What else was collected with such frenzy and bottomed out so suddenly?

Cabbage Patch Dolls. My mom tells a story of wanting to get me one when I was a baby and changing her mind when she saw that buying one meant standing in line for hours to grab one off the truck, before they could even be brought into the store. I got one several years later after the bubble burst.
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 2:42 PM on October 1, 2008

I'm a bisexual woman, legally married to another woman, and I use partner instead of wife because wife carries with it the implication of husband. I prefer gender-neutral terms for everything that can be gender-neutral without being unnecessarily awkward. I love it when straight couples use the word partner because they are implicitly telling me that the gender of their spouse is not related to the subject at hand, which tells me that they're not gonna get all worked up about the gender of my... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 9:47 PM on September 22, 2008

I had all As and A+s except for PE and art, so if I saw a similar scattershot of marks I would interpret that as saying that the person is great at certain things and not so good at others. As long as those As and A+s are in the classes most closely related to the field you want to study/work in, I would say that's fine.
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 6:42 AM on September 18, 2008

Pumpkin pie!
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 3:19 PM on September 12, 2008

The only reason I could possibly see for getting a cat from a breeder instead of from a shelter is that shelter animals often come with baggage (physical and mental) from having been abused. You never know beforehand if you are going to get your cat home and three weeks later a friend with a cowboy hat, a particular mustache, or high-heeled shoes comes in and your cat goes beserk because the person who abused it had that feature. Or if several months from now your cat can't walk and an ex-ray... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 6:47 PM on September 9, 2008

Thanks everyone, I'm downloading it now (>6000 seeds and 4 weeks to download!) and if this doesn't work I'll borrow an external drive. See you all in Spore in... October.
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 4:18 AM on September 9, 2008

I guess I should have mentioned I have a laptop, not a desktop - I was told at the computer shop that replacing the CD drive would cost ~$300. Since I have no idea what I'm doing, I have no way of gauging how right/wrong that is.
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 5:14 AM on September 9, 2008

Thanks for all the help, everyone. My geekiest friend is out of town until tomorrow, so I'll give the download a chance to pick up and if it's not done by then I'll ask him to make an ISO for me. I will play Spore. I will!
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 6:19 AM on September 9, 2008

What sort of protections could I put in place... you know... hypothetically? Really, I know just enough to get myself in trouble.
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 10:16 AM on September 9, 2008

9am isn't quite early enough to have a paper route (I get $500 a month from mine, and I deliver from 5:30 am to 7am), but you could get a flyer route or two. My roommate delivers flyers Tuesday and Thursday mornings and makes a couple hundred bucks a month. No, you aren't your own boss - but you never have to see your boss or any other employees plus you get exercise and fresh air.
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 10:07 AM on September 2, 2008

The Farming Game. A 6 year old I know is obsessed with this game and his parents get a big kick out of it too. Bonus: the people who cooperate best win.

Many others have suggested Settlers of Catan, Carcassonne, and Ticket to Ride - while these are my absolute favorite games in the universe (Alhambra is pretty great too) they might be better for the 14-114 crowd than the 4-104.
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 1:10 PM on August 31, 2008

I just use a regular sized drip coffee maker, make a pot of strong coffee and pour it in a juice pitcher with milk and sugar. Chill. Then I serve myself (or fill up my water bottle) from this pitcher for a day or two. I don't quite understand how your method of making coffee for iced coffee is any messier than than making coffee to drink. I think a regular sized, plain old coffee pot would do the trick if you aren't a big connoisseur. I find I'm less picky about the quality of the coffee... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 4:08 PM on August 18, 2008

Let me be totally frank with you: a fetish is not just a trivial thing like what genre of movies you like. If you get into a relationship where you will have to completely repress your fetish, it will own you. You will probably get obsessed with in a way that you have never been before. You will think about it all the time, WAY more than you did before you got into this relationship, just because it's forbidden. You may obsess over it to the point of making bad decisions.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 6:17 PM on August 17, 2008

You think she's probably been planning a great white wedding since she was eight, but you don't know? That means you haven't even raised the possibility of a wedding to her! Dude, as far as you know, she may be set on a huge Anglican 'do with all the trimmings, she may want to get married in the town park with no one there but the commissioner and two witnesses, or she may want nothing more than to run away to Vegas and get married by Elvis. Ask her how she feels about all this, and then if... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 10:37 AM on August 14, 2008

Popcorn. Yum! For a bit of a kick, sprinkle some chili powder in too.
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 10:47 AM on August 11, 2008

Some vegans I know use it to add cheesy-taste to casseroles and pasta dishes.
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 10:48 AM on August 11, 2008

I love my vet. I love all the vets at my office. Come to think of it, I love all the techs and assistants too. Let me think of some specific reasons:

1) They never talk down to me. They explain everything to me, tell me what they are doing and why, what is happening in my bunny's body and what my options are. When it's clear that I am comfortable with sciency-medicalish words, they talk to me using them.

2) They are not afraid to say... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 8:05 AM on August 10, 2008

Frequent updating is by far the most important aspect for me. My city does not adequately use their webspace, updating it so infrequently that it is useless. I used to look there first for info on activities and events, but I don't even bother anymore.
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 6:39 PM on August 9, 2008

If you want it for videos, 8 gigs is probably too small. I can watch short videos on my mini screen (iPod) but I don't know that I could watch a whole movie. Maybe. You'd lose a lot of detail though.
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 6:05 PM on August 9, 2008

From my understanding, you (and desjardins) have it right. It's because more people will watch women's beach volleyball the less the players are clothed.
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 1:09 PM on August 9, 2008

I'm still researching, and I see that the skin is left on in all the recipes that require hot smoking (the sacrilege!) or dry rubs, so I'm thinking of leaving it on. When do I take it off, though?
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 4:46 PM on July 16, 2008

I mean, I know it will have to come off at some point before I eat it, I'm just not sure when. As an aside, what is this 'crackle' you speak of? Sounds delicious.
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 4:48 PM on July 16, 2008

I'm not in a huge rush. The brines are sitting in the fridge coming down to temp before I can put the bellies in. Thanks for looking around for me. :) And I think it's pretty cool that your wife is a bacon-making expert.
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 5:00 PM on July 16, 2008

Wow, thanks everyone. I hesitate to mark a best answer because all the comments were so good. We've decided that since we have a fair amount of pork belly (erm... 25 lbs), we're going to try a few things. The bellies are currently all still skin-on and brining. We will probably take the rind off of a chunk or two before it sits to form the pellicle, and smoke the rest rind-on. Then we can experiment with slicing the rind off after smoking, and having rind-on bacon. Hey, why not? Now that... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 2:40 PM on July 17, 2008

Also, oh my god, I am going to have the best split pea soup in the universe this winter. Hells yeah for bacon rind.
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 2:42 PM on July 17, 2008

Ok, today was the day of truth and I thought I'd come back here and update the future (ture...ture...ture...) on how it went. We started with two pork bellies, cut in thirds. One entire belly was brined in the recipe from the link in the OP, for the other one we substituted maple syrup in for the molasses. We left the skin on until after smoking and we cold smoked 2/3 and hot smoked 1/3.

Overall... a little underwhelmed. The hot-smoked bacon was probably the nicest... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 11:13 PM on July 20, 2008

I read most books all the way through, just because I can't stand to give up on a book. I am, however, pretty picky about which books I attempt. I only read one book at a time and I do make the decision to quit a book if I find myself looking for other things to do rather than read it. The fact that I only read one at a time, coupled with my avoidance of the current book, means that no reading is getting done. At that point, I shelve it and look for something better.
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 11:09 AM on July 18, 2008

The novel Tipping the Velvet is a fascinating look at the different ways of being a lesbian in Victorian England. It's really detailed on the intricacies of the dirty underbelly of London, the sex trade, the entertainment industry, class differences, and the ways different people in different times negotiate their sexualities and sexual identities. Avoid the BBC miniseries, though. All of the scintillation, none of the character or history.

Also: it makes me so happy... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 7:19 AM on July 18, 2008

I hate "fitness" and gyms and workouts too, but for me the trick has been to schedule in the activity in a way I can't say no to. I got a paper route, now I walk roughly 4kms every morning. Since it's a job, I can't just say "I don't want to" or "I'm too tired" or some bullshit, I just have to do it. Also, I am getting paid for it - instead of paying the gym $60 a month, I get paid $500. Also also, since it's so early in the morning I go to bed before I have a... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 4:16 PM on July 12, 2008

I'm about the same size as you (although built very differently than the women in the photos) and also very self-conscious - to the point that I won't wear pink, gray, or certain patters because I'm afraid that people will look at me and be reminded of a pig, elephant, or sofa. Because of my self-consciousness I am constantly looking at (and judging, let's not be delicate here) other women's bodies and clothes. I find that the women who I think "I want to look like that" and the ones... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 12:00 PM on July 11, 2008

What is a strange thing you believed when you were a kid? (Stuff like "All dogs are boys and all cats are girls, or there are people inside the street-side generator boxes pulling switches to make the streetlights turn).

Flying or Invisibility? Note: Invisibility does not include incorporeality (so, you can't be seen, but you can't walk through walls).

Pirates vs. ninjas?

What does the tooth-fairy do with all those teeth?
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 11:21 AM on July 11, 2008

Talk about the plot of a book one (or both of you) is currently reading. My wife reads lots of classics, and we'll often talk about them as she is reading them. She'll tell me the plot of (for example) Crime and Punishment, and we'll get into great discussions about nihilism, guilt and innocence, mental illness, interrogation techniques, religious conversion, and what we think Raskolnikov is going to do next. Then, when he does something, we talk about it some more!... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 11:28 AM on July 11, 2008

Definitely don't forget goggles, whatever you do.
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 8:53 AM on July 11, 2008

I have a question for all you good-financial-skills people about saving money. Right now I can only afford to put about $35 dollars a month away, and I am throwing that right into an RRSP. I, however, have no "cushion." Should I be putting that money into a regular savings account instead (and making basically no interest on it?)? Half-savings, half-rrsp? All savings until I have a certain amount saved up? If I have a few extra dollars at the end of the month, should it go into... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 8:07 AM on July 10, 2008

Also, Mint only works in the US. Any suggestions for the rest of us?
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 8:10 AM on July 10, 2008

Thanks for all the help and advice, everyone. I found the article that I was referring to when I mentioned the perhaps less-than-usefulness of PAP tests. Here is the quote that Wikipedia uses:

"A nurse performing 200 tests each year would prevent a death once in 38 years. During this time she or he would care for over 152 women with abnormal results, over 79 women would be referred for investigation, over 53 would have abnormal biopsy results, and over 17 would... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 6:59 PM on July 8, 2008

Labello.
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 7:27 AM on July 5, 2008

I would, however, suggest OPENLY talking to some of the awesome men you know - a very good, longtime friend,

Be careful with this. We had a great guy for a donor, a really good friend whom we had known for years. Very shortly after we got pregnant, the shit hit the fan for him in some other way and he became such an incredible asshole that, in hindsight, we are glad we miscarried because at least now we don't ever have to see him again. Yes, that... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 6:47 AM on July 4, 2008

I think if you went on vacation and had a little fling...

Also keep in mind that even if all your bits are in perfect working order, you only have about a one in four chance of getting pregnant each cycle.* So, if you plan to do something like this, you better to prepare to spend a week on vacation in Tahiti every four weeks for several months.

Also, think long term. What do you want to tell your kid about their origins... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 8:21 AM on July 4, 2008

Ender's Game.
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 12:12 PM on July 3, 2008

My dad isn't my biological father either, only I found out when I was eight. It will take some time to get used to the idea, but the important thing is that your dad is still your dad, and he needs to know that nothing has changed. The fact that you aren't biologically related, and yet he has invested so much of his resources in you, must mean that he's really devoted to you. That's something not everyone gets from their biological parents, never mind non-blood. Any man with functioning... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 7:54 AM on July 2, 2008

All the people who are saying "Their house, their rules:" I don't actually think the OP is sure it is a rule. OP, you need to actually talk to your parents about this before you can go any further. Your mom suggests separate rooms and you skirt the subject? No, no, no. Just act like it's no big deal and say: "I figured we could both stay in my room." If your mom says "Uh, um, I'm not sure but ok" then you're fine, and if she says "No way, no how,"... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 7:43 AM on July 2, 2008

A Woman in Berlin: Eight Weeks in the Conquered City by Anonymous.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It's the diary written by a journalist (so it's actually a readable diary) who lived through the Russian occupation of Berlin at the end of the war. It details all the small (and not so small) things that the women and children had to do to keep themselves alive through starvation, violence, and mass rape while their men were away and (later) present but... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 9:45 AM on June 30, 2008

Age also changes your hair, so a lot of people will say "my hair was never dark until I started plucking/waxing/shaving it" when what they are forgetting is that they started doing these hair removal techniques at a particular age when their bodies were going through various changes anyway. If your hair does change, the hair removal process is just a counfounding factor.
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 5:29 PM on June 28, 2008

Another thread.
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 6:24 PM on June 27, 2008

Pit bulls also tend to have a lot of health complications, due to the breeding. Make sure you are able to meet some very very expensive vet bills in the future.
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 1:52 PM on June 25, 2008

Palak Paneer (aka Saag Paneer)

Simmer a whack of spinach in not a whole lot of water. While this is simmering:

Brown a thinly sliced onion in ghee (or butter) and oil. Add garlic, ginger, cook for a few minutes. Add garam masala, turmeric, whole cumin seeds, a fair amount of salt. Cook until nice and fragrant.

Fry up some paneer in butter. You can buy this in any Asian grocer, or you can make it really easily (bring... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 7:59 PM on June 23, 2008

I know I'm a little late to the party, I just love Indian food so much that now that I've found this thread I can't leave it alone. The best part of that recipe I just wrote down (palak paneer) is that onion/spice mix. It's called turka or tarka and is the base for so many recipes.

Have some chickpeas? Sautee them with turka, some curry powder (if you have it), throw in a couple of chopped tomatoes, let simmer for half an hour - voila! Chickpea curry.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 8:04 AM on June 24, 2008

Kimchi?
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 3:56 PM on June 23, 2008

Sorry to derail a bit, but what is CSA?
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcticwoman at 7:49 PM on June 23, 2008