My husband and I are currently working with NACA and are a couple days away from qualification. There are no income requirements, so it won't hurt you to get a raise. They do have limits on how expensive a house you can buy, but the limits are fairly high. In my area (Raleigh/Durham, NC), the upper limit is around $200,000.

The process is, to be totally honest, a giant pain if you have not kept really great financial records. But we haven't really minded that, because... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by feathermeat at 6:38 AM on July 15, 2008

I was on the same daily dose of Adderall as you (although I took immediate-release, not XR) and I agree with everything loiseau said. It has been about 8 months for me and I still am not really "on" most of the time. You get used to it, though.

For right now, while you are still having really butt-kicking fatigue, I would suggest pushing through it as much as you can and maintaining a normal schedule. Just accept that you're not going to be doing much besides... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by feathermeat at 5:05 PM on July 2, 2008

Late response from feathermeat's husband, who is Trinidadian:

I am glad that you are planning on visiting Trini.Are you concerned about the crime scene? check out guardian.co.tt or trinidadexpress.com . When I was back home in November, though, I felt quite comfortable though a bit taken aback by the changes that have taken place over the years. I see you are keen on some calypso/soca . If you want to see live music there is a pub on the corner of French street and... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by feathermeat at 3:11 PM on May 7, 2008 marked best answer

Lipedema can cause a very disproportionate fat distribution concentrated in the hips, thighs, and calves, mainly in women. This is not a typical pear shape; it's much more dramatic.
posted to Ask Metafilter by feathermeat at 9:50 AM on December 6, 2007

Jaime Pressly is actually from Kinston, North Carolina (I know a girl who went to high school with her), so I'm pretty sure the Southern accent is mostly natural.
posted to Ask Metafilter by feathermeat at 5:32 PM on October 11, 2006

Could "cy-roo-ic" be "verrückt" (pronounced, roughly, "fer-ewkt")? Because "verrückt" means crazy, so it might be a reasonable thing to call someone as an insult.
posted to Ask Metafilter by feathermeat at 4:59 PM on September 5, 2006

"Schmal" can mean "thin," so maybe he was calling her skinny? Was she skinny?
posted to Ask Metafilter by feathermeat at 5:01 PM on September 5, 2006

Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis can both cause clubbing of the fingers (it looks like this). From the emedicine link above:

* When the profile of the distal digit is viewed, the angle made by the proximal nail fold and nail plate (Lovibond angle) typically is less than or equal to 160°. In clubbing, the angle flattens out and increases as the severity of the clubbing increases. If the angle is greater than 180°, definitive clubbing exists. An... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by feathermeat at 3:23 PM on August 15, 2006 marked best answer

Trinbagonian--from Trinidad and Tobago.
posted to Ask Metafilter by feathermeat at 4:26 PM on August 8, 2006

I second tastybrains' suggestion to check out the Shyness and Social Anxiety Workbook. If you read it seriously and do all the exercises, it's every bit as helpful as a course of cognitive behavioral therapy. In fact, it basically is a course of cognitive behavioral therapy.
posted to Ask Metafilter by feathermeat at 11:27 PM on June 26, 2006

Was your 3-in-1 wonder drug trazodone by any chance? If so, I can say from personal experience (as well as research) that it really is incredibly effective and has no addictive potential.
posted to Ask Metafilter by feathermeat at 2:33 PM on June 15, 2006

Some degree of sexual dysfunction with SSRI's seems to be damn near universal. Unfortunately, it's something that behavioral measures are hard-pressed to alleviate much.

However, there are plenty of pharmacological tricks that can help. Although bupropion (Wellbutrin) is widely used for SSRI sexual dysfunction, the fact that you are using medication for anxiety, rather than depression, makes Wellbutrin a less attractive choice. It is a stimulating antidepressant and... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by feathermeat at 1:01 PM on February 8, 2006

Another vote for Carrboro. In my opinion, the apartment complexes geared to students in Carrboro are somewhat nicer than similar complexes in Chapel Hill.

I live in Berkshire Manor West right now (across the street from Jeanne), and I like it a lot. It's nice-looking, comes with free broadband and cable, a washer and dryer in the apartment (hard to find!), and is close to UNC. Free buses run to campus from here about once an hour (during ~6am-8am and ~3:30pm-8pm, they... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by feathermeat at 4:16 AM on February 2, 2006

Oh, I forgot to mention...Berkshire Manor West is pet-friendly. Lots of people have dogs. I think there is a small extra deposit associated with pets.
posted to Ask Metafilter by feathermeat at 4:18 AM on February 2, 2006

Try listening to these. Unfortunately, there's only one speaker from NZ represented...but it might help anyway.
posted to Ask Metafilter by feathermeat at 8:30 PM on January 27, 2006

Also this and this.
posted to Ask Metafilter by feathermeat at 8:32 PM on January 27, 2006

If you're a good writer, try this. I imagine you'd need some kind of portfolio first.

Also, this site has a number of freelance job listings.
posted to Ask Metafilter by feathermeat at 12:46 PM on January 21, 2006

A roommate of mine made it once using this recipe. It was pretty much like the restaurant stuff, and didn't taste too strongly of mayonnaise, even though it has a huge amount of mayo in it.

For variant recipes, google Japanese shrimp sauce recipe. Lots of results.
posted to Ask Metafilter by feathermeat at 8:03 PM on January 19, 2006

Check this out...first you choose what language you want to hear. When you mouse over each link, it gives the category name (e.g. men's clothing, women's clothing) in English. When you click on one of the clothing links, it has pictures of various articles of clothing, including gloves, socks, stockings, etc. Mouse over an item to hear the name pronounced in whatever language you've chosen.

This'll all make sense if you go to the site, I promise!... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by feathermeat at 6:24 PM on December 30, 2005

Scroll down on this site for some tips on coping when a family member/friend has OCD (which, as you probably know already, is similar to trichotillomania). They are mostly geared toward keeping yourself from getting burned out, which is key in being able to offer continued love and support to someone who is ill.

I can say from experience that therapy, particularly cognitive behavioral therapy, is extremely helpful in dealing with... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by feathermeat at 1:51 AM on December 30, 2005

All these answers are helpful...thanks.
posted to Ask Metafilter by feathermeat at 1:04 PM on December 28, 2005

Apparently it's someone called Nine Lyin King--lyrics here.
posted to Ask Metafilter by feathermeat at 11:23 AM on December 28, 2005 marked best answer

Just so you know--the way I found it was by Googling "I don't believe a word of it" lyrics. For some reason, Google wouldn't find the entire line.
posted to Ask Metafilter by feathermeat at 11:25 AM on December 28, 2005

That should be "+lyrics."
posted to Ask Metafilter by feathermeat at 11:25 AM on December 28, 2005

Oh, you're right, Gortuk...sorry.
posted to Ask Metafilter by feathermeat at 12:09 PM on December 28, 2005

I third the Ender books. Also, I cannot recommend Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy strongly enough. If he liked Narnia and he's into sci-fi/fantasy stuff in general (hell, even if he isn't), he'll love this.
posted to Ask Metafilter by feathermeat at 11:31 AM on December 28, 2005

Just so everyone knows--hydrocodone (in any quantity) ALONE is a Schedule II controlled substance. When hydrocodone is combined with another drug (for instance, with acetaminophen, like in Norco, Vicodin, etc.) it is Schedule III. The schedule does not depend whatsoever on the quantity of drug in each pill, the number of pills in the prescription, the length of time the drug is taken, or any other factors. And refills most certainly are allowed for Schedule III substances.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by feathermeat at 3:29 PM on December 26, 2005

PS--There are no drugs on the US market, to the best of my knowledge, which contain more than 15 mg of hydrocodone per dosage unit in addition to another substance (e.g. acetaminophen).
posted to Ask Metafilter by feathermeat at 3:31 PM on December 26, 2005

I was on 1000mg of Depakote for bipolar disorder for a year or so (I went off it because it didn't really work for me, not because of any debilitating side effects). I found it really easy to tolerate...no major side effects apart from mild drowsiness, which lessened with time.
It was one hell of an easy ride compared to, say, lithium.
Anyway, it's a good med to try initially, and the dose is entirely reasonable as a starting dose.
posted to Ask Metafilter by feathermeat at 12:02 AM on December 24, 2005

"Women's Realm" by Belle and Sebastian (=good)
posted to Ask Metafilter by feathermeat at 12:32 PM on December 15, 2005

"Maps" by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs--very beautiful and simple, plus it includes the line "They don't love you like I love you," which seems to be the sentiment you're trying to express
posted to Ask Metafilter by feathermeat at 2:17 PM on December 10, 2005

I played it on the flute and I'm almost certain that it's "Con Te Partiro" by Andrea Bocelli (sample on this page).
posted to Ask Metafilter by feathermeat at 6:16 PM on December 8, 2005 marked best answer

I love questions like this--they're so much fun!
posted to Ask Metafilter by feathermeat at 6:18 PM on December 8, 2005

Maybe they're mucoceles (a.k.a. mucus cysts)? According to emedicine (requires registration, but it's worth it!), mucoceles are soft, smooth cysts filled with mucus that form near salivary glands, usually inside the lower lip. A lot of times they are caused/aggravated by some sort of trauma from chewing or what have you. If that what these things are, they're harmless but potentially aggravating.
posted to Ask Metafilter by feathermeat at 4:49 PM on December 8, 2005

Robin Scott, who christened himself "M" and had a massive early-eighties hit with"Pop Muzik," also had a song on the same album called "That's the Way the Money Goes." I don't know where to find a full mp3, but you can go to Amazon and hear a sample.
posted to Ask Metafilter by feathermeat at 11:53 PM on December 7, 2005 marked best answer

I agree with booksandlibretti on this. I don't want to suggest that everyone who claims to have a high tolerance is full of it; however, in my experience, people often talk about their high tolerance for pain when they wish to maximize others' perception of their discomfort.
For instance, I recently heard someone complaining about having a headache, and quickly following the complaint with a statement of his high tolerance for pain. The implication was that, if someone with a high... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by feathermeat at 8:41 PM on December 7, 2005 marked best answer