Posts for Friday, December 21, 2007

Question #41762 posted on 12/21/2007 3:01 a.m.

Comments

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

RE Board Question #41581 - Just to clarify for readers, I don't think the numbers given in this response should be taken too seriously (despite the asterisk). I could sense a humorous feel to the response, but at the the risk of confusion, I figured something should be clarified.

The question submitted could come from a reader who is in a subset of the Church population which has vastly different numbers than the entire Church population. (e.g. Average primary sizes in Utah County will vary greatly compared to those in Istanbul.) The analysis given by Portia is fun conjecture, but in terms of statistical analysis it falls short of any real value.

-wired, who served in mission that had a ward with over 1300 membership records in it

A: Dear wired:

Ooh, them's are fightin' words. I didn't do that for my own amusement, yo!

I think I will leave it to Quandary to more fully address the statisical tools used. Thank you.

---Portia

A: Dear wired, who served in mission that had a ward with over 1300 membership records in it,

Well, of course, things like this can only ever be guesses since I don't think the real numbers are officially tracked. Statistical analysis can be useful in coming up with rough estimates, though. They can't be taken as being 100% accurate, but I would still say that it is extremely unlikely that one ward would have more than 200 kids under 2. Even if the vast majority of members on the ward's records were inactive leading to large ward sizes, it's not very likely that that many young children would make it onto the membership rolls.

Thanks for your comment, though. It's always a good idea to think critically about any statistical analysis; it's way too easy for a biased statistician or reporter to make statistics say whatever they want. I don't think that's what Portia was trying to do, but it's an important consideration anyway.

Quandary

Question #41760 posted on 12/21/2007 3:01 a.m.

Comments

Q:

Dear Flora,

Sorry, Board Question #41623 posted before I saw it. Anyway, the best floral food on the market is AquaPlus. I personally am sort of in love with it. Other brands just don't compare. This site (http://www.afloral.com/Floral-Supplies/Preservative-Fake-Water-Fragrance-and-Shine/Aquaplus-Powder-10-oz-Pail) has pretty reasonable prices on it.

- Azriel

Question #41756 posted on 12/21/2007 3:01 a.m.

Comments

Recreation

Travel

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

In response to Board Question #41232, being from NYC myself, I would strongly suggest the Central Park Zoo! It is very fun and I'm sure a family of any age would love it! There is a childrens part (games, petting zoo), and then a regular part. It is not very expensive either ($6/adults, less for children last time I went). I would also recommmend going to Gray's Papaya which is very delicious for hot dogs (similar to papaya dog, but better ;) If you have time and can find your way on the subway, Coney Island is always a fun place to go. It's out there, and a little scary if you go during the off season (winter), but an original Nathans hot dogs is there and the NYC aquarium and a beach and rides!! Have fun in the "city so nice, they named it twice"!

- Duane Reade

Question #41754 posted on 12/21/2007 3:01 a.m.

Transportation - Airlines/Aircraft

Comments

Music - Instruments

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

Regarding question Board Question #41609 Katya missed a couple of things that would have made my life a bit easier the first time I flew with my cello:

1. Get a hard case. Seriously. (Ok, I had one, so this wasn't a problem, my I cry in horror at night when I think what could have happened had I traveled with a gig bag)
2. When purchasing the ticket tell the agent it's for a cello. This means you'll have to call the airline. (I didn't see an easy way to do it online the first time, and it's probably easiest in general)
3. The cello has to have a window seat, and you have to sit next to it. This means on a plane with 3 seats across you're riding in the middle (FAA regulations). Oh, and it has to be buckled in. The standard seatbelt won't fit. Ask the flight attendant for an 'extension'.
4. Check the end pin! (Spot on, Katya) This bad boy is considered "dangerous". Yeah, all those band geeks getting revenge mid-flight, I guess. All other items (rosin, metronome, etc) should be removed from the case: cello and bow(s) only.
5. When you get to the x-ray machine the technician will clear the machine (you'll have to wait for the bags in front of you to go through), then send your cello through (they consider it a 'high value item'--ya think?).
6. 2 tickets means twice the carry on allowed! Um... but, you gotta carry it all yourself.

** Some (not Delta, for sure) allow you to "gate check" your instrument. This is the same thing that parents do with car seats. You escort the cello through all the screening, and when you get to the gate the cello is checked plane side (you get a lovely pink tag to reclaim later), and it's put under the plane. To find out if your desired flight/preferred airline allows this you'll need to call them, the airport, and any 'partners' who may be operating the flight (think Alaska and Delta, for example). If any of the above tell you 'no'--that means no. If all three say yes get there in plenty of time to explain everything to everyone who asks--and they will. Also, bring a copy of this letter http://www.local1000.com/pdf/carryon.pdf . This allows TSA to treat your cello as a carry on (and reminds them that that have to) (which means 1 other personal item), but does not require the airline to allow it.

*** If you plan on flying with it a lot, you might look into a flight case. Costs a whole lot more than your standard fiberglass case, but you'll save in tickets and potential hassle.

Most importantly: Get to the airport early, and pack a sense of humor and your good disposition. Lots of people will be stopping you to ask about it.

- Happy flying! granola girl

Question #41655 posted on 12/21/2007 3:01 a.m.

Games - Computer/Video Games

Q:

Dearest 100 Hour Board,

does anyone know where one can get a free version of 'oregon trail' for mac osx?

- GIRLFACE.

A: Dear GIRLFACE.-

One could find it here.

For you Windows users who don't want to miss out on the old-school fun, go here. (If you never want to get homework done again, look around that site. So wonderful.)

Of course, these are old, old games. Your system, whatever it is, probably won't be able to run it correctly, because these programs weren't built for that. You'll probably need a sweet emulator to make it work.

Windows: DOSBox works pretty well. It's what I use, at least.

Mac: This looks like it should work.

It can be frustrating trying to get some of these ancient games to work, but it's well worth it once you get it. Believe me.

-Foreman, who totally already had Oregon Trail on his laptop.

A: Dear GIRLFACE

Thank you for asking this question.

Dear Cognoscente

Thank you for answering this question. You just made my Christmas break so much more enjoyable.

-Humble Master

Question #41653 posted on 12/21/2007 3:01 a.m.

Holidays

LDS - Temples

Q:

How long are the SLC Temple lights up? I really want to go but I'm not in Utah so I'm hoping to go when I get back to Utah. Thanks!

- Soy un tigre

A: Dear Soy ~

The last night they are lit is New Year's Eve. Hopefully you'll get back to Utah before then, because they're beautiful!

~ Dragon Lady

Question #41650 posted on 12/21/2007 3:01 a.m.

Relationships

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

I have a friend at work who recently proposed to a girl and was turned down. She said that she needed more time to experience life. My friend says he loves her and is willing to wait.
What I don't understand is the way he talks and acts around me. He will ask for my help in everyday things and wants to know what girls like. He tells me all sorts of things from his life and he also asks me everytime we work together whether or not I like him. He likes to come up and poke me in the back and he even sometimes gives me a shoulder rub. He is the most confusing boy I have ever met. What is going on?!

- "Almost Pixilated"

A: Dear AP,

It sounds like he's not really ready to settle down, either.

- Katya

Question #41649 posted on 12/21/2007 3:01 a.m.

Random

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

I just recently quit from Bona Brazil because the previous owners, Valdo and Elianna, sold it to some spanish guy. While I was working there Valdo said that I had a customer ask about me. He said he was a RM from Brazil of average height, brown hair and that he was originally from Boise, Idaho. Do any of you know him?
- Blonde with curls

A: Dear Restaurant Dude:

Hmm. Brunette Idahoan who went to Brazil on a mission. Yeah, that's DEFINITELY not the most generic description of a BYU student I can think of at all. Who do you think we are, the CIA?

---Portia

A: Dear Blonde

Quite possibly.

-Humble Master

A: Dear Blonde ~

You know what? I'm headed up to Idaho this weekend. I'll be sure to ask around for you.

Oh wait... I'm not going to the Boise area. But then again, it is Idaho...

~ Dragon Lady

Question #41647 posted on 12/21/2007 3:01 a.m.

Health - Diets

Folklore - Rumors/Myths

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

I'm currently re-reading the book The Story Girl by L. M. Montgomery (author of Anne of Green Gables). I re-discovered something in it that I thought couldn't possibly really happen. In one part one of the main characters eats a whole cucumber, then drinks a glass of milk and goes to bed. She becomes really really really violently ill (in modern times she would have been rushed immediately to the emergency room). They send for the doctor, and when he hears that she ate a cucumber and then drank milk he says that that's what did it, because cucumber and milk combined makes a rank poison. Is this really true? Would plain cucumber and plain milk really make you violently ill?

- Anonymous

A: Dear A Nonny Mouse:

I think the poison of cucumbers combined with milk must be some sort of hallowed Canadian diagnosis, like other cultures and their apples keeping the doctor away or having Nutella with every meal. (This latter one is the culture of American students in Europe.)

From a Canadian poem: "Also the clear, red berries that grew in the policeman's hedge. Even the combination of cucumbers and milk could do you in, your stomach turning black inside and bursting." (Catherine Hunter. Journal of Canadian Studies. Peterborough: Winter 1998/1999. Vol. 33, Iss. 4; pg. 43, 2 pgs) (I accessed this through the HBLL's site.)

Snopes had the most relevant information regarding your question.

"I've heard that eating a cucumber & drinking a pint of milk at the same time creates a poison. The only reference I know of about this is in The Story Girl by L. M. Montgomery, but I can find no real evidence beyond this. Is it true?"

"Bad news for the makers of creamy cucumber dressing."

"Zachary Taylor . . . may have died of gastroenteritis after eating iced milk, cherries, and pickles. Then again, he may have died of heat stroke."

"Tzatziki (Greek yogurt-based sauce often used on gyros or as a dip) has yogurt and cucumbers in it, and I'm still alive."

Hmmm. Maybe the milk was rancid in the story? I think it's just a Canadian myth; that, or it seems like some people are just allergic to cucumbers, and milk might not have anything to do with it.

---Portia

Question #41646 posted on 12/21/2007 3:01 a.m.

LDS - Scriptures

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

I am not very happy with my current scripture journal system, and I am looking for new methods. What are some of your strategies?

Little Cindy Lou Hou

A: Dear Little ~

When I do keep a scripture journal, which, admittedly, hasn't been for a long time, I simply plan for a lot longer time with my scriptures. Then I open a chapter and a journal and start reading. As things hit me, I write them down. Or, when I was in a time that I really needed the scriptures to apply to me, I started with verse one and thought, "How can this verse apply to me right here, right now?" Then I would write down whatever thoughts came to mind... no matter how lame or tangential they may seem. It was a little difficult to get started, but as I'd get going, new thoughts and applications started to flood my mind. To the point that sometimes it would take me a good hour to get through a chapter. It was beautiful.

I really should start doing that again. Thanks for the reminder.

~ Dragon Lady

A: Dear Scripture-Reader:

Ideas for revising your scripture journal system:

Read the Institute Manuals online. Paste your favorite excerpts into a word processor.
Pick a few categories you're interested in and assign them a color. Highlight the scriptures thusly. Write your journal entries according to that system, and indicate which category it falls into.
Just write stream-of-consciousness right after you read for, oh, 15 minutes.
Include spiritual experiences in your regular journal.

---Portia

Question #41644 posted on 12/21/2007 3:01 a.m.

Sports

Utah

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

Favorite Utah ski resort? Why? What would you recommend for beginners? (Only been skiing twice, both times at Solitude.)

- Newbie

A: Dear Noob:

As they say, "Alta is for skiers." If you are looking for a mid-priced snowboarder-free haven, this is the place for you. They don't have many tree runs, which I am a fan of, though. Gotta love the rope pulley thing that you can ride across the resort with.

Brighton is cheap. I also know it the best. It has two sides, with Mary Trail, etc., then the main runs on the other side. The lodges are fun and social, and it definitely attracts a younger crowd. This resort is good for blue-square level skiing/boarding. Brighton probably has the highest percentage of boarders of any resort. Be warned: it's packed.

Solitude lives up to its name. I liked how alone I felt. I would like to return there someday.

Snowbird is very ritzy and expensive, and I hear it's great as far as black diamonds. Have never gone: don't have the dough.

I liked Snow Basin, and went with my school on a free ski day. Ogden is sort of out of the way, though.

Park City: over-rat-ed! The trails are so ridiculously flat and well-groomed, it's overpriced, and this is one I would definitely un-recommend. Do go to Park City, the city, though, just for fun.

Never been to Deer Valley.

I hear Sundance is just low quality, in terms of snow pack and runs. I give it a tentative thumbs down until proven otherwise.

For beginners, then, I'd recommend either Brighton, Alta, or Solitude: it just depends if you're looking for cheap and a lot of fun runs (and a bunny hill that doesn't stink), a place where you won't have crazy half-pipe-zooming teenagers cutting your halting skiing off, or a place where you can be alone with the slopes.

---Portia, who really hopes she gets to go snowboarding this Christmas break

Editor's Choice

Question #41643 posted on 12/21/2007 3:01 a.m.

Holidays

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

What's the worst (Christmas) gift you've been given?

- Female Leg-lamp

A: Dear Major Award,

The most inexplicable one was a cheap plastic Disney-themed desk set. It could have been cute, but I was about 20 at the time, and I don't even like Disney. I think I pawned it off on one of my younger cousins.

- Katya

A: Dear Female Leg Lamp,

The Bedford Edition of the Complete Works of Shakespeare. We specifically asked for the Norton. The NORTON!

-100 Typing Monkeys

A: Dear Female

Nothing really sticks out, which I suppose is a good thing. However, the last couple of Christmases different extended members of my family have managed to give me the exact same gift. That's always awkward. But I suppose it means they know me well.

-Humble Master

Question #41642 posted on 12/21/2007 3:01 a.m.

Dance

Recreation

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

Have any of the Board writers ever been to the Union Station in Ogden to go (country swing) dancing? If so, are there many people there? How would you rate the place in comparison to say, Studio 600 (my only reference point)?

- The Second Left Foot

A: Dear 2nd Left,

It looks like none of us has been swing dancing at Union Station. Stay tuned for helpful reader comments!

- Katya

A: Dear Dancer:

We don't have a lot of Ogdenites 'round these parts, but I do want to state for the record that I have been to Studio 600. And that it's pretty dang fun.

Except when you are in a full (hot) '40s swing get-up, and your friend failed to tell you that it was country night, and everyone else is in jeans. Good thing they had an alternate swing room.

Or when you throw your principles to the wind, and consent to do karaoke, only to not have the words show up on the screen.

For the record.

---Portia

Question #41641 posted on 12/21/2007 3:01 a.m.

BYU - Admissions

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

How long did it take to hear back from BYU on you application? Transfer students?

- Maybe a little too anxious

A: Dear anxious,

I applied pretty early on (maybe October or so? I can't exactly remember), and I didn't hear back until Christmas Eve.

Cheers,

-Tangerine

A: Dear Anxious,

I applied in November and was shocked to hear back the second week of December. My letter was not very thick at all so then I pulled it out of the mailbox I thought that I had not gotten into BYU. However, I then opened it and found out that their acceptance letters were just smaller than some of the other colleges.

~Krishna

A: Dear Maybe ~

I transferred. I sent in the last part of my application on the very last day around 5 pm. That was in October. I believe I got accepted around end of November. I don't remember an exact date, but I do remember having a couple of months to prepare before I moved down in January.

~ Dragon Lady

Question #41640 posted on 12/21/2007 3:01 a.m.

LDS - Doctrine

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

Um, this might be one of those questions that I'll have to throw on my "ask when you meet God list" but I thought I'd ask the omniscient Board anyhow. God is the same from everlasting to everlasting, but in the scriptures it talks about His wrath or anger being kindled against __________ and being stirred up to righteous indignation. So, I guess the question is 1) does God have moods? 2) do they change? 3) if so, how does it fit with the "same from everlasting to everlasting" bit - are there exceptions? 4) or is He permanently angry (in the holier, righteous anger, sense)? This isn't meant to be critical in a mean way, I'm really just trying to figure it out but may have to put it on the list and continue on without an answer, and I would be ok with that.

- Dramatis Personae pondering the Playwright

A: Dear DP,

My interpretation of God being "the same" is that He has consistent personality and behavior, in the sense of "I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say." As mortal beings, we can be very fickle in our behavior: we say we'll do something and then we don't, we'll say we won't do something and then we do, we reward bad behavior and we punish good behavior.

God can't do any of these things. He embodies the ultimate Law of the universe, which states that our actions have consequences for good or for bad, and He can't change that. However, I don't think that this precludes having emotional reactions to the choices made by His children, although I'd posit that those emotional reactions are also governed by His laws (e.g., "wickedness never was happiness," so He can't rejoice at our sins).

- Katya

Question #41638 posted on 12/21/2007 3:01 a.m.

LDS - Doctrine - Word of Wisdom

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

I was curious if the leaders of the LDS church have ever made comments concerning exceptions to the Word of Wisdom, specifically if prohibited items were acceptable if used for medicinal purposes. Have they ever stated anything about stuff like NyQuil, or drinking coffee to treat a migraine, or drinking tea to beat the flu, or medicinal marijuana? I've read previous board posts about this topic, and it's good to see everyone's opinions. However, I was more interested if there have ever been statements or conference talks where this subject was specifically addressed. I'm mostly interested in the coffee drinking example. Thanks!

- Interested to know

A: Dear Interested,

I searched lds.org and didn't really find anything, except for this story from Elder David E. Sorensen's talk Faith is the Answer:

After boot camp and military police school, I found myself assigned to an army base to work as a military policeman. One night I was given an all-night assignment to escort a convoy of prisoners from one camp to another.

During the night the convoy stopped at a halfway point for a rest. The commanding officer instructed us to go into the restaurant and drink coffee so we could stay awake the rest of the night. Right away he noticed that I declined. He said, "Soldier, you need to drink some coffee to stay awake the rest of this trip. I do not want any prisoners escaping or causing trouble on my watch."

I said, "Sir, I respectfully decline. I am a Mormon, and I doń’t drink coffee."

He didń’t care for my answer, and he again admonished me to drink the coffee.

Again, I politely refused. I took my place at the rear of the bus, my weapon in hand, praying in my heart that I would stay awake and never have to use it. The trip ended uneventfully.

This story rather implies that it's not OK to drink coffee for a medical reason (if you consider "needing to stay awake" a medical condition).

Personally, I figure that if something has a true medical application, it will be prescribed by a doctor or otherwise available as a medicine, and it should be treated as any other medicine, especially if it's potentially habit-forming. (I know you didn't ask for my personal philosophy, but the Board motto is "Your questions, our answers.")

- Katya

Question #41637 posted on 12/21/2007 3:01 a.m.

Social Science

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

Today I was at wal-mart in Orem, and one of the cashiers seriously weirded me out. I was in another line, waiting for some problem to be solved, but with this one Cashier, whenever some cute girl was buying her things, he was more friendly than normal, trying to get to laugh and flirting with her a little, then to top it off, he asked her out. I'm not sure if it has ever worked for him, and for the few that he asked, he got a blunt no, but come on, how desperate can a guy get? Anyways. how often does this happen to girls (and I think this guy is a BYU student too) and how weirded out are girls when this sort of thing occurs?

- More than a little concerned

A: Dear concerned,

I think you're just a little too worried about this poor guy and his lack of mojo. Being flirty doesn't make you promiscuous, and being bad at flirting doesn't make you a creepy stalker. Studying at BYU shouldn't give you ANY preconceived notions about someone's personality, either.

The classy girls will take it as a compliment, however awkward, and move on. The other girls will no doubt be offended. Life will go on. Maybe you should too.

-Cognoscente

A: Dear More ~

For the record, I have never been asked out randomly by a checker at a store. In fact, I'm pretty sure I've never been asked out randomly like that. Or if I did, I assumed he was joking, passed it off as such, and have since forgotten it. I also know of very few stories of this happening. So I wouldn't say that it happens very often at all. If you're really concerned about it, you could always go to customer service and report it to his manager.

Though, this reminds me of a story... once upon a time I was at Broulims in Rexburg, standing in line. I looked over at one of the checkers and realized he looked awfully familiar to me. I turned to Sparrow and asked if she knew him. She didn't and asked why. "Oh, he just looks really familiar. I'm trying to figure out how I know him." "Perhaps he's checked you out before." And then we both laughed amidst our groans.

~ Dragon Lady

Question #41634 posted on 12/21/2007 3:01 a.m.

Games - Computer/Video Games

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

Has anyone played Call of Duty 4? or Crysis? or bioshock? i just got a new gaming comp (2.3ghz dual core processor, 2gb ocz reaper 800mhz RAM, geforce 8600gt 512mb video card, and a 20" widescreen) and was wondering about personal fav's in the gaming world. i bought cod4 3 days ago and am absolutely LOVING in it, but was wondering about the other games. thanks fellas (i would say ladies too, but i doubt theres too many gamer chicks out there....)

-Charlie osacar delta 4

A: Dear modern warfare,

I'm way, way jealous of you. I'm trying to save up for a new gaming rig, but it's hard to pay for one when you gotta worry about rent and car payments.

Those three games you've mentioned are the holy trinity of new games, and it looks like you've got enough horsepower to make them look good. Mass Effect is another hot one right now, if you haven't picked that up yet. I recently picked up the Orange Box and I'm loving the heck out of it. I'd like to pick up some of the older games I've missed as well like Oblivion. I haven't gotten into many new games this year, but hopefully that'll change when I can afford a good machine, and maybe an SLI or Crossfire configuration.

I can't tell you how excited I am for Fable 2, Fallout 3, or Starcraft 2. There are some amazing games in development.

-Cognoscente

Question #41633 posted on 12/21/2007 3:01 a.m.

Relationships - Dating

Q:

dear 100 board,

what is the most number of dates you have been able to get in the shortest period of time? i had a friend claim that he got 4 dates with different girls in under 30 hours. is that even possible? thanks.

- bismark

A: Dear Chrondite,

Right. A "friend." Being that I know who this "friend" of yours is, I'd have to say, yes. It's possible.

-Azriel

A: Dear bismark,

I had 3 dates in one Saturday once. It was awesome. I went to breakfast with one guy and then went and fed the ducks at the pond on campus. Then that boy dropped me off and shortly later I had a lunch date with another young man and then kicked his butt at air hockey. Then I had to pretty much try to get rid of that guy because the time was fast approaching that I had a roller skating date with a third young man. Let me think. That started at about 8:00AM and ended around 1:00AM the next morning. So isn't that about 3 dates in 17 hours? Oh yeah. I'm good.

-The Cheeky Chickie

Question #41632 posted on 12/21/2007 3:01 a.m.

BYU - Bookstore

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

So today I went to textbook sellback, and there was a biology book I had, that apparently the bookstore would only buy back for $1 per pound, so I would have gotten only $13. What is the reason for this? It seems very strange to me...

- Duane Reade

A: Dear Duane,

If the BYU Bookstore has use for the book then they will buy it back from you at either 60% (if you bought the book from the BYU Bookstore) or 50% (if you bought the book elsewhere) of the new price.

However, if the BYU Bookstore has no use for the book or if they have hit the limit of how many they can/will take back then there is another option. There are wholesale companies that send workers and buyers to the BYU Bookstore to buy books for their company. A wholesale company usually only buys books back for anywhere between 10-30% of the new price of the book.

Part of the reason that the BYU Bookstore brings these companies in is as a courtesy to students. The Bookstore realizes that they will not be able to take back all of the books that students bring in to sell back. They also realize that most students have no interest in keeping many of these text books and would rather get some sort of compensation. So although these wholesale companies don't offer you a lot of money they figure that in some cases it is better than nothing.

And remember, if you have a problem with how much the Bookstore/wholesale company is willing to give you for it you always have the option of saying that you'd rather not and letting the book collect dust on your shelf.

~Krishna

Question #41628 posted on 12/21/2007 3:01 a.m.

BYU - Academics

Science - Biology

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

What kind of work do genetics majors do? What kind of jobs do they get? What are the things they study during school?

- potential genetics major

A: Dear pgm . . . wait, you don't seem like a moonchild:

What kind of jobs do they get?

Graduates enter directly into industry, medical schools, or graduate programs in any of the many biological science disciplines.

(From the Major Academic Plan for Genetics and Biotechnology.)

What are the things they study in school?

This unique degree is for students who desire combined training in biotechnology and plant genetics.

They take courses in Biology, Chem, and Plant and Animal Sciences.

What kind of work do they do?

I hereby refer you to the Wikipedia page on Biotechnology, where you can find out about the different sub-fields.

Other majors include work in genetics, but that is the only major at BYU that includes "genetics" in its title, so I assume that's what you were referring to.

---Portia

A: Dear pgm,

I have a friend who's currently doing a master's in "Genetic Counseling" up at the University of Utah. As I understand it, genetic counselors act as a liaison between the doctors and families of persons with genetic disorders. They provide support and information, having an understanding of the complex genetics behind a disorder but explaining it in terms that the layperson can understand.

So that's one possibility.

-Yellow

Question #41617 posted on 12/21/2007 3:01 a.m.

Computers - Software

Music - Soundtracks

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,
Several years ago, my brother downloaded a freeware imitation of Warcraft II called "Freecraft." As far as I can tell, Freecraft is no longer available due to copyright problems, but I would like to get ahold of the music that came with it. The song was a techno version of Bach's famous Toccata and Fugue in D Minor. Any ideas where I could find it?
-Jorge

A: Dear George,

So it was actually pretty easy to find, but there are a few issues you'll have to deal with. You can download the entire game from this page (direct link to zip file here).

Now the issues. First you'll have to unzip the file. Hopefully you don't have problems with this. Second, you'll see in the music folder (in the data folder) that there are 4 ogg files and one file called default.mod.gz. The ogg files are ready to go, you just need a media player that will play them (like WinAmp). To get your song, however, you'll have to decompress the default.mod.gz file. This isn't built into Windows, so you'll have to have a program that can do it (see here) or use Linux. The file itself is a mod file, which is basically a fancy MIDI file. WinAmp will also play this file. Good luck!

-=Optimus Prime=-

Question #41614 posted on 12/21/2007 3:01 a.m.

Sports

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

The BYU-USU game Friday was absolutely brutal, people got into fights and weren't even penalized! What is your take on what makes hockey so violent? It seems that hockey players take it a lot more personally than football players, for example. The job of football, nay, the function of football relies on hitting and smashing yet you rarely see fights. It can't be the sticks, for golfers rarely engage in fisticuffs, and it can't be the ice itself because the Nancy Kerrigan debacle is the only figure skating fight I have ever heard of and curlers are remarkably well-behaved.

- Bring Horatio down from the major leagues if you have to, to get his opinion!

A: Dear that is not all,

It's pretty simple really. Other sports do not tolerate fighting. Someone who instigated a fight in football, golf, ice skating or any other sport would be summarily ejected from the game/competition in addition to other penalties such as losing yards (in football), being monetarily fined, and being suspended for future games.

Without the threat of a major penalty (besides a few minutes being one man down), hockey players are more inclined to fight. There is not enough incentive not to, and in fact is moderately encouraged in North American hockey because of its tradition and the interest in fighting from the fan base.

Interestingly, collegiate and European leagues that eject players for fighting see much less fighting than North American leagues. Wikipedia has an interesting article on the subject I'm sure you will enjoy.

-=Optimus Prime=-

A: Dear Bring

If you're interested in facts about hockey fights, rather than the causes, hockeyfights.com, which keeps great statistics (you have a 38 percent chance of witnessing a fight if you attend an NHL game this year (which is actually the exact same chance as last year, but a little better than the 2005-06 season, when you only had a 29 percent chance of witnessing a fight)).

-Humble Master

Question #41606 posted on 12/21/2007 3:01 a.m.

Random

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

I have been baffled for years on something that I'm sure we all have seen. All those big power plants, raw material factories, and what not with industrial looking buildings and towers and such...they are always lit up like it's Christmas or something every night. Why do they have so many lights? You can see these things from miles away and I just can't figure why they do it.

- Curious Observer

A: Dear Curious O,

My good buddy Buddy at Rocky Mountain Power says it's to prevent airplanes from flying into both the building and the power lines coming out of it.

Good question; I've wondered that, too.

Sincerely,

The Cleaning Lady

Question #41585 posted on 12/21/2007 3:01 a.m.

Random

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

Is it possible for a titanium wedding band to be smoothed so its a comfort band? My new husband's wedding band is quite unique but we didn't anticipate how much it would dig into his fingers. The metal is titanium so we're not sure if we will be able to have a jeweller smooth the edges or if we'll need to buy a different band.

- newlywed

A: Dear newlywed,

I called around to a few respected jewelers, and the consensus was that smoothing the band would be difficult and costly, if not impossible (depending on the width of the band). All of them agreed that you'd be better off just getting a new band.

Sincerely,

The Cleaning Lady

Question #41583 posted on 12/21/2007 3:01 a.m.

BYU - Academics - Departments

Employment

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

How does one become a TA for the class MFHD 210? I am interested, if it's not too late to apply for winter semester. Is it very competitive? Does it pay?
Thanks,

- Potential Paper-grader

A: Dear PP-g:

I took an unprecedented stroll to the MFHD office. You do know where this is, right?

"Hi . . . I'm not asking for myself, but how do you become a TA for . . is it 220, 221? Human Development, I think?"
"Oh, 210?"
"Yes, that's the one."
"Well, speak to the specific professor you want to TA for: also, we have an application right here."
"OK."
"Here it is."
"Well . . . it's not for me."
"Oh, take it for your friend."

I was feeling extremely gracious, so I scanned the application.

Just a thought: if you have enough motivation to get this job, you'll have the initiative to go find out about it yourself. You can make the impression you want to make a lot better than I can.

---Portia

Question #41570 posted on 12/21/2007 3:01 a.m.

Literature

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

I was talking to my roommate about a story each of us read 4 or 5 years back as part of a BYU Independent Study course for English. It was either 9th or 10th grade.

I'm not sure if it was part of a short story, or an excerpt from a book, but basically it had a girl and some sort of celebration. It was set in Mexico I believe. Also part of the story revolved around two feuding villages/towns. And some stranger shows up, and asks the girl if she will take a walk around the plaza with him. Which in her village is apparently some indication of engagement.

I remember the word hidalgo being used. And my roommate remembers something about cheese, and that somehow ties into the fact that the stranger is from the other feuding village.

Could one (or a few) of you amazing people please help us find the title of this story, and if it's a book or just a story? Also the class only included part of the story so we never got to find out what happened, so if you could also include where we might find a copy of the story/book that would be awesome!

Thanks!
- Goddess of Discord

A: Dear Dis,

So, it looks like none of us has read this story or knows what it's from. And as you can tell by the delay in getting your answer, we've all been pretty busy with finals and Christmas preparations and...stuff. I truly apologize for that.

So, here's the thing: I could try to spend a lot of extra time that I don't have chasing down the name of this story that I have vague details on, using the vague clues about where you read it. Or, I could just give you the keys you need to find it out for yourself. As I think that's going to be the most effective anyway, I've elected for the latter. So, you can take these steps to find the answer you seek:

1) Find out the name of the teacher who taught your course. If this isn't easy to do, you can start with when the exact course name and when exactly you took it, and then call BYU independent study to find out the name of the instructor.

2) Email the instructor and ask werf what the story was. You can get werf's email from the BYU directory, located on the BYU homepage.

I hope this helps. I'm sorry it's late. But, well, that's all I'm sorry for. I'm just not willing to sacrifice my precious tree-decorating time to chase wild geese, even if it is the sixth day of Christmas.

Sincerely,

The Cleaning Lady

Question #41569 posted on 12/21/2007 3:01 a.m.

BYU - Clubs

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

i just wrote an email to the collegiate post at the address provided in a previous answer and i got an automatically generated notice sent back saying the address permanently failed. please tell me the collegiate post isn't over. I actually graduated from BYU in Aug and want to persuade the collegiate post to put articles online or send me a copy or something. i know you are busy but is there anything you can do to help? thanks for your time.

A: Dear Nameless,

So, I made some calls around that included several publication labs on campus, and I'm sorry to say that nobody seems to know anything about The Collegiate Post. So, it looks like it's been discontinued. Kind of a shame; I remember it too.

Good luck finding other links to your college days,

The Cleaning Lady

Question #41548 posted on 12/21/2007 3:01 a.m.

Transportation - Airlines/Aircraft

LDS - Doctrine

LDS - Prophets & General Authorities

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

How many official declarations have been released by the church? The Book of Mormon institute manual references one that is not included in the D&C. http://www.ldsces.org/inst_manuals/bm-in-sm1996/manualindex.asp (Alma 1:17-18)

Interestingly official church position has changed since then http://www.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/commentary/capital-punishment-in-utah

- Valentine Wiggin

A: Dear Demosthenes,

It kind of depends on what you mean by official declarations. The First Presidency has issued proclamations, declarations, statements, and letters, all of which are official and of varying theological importance. If you are really interested in the topic, I recommend to you this book (from Board Question #33016). It's the most comprehensive list I could find.

-=Optimus Prime=-

Question #41533 posted on 12/21/2007 3:01 a.m.

Employment

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

I want to translate novels between French, German, and English. Assuming I am proficient in all three languages, what should I do to get such a job? Could I get a permanent position with a publishing house, or would work be on a novel-by-novel commission kind of basis? Would my best option for steady work be to find a government position instead, and if so, how should I go about getting a government job? Sorry, I know I'm not supposed to submit more than one question at a time, but they're all very closely related, so I figured it would be all right. Thanks!

- Phantastisch

A: Dear Phan,

Those are a lot of questions that would require some in-depth answers, but you've come to the right place to get started.

Once upon a time, I was actually a founder of the BYU Interpretation and Translation Training Club. It's been a few years, though, so I decided to contact the president of said club, one Christian Weibell, and see what he thought. His response:

There are two options for getting started. If yoú’re serious, Í’d recommend both:

1) Go to the Graduate School of Translation & Interpretation at Monterey Institute of International Studies

2) Start doing freelance work for free, or if yoú’re good, for pay. Start with places like www.elance.com or www.guru.com. They have jobs such as this one. There are other translation job boards out there that yoú’ll want to search around for.

Also, there is a BYU Translation and Interpretation club. Currently it́’s not active because no one has signed up to run it. If yoú’re interested in organizing and promoting the club for winter semester contact me at weibell at byu.edu.

I also found you a website that has a bunch of info that can get you started, either with a translation agency or freelance.

Good luck with this!

The Cleaning Lady

Question #41528 posted on 12/21/2007 3:01 a.m.

Food & Drink

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

At the Cannon Center, they make this delicious vegetable lasagna with a creamy white sauce and tons of cheese. Any chance I could get this amazing recipe?

-Yummy Yummy

A: Dear Yummy a deux,

Wow, so...this was kind of a weird phone call. After about 10 rings, a thickly accented voice answered the phone. I asked her if it was possible to get the recipe for the vegetable lasagna, and I guess I had just assumed that I would speak to someone in an office who would email me the recipe, if possible. But no; she actually just launched into it in bits and pieces over the phone. She didn't give specific amounts for things, so I took the liberty of comparing it to a lasagna recipe I had and using that as a guide for amounts.

So, here you go:

Cannon Center Vegetable Lasagna c/o The Cleaning Lady

8 oz. dried lasagna noodles, cooked (9-10 noodles)
2 c. cottage cheese
4 c. steamed vegetables - zucchini, eggplant, carrots, and broccoli
1 c. mozzarella cheese
Alfredo sauce (see recipe, or use another Alfredo sauce, preferably with a chicken base)

Alfredo Sauce:

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
3 tablespoons chicken base
3 cups whipping cream
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons water

Place garlic powder and chicken base in saucepan. Add cream and heat, stirring occasionally. When hot, add Parmesan, stirring regularly until cheese melts. Add cornstarch that has been dissolved in water and continue to cook until sauce thickens enough to coat back of spoon. Remove from heat and keep warm.

To assemble lasagna:

1) Combine cottage cheese and steamed veggies.
2) Layer lasagna by putting 1/4 of Alfredo sauce on bottom of pan, followed by 1/3 of veggie mixture, followed by noodles. Repeat layering 3 times, finishing with Alfredo sauce.
3) Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top, cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 60-90 minutes (check after an hour). Remove foil for last 30 minutes.

I hope this is close. Good luck!

The Cleaning Lady

Question #41527 posted on 12/21/2007 3:01 a.m.

BYU - Academics

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

I recently walked by a display case in the Benson that had pictures and home countries of all the chemistry graduate students. I noticed that many of them come from Asia, in fact I counted 47 of 87 that listed a country in Asia as home. And the majority of those from China. Why such a high percentage?

- No one in paarticular

A: Dear Abstract Persona,

Part of this tendency can probably be explained by general cultural tendencies. In general, Asian countries are well known for their high level of personal discipline, especially concerning academics and careers. Higher learning is highly valued.

More specifically, though, it makes sense that there would be a substantial majority of Chinese students. The first reason for this is fairly obvious - China's population is enormous - it's the most populous nation in the world, and thus often enjoys a higher level of representation.

Also, in the late 1975, Communist Party leader Deng Xiaoping called for an increase of Chinese emphasis on science and technology as part of his "Four Modernizations" reform goals. In the next decade, educational reforms helped achieve this goal, as the Chinese educational system improved and dedicated itself to promoting scientific advances. So, it makes sense that brilliant, young Chinese students would be strongly encouraged to contribute to China's continuing scientific advancement. Leaving China for several years to study at an American university with a strong science program (like BYU) is often seen as a great way to do this.

~Hermia