Dear dead cat,

The choir director you mention leads the MTC choir (and has since my time there, long ago). My friend Twinkie who works in the MTC says that different colored tags mean different things. Black means full-time missionary, obviously. White is for employees. Blue tags are for Church-service missionaries.

--Pilgrim

Dear Alan,

Just so you know, I think you're bordering on irrational if you think that anyone who has ever experienced therapy (1) is diagnosed with some type of disorder, (2) gets labeled by their therapist, (3) has an ominous mental health file created, and (4) is a crazy person. I would venture to guess that close to 50% of people who have had decent insurance through most of their lives have gone to therapy sessions at some point, and I'm honestly a little flabbergasted that you have developed such an aversion to the very idea (and why that is in the first place).

I don't think therapy is what you think it is. I think you should give it an honest consideration. I went to therapy for nothing in particular as a teenager and it really helped me sort out my life to have someone outside of my family and apart from church to give insight into my life and help me recognize why I was behaving how I was. I have never been labeled, I was never diagnosed with a mental illness, and I am fairly certain that my old friend Phil never created an ominous file that will forever be associated with my name for all generations forever.

--Gimgimno

Dear anon.,

Since you don't want to talk to anyone about it, I guess inviting you to email me wouldn't be helpful? 

But seriously, it sounds like you are taking the right steps. One thing that might help you feel more comfortable is to go to a therapist completely unrelated to you or your life. What I mean is, part of the reason it might be hard to commit to going to the WSR or the CCC is that it is kind of public. Other students see you going in; students work at the desks; you might run into the therapist later at the Cougar Eat. Thankfully, there are a lot of therapists throughout Utah County whom you can visit. Maybe try finding someone even just a few blocks away could help ease your anxiety about visiting a therapist.

-Mico

Dear Always Anonymous,

I've been going to a therapist on and off for years and I've never been formally diagnosed with anything. Primarily because, while I have experienced symptoms consistent with depression, anxiety, etc., I am not meeting the DSM-IV requirements for an actual diagnosis of Major Depression. Most people, including those that are prescribed anti-depression medications, won't actually meet the requirements that are listed in the DSM-IV. The point is that it's very rare that someone is actually diagnosed, and most therapists aren't trying to figure out what label to put on you, but rather they are trying to help you with whatever you need help with. 

I personally love the CCC and I have had a couple of wonderful therapists there. I am especially grateful for them because most of them have an LDS background (or are very familiar with LDS beliefs), as this can help tremendously when your talking about your life, or beliefs, or struggles, or whatever it is you want to talk about. That being said, I get what Mico is saying, and the lack of complete anonymity can be a bit stressful at the CCC, so I will back up what she said about looking off campus. 

Keep in mind that if you do go talk with a therapist/counselor, you are not publicly admitting anything. You are privately admitting something to an individual who's entire job is to keep your secrets and care for you. They are not there to judge, criticize, or "label" you in a negative light. They are not going to tell you you are crazy, or messed up; their goal will not be to try and fix you. Their one and only goal is to give you a safe place to talk about the things that are bothering, worrying, or stressing you out. 

If you're still concerned, then test the waters. Go to therapy and don't talk about your major concerns on the first visit. Talk about school. Talk about roommates, friends, family. Talk about a small worry that you have. By all means, take time an build a relationship with your therapist first, before trusting them with your real secrets. There is nothing wrong with that. 

As someone who carried her burdens for many years alone before getting help, it is amazing how much telling even just one person will help. 

-Watts

Dear you are welcome,

Better than telling you my thoughts, I'll direct you to the source material that inspired my thoughts: BYU's University Career Services page about including Church service on your resume. I also recommend you check out the rest of their tips on resume building as it goes into great detail about what to include and how to say it.

Peace and blessings,

-Art Vandelay

Dear Bayesian Conspiracy,

It seems this is a case where coffee is not the same as caffeine. An interesting paper from The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition states:

Coffee is a beverage consumed widely throughout the world. Caffeine, a natural constituent of coffee, has been the subject of numerous studies because of its pharmacologic effects. However, caffeine is not the only metabolically active substance in coffee; there are many other compounds that also have physiologic effects. For example, it is well documented that the polyphenols (tannins) in coffee bind to iron in the intestinal lumen, forming an insoluble complex and thereby inhibiting iron absorption. Other components of coffee such as chlorogenic acid are also thought to interfere with iron absorption. 

In addition, there may be other effects of coffee on iron metabolism aside from impaired absorption. In studies with rats, hemoglobin and hematocrit values of pups of dams who consumed coffee during pregnancy and lactation were significantly lower, whereas liver iron concentrations were significantly higher, than in pups of control rats. These findings suggested that coffee may interfere with the mobilization of iron from the liver to sites of hematopoiesis. Liver zinc and copper concentrations were also elevated in pups of dams who had consumed coffee.

The same article also states that "caffeine is not the component suspected of influencing iron status." So really, coffee causes iron deficiency, but not because of caffeine. As that quote mentioned, some chemicals in coffee tend to physically clump up with iron in such a way that it can't be absorbed. 

I thought this was interesting in that it demonstrates both (a) that caffeine and coffee are different and (b) that coffee is not just bad because of caffeine. 

~Professor Kirke

Dear non-pregnant,

I'm not a super pro with stats either, but it appears that the blog author is comparing raw percentages from data without determining whether those percentages are statistically significant. I didn't see any evidence of any statistical tests used at all, which may or may not be problematic when you're trying to compare numbers in the millions to numbers in the tens of thousands.

It's too bad that there was no proper use of tests of significance to power the number analyses in that particular post, because the broad conclusion (that home birth has a greater risk of preventable death than hospital birth) is actually correct. In the past ten years, since home birth has begun to be popular again, there have been a number of studies that corroborate this. The most recent major research study on home birth safety, published in 2011 in the British Medical Journal (link), indicated that even for low-risk women, there's a significantly higher risk of adverse effects (including death) with home births than there is in an obstetric unit. When you actually crunch the numbers, home birth doesn't appear to triple the rate of adverse effects, but there's really no denying that the rates are significantly increased, indicating that many of those events could have been preventable in an OB setting.

Of course, that's not to say that all home birth is evil or something. Given the right combination of a very low-risk pregnancy, successful history of past labor and delivery, personal birthing preferences, and a very experienced midwife who is good enough to know her limits, home birth can be worth considering. The authors of most big studies do seem to support allowing low-risk women to choose their delivery setting, provided there will be well-trained midwives and reliable and fast transportation to an obstetric unit if necessary. Those are some big "ifs" to be met, but it is possible to meet them in certain situations. In general, though, modern research does indicate that out-of-hospital births carry bigger risks than in-hospital births.

- Eirene

Dear Monk,

I happen to have a good friend who interviewed for that modelling job. When I asked him how one would go about obtaining said position, he promptly replied, "You just need to be really athletic and sexy." So there you have it! If you meet those qualifications, the job will come to you. It's that simple!

Upon further inquiry, I learned that he found the job listed on the BYU jobs website, and that they really do give preference to applicants with athletic or dance experience. I am unaware if there are other ways to become an art model—perhaps you could get in contact with a visual arts professor to find out who's in charge—but if I were you, I would either check that website periodically or stalk the various announcement boards in the HFAC. 

-The Entropy Ninja

Dear Flightless,

When I first looked at your question, I did not notice that you meant Moscow, Idaho, and I was like "No. You cannot take the train from Salt Lake City to Russia."

And, as Mico discusses below, apparently you can't take the train from Salt Lake to Moscow, Idaho either.

~Anne, Certainly

Dear flightless,

You can't leave Moscow by a plane, you can't leave Moscow by a train. Unless of course you are willing to go way out of your way. I have a friend from Moscow, Idaho, who had this to say:

Okay, so I have found out that buses come in and out of the Royal Motor Inn in Moscow, and so they are the people to call about that.(208) 882-2581. As for trains, I am certain that there aren't any that come in and out of Moscow proper, because I have run along those train tracks before (oh! nostalgia!) and they only have cargo trains. And there really couldn't be one covering any part of the Moscow-to-Boise leg of the trip. I have driven that road many a time, and it is often nothing more than two lane goat trail along the side of a river canyon. I don't know where you'd put a train in with all the mountains and such. Plus, there just aren't enough people to keep a train running. I imagine the same considerations apply to the Boise-to-SLC leg of the trip. That is the wonderful/terrible thing about North Idaho---people just don't care that it exists. Which is nice, because then I get it to myself, but it does have its drawbacks.

Dear Tree Hugger,

Unfortunately, I haven't made it up into the mountains in a few weeks. My guess is that everywhere close and pretty will be snowy or muddy. Don't let that stop you! Buy a tarp for cheap at Wal-Mart and throw your gear on there when you stop to camp or eat or rest.

Here are some places that I think are awesome, and which have few-to-no people around this time of year:

• Soldiers Pass: This isn't the most beautiful area, but it has an amazing view of Utah lake, Utah Valley, and there is definitely  no snow on the mountain. It's free and legal to camp here, and there are a lot of spots in the area if the exact location I suggested has people. The last 20 minutes are on a dirt road; four-wheel drive is not required. There is a short hike to some awesomely colorful clay pits nearby (it's probably 3 miles round trip). There are a lot of trails leading from my suggested camping area, so make sure you have GPS, a smart phone, or topo maps with a compass. If you have none of those things, head southwest with a healthy sense of adventure! (This area is a much nicer spot to camp at [it is much more wooded and green], but I wouldn't attempt to get there without a four-wheel drive vehicle, or at least a vehicle with high clearance.)
• South Fork: Park in the lot shown, and head to the trailhead on the west side of the lot. The trail follows the stream southwest and hits a gorgeous meadow after about three-quarters of a mile. I suspect that there are still a couple inches of snow here, at least in patches. You can camp anywhere for free, but make sure you follow good LNT principles (camp in established sites, use only established fire pits, camp at least 200 feet from water, etc.). Most established sites are before the meadow. There is a nice 3-4 mile round-trip hike to the spring which feeds the stream--just follow the same trail up and stick by the stream when you run into forks in the path. There are all kinds of trails here and you should spend some time exploring as well--if you come back in early June, bring your butterfly net because they are everywhere!
• Y-Mountain: There is obviously still snow on the mountain, but it's such a gorgeous hike that you should ignore the white stuff and go anyway. Start at the Y-mountain trailhead, and hike the Y. The trail up to the Y is brutal in a backpack, and honestly not very pretty, but everything after is amazing! After you reach the Y, follow the trail up and right (southeast) and follow the path until it takes you east into the canyon. This is an astoundingly gorgeous hike once you've entered the canyon. I think this hike is worth it even if it is too snowy to make it to the summit of Y-Mountain. 

Hopefully one of these suits your fancy. Shoot me an email if I can join you!

-Hamilton

Dear I hope not,

Due to vaguely similar experiences, I know that I'm on the more secretive end of the spectrum. I would only directly inform the friends I'm closest to and that I trust completely—probably just roommates, in my case. Anyone else would be left to find out by word of mouth. Those on the outside who notice something may be concerned enough to ask you what's going on, and I wouldn't keep the situation from those people, even if I didn't want to go into the details. I like breaking news this way because your most important friends know what's going on up front, and friends you don't know as well have the choice whether or not to be worried and involved. 

How you break this sort of news to others depends on your comfort level. If you need to sit them all down so that you only have to explain things once, then do that. If you prefer not to, sometimes bringing it up in a more casual setting makes things less tense and gives you an opportunity to laugh about it. If it's appropriate, you could write a note or a letter and leave it for your friends to read. Honestly, it will probably be awkward no matter what you do. Most people won't know how to react. I've been on both the giving and receiving end of that kind of news, and I still don't know. Do whatever feels most comfortable to you and hope that others will be supportive. 

I never understood why friends would feel betrayed in a situation like this. If I were on the receiving end of news like this, my concern for the person would far outweigh any negative feelings; I would give that person the benefit of the doubt, rather than assume he or she doesn't trust me. Then again, I also understand what it's like to be in situations like that; you're not always in the right frame of mind, and I completely understand the desire for secrecy. Everyone deals with their problems differently. Some people reach out, while others clam up. Hopefully your friends are understanding enough to recognize this. 

Best of luck to you.

-The Entropy Ninja

Dear May,

I think this is something that you're allowed to be selfish about. Do you need someone to talk to or help convalescing? Then tell whoever you think will be able to help. Do you need to explain some obvious behavior, symptom, or absence resulting from your condition? Then tell people about it, and you get to choose how much detail you'll share. Outside of your immediate family, I honestly can't imagine anyone getting angry with you if something bad were to happen—that would be incredibly narcissistic to focus on themselves when you'd be the one suffering. I can imagine people wishing they had known, but I also think anyone could understand how someone with a serious illness might want to maintain some privacy about their body and resist having a medical condition take over their life and all their conversations. Again, you're allowed to be selfish. Focus on what will help you the most, not what will appease the people you know.

- Eirene

Tom,

Internet Explorer, when I'm working on an old PC and click a link in another application that forces IE to open instead of, you know, another tab in the browser I ALREADY HAVE OPEN.¹

No Dice

¹ Only a little bitter, guys. Only a little.

Dear Tom,

Windows Photo Viewer (I had to open a photo just to find out what the name of the application is).

Microsoft Disk Image Burner - guys, did you know that if you just double-click a disk image file in Windows 7 it automatically starts said program and burns the disk? No whole open-source program needed just for the 1 .iso file I burn in a year! Discovering this was one of those rare moments when I was super-happy with Microsoft. And as far as I can tell, the only way to access this program is double-clicking a disk image file.

I agree with No Dice about Internet Explorer and will add Windows Media Player to the list of those kinds of annoying programs. (It brought me so much happiness when my new laptop came with Chrome as the default browser, further cementing my loyalty to Lenovo.)

~Professor Kirke

Dear blimp,

There's Vitamin String Quartet, which does string arrangements of pop songs.  They've covered "Viva La Vida," "Speed of Sound," "Clocks," and even (wait for it) "Yellow"!  (They actually have several albums devoted to Coldplay songs.)  The London Philharmonic Orchestra has also done instrumental pop covers, such as of Pink Floyd.  Some more that I found are 2Cellos, who have played songs like "Use Somebody" by Kings of Leon and The Piano Guys who have done "Rolling in the Deep" by Adele and "Just the Way You Are" by Bruno Mars.  Hopefully that starts you out on some new musical adventures!

Love from

Queen Alice