Bookworm

About a year ago, my friend built a desktop for me (so not everything is from one brand). 6 months after I bought it, the power supply failed, and after that I started having all sorts of problems. First it would blue-screen all the time, it was laggy, and sometimes I couldn't boot it up. We replaced the power supply (of course), rebooted the operating system a few times, and when that didn't work, we finally replaced the hard drive. Everything is still under warranty.

Now, when I try to boot up my computer, it shows a blank screen that says "disk read error" and that I can push ctrl+alt+del to restart. It restarts, then goes right back to that screen. It was doing this before we replaced the hard drive too.

My friend is back at school now, so I'm trying to fix this myself (sort of). I'm not a total ditz with computers, but please speak in layman's terms. If there is an easy fix, I'd like to be able to do it on my own, but if I need to send in parts, that's okay too.

Any help is much appreciated! :)

I'm trying to learn how to knit, and I bought 4 sets of needles (10.5in x 6.5mm, 10in x 6mm, 8 x 5, and 9 x 5.5). Which would be the easiest to start with? I crochet, but I heard knitting was faster, and I would like to learn. Any tips?

In the movie Men in Tights, Cary Elwes imitates someone when he's making a speech to his men and puts them asleep. What is he referencing in this? I've never figured it out...

As part of a school assignment, I'm writing a paper on the localization of function in the brain--and I need to write it from the perspective of someone who agrees that mental abilities (and perhaps personality traits) have specific biological locations. So far, I have Broca, Gall, and Gazziniga who agree, and Flourens who disagrees. Any help appreciated! :)

I've recently become interested in old old old stories, like The Arabian Nights and The Canterbury Tales. I've been doing some research on reviews for different translations of both, and I can't figure out which one I would like the best. All I want is to read the stories, I don't need them for any kind of critical analysis. I want the language to be readable (hence not the original tales), I don't care if the language is foul or dirty or not-child-friendly, and I basically just want an idea of the nights/tales. I like old collections of stories (like fairy tales and such), and I thought I'd start with these.

Also, if anyone has any suggestions for other old texts like these, those would be great.

Thanks!

Here's the catch: I don't want anything to do with Twilight, vampires, werewolves, fairies (or any alternative spelling) unless it's fairy tale status. I don't want a book where a girl is in a school and is pretty low-key, until she meets the sexy and mysterious guy who is [take your pick of mythical creatures] and sees something in her even though she thinks it's normal. Either that or she's one of the same type of creature. It seems there's a lot of that going around.

Actually, make it NOT on Earth, just to be on the safe side. I think we can safely say that books not set on Earth won't be like that.

Just to be helpful, I'm looking for books like Kristin Cashore's Fire and Graceling, or Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar universe. Or Trudi Canavan's Black Magician series, Maria V. Snyder's Poison Study series (and the one that follows), etc. They can be princessly and fairy tale-esque, but I'm sick and tired of books that were written for the money and not to write a good story.

Any help is appreciated! Thanks!

I need to do a primary source analysis on this play. It's a one-act play that The Matchmaker and then Hello Dolly! were based on. Any help appreciated!

Right now, I'm looking for more in the fantasy category. Nothing set on Earth, please no vampires, no sci-fi, and no high fantasy (e.g. lord of the rings or eragon). I like books by Mercedes Lackey, Tamora Pierce, Andre Norton, Kate Forsyth, Patricia Briggs, Robin McKinley, Jessica Day George, and Philip Pullman. I also like books that are re-tellings of old stories, operas, fairy tales, ballets, books, etc.

Any ideas are welcome!

Thanks! :)

One of my best friends is starting to replace my roommate and me with weed. He doesn't seem to think that it's the weed that's driving us away, but we don't like being around him when he's high. Among other things, he turns just plain mean. I call it a psychological addiction, because he can't seem to do anything without smoking anymore, not even hanging out with us. His weed is more important. I don't necessarily want to make him stop, I really just want to make him see how it's hurting us. We aren't speaking to him right now after a fight we had three days ago, and we aren't going to until he comes to us. I don't know what to do to make him see that the pot is driving us away. Any advice?

And don't tell me you can't make someone stop smoking pot if they don't want to. Like I said, I don't want to force him to stop smoking, I want him to realize what he is doing. I want to keep him as a friend, but it doesn't seem like he really cares.

At this point, if he doesn't start putting effort into our friendship, my roommate and I don't want to be friends with him anymore. It's just a lot of work and pain for us.

I am writing a book (possibly multiple books) that take place in a completely new universe. I have drawn maps, and I've written histories for some of the countries and cities (but not extended ones). Basically, it's a magical world where people have gifts (cooking, luck, healing, etc.) and the magic is wild. There are some different types of people, geographical locations, etc. I've drawn a map and labeled where I think each race of people lives. Also, there are creatures of myth in the books (dryads, dragons, etc.). Each country also has a patron god or goddess, and there is something called the Divine Court, where everyone goes when they die.

Knowing all of this, what are some questions you would ask an author about her fictional country? I am trying to build up a background for this universe. If you were reading my book, what are some general questions you would have about the land they live in?

Some questions I can think of are:

What kinds of heroes do each of the countries have in their history?

What kind of government?

When did the country start?

Who are the lawkeepers in the land?

Stuff like that. Anything will help!

Thanks!

I don't want to download it with utorrent and I don't want a general website-those usually only have the classics that I don't enjoy reading.

I'd also like to read the third in the series as well, if possible.

Thanks!

I know this question (or variations of it) have been asked a million times, but I have to ask again if anyone can give me a list of books that I may like according to my list of favorites. Amazon keeps recommending the same things, which I've either already read or don't want to read, and it's mixed up with other things.

Anyway, my favorite books are:

The Heralds of Valdemar universe by Mercedes Lackey

His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

Harry Potter (but it's not on the very top)

The Halfblood Chronicles by Andre Norton

A Countess Below Stairs by Eva Ibbotson (and her other books that are similar)

The Poison Study series by Maria V. Snyder

The Chronicles of Narnia

The Tortall Universe by Tamora Pierce (actually pretty much anything by her)

The Magician's Guild series by Trudi Canavan

Basically I'm really into fantasy but not epic fantasy like Tolkien or Paolini (nothing super long and over descriptive). I like romance in my books, but not overwhelming, and I like lots of action. I have read Twilight and The Host, and I liked them too, but not as much (and I'm tired of vampires).

Thanks!

I have already read the books Green Rider and First Rider's Call, by Kristen Britain, and I just checked out the third book (The High King's Tomb) today and I'd like to read it, but I can't remember what happened in the first two books. I don't have much time to read the third book before I have to return it (I'm moving back to school--not a good library there), and I don't have enough time to re-read the first two books. Can anyone give me a detailed summary of what happens in the first two books in the series?

Thanks!

I'm having a bit of writer's block at the moment, and I like to do short pieces when I'm stuck like this. I'd google writing prompts, but those usually tend to be boring. Anyone have any suggestions for some fun, SHORT writing prompts? I like to write fantasy, if that helps.

Thanks!

It was something I read as a kid, and it was supposed to be kind of creepy (but now that I think about it, it wasn't really) halloween-ish stories. It had four or five stories in it, and pictures. All I remember is this one story about this girl with a ribbon around her neck. This boy likes her and wants to know why she has the ribbon, but she won't let him take it off until she's really old and ready to die. Then when she does, her head falls off because the ribbon was all that was holding it on. The stories were all along those lines.

Anyone know what the book was called or who wrote it?

Thanks!

I'm looking for a fiber-cement saw that was made in the US. We are replacing our siding, and we have a Rigid brand one (made in China), but it's the second one so far, and it's about to break. After less than an hour of use (not counting breaks when it was turned off). We'd like one with the vacuum attachment to it as well, to suck the concrete dust away so we aren't as likely to breathe it in.

Does anyone know where I can find one? Online or in stores?

Thanks!

It's not just from me, though I was the most recent of her "victims." I love my sister dearly, but we can't have this. She takes money from my parents and from me, and she'd probably do it from my brother if he kept it lying around (I've stopped doing that, even though it was on my desk in my room). The only problem is that my brother and I are away at college for 9 months out of the year, and she is the ONLY person home to take it, so my parents know it's her. But faced with confrontation, she gets all defensive and refuses to admit it. We've tried gentle teasing, asking her in a nice way (meaning as if it doesn't really matter one way or another if she DID take it), and shouting matches, sneak attacks...you name it. It may just be a phase, but is there a way we can make it a shorter one?

This is a completely rhetorical question. Don't answer it. I'm just really irritated at how more than half the questions in the books & authors category are taken up by Twilight and Robert Pattinson (who IS NOT hot, chicas, so get over him). I USED to like the books.

I'd like some lists of books (mainly books, but movies too) based off of fairy tales, old operas, ballets, history, or are in general re-tellings of classic tales.

Here are the ones I have/know of:

Anything by Mercedes Lackey

The Once Upon a Time Series

Anything by Robin McKinley

(Another) A Cinderella Story (movies)

Sydney White (movie)

Anything helps...thanks!

I'm really into re-writing existing stories with a fresh perspective (like Disney does, or all the Cinderella remakes). What are some of your favorite old stories? Here's what I'm looking for:

Fairy tales (though I know and have access to most of these)

Classic books

Old operas

Ballets

Really old films

Broadway/other theater shows

Myths of any culture

Anything else you can think of...

Any lists would be great! Thanks :).