Suite-Pee

I got to thinking about this, and was wondering why some people need more sleep than others. For example, all my housemates go to bed at a similar time (10-11pm) but we all wake up at different times. One of my housemates naturally wakes up at 6.30am, I like to sleep until 9am-ish, and another of my housemates will sleep in until noon at the weekends.

So why is it that even though we all go to bed at the same time and are all the same age, we all sleep in til different times? Why do different people need different amounts of sleep?

I have so far only knitted a scarf and a bag, and I taught myself to knit, so I don't really know much about techniques. I have found this pattern online for a simple teddy bear, but am a bit confused about the instructions.

Here's the link:

http://www.knitting-and.com/knitting/patterns/toys...

The bit I'm confused about is when it says to knit 32 rows, then knit 34 rows, do you start on the next line? How would you do this?

Also I am a bit confused about the instruction "Knit a further 39 rows on these 20 stitches". How can you knit 39 rows on 20 stitches?

Thank you so much!

I bought some tofu recently and tried to cook it today. I stir fried it in some olive oil until it was brown, but I found that it was all floppy and falling apart inside and tasted of pancake mix. I don't think I cooked it correctly - what's the best way of cooking it? I've had it in Wagamamas and it was a totally different texture.

Thanks.

I have decided to go vegan for lent, just to see whether I can do it. I am already vegetarian, and as a result have lots of nice vegetarian recipes, some of which are also vegan. However, I am struggling to find enough recipes which do not require milk, cheese, yogurt, etc. Obviously you can replace these with soya alternatives, but they can be quite expensive and difficult to find. So, does anyone have any nice vegan recipes which do not require soya alternatives? I eat most vegetables, plus lots of pulses, lentils, beans, nuts, etc, so don't worry about me not liking them.

Also, does anyone know good brands for vegan puddings? I can make vegan cakes, but these are not as good as non-vegan ones (I find they don't rise very well) and I miss chocolate, so does anyone know where I can get vegan chocolate, biscuits, cakes, etc?

One final question: will i lose weight going on a vegan diet? This is not the reason I am going vegan for lent, but several people have told me that I will lose a lot of weight going vegan, and I don't want to risk damaging my health.

No anti-vegan trolling please, this is why this question is in the Vegetarian & Vegan section, if you like meat that's great but don't force your views on me please. And any "clever" people posting "hilarious" answers like steak, burger, etc, you're really not funny when it's been done a million times before.

I am entering a Fairtrade chocolate cake competition, and would really like to win. The prize goes to the cake that looks and tastes the best. I am a good cook, and my cakes always taste amazing, but I'm not that great at making them look good. I've looked through all my recipe books, including my chocolate cookbook, but can't find any cakes that look exciting as well as tasting exciting. Does anyone have any chocolate cake recipes that both look and taste good?

Thanks in advance.

This evening I watched the 2009 horror film 'The Collector. Whilst I enjoyed the gore in it, there are several aspects of the plot that I found confusing.

Firstly, what was the deal with the red box? Why was the man in it, why was it there at the beginning, and why was Arkin put into it at the end?

Second, what was the fizzing orange/yellow stuff on the floor with the cat? Was it acid?

Thirdly, do we ever find out why the collector is doing all these killings?

I have looked on Wikipedia and IMDB but cannot find any info on there to shed light on the situation.

One of my friends is training to be a dentist, and she said that brushing your teeth from side to side can damage the enamel. Apparently brushing up and down or in small circles doesn't have the same effect. Why is this? Surely it should be the force that you are brushing your teeth, not the direction, that causes the enamel to be worn away?

If anyone can shed any light on this it would be much appreciated!

Every year at uni I have helped to organise the Go Green Week. This year is my final year, and I would like to make it really good.

The problem is, I am stuck for ideas. We've done all sorts of good things before, such as Carbon Speed Dating, Cans Film Festivals, bike repair workshops, and union nights where everyone goes clubbing wearing clothes they've made themselves out of rubbish.

So does anyone have any good ideas? Maybe your school, uni or workplace has done some great environmental things? Any ideas welcome!

I have some audio files that I am planning on analysing using PRAAT software. The files are in WMA format, and PRAAT needs them to be in WAV format. I have downloaded AVS4U sound converter on my tutor's suggestion, but I can't work out how to convert the files. The programme doesn't seem to recognise them - when I click into the folder that contains the files the programme can't find them.

Thanks.

I had an apple with my lunch today, and it got a bit battered in my bag. The bruised bits turned brown, and when I accidentally ate them they tasted different. So I was wondering: what causes the apple to change colour and taste when it gets bruised?

And can you put a verse of one of their poems up on here? Not the whole poem (unless it's really short) but a part of it? I would love to hear your favourite poetry.

My favourite poet is Carol Ann Duffy. We studied her at GCSE, and I liked her then, then 5 years later I bought her anthology 'The World's Wife', which talks about famous characters from history and literature from the female character's perspective, for example Mrs Quasimodo, Elvis's twin sister, Anne Hathaway (as in Shakespeare's wife, as opposed to the actress!)

My favourite poem of hers is Queen Herod, and here is a sample of it:

"Watch, they said, for a star in the east

-a new star,

Pierced through the night like a nail

It means he's here, alive, new-born.

Who? Him. The husband. Hero. Hunk.

The boy next door. The paramour. The je t'adore.

The marrying kind. Adulterer. Bigamist.

The wolf. The rip. The rake. The rat.

The heartbreaker. The ladykiller. Mr Right."

I'm going to the climate change march in London this Saturday. Usually we just use the banners and placards that are there, but this year we want to make our own, and I would like a witty slogan to put on mine. Does anyone have any ideas?

I'm not looking for an argument, so any climate change deniers please don't jump in with the whole "climate-change-isn't-real" argument - I'm looking for people who do believe it exists.

I'm seeing a little girl for speech therapy who speaks English and Hungarian. I would like to assess her speech in English and Hungarian, so I will need some very simple Hungarian words beginning with "k" and "g", preferably one syllable long.

Thank you so much!

I have been watching David Attenborough's Frozen Planet on tv recently and have been utterly enthralled by it. I would like to buy it on dvd, not just for myself, but for my grandparents too. Will it be out in time for Christmas does anyone know?

I set up a signature on Yahoo Mail years ago when I was a teenager.Now I no longer want it, as it embarrasses me, and was wondering whether there is any way to stop it from appearing any more? I delete it every time I write an email, but this is time consuming and awkward. Is there an option to make sure the signature no longer appears on Yahoo Mail?

Thanks.

I have recently started cycling to uni, as I live too far away to easily walk, but do not have a car and do not want to have to pay for the bus every day. However, I haven't cycled for 5 or 6 years, and never took my cycling proficiency test as a child, so this question may sound obvious but I really don't know the answer.

I cycle down a quiet road where there are lots of cars parked on the road. As a result I have to cycle round them. Would it be safer to keep to nearer the middle of the road (where cars have to move round me) or to remain nearer the kerb and then move out when I reach a parked car (risking a car not seeing me move out)? I cannot cycle on the pavement as it is too narrow.

Thanks.

I've had eczema for a few years, but it seems to have calmed down now. It never itches in the day time, but every night I wake uo and it itches like crazy. Does anyone know why that is? It seems strange that it only itches at night.

I am quite keen to make chutney, but have never made it before. Obviously could look up some recipes online, but I would like to know some recipes which definitely work, ones which you have made and particularly enjoyed. I am a fairly good cook, so don't worry about making them too simple, but if you could give me a chutney recipe which you have made and enjoyed I would be very grateful.

When I was a teenager I suffered from moderate acne on my face. Now in my twenties, that acne has mostly cleared up, but I seem to have developed red spots on my arms and legs. How do I get rid of them? Would ordinary acne products work (I assume it's acne? It's little red bumps, and when squeezed they emit pus)? So far I have been recommended using a body scrub, which I have used with little success.

Thanks.

I recently went to Alton Towers. Nemesis has always been my favourite ride there, but this time I allowed myself to be persuaded to go on Rita. Now Nemesis has competition!

So what are your favourite rides there? And why?