p0is0n0us_butterfly

My boyfriend and I are planning a Saturday-Monday (coming home Tuesday) trip to Chicago in March and we're trying to make some plans as far as what to do/see when we're there. It's been years since either of us have been there. Besides the Sears Tower, Navy Pier, and Medieval Times (I've wanted to go there forever), are there any must-see places?

We're not big shoppers and we just want to do some fun/relaxing stuff without spending a TON of money. (Obviously we're prepared to spend some cash, just don't want to go crazy.) We were thinking of catching a show or a good comedy/improv act.

We're in our mid-20's. Any advice?

After what happened in MN, I would like to be certified as some sort of first responder/disaster relief provider in case of an emergency. I don't do this in my normal job; I would just be a citizen first responder - I think that's what they call it. Where can I find info on how to go about this?

I have an lg vx8600 that has a crack on the main screen - I have no idea how it got there, since it wasn't dropped, slammed, crushed, etc. Anyway, there are screens available on ebay, and that would be cheaper than replacing the phone (verizon will give me a used one for $80), but I have no idea how to replace the screen and whether it would be difficult. Has anyone done this or know where I could find instructions? (The guy selling them on ebay is no help.)

I recently moved out of a large house with roommates into a one-bedroom apartment. I had another cat in the house too, but now it's just me and my 1-year-old furball. At first he seemed fine, but lately (I've been there about a month now), he's been driving me crazy. He meows constantly if I'm not petting him - it's actually more like howling. Sometimes if I'm in the shower I'll even have to leave the curtain open a bit so he can see me, or he'll come in and howl. He wakes me up if I try to sleep in, and if I go down the hall to do my laundry I can hear him howling down the hallway. I've never had such a needy cat! I'm gone a lot and I worry that he's flipping out when I'm gone. I don't have extra money to spend but is getting another pet in order??

I've been an on-and-off, primarily social smoker for four years. (At my worst I smoke 1/2 pack in one day). My parents are renewing a life insurance policy they have on me and I have a blood and urine test next Monday. I don't do any illegal drugs but I believe they're testing for nicotine too. I had a few cigs at the bar last night and threw the rest out. If I don't smoke before Monday, will I be all right? Any detox tips? What if I'm around second-hand smoke in the meantime?

I'm writing a research paper on the effectiveness of this type of intervention. It was a recent show, last year maybe? Thanks!

Months ago, he picked her up and spun her around and I think she's never forgiven him. She won't come into any room that he's in, but when it's just me she wants to cuddle and be petted. If I bring her into a room and he's there, she completely wigs out and tries to get away.

I have a male cat as well and he loves my boyfriend to death. I just don't want my female cat to be afraid and hide every time he's around.

So I've seen Christians throwing around hell rather flippantly, here and elsewhere - "if you don't follow Jesus, you'll burn in hell!"

Now think about it. Hell is supposedly horrible beyond anything that we can fathom. Being there for a few seconds is unimaginable torture. I'm thinking that even if someone burned down my house, killed my loved ones and ran over my cat, I wouldn't want to punish them by making them suffer so excessively for eternity.

God's supposed to be more compassionate than me, a mere human. So (a) how can he stand to have people suffering in hell? Why doesn't he do everything he can to save them from that? (And I don't want to hear that "look at nature, God created it, that's how he proves he exists!" Sorry, a pretty tree is not enough proof to make some people believe wholeheartedly in something invisible.)

And (b) is it really Godlike for Christians to throw around hell like a cheap threat, not really caring about what an awful place it is?