Posts for Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Question #44941 posted on 05/07/2008 3:01 a.m.

Ethics

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

Is skinny dipping bad? Obviously it is with the opposite gender...but what if you're married in the temple? I've always really wanted to (and I'm not married, incidentally), and I may finally get my chance this summer (I don't really relish the idea of doing it in a lake).

-Skinny

A: Dear Skinny,

Meh. Been there, done that. Not really that amazing.

I don't think it's a sin. Like so many gray areas, God judges us on our intents. If you are trying to go skinny-dipping just to "escape your garments," then yeah, that's probably not good (of course, you wouldn't be wearing them swimming even if you were wearing proper swimming attire, but hey, whatever). But if you're just going swimming in your birthday suit...heck, why not?

-Claudio

A: Dear Skinny,

I've gone skinny dipping without being married in the temple. It was fun, and I liked it. I was not with people of the opposite gender.

But I'm bad, so I guess my answer isn't helpful.

-Madame Mimm

A: Dear Skinny ~

What if someone showed up? What if your parents happened to go on a midnight stroll past the shore where you are? Would you be uncomfortable? Would you try to hide what you were doing? I wouldn't say it's a sin or "really bad", per se, but I don't think it'll ever get my vote as a Good Idea.

~ Dragon Lady

Question #44936 posted on 05/07/2008 3:01 a.m.

Relationships - Dating

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

I've recently set a goal to have a boyfriend by the start of Fall semester. I haven't had one before, so this isn't driven by lust, it's driven by the fact that I need to date more and get more experience in, including some actual relationships, in preparation for getting married somewhere down the road. Kind of a weird goal, but maybe not. Anyway, what tips/advice do you all have? Anyone you know who's looking for a date? Or a girlfriend? (except not weirdos, of course; I mean in the sicko sense, I recognize I'm kind of a weirdo myself).

-Jane E.

A: Dear Jane,

With a salutation like that, I feel like I should be writing a letter to a sister missionary to break up with her.

My main advice would be to set a goal you have a little more control over. For instance, if you want to get more dating experience and hopefully an actual dating relationship, set the goal of dating a lot more. To achieve that goal, you're probably going to have to set other goals, like being more social, working on your flirting, and trying to meet new people in addition to the guys you already know. If you get out and date consistently and frequently, odds are pretty good that sooner or later you'll end up steadily-dating someone.

Just about any guy I can think of is looking for a date (assuming he's not already attached). This doesn't necessarily mean he's looking for a date with you, but that's fair—you aren't interested in every guy out there either. If you are interested, or think you might want to get to know the guy better, ask him. Or if you don't want to do the asking, flirt and drop hints and so on to let him know. Try guys you know, guys you've met, guys in your ward, and anywhere else you think to try. Hey, some Board writers might give it a try too—look for those with dating applications; if they don't have one, you can send an e-mail to any writers that catch your fancy, explaining who you are and why they should go out with you.

Good luck!

—Laser Jock

Question #44935 posted on 05/07/2008 3:01 a.m.

Restaurants

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

My birthday's in a week, and I already scored one "noodlegram" from Noodles & Co. What are some other places I can get free stuff (preferably free meals) in honor of my birthday? I'm over the age of 21 if that helps.

-Getting old

A: Dear Old Guy,

Dude, it is ALL about Tucano's. I love that place.

Heaven will be a bunch of angels bringing me skewers of meat.

Oh, you can also see Board Question #35722 and Board Question #940 for some more ideas.

-Claudio

A: Dear Claudio,

Don't forget Board Question #38755.

-=Optimus Prime=-

Question #44934 posted on 05/07/2008 3:01 a.m.

Social Science - Psychology

Strange Things People Do

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

Ok, so, this is kind of a risky question...but I have heard here and there with celebrities about something called "S&M", particularly Angelina Jolie, I think. I get enough of a vibe from it, that it's probably not something I just want to type into google, because something bad might pop up. Though I don't know for sure. Anyway, I just wondered if you could give a brief description of what it was, just so I know what it's about.

-Naive

A: Dear Naive,

Well...let's just get down to it.

S&M are the initials for sadism and masochism, sometimes abbreviated to sado-masochism. Sadists are people who receive pleasure (most often sexually) from inflicting harm on others; masochists are people that are pleasured by having harm inflicted upon them.

Basically, anything kinky you've ever heard of involving leather, whips, chains, burning, and other forms of inflicting and/or experiencing pain in a sexual connotation...it's S&M.

And yes, Angelina Jolie has expressed a fondness for such acts, describing them as being not about the violence but "really about trust." THAT was a risky Google search right there!

Further, and on a note entirely unrelated, Metallica recorded an album with the San Francisco Symphony. What better title for an album with Symphony and Metallica than S&M?

-Claudio

Question #44931 posted on 05/07/2008 3:01 a.m.

BYU - Network/Email

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

What is all this about BYU not having an email system for its students anymore? I just got the notification yesterday! I almost cried! Why are they doing this to me?

- I have extremely exaggerated reactions to life!

A: Dear Expressive,

I called and asked them, to make sure I had things straight. The guy I asked was quite helpful. Most students don't even use their actual e-mail account; if they do anything with it, they just have it forward to another account. Since almost no one was using the e-mail accounts, it simply wasn't worth the money to keep maintaining the system. You'll still be able to forward your e-mail to another account, like Gmail or Yahoo or wherever you prefer. If you have never activated your e-mail account, you can't now; if you have activated it, you have until December 31, 2008 to copy out whatever you want before it gets closed. The forwarding will continue uninterrupted.

—Laser Jock

Question #44929 posted on 05/07/2008 3:01 a.m.

BYU - Network/Email

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,
According to my calculation, it looks like BYU has 65,534 public IP addresses. How many of these are currently being used?

- I know you hate counting questions, but this is important.

A: Dear I didn't have to count,

You are correct as to the number of public addresses usable. We have the entire 128.187.0.0 class B subnet. As of roughly February 2008, BYU uses approximately 2800 of the available addresses statically.

However, you probably notice that many of the computers on campus utilize a 10.x.x.x address. This address range is not routeable on the internet and is only used internally. Therefore, every time someone uses a 10.x.x.x address to access a computer on the internet, a NATing (Network Address Translation) has to take place which maps their internal address (10.x.x.x) to an external address (128.187.x.x).

BYU uses a one-to-one NAT - meaning that for every 10.x.x.x address that is allowed on the internet a unique 128.187.x.x address is mapped to it. We reserve a very large number of these addresses for this purpose. This mapping process is very dynamic â€“ so as to efficiently use the addresses purposed for this cause.

So if I had to estimate, depending on the number of computers accessing the internet at any given time, we use between 25,000 and 30,000 addresses.

Just for fun, at the time of this writing, I checked our firewall and there are around 10 thousand addresses used. So add that to our 2800 statics, and you have roughly 13,000 addresses.

Good luck,
-branflakes

Question #44926 posted on 05/07/2008 3:01 a.m.

Language & Linguistics

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

When you feel the need to eat you are hungry, and when you feel the need to drink you are thirsty. What about when you need to go to the bathroom?
Is there one or more words that serve this function? If not, I propose "Urinant" and "Fecular", respectively.

- Diemer

A: Dear Na₂,

I did some thinking, and some searching in the Oxford English Dictionary, and couldn't find any adjectives that fit what you're asking. So, go ahead and make up whatever words you want; if people actually start using them, someday they may end up in the dictionary. (You may be interested to know that "urinant" is already a word with another meaning: it means "Borne with the head downward, and the tail erect," and comes from a Latin word meaning "diving," as in a dolphin or a fish. The quotations mostly seem to be talking about coats-of-arms.)

—Laser Jock

Question #44925 posted on 05/07/2008 3:01 a.m.

Utah - Provo/Orem Community

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

I have heard that currently the Utah Valley is experiencing some schizophrenic weather; although it's technically Spring, the snow keeps making an appearance. I will be coming out there in about two weeks time and will spend a few days in Salt Lake and Provo. What do you suggest I pack as far as weather appropriate outfits suitable for interviewing?
- *Prudence*

A: Dear Prudence,

Predicting the weather two weeks from now challenges even the Board's fabled omniscience. I'd suggest waiting until a couple days before you come out, and looking at the forecast at that point. It should give you a good general idea of what to expect when you actually get here. Good luck with your interviews!

—Laser Jock

Question #44924 posted on 05/07/2008 3:01 a.m.

LDS - Scriptures

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

I've noticed over the years that there appears to be plagiarism in the Book of Mormon. I think the most glaring example is in Moroni 7:

45 - And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

In Corinthians 13:4-7, Paul writes the following:

4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Paul (as with other Biblical writers) is obviously known for his distinct writing among scholars. The verses in Moroni and Corinthians almost are exact copies of each other, almost word to word. How can Moroni, who lived in America and lived well over 100 years after Paul passed away, write almost exactly the same as Paul, who lived in the Old World. If I wasn't a member looking in the Church, I would see this as blatant plagiarism by Joseph Smith. Thanks for taking the time to answer this question.

- secret asian man

A: Dear secret asian man,

See Board Question #24904.

- the librarian

Question #44923 posted on 05/07/2008 3:01 a.m.

Products

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

On our cereal box this morning (a store version of Honey Nut Cheerios), next to the logo there is a U in a circle. I know R is Registered, and C is Copywrite....but U? What's a U mean?

- "What U Mean?"

A: Dear U,

When the packaging on a food product bears a "U" in a circle, it means that that food product has been deemed kosher by the Orthodox Union. Thus the food's ingredients and preparation have been found to be in accordance with Jewish law, meaning that it may be eaten by practicing Jews.

~Hermia

A: Dear yoU,

There's more than one way to show a product is kosher, though. The circled U does mean the food is kosher, but so does a triangle-K (the most common other one I've seen), and these other ones.

-Olympus

p.s. That symbol also means Unilever ...

Question #44922 posted on 05/07/2008 3:01 a.m.

LDS - Missionaries

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

So I'm headed to the Carlsbad California Spanish Mission (Spanish) in about 9 weeks. I just recieved a letter from my President the other day which contained a list of FAQs and additional rules [to the White Bible.] In that list of rules was one that asks that we not carry backpacks but use shoulder bags instead. They claim that the people of our area are upscale professionals and that shoulder bags will give us a more professional look.

I don't know about you, but messenger bags (or shoulder bags) are not the most confortable things to wear and I can't even begin to fathom riding a bike with one.

I guess my question is whether ot not I should be taking this "suggestion" seriously. The way that it was worded makes it sound a bit more like a rule than a helpful hint if ya know what I mean ;)

- Potential Chiropractic Frequenter

A: Dear Me Too,

You're right that a shoulder bag isn't the most comfortable. Nevertheless, if that's what your mission presidnent has asked of you, you should do it. My mission in Spain had a similar rule, and it was fully expected that missionaries would not carry backpacks. All the missionaries used shoulder bags. That's just the way it was.

Obviously, this is something that changes for every mission. If you really want to know, you should write or call your mission office and ask them if it's important. Tell them that you're concerned about your back, and see what they say. It can't hurt.

If you do end up needing a shoulder bag, though, I recommend you only carry it when necessary. In my mission, we could often get away with only carrying one or two copies of the Book of Mormon, so near the end of my mission I started leaving my bag at home and just carrying them in my hands. It helped. Some.

-Yellow

A: Dear Potential,

In my mission we didn't have such a rule, but I actually preferred a shoulder/messenger bag over a backpack anyway. Why? It keeps you a lot cooler to not have something flat against your back, and you don't have anything pulling at your armpits when you're already sweating. It's all I really used, and I was on a bike for over half my mission. It's actually quite easy to ride a bike in them; there's a reason bicycle messengers tend to use them. So if you do end up needing one (after following Yellow's advice), relax—they're actually not bad at all, especially if you get a quality one.

—Laser Jock

A: Dear PCF,

If you've already got significant back problems, I'd actually recommend getting a doctor's note to see if you can get an exemption to this rule. If you're just concerned about future problems (and rightly so) remember to pack light and regularly switch the shoulder on which you carry the bag.

- Katya

Question #44921 posted on 05/07/2008 3:01 a.m.

Self Improvement

Transportation

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

I apologize if this has been asked before, but I couldn't find it in the archives. I'll be riding the bus about 3 hours a day this summer, and I'm hoping to actually do things during that time so I don't lose 3 hours of my life every day. I've thought of reading/listening to books on tape, planning my meals for the week, playing handheld video games, and sleeping--what are some other fun/productive/good things to do on a bus?

Thanks,
Bus Rider

A: Dear Achmed "I just get these headaches,"

Panic, get car sick... Oh wait, no. Don't do either of those.

-Azriel

A: Dear Rider,

Drawing on experiences from my mission, I thought of (a) talking to people around you, (b) reading the scriptures, and (c) memorizing scriptures. You could include studying for the next Sunday School or priesthood or Relief Society lesson (if you're LDS). You've already got a pretty good list there—have fun exploring what you can do on your commute!

—Laser Jock

A: Dear Bus Rider,

Take up a portable hobby, like knitting or crochet.

- Katya

Question #44920 posted on 05/07/2008 3:01 a.m.

Board - Writers

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

In question Board Question #44769 Dragon Lady mentioned that several of the other writers were sitting in a group with her, stunned at a question. Do you guys often get together to answer questions? I know you guys have little meetings and parties and stuff, but do you actually hang out as friends?
Also, if you guys go home for the summer, do you still write on the board? Are a lot of you home right now?
- Q girl

A: Dear Q girl,

Dragon Lady and I are in the same ward, and I'm often found over at her place. (After all, her roommate has an awesome collection of movie soundtracks playing at almost all times; why not be there? Much better than my boring, undecorated stereotypical guy's apartment.) We don't get together expressly to answer questions, but it comes up. We talk about Board questions occasionally, just like you might mention homework with a friend who's in your same class.

Besides, who wouldn't want to hang out with us? The Board right now is filled with great people who, in addition to being super knowledgeable, also have tons of other interests. They're a pretty great crowd.

-Yellow

A: Dear Q girl,

Yeah, in general Board writers are friends in real life too. We tend to have quite a bit in common, and I'll second Yellow in saying that they're a pretty fun group. (Hopefully that doesn't sound too self-aggrandizing.) We get together, IM each other, and whatever friends normally do.

We can keep writing even if we go home for the summer. Some of us are home, but quite a few are actually in Provo still, working or going to school. It's up to individual writers if they want to keep writing over the summer or not. Most do, but if they want to take the summer off that's fine too.

—Laser Jock

Question #44919 posted on 05/07/2008 3:01 a.m.

Medical/Body

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

What are the coolest/most useful/least-known home remedies that you know of? For anything, from substitutes for medicine, to getting stains off, keeping bugs away, whatever. (For example, I have recently discovered that just spraying Windex can extremely easily clear up pretty much any food coloring stain on your kitchen counter or floor. I was pretty proud of myself.)

- All for the natural stuff

A: Dear George,

Hydrogen peroxide removes blood stains, and rubbing alcohol (or things that contain it, like aerosol hairsprays) remove ink stains. Handy. Also, passing a partially used static dryer sheet over your hair gets rid of static and frizzies.

-Kicks and Giggles

A: Dear natural woman,

Meat tenderizer takes the swelling down on wasp / hornet bites if you put it on the skin right after the bite. (Putting it on a damp paper towel works best.)

Covering your hands in dish soap or soaking them in pure dish soap can help get glass shards or cactus spines out of your skin.

- Katya

A: Dear All ~

Rubbing salt on your hands after cutting an onion (and before you wash your hands) will absorb the smell of the onion so your hands don't smell like nastiness for the rest of the week.

~ Dragon Lady

Question #44911 posted on 05/07/2008 3:01 a.m.

Relationships - Family - Parenting

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

My baby's old enough to start eating rice cereal and other baby food, but I'm not really sure how to go about it.

Should I give him baby food just once a day, or three times a day, like three meals, or with all five of his regular feedings? And does the baby food replace the breastmilk, or should I give him both in the same feeding (and which one goes first?), and how do I know if he's full? And once I start adding different kinds of baby food, do I need to give him a little bit of each kind at each meal, or do I give him one kind for one meal, and another kind for the next meal?

Obviously I'm new to this whole thing. Any advice you have for me would be fabulous. Thanks.

- Proud Momma

A: Dear Proud Mama,

I know you get sick of hearing this, but there really isn't a right answer because every baby's different. Basically, though, doctors say that until he's a year old, breastmilk is still going to be your baby's primary source of nutrition. That means that the supplementary rice cereal and stuff you're feeding him is more for practice and taste enrichment than it is for nutrition, especially for the first several months.

I would certainly never set myself up as the authority on all things baby, but I have now managed to keep a child alive and thriving for over a year, so I'll tell you what I did.

We started with rice cereal at around 5 months. I gave it to her about 3 times a day. I would feed her a little bit of cereal first before nursing. Let me tell you, babies know the difference between cereal and breastmilk, and when they've had enough cereal and are ready for milk, they make no bones about letting you know. They'll just refuse to eat the cereal, and/or scream and fuss if you try to force it on them. Don't be worried about your baby filling up on cereal so that he denies himself milk. It won't happen.

As far as giving other foods, we just kind of played it by ear. When she first started eating the purees, one jar would last for several feedings (I mixed it with the cereal.) Soon, though, she'd finish one each sitting, so I'd give her a new kind each meal. Sometimes I gave her several tastes of different kinds at each meal; sometimes I didn't. I played it by ear depending on what she'd eat and what food I wanted to get rid of. Again, it honestly doesn't matter that much, because milk is still going to give him all the nutrition he needs. Also, while it's a good idea to give him a variety of foods, don't freak out if he doesn't like certain foods - it doesn't mean he's destined to be picky. Despite my many attempts, my daughter would not eat pureed vegetables. However, now that she has teeth, she eats them readily in non-baby-food form.

As far as how much to feed, give your baby as much as he's willing to eat. Again, you'll know he's full when he just refuses to eat any more. As long as he's continuing to dirty his diapers regularly (liquid and solid), he's getting enough to eat. (By the way, get ready for a change in smell and texture in that area.)

It might also give you confidence and direction to check out Gerber's feeding advice. I printed up a couple of their proposed menus to use as guides. It actually didn't change the way I did anything, but it helped to reassure me that I was on the right track.

Good luck - you'll do fine.

The Cleaning Lady

Question #44885 posted on 05/07/2008 3:01 a.m.

Food & Drink - Cooking

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

What are your favorite recipes that don't include cheese or onions?

- Cheese-hater

A: Dear silly werf ~

Symphony brownies. Mmmmm...

Oh, you want something you could eat as a meal? Not dessert? Stir fry, mashed/baked potatoes, lemon/Italian/maple chicken, rice and veggies, pasta roni, etc.

Really, anything that calls for onions you can simply leave the onions out. (Except Onion Rings. That would just be weird.)

You want recipes? Hmm... they're all really simple. "Open box of Pasta Roni. Follow directions on back of box." or "Cook and mash potatoes." or "Chop up vegetables. Fry them. Put them over rice." If you want any specific recipes, let me know and I'll actually type something up. For now, I think this will suffice.

~ Dragon Lady

A: Dear Banana N'Vectif,

Who am I to say anything about one's eating habits? No one, clearly. Even if I can't understand not liking cheese, I totally hear you on the onions.

So, since you named those two ingredients in particular, I'd say it sounds like you're looking for a main dish. There are loads and loads out there that don't have either cheese or onions, and as DL says, you can always leave the onions out in the dishes that do call for them without any harm.

Here I provide for you one of my favorite quick 'n' easy meals:

Chicken Pot Pie

1 and 2/3 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1 cup cut up, cooked chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup Bisquick
1/2 cup milk
1 egg

Heat oven to 400. Stir vegetables, chicken, and soup in a square baking pan. Stir the remaining ingredients (in a separate bowl) until blended, pour on top. Cook for 30 minutes or until golden brown on top.

-Azriel

A: Dear Crazy,

One of our favorite dinners is Chinese Potstickers, which are cheeseless and (optionally) onionless.

Potstickers

1 package wonton wrappers

Filling:
1/3 lb. ground pork or pork sausage
2 cups tiny-diced cabbage (Napa is recommended, but we use what's cheapest)
2 carrots, shredded or diced
1 egg
1 Tbs. salt
1 Tbs. soy sauce

Directions: Combine filling ingredients. Fill wonton wrappers using directions shown on package (don't overstuff, seal with water.) Place large skillet over low heat. Add 1/4 cup oil. Arrange potstickers in skillet in rows, fitting closely together. Increase heat to medium high and cook uncovered until bottoms are deeply golden, about 2 minutes, checking occasionally.

Add 1/2 cup of water and cover immediately. Let steam until wonton wrappers are translucent, about 3 minutes. Remove cover and continue cooking over medium high heat until bottoms are very crisp and well browned. Drain off excess oil if necessary. Loosen potstickers with a spatula and transfer to serving dish.

Serve immediately with dipping sauce made from 1 part vinegar, 1 part soy sauce (try about a Tbs. of each.)

Note: When making the filling, feel free to add any other finely-diced veggies or spices you want. I've added mushrooms, peas, bamboo, and water chestnuts.

Enjoy!

The Cleaning Lady

Question #44864 posted on 05/07/2008 3:01 a.m.

Travel

Q:

I am graduating in August, and want to take a road trip. I just thought I would ask if you had any good ideas for a cheap budget, but yet an ultra fun time! Also what is the cheapest way to have a Europe trip?

Wanting to go oh so badly,

A: Dear

With gas prices the way they are, and knowing that they're just going to keep climbing, I don't think any road trip is going to be real trip. Especially if you go a very long distance.

If you're a hiker, you could take a trip to any number of national/state parks and camp-out while you're at it. That right there eliminates any hotel fees. Also, I'm a huge fan of the beach and really don't think you could go wrong there.

Don't actually have any ideas for a cheap Europe trip (unless you happen to have airline connections, but even that's iffy), so you'll have to rely on our readers or another writer to help you there.

-Azriel

A: Dear Wanting,

The cheapest way to take a Europe trip is to go in the off season; have an International Student card in order to get discounts on museums, etc.; stay with people you know, in hostels, or in train stations (not recommended); walk to places as much as you can; buy cheap food at cheap grocery stores; and forgo souvenirs.

Have fun,

The Cleaning Lady

Question #44841 posted on 05/07/2008 3:01 a.m.

Hypotheticals

Q:

Dear 100 Hour Board,

Having recently heard the lesson likening a movie with a little bit of bad stuff in it to brownies with a little bit of dog poop in them, I began wondering if one were to mix dog poop with brownie batter before baking the brownies, would the dog poop be sterilized? At what temperature would the brownies have to be baked for the sterilization to occur?

- Boss Tweed

A: Dear Boss Tweed,

Ew. That's disgusting. However, I did find that "most pathogenic bacteria are destroyed between 140 Â°F and 160 Â°F." (link) If you used a food thermometer, and made sure the temperature inside the brownies got up to at least 160 Â°F, theoretically they wouldn't harbor dangerous bacteria. No temperature could ever make this a good idea, however.

—Laser Jock