"Thank you."
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 7:13 AM on May 4, 2008

I came here to recommend the Gentle Leader too. Glad to see others have as well.

I have had a very active Boston terrier who strained so hard at his leash he was constantly choking himself. Our obedience trainer gave me a Gentle Leader and called it the 10-minute miracle. She was totally right. I have recommended this to dozens of people it worked so well for us. We don't even have to use it anymore, he is trained not to pull now.

Be sure though... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 6:52 PM on May 3, 2008

The Gentle Leader is essentially a pinch collar in that it is a sliding loop that will tighten around the dog's snout if s/he tries to pull. Tomble's "Halti" works in the same way — if a dog tries to pull, the GL, which is attached under the snout, will pull it's head back towards you. Dogs do not like this and so they will not try to pull.

Boston terriers have very short snouts and my dog did not like having the GL on. When it was on him correctly it was right... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 8:34 PM on May 3, 2008

To give a bit more detail: I am leaving to take a trip that was scheduled before I accepted the position. When I broached the topic of the trip with my boss I was told that under no circumstances would I be able to take off. Before I was hired I was told just to let them know anytime I needed off and I would get it.

I do not work at a "firm". I work a minimum wage job at a large organization and I was hired for an event that is still ongoing. The event ends in... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 1:50 PM on May 3, 2008

Nylabones and kongs are my beast's favorite chew toys.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 7:54 AM on May 1, 2008

You say you aren't looking for a package deal but when I was a renter I was able to get insured through my car insurance, State Farm, at about $20 a month, added to my policy bill.

As for anxiety, I had severe anxiety after an accident, and I'm afraid the only answer is time.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 12:14 PM on April 30, 2008

Queen Bee Creations makes awesome bags out of recycled vinyl ad banners. I own two bags from them, one which I recently sent back and had repaired after some unexpected wear. They are a super-good company to buy from.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 9:39 AM on April 30, 2008

Husband works offshore and for the first week he's away I have a very, very hard falling and staying asleep.

I am not a guy, though, so i don't know how this answer will help you.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 8:20 AM on March 31, 2008

Whole baked chicken:

Rinse and rub down a whole, cleaned chicken with butter on a paper towel (or olive oil), salt both sides, put in the oven at 275 and cook 1.5 hours, until juices run clean and leg pulls easily away from the rest of the body. This is my husband's all-time favorite meal and it's a snap to make. Serve with whatever kind of vegetables you want.

My favorite chicken dish is from the Betty Crocker cookbook — marinate breast in equal... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 6:23 AM on March 31, 2008

Re: the confidence issue, once he sees his friends on "big-kid" bikes he'll be more likely to try his own bigger bike.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 2:53 PM on March 29, 2008

I did something similar when I was in college. I just listed one parent as a gaurdian (parents were divorced) instead of both parents' income. It wokred.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 11:02 AM on March 29, 2008

WORKED :(
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 11:02 AM on March 29, 2008

For what it's worth, I've always heard (and utilized) the "whomp" in groups of three:

whomp, whomp, whooooomp.

But yeah, no idea.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 1:21 AM on November 22, 2007

I respectfully disagree with ClaudiaCenter above — I began as a self-taught knitter and later taught myself to crochet. There are two basic stitches in knitting and everything else is built on those two. That's part of what makes it so easy. And most projects do not require counting.

I of course love knitting and am much faster at it than crochet but the general concensus is that crochet "grows" faster, that is you end up with more fabric doing less work than... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 8:28 PM on November 19, 2007

Box.com might be good for you. A few MP3 blogs I subscribe to post their sharities for download through Box, and it's super easy.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 6:45 PM on November 15, 2007

Thanks everyone for the advice. I had a chance to play with an iPod touch very briefly in Thailand this weekend (it belonged to a stranger and I didn't get to spend any more than a few minutes with it) but it only increased my lust even more.

I forgot about the SDK. Any idea if a second gen might be released soon? I'll be getting whatever I get for Christmas and I don't want to buy right before something new is released. I heard rumors they might release a second gen in... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 3:35 PM on November 13, 2007

I know plenty of "overweight" people who run. A lot of them lost weight by running. People will tell you running is bad for your legs, but my research indicates this is absolutely not true as long as you run within your comfort level.

Never, ever run if anything hurts. Take things very, very slow. Remember that even once your cardio level (or your ability not to get winded) improves enough for you to run longer sprints at a time, your muscle level might not... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 4:26 AM on November 13, 2007

Ohio reminded me of something. You should read some books about running. Your profile doesn't say whether you are male or female, but the Complete Guide to Running for Women (or something like that) has good advice for both.

For example, you should alway exhale and inhale on odd numbers. The author suggest exhale 2 steps, inhale 3, but I feel more comfortable doing the opposite. The idea here is that you're hardest contact with the ground is on the first exhale breath.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 6:05 AM on November 13, 2007

I think there's a difference between saying "Did you know Bobby HAS TEH GAI?" and saying "Have you heard, Bobby's seeing this new guy and ..."

In other words, context is everything, and nobody likes a gossip, even if the gossip is true. My barometer for this is "Is it any of my goddamn business? (Or anyone else's, for that matter.)"
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 9:25 PM on October 31, 2007

Dallas' recently re-opened Trader Vic's. Catch the floor show and have some *divine* cocktails!
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 7:27 PM on October 31, 2007

I was aboard this ship traveling between two Marquesas Islands in the summer of 2006 when it u-turned in the middle of a delivery to respond to a series of flares it had seen.

The flares were shot by a local fisherman who's boat had lost power and was drifting aimlessly further and further away from land.

The Aranui is a container ship that makes a repetitive three-week circuit between the Marquesas Islands and the larger islands of French... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 7:11 PM on October 31, 2007

How about a fake green apple attached to a wire attached to the top of your hat so that the apple hangs down in front of your face.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 10:32 PM on October 29, 2007

You might also look into Cervarix, an alternative to Gardasil, which is expected to be approved for older women (it's not on the market yet but should be soon).

Does the HPV Vaccine Benefit Women Who Are Already Infected With HPV?

Also, from here:
WILL I ALWAYS HAVE HPV?
The body’s immune system can fight off and get rid of the human papillomavirus, even the “high risk” types. Most students who acquire HPV in college have... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 10:18 PM on October 29, 2007 marked best answer

I forgot to add that since the development of Cervarix, which will be specifically marketed to adults and not teens, Merck has started to really push for Gardasil's approval for older women.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 10:25 PM on October 29, 2007

Could be a cervical polyp, which are surface-rich in capillaries and can be irritated by intercourse, causing them to bleed. That doesn't explain the poop aspect, though. Polyps are generally no big deal unless they cause discomfort or excessive bleeding.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 9:00 PM on October 29, 2007

Remember, however, that BMI has recently been scrutinized as an ineffective one-size-fits-all* method of measuring overall health and fitness. In this case, a doctor who specializes in weight management is probably your best bet.

*Pun intended
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 9:49 PM on October 28, 2007

Also consider, especially if this is your first child, that the job of caring for a new baby comes with lot of stress, physical activity, hard work and loss of sleep. These are factors that can contribute to weight loss as well.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 6:08 PM on October 29, 2007

Already read True Porn Clerk Stories and agree that it's very interesting. I'm less interested in historical diaries unless there's something exceptionally compelling about them. Great suggestions so far.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 12:18 AM on October 29, 2007

Who knows what drove your friend to withdraw from you. I suspect, and this is purely speculation, of course, that it was a build-up of sorts and not one single event that led him to turn from you. Perhaps a series of minor annoyances he neglected to address that accumulated to the point where it got to be too much. Ultimately, only you and he can know the true reason.

However, I urge you to take comfort, if you can, in the fact that this person clearly has issues... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 12:11 AM on October 29, 2007

Socialization, especially in the beginning of a relationship, is a two-way street. It's good that you are making an effort to indulge these people, to really listen to them and get a feel for what interests them (because people love to talk about themselves), but you should not be suppressing an aspect of your own personality either. It's not fair to that person and it leads to problems later. I refer to this as bait-and-switch — they think they are befriending someone who turns out to be... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 3:06 AM on October 28, 2007

I know this is possible and I have read a really good website on it once that I can't seem to find now. However, in my case it seems like my dog needs to... uhhh, work it out a little bit before he's able to poo. What I mean is that he usually can't poo straight away unless he's been holding it for a while. Most of the time he has to walk round a little until the urge comes, and then I can guide him to the area I want him to do his business in.

This happens a bunch when... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 1:03 AM on October 28, 2007 marked best answer

This is somewhat similar to minesweep, isn't it? Not ashamed to admit I've always loved that game. This looks fun too.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 10:08 PM on October 27, 2007

There are always these beautiful cups that are meant to be stained.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 7:36 PM on October 27, 2007

No, but I specifically chose to study languages that complimented each other. I wanted to go into a writing-based field, so I studied Latin and French in high school and college (English is my primary language). Since these languages are related I'm able to make a lot of educated leaps and guesses between the three — cognates are your friends!
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 7:29 PM on October 27, 2007

You might be able to go to your local MAC make-up counter and get it done for you. (Click "Look Details" to find a store and make an appointment.)
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 7:25 PM on October 27, 2007

There is no really good way to approach this, but I think the best idea is to call the police with an anonymous noise complaint the next time you hear the fighting.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 1:35 AM on October 26, 2007

Or what they all said.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 1:35 AM on October 26, 2007

I'm leaving Korea just as what would be my third winter here is starting. I live near Busan, though, which is basically exactly diagonal from Seoul on the other side of the country, on the southeast coast.

Before Korea I lived in Houston, and I grew up in Oklahoma, which has very mild winters. I'm sure that colors my perspective a bit.

The first winter I was here was horrible. Very, very cold. I remember February 2006 in particular as being... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 11:39 PM on October 25, 2007

The only thing I've found to integrate well with WP is JAlbum, which is another kind of content management system like WP (in other words, it is not a plugin, it's a stand-alone piece of software).

I really like the layout and the ease of updating, but I don't like the fact that you can't leave user comments and that it's not exactly seamless with WP.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 3:54 PM on October 24, 2007

It just looks like a simple finger-less wrist warmer. You can get the kind with thumb holes or without.

Most of those images are of knitted wrist warmers but they're also really easy to make it you have basic sewing skills and some scrap fabric.

Google and you can find hundreds of instructions on how to make a pair — that way you can get exactly what you want.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 3:44 AM on October 23, 2007

Masking tape is your friend. Put cardboard inside the shirt to prevent bleeding.

Don't use"fabric paint." It's more expensive and not really as great as the old standby, plain crafter's acrylic paint, like this.

Use a foam paintbrush to apply the paint, but don't "brush" or sweep it on — tap/dab it on instead. Use basic up-n-down movements. That will prevent the paint from bleeding, especially near the edges of the tape.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 3:50 AM on October 19, 2007 marked best answer

More info please — what is the job description? What kind of writing might you be asked to do as part of this job? What is your previous writing experience? We need more to go on in order to help you.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 3:38 AM on October 19, 2007

Along kanemano's tip, I found this recipe via MeFi, and it's soooooooo good. (And so easy.) Probably one of my favorite meals now.

The salad is great on it's own but really shines with the pork, and the combination of sweet brown sugar + tabasco + oranges + lemon/curry dressing is out of this world. Thank you a million to whatever MeFite originally linked to that.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 8:15 PM on October 18, 2007

Taos. It's an 8-hour drive from Phoenix but it's crazy, wonderful little place. Might be nicer for a long weekend.

I'm also partial to Cloudcroft, about the same distance but in the southern part of New Mexico. My great-great grandfather helped build the railroad trestle there. About an hour west is Alamogordo and White Sands, which is really, really cool, and about an hour east is Ruidoso, which has horse races and lots of antiques.

Sorry I... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 5:16 PM on October 18, 2007

Reagrding 3, you know you can select all your songs at once and increase the volume under "Get Info." Shouldn't take veryb long to do in one fell swoop.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 6:11 AM on October 18, 2007

Just an aside — at one year old, this dog is still very young. As such, he's still exhibiting some puppy-like behaviors — hyperactivity, chewing, exploring and testing the limits of what he can get away with. My dog didn't outgrow this phase until about 3 or 4. I hope you can somehow convince your neighbors not to give up on him yet — dogs, just like children, take a lot of patience and persistence.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 5:40 PM on October 17, 2007

lynnster is right — when I was training my dog I read somewhere that you should never use the word "No" to train with, since it's used too frequently in everyday conversation and it can be confusing for the dog. The material I read suggested using something like a harsh "Uh-uh," or like the sound on a game show when someone gets the wrong answer.

This is a much closer sound to the reprimand a mother dog would give her pups (if you really exaggerate... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 4:12 AM on October 18, 2007

The very first thing that came to my mind was Roberts too. (I think because it sounds very similar to this name.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 11:47 PM on October 17, 2007

Okay, on second thought, if the idea you're thinking of is similar to the LeomDesign shirt wrap top in iconomy's first link, then this is waaaaaaay easier than the other instructions I gave you.

The slideshow in the other link is kind of hard to see, but the instructions in the forum there are pretty well-written. It's kind of like how you save a dropped stitch by re-weaving it when you are knitting something.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 6:05 PM on October 17, 2007

I agree that you should look into volunteering. The external gist of your question is "What can I do to look forward to and give my life meaning?" Since you don't have children and you aren't in a relationship you need to find some place for yourself where you are needed, wanted and valued. Volunteering regularly for a cause close to your heart might be a good first step.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 5:43 PM on October 17, 2007