Jump to content
RheaZen

Q&A: Questions and Answers

Recommended Posts

How can I get my roommate to give me some alone time? It seems like she's always in the room, and I'm tired of feeling like I'm always being watched. Nothing rude, please. I do get along with her, I just need privacy.

Tell her to go away.

Share this post


Link to post

Simple question:

 

How do Biologists remember the nomenclature of the species they're discussing? How do you remember words like Onychophora, Peripatidae, and Peripatopsidae? How do you remember names of species when their names are things like Euperipatoides kanangrensis ?

Taxonomy is basically a fancy mish-mash of Latin and Greek with some other languages thrown in in order to categorize living things, so one way to remember the taxonomy is to make the words meaningful.

 

In those cases, recognize that peripat- is part of a Greek word for 'walk around' and -ae is a Latin plural ending. So, whatever Peripatidae is, it's a group of things that walk around. Peripatopsidae would be a more specific group of things that walk around because the word has something added to peripat-. Euparipatoides has a prefix, eu- which is Greek for 'good' (contrast eukaryote and prokaryote-- pro- is a Greek prefix for 'before') so whatever that is, it is something that walks around well.

 

Or at least, whatever it is, it's something for which biologists thought 'walking around' would be a fitting description. I did that without looking it up, and now I have--it's for a velvet worm, so consider it this way: there is something about velvet worms that 'walking around' is a fitting enough of a description that biologists used it to name those categories they planned to place them.

 

You can pull the words apart and look them up on a search engine if this way helps, or you can invest in a small lexicon or perhaps ask someone who knows Greek or Latin to teach you common plurals, prefixes, and suffixes. Taxonomy is lousy with them, so to make the words mean something, it may help to become familiar with the languages they come from. No need to learn Latin or Greek, just get a passing familiarity with them.

 

Making the words meaningful will help you remember them. It's not the only way to do it, but if you plan to learn a lot of them, its a better way than rote.

Edited by Princess Artemis

Share this post


Link to post

IDK if this should be here or not, whatev:

How do you make a simple adoptables site much like dragon cave? (i.e. pets, users, but pets that grow up with time, not views, etc.?) Is there a tutorial someplace?

Share this post


Link to post
IDK if this should be here or not, whatev:

How do you make a simple adoptables site much like dragon cave? (i.e. pets, users, but pets that grow up with time, not views, etc.?) Is there a tutorial someplace?

A lot of coding and a team of artists. It takes a lot of work to get all of the coding, and make sure it works properly. Then, you have to round up people for the beta and get artists who will make your starting sprites/images. Before all of this, you'll need to buy a URL and get a server set up and all of that fun stuff. Sooner or later you'll need to find a source of income to support the monthly/yearly price of the url. And then still, you'll need advertising to bring in players, and events to keep them satisfied. You'll have to worry about constantly updating, fixing broken codes, adding new adoptables, etc.

 

It is a lot of work. Props to TJ for managing all of that successfully. I haven't actually made an adoptable site, but I know enough to know that it takes a lot of skill, knowledge, time, money, patience, and people to accomplish it.

 

 

Share this post


Link to post

We have a coding a fansite topic here: http://forums.dragcave.net/index.php?showtopic=87955 I'm not sure how much help that will be with an adoptables site, but if you're interested in coding sites, I would suggest either taking a class or using online resources to learn some code. I think TJ has said he uses MySQL for DC, but there's a lot of types of code out there to try out. :3

Share this post


Link to post

I think Wynni used to have that, based on the old plushie dragon suggestion (which was rejected for not being dragon enough). I think both she and Hawaiianbabidoll contributed, but I'm not fully sure of all the artists who were involved.

 

If I'm thinking of the right thing anyway. x3

Edited by SockPuppet Strangler

Share this post


Link to post

Ok, I have a bit of a friend problem with my friend A. She's a grade below me, so she's a year younger than I am, but we've always gotten along well. She has this other friend, C, who I've become friends with as well. But I feel like they're pushing me out of the group. They've been hanging out more and more with this other girl, S, whom they complain about often; that she's pushy, bossy, a tattle-tale, and just plain desperate for friends. I don't know S very well, but they make her sound horrible. I keep telling them to ditch her, but they never do. I feel like S is sort of taking my spot.

 

A and I are also in the drama department together, except I ended up getting a much better part than her. I have a main role, while she's in the ensemble. She's a good enough friend to act like she doesn't care, but I can tell she does. She's upset that she worked so hard for her audition, whereas I hardly did anything other than go to a voice lesson once a week. I didn't even practice between lessons because I was so swamped with other things. I have hardly looked over my script, again because of school and other stuff, and A has learned every one of her lines. She's good about hiding it, but I can tell she's jealous, especially sense I'm taking school a lot more seriously than the play. I try not to bring it up because of this, but it too, is driving us apart. There's this other group of girls who are in the ensemble as well, a grade below A and two below me, who she's started hanging out with. They're really nice girls, who have bubbly sort of personalities and get along with just about whoever they meet. I have nothing against them; I'm friends with them too, but I feel like they're taking A as well. And it doesn't help that S is in the drama club as well, although she tends to hang out more with the others that have main roles rather than A.

 

Should I do something, or just let it be?

Share this post


Link to post

So, I recently came upon a large group of people who sincerely believe women are only used for sex and are in general not as individualistic, intelligent or equal to men. There's also the idea they have that every single male who is friends with a woman actually just wants her junk.

 

I'd like to ask: How true is this? What portion of the society believes this? What are the warning signs for this kind of person, so I can avoid them wholly?

Edited by soullesshuman

Share this post


Link to post

HawktalonOfRiverClan - agreed with god.ofthedead. Talking to them, letting them know how you feel, is the best way to know. Rather than trying to push them away from S, as it seems they don't want to, let them know you'd like to get to know her, too. If you feel like A is drifting apart from you, why not practice with her? Ask her to help you memorize your lines, since she's done a great job of that already? It sounds like you're just busy with other things right now while your friends are branching out. If you're not ready to grow apart from them, you're going to have to make a little effort to hang out with them more. Hopefully your schedule can accommodate this. <3

 

god.ofthedead - I don't know how often Kit is around, but Wynni still comes on pretty often. Why not shoot them both a PM?

 

soullesshuman - Well, I guess that partially depends on where you're at and how obvious people are about it. Unfortunately, people like that are common enough you'll run into them. Good thing is, not all people are like that.

I don't think there's any for sure warning signs, but just watch the way people treat strangers, their friends, the language they use, etc. You can't always prepare yourself; just know that there are good people out there.

Share this post


Link to post
Ok, I have a bit of a friend problem with my friend A. She's a grade below me, so she's a year younger than I am, but we've always gotten along well. She has this other friend, C, who I've become friends with as well. But I feel like they're pushing me out of the group. They've been hanging out more and more with this other girl, S, whom they complain about often; that she's pushy, bossy, a tattle-tale, and just plain desperate for friends. I don't know S very well, but they make her sound horrible. I keep telling them to ditch her, but they never do. I feel like S is sort of taking my spot.

 

A and I are also in the drama department together, except I ended up getting a much better part than her. I have a main role, while she's in the ensemble. She's a good enough friend to act like she doesn't care, but I can tell she does. She's upset that she worked so hard for her audition, whereas I hardly did anything other than go to a voice lesson once a week. I didn't even practice between lessons because I was so swamped with other things. I have hardly looked over my script, again because of school and other stuff, and A has learned every one of her lines. She's good about hiding it, but I can tell she's jealous, especially sense I'm taking school a lot more seriously than the play. I try not to bring it up because of this, but it too, is driving us apart. There's this other group of girls who are in the ensemble as well, a grade below A and two below me, who she's started hanging out with. They're really nice girls, who have bubbly sort of personalities and get along with just about whoever they meet. I have nothing against them; I'm friends with them too, but I feel like they're taking A as well. And it doesn't help that S is in the drama club as well, although she tends to hang out more with the others that have main roles rather than A.

 

Should I do something, or just let it be?

I would say you should just let it be. I had friends in high school whom I was really close with early on, but they distanced from me as time went on. They had nothing against me. They were just growing close with a different circle of friends in the school. Eventually, I landed myself in a different circle, though not entirely. We still were civil, still had lunch together (most of the time), and still friends, but our different interests and personalities sent us in different directions. Sounds like such is the case with you, so I say you should leave it be and always be open to befriending the odd one out in PE class, etc. Then again, I was always that semi-lone wolf-type, who would interact with just about everyone on campus, but never associated with any one "group" because of my few, but diverse friendships. That's always how I found my friends, whether or not I was the loner who was approached.

Share this post


Link to post

I have no clue at all where to post or ask this so if this is the wrong place I am really sorry.

 

I been looking at the Elder Scrolls wikia a lot and have considered joining it every now and then. I only had one question for anyone here who has joined one. Do the accounts you make on one Wikia work on all the wikia sites like that? Like if I join the Elder Scrolls one would that account work on say a Halo one? I never tried to join one before and wondered if that is what happened. May be a stupid question but I'm unfamiliar with Wikias besides how they work somewhat like Wikipedia.

Share this post


Link to post

Thanks Sock! I thought it was deleted for a second. smile.gif I'll remember this link next round hopefully! smile.gif

Share this post


Link to post

Anyone have any advice on getting over a fear of driving? After a year I eased up a bit but I was always afraid of wrecking and I have a tendency to space out. I have a hard time focusing which makes driving dangerous. I also hate driving when there are a lot of cars around or in unfamiliar areas.

 

After driving for just 10 minutes my muscles are so tense that my arms and shoulder are hurting.

Share this post


Link to post

Ok so am I going to have a heart attack and die or

 

Every so often, I get a sharp pain in my chest. My left side, it hurts to move or breathe. It usually goes away after a couple minutes. No idea what triggers it besides getting up and walking to the kitchen (the sad part is that that's serious).

Share this post


Link to post

Ok so am I going to have a heart attack and die or

 

Every so often, I get a sharp pain in my chest. My left side, it hurts to move or breathe. It usually goes away after a couple minutes. No idea what triggers it besides getting up and walking to the kitchen (the sad part is that that's serious).

What kind of pain is it? On a scale of 1 - 10 how painful is it? How much does it affect your breathing? Does your family or yourself have a history of heart/respiratory problems? Do you get any other symptoms? Does anything seem to bring it on?

Edited by Kestra15

Share this post


Link to post

>_> Um...

 

Best way to cut stretchy/fuzzy fabric with an X-acto knife? Because I simply don't have a pair of scissors that are actually capable of cutting fabric. >_<'

 

 

Or just best way to cut stretchy/fuzzy fabric in general, too, for future reference.

Share this post


Link to post
What kind of pain is it? On a scale of 1 - 10 how painful is it? How much does it affect your breathing? Does your family or yourself have a history of heart/respiratory problems? Do you get any other symptoms? Does anything seem to bring it on?

~4, just makes it a bit painful, probably but both sides are the kind of family who may or may not acknowledge any problems and just live with them so I don't know, no, nope.

 

Google says it's nothing to be worried about WebMD would probably say it's cancer.

 

 

>_>  Um...

 

Best way to cut stretchy/fuzzy fabric with an X-acto knife?  Because I simply don't have a pair of scissors that are actually capable of cutting fabric.  >_<'

 

 

Or just best way to cut stretchy/fuzzy fabric in general, too, for future reference.

Dunno what that knife is but for me (using kitchen shears, but eh) I pull the material taut before cutting. See if you can hold one end with a heavy book, pull the other end with one hand, and trace where you need to cut with the knife?

Share this post


Link to post
Dunno what that knife is but for me (using kitchen shears, but eh) I pull the material taut before cutting. See if you can hold one end with a heavy book, pull the other end with one hand, and trace where you need to cut with the knife?

I'll try that, hopefully it'll work better!

Share this post


Link to post
Or just best way to cut stretchy/fuzzy fabric in general, too, for future reference.

Really sharp rolling knives that look like pizza cutters work pretty well because they don't stretch the fabric while they cut. Fabric stores have them.

 

Or, very sharp scissors.

Share this post


Link to post
~4, just makes it a bit painful, probably but both sides are the kind of family who may or may not acknowledge any problems and just live with them so I don't know, no, nope.

 

Google says it's nothing to be worried about WebMD would probably say it's cancer.

A visit to the doc will help rule out cardiac problems, but from what you described I don't think it is your heart; it sounds more like a muscular pain, which I get a lot in my left-side of my chest as well. However I am not a doctor nor have I examined you in person.

Share this post


Link to post
Anyone have any advice on getting over a fear of driving? After a year I eased up a bit but I was always afraid of wrecking and I have a tendency to space out. I have a hard time focusing which makes driving dangerous. I also hate driving when there are a lot of cars around or in unfamiliar areas.

 

After driving for just 10 minutes my muscles are so tense that my arms and shoulder are hurting.

I was the same way when I first started driving. Like someone else said, music is soothing and can kind of ease some of the tension. Don't try to focus on so many things at once- check the mirrors every once in a while, but don't always be swinging your head around to check things out. Constant motion like that will stress you out and make you jerky in reactions. Sit back a little, take a deep breath before you head out. At stops take a little longer to gather your bearings if you need to and go a little slower if you're in an unfamiliar area.

 

I hope it gets better for you Wook :c

Share this post


Link to post
I was the same way when I first started driving. Like someone else said, music is soothing and can kind of ease some of the tension. Don't try to focus on so many things at once- check the mirrors every once in a while, but don't always be swinging your head around to check things out. Constant motion like that will stress you out and make you jerky in reactions. Sit back a little, take a deep breath before you head out. At stops take a little longer to gather your bearings if you need to and go a little slower if you're in an unfamiliar area.

 

I hope it gets better for you Wook :c

I was told that after driving for a while I'd start to like it. Even after a year of driving back and to work I still had a hard time. I still had muscle strain going that rout, though not as much and I still had problems of non attentiveness or "blanking out". The first time that happened by myself everything started off normally and I was fairly calm. The next thing I remember after that I had nearly ran into another car and almost got ran into by a truck behind me. I don't even remember what was going on before then. There had been one or two other times when I was practicing that the person I was with had to get my attention so I would pay attention.

 

I tried music before and that only makes me "zone out" more. Ever since I lost my last car I haven't gotten another and have relied on rides to places. I don't have enough money to pay for car insurance, but when I do I'd like to get another car...I just don't know if it's going to be the same thing all over again.

Share this post


Link to post
I was told that after driving for a while I'd start to like it. Even after a year of driving back and to work I still had a hard time. I still had muscle strain going that rout, though not as much and I still had problems of non attentiveness or "blanking out". The first time that happened by myself everything started off normally and I was fairly calm. The next thing I remember after that I had nearly ran into another car and almost got ran into by a truck behind me. I don't even remember what was going on before then. There had been one or two other times when I was practicing that the person I was with had to get my attention so I would pay attention.

 

I tried music before and that only makes me "zone out" more. Ever since I lost my last car I haven't gotten another and have relied on rides to places. I don't have enough money to pay for car insurance, but when I do I'd like to get another car...I just don't know if it's going to be the same thing all over again.

It's pretty typical to zone out a bit when driving. People do it all the time, go on auto-pilot, as they get more comfortable with driving. Not remembering the drive is a really common experience. However, if you think it's more serious than that, think twice or more before considering driving again.

Share this post


Link to post


  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.