lupinesidhe

So my friend has a BA in English and that somehow translated in her mind to "I must be an amazing author". So she wrote a book...kind of. I saw kind of because it doesn't tell a complete story, all of the characters are flat, the world is colorless, and there's nothing about the "plot" that draws the reader in, making them want to read more. I've tried many times to give her tips on making her story better but she doesn't take any of my advice to heart. I tell her that she needs description, she adds that the character in question has brown hair and a snubbed nose. I tell her she needs to work on plot, she takes things out but doesn't add anything. I give her advice on the pagan ritual in her story she adds a single line, spoken by one of the characters and nothing more. I really want her book to be great because she is my friend, but she just doesn't see that it really isn't right now. A couple of days ago I gave her several pages of notes on what could be improved (not "your book sucks, make it better" but "this section doesn't flow right, have you tried doing this instead?") and she shined me on like she was going to read them. But then I over heard her saying to someone else that there's no way her book needs that much work and she writes just like Steven King. How do I help her with her book without making her feel horrible and destroying our friendship?

So my husband, brother in law and I are having a friendly discussion/debate on who would win a duel (not to the death) between Gandalf (for those that don't know - Lord of the Rings) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (star wars). We have rules like the lightsaber wouldn't automatically cut through Glamdring because of it's magical enchantments and things like that. We also decided that the mystical elements would pretty much cancel each other out and it would essentially come down to a sword battle. I'm pretty on the fence about who would win that, but the boys say that Obi Wan would have it hands down. What do you guys think?

(Book version of Gandalf, not movie versions. I refuse to acknowledge those atrocities and since it's my question, I can do stuff like that ;) )

So my husband, brother in law and I are having a friendly discussion/debate on who would win a duel (not to the death) between Gandalf (for those that don't know - Lord of the Rings) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (star wars). We have rules like the lightsaber wouldn't automatically cut through Glamdring because of it's magical enchantments and things like that. We also decided that the mystical elements would pretty much cancel each other out and it would essentially come down to a sword battle. I'm pretty on the fence about who would win that, but the boys say that Obi Wan would have it hands down. What do you guys think?

(Book version of Gandalf, not movie versions. I refuse to acknowledge those atrocities and since it's my question, I can do stuff like that ;) )

I recently found out I have a severe allergy to tomatoes (yes, it developed overnight...literally, yes, that happens often, no, the doctors don't know why...it just did). The problem is I'm not usually very good about getting all the fruits and veggies I need throughout the day. I used to balance that by drinking some of the v8 line drinks (splash and fusion as well as regular v8) but all of them are tomato based and I can't touch them now. Does anyone know of any alternatives that can give the same portions of veggies (without having chunks of stuff in it...it's a texture thing) that isn't tomato based? I've been looking at the local grocery and specialty stores but I've only been able to find v8 and products like it. I could really use some help. Thanks for your suggestions.

I recently found out I have a severe allergy to tomatoes (yes, it developed overnight...literally, yes, that happens often, no, the doctors don't know why...it just did). The problem is I'm not usually very good about getting all the fruits and veggies I need throughout the day. I used to balance that by drinking some of the v8 line drinks (splash and fusion as well as regular v8) but all of them are tomato based and I can't touch them now. Does anyone know of any alternatives that can give the same portions of veggies (without having chunks of stuff in it...it's a texture thing) that isn't tomato based? I've been looking at the local grocery and specialty stores but I've only been able to find v8 and products like it. I could really use some help. Thanks for your suggestions.

My family recently adopted a dog from a coworker of my husbands. He was already fixed, up to date on his shots and the sweetest little guy you've ever seen. We were told that we were his third home and his first home was very abusive to him. To the point that he now walks with a bit of a limp in his back legs, which gets worse in cold weather. This dog is adorable and is so good with the kids. We absolutely love him. However, he chews EVERYTHING in sight. Chews and destroys everything he can get his mouth around. we've tried getting him chew toys and raw hide bones to give him something other than our shoes (which are his favorite...followed immediately by electronics), we've tried disciplining him when we catch him doing it (after the fact is just useless) we've tried everything we can think of and nothing helps. We can't afford to send him to obedience school and I'm afraid if we can't break him of his constant chewing we're going to have to find another home for him. I'd really rather not do that since part of owning a dog is accepting the entire commitment of raising and training that dog. But my family can't afford to keep replacing the items that he's destroyed. Any suggestions would be really appreciated.

After the flame-war that happened on their site a couple of days ago I've been wanting to know more about them. I've heard that they are one of the most extreme fundamentalist christian groups in the united states, making Islamic suicide bombers look like tree-hugging hippies. And I've heard that their group is satirical, meant to not to inflame but to entertain; and to mess with people.

I read through the long thread from yesterday or the day before concerning the meaning of the word "fap" and it made me weep for humanity. But then I heard that they're satirical. Does anyone know for sure?

My husband and I have a daughter who is quickly approaching school age and we've been looking into different options for her education. I don't trust the public schools in the city we live in. We can't afford to move to another district. We do have the option for school of choice in our area, and that is something that we're considering, I just want to explore all the options available to us. I'd prefer not to put her into public schools and can't afford private schools either so the idea of home-school has come up quite often. We've done our research (both into the different schools available for school of choice in our area and into the support system in our area for home-schooled children). I know that I have the right to home-school and I know that it is a huge undertaking to take over her entire education. But I've always been of the opinion that the regular school should be in addition to the education they get at home rather than the only education they get. So there is that. Now I don't trust the public schools to keep up with my daughter. I know that every parent thinks their child is a genius, but Fae picks up concepts and ideas and figures out how to apply them to multiple situations within the first time or two of being presented with the new idea. She was reading and writing by the time she was three. Keep in mind she's never been in preschool or day care or anything like that. Her father is also incredibly smart and does quantum physics for fun. I'm afraid that she's not going to be challenged in school.

Mostly, I'd like to here some different thoughts and opinions about it. I know about the big issue being teaching social skills, which is one of the reasons I've researched the different home-school support systems in our area. I've found a ton of different groups that have been set up just for kids being home schooled. Almost all of which are within 10 or 15 minutes of where we live. So we have some options on that. Has anyone had any experience with homeschooling or with home-schooled children? I'd like to hear some differing opinions.

the movies had not been released so close together? Had they been compared prior to that? They are not similar in the least nor can you compare one to the other. They are both excellent in their own right, but not at all on the same playing field. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

So, some friends of mine and I have been watching the new AMC Walking Dead series and we LOVE it. But one of my friends brought up some interesting points and I wanted to hear your thoughts on the matter.

1. Did Meryl use the stolen van to take the zombies back to camp as his crazy form of vengeance for being handcuffed to a roof?

My friends say yes but I say there are too many problems inherent in trying this and even Meryl isn't crazy enough to try. For instance, the cab and the hold were open to one another; how would he keep himself safe from the zeds? How would he lure them in and then close the doors without putting himself in danger? How would he get them back out again? I know there are ways to rig up remote controls for the doors, but I don't think he really had time to try. I'm thinking he had at MOST 5 hours before the group came back and discovered the van was gone. That isn't enough time for him to rig it up, set up with bait of some sort, get a bunch of zombies into the truck, then drive up to camp.

2. Darryl's arrows. He doesn't sterilize them between uses. That means he shot two zeds right before shooting the mexican guy in the butt. Wouldn't that be like the mexican getting bitten...since it's blood borne and the zed's blood would still be on the arrow? Or does the infection die after being in contact with air for a certain amount of time? Would the mexican he shot turn? What about the food that he hunts with it? Wouldn't it be contaminated?

I'm interested to hear your thoughts on these questions. Since we've talked it to death and have come to no clear conclusion.

So, some friends of mine and I have been watching the new AMC Walking Dead series and we LOVE it. But one of my friends brought up some interesting points and I wanted to hear your thoughts on the matter.

1. Did Meryl use the stolen van to take the zombies back to camp as his crazy form of vengeance for being handcuffed to a roof?

My friends say yes but I say there are too many problems inherent in trying this and even Meryl isn't crazy enough to try. For instance, the cab and the hold were open to one another; how would he keep himself safe from the zeds? How would he lure them in and then close the doors without putting himself in danger? How would he get them back out again? I know there are ways to rig up remote controls for the doors, but I don't think he really had time to try. I'm thinking he had at MOST 5 hours before the group came back and discovered the van was gone. That isn't enough time for him to rig it up, set up with bait of some sort, get a bunch of zombies into the truck, then drive up to camp.

2. Darryl's arrows. He doesn't sterilize them between uses. That means he shot two zeds right before shooting the mexican guy in the butt. Wouldn't that be like the mexican getting bitten...since it's blood borne and the zed's blood would still be on the arrow? Or does the infection die after being in contact with air for a certain amount of time? Would the mexican he shot turn? What about the food that he hunts with it? Wouldn't it be contaminated?

I'm interested to hear your thoughts on these questions. Since we've talked it to death and have come to no clear conclusion.

Why is it that nearly all video games have an obligatory zombie level...even if it has absolutely nothing to do with the game. Even games like GTA has a video game within the game so you can go kill zeds. Why is that? I've never understood the appeal. Don't get me wrong, I dig zombies and will spend hours talking about what I would do in the event of a zed apocalypse but that doesn't mean I want to kill zeds in every video game I play.

The lack of evidence of a god only makes their faith stronger. How does that make any kind of sense?

How do you tell a friend that the man she is in love with and wants to marry doesn't feel the same way about her? I have a friend that I've known for many years (since middle school) and she's been dating a guy for the past three years. They've been fighting recently and the other night they had a big blow out. She came to me and asked advice, giving me her side of the story (there's always at least three sides to any story). At the time, I suggested they get a 3rd party involved (such as a relationship councilor) that was completely objective. She said they'd had a few of their friends act in such a way. But that's not the same as getting professional outside help. The next day, her boyfriend spent an hour and a half bearing his soul to me (essentially) and he talked about why their relationship is the way it is and why he feels the way he does about her. He's told her all of this. MANY times. But she doesn't seem to get it. He has outright said he's not in love with her and he's not going to marry her. But because their relationship is mutually beneficial, he's not going to break up with her or kick her out. Essentially, his feelings for her are completely platonic. How can I help her to understand that? She's my friend and I don't want to hurt her. But I also don't want to see her wasting her life on a man that is never going to marry her, never going to give her the kind of life she wants and really needs. Even he thinks she deserves better than that. But everytime he tries to break it off with her, she refuses to accept it. How can I help her let go?

My brother has two roommates (our sister and her boyfriend). They are absolute slobs. They never clean, they never bathe, they have 7 or 8 cats that they don't take care of. They provide food and water but nothing else. My brother is a really nice, long suffering individual, but he's coming to the end of his rope. He told them close to a year ago that they had to cut down to 1 cat. Since then two of their cats have had kittens and they haven't gotten rid of any of them. The roommates never clean the litter boxes, the cats have never had their shots, a couple of them have infections in their eyes, they all have fleas really bad (whenever either of them get in my truck they leave at least 12 or 13 of the damn things behind). I want to help my brother out and call the SPCA to help get these animals out of his house and get them the care they need. But I want to make sure that my brother won't get in trouble since it's his house. He works two jobs and goes to school, but whenever he has a free day, he spends it cleaning up after these two lazy slobs. But within a day or two (after he goes back to work) the house is just as bad as it was before he spent the day cleaning. Will the SPCA take into consideration that they aren't his cats and he cleans when he can? I don't want him to get in trouble for something that's not really his fault. He's tried talking, reasoning, threatening to kick them out, everything. But it's not working. They just can't be bothered to act like adults. I think this might be the only way to get them to wake up and realize they need to get their act together. Any advice? Suggestions?

I know this is really long, thank you for reading it.

I've looked through many Lord of the Rings questions and nearly every time I see one regarding merry and pippin there's always at least one person who refers to them as brothers. Why is that? They aren't brothers. While they are blood related (nearly every hobbit is related by blood or marriage and both the Tooks and the brandybucks were large well established families), but they aren't brothers. Did the different last names not give that away or something? I don't understand. Can someone explain it to me please?

Why are there so many people who are trying desperately to become something else? Vampires, werewolves, fairies, mermaids, etc. What's wrong with the way you were born?? Is life so terrible that you need to create some fantasy persona just to cope? Now, I'm not by any means a fundamentalist christian (nor am I christian or any other religion) but I think it speaks VOLUMES to the kind of person you are if you can't cope with just being yourself rather than trying to become something that doesn't exist. Why would you do that to yourself?

I'm looking for performers in the metro detroit area who would be interested in taking part in a community theater production of "The Producers" (a musical). We're looking for 14 people for ensemble. Auditions are this evening (I didn't know until today that they needed so many people). If you're interested, please send me an email and I'll give you all the necessary information. Thanks

This is the biggest problem I have with religion. Not with the deity or even the believers...but that they presume to know the will of god. They claim to know what their particular god does and does not want people to do with their lives. And I get that christians will sight biblical references, but the bible wasn't WRITTEN by god, it was INSPIRED by him. It was written by men. The newest I Am Legend movie was inspired by the book, but is NOTHING like the book. Why should the bible be any different. Men are flawed, how could a book that is man made contain the perfect will of god. Does that not seem a bit arrogant? Can someone explain this to me? I don't understand. This is why I can't follow any religion (that, and I don't believe man has ever or will ever come CLOSE to what true divinity is, which is why all of our gods are decidedly human...the christian god is love, jealous, vengeful, etc, and there are many other examples of human characteristics being used to describe the divine). Is there anyone who can explain how they can presume to know the will of god? Without using the book that was created by flawed men?

People are so terrified of 2012 because they think the world will end. But for the last hundred years, so called "experts" have predicted that the world would end at least 50 times. We're still here. I don't see any reason to fear the end of the world. Basically, I look at it like this; if the world ends, we'll be dead and it won't matter whether the world is gone or not. When the world doesn't end in 2012, there will be no change and it won't make any difference at all in our daily lives. You people do realize there were entire books written about why the world was going to end in 1984, and we're still here. I see no reason to think otherwise. So please, stop asking the stupid 2012 questions!!!

is there anyone out there who agrees with me on this?