Tom Boy's profile

Do You Want to Enjoy the Holidays? It is early November, and holiday gifts, ornaments, foods and decorations are beginning to fill the aisles everywhere from department stores to pharmacies. Soon holiday music will be heard everywhere, complete with people complaining about it - one store clerk last year said it was scaring her to listen to it because she felt like it meant her college semester... read more »

Shopping for meaningful, suitable Christmas or holiday gifts, especially on a tight budget, can be tremendously challenging. Gift selection for people who may have most anything they want is especially difficult. So here is a suggestion that can make a gift totally unique and wonderfully meaningful without necessarily making it any more expensive: Get it signed. There are numerous ways to ge... read more »

Your birthday and your mates are very important to you, and so is your judo class. So it is understandable that you are upset and frustrated. You must be very thoughtful and sensitive to have noticed that even though your mum has told you to do what you would like to do, she is not happy. I want to share some things for you to think about: I do not want you to feel guilty or unhappy. I just w... read more »

There are two inter-related questions regarding reciprocity and invitations. The first question is, "Who is invited?" With respect to this request, who are the "friends"? I see the following possibilities: First, if these are close friends it is absolutely fine to raise the question of sharing responsibilities for getting refreshments, especially if it leaves the boat owner... read more »

Uh Oh, hold on a minute! Anyone considering buying appliances to use at college, especially in a dormitory, should find out what is permitted. The types of applicances, their electrical wattage, and their safety features are often regulated by school (fraternity house, etc.) policies. Once an in-coming student is familiar with the regulations it is also useful to know whether the school or o... read more »

There are several ways to think about the moral dilemma born of plagiarizing and wanting to change this behavior. In ethics, consideration basically follows three different lines: There are claims that certain actions are always right and others always wrong. Kant is a major thinker along these first lines. Second, there are ideas that right and wrong should be determined according to the situa... read more »

Decorating small bathrooms is a challenge, especially if you need to work with certain givens -- like tile and countertop materials or colors. Here are a few tips and ideas. One thing that caught my attention in this request is the idea that the small bathroom feels like an elevator. It could be very whimsical and fun to decorate it as if you are in an elevator! So, off you go to visit some... read more »

There are many possible reasons a vehicle will not start. A very simple problem that can be very embarrassing is being out of fuel. This happens to most of us once in our lifetime, and if we are lucky we see what the problem is before help arrives on the scene! Once this simple matter has been ruled out, the next question is whether the problem is in the electrical, fuel or mechanical system... read more »

Volunteering can be the most satisfying, soul rewarding activity anyone can take on. Habitat for Humanity is a fabulous place to volunteer! Headquartered in Americus, Georgia, Habitat for Humanity's mission is to help people throughout the world live in decent, affordable housing. This mission grew from the conversations of Clarence Jordan and Millard Fuller to a world-wide organization w... read more »