The_MoUsY_spell_checker's Advice Column

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I first signed up because I saw really simple computer questions with no answers, and I just had to answer them. Today, my column still has more answers to questions about computers than anything else, but feel free to ask about anything. I can follow up on questions too.

I have been the featured columnist on 16 October 2005, 01 May 2006, 18 December 2007, 12 July 2008, 02 February 2009, 08 March 2009, 24 May 2009, 29 September 2009, 12 November 2009, 05 January 2010, 06 January 2010, and 26 April 2010.

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so me and B were friends for three years, and then she started really messing up her life. she even ran away once, and her whole family was on my case because they thought i was hiding something, which i wasnt. i was just the last person to talk to her.

so a few months ago, im at my bf's house and she calls and starts yelling at me because i didnt tell her i had a boyfriend. which, to me, thats no big deal. she dates a new guy every week, and i dont even know about half of them until their long gone. and like i really care, anyways...

and then about a month ago, she texts me asking if i wanna come over. i told her i was staying the night at my bf's house. and she gets pissed and tells me that im neglegent and that i have no time for my friends anymore. and thats not true. i make plans with a lot of my friends, going to my bf's house is just a last resort on a boring day, and she had just asked at a bad time. i tried to tell her this, and she cussed me out and then i just stopped answering her calls and texts.

then a few weeks ago, she started going to my church!!!! luckily, ive gotten out of going to church for a few weeks because my dad doesnt have to play in the choir. but hes gonna start up again soon and i absolutely HAVE to go. B has been sitting right behind my family for the past couple of weeks and i really dont wanna see her.

how do i cope with her? i dont wanna be her friend anymore. i am 110% COMPLETELY sick of her, and i dont know how to deal with her at church. especially since and i cant cuss her out and dump her in a sanctuary. -.-''

can someone tell me how i can avoid her? or just tell her i hate her guts...without putting it like that? (PS, i dont have any friends at my church, so dont tell me to just go sit with someone else)

im so sorry this is long. O.O thanks for any advice!!

I don't go to church myself, but I would assume that if you go to church, you're there for a church service, and you shouldn't be talking during the service anyway. Focus on that and don't talk to your ex-friend. Sitting right at the front might help with this.

Also, if your family is there, why not just sit with your family?

That said, if your ex-friend is someone you're likely to see in your everyday life, you can't avoid her forever. Make it clear to her that you want to be left alone. If she won't listen to you in person, text or email the explanation to her. Avoid cussing because this will only add to the anger between the two of you.
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dear Advicenators,

do you know how depressing it's going to be pretending like i ENJOY having a long distance relationship over valentine's day? i am so done with it.

some tips for meeting guys please?

thanks

What are your hobbies? Try looking for clubs for your preferred hobbies. There are clubs for just about anything these days. Those places are good for meeting new friends in general. Depending on your hobbies, there may or may not be many guys your age, but it's worth a try.

Also, more importantly, don't place too much significance on Valentine's Day. It's just another day of the year. Keep yourself busy doing things that you like if you have the time, or working on things that need to be done if you're busy.
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how exactly does this work? i've been dieting and excercising and i've hit a plateau so i want to try something to give me a kick start. any advice on this? is there anything else, with about the same price, that's more effective?

thanks, advicenators!

According to the Zantrex-3 website (here: http://www.zantrex3online.com/zantrex3_ingredients.html), the active ingredient is caffeine. The page says that each dose (which I think means 2 pills, because on the FAQ page it says take two before each meal) contains about as much caffeine as 3 or 4 cups of coffee.

Caffeine speeds up your metabolism, so it is likely to be effective in helping you lose weight, but it can be addictive, and it can also cause side effects such as insomnia and twitching. Ever seen anyone drink too much coffee? That's the kind of side effect you're likely to get. Use at your own risk.

Another reason why I wouldn't recommend using diet pills is that even if you do lose weight by taking them, you're likely to gain the weight back as soon as you stop taking them.

If you do decide to take Zantrex-3 or other diet pills anyway, make sure you maintain a healthy diet and keep exercising. Also remember not to exceed the recommended dosage. The Zantrex-3 site also reminds users not to drink too much coffee (or other drinks containing caffeine, such as tea) to avoid overdosing on caffeine.
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18/f

I've never been to a music festival or concert but there are a lot coming up that me and my friends want to go to during the hotter months. What sort of clothes should I wear?
Any examples or pictures would be greatt

In general, a concert is not a situation for which you need to dress up specially. Any clothes that you would normally wear when you go out will do. The most important thing is that your clothes are comfortable.

Having suitable shoes would probably be more important. Closed shoes would be safer than sandals because concerts tend to be crowded, and you might get stepped on. Also avoid high heels because you might spend a lot of time standing up.
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I am enrolled in a Linguistics class, and we have to type International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) symbols onto our assignments. I found a website where you can copy/paste IPA symbols..unfortunately when I email the microsoft word attachment to my professor, some of the symbols don't show up when she opens the document. I think the only way to go would be to download IPA font onto my computer, but I even tried doing that but got confused...

any ideas? does anyone know of a standard IPA font that I can download onto word, and that can be read from any computer? Thanks

If you can see them on the website where you can copy and paste the symbols, then you already have a font that is capable of displaying them.

After pasting the symbols into Word, change the font to "Lucida Sans Unicode" or "MS Mincho" (depending on which one you have - most Windows machines have at least one of those). Those fonts definitely do have the symbols required.

If you really need a new font, the International Phonetic Association offers fonts on this page: http://www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/home/wells/fonts.htm

These fonts definitely have all the IPA symbols. You probably don't really need them anyway, but here they are.

Another suggestion is to export your assignments to PDF. This can be done with OpenOffice.org or this site: http://www.doc2pdf.net/

That way, even if your professor doesn't have the font that you're using, it'll still work. (This shouldn't be happening anyway, but here's another option for you.)
View Question


my recently ex boyfriend didn't like my friends because they said some mean things about him. i wasn't aloud to talk to them or go with them... but we go and hang around with his...after many fights over 6mths and him breaking things because of this and him not trusting me. after 2 break-ups we were fighting almost everyday...finally he again brought his mother into our fight to get her to side with him. i called my mother just so that she could lisen because he left and i had no one to talk to.i felt alone and he didn't think i should of called my mother..anyhow we broke up for the 3rd time would this mean that we wern't in love and that he was controlling and abusive

Yes, it's controlling of your boyfriend to not allow you to talk to your friends. He doesn't have to like your friends, but he has no right to stop you from seeing them.

There must be a reason why you broke up. You may still love him, but if you're fighting all the time then you're not right for each other. Spend some time with your friends and stop worrying about the ex.
View Question


How do you join a Network that is not being recognized? it's really annoying me that I can't do that!

Please help:D.

If you're trying to join a high school network that exists, but it won't let you:

Quoted from the Facebook help page (http://www.facebook.com/help.php?page=403):

"Please keep in mind that if you do not have an option to add a high school network to your account, then you may be ineligible to register with a high school at this time. If you currently attend high school and are between the ages of 13 and 18 but have not provided this information accurately, please use the form at the bottom to contact us – we’ll then be able to update your account. If you are over the age of 18, you will need to add your high school information to the "Education" tab of Edit My Profile, as you are no longer eligible to add a high school network. People will still be able to find you in a Classmates Search."


If there simply isn't a network for your school, workplace, or region, follow this link and fill in the appropriate form. http://www.facebook.com/help/add_network.php
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how come sometimes my friends count gets lower than back to normal again? do people deactivate their account then reactivate them? i keep noticing this.

If your friend count actually goes back up after a while, it's the most likely possibility. Some people deactivate their accounts when they need time away from Facebook. (For example, exam time, where people really don't need the extra distraction.)

Another possibility would be that someone has deleted you as a friend, in which case your friend count will obviously not go back up by itself.

Facebook also occasionally has technical issues that causes things to return to an earlier state. If that happens, other things will be missing too and it'll be obvious.

Next time you see the count go down, look through your friends to see who's missing, and ask them through any other means of communication.

If you can't figure out who's missing, face it, you probably won't miss the person too much anyway. Also, you must have a lot of friends.

(I'm guilty of doing this myself. At the time of typing this, I have 540 friends. I'm sure I should have at least one more, but I don't know who's missing.)

Make use of friend lists to sort your friends, so that next time your friend count goes down it'll be easier to figure out who's missing.

More importantly, if Facebook is actually your only way of communicating with someone who matters a lot (such as recently rediscovered friends or friends who moved away), now is the time to get their email address or phone number just in case they deactivate their account for any reason.
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Im thirteen and i wanna go tanning i live right down the block from hollywood tans and i wanna go but i never had the chance i have areas on my stomache that are darker then others and my neck and face are pale . From natuaral tanning i was wondering is that going to affect how even i get on my tan? Or how dark i get? Do i need to sign papers with a parent or guardian to go tanning? Is there an age limit? What do i need to wear or bring? If i dont wear makeup will my face become tan? And is there a chance of me getting burnt ?
how much does it usually cost to go tanning ? And is there big tan lines? Hope you can help me with all these questions .
-torii babiiee*

Regulations on indoor tanning differ between states.

For example, in California, it is illegal for tanning booths to serve minors, while in some other states it is legal if a parent or guardian accompanies you.

Look up "(your state) indoor tanning laws" for specific information. (I'd look it up for you, but you didn't say which state you live in. Hollywood tans is available in multiple states, so that doesn't help.)

So, if you do live in a state where it's legal for you to use indoor tanning at 13, here's more information.

Tanning beds use ultraviolet radiation (the same kind as from the sun) to produce the tan, so there is the skin cancer risk as with sunlight exposure. (This is the main reason why some states have laws against minors using tanning beds.) However, since it's specifically the wavelengths that cause tanning (as opposed to those that cause sunburn), you're unlikely to get burnt.

According to the Hollywood Tans website, they sell tanning lotions, so you don't need to bring your own. Don't wear makeup though. Clothing should not matter because you'll take your clothes off when you're in the tanning bed. (That means tan lines should not be an issue.)

Here's a price chart from the Hollywood Tans site. http://www.hollywoodtans.com/nypricecard.html
Those are prices for the stores in New York only, but at least that's some reference for the rough price range.
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When you lose a lot of weight, do your feet shrink at all? Like if you weigh a lot and then lose a bunch of weight. I mean if you have wide feet and then lose weight could you possibly not have wide feet anymore?

That's unlikely, because there's not much fat on your feet. Really, look at your feet. The width is from the bones inside.
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Hey guys, Does anyone know how to delete a facebook?
Thanks In advance I appreciate it! :)

To add to the other columnist's answer, while you can deactivate a Facebook account from the settings page, to completely delete it, you need to go to the following page and click "Submit".

http://www.facebook.com/help/contact.php?show_form=delete_account
View Question


How do I get pop up email alets on my computer for yahoo(not to my phone, on my computer)?

The official options are Yahoo Messenger (http://messenger.yahoo.com/) and Yahoo Toolbar (http://toolbar.yahoo.com/). Which one you use depends on whether you keep your browser open all the time or not. If you have the browser open anyway and you don't use Yahoo Messenger, then you might as well just get the toolbar.

If you use Firefox, you also have the option of extensions such as Yahoo Mail Notifier (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1264). This is not officially made by Yahoo (so use at your own risk), but it works. The advantage is that it takes up less space on the screen than the toolbar, and if you don't want the other features of the toolbar this might be what you want.
View Question


Hi The MoUsY spell checker!
I was wondering if there was a way to make my font on my advice column all bold, because my background is i guess pretty printed, so none of the font colors are very "readable" if you know what I mean. thanks! ps my user name on here is xosodapopx3 so if you would like to look at my column to see for yourself, go ahead :-) thanks again,
Brittney

I wouldn't really recommend bolding the whole page, but you can use CSS to do that.

If you have a paid account and a custom style, put the following code in the Overall Page Layout box. Otherwise, put this in the Describe yourself box in Profile Settings.


td,p,body{font-weight: bold;}


Note that if you already have tags, you should just add the td,p,body{font-weight: bold;} line between them without repeating the style tags. If you have anything else modifying td, p, or body, you should just add the font-weight part without repeating everything else.

Another possible solution to the readability issue (without changing the background) is to put the text in a transparent box. (See example 3 on this page: http://www.w3schools.com/css/css_image_transparency.asp)


div#content
{background-color: #ffffff;
filter:alpha(opacity=60); opacity:0.6;}


For more information about CSS, I recommend this site: http://www.w3schools.com/css/css_reference.asp
View Question



im asking this out of sheer curiosity.

if it is possible for a man to love a woman or a man to love a man or a women, a women. is it possible for a man or a women to not be interested in either?
it would be quite hard to find this i think because of our basic primal instincts to love or lust for another's attention or company.

its one of those things were my mind thinks about it. then agrees with it, then thinks about it again to only get confused. what do you think? i would like to have some very explanitable and scientific answers. Thanks

Yes, it's possible. One can be interested in the opposite sex, the same sex, both, or neither. One who isn't attracted to either gender is asexual (not to be confused with asexual reproduction). It is a relatively uncommon orientation. There are statistics that say only about 1% of the human population is asexual.

Do keep in mind that "love" can refer to different kinds of love, and also note that even romantic love and sexual attraction can be separate. (I hope this doesn't just make it even more confusing.)

For more information on asexuality, try the Asexual Visibility and Education Network. Link here: http://www.asexuality.org/home/
View Question


Okay, so I've always had a problem as far as snacking too much, ever since I was little. But in the last month or so, I've gone into overdrive & I eat everything in site, and my servings are about 2 times more than they should be. I eat about 3 BIG meals a day, and in between, i have cheddar chex mix (small bag), cookie dough, brownies, muffins, cookies, and blueberry bagels with cream cheese ...basically, whatever I can lay my hands on. (Just writing this makes me crave food...) I just can't stop myself, because I just don't' have the will power. Also, for dinner, I have a greasy slice of pizza almost every night, since I work at a grocery store..

also, i don't have the will power to exercise... which is really bad.

My thighs have blown up, along with my stomach & i must've gained at least 5 pounds in the last 4-5 weeks or so :(


I guess my questions are basically this:
-How can I stop myself? I always tell myself "It's okay! Just one more bite!" Or "You only live once! "
-Does anybody know any good diets to go on?
-& Is cheddar chex mix okay to eat as a snack (obv. in moderation)

Don't keep too much extra food at home, and make sure that the food you do have at home is something that's good for you. You can't snack if you haven't got any snacks.

Also, keep yourself busy so that you don't think about snacking all the time.

That said, it doesn't mean you have to go without the food that you like altogether. A little bit once in a while is always fine.

For your dinner, can you bring something to work? Something that isn't greasy like pizza. Get a Thermos flask to keep your food warm, and that way you can have hot food.

As for quick exercises, try doing crunches. Here are some instructions on how to do it properly. http://www.ehow.com/video_3191_abdominal-crunch.html

Of course, getting exercise into your everyday life would be the best. Say, if you would normally go anywhere by bus, try getting off a stop earlier and walking the rest of the way. If you can afford it, getting a bike and riding to places would work too, and the freedom is quite a bonus.
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so i really love ice cream and cookies! they're my favorite sweet foods, but for the past couple months ive been eating very healthy. only oragnic foods. and im working out trying to stay fit and possibly lose a couple pounds. anyways sometimes i feel like i just need some ice cream! is it okay to have ice cream a couple times a week? or will this make me fat?

To stay fit, your diet needs to be sustainable. If this involves you having an ice cream once in a while, it can still work. As long as you don't have too much, you'll be fine. Try not to get used to having it too often though.
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You know the truth box thing on myspace? Well i'm always scared to leave things in peoples', cause I think they'll find out. I know that it's like supposed to be a secret, and on some you can get a hint what gender / age, but is there like another way hackers figured out or something? :/ Only answer if you really know.

You know, we actually get this question quite frequently.

No, people can't find out who said what in a truth box. Think about it. If someone managed to figure out a way to find out who wrote what in truth boxes, it'd be big news amongst MySpace users.

More importantly, if you don't want the other person to know you said something, don't say it. That's the only way to guarantee they never find out.
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my sims2 game has been crashing every time i play lately. no exact time when it does, but the average game play i get is arounf 30-45 minutes. i've notice it's been acting up since i've been downloading custom content, and i've tried deleting some of it, but it still crashes. also, it started after i got the h&m fashion... my question is, could i maybe uninstall the h&m one??? because, i really don't want to start all my neighborhoods over, so if i just reinstalled that one could it possibly stop the crashing? or would it take any affect on my sims that i already have?

any advice would be helpful.
and no, i have no idea how to see my "specs" or whatever, so if anyone asks me what they are, they're going to have to tell me how.

First of all, before you do anything else, make a backup of the folder "My Documents/EA Games/The Sims 2". (Copy that folder to another location, such as a removable drive or just your desktop.) That way, if you lose anything, you can still restore it from the backup. (Do keep in mind that it is likely that something in there that caused the problem in the first place. In that case, you will probably have to delete the offending content for your game to function.)

Now, when your game crash, did it give you an error message? If yes, please say so. I might be able to give you more specific advice instead of just listing possible options.

Before uninstalling anything, consider trying to pinpoint the problem. Here's a guide to finding and removing problematic user content:

http://www.modthesims2.com/wiki.php?title=Game_Help:Game_Problem

If you still think it's the H&M stuff pack that's causing the problem, yes, you can just uninstall that. Go to Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs, there should be an entry in the list for The Sims 2, and the H&M Fashion stuff pack separately. (Any other expansions that you have installed will also be listed separately.) There should then be the option for you to uninstall the stuff pack. However, if anything in your neighbourhood uses something from the pack, you can no longer use it.

If that doesn't solve your problem, uninstalling the game completely and reinstalling everything might help. However, make sure you reinstall all expansion packs that you have, because the saved games won't work otherwise.
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My moms boyfriend is ruining everything. It hurts that he is acting like it has to be all about him all the fucking time. He is so arrogant. Like today I told my mom I wanted to go to this store and she planed out what day we were going to go. The day I suggested she hated like I was bothering her. See how its always like I am wasting their time. She wouldnt let me do it myself anyways. And I was planning to go after I get my laundry done. I totally hate what my moms boyfriend does. Totally hate it I have to feel this way every single time. He even acts like he owns the fukcing house. Its disgusting they shower together. what is he a baby. and my mom cant see that is what has been buggin me. And he has his stuff on the bathroom where I dont want them. I wish I lived there in australia not here.

If you want your mom to take you to the store, make it clear why you need to go to the store and what you need to buy. Try to make it convenient for her. For example, ask to go along when she needs to go to the store rather than asking her to go out just for you.

While your mom is supposed to provide for you, don't forget that she is still doing you a favour. Make sure to thank her when she does do things for you.

As for your mom showering with her boyfriend, that's not really your problem, is it?

How old are you? As far away as it might seem right now, one day you'll move out of the house.
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Not sure what category to write this under. Buttt, I'm a sopohmore in highschoool. Not the problem. The problem is this year ain't lookin so hot. So, I talk to a social worker at my school once a week. Sure she helps, & I don't talk face to face. I write in this notebook I give her, then she asks certain questions, then I answer. It helps TONS. But I need to know more things to write about. I'll write about my day stuff at home, I'll even throw in quotes. But what are other things I can talk about in there so I can talk to her longer & Have more different things to write about. I'm different when I talk to her, I'm happy for the few minutes I talk to her with. So, my main question is, What all should I write about?

Not knowing about what's happening in your life, I can't really suggest anything specific.

Most importantly, you should write about anything where you want help. You might want to write down what you want to talk about when you talk to her next time, so that she knows what to expect. If there's any relevant background information that is important, make sure you include that.
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