The_MoUsY_spell_checker's Advice Column

I made a question before about changing my first and last name, I looked into it and i can change my name with no parental input when I'm 16. There is this thing called a UK Deed Poll that can change your names and has loads of people already used it, It also doesn't say anything about it being thousands of pounds from what I've read. Can anyone give me a heads up or something about a Deed Poll because it looks cheap so I'm slightly confused. Thanks!

The cost of the deed poll itself is as it says on the website. That's £33 for the adult deed poll when you're 16, £13 for the legal copy and archiving, and £1 for each extra legal copy you need.

That said, like Zane has already said, there will be additional costs for getting other documents (such as your passport) reissued.

This is why I said in my answer to your previous question to do it as soon as possible, before you get a driving licence, credit card, and anything else that you would then have to change.

Note that according to the UK Deed Poll Service's website, if you were born in the UK, under the circumstances you have described, you cannot change your birth certificate.
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Hey have you guys heard that when you wear a rubber band and snap it on you it gets ride of a thought or idea. Aparantly its supposed to get ride of the idea and if you do it enough times it stops the idea completely. Does this actually work?

The idea is that you train yourself to snap on the rubber band whenever they catch themselves thinking unwanted thoughts.

If you manage to get into the habit, it'll work because you then focus on snapping the rubber band instead of thinking about whatever you don't want to be thinking.

If there is something bothering you, it might be helpful to let it out instead of relying on thought stopping.
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When I was little me and my neighbors and my older sister would allways pretend and play games like house and like highschool kids and just word fun games.. My older neighbors and sister told me that we are going to stop playing those kid of games they said it's time to move on( but like allways on the side I had my own pretend games owing on by myself) anyways they were like freshman nd sophomores and I was in 7 th at that time when we all stopped but now I'm 15 and when I get bored or think of some fun plot I play pretend like highschool life only I pretend I'm dimwit different but better why do I do this still?? Because I'm thinking it might because I'm not happy with reality please help share opinions!

You didn't say what it is in reality that you are not happy with, so there isn't anything I can say about it, but I hope you can figure out what it is and work through it.

People will have opinions and there's nothing you can do about that, but what you do for fun in your spare time is none of anyone else's business as long as you're not hurting anyone.

If you like pretend games, you might find company in roleplaying communities. For example, try Gaia Online, or search for another one.

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Ok maybe I'm. Not explaining my self to people right but here's. The problem and if you don't agree then o well .I have this problem with people useing there cell phone while they are driving because they aren't awhere of what they are doing . They are paying attention to there phone not the road or the people around them and multi tasking isn't there either they will cut you off won't use a blinker to indicate that they are changing lanes or exiting .Its either they are talking on the phone or texting so I call it DWC driving with cell phone and it makes me mad almost to road rage mad and how many times do I see this ? Every day .iv been cut off so many times and iv got rear endeed once because of cell phone use the guy that hit me from behinde was texting cause I seen him in my rear view mirror and my insurance gon up because this ass hole on his cell phone .So I hate people using there phone while driving .there should be a law in texas .no phone zone everywhere and if I ws a cop I would be writting tickets like crazzy all day long. So am I wrong for this .anybody out there just let me know and for those of you that use cell phones while driving well ????

I agree with you that people should not use their phones while driving.

Unfortunately, according to this page,
http://www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/cellphone_laws.html, in Texas, it is only illegal for school bus drivers and novice drivers to use mobile phones, meaning that most drivers are actually allowed to use their phones while driving. That's worrying.

That said, the presence of a law does not necessarily equal enforcement. Where I live, there is a law against using mobile phones (other than hands-free) while driving, but unless a serious collision occurs, there isn't anything the police can do about it, so people who drive badly because they're distracted by a phone will get away with it.
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Ok I'm 15/m and I have a size 32 b chest and a really skinny waist. I don't want to take testosterone right now so how can I make myself appear more masculine withot layering bulky sports bras/ace bandages? And how can I fill out a little on my waist and lose the girly hourglass shape?
I'd really like to wear t-shirts without being embarrassed by my girly body and i live in the desert so I can't exactly layer.
Any advice is appreciated!! Thanks!

For your chest, the best thing you can use is a proper binder. For example, this site sells them: http://ftm.underworks.com/

Here's a page with more information about passing. It also has links to sites where you can get cheap binders if you can't afford a new one. http://t-vox.org/index.php?title=FTM_passing_tips
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Well, I love piercings. However, on the other hand, my mom isn't as open to the idea. I do have my ears pierced and have since I was very, very young. I really want to stretch my ears but when I brought up the idea to my mom it was a definite "no". I'm pretty sure I could convince my mom to let me get more piercings to my ears or possibly my naval, eyebrow, or nose, as well. But these aren't exactly what I would want. I'm liking hips, collarbones, tounges, and lip piercings. I do plan to bring this up with my mom, although she is contrarian, and see what her terms and conditions are.. So what are other piercing ideas that may stand a chance with my mom?

I'm not interested/ nor will my mom let me get septum, dimple, bridge, nape, or any piercings in my "private" area. Also, I think the biggest issue she has about piercings is that it might be difficult along the rode to get a job..

Also, I am a fifteen year old girl. Thanks in advance.

Here's a whole list of piercings for a start: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_piercing

The thing is, if your mom objects to the specific type you want, what's the point in getting a different one? Don't get one just for the sake of it.

Do talk to your mom and ask her about her specific reasons for objecting to you getting a piercing. Remember to stay calm and don't whine. She may or may not be reasonable, but for as long as you live in her house, she makes the rules.

It is true that employers often don't like piercings on employees. Many people are superficial like that.

If your mom won't let you get the piercings, consider wearing fake piercing jewellery.
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14/f

I love art! Thing is I totally suck at it. I wish I was better. But it's like all these kids I know who like art are also very good at drawing and stuff. Which kind of discourages me because I wasn't born with that talent. Is there hope for me? Because I want to join art classes but I don't want to be embarrassed because of my suck drawings. :/

Practice. That's the only way to improve.

Read books to learn more about it if you don't know where to start.

As for taking lessons, if you're in the right class, your classmates should be at roughly the same level, so you won't be alone in your lack of skill. The teacher should give you useful criticism that you'll need.
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Where can I catch Abra in Pokémon silver?

Thanks.

Bulbapedia has the information you want. Here: http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Abra_%28Pok%C3%A9mon%29#Game_locations
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Okay I have had my ipod for about 3 years. I love it, I have about 500 songs on it! My old computer with my itunes that had all my songs on it crashed. So I got me a new one a little while ago. I have itunes downloaded but i don't know if i should use it? I bought some new songs i wanna download but when i plug in my ipod to sync, it doesn't give me the option to put all the songs on my ipod already in my current itunes library. I don't want to loose them they costs to much. What should I do?

First, make sure you have enabled disk use. (Here are the instructions for enabling disk use: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1478)

Now go to Windows Explorer (if you're using Windows) or Finder (if you're using a Mac), and look at the files in your iPod. All the music should be under iPod_Control/Music. Copy them to your computer.
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do helium balloons shrink or deflate quickly in cold weather (like 32-40 degrees Fahrenheit)
I want to get some helium balloons to leave outside for a friend's birthday and i was wondering if they would last overnight, or if i put them there in the morning would they last for up to 8 hours?
thanks! xo

Helium balloons deflate due to diffusion of the helium. Lower temperatures would slow down this process, but probably not very significantly.

They will probably last around 8 hours. When I got helium balloons, they lasted almost that long, and that was at higher temperatures.
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Are there any Twitter apps for the Samsung Mythic that I can get?

The Samsung Mythic should come with AT&T SocialNet, which allows you to use Facebook, Twitter, and some other social networking sites.

If you need different ones, look for Twitter apps for the TouchWiz platform, which is what the Samsung Mythic runs.

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hi :)
my hair is kind of short, it just about touches my shoulders. i really want to grow it to about where my ribcage ends in the front, you know what i mean? well anyway, i know that could take a couple years for it to grow that far itself, but what i wana know is what can i do to keep my hair heathly and what shampoos/conditioners can i use to maybe help it grow a little faster. thanksss

The growth rate of your hair is largely determined by genetics. Make sure you stay healthy in general too, because hair growth does slow down if you're ill.

There is no specific shampoo or conditioner that will help your hair grow faster, but you do need to keep your scalp healthy. Pick your shampoo and conditioner according to the state of your hair.
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i do alot of paintings on big canvases. i want to try something new, so does anyone have ideas of what i could paint using only four colors (including mixes and lighter/darker hues). bright hot pink, light blue, light aqua green and light medium purple. it does not have to be naturally thoes colors i can make anything them. any and as many ideas as possible would be greatly appreciated. i usually just do flowers or birds or some scenery. 15/f inspiration, any ideas, thanks!!! -blacksxeroses

If you're used to painting scenery, try different types of scenery. Say, if you normally paint scenes that feature nature, do a cityscape. Different times of the day and seasons would be good for variation too.

Another obvious one would be people. Someone important in your life would be fun to paint. Base the painting off a photo if you can't get the person to pose for you. (That way, you don't have to show them if you don't think they'll like it. )

With people, you can paint them doing anything. Got a favourite activity? Paint someone doing that. A painting of someone painting, even. How about a recursive one of yourself painting yourself painting yourself?

Other than people, there are also animals. Got any pets (or want one)? Paint that. Local wildlife? Zoo animals? The possibilities are endless.

A still-life of everyday objects can be interesting too. Look around you. There must be something.

Now get off the computer and start painting. :)
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how do i get a url code from a picture in photobucket?

Login to your Photobucket account, locate the relevant picture, and look for the "Share this image" box to the left of the picture. HTML code is the one you need for MySpace.
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my boyfriend just got an iphone, and he has the facebook app and talked about how it updates him everytime someone post something on his wall or whatever. and i thought that it would be cool to post a comment on his wall every now and then just to surprise him during the day, but i dont wanna just tell him i miss him everytime, you know? so what are some other things i could say?

thanks. (:

Post about things you see that remind you of him or those that you think might interest him. These kinds of posts will let him know that you're thinking of him without sounding like you're always missing him, and they will also be good for starting a conversation.
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i have a pretty good voice. not trying to brag but thats the fact.

however, i am absolutely TERRIFIED of singing in front of anyone...like i don't know why, i'll sing with my friends like jokingly and stuff but i don't sing seriously...but i kind of want to. and my ex boyfriend is really into singing and when we were dating i promised him that i'd sing to him but we broke up shortly after...but i kinda want to....soo how can i overcome this fear?

Start by practising singing in your own time, and then with your friends. (Pick the ones that are closest to you. You need to be comfortable with them.)

As you get used to singing more often, you'll be more comfortable with singing. Ask your friends for feedback. They'll tell you how good you sound, and then you can start singing more seriously.

See if there are any community choirs in your area. The ones that let just anyone join and sing. Those tend to help.
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Ok so me and my friend were messaging on Facebook and this is the conversation we had: friend "Hey you know what I was thinking" me "Whats that?" friend "Well do you email alot?" me "Yes" friend "We should start an email chain". Well I don't really know what an email chain is so I just said I had to go. So my question is what is an email chain? Is it like chain mail stuff saying you'll die in 12 hours if you don't send it or is it just a long chain of emails that me and her send to eachother?

Yes, your friend is probably talking about the emails that say you'll die in 12 hours if you don't send it, although they are usually known as chain emails.

Your other friends probably won't appreciate it. Seriously, those are annoying.
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Should you thank every individual person that wishes you a happy birthday on Facebook?

I think it's acceptable to just acknowledge all the well wishes in a status message. Realistically, people are unlikely to expect individual responses to "happy birthday" posts.

That said, if you do want to thank people individually, go for it. I would recommend being consistent with this though. That is, if you do this, make sure not to leave anyone out.
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i'm 19/female.

i talk really fast .. i don't mean to i just do and i hate it because when i talk i basically mumble then and nobody can understand me. i feel like if i try talking slower i'll feel like a robot or something and people will be like ... why are you talking weird? is there any way to fix this? bascially everything i say, i have to repeat because people are like.. what?

I've had the same problem too. What I found really helpful is reading text out loud for practice. Book, newspaper, website, anything. It'll help you slow down since it takes more time to read something and then say it. Take care to pronounce all the words correctly.

Also, try recording yourself speak and hear what it sounds like. Try out different speaking speeds until you find one that sounds right, and practice speaking at that speed.
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Hi! I was hoping that maybe someone can answer this for me. I am 18 years old. I got my period when I was 9. I'm 4"11. I'm a very short girl. I don't mind being short. I mean, everyone has I always thought I was adorable and I look good short. But, I've been dealing with problems with my weight since I was 9 years old.I was always very thin as a child. I was very underweight when I was little. I had a lot of trouble eating and I wouldn't eat at school and things like that. I was at a healthy weight, though, up to when I was about eight years old. Once I got my period, I started gaining weight like a mad-woman. But, interestingly, I wasn't overweight or obese or anything like that. I mean, I had gotten my period, and my body was changing. I started getting breasts, and things like that. So, most of the weight was just me growing into my body. It wasn't necessarily that I was fat. It's just that I was still growing into my body. Then, when I got to Jr. High and High School, I would say that I was pretty chubby. I mean, i was weighing like 120 and I was like 4"11. I wasn't even overweight in my BMI, but it's just that I wasn't in a weight that I liked or felt comfortable in. I went to an endrocronoligist. I know I spelled it wrong (but, basically a doctor that deals with growth and bones). I had tried everything to lose weight, but I felt like nothing worked. So, I wanted to grow a little bit, so I would feel more comfortable. At the time I was about 4"9 1/2 or 4"10. They told me they couldn't give me growth hormone shots because I got my period so early on, that it wouldn't do anything. It turns out that I grew to be 4"11 1/2. During my senior year in high school, I was so frustrated that I became anorexic. I was weight about 90 pounds. Now, at my weight, I didn't look that thin, as someone who is anorexic does. But, I started to look like a little boy. I was obviously sick. I had bags under my eyes, I had no body fat, and my heart rate was very low. I was eating like 600 calories a day and it became an obsession. I've realized that after I lost weight, my body does everything it can to stay at 112. It's so frustrating! I don't look FAT at 112. But, I'd like to be at 100 because that's where I look GOOD. If I were just 5"2, I know that I would look the same at 112 as I do now at 100 pounds. I excersise every day, but I don't think I can go on a strict diet right now. I just recovered from anorexia. The last thing I need is to go on a diet. I just need to know if there is any way I can grow just an inch or 2. I'm almost 5 feet right now. I'm not one of those people who wants to be tall or grow for superficial reasons. I just want to be able to deal with my weight a little better and not struggle so much with it. I know that we have a lot of technology now, and probably a lot of things have evolved since I was 14. If you know of anything, can you please let me know? Just so I can explore a little more on it.

Thank you so much!!

Cristy

Have you been to an endocrinologist more recently? If there's anything that can be done at all, the professionals will know.

Other than that, get a bicycle and ride it everywhere instead of using any motorised transport. The exercise will stimulate growth.

Besides, when you're on a bicycle, you'll notice the slightest increase in your height because suddenly your saddle won't be high enough.

Also, make sure you eat well. Getting enough nutrients is very important to growth.

Yes, it is definitely possible to grow after you're 18. Some people continue growing until they're 25. I'm 20 and I put on 5 cm earlier this year. (I needed a new bicycle because of that. Then again, I only got my period when I was 11, not as early as you.)
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