I've always wanted to do this when I have kids of my own. I think your list is great, and I would maybe add, "Is there anything that happened this past year that you want to be able to remember when you're 16 years old?"
posted to Ask Metafilter by sotalia at 2:41 PM on April 11, 2008

I think you should do it. It sounds like you have the drive, and you're confident in your ability to handle the working-while-studying situation. Besides, your options seem to be (1) stick with the MA and the $45,000 debt or (2) get the PhD with a little ($4000) extra debt. If you're successful in finding a job, your salary will likely be much higher with a PhD than with an MA, so I think it would be a good investment to continue your education. On preview: what desjardins said.
posted to Ask Metafilter by sotalia at 2:23 PM on April 11, 2008

rsclark, I thought of that too, but playing with the brightness keys didn't help.
posted to Ask Metafilter by sotalia at 7:10 AM on April 10, 2008

Thanks, everyone. It sounds like the consensus is that it's a backlight problem. I'll try SuperSquirrel's suggestions.
posted to Ask Metafilter by sotalia at 7:32 AM on April 10, 2008

I'm not very savvy about these things...I guess I should clarify that I'm not even sure what ASR is in the first place. All I want to do is to create a copy of everything that's on my laptop and put it on an external hard drive so that if my laptop's hard drive fails and I need to get a new one, I can basically restore my system to the way it was. I assumed that one could do this with a normal backup. Would a disk image app be more appropriate for this?

On preview:... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by sotalia at 12:15 PM on January 20, 2008

Quisp Lover and elvissa, that is incredibly generous of you! I'll MeFiMail you to work out the details.

desjardins, I looked into that website too, but it looks like one has to complete an ADA Eligibility Certification Request and be approved before one can use this service. That wasn't going to happen by tomorrow, but it might be an option in the future.

Carol Anne, I had not contacted Senior Services. It looks like they might be able to help... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by sotalia at 5:34 AM on January 13, 2008

I know that it's hard to drink anything while one is nauseous, but dehydration does make nausea worse. Maybe she can try to increase her fluid intake? Without overdoing it, of course.
posted to Ask Metafilter by sotalia at 3:15 PM on January 7, 2008

I took piano lessons for 10 years. I am not a pro, but I can play fairly well. I rarely had an opportunity to play during my nomadic days of college and grad school. But when I finally settled down into a house two years ago, I got a free piano through Freecycle. It was an older upright that had been painted canary yellow (yikes) and had a few chipped keys. The sound was nice, though, so I decided to take it home.

I went to pick up the piano with four strong friends and... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by sotalia at 5:59 PM on December 21, 2007

sully75, thanks for the correction...thinking back on it, it was probably not plywood that we used, but some other kind of strong wood.
posted to Ask Metafilter by sotalia at 6:24 PM on December 21, 2007

Oh, and I forgot: If you're getting a used piano, try out every single key to make sure none of them "sticks" (stays down after you press it).
posted to Ask Metafilter by sotalia at 7:00 PM on December 21, 2007

It might be tough for most plants to grow on soil that is blanketed by ivy. I think your best bet is to go with wildflowers. The Vermont Flower Farm has several seed mixes available. You should probably try the "Partial Shade" mix.
posted to Ask Metafilter by sotalia at 4:12 PM on December 15, 2007

Oops...It's actually called the "Vermont Wildflower Farm".
posted to Ask Metafilter by sotalia at 4:14 PM on December 15, 2007

I might be writing this too late for you to get one tonight, but my field agents tell me that Farmacias Arrocha and Felix B. Maduro stores are good bets...
posted to Ask Metafilter by sotalia at 5:37 PM on November 8, 2007

If the owners are totally uncooperative, you could also try using one of those devices that sends out ultrasonic signals when the dog barks. Something like this.
posted to Ask Metafilter by sotalia at 4:08 PM on November 4, 2007

Too cold to swim? The forecast says it's going to be 92 degrees on Monday! I'm guessing that's unseasonably warm...

Thanks for the comments, they were very helpful. I think I'll try one of the indoor pools that Sweetie Darling mentioned.
posted to Ask Metafilter by sotalia at 3:42 PM on October 6, 2007

If I were you, I think I would want to stay as busy as possible so that I wouldn't have time to think any sad thoughts.

As for activities...If the weather is nice, how about apple-picking? It might also be fun to organize a photo scavenger hunt with your friends. Coming up with a list of funny things to take pictures of would probably also keep you occupied during the days leading up to the weekend. I would also consider volunteering. Whether it's Habitat for Humanity or... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by sotalia at 3:52 PM on September 14, 2007

It hadn't occurred to me to look for USB microscopes. Thanks for the great suggestion!
posted to Ask Metafilter by sotalia at 11:49 AM on September 6, 2007

You did indeed, Mercaptan, though it was a long while back! I shall have to try it out. :)
posted to Ask Metafilter by sotalia at 12:51 PM on September 6, 2007

Thanks, Myself, it was useful to see those images.
posted to Ask Metafilter by sotalia at 8:20 AM on September 7, 2007

Maybe you can make a nice fruit salad the night before?
posted to Ask Metafilter by sotalia at 10:36 AM on June 27, 2006

Hmm...good point about the light levels, metaculpa.

I haven't figured out how to get the data out yet. I was thinking that maybe if the cable came out of a well-sealed housing unit then it could be connected to a computer on dry land. I'm not quite sure about that, though.

The budget situation hasn't been ironed out yet, so I guess the cheaper, the better. I'll see if I can get my hands on an isight to try it out.
posted to Ask Metafilter by sotalia at 2:29 PM on June 6, 2006

nekton: Yes, this would be a sort of settlement plate experiment. It's not crucial that I have web access to the camera, but it seems that webcams (as opposed to regular digital cameras) are better suited for taking photographs on regular intervals. The underwater light is a good idea, though I fear that it might affect the behavior of the larvae (they might be attracted to it). Perhaps I could figure out a way to use one as a flash when taking the pictures. Your work sounds interesting too, and... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by sotalia at 8:19 AM on June 7, 2006

This thread also has some nice ideas.

If you can, try to do something that will make her laugh. Laughing is a wonderful way to decrease stress levels.

I would also encourage her to take a walk outside for at least 15 minutes every day. I did this when I was studying for my comprehensive exams in grad school, and I was amazed at how a little fresh air and exercise helped me relax and clear my head.
posted to Ask Metafilter by sotalia at 2:46 PM on May 3, 2006