How do I know what is actually dead?

Maybe this is obvious, but you can trace a damaged branch back to where it joins the larger branch/trunk and then scratch away a small bit of the bark till you reach the cambium. If it is still green, the branch is still alive. Whether it will heal and regrow or die back is a judgement call, and I second the suggestion to call in an arborist.

If you want to do the cutting yourself, you... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 8:41 PM on July 23, 2008 marked best answer

Also, it looks the central leader is dead, like you said. With big oaks, it is pretty rare that you will get a new leader to take its place. So no, the crown will not likely fill in to the same shape it had before. But a skilled arborist could pick out which branches to keep and which to cut to give it the best possible look and give it the longest possible life. Your tree looks like it is still kind of young, so it might have the vigor to recover to full health. With mature full grown oaks,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 8:55 PM on July 23, 2008 marked best answer

Poplars aren't great landscape trees: short-lived, weak wood, spreading roots. Unless you're partial to it, I'd say take it out. A river birch will give you a similar look in a better tree.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 9:09 PM on June 30, 2008

You could live on 500USD/month in Malaysia; plenty of Malaysians do. It will be easier if you can purchase a scooter first, are comfortable cooking and eating rice, and are not in KL. At today's rate, that's 1,625RM/month.

- 400-500 for rent,
- 100 for fuel,
- 50 for phone,
- 80 for DSL internet,

leaving 900 - 1000/month for food. If you ate out at hawker stalls three meals a day, you'd spend... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 10:55 PM on June 25, 2008

Oh electric and water - another RM100, more if you require 24hr air-conditioning.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 10:57 PM on June 25, 2008

Ok, my kids are dual US-Malaysian, so I know where you're coming from. Malaysia also doesn't allow dual citizens and so my children will be in this bind upon their majority. It's like this: the US doesn't keep lists of its dual citizens, and it doesn't routinely share lists of that kind with other countries. That's what I was told by the US embassy. (War on Terror stuff being an obvious exception.) So Indonesia shouldn't know ahead of time that you're now an American citizen. It certainly... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 10:10 PM on June 24, 2008

One proviso: flight manifests do carry passport information, so when flying to Indonesia from Foreign, she'd want to present her Indonesian passport at check-in.

Whoa, crucial information! Thanks, holgate.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 12:17 AM on June 25, 2008

There are lots of interlocking brick-type things for landscape and civil use, mostly for retaining walls, where the interlocking feature adds to the strength, I imagine. Doesn't answer the question of why they don't have them for houses though.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 7:29 AM on June 23, 2008

"The Power Broker" by Robert Caro is a biography of Robert Moses

A companion piece to the above is Death and Life of Great American Cities, by Jane Jacobs: she was a big opponent of Moses. She touches on the projects throughout her book. Her explanation of how poor neighborhoods typically un-slum over time, and why this process can not take place in the projects, creating "perpetual slums", is fascinating.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 6:48 PM on June 15, 2008

A tube like a toothpaste tube? As long as it is still moist inside, I don't see why not. My daughters play with mehndi paste that comes wrapped in a simple foil cone, and that stuff stays fresh for months, even after they've started using it. Sometimes the tip will get plugged from the drying out, but the rest of it inside will still be good.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 9:23 PM on June 11, 2008

For some religious groups, influx of converts is definitely significant.

Most mosques in the US have people walking in the door asking to convert on a regular basis. Introducing new converts is a regular event after friday prayers. There aren't great numbers on it, but about 1/3 of muslims in America are either converts or children of converts. Given a total muslim population of 3-5 mill, that leaves over a million muslim converts or children of converts.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 11:14 PM on June 10, 2008

If a person grows up in a religious environment and retains the belief in a higher power, how often do they change to a entirely different religion, purely for religious reasons.

I think most muslim converts in the US convert for religious reasons, the ones you meet in the mosque anyway. Nominal conversion solely for the sake of marriage takes place too I'm sure, but most converts to Islam are unlikely to 'fess up to this, even if true. There's a... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 11:59 PM on June 10, 2008

your city's noxious weed laws

Many communities have these, but in general they don't stand up in court. The weed lists are frequently just cobbled together and don't have any ecological basis, so you ought to be able to find an expert witness ecologist or landscape architect who will defend your right to add some diversity to your front yard, especially if you are interested in planting native wildflowers or prairie grasses. If your subdivision has... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 12:27 AM on June 6, 2008

Maggi...no palm oil

I like Maggi - I've got a 5-pack in my office drawer right beside me. Asam Laksa flavor is the best - hot and tangy. But I have to say, it does indeed contain palm oil, at least in the formulation they sell in Malaysia. I would imagine all instant-style less-than-a-dollar ramens contain it.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 8:41 PM on June 5, 2008

My sister takes old clothes and refashions them into stylish garments, which she then sells. She takes donations, if you would like to support her modest side business. She's in Ann Arbor. Memail me if you'd like to get in touch with her.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 10:16 PM on May 31, 2008

I'd recommend contacting a talent agency and asking them for recommendations. I did child acting of the sort you're describing, and that's how we found our photographer. Headshots were basically required to be listed by the talent agencies in our market. I was ten or eleven at the time, though, not a toddler.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 4:28 AM on May 31, 2008

If you really feel like grazing, you can eat the leaves of viola/violets and the common weed lambsquarters. Both can be eaten raw and taste nice in a salad.

The leaves of Cosmos are also edible. They're a bit spicy but nice. You might start with them as a garnish in a salad to see if you like them. Malays eat them raw as a side dish, dipped in chili paste. It's called Ulam Raja in Malay.

The leaves of Mulberry trees are also edible, but... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 7:58 PM on May 22, 2008

Forgot to mention that cassava, papaya and morinda leaves should all be cooked before eating. They are quite tough and bitter raw.

Also, dawson rocks for mentioning callaloo. My dad used to make callaloo with cornbread a lot when I was growing up. Puts hair on your chest, it does.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 8:10 PM on May 22, 2008

The key to spiritual improvement is to increase slowly, never taking on so much of a burden that you give it up later. Slow, steady increase - that's the target.

Do you pray five times a day? If not, start with that. No beard or kufi or baggy pants is worth a fraction of what those are worth. If so, do you add nawafil before or after? If not, start with the two before fajr. If you're on for five a day but you don't feel you could add more, consider adding an... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 6:40 AM on May 20, 2008

because I don't want to abandon this lifestyle that I'm contemplating having; I just want to be prepared for all the hard work that I might have to do, and was wondering how folks who've gone through this same ordeal have handled the pressure?

I guess I still don't have a handle on what you're contemplating here. The way you write it here, it sounds like you're about to quit your job and run off with the Tablighi Jamaat. I wouldn't recommend that,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 6:51 AM on May 20, 2008

Alternatively, does Islam have prayers that ask God what he wants you to do?

The Prayer of Istikhara

"O Allah, I ask You to show me what is best, through Your knowledge, and I ask You to empower me, through Your power, and I beg You to grant me Your tremendous favor, for You have power, while I am without power, and You have knowledge, while I am without knowledge, and You are the One who knows all things invisible.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 7:30 PM on May 20, 2008

A good hack for dealing with gas: Press one baby knee against his belly, hold, release; do the other knee, hold, release; then press them both. It's like a fart machine! My son was really gassy as a baby, and he would fart every single time we did this, to the point where we would show him off to friends. He's a healthy ten year old now, so I'm pretty sure it's safe.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 7:06 PM on May 20, 2008

Another vote for Michigan, Lebanon, and Lebanese in Michigan: Cauliflower panfried with tahini and served over fish, oh mama.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 6:56 PM on May 20, 2008

The key detail is: is this your older brother or younger brother? If it was your older brother, you were clearly in the wrong.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 8:00 AM on May 20, 2008

A black friend of mine called her first born son Daddy, now that you mention it, but I sorta remember her saying it had to do with how grown-up and serious a little boy he was. I wasn't aware of it being a black thing. My wife, who is Malay, calls our babies "Momma", but that's a contraction of "Baby Momma", meaning "Momma's Baby" in her manner of speaking. Terms of endearment are strange like that.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 10:24 PM on May 19, 2008

converting to or leaving a religion

Do these need to be famous people, or are you interested in personal anecdotes? In Malaysia, a guy must convert to Islam to marry a muslim, and so this goes on all the time. Considering this frequently involves circumcision and a name change, at minimum, I'd say it qualifies as crazy and/or impressive.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 9:44 PM on May 13, 2008

1. The five weeks of ads can run in a local newspaper, at least that's how it was in Michigan. You just place it in the classifieds.

2. Not necessary. You don't ever see the judge. You just submit a one page form with a brief, I mean brief, explanation of why you want it done, and it is reviewed and approved pretty much automatically.

3. Yes, I have. The birth certificate doesn't change, you just now have a notarized document from the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 9:03 PM on May 13, 2008 marked best answer

Whether it is worth the hassle: I think just having one letter change on your first name will be almost no hassle at all once it is done. Misspelled checks can still be cashed, no one will think you are not you when confronted with the two spellings, etc. People will still mispronounce your name though, like everybody said.


Oh, just remembered one agency that is a minor hassle to deal with: Social security. You'll have to go to the federal building in... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 9:12 PM on May 13, 2008

You could email the anonymous poster in this thread, I suppose. The email address is at the very end of her question.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 8:51 PM on May 13, 2008

*this thread
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 8:54 PM on May 13, 2008

Santeria has existed as long as it has by living quietly under a nominal Catholic front. Wikipedia, not that it is an authority on your religion, says "the vast majority of santeros in Cuba today also consider themselves to be Catholics, have been baptized, and often require initiates to be baptized." Wouldn't it be in keeping with the tradition to keep it on the down low and just tell your folks you believe in patron saints?
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 11:10 PM on May 12, 2008

How did you handle it when you told your parents you had different religious beliefs then they did?

When I became Muslim, I put jewish Mom and catholic Dad at ease by explaining to them all the values and beliefs we shared and would continue to share. You highlight the things you agree on. You don't criticize the things you disagree on. You demonstrate through your daily life that your beliefs are making you a better person than you were before.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 11:23 PM on May 12, 2008

Also, if worse comes to worse and you are rejected and shunned, produce grandchildren. This is very very effective.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 11:26 PM on May 12, 2008

I'd say it's a pretty tough concept for kids that they struggle to grasp fully for years. My kids learned to tell time between kindergarten and first grade, but even my fourth grader has a hard time conceptualizing the length of a month or a year or a decade. They can memorize that 30 days are in a month and 365 in a year, but the reality of it isn't there for them.

Not to get to softbrained here, but I think time is a big mystery even for us adults. My grandmother... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 12:21 AM on May 8, 2008

If they are anything like State Department Reports of American Citizen Births Abroad, you will have zero problem. I've done it six times without any difficulty. They call it a "report" but it functions like a birth certificate in every respect. I'm sure the Death Report is the same, as toxic said. Just make sure you have the right Mexican document when you go to the embassy. Condolences for your mother's death.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 7:06 PM on May 7, 2008

Disciples of many sufi muslim orders, most famously the Naqshbandi, are expected to undergo a period of retreat or seclusion. Also, while the mandatory fasting of Ramadan is a type of asceticism, it is also encouraged to spend a portion of the month secluded in the masjid, especially the last ten days. You could google for suluk/sulook and itikaf/i'itikaf for more. I'll try to come back with links later.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 10:24 PM on May 6, 2008

You could classify most forms of pilgrimage as temporary asceticism. The Hajj involves a lot of restrictions, is physically demanding and in the past was hard to get to. The Pada Yatra, an ancient foot pilgrimage in Sri Lanka, would be another example. Pilgrims travel down the east coast of the island on foot, a journey taking weeks to months, depending where you start. While traveling, the pilgrims stay under no man's roof and eat only donated food. Traditionally, it is walked barefoot,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 4:07 AM on May 7, 2008

Following up on suluk/i'itikaf: this book has a pretty detailed description of retreat and seclusion in traditional sufi practice.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 5:26 AM on May 7, 2008

Three people on this thread claim to have been "upper middle class" and had chauffeurs and maids?

Those folks were Indians and Malaysians. In Malaysia, just about anybody with a college education in the city has a live-in maid. In India, anybody except a servant has servants. Actually the middle class has it pretty rough in the US from that point of view. More to the point, outside the developed world, those menial service positions are... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 8:04 PM on May 6, 2008

Another thing to consider, Divabat, is that by paying for somebody's service for a task you could do yourself, you are providing employment for people who might not otherwise get it. I make it a point to hire tradesmen in my neighborhood - I could install that ceiling fan myself (I think...) but by hiring the electrician who lives in the clapboard house down the road, I'm not just taking it easy, I'm supporting the prosperity and health of our community. I could feel shy that I'm in one of the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 8:47 PM on May 6, 2008

No tipping in Malaysia either, not to further derail.

One corollary that does apply throughout Asia, I would think, is don't haggle the service provider to death. If you can afford the price on offer, smile and pay. I've seen acquaintances who I know make good money browbeat fishmongers for pennies on the dollar. A brief request for discount is expected of course. I'm just saying don't go for the jugular.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 10:06 PM on May 6, 2008

I knew this old man, an Australian in his mid-seventies at the time. A really colorful character: he had served in WWII with ANZACS, converted to Islam late in life, and then lived for decades in Turkey more or less as a hermit, writing reams of sonnets and anagrams and such. He had a seriously gimp leg and walked with a cane; it seemed six inches shorter than his other one. One day I asked him where he was stationed in the war when he was wounded. Turns out it wasn't a war injury. One leg... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 8:07 PM on April 17, 2008

jseven appears to be describing what my friend had. It wasn't that his leg was shorter; it was that his hip was tilted at like a 45-degree angle.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 8:47 PM on April 17, 2008

There's a difference between the instinctual cry of pain that escapes at the moment of injury and the sounds you make afterward to communicate that you've been hurt. I wonder if the former is all that influenced by culture. I think I, an American, cry "AAH!" before I say "Ow". For the latter, they also say "Aduh" or "Adoi" in Malaysia. "Sakit" is the formal word for pain, hurt or disease, so it's not exactly "sub-verbal".
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 10:34 PM on April 9, 2008

I can't think of an alternative for "Mmmm", unless it's a smacking of the lips or clucking of the tongue.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 10:42 PM on April 9, 2008

How geography becomes sacred is a fascinating topic. The place that first made me aware of the issue is Kataragama, a holy site in Sri Lanka. Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims and Aborigines all have independent but strangely interrelated myths and rituals about the place, and it is a center of pilgrimage for them all. More on Kataragama's sacred geography here.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 12:17 AM on April 8, 2008

Yes, it is sunnah, and yes it is forbidden for muslim men to dye their white hair or beard to match their natural hair color. They could technically dye their white hair blue or green, but I don't want to start splitting hairs. Indian muslims do seem to be the most fond of doing this.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 9:51 PM on April 6, 2008

defreckled is right: Since it isn't done to conceal the fact that he's grey, a guy won't be compulsive about redying the way a somebody might be with his black hair dye.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 9:59 PM on April 6, 2008

fond of doing this: dying with henna, I mean, not splitting hairs. In case that wasn't clear.
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 7:58 AM on April 7, 2008

1. It also made me angry.
2. It made me short-tempered.
3. Outgoing but in a bad way.

There's a reason they call it "crab juice" - makes you crabby!
posted to Ask Metafilter by BinGregory at 9:21 PM on March 30, 2008