okay, first off, you wanted some lists: here and here are two good lists of women's classic wardrobe staples. A peacoat or trench coat are vital elements of a classic fall/winter wardrobe, as are hat, gloves, and scarf. Don't skimp on a scarf - get a real wool one if you can, and in colors that will match your coat. Plaid ones are great. Knit hats can be incredibly casual, but they can also go well with dressy-casual if they're not skiing hats ("beanies"). A good argyle sweater or cardigan can dress up the blandest t-shirt. If you want to get into this fashion thing, getting good shoes is a must. Your cross-trainers may be comfy but they dress down any outfit. The Sierra Trading Post has the best deals on name-brand dressy shoes I've found anywhere. They have fashionable items as well as kind of...well, less tasteful items, so use your good judgment. If your feet can handle cheap shoes, I think Payless has a pretty good selection as well. If you wear a wristwatch, get one that looks cute (not the digital ones we all had in 7th grade). Accessories can make or break a look, I think. To develop your fashion taste, I'd recommend checking out a few fashion blogs just to get a feel for the kind of things you like - I read The Sartorialist and Nerd Boyfriend (even though Nerd Boyfriend is men's fashion, it's still got some cool shoes and sweaters). Looking at photos of fashions will help you envision your own "look." This way, when you go to a thrift store, you can tell whether or not a certain item will fit in with your look. For example, part of my style is classic academic/"smart-casual." Much of my wardrobe goes well with brown (greens and reds). If I buy a new piece of clothing, I can buy something that fits into outfits I already have instead of a whole separate outfit (so...buy clothes you can mix and match). Another way having a single style helps make a wardrobe cheaper is that one purse can match everything...so you only need one. Okay confession time: I actually only wear about 4 pairs of pants consistently. My brown pair, my jeans, my black slacks, and these weird turquoise pants that don't really match anything. The only thing I would add is a good pair of khakis (not the cargo kind, although I do love pockets), and maybe a green pair of pants that fits (my current pair is about a size to small). That brings up another fashion tip that I wish I had been more conscious of for the last few years: buy and wear clothes that fit. If it doesn't fit, don't buy it or give it away if you already have it. Do you know what I'm talking about? I used to have a bunch of dressier shirts that were just too wide and not long enough, and I've been gradually phasing them out of my wardrobe. Sure, I still have the problem that none of my sleeves are long enough, but at least I'm not swimming in my own clothes (my roommate adds that slightly loose is better than too tight). Okay, there is your guide to becoming a little more fashion conscious from the girl who used to wear jeans and a hoodie every day, but now busts out the tweed and hounds-tooth regularly. -Whistler Back to top QDear 100 Hour Board, Am I the only person who didn't like the ending to Cowboy Bebob? Did I miss something that made the ending awesome, or am I supposed to enjoy being depressed? - Fringe Anime Fan
ADear Fringe Anime Fan, Congratulations! You are not the only person who was less than thrilled about that show's ending. I personally promptly fell asleep during the first episode, and upon waking up during the second episode was creeped out. Maybe I should watch it again when I'm not sleep deprived. Anyway, although my personal experience with Cowboy Bebop is limited, I do have two important things: a friend who watched the entire series, and the internet. When I asked my friend for his opinion, it was a simple, "Nobody ever liked the ending to Cowboy Bebop :D," and then a timid, "it was OK." From my perusing on the internet, it sounds like most people had a very bitter-sweet reaction to the ending. However, one man wrote an intriguing article explaining two different plausible interpretations for the ending. When looked at through a Westerner’s point-of-view Cowboy Bebop is a classic tragedy, where it ends with only a semblance of hope. If you look at it this way then the series’ ending is not unlike a Greek tragedy, which people nowadays find most depressing. The redeeming value in a tragedy is the perspective on life, the emotions in other people, and the poetic romance of the whole story. But, yes, in that way it actually is really sad. Yet despite the sadness people still read Greek tragedies, and Cowboy Bebop has had an excellent reception worldwide. Den Beste, the author of the article I referenced above, has another theory, one that makes a lot of sense and brings closure to the series. He describes Cowboy Bebop as a “series made in Japan, and...a Ronin epic with an American paint job.” For a quick summarization in his words, read on:
If you watch the ending with this perspective, a perspective which the Japanese writers probably had (whether conscious of it or not) the deaths are suddenly filled with a lot more meaning. I will use Beste’s words again, because they are so eloquent:
Now for my opinion! This seems like the sort of ending that a person is not necessarily supposed to like. When you watch a t.v. show like Friends you know the ending is going to be heart-warming and sweet. When you go to the movie theater you similarly know that the majority of movie endings are going to leave you with a good feeling. Cowboy Bebop is not that sort of entertainment; it was not created to leave the audience thinking sweet thoughts. Rather, I think its purpose was to leave you wondering, and to leave you considering whether what happened really was the best option. You are definitely not supposed to enjoy feeling depressed by the ending of that show. You are supposed to enjoy feeling psychologically challenged in your ideas of justice, right versus wrong, and social mores. Wasn't that deep? -Mico ADear FAF, Are you the only one? Not by a long shot. Are you supposed to enjoy being depressed? Well, no. But besides simply disagreeing that the ending was the best possible fate of the title character, all you can do is try to see if there could be some artistic, symbolic or other type of meaning in what seems to you (and many fans) to be a random, tragic waste. For example, I found it tragic that Captain Miller (Tom Hanks) died at the end of Saving Private Ryan. Sad? Yes. Depressing? Nope. Try to take something from it and see what happens. - Rating Pending (who, FYI, has never watched this show. Or any anime, actually.) |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||