Chell

I've been working at this sandwich place for a week, and I'm absolutely miserable. I barely learned anything during training because my manager was rude and didn't teach me anything, and everyone who works there speaks Spanish and I can never understand what's going on. It's really rude, because they know that I don't know Spanish, but they get mad when I have no idea what's happening because they refuse to speak English! (Everyone is fluent in English and Spanish, so there's no excuse) My manager keeps changing my hours to accommodate her personal schedule, and is very unprofessional and snippy. I'm just really sad here, but I don't know if I should quit or just stick it out for a while. I'm worried that quitting would look bad on my application.

I was at a concert last night and I hurt my arm. It got twisted and bumped; it's a little sore by my elbow. It didn't hurt enough to be broken (I've broken my elbow before and it hurt pretty bad) and I didn't notice it until after the concert, but it still hurts today. I don't want to go to the doctor because I'm pretty sure it's not a serious enough injury. How can I figure out what's wrong with my elbow?

I've had my macbook for about 4 years, and it always has had iLife (GarageBand, iPhoto, iMovie, etc.) on it. Recently, the hard drive broke down and I had to get a new one. Everything seemed to be fine, but when the repair guys gave it back to me, I noticed that everything was scrapped, and iLife was completely gone, which made me mad because that was the only reason that I wanted to keep this computer. I've gotten new hard drives in the past, and iLife has always stayed.

I'm taking my driving test this week, and I'm worried about timing. The DMV opens at 8 where I live, but I'm thinking of getting there by 7 so I can be the first person in line. If I get in and do all the paperwork right at 8, then take the test, will I be able to get to school by 8:45? Please help! (I live in Illinois)

I'm taking the test to get my license in a week, and I'm freaked out! I've heard from some people that it's easy, and others that it's really hard, so I don't know what to think. What's the hardest thing on the test? I live in a suburb of Chicago, so I heard that it might be harder in my region. How can I make sure I can pass?

I went bra shopping at Kohl's today, and there was only one bra in my size, 34 DD. I know that stores like Nordstrom and Victoria's Secret have my size, but they're so expensive! Where can I go to get bras that fit?

Here's the essay:

Ideas Of Killing in Macbeth and “A Modest Proposal”

Macbeth by William Shakespeare and “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift are two very different works, but the basic idea of selfish killing is evident in both, though Macbeth is a serious dramatic play, and “A Modest Proposal” is a satirical pamphlet. Swift and Macbeth have similar plans of killing, but while Swift satirically proposes his idea as a way to benefit the group of people he belongs to, Macbeth’s scheme is to benefit himself by making sure he becomes king. The real difference between these works is that though both feature the same basic idea, the satire of “A Modest Proposal” sets them apart from one another. Since Swift’s proposal is purely satirical, it’s clear that he knows that killing people is wrong, and “A Modest Proposal” can be seen as a critique on the actions of people like Macbeth. Macbeth and “A Modest Proposal” both feature the idea of killing people for one’s own benefit, and though the ideas are very similar, Swift’s use of satire shows that they are actually viewed very differently.

Acts of selfish killing for one’s own benefit are evident in Macbeth and “A Modest Proposal.” Macbeth kills innocent people in high positions, and keeps killing once he becomes king, just to hide his inner feelings of guilt. This is evident when he says, “I am in blood Stepp’d in so far that, should I wade no more, Returning were as tedious as go o’er.” (Shakespeare 3.4 135-137) Macbeth is overcome by the idea of killing people, and argues that since he’s already come far in murdering people, it wouldn’t be worth the effort to go back. The satirical idea of “A Modest Proposal” is that killing babies is rational and moral, and Swift goes into detail about how his plan to kill and eat babies can benefit the general public. On the other hand, Macbeth is trying as hard as he can to convince himself that what he is doing is the right thing to do. Both Macbeth and Swift state that they believe that their ideas are moral and rational, but in reality, they both know that they’re doing the wrong thing. In “A Modest Proposal,” that idea of the act being wrong is more evident because of the pamphlet’s satirical nature.

Swift and Macbeth have similar plans of killing, but while Swift’s idea is to benefit the group of people he belongs to, Macbeth’s is to benefit himself by making it certain that he becomes king. Swift argues that a young child and feed many hungry people, which is his way of proving that killing a child is morally correct. He argues, “A young healthy child well nursed is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled; and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricassee or a ragout.” (Swift p. 2, paragraph 4) Swift is presenting his idea to the general population of England, and satirically believes that it will solve a lot of problems and make people happy. In a twisted way, Macbeth is doing the same thing. He kills people due to his extreme desire to be king, and believes that he could actually be a good ruler. He could have been great if his mind had not been corrupted by guilt, causing him to be driven to insanity. The presentation of the ideas in Macbeth and “A Modest Proposal” varies per character, but the basic ideas of killing remain similar.

Perhaps the most important literary difference between Macbeth and “A Modest Proposal” is that Macbeth is a serious dramatic play, and “A Modest Proposal” is a satirical pamphlet. In Macbeth, it’s evident that Macbeth is a ruthless killer, and by the end, he actually believes in the idea of selfishly killing people. Though it appears at first glance that Swift believes the same, it becomes clear that his paper is not meant to be taken literally, but is in fact a commentary about how the English upper class treated the Irish immigrants. “A Modest Proposal” is presented in the form of a persuasive pamphlet, when it is in fact a political commentary. Swift is getting his message across by critiquing people like Macbeth who kill people for their own benefit. During Swift’s time, the Irish immigrants were not treated well at all, and were forced into working for days and living in terrible conditions. Swift wrote “A Modest Proposal” to open the people’s eyes about what they’re doing, because he believed that this harsh treatment was just as bad as murder. The English were acting like Macbeth, only using the people around them as stepping stones to make it easier for them to achieve their goals. Swift may seem ruthless in his proposal, but since it is a piece of satire, it’s not meant to be taken literally, though it should absolutely be taken seriously. The ideas of Macbeth and “A Modest Proposal” are virtually the same, but the use of satire in “A Modest Proposal” is what makes the works and the way people perceive them so different.

My band/choir concert is on Sunday, and I'm in three different acts that all have three different costumes. Unfortunately, these acts are all back to back, and it will be very hard because I'll only have 30 seconds tops to change in between. I start with choir, then go to band, then I have my a cappella group after band. For choir, I can just wear my robe over my band dress and take it off later, but the trouble is between band and the a cappella group, because I have two different dresses. I had originally intended to just wear my band dress over the other dress and just take off the band dress, but it's hard to get in and out of, and I'll have to deal with putting instruments away and switching all my music around. I'm wondering if there were a way to work out my quick changes so they would be easy to do. I tried asking my band director if I can just wear my a cappella dress for band because the two dresses are the same color, but he said no. I'm just nervous that I'll be late and miss one of my acts! How can I make my quick changes as easy as possible so I'm not nervous or pressed for time?

I get my braces off tomorrow, and I've had them for 4 years. I brush my teeth twice a day, but one of my friends told me that since I've had them on for a while, I'd have brown stains where my braces used to be, because the same thing happened to him. The good news is that his orthodontist gave him a free cleaning/whitening after getting them off, but I'm afraid that my orthodontist won't do the same for me, because each orthodontist is different. I've been really good about cleaning my teeth and eating the right foods, but I'm so scared of having ugly teeth!

I see it all the time, and it annoys me a lot. People will commonly confuse "there" "their" and "they're" and misspell words all over the place. I'm 15 and I've always been able to spell. Bad grammar is one of the most annoying things on the planet, and I see it from both kids and adults. Why has everybody suddenly forgotten how to write in English?

I'm creating a website and Facebook group for people to share their efforts and experiences with bullying, and what they're doing to help end it. It would also promote my future motivational speeches and highlight that each person can make a difference, and that ending a problem is a collaborative effort, the emphasis being on spreading good feelings and kind words everywhere. Any ideas for names? I have everything planned, but just need a name.

I'm a homosexual girl, but I've always referred to myself as being gay. I've always hated the word "lesbian," but I don't have a reason, and I never really knew why. Is this normal? I just hate that word and cringe whenever I hear it.

So I'm a girl in high school, and I want to wear a suit to homecoming. I have a nice blazer and pants that match, and all of the pieces were made for women, so it's not exactly like I'm cross dressing. I don't have a date for this dance, and I think it would be fun to wear my suit. I have a few ties to choose from, so it's not like I'd need to buy anything extra. I'm afraid to bring it up to my parents, because I'm afraid of how they would respond. They know that I like suits, but I already got a dress (which I borrowed, so it wouldn't be like I spent money for nothing) and jewelry, so I feel really nervous. How should I bring it up?

Ok, so I'm 15, and stopped shaving my legs about a month ago because it just became too much of a hassle. I think if the hair is supposed to be there, why would I get rid of it? My mom is mad and really wants me to shave my legs, and when I told her my reasoning, she got even madder. I don't think it's that weird, and it's barely noticeable. What should I do? Should I make some sort of compromise?

I'll start off by giving some basic measurements. I'm about 5 feet tall, weigh 106 pounds, and my bra size is a 34 D. I can never find clothes that work on my bust, because the rest of me is so tiny, and I'm usually stuck wearing the same boring outfit in different colors every day, which usually ends up being a solid t-shirt and shorts. None of the nice clothes in the stores work, and the clothes that fit always look matronly. I like clothes that are a little bit quirky, retro-inspired, unique, and are very comfortable and low-maintenance. How and where can I find affordable clothes that fit?

So I have a pair of yoga leggings and a pair of shorts, both from Victoria's Secret Pink. The shorts have a blue rollover band that says "love pink" in really tiny letters repeated across it, then "love pink" again in pink cursive across the back. The leggings have a white rollover with black polka dots, and it just says "pink" in pink regular letters. I feel like I've always been wearing the same shirt with these, because I can't figure out what they look good with! Do you have any ideas?

I'm doing a solo tap dance to the song "Summertime" and I'm not sure what I should wear. It's for something at school, so it has to be appropriate (ie: I can't show my stomach or wear a tube top) and can be whatever I want. I'm a curvier girl, about 5'2 and 115 lb. If you have any ideas, your help would be greatly appreciated!

I'm trying to buy a steam game online, and it didn't accept my visa gift card, when I know people who have used gift cards with no problems. It said that the info needs to be exactly how it's registered on the card. I checked the website, and the info looked like this (info is fabricated):

Name: CHELL JOHNSON

Address: 123 N FAKE ST

BEVERLY HILLS CA 90210

Card number: 1111222233334444

Security code: 000

Does all my information have to be in all caps because that's how it is on the visa site? Please help!

So my boyfriend broke up with me a few months ago and it's taken me forever to get over it. I've always had self-esteem issues, and this was my breaking point. My entire life I've been rejected by people (friendship-wise) and he lied about wanting to be my friend at all. He lied to me about a lot after the breakup, and ever since I got mad at him for lying, he hasn't wanted to help me out like he said he would. At this point I'm not sad that he broke up with me, I'm just frustrated that we have to hate each other so much, even though I never really did anything wrong. I've tried to get help, but it's been a long time and he isn't willing to help me out. Whenever I talk to him he either ignores me or says I'm repeating myself and that he can't help, when I know he can because he was doing well in helping before I knew he lied to me and things went downhill. I think that if it's been this long and I still am not feeling better, he's the only one who can help. What can I do?