Jacob

I am looking for a secondary computer, and can t decide between the System76 Meerkat (base model) or the Apple Mac Mini (base model). Both are exactly the same price, $499. Both come standard with 4GB of RAM. I m just not sure how the processors compare. The Meerkat uses an i3 5010u, whereas the Mac Mini uses an i5 4260u. Also, the Meerkat comes standard with a 32GB m.2 SSD, and the Mini comes with a 5400 RPM 500GB hard drive. The computer would mainly be used for internet, running Google Chrome constantly, with the occasional Skype call, a bit of Spotify use, and only a few documents and pictures. I am leaning towards the Mac only because of the OS, and I m not sure if the i5 would deliver that much more performance, which I don t really need. I currently have a laptop running Windows 8.1 and Ubuntu 15.04, so owning a Mac would be cool, but if the Meerkat would be a better choice in the long run, I d be more than happy to go with it. Sorry for rambling, here s the tl;dr version:

Is the Meerkat s i3-5010u a significant weakness, or would I not notice with mainly internet use?

Would owning all three major operating systems (Windows, Linux, and Mac) be worth a slower drive? (again, space is a non-issue)

Which computer would be better for internet, video calls, and listening to Spotify in the long run?

Thanks in advance, God bless!

I have plans to drive across the state to visit a friend of mine next weekend, but it'll be my first time driving out of my small town. The car is reliable, I'll fill up the tank, and get food/drinks, but I'm very nervous. My main fear is driving on highways. More so, merging onto and exiting the highway. In my town, there is one highway, speed limit of 40, and it only goes two ways, through the town. No confusing exits or onramps or anything. But to get to my friend's house, it's a 200 mile trip, with several major highways involved. I really want to go but I'm so nervous... What can I do to get over this feeling? Thank you in advance, God bless!

I pre-ordered my favorite band's new album, and it came with a license plate, which is a replica of one that was on a car in one of the music videos. I'm fairly certain that I can't put it on and use it as my normal plate, but my Jeep doesn't have a front license plate mount on it and I'm wondering what I could use it for.

I have a 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo, with the 5.2L V8. I've neveru sed 4x4 Low before, and wanted to test it and make sure it works before I hit the trails. I read the section in the owner's manual, and it instructed me to "slow the vehicle to 2-3 MPH, shift the transmission into neutral, then shift the transfer case lever to the right and pull firmly rearward to 4 LO." I was parked in my driveway at the time, but I followed the instructions (put it in neutral, and pull the lever to 4 LO), but when I tried shifting into either Drive or Reverse, all I got was a terrible grinding sound and some shaking. The engine did not stall, but it scared the hell out of me. Must the vehicle be moving to engage 4 LO, am I doing something wrong, or is this something I need to have looked at by a mechanic?

I walk the tracks on a fairly regular basis. I am in northern Michigan. Taking the tracks cuts the walk to my girlfriend's house roughly in half. I've never had any problems, but if I am spotted, what should I expect to happen? Yes, I know it is potentially dangerous. But I know the train schedule, and I don't walk during times when trains are running. Thanks in advance.

We hand unprotected sex for barely two minutes about two weeks ago, if that. I was nowhere near "finishing," and I tried to hold in my "pre-stuff." Today she says that she has been feeling really nauseous since last night, but has not thrown up. I'm thinking the chances are very low that she is pregnant. She could be feeling sick for any number of reasons, it could be psychological, maybe she thinks she's pregnant but isn't, we don't know. We have not had a pregnancy test of any kind, and I asked her if she has experienced ANY of the other symptoms of early pregnancy, and she says no, she's just been feeling sick the past day. What are the chances she is pregnant? We both want children one day but not for a while, we REALLY cannot handle a baby right now. PLEASE, no rude comments, no lectures necessary. We've learned our lesson. Thank you in advance, God bless!

I love my grandma, I really do. The thing is, she is VERY "worried" about me and my brothers. I live in a small town in northern Michigan, but my brothers live downstate in the Detroit area. They are in high school, and they are smart kids. I don't mind that she cares about us, but it's getting to the point where it's just downright annoying at times. Allow me to explain. We were having a perfectly normal phone conversation, it was fairly late, and she asks if my front door is locked. I tell her no, it's not locked. She starts giving me crap for leaving it available for intruders. Now, as I stated before, I live in a very small town. Most of the people living here are elderly white folks. I highly doubt anyone around here would break in to someone else's home. Also, she called me one day very upset, because my brothers were at their apartment alone. Their door locks automatically when it closes, but she was still worried about it. Why? I have no freaking clue! They're in high school! They're not stupid! They know how to cook a basic meal, they know what to do if anything bad happens, and honestly I'm sick of hearing about it! Also, there is a small court situation regarding custody of those boys, my mom vs. my former step dad, who they currently live with. Long story short, it looks like the boys are going to be separated. They are fine with this, but grandma is freaking out, saying how she wouldn't be comfortable with it. I'm lost. What do I do? She's crossing boundaries!

I'll be honest, I'm pretty scared about this. I'm 19, my girlfriend is a few years younger. I'll be meeting her father soon, and I'm afraid I'll just be a nervous wreck. Any and all advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you all so much in advance. God bless!

I have been smoking about 8 months, but I quit today. My oral hygiene, I admit, could be better. But it is FAR from the worst. I have absolutely ZERO trouble swallowing, no pain, no abnormal swelling, nothing. I have noticed a small area of oral leukoplakia and that is it. As far as I know, I have no family history of cancer or any other diseases. I've read that leukoplakia on the inside of cheeks is fairly common, and usually nothing to worry about. I guess what I'm looking for is confirmation that I am fine. And that it's unlikely that I have cancer. IS this the case? I sure hope so :-/ Please, be honest and detailed. God bless you all.

I have been smoking about 8 months, but I quit today. My oral hygiene, I admit, could be better. But it is FAR from the worst. I have absolutely ZERO trouble swallowing, no pain, no abnormal swelling, nothing. I have noticed a small area of oral leukoplakia and that is it. As far as I know, I have no family history of cancer or any other diseases. I've read that leukoplakia on the inside of cheeks is fairly common, and usually nothing to worry about. I guess what I'm looking for is confirmation that I am fine. And that it's unlikely that I have cancer. IS this the case? I sure hope so :-/ Please, be honest and detailed. God bless you all.

It is a 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo, with the 5.2 V8 and automatic transmission. It is All Wheel Drive.

1. If I shift into neutral while in motion, is it okay to shift back into drive again, with the car still moving?

2. What about the option to select 1st and 2nd gear? Could I, in theory, manually shift from 1 to 2, then to Drive, safely?

I'm in Michigan, taking my road test tomorrow.

This one's pretty self-explanatory. ANY and ALL advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance, God bless!

I'm 19 years old. I never really took good care of my teeth growing up. I was always out playing with my friends, or playing in my room, or whatever. And my home life was a bit unusual so I never really had anyone teach me how important it was to take good care of your teeth. Now, I'm ashamed of myself. I'm a pretty good-looking guy, but my teeth embarrass me and I hate showing them. I don't have any missing (thank God), but they are NOT white and straight, the perfect image of what teeth should be. I hate my smile. And recently I have noticed the enamel has gotten thin on some of my teeth, and a few of them feel slightly loose. Not like "ready to fall out" loose, but they wiggle a bit if I apply pressure. I really hate myself for letting it get to this point and I want nothing more than to just have nice, normal looking teeth. Am I too late? What can I do at this point, in addition to brushing regularly? Please, no rude comments. Thank you so much in advance, God bless!

I'm an 18 year old guy, and genetics have given me thick, beautiful hair... And also quite a bit of chest hair. Some people find it very attractive, others say I should have it removed immediately. How do you feel about chest hair?

I installed Late Night a few months ago, but have since lost the disc. The game will not run with the standard Sims 3 disc, it requires the Late Night disc. What can I do?

My iPod touch broke when it was inside an Otterbox case. I heard somewhere that, if this happens, you have to call a certain number and Otterbox will replace your screen FREE of charge. Is this true? If so, what is the phone number? I have tried their standard customer service number and they were unable to help me. Not even sure if this is a real thing or not, I just heard it somewhere and thought I'd like to give it a try. Thanks in advance, God bless!

My dad is 44 years old. He doesn't have a blog, doesn't read a blog, doesn't even know what a blog is. Therefore, he was quite confused when I mentioned the fact that I would be updating my blog tomorrow. I know what a blog is (obviously, I've got one). But how can I explain it to my dad? I just can't seem to find the right words. Thanks for your help, God bless!

Even if it's just a test, the noise, and the words on the screen, they just freak me out! I'm an 18 year old man, and I have been absolutely terrified of these since I was young. I never had any bad experiences, never lost any friends or family because of a severe weather event or anything, but for whatever reason whenever one comes on, real or not, I stiffen up, I can't move, and I get tears in my eyes. I feel like I'm about to die. Why is this? Any logical explanation would be great. Thank you so much in advance, God bless!

After my previous relationship ended, I got back in contact with one of my exes. She has always said that she adores me, and that she loves me to death, and that she would do anything for me. So at midnight on Christmas day, I started a relationship with her. We broke up the first time on good terms, obviously. We only dated for a very brief time. But ever since we got back together, we barely talk. She is always busy, and when we do talk, it's usually pretty short. We have a great time when we do, but it's not as often as I would like. We currently live in different cities, but have decided to move to San Francisco next year. I believe this will help things immensely, but for all that she said when we weren't together, I am a bit disappointed that we don't even seem to be in a relationship. It doesn't feel like we are! I am completely lost here. I honestly am very attracted to her and she is an amazing girl, and she says I am an amazing guy, but... I don't know... Maybe the move will help, but I don't think it should have to. My previous relationship was long-distance, and it lasted for over a year and we were very happy. What do you think? Maybe she only wanted what she couldn't have? Maybe my previous relationship ending badly has affected me in a way that I am no longer good at long-distance? I am searching for any answer as to why this relationship doesn't feel real to me. Thank you so much in advance, God bless you all.