artfuldodger1300

I've had the Sims 2 for a while and just downloaded the University expansion pack. I kept using the original and noticed there was new stuff that I could pick from for furnishings and a few new actions. However, there's supposed to be colleges built into the towns and they aren't there. Since, I've learned I'm supposed to use the expansion disk to play, but it won't work. I try and it looks like it's going to work but the screen just shows a big white square that says "Sims 2 University Expansion Pack" and then it goes away and nothing else happens. I've tried looking online but I'm not really good at computery stuff so does anyone have any ideas that I should try?

According to my theater lighting class, the cones in the eye are 46% devoted to seeing red, 32% to seeing green and only 2% to blue. I wondered if the reason for that lies in our environment, in which red often means danger (i.e. poisonous plants or animals), green is prevalent and blue is really only seen in the sky, water, and a few plants. Is there any scientific research about this? I tried looking it up online but all I could find was the information that the blue cones are more sensitive than the others and that there might be a "blue amplifier" somewhere in the brain, but no evidence backing this up.

My hair's probably 5 inches at it's longest point and pretty thick. I've never had much luck spiking it. I've heard using too much product can weigh it down, but using too little doesn't work either, so how much is enough? I have the CVS brand of Got2b Glued hair glue and maximum hold hairspray, and I can't use soap because I use semi-permanent dye and don't want to lose the color. Help!

I drank a LOT last weekend and felt like I couldn't open my hands. I don't remember if they were clenched or not but I couldn't spread my fingers, and it really freaked me out. Why would that happen?

I'm buying books for my college courses and noticed that the previous editions of the anthropology books are much cheaper than the most current ones. I know that there are some fields that are constantly changing, and I don't want a textbook that's missing current information that I'll need. Is anthropology one of those fields, or would it be worth the savings to buy the older books?

Now is the time for you to flex your creative muscles and help somebody out at the same time.

My girlfriend just dumped me and was quite harsh about it. I still have to work with her for the next 3 months. If I wasn't in such close proximity to her, it would be fairly easy to just get over the breakup. However, being around her so much makes me want to punch her in the face. What are some ways I could make her life more difficult and not land me in jail for workplace violence?

We work in retail... I'm looking for specific, work-related ideas. And discreet, so she doesn't realize (or at least can't prove) I'm to blame. :)

I've been interested in sailing on a tall ship for years now, but all the sail training programs I've found are way too expensive. My budget, being currently between colleges and without a job, is essentially zero. I would LOVE an apprenticeship-type arrangement, where I would work for free while learning the ropes. I'm in Connecticut and could really only travel far if I was going to be staying on the ship. Does anyone know of any apprenticeships or inexpensive sail training programs in the Northeast? I'd also go for a trainee crew position or something where I'd mostly be doing cleaning or whatever but still learning to sail on the side. I don't have much experience at all, just tons of enthusiasm.

I met this really cool girl a few weeks ago, and we've been hanging out and talking online, blah blah blah, all the usual stuff. Last week we went to a park and I was hoping to kiss her when we had some privacy. I managed to sit down next to her at a picnic table and put my arm around her before I got incredibly nervous. It took literally an hour of holding her hand and joking around before she finally kissed me first, and then I was able to kiss her back and then lean in and go for it on my own (a first for me, actually, despite having kissed two other people). So the evening ended well but I was so embarrassed the next morning because I KNOW I acted like a child, but at the time I couldn't help it.

I saw her again last night and I figured I couldn't possibly be so nervous again since I'd already kissed her. But it was even worse! I chickened out several times when I was going to try. Finally she walked me out to my car and we stood there for another five minutes or so until I finally went for it just because I felt bad at making her wait so long.

When I was driving home I was really upset, because I felt like something was wrong with me. I wanted to kiss her and I knew for sure that she wanted me to, but I just felt so paralyzed. I do have some anxiety with people in general and I think that's part of the problem, but I like this girl and don't want to be so scared of something that I actually enjoy once I get up the nerve to begin. I already told her that I was exceptionally nervous but all she did was wait, so what could I do to make myself less scared?

Last night I went to the movies with a girl I met online a few weeks ago. When we went up to the counter, to my surprise, she paid for both of our tickets. I tried to pay her back for mine but she wouldn't let me. Since we've only known each other for a short time it makes me think that either she's unusually generous or it was a date.

It would be less confusing if there were more date signs but there weren't. We came in separate cars, sat in the middle of the theater (that was my choice) and went our separate ways after the movie was over with a "See ya!" I'm starting to really like her and I'm trying to gauge my chances, but the ambiguity from yesterday is not helping.

My phone has been working fine the whole time I've had it, only very rarely losing service. Now every time I talk to a particular friend on it, our call is disconnected every five minutes or so. He's the only person I usually talk to for more than a few minutes at a time, so I don't know if the problem is the amount of time or his phone or my phone or what. It might be worth noting that my phone's speaker is broken, so maybe something else in there is broken too.

In the meantime, I'm still paying for service that is definitely NOT satisfactory. What should i do?

I'm at college and we have mental health services as part of the health center that's provided for students. I just went to see a therapist on Monday and she's a graduate student- she looks so young, and I've already heard that MHS is pretty crappy at helping people. How can you tell if therapy would help you, or if the therapist is any good? Because I feel like I'm about to unload an avalanche on this poor girl and she's just gonna get buried, and I'll still be in the same place as before. Also, any tips on expressing yourself in therapy? I know what I feel but I don't really know how to say it.

I went through high school without having a single relationship. I had major crushes and a few close friendships that verged on relationships, but there was nothing official or physical about them. A few months ago I got my first girlfriend and was psyched for about three hours before I started to feel constrained and to worry. It didn't stop until I broke up with her a few weeks later. Now I'm lonely again and feel like I would like a relationship. Maybe she just wasn't the right person for me, but I feel like it's more complicated than that. I liked her more before we were "together".

For instance, I THINK that I would like to be in a relationship with someone I've really liked for a while now. Then I worry that I would lose interest as soon as we were together just because I'd freak out from the strong feelings, and I don't want to break up with him right away and hurt him.

Does anybody have a similar experience that could shed light on what I feel are my hopelessly tangled emotional issues?

I went through high school without having a single relationship. I had major crushes and a few close friendships that verged on relationships, but there was nothing official or physical about them. A few months ago I got my first girlfriend and was psyched for about three hours before I started to feel constrained and to worry. It didn't stop until I broke up with her a few weeks later. Now I'm lonely again and feel like I would like a relationship. Maybe she just wasn't the right person for me, but I feel like it's more complicated than that. I liked her more before we were "together".

For instance, I THINK that I would like to be in a relationship with someone I've really liked for a while now. Then I worry that I would lose interest as soon as we were together just because I'd freak out from the strong feelings, and I don't want to break up with him right away and hurt him.

Does anybody have a similar experience that could shed light on what I feel are my hopelessly tangled emotional issues?

I'm 18 years old and home from college on winter vacation. Last night I went to go see a friend who was having a really hard time, and slept over his house because I didn't want to drive 45 minutes home at two in the morning. I left my parents a note when I left, and answered my phone when my mom called at 6:45 in the morning, telling her where I was and why. She seemed relatively fine, and I was really happy that it didn't seem like I was in too much trouble.

Then when she got home from work, she told me that I was grounded for two weeks. I don't find this fair and was quite calm and reasonable in my discussion with her, but she didn't back down. I have no intention of staying at home for two weeks, not the least of which would be that the boredom and loneliness would probably send me into a light depression. I have my keys hidden in my room, so I still have access to my car. So now I have several options. I could

1. Be very respectful and understanding, hoping to get a lighter sentence for good behavior (my mom also tends to forget, but my step-dad probably won't)

2. Sneak out when they're not home, and if I get caught let them know what I think about them punishing me for being a good friend (which they ADMIT)

or 3. Pack up and stay with a friend for the rest of winter break

I think #3 is a little extreme, but I'm wavering between 1 and 2. I feel like I should throw myself wholeheartedly behind one of them to have a better chance of success. My question is, which one do you think is more likely to accomplish my goal of having a life for the next two weeks?

P.S. I have a temp job with UPS that my mom won't let me go to b/c of the grounding. I would like to get her to let me work, or at least find out a way that she wouldn't know that I went.

I've never been grounded before, and although I can understand where my parents are coming from, I think this is a ridiculous attempt to control me as I waver on the brink of adulthood. Am I right in thinking they should try to let go a little?

I remember seeing a painting in the Wadsworth Anthaneum in Hartford this summer but I can't remember the name or artist. There was a woman lying on rocks next to the ocean, and I think "Burgundy" (as in France) was in the title, and maybe "peasant". Does anyone know what it is I'm thinking of?

The left button under the touch pad is supposed to work like the left side of a mouse- you know, just click on things. Instead, it's doing what the right button on my laptop does, creating a scrolling icon that lets me scroll down the page by dragging down on the touch pad. The right side still does this as well. I popped off the buttons and it didn't make any difference, so I'm thinking the problem is internal. My external mouse is still working properly with the laptop when I plug it in, but I want to try to fix the laptop button. Is there any way in it could have been reprogrammed through the computer settings to do something other than its original function? Or is it just plain broken? I think I have a warranty, so if you think this merits professional attention don't hesitate to suggest it. Thanks in advance!

I like a girl, and I'm fairly sure that she likes me, but I don't know how (or if) I should make my move. We make lots of quality eye contact, but very little physical contact, and it makes me doubt that she actually does like me. Then again, she might be shy in company (which is what we're usually in, since on a college campus you're never alone) or just have a personal bubble like mine- which is to say, nearly impermeable. If I was to break the touch barrier, what do you think would be the least threatening thing I could try? I really like this girl and every time I see her and fail to get beyond friendly conversation I feel like kicking something afterward. It doesn't help that I'm also shy and inexperienced in relationships. So I guess another question is in order- if I find she's receptive to getting closer, when is about the right time to go for a kiss?

Well, I just got the news that my first choice college didn't accept me. It sucks, because I never planned what to do if this happened. So now I have to THINK about it.

I also got into UConn, a state U, and Salve Regina in RI. I don't really feel too attracted to either of them right now- UConn because it has a rep as a party school (and it's huge, 20,000 students!) and Salve because it seems too conservative to do much *ahem* experimenting.

I could also take a year off, stay at home, get a job and apply elsewhere then. I'm really hoping to find at least slightly meaningful work if I did this, not just bagging at the grocery store.

If I went to UConn for a year like my friend and then applied elsewhere to transfer, I worry that I'll be essentially wasting a year of college. However, I'm also worried about not going and not finding a good job.

What's your advice? Go to the party school and transfer? Go to the small one and risk being stifled? Or get a job and wait?

I am a teenager, so the fact that I am confused about my sexuality will probably not shock anyone. I have tried on a lot of different labels in my mind- straight, bisexual, lesbian- I've even struggled with issues of gender. It's become sort of a hobby by now, and I'm glad that I'm not freaked out by the possibilities. However, sometimes I'd like to get someone else's opinion without giving them possible blackmail information. So, as strangers, if you could give your best guess, I'd be much obliged.

Facts:

I have never kissed a guy or a girl.

I have had crushes on many guys, in real life and in movies/tv. Two have been extremely intense and long-lasting.

I have had crushes on a few girls, mostly in movies/tv but some in real life. None have been intense or long-lasting so far.

I enjoy flirting with girls. I sometimes enjoy flirting with guys, but not when they try to dominate- the power has to be equally distributed or all to me.

I used to be afraid people would think I was a lesbian.

In case you hadn't guessed, this question is really more rhetorical than anything- I just want to rant. But if you want to understand what I'm complaining about, you should see a few examples from the website.

http://www.therebelution.com/modestysurvey/

Now, I have no problem with the idea that the female body can cause a guy to start drooling. I just find the implied premise behind the survey to be at fault. The people contributing to it seem to think that you cannot love and respect someone as a friend and also be attracted to them physically. This has happened to me many times, but the shock of suddenly realizing my friend has a nice body is usually funnier than anything. I don't suddenly begin thinking of them as a "thing", I don't find myself incapacitated by an onslaught of sexual thoughts, and I certainly wouldn't jump them or anything (unless there was a long-term attraction there... ) :)