about

I'm Jack/Jamie.

I'm 28 years old. I graduated from Michigan State University with my Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. GO GREEN! Now I'm a high school chemistry teacher in New York City living with my husband in a small studio apartment we pay way too much money for.

I've been on this site for 14 years as of March 23, 2020.
You may have seen me as CuxMiBeckNow7, but I've since shortened my name.


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Here is my Recommended Columnist of the Decade for the 2020s:
Laura!




--Jack

advice

13/m
ok so im not gay or anything but im a sensitive person not like sensitive skin or anything but you should know what i mean
hopefully....
because of this my friends think im gay
i dont descriminate homosexuals i just am not one
so how do i get them to leave me alone and know im straight?

Dude, I went through this when I was your age. It sucks, I know.

It stopped about two years ago, but mainly it did because I didn't show them that it got to me, even though it did.

So as long as you don't show it bothers you [trust me, I know how tough that is.. it really is easier said than done], and they will eventually move on to something else and stop teasing you. Pretty much once high school starts, people will start to grow away from you, and soon you won't even have to deal with them.

Just stay strong ;]

If you ever want to talk, I'm here.

--Jack
(17/m)

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about how many ciggarette packs do you need to smoke, in order for you to experience health side affects from it?

There isn't a specific number, actually, because every single cigarette you smoke increases your chances of having health problems significantly.

In fact, I don't remember where I heard this, but after one cigarette, you're 50% more likely to develop lung cancer than someone who has never had a cigarette.

My mom used to smoke in college and she stopped cold turkey after she realized the side effects of it.

My grandfather used to smoke, but he quit in one day after he found out my older brother had asthma. And he hasn't had a cigarette since.

All in all, smoking is just really bad for you, and I really don't recommend you start.


**EDIT**
It's never too late to quit! =]

--Jack
(17/m)

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okay. so, for starters, I really like this boy at my school. I'm a junior and he's a sophomore. I don't really see anything weird about me liking him, but whenever I tell my friends (which is rare nowadays because apparently it's laughable that I would happen to like him..I guess he's not the type of person that has a girlfriend) they all laugh and then say "oh, it's not really that funny, I'm laughing with you" whatever--I'm obviously not laughing, so that's a stupid thing to tell me. but anyway, I sometimes get the feeling that he likes me--like last night at SCI (swing choir invitaitonal) I went to go talk to him after he was done performing. (background info: usually whenever we see each other he punches me on the arm in a friendly sort of way...I know it sounds stupid but it's really kind of habit now) first he acts like he's gonna give me a hug, but then decides he wants to do the whole punch my arm thing, but then changes his mind/gets awkward. so I just decide to give him a huge hug anyway, and he gives me one back. so I'm thinking to myself "okay, this is a good sign." but then he kinda stops talking to me and walks away (which I understand, because he has to go help clean up and stuff) but like, he didn't even say goodbye to me or anything. I just feel like I keep getting mixed signals all the time, and it gets me in this super depressed mood. I don't know how to make sure that he likes me, but I don't want to just come out and ask him, you know? I'm not really that kind of person.
second: I feel like all of my friends are changing/leaving me for other people. I know, go ahead and say that I'm a typical overemotional teenage girl. but they really haven't been like that until recently. I am kind of thinking that it's because they're getting antsy to get away for Christmas break or whatever. but seriously, everyone is getting extremely bitchy and snappy; mood swings and being irritable for absolutely no reason at all, overreacting to ordinary comments and taking it to a whole new level of hotheadedness.....catch my drift?
three: my friends are all getting attached (becoming a couple with boyfriends) and they seem to spending an exuberant amount of time with their boyfriends and not their actual friends. okay, boyfriends are friends too, but we've been friends way longer and it'd be nice if they actually spent a little time with us for a change. I just don't really understand why everyone feels a need to be with their boyfriends all the time, especially when they promised before anything serious started happening that they would "never forget about us and still have plenty of time to spend with us" blah blah blah. basically, I'm sick of all the empty promises that I keep getting, and I want to have someone to spend my time with where I can have an actual conversation and not keep talking about peoples' boyfriends and how they're so amazing and "don't worry Em, you'll get one soon."
so yeah. that's the end of my tangent. for now. sorry if this bored you in any way, shape, or form.

Hey! Thanks for inboxing!

One: Maybe he didn't say goodbye because it kind of caught him off guard when you gave him a really big hug. Here's a link to a question I've answered about how to tell if a guy likes you:

http://www.advicenators.com/qview.php?q=506340


Two: Everyone at my school is starting to irritate me recently, too. So you're not alone. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that everyone is running on empty and really needs a break. If things are the same over break, then ask me again, and I'll see if I can think of a solution.

Three: Ehh I've had that problem before. Basically I just try to ignore those people. If I were really their friend, I would still be getting attention, and that's how you should think. I'm sure that not ALL of your friends have boyfriends, so there's gotta be some without that you can still talk to. Or better yet, try making some new friends =].

--Jack
(17/m)

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10th grade girl.
you know when a guy looks at you to i guess check you out? well guys do that like look at me and then i meet eye contact with them and they keep on looking. why dont they look away? and why would they make it so obvious.

Relax. It just means they like you ;] Take it as a compliment =]

--Jack
(17/m)

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Should I get a Zune?

My friend Brittany has a Zune and she says it's a lot better than an iPod because it's organized better and the program you organize your music on is a lot better.

That's really all she's told me, but I could ask her more if you wish. =]

--Jack
(17/m)

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really, anybody. I just need someone who is willing to listen to me "complain" about school and people and work and life in general. I understand if you don't, but I feel like I can't talk to my friends about it because they've heard it all already. I can't keep holding it all inside, because I'm going to blow a fuse soon, and I'm afraid I'm going to lose friends in the process. I need to get stuff off my chest, so if anyone is willing to listen (more like read, whatever) I will be forever grateful.
17/f

It's why I'm here.

--Jack
(17/m)

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im geting a camera. i need some help picking one out. i heard the canon is pretty good. any other suggestions? + links. thanks.

www.advicenators.com/qview.php?q=503897
www.advicenators.com/qview.php?q=509377
www.advicenators.com/qview.php?q=540736


From those similar questions, this was my answer:

Hey. I am going to tell you about my wonderful camera I got two Christmases ago.

It does everything you want:
-Takes pictures
-Takes videos
-Has many different picture settings
-I have rechargeable batteries.. they were kind of on the pricey side, but they are definitely worth it.. you don't have to go out and buy new batteries every time they die.
-It is in your price range. You won't get too great of quality for under $150, so its good you have a larger range. But.. at the bottom of the page I give below- it has a certain website where it looks like you can find it at $119.99. That would probably be your best bet.

Here is a review of it that I found: www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/A530/A530A.HTM

This camera has 5.0 megapixels, 4X Optical Zoom [You want optical zoom, not digital zoom- because digital screws up the pixels as you zoom and the picture looks really crappy], it has 18 different shooting modes, and if you have a larger memory card [I have 2GB] you can hold a lot of pictures/videos.

Now for my own review..
I love this camera a lot and it is a great investment. I take tons of pictures and videos.. and it is perfect for me. The picture quality is the best I've seen in many different digital cameras. My brother has one, and the pictures always come out having odd white spots on them. This camera doesn't do that, ever. I think you will love it.



The website I gave you can get a good discount =D.

--Jack

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usually whenever i put a CD into my computer, my itunes pops up, and ask me if i want to import the songs from the cd into my library. im trying to import some songs from a flyleaf cd that my friend let me borrow. i put it in..and itunes dosent open up automatically. and when i open itunes by myself, it doesnt show the cd on the side to where i can click on it.

is there anything i can do to make this work?

Try restarting your computer. Then, when you put the CD in and if it still doesn't do it, try keeping iTunes open and then putting the CD in again.

It should work, because I had that same problem a few days ago, and all I did was restart my computer.

--Jack
(17/m)

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this is a question for all guys...
so lets say you found the girl of your dreams and shes perfect for you in every way...and you at the time dont want a relationship but u start to think it might be worth it for her. and lets say that you get close to her and she shows interest, but one day she does something that you dont like. maybe treats you with an attitude, whatever. and then you start to second guess, although you still really like her. let say she stops showing interest, and youre hurt, so you start to try to get over her...and then she comes back explaining she had problems and tells you why she backed off...etc.
and you tell her you just wanna be friends...
is that it? or do you think that you would still like her afterward and want to have something again with her...if u knew she still liked you...is there any chance youd want her again?

What's weird is that I've sort of been through this before.

Honestly, afterward, I didn't really have an interest in being in a relationship anymore- not because of the girl, but because I just didn't want to be involved in a relationship anymore.

But every guy is different and every guy will say something different.

If you want to know how he'll react, just ask him.

--Jack
(17/m)

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I guess I must've clicked on some weird link or something, because whenever I go to youtube, it's all in Japanese (or Chinese or something, I really wouldn't know the difference). How can I change it back to English? (Someone recommended clicking on a little globe on the corner of the screen but there's no globe.)

At the top in the left corner, you should see "Worldwide" and "English", though I don't know what it would be in Chinese or Japanese.

Click on English US.

That should fix it.

--Jack
(17/m)

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okay well my boyfriend and i have been going out for about 4 months now and its like i want to break it off but i dont want to break it off. like i love him but alot of times he is just so competitive at everything. he has to be the best at everything! this really irritates me so much! and it seems like he has to put his 2ยข into everything. and he wants to do sexual things and kiss and makeout all the time and i just want to just be with him and watch a movie or do nothing and says we do it too much. help!

You said you already talked to him in your additional information, so maybe try talking to him one more time to try to see if he can better himself.

If not, you either just have to accept how he is or just break it off.

You're only a teenager- you don't have to tie yourself down so early, you know ;]

--Jack
(17/m)

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So I'm 15 years old as of october 11. Today I have a cold, and I like, blew my noes in a tissue and there was little black particles in it! I'm so scared, what does that mean? is there something in my lungs? Do I have some kind of disease?! I told my brother and he said it was nothing, its not like there's a lot, just like 4 or 5 little but visible particle black things. Please help! ):

My first thought was that it was just dirt.

It could be that, dried up mucus, or a number of other things.

Honestly, it never hurts to go see a doctor, just to be on the safe side ;]

--Jack
(17/m)

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my friend rob posted a bulliten on myspace saying that he was suicidal again. and he said that he had a knife and a lighter in his bedroom and he wasnt afraid to use them, he also said that meybe he'd add a rope in to and that he wasnt afraid to kill himself. should i tell someone? if i do, who do i tell? will he hate me? should i talk to him first?
he's a good friend of mine. i dont wanr him to die. please help me.

I don't have any knowledge when it comes to suicide, other than that you need to contact a trusted adult. Tell your parents, his parents, your counselor, the principal, a teacher, or someone. Just let someone know, because he could be finding a permanent solution to a temporary problem.

--Jack
(17/m)

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hi. im 14/f and hes 15/m. so theres this guy, lets call him....mike. so mike and me have been flirting a lot and i have like an emotional connection with mike and he likes me but im not like physically attracted to him. i love talking to him but i dont really feel attractied to him. he told me he liked me and i said i liked him too but now i kinda regret it because idk if i do....like i trust him so much and i feel like i could like him but idk i just cant think about being with him...what should i do?

You're only a teenager, you don't have to feel rushed into a relationship if you're not ready.

Sure, you could date him and you would probably get past his looks or whatever with time, but honestly if you don't want to lie to him, I would just stay friends with him. It's probably your best bet. You have all the time in the world to date. So just enjoy being single while you still can ;]

--Jack
(17/m)

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14/f. on my right boob there is this yellow spot around the size of my pinkie nail. is this anything i should be worried about?? thanks

Hmm, it doesn't sound normal to me, but then again, I'm not a doctor.

I would go see one just to be on the safe side.

--Jack
(17/m)

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what is snm my friends talk about it but i dont know what it is

http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/SNM

My best guess is "Show No Mercy"...

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=snm

Or "Say No More".

But I would just ask them if you want to know for sure.

--Jack
(17/m)

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14/F
So the other night I went to a concert where there were four bands. I'm a big fan of two of them so we got front row for one of them (I wouldn't go back there after this) but during the second band of the show this guy behind me was like grabbing my waist and and like rubbing against me and stuff. I mean before the beginning of this bands set we were talking about my drunk friend and how everyone around us hated her.. so it's not like he was TOTALLY random. All the kids I was with were like concerned.. so at the end we went outside.. but now I'm like creeped out and don't wanna go to any more concerts. This guy looked like 20-21ish, so it makes it even more disturbing. I have a concert coming up soon but I'm terrified if I do go something even worse could happen. Idk what to do, can ya help?

Hmm, that is really disturbing...

I would say you should try another concert out, but maybe this time don't be in the front row and stuff; maybe get seats back farther. I mean, really, the music is so loud, you can hear it anyway.

If not, just try it out again, and if something like that happens again, either find someone to tell, or get up and leave.

No one is making you go to a concert, you know ;]

Thanks for inboxing!

--Jack
(17/m)

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what he thinks about me. sometimes it seems like he is just my friend, but other times it's like, woah, totally new Brady talking to me. does that make sense? hmmm....I kind of like him, but I'd totally still be cool with just being friends. my friends tell me all the time "Oh, I think he really likes you" or "He talks about you all the time." idk, I'm just kinda curious.

I'm going to give you a list of what guys tend to do when they like girls:

1. They don't call you "sexy". They call you "beautiful", "gorgeous", "amazing", etc.

2. They make an effort to hug you. They might high-5 instead, but it really depends on the guy in question.

3. They DO find any reason to touch you in some way. Mostly it ISN'T in a sexual way. Its more of just an excuse to remember what you feel like, I guess. Its hard to explain...

4. He is always smiling around you. If you're feeling bad and he's around- he'll be smiling because he knows that he's there to help you- and that's like brownie points for a guy if they can help a girl out. That, like the above, is hard to explain.

5. He'll tell you things about himself that he normally wouldn't tell everyone. He opens up to you. Guys don't get a chance to do that when pressured to "be manly".

6. If you have a feeling that a guy likes you- you're probably right. Guys aren't the best at hiding it- and girls are even better at figuring these type of things out.

If you like this guy- and he does all or most of those things- my best bet is that he does like you. That means one and only one thing: Ask him to make sure, and then try the relationship out. Who knows- it could be great!

--Jack
(17/m)

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I like a guy but im not sure if he likes me back how can i no

I'm going to give you a list of what guys tend to do when they like girls:

1. They don't call you "sexy". They call you "beautiful", "gorgeous", "amazing", etc.

2. They make an effort to hug you. They might high-5 instead, but it really depends on the guy in question.

3. They DO find any reason to touch you in some way. Mostly it ISN'T in a sexual way. Its more of just an excuse to remember what you feel like, I guess. Its hard to explain...

4. He is always smiling around you. If you're feeling bad and he's around- he'll be smiling because he knows that he's there to help you- and that's like brownie points for a guy if they can help a girl out. That, like the above, is hard to explain.

5. He'll tell you things about himself that he normally wouldn't tell everyone. He opens up to you. Guys don't get a chance to do that when pressured to "be manly".

6. If you have a feeling that a guy likes you- you're probably right. Guys aren't the best at hiding it- and girls are even better at figuring these type of things out.

If you like this guy- and he does all or most of those things- my best bet is that he does like you. That means one and only one thing: Ask him to make sure, and then try the relationship out. Who knows- it could be great!

--Jack
(17/m)

[view]

What is the cover of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows trying to depict? What is being illustrated? I'm frustrated because I can't really tell what's going on or what exact action it's showing.

The cover described below is the English version of the book.

The cover of the American version is where Harry duels Voldemort for the last time in the Great Hall.

Haha my favorite part of that book was "NOT MY DAUGHTER YOU BITCH!" when Mrs. Weasley said it ;]

--Jack
(17/m)

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