Posts for Saturday, December 15, 2007

Question #41509 posted on 12/15/2007 3:01 a.m.

Appliances

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

I'm thinking of asking for a crock pot for Christmas. I've never owned a crock pot before, and have only used one once or twice, so I don't really know what features I'd want in a crock pot. Do any of you have suggestions?

- Amateur Gourmet

A: Dear Amateur,

Make sure that it will cook your food. Therefore a plug (one that plugs into the electrical socket) and a knob on the front that will let you turn on and off the crock pot are preferable. Don't let the salesman talk you into anything less!

-The Cheeky Chickie

A: Dear Rookie,

CC knocked out the most important feature. The only other thing that really matters is size. Frankly, I'd just go with the biggest one. It gives you room to grow, cooks just fine for one, and will last forever. I don't know if they make any crockpots without two settings (high and low), but make sure you have both.

And when you get it, make this recipe. It's a family favorite. Delicious.

-Claudio

Question #41505 posted on 12/15/2007 3:01 a.m.

House and Home

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

Since I'm the only one staying in my house next semester, I had planned to clean out all the old junk from all the shelves and closets that nobody's claimed for the last six hundred years. However, my new roommates have come to me and told me they're moving in early, so now there's going to be roommate overlap and I will have no way to tell which stuff should stay and which stuff should go. What can I do to remedy the situation?

-House full of crap

A: Dear,

Set up some big boxes, and have old roommates put things that aren't theirs in the boxes as they're cleaning out. Let new roommates put their things in the now-emptied bedrooms.

For other rooms, take all the dishes out to be boxed up and taken away by old roommates. Do the same with things in the living room, closets, etc. Whatever's not taken from your boxes and tables is unclaimed stuff, whatever's on the shelf belongs to the new roommates.

-Uffish Thought

Question #41502 posted on 12/15/2007 3:01 a.m.

Relationships - Wedding Prep.

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

Another relationship question. I'm sure this is probably addressed somewhere, but I don't feel like searching through tons of questions. I feel like I'm getting close to being engaged. It seems like couples usually talk about getting married and then go ring shopping. I'm assuming they do this before the guy actually proposes to the girl. My question is this - what about the surprise element? What if I wanted to propose to my girlfriend and have a ring? How would I know what size ring she wore without actually going ring shopping? Do ring stores just have a good exchange policy where you can take it back if it doesn't fit(or if she doesn't like it)? I guess I am just too embarassed to ask someone I know about this because it is probably common knowledge.

- Clueless

A: Dear Clueless,

I don't feel like searching the archives either (gasp!) so I will just give you my personal experience with this matter.

It seems like couples usually talk about getting married and then go ring shopping. I'm assuming they do this before the guy actually proposes to the girl.

I would highly suggest talking about getting married before you actually pop the question. A guy I knew was worried that when the time would come to propose to some future lass she would say no. If you aren't sure what she is going to say, you shouldn't ask. We don't live in a fairytale world and things don't just work out because we want them to. This whole marriage thing takes a lot of work that starts even before you are "officially enagaged."

What about the surprise element?

I was a bit worried about this very thing. Being a girl who loves surprises I didn't want to know what was going on, but I didn't want to be oblivious to what was going on in our relationship. We talked about getting married. We talked about when we would like to get married and what we felt like would be an appropriate amount of time to be engaged. We went ring shopping together. And he still surprised me! I had no idea it was coming - it was great!

What if I wanted to propose to my girlfriend and have a ring?

My dad proposed to my mom with a $10 ring he bought from K-Mart the day before (it's a cute, funny story). They went ring shopping later but she still has the K-Mart ring in her jewelry box (I remember being allowed to play with it when I was little). I know other guys who have bought a sweet little ring with a stone other than a diamond to propose with and then shop for another ring, together, later on.

How would I know what size ring she wore without actually going ring shopping?

You could ask a roommate, sister, or parent. Does she wear a CTR ring or other ring? You could be sly and play around with it and see how far down it goes on your finger and then try to match it that way.

Do ring stores just have a good exchange policy where you can take it back if it doesn't fit(or if she doesn't like it)?

Most stores will have a decent exchange policy but you should definitely make sure you like it before buying anything from them. All the stores I know of (i.e. NOT the mall...please email me if you are planning to buy from a store in the mall) will resize the ring for no extra charge. The place we bought our rings at will resize, fix, and clean our rings free of charge (minus shipping if it is a special issue) for the rest of our lives. If she doesn't like it, they will usually exchange it for the price of the ring. No cash back so you're stuck at the same store spending as much or more than what you already had.

Good luck with the wonderful future you have ahead of you! Marriage is great. It is so worth the wait (even if you think you've waited long enough - but that's a whole different post...)

- steen

A: Dear Soon-to-Be-Engaged:

I am neither married nor engaged, but that doesn't mean I don't like to think about these things!

Girls tend to fall into two camps on this issue: (1) They have had a dream ring for years and will be very upset if you don't get them exactly what they've had in mind, or (2) they have general preferences (silver/gold, diamond/no diamond), but nothing too set in stone. Figure out which way your girlfriend leans. If she is one of the first, forget the backhanded means and just let her take over. If she's one of the second, use the means steen suggested to find out her ring size, etc., but have the real thing when you pop the question. (I am one of the second camp's beliefs, and this is what I would prefer.)

I think the surprise comes from never having seen the exact ring before, not from never having discussed the possibility of getting married.

---Portia

Question #41501 posted on 12/15/2007 3:01 a.m.

Holidays

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

My mom's birthday is approaching, and I'd like to get her something nice. She always wanted to go to BYU, but didn't have the means, although she could've gotten in academically. She says that now she's having her BYU experience through me, and she loves being on campus, etc. Do you have any ideas for a meaningful gift I could get for her?

- a lucky daughter

A: Dear Daughter,

Please follow these instructions:
1. Walk to the BYU Bookstore (take your wallet).
2. Go inside and pick out something with the BYU logo on it.
3. Pay for it.
4. Go upstairs and get it gift wrapped.
5. Give it to your mommy.

The logistics of number 2 really depend on your mom's tastes. Does she like to golf? Will she wear t-shirts or jackets? Does she enjoy big fluffy blankets with cougar heads on them? Does she frequently wear bedroom slippers and now need another pair? Would she drink hot chocolate out of a big blue mug? You have options!

**WARNING** Do not forget step 3, unless you want to give mom your mug shot for her birthday. Although I'm sure you could write "Happened at BYU" across the top of it.

-The Cheeky Chickie

A: dear lucky,

give her your old textbooks, class notes, and ward menus. give her phone number to weird boys who ask you on dates, and give her info to the 'donate to byu' people. also, find ways to drain her time, and keep her up late doing inane social things. lock her in the local library. hook her up with a nighttime custodial shift. take her tunnel singing. tape a billion devotionals and forums for her. throw in a few copies of that norm guy's videos, too. it'll be a christmas to remember.

-bittermaid

Question #41498 posted on 12/15/2007 3:01 a.m.

Music

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

CBGB means Country, Bluegrass, and Blues, but what does OMFUG mean? Orchestra, Metal, Funk, Underground and . . . Google?

- Joey Ramone

A: Dear Ramones,

OMFUG is part of the name of a music club started by Hilly Kristal; the full name is CBGB & OMFUG, or "Country Bluegrass Blues and Other Music For Uplifting Gormandizers."

Gormandizer isn't exactly a common word. Kristal explained her word choice saying: "And what is a gormandizer? It's a voracious eater of, in this case, MUSIC."

I'd recommend checking out both of those links for more information, as well.

—Laser Jock

Question #41497 posted on 12/15/2007 3:01 a.m.

BYU - Athletics

Sports - Athletics

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

What started the BYU-U of U rivalry?

- Jeffrey Clayton Meadows

A: Dear Jeffrey

There are several factors involved in creating a rivalry, but I'm going to say that one of the chief factors is geography. BYU and Utah are close enough to each other that they have played regularly for a very long time.

Which is another factor: longevity. The first meeting between the two schools was a baseball game in 1895.

Which plays into another factor: bad blood. That first game ever between the two teams ended with a bench clearing brawl. That's a classic start to a rivalry.

Another key factor is that both teams have had a solid run of respectable teams for several decades now. It hasn't all been good for either team during that run, but the games have generally been competitive. There was a time when Utah State was Utah's big rival in football. What changed things? After years of fielding an awful football team that Utah walked over annually, LaVell Edwards made BYU football good around the same time Utah State's team started becoming worse. Thirty years later everyone talks about the Holy War, and poor Utah State is a rival to neither school.

The Wikipedia articles (yes, there are more than one) about the rivalry is pretty informative if you want to know more.

-Humble Master

Question #41496 posted on 12/15/2007 3:01 a.m.

BYU - Campus (physical) - Buildings - Library

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

How do the shelves in Special Collections, errrr, Periodicals work? Do they have wheels or is the mechanical arm strong enough to do the bidding of the control panel?

- Jeffrey Clayton Meadows

A: Dear Jeffrey

Yes. They have wheels and a mechanical arm that pulls the shelves at the bidding of the control panel. Without wheels there would be nasty skid marks and ugly sounds every time they moved.

-Humble Master

Question #41495 posted on 12/15/2007 3:01 a.m.

Relationships - Affection

Relationships - Dating

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

Why won't random girls make out with my little buddy Jeff? It's not like I'm hogging any of them, I haven't smooched a girl in over three years!

-not hogging the snogging

A: Dear no hogging

Because most random girls aren't in the practice of making out with random guys. There's a low percentage of loose-lipped women in the world, your buddy Jeff hasn't found one. Might I suggest he try dating a girl.

-Humble Master

A: Dear lack of snogging,

Try googling NCMO and see what you get. One time my friend did it for fun and she actually found a few sites where people get together for NCMOs. There are usually those types of girls out there somewhere that want a little non-committal lip action. However, when your little buddy Jeff finally gets married I hope that his future wife has made out with just as many people as he has. Leave the pure lipped girls for the pure lipped guys.

~Krishna

A: Dear nhts,

Exactly how "little" is he? Maybe these random girls aren't interested in making out with someone whose lips are so tiny. One false move could be disastrous.

Sincerely,

The Cleaning Lady

A: dear sharing nothing,

"little buddy?" what is he, your dummy in a ventriloquist act? your trusty dog? your tag-along friend? eww.

random people don't tend to do things for strangers. stand in the middle of brigham square and flag people down. ask them to loan you a pencil, you might get one. but start asking them to dance with you, display their belly button lint, or make out with your little buddy jeff, and you'll find fewer and fewer people willing to do it.

you and jeff should both smarten up some. nicer clothes, better deodorant, less of the co-dependent weirdness. maybe you'll get a little more lip action that way.

-bittermaid

Question #41489 posted on 12/15/2007 3:01 a.m.

Relationships - Dating

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

I think I like a guy in my ward. I say "I think" because its a little silly to like him considering I hardly know him. But I find myself thinking about him for days after seeing him at church or after talking to him for a bit. Our conversations are "How's it going" and just other small talk.

So here is my question, I really want to get to know him but everything I tried doesn't seem to work. How do I get his attention and how do I start talking to him? I've tried subtle hints and have got roommates to invite him to our apt. but nothing seems to work.

Please help me.

- I even dream of him.

A: Dear,

Forget subtle hints and roommate manipulations. You don't have go through cloak and dagger silliness just because you've got a thing for this guy. Normal getting-to-know-you friendship things are just fine for the purpose of getting you in close enough contact that things can develop. You can walk up to him and start chatting at ward functions. Look around you and find something to talk about instead of just the basic "how's it going?" You can invite him (and his roommates, if that's easier) over for dinner or to watch a movie or to play some games. You can go visit him, yourself. Say it's because you're trying to get to know people in the ward better. It's true, you are.

You sound mildly infatuated with this boy, but I don't think your dreams are symbolic or anything, I think they're just there because you've got to be thinking of something. You don't need special help, you just need to realize that "getting to know him" isn't that much different than "getting to know" anyone else. It feels a little different, but all you need to do are the same things--talk to them, be interested and interesting, invite them to do things with you, remember their name, act friendly. So dispense with the subtlety, the roommate intervention, and the hints. You don't need any of it.

-songs of inexperience

Question #41485 posted on 12/15/2007 3:01 a.m.

Art - Photography

Science

Q:

dear one hundred hour board,

would an astronaut need a special kind of camera to take pictures in space? i'm guessing any ol' generic camera would work for inside shots, but what about on space walks? would any ol' generic camera work in a vacuum? if not, what kind of camera would do the job?

--lanada

A: Dear lanada-

Yay! More space questions!

Most of the information I'm using comes from these sites. They have much longer articles and more specific information.

From what I can tell, it seems like a regular camera can work. The first picture taken outside a spacecraft was during the first spacewalk during the Gemini program with an unmodified Zeiss Contarex 35 mm camera.

However, after that, and up into the shuttle program, specially modified Hasselblad EL cameras are the standard. These have several alterations to make them effective: the shutter button is easy to push and the camera is automated as possible, to make them usable in space suits. Internal lubricants were modified so they wouldn't boil off in the vacuum of space. Special film was developed to manage the crazy exposures that can happen when you're not separated from the sun by an atmosphere. The casing was colored silver to maintain moderate internal temperature. Things like that... check out the articles for more of the specifics, if you're that interested.

But all of that is for old-school film-type things. Digital is the way to go, now! From that article, I gather that, aside from a few potential heat-shielding measures, digital cameras function normally in space. Of course, moving at such high speeds in still-crazy lighting conditions requires some personal aperture, shutter, and technique adjustments.

-Foreman

Question #41482 posted on 12/15/2007 3:01 a.m.

Relationships - Friends

Relationships - Roommates

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

My dirty rotten roommate is moving out next semester and I'm pretty ticked about it. What can I do to forgive him (other than never speaking to him again) and get along with the new fellow coming along?

- I used to live on Mount Olympus... then this happened

A: Dear fallen,

Cut little holes in all of his socks. That'll show him. Then when your new roommate moves in buy him a brand new pair of socks. It will be a new beginning.

-The Cheeky Chickie

A: Dear Whiner,

Grow up. Your roommate didn't sign a "and we'll be best friends forever and ever and we'll never move out or get married, just be perfect roommates forever" contract along with the regular housing contract when he moved in. If you stay friends after he's gone, great, if not, move on. Either way, give the new guy a chance, and don't make his life a nightmare by constantly telling him how cool life was with the old guy.

People don't live their lives to suit you. Learn it now, or you'll be in a world of hurt later.

-A Slap to Quell the Hysteria

Question #41481 posted on 12/15/2007 3:01 a.m.

BYU

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

Would it ever be possible for BYU to have a snow day? Would the campus ever close down if there was enough snow?

I understand that under normal circumstances any few inches of snow would be easily cleared away by the plows... but would there be situations in which it wouldn't be normal and school would be closed?

- Hoping for a snow day...

A: Dear Hoping,

Yes, it's possible. Last February, there was a blizzard in my part of Illinois which left over 14" of snow and had winds over 50 mph. Because of it, the University of Illinois declared a snow day for the first time in over 20 years. I have no doubt that BYU would shut down under similar circumstances.

However, that situation was highly unusual, even for Illinois, and Utah winters are much milder than winters in the Midwest. The problem with Utah is that we get snow on a regular enough basis that we're equipped to handle it, in terms of having snowplows and other equipment, but we don't usually get so much snow at once that it isn't safe or practical to hold classes. The other issue with snow days is that primary and secondary schools can just tack on extra class days in the summer to make up for snow days, but universities and colleges don't have that luxury, so they are more reluctant to cancel classes.

I regret to inform you that I have never known BYU to cancel classes because of snow, and I highly doubt that this winter will be any exception.

- Katya

Question #41480 posted on 12/15/2007 3:01 a.m.

Relationships - Marriage

Relationships - Wedding Prep.

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

As a freshman here at BYU, I plan on being engaged within the next three months. At the moment, finding the the perfect engagment ring is a cause of frustration. Can you help me? I'm trying to find a white gold ring with around a 1 karat round diamond in the center, and two small pearls on either side of it. Or something simple and pretty along those lines. I've looked at thousands of rings, and none of them hold the simple elegant quality that I am looking for. The ring seems harder to find than the actual guy!!

- Looking...

ps: are any of you guys single?

A: Dear itchin' for a hitchin',

Why, how wonderful that you wrote in! Believe it or not, I'm desperately searching for an 18-year-old girl to marry! Let's see, I'm a tall, athletic, scintillating 22 year old RM-who-was-an-AP with washboard abs and huge biceps. Because of my experience selling security systems last summer, I'm unimaginably wealthy. I drive a car that would make a man twice my age jealous. I have a 4.0 GPA and a full ride scholarship, and in my leisure time (of which I have a surprising amount) I love to go rock climbing while simultaneously rehearsing hymns for BYU Mens' Choir and writing checks to charities for disadvantaged inner city youth. I can't wait for the chance to find the lovely young Latter-day Saint woman of my dreams (fresh out of high school, because there's not a moment to waste!) to take to stake dances and watch Pride and Prejudice with. I'm especially looking forward to proving my love quantifiably by purchasing an expensive engagement ring for my beloved to show off. Isn't love magical? Anyway, I'd love to get our temple date reserved right away, so we'll have to be in touch soon. The details of your health, fitness, interests, spirituality, personality or education can wait until later. After all, this is true love!

Sincerely,
A Figment of Your Imagination

A: Dear Caused me to be speechless,

Short answer: I sent the link to this question to a fellow writer. "Serious, or joking?" was my query. His reply? "As much as we mock freshmen girls at BYU, I can't imagine that anyone is that deluded." I heartily congratulate you. If it was a joke, you nailed it on the head. If you are serious, YOU HAVE COMPLETELY BLOWN MY MIND!

*ahem.*

Long answer: If you're serious, these are the points that were jaw-droppingly astounding:

"plan to be engaged." To whom? One of the male Board writers? Oh yeah, that's right. No one just . . . plans a date to be engaged when not in a relationship! It isn't done. Apparently you have listened to one too many marriage talks in a mere semester . . .

"Can you help me?" No. Our taste in wedding rings couldn't be more different. Besides, what do you expect: to print out an invoice for the first random hot guy you meet, and say "Hello, would you like to shell out your life savings for a small object which I might flush down a Heritage Halls toilet?" An engagement ring is a gift: it represents all the time, emotion, and love that a man has put into the woman he loves. It's not some--some status symbol! (See, you have me stammering in disbelief.) Sure, they're fun to look at and all, but ultimately, the decision is his to make, and hopefully you won't whine if any guy does condescend to give you a horrible half-carat ring. Half a carat! The injustice!

"the ring seems harder to find than the actual guy" Hmm, I wonder why. What guy wouldn't be scared off by an eighteen-year-old who had eau de mariage dripping out her ears? Yikes.

"are any of you guys single?" Single? SINGLE?! What sort of presumption-
what in the-
who-
Yes there are single male Board writers! For one thing, there are only 1 or 2 who fit the half plus seven rule. You seem to be under the mistaken impression that we are young and rich. Not so. Most of us are old (compared to you) and/or poor. For another thing . . . I would hope that my intelligent, fun, and witty cohorts wouldn't descend to the level of a gold digger.

Conclusion: If you are serious, you need to take a serious look at what marriage means to you. If you were joking, then good job: you've managed to pinpoint everything about the BYU female stereotype that drives me up the wall.

Dark Chocolate

A: Dear Looking,

Amazon.com has over 600 diamond and pearl rings, and not a one that fits your description (although there were a number of rings with pearl centers and diamonds on either side). For what it's worth, pearls really aren't suited to everyday wear — they're too soft and easy to scratch, so they're not a common material for engagement rings. However, Amazon has tons of other rings, so maybe you should look through them and see if there's something else simple and elegant that catches your eye. And while you're at it, maybe you could buy it for yourself and start paying off the loan, as well. If you already know what you want, why not do your future fiancé a favor in that regard?

- Katya