whispermoose

I think there is a word for this concept but I can't remember what it is. Basically, it's when something is designed with non-functional or aesthetic features that serve no real purpose but are put there to mimic older technology. Some examples would be non-functional running boards on cars, something on a computer designed to look like an old notebook page, the page-turning features of ebooks, etc.

The check engine light came on in my 98 Honda Civic. The code I got from Autozone is P0135, which says "A/F sensor 1 heater system malfunction."

Can anyone explain to me what this means (in non-technical terms)? If I don't have the money to fix it at the moment, is the car still safe to drive? I was planning to make a 4 hour drive this upcoming week, so would that be safe to do without fixing it?

Any help is appreciated!

This isn't really about motivation problems or writers' block or any of that. Often, I *can* get myself to sit down and work on something, but I can't *keep* my attention on it. I find I can only write a few sentences before my mind starts wandering. Eventually, I force myself back to writing, write a few more sentences, and my mind wanders again. It's not that I'm not interested in what I'm doing, because I am. I just find that I have difficulty focusing my attention.

Does anyone else have this issue and what are some ways you try to improve your focus and self-discipline? How do you keep your mind on what you're doing long enough to really accomplish something?

Last night we tried to introduce our two guinea pigs for the first time. We put them down on a blanket in a neutral space and let them explore and check each other out for a while. I know that there are good and bad signs that point to if they're getting along, but what does it mean if they mainly ignore each other? Occasionally they went back and sniffed each other, but they seemed more interested in exploring the blanket and hanging out with their humans. Occasionally, one of them also seemed like she was trying to bite the other one's teeth, which is weird and I couldn't find any information online about that. Anyone have any idea what this kind of behavior means?

I've been working on a story lately and there's an aspect of the writing I'm really having a hard time with, so I'm wondering if any fellow creative writers have good advice. Do you ever come across specific scenes or pieces of a story that you think are necessary plot-wise but that don't really interest you to write? How do you get yourself through these boring parts and write them anyway, and how do you prevent them from being boring to a reader?

I'm looking to send something in to a publisher that accepts unsolicited manuscripts, but I'm not entirely sure what goes in an accompanying cover letter. Approximately how long should it be and what information does one include? Help from anyone who knows, or even some sample cover letters, would be very, very much appreciated! Thanks!

I'm currently a senior in college and I've recently become interested in linguistics. My school doesn't offer it (not that I could earn a degree in it at this point anyway). I was wondering, then, is it possible to pursue linguistics in grad school without ever having taken a linguistics class before? How would this be done? If it is possible, where are the best schools for this? Any information/help at all would be great!

Does anyone know if Syndicate (or Shinsen) has subbed Darker Than Black past episode 22? I can't seem to find the rest of them for torrenting anywhere. If they have subbed it, where can I look?

I'm looking to buy a few new games for the PS2. Generally, I play RPGs and occasionally space shooters, such as Starfox or Rogue Squadron. As far as RPGs go, good story is essential to keep me interested, and I prefer hack-and-slash to turn-based battles. My absolute favorites are the Zelda and Kingdom Hearts games, and I'm also rather fond of the Paper Mario games (even with the turn-based aspects). So basically, anything similar to these sorts of games is what I'm looking for. Any suggestions?