Bobbin

My mother is very ill; she has polymyalgia (a long-term illness which has massively impacted on her health in general), and she also currently has a chest infection. This infection is getting so bad that she had to go to A&E last night because she couldn't breathe, but she refused to stay overnight.

Not only that, she refuses to apply for sickness leave. Her colleagues (she works in a shop; her colleagues are all her 'subordinates') are encouraging her to apply to head office to take time off (for her current infection, and on the occasions when her polymyalgia is intolerable), but she won't. She says she hasn't taken a day off sick in 11 years and isn't going to break that record.

Is there a way she could be 'forced' to take sick leave? At the rate she's going, the chances are she's going to collapse at work or something.

My boyfriend left me after a petty argument (namely, when I said I didn't like that he wouldn't let me play DnD with him and his friends). We have only had three 'arguments' in total during the 11-month relationship (we did really get on very well otherwise), each ending up with him running away and blocking all contact with me for a while, before eventually returning. However, this time he claims it is 'for good'.

Now here's the thing. I have bipolar disorder, and I'm more affected by the depressive episodes. As I'm on medication, I probably could have shrugged this off and move on if he didn't rub my nose into the 'fact' that he 'never loved me, in fact he never even liked me' (this is news to me), I am an embarrassment to him because on my first DnD game my character was 'silly', I'm too 'clingy' because I occasionally ask him if he is 'Ok', and he keeps sending me messages saying things like "I don't like you" etc etc. This deliberate and unnecessary nastiness is sending me insane and I spent today in bed ill because of severe depression/panic attacks.

This is making me feel far worse than if we 'simply' split up without all this fuss. I've been hospitalised twice for depressive episodes in the past and I'd rather not go back if I can help it, plus last year I had to take a year off University because of my mood issues; so the question is:

How can I stop his nastiness from getting to me? How can I ward off the severe depression?

Hey, I'm not exactly new to archery, but I'm pretty fed up with the equipment my club supplies (most of the arrows are falling to pieces; not good if you're trying to progress). So, I decided to buy some arrows and possibly a bow (for indoor/practice use).

I was looking at some websites which sell equipment, and now I'm really confused. There are so many different types. The bows they supply are either beginner/starter bows (yeuch) or the scary-looking compound types. Also, I'd prefer to be able to choose the colour of the fletching on the arrows. Oh, and I'm looking for value-for-money type stuff here; nothing too expensive, thanks.

So... what bows or arrows are recommendable?

Cheers!

Just a little something I don't understand. When I went to book an appointment in the doctors surgery, I was asked if I needed to see the doctor or the nurse. I explained the problem briefly and they put me down to see the doctor.

When is it more appropriate to see a doctor? Or a nurse? Is there such a major difference between the two?

Cheers!

OK, I got a blue stain (from a carrier bag) on a white/cream and grey argyle jumper. My mother got hold of the jumper and decided to use sterilising fluid on it (getting rid of most of the blue), but she got some on the grey patterning, bleaching it pink.

I can't get a new one, so what are some ideas to get the pink stains back to grey? Is dyeing it my only realistic option?

Cheers!

One of our mollies, which we only bought a few days ago, keeps excreting a thin translucent (white-ish) 'tube', with small white blobs in it. Is anything wrong with her and, if so, how can this be treated?

Thanks!

I clicked a link on Youtube to a video titled "Most dangerous virus ever" (or something to that effect), and suddenly my anti-virus (Avast) went insane and kept throwing warnings at me that a virus was found [BV:KeyboardDisable-A].

I closed that internet window, to stop these warnings, thinking "What the hell just happened?"... I decided to go to that video again and see if it would happen a second time. So I opened a new window and typed "Most dangerous virus ever" into Google and clicked 'videos' (the video wasn't in my internet history). This time, Avast was screaming that Google had this virus.

What just happened? Is Avast playing up or something?

Cheers!

On two separate occasions, I found broken glass in a [food] company's product (not naming which company or product; I won't damage their reputation... yet). The first time I wasn't sure if it was from that product, but suspected it was, so I didn't think I should complain at that point. But just now I found a large piece of glass, and it definitely came from that product.

So how should I write this complaint letter? I want a result; I would like a remedy but I wouldn't mind what kind of remedy (or how much money) etc. Naturally I will continue to use the company's products, if I don't find anymore broken glass!!! I just want to register my complain and I would like some action taken upon it.

(Yes, yes, I could quite easily avoid using products from that company. But I don't want to, as they are the best company for that particular type of product. Even if they do offer free gifts of broken glass.)

Any help? Thanks!!

A very good friend of mine (or at least she was) sent me an email a few weeks ago; first of all, I must explain, she knows I am interested in religions - all religions, that is. I don't know why I like them, I just find them all interesting.

Anyway, after finding out about this interest of mine, she sent me an email, spouting fire and spitting poison and the suchlike, condemning all religions and ridiculing me for my interest in them. Her last email in this 'saga' (this 'debate' went on for a couple of weeks or so) ended with the following (after pointing out the flaws in religions etc, particularly, for some reason, focusing on Christianity and Judaism):

"[Religious people are devoting their whole lives] trying to re-interpret the [Bible], to adapt it to modern times, to paper over the cracks. It was a waste of their lives. I hope you won't waste your life in this way."

So I decided on ignoring her. She's a human rights campaigner, and part of the human rights, as far as I understand it, is a respect for and freedom of thought and expression; including religion and religious practices, and here, she was criticising people who follow religions. Hence I found what she had said to be hypocritical, and well, it just appalled me, to put it simply. And the fact that her arguments were put forward with such vehemence, and generally were so poorly constructed that it seemed to be a 'You are wrong coz I am right, coz I say so' kind of argument. So, I thought, no point continuing this, is there?

Just recently, she sent this little gem:

"I hope the rant in my last email didn't offend/piss you off in any way. Only I haven't gotten a reply, and I worry that I've annoyed you ... No nastiness was meant! It's all just in the spirit of agree-to-disagree religious/political ranting."

(Agree-to-disagree? Huh? What?)

For fear of doing the wrong thing by ignoring her, I would like to know what other people think of this situation; am I overreacting or is my anger justified?

Cheers!

OK, I have very, very noisy neighbours. I have terrible hearing, wear earplugs at night, and I keep the windows shut, and yet I can still hear their wonderful, drunken outbursts, every single night.

I live in the halls of residence at my University. My house - in fact, my floor in my house - is notorious for holding parties. It is absolutely insane. The warden knows the problem, and all he does is approach the offenders, saying "Now, now, you've been a naughty boy/girl; don't do it again or I might tell you off." Them talking to the offenders has actually made the problem worse.

Security isn't better either. Whenever I phone them, they don't bother coming. A couple of nights ago, someone was smashing up the kitchen (literally. I heard plates being smashed and things being slammed onto the counters) while others were cheering him/her on, and when I phoned security, they said, "It's a bit early [note: No it wasn't. Quiet hours start at 11pm, and I phoned at 11:15pm], but we'll send someone down shortly." They never did. So I had to endure all of this until about 3am.

If that isn't bad enough, I have an exam on Wednesday. Indeed, I have exams for the next two weeks. Unfortunately, no one else here has exams until about a month after me (for some reason the Law students have exams early), so they don't realise the problem. Unfortunately I can't move, as there are no available rooms, and it's too late and too inconvenient to do this anyway (alas, I have enquired about moving. I am desperate).

So I pose the question to you, users of Yahoo! Answers: What should I do to shut these noisy buggers up?

Back home, my father is voting for me by proxy on Thursday's election. But just now, I found out I'm also registered to vote here at University (different county). Uh... I don't suppose I'm allowed to vote twice, am I? #^_^#

OK, I know, it sounds a silly question. "What happens after you commit a crime?" Well, of course we all know you get arrested (if caught, that is). But what I'm asking is:

Firstly, what happens if the police only suspect you're guilty? Do they arrest you for questioning, or do they question you fully before the initial 'arrest'? Fingerprints - taken before or after the arrest (assuming they believe to have sufficient evidence otherwise)? Are you put in a police cell (on your own or with another person?) during the investigation? etc. How long after the arrest do you have a court case? And so on, and so forth... Tell me what you can!!

Basically, I'm asking for a pretty detailed answer, here... Sorry :P

(And no, I'm not in trouble or planning on committing a crime ;) Just asking out of curiosity, as always.)

**Asking in the UK. I'm guessing in other countries they do things slightly differently. I'd prefer the answers to be true to how the procedure is in the UK.**

Cheers!!

I have a lovely brown leather bag... or should that be 'had'. Unfortunately a pen in my coat pocket completely leaked out and ink got everywhere. I'm not so worried about the coat; easily taken care of... but what about my bag? Some of the marks were easily wiped off with a damp sponge; at most a little bathroom surface cleaner (Hey, I'm a student; I don't have fancy cleaners, lol).

I've tried everything to get the blotch off. Toothpaste, bathroom cleaner, soap... seriously, any abstergent I could lay my hands on, I've tried!! :P The bag hasn't been damaged at all in this process, as far as I can tell (after all, it's a plain ol' tough brown leather bag, nothing really fancy).

Any ideas as to how to get the ink off (and how long after the ink got on the bag should I try to get it off?)

Cheers!!

OK, I was standing outside my exam room, and there was a group of people near me. I just happened to turn my head and caught sight of this asian girl with a camera pointed at me, and the flash went off. A bit dumbfounded, I just stared at her for a few seconds, and she simply took another picture!!

I would've grabbed the camera off her or asked her what the hell she was doing, but I'm a wimp. Why did she take a picture of me? Why do people usually take pictures of strangers?

Thanks!!

A random question, I know... my father asked me to post it here and see what people come up with.

Cheers!

Last night there was a scouse bloke on Live at the Apollo, and my father really liked him -- anyone know who it was?

Cheers!!

For me, it has to be, "... but I want to be a tramp, really..."

I think all of my friends have forgotten. They're probably still in that Christmassy-mood. I was holding a party tomorrow as well, and no one's replied to my message X( And we were supposed to meet up today; but they forgot to tell me when and where we're supposed to be meeting!! (Or maybe they postponed it because of the snow... but still, they could have said something...)

And despite the numerous people I have as friends on facebook, I don't think anyone will remember XO January the 7th seems such a hard date to remember as a birthday..! Or maybe I'm just a person who people hard to remember about...?

Any advice you can give me now to avoid bitter disappointment tomorrow? Only one person remembered my 18th last year *sobs*

[sorry to sound all emo... lol!]

I have a cat who is always around you when you have food, always wants something to eat, is hardly ever seen outside the kitchen (or if he is, he'd probably be hunting...), and always wants company.

But since about a couple of hours ago, he's suddenly decided that food has lost its appeal, he doesn't want to be around people, and he's now coiled up asleep even though we're preparing food.

At first we thought that glass may have got stuck in his paws, because a dish accidentally got dropped earlier, but he doesn't seem to be showing any signs of physical pain in that way. And he's not usually sick (for a start, he hasn't eaten enough food to be sick today).

He's only 3 years old (almost 4)... any ideas what may be up?

Cheers!

Argh I don't like showing my picture. But I kinda need help with my hair. It's naturally blonde and curly, so naturally I can't really do a lot with it, lol.

Here are a couple of recent pics; ones that don't look too terrible (not helped by the fact that I'm as ugly as sin >.<)

http://img189.imageshack.us/i/snapshot200907272.jp... -- Not sure about this pic... I think I took it accidentally >.< This was when my hair was more 'parted'.

http://img189.imageshack.us/i/snapshot20091209.jpg... -- Emo? Whut? So you can see the CuRLiNesS!! (b&w)

If neither of these pictures are helpful, I could provide more.

Anyway. I need to do something with the mop that is my hair. I was thinking of having it cut short or short-ish, but I'm not sure. What might suit me?

Cheers!

(And don't be too harsh about my appearance. :( )