I don't understand how you make letter longer or how you would make A4 wider. Here's the sizes, side by side for comparison.
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 3:14 PM on September 5, 2008

My kids are 16 & 17 and I promise you, I am more me than I ever was before. There was a bit of a glitch in the middle when I did the stay-at-home thing which I was not suited to, but apart from that, I'm fine.

I never cootchy-cooed over other people's babies and find it difficult to do so still. With my own, I knew I was supposed to talk to them but I just couldn't do the baby talk, so I would ask them what they were up to, what did they think of the weather, all... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 10:35 PM on September 4, 2008

I'm back.

It's funny, but it's not because I'm her mum (though from the outside, I guess that's what people think), it's because of who I am (and who she is) and what we are together, that makes me the perfect person for my 16 yo to talk to when she's stressed. It's because I've done some difficult times as a person, as me, as a student, as a lover, that when she has problems, I can sometimes give her perspective.

Now, the intimacy because of... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 6:58 AM on September 5, 2008

Here's something I learnt after a week that you might be glad to know. If you belong to the same network as these people, you can see their profile, and if they know about you, they can see yours, unless you set your privacy levels higher. Also, anything you write on your friends wall will be visible to these people.


(I just finished an assignment on Facebook and now I'm reading a textbook about social networks that has an interview with... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 5:09 AM on September 4, 2008

I just scrolled through that amazon selection until I came across this one which looks like what you want.
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 2:00 AM on September 1, 2008

Ooh, and more.
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 2:02 AM on September 1, 2008

Plus cost of paint. To paint one room in my house with ordinary house paint cost me in materials about $500. I would assume much more for exterior, antirust stuff. Also cost of plant hire if necessary, cranes, baskets etc. Danger money?
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 1:47 AM on September 1, 2008 marked best answer

What Bob said. I worked in student administration for a teacher education program for 5 years (until 2 years ago). Mature aged students seemed to do better with employment than straight out of school graduates. Exceptions included students who had flaws not connected with age (illkempt, unfit students of any age, nervous students, arrogant students). Most teachers in this area don't seem to stay in the job long enough to get long service leave, so 25 years is not expected. 5 years is exceptional.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 6:25 PM on August 31, 2008

Using Wotif.com, and choosing max price per night of $120, I found a heap of CBD hotels / motels which would have own shower, and double bed. The travelling I've done through Queensland and NSW leads me to believe that you can't get a room, for under $100 per night, but there's some listed there.
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 5:49 PM on August 29, 2008 marked best answer

Go to a doctor. They are used to hearing about this stuff. You might have some blood tests and find that maybe your endocrinal system is out of whack. It can't hurt.
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 8:37 PM on August 27, 2008

Was this your first time? I'm so jealous. From the context, I took it to be likethe Australian phrase "no worries" or to mean no fuss.
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 7:21 PM on August 27, 2008

I've had a crap groupwork experience, which I learned a lot more from than if I had had a fine first groupwork experience. That said, my current group seems to be amazing. I'm finally getting the level of discussion I've craved at university, and with adult approaches to group dynamics, so I suspect I will learn a lot from this experience too. It's usually the most difficult learning experiences, the ones that challenge and frustrate, that bring out the best in a person. Suck it up, yeah, and... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 4:09 PM on August 27, 2008

My understanding is if you have plenty of fluids and bed rest, a cold will usually last 7 days. Otherwise, about a week.

For me, some days I think I'm getting a cold because someone in my family has had one, or everyone in town, and I look forward to getting down to the serious business of watching old movies and having chicken soup, and so I do nothing, and damn if it doesn't go away. Probably because I don't smoke or drink and get plenty of natural vitamins in my diet... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 4:03 PM on August 27, 2008

You could help 8 people to see again.

You could probably feed 70 children, give 18 fruit trees, buy a goat for a family, arrange some vaccinations and organise clean water for 40 people.

You could double your money if you invested it and compounded the interest over 10 years.
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 4:00 PM on August 27, 2008

Sorry, I can't. (which is very different to I won't.)
If they ask why?
Doctor's orders.
If they ask why?
Doctor's orders.
If they say, oh, so you sick or something.
Just smile and say something like that.
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 12:17 AM on August 26, 2008

A variety of ways:

Make less to do: no carpets, no rugs, no knickknacks. No ironing required garments. One colour socks (no matching). Less dishes (wash as I go), less lawn & more mulch (less mowing & less weeding).

One grocery shop a week using a list ordered by aisle of my regular supermarket (or currently, a diet database created list ordered by aisle of my regular supermarket with quantities noted). Kids do their own shopping,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 2:29 AM on August 25, 2008

I've asked to explain how I put my motivational graph up on my desktop. It's a jpg, created from an Illustrator file (previously I used CorelDraw). Right click on desktop, choose Properties, click the desktop tag and browse for the image. Another kinds of visual background I've used have been creating a a grid with titles, and moving desktop files into appropriate sections - like having a to do box, a 2nd priority box and say, a reference material box. I might put incomplete document icons in... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 4:04 PM on August 25, 2008

I'm a parent of two teens who I am preparing for an early nest exit. They are great people, and we listen to each other, and treat each other with courtesy. Here's the thing. It's my house. I like my house to be neat. I like my kitchen to be cleaned after the dishes. My son has admitted to me that his cleaning standards aren't as high as mine. He doesn't really care if his dishes are done or the countertops are wiped down. He's practically a legal adult, and we both know, I can't make him do... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 7:31 PM on August 24, 2008

There's a possibility that the poster (given earlier questions) is overstating her position. From her father's point of view it might be:
I've asked my daughter again and again to keep the living areas tidy, but she just ignores me. I'm at my wits end. I've sat on her keys giving myself a nasty bruise but she says I'm complaining about nothing. Yes, I'm fussy about how I like the house, but it's my house and she takes no notice of me. She leaves dishes out, even when it... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 12:02 AM on August 25, 2008

Leave an empty box, wrapped with silver paper and a ribbon. No, I don't think it'll mean anything to him, but maybe it'll make him think.
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 2:26 AM on August 24, 2008

I think, for some of us, the world of choices we have can be paralysing. 200 years ago, there probably would have been little choice. Follow in your parents footsteps career wise (farmer, maid etc), get married, have kids and so on. Now, we're told we can do anything, be anyone, etc, but make the choice now, now, now before it's too late. We're not told that it's okay to be nobody. I'm telling you now, it's okay to be nobody. You don't have to have or find a life's purpose, in fact, that seems... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 2:39 PM on August 23, 2008

I'm the mother of a 16 yo and I feel uncomfortable moving her stuff off her floor so that her cat won't pee on it. She's been very clear about what she considers acceptable and what's not, and I try not to overstep those boundaries and apologise if I do. Of course, I too have boundaries (no, you can not borrow my camera without asking, or just randomly look in my closet). So, yeah, I get it, it's awful that people went through your stuff. Did you not expect it at all? Your mum's been snoopy... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 12:46 AM on August 23, 2008

I don't know about where you are, but where I am, if you have a business name that is not your name (ie J Smith Cupcakes) then you have to register it for a fee with an authority AND it has to be one that hasn't already been registered. Imagine your chagrin should you be using the delightful "Hey, cupcakes!" if you should suddenly receive a Cease and desist letter from these people. Of course, there are rules about which state you're registered in, and which country, but I know nothing... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 4:38 AM on August 21, 2008

I'm not very daring because I hate throwing up. I'd not eat it, and at least one government agrees with me. However, if it was pretty cold at your place last night, that is, less than 6C, it's like being refrigerated anyway.
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 4:26 AM on August 21, 2008

Do you have anyone who can help you, like a partner or teenage kids because I'd recommend leaning on them a lot.

You're going to have to be superorganised and not slack off because getting sick will throw everything out. Plan out your menus, say 4 weeks worth and write shopping lists to go with them. I use a word document, in landscape with a 7 x 3 (7 days, 3 meals)table across the top for the menu, and then below, all the items you'll need for this. If you can cook... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 4:20 AM on August 21, 2008

Imagine, if you will, that Martha was a gay friend of yours. Would any of her behaviour added up to hitting on you? I don't think so. Martha visited you, like any friend might. She kept you up to date with another friend's activities. She assumed you were offering entertainment, as any friend might when their social life is lacklustre due to a partner being out of town. That's pretty much it. You thought she was saying, "hey come fuck me while your friend and boyfriend is out of town.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 5:59 PM on August 18, 2008 marked best answer

Oh, if you choose the flowers, try to make sure they're low scent. Sneezing because of the perfume might be particularly uncomfortable post surgery.

Some people who like crafts like scrapbooking. You could probably find a kit, an album, some papers, labels etc, or maybe some software to help. If you send the software, sending family pictures on disk would be helpful if she doesn't have them already.

Some folk like decoupage. Perhaps you could... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 10:25 PM on August 17, 2008

We went camping (two kids) over Easter 3 years ago with a tent bought from Kmart for about $600 (two roomed) and it rained so much you could see rivers under the floor. Luckily we got the doubled seamed (whatever those smart people up there talking about), so yeah, I think it's possible to get a water proof tent. The other thing is, the floor didn't end at the ground, it wrapped around by about a foot, so that the seam wasn't stressed by the running water.

But here's the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 1:22 AM on August 16, 2008

Unless the food is appropriately stored, I would not regift it. Who knows how it's been tampered with. I vote for cactus plants in pots around your yard to add a degree of difficulty.
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 9:21 PM on August 14, 2008

My husband has managed on 5 hours a night for most of our lives together EXCEPT when he exercises strenously during the day, in which case he falls asleep earlier (10ish) and wakes at his normal time 5 or 6, instead of going to sleep at 1 and waking at 5 or 6. Alcohol has been a hindrance as has weight gain (resulting in sleep apnea).
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 9:19 PM on August 14, 2008

A lot of good advice. Just a quick little thing from someone out on the ground. '"Nice tits" is actually not really nice to hear' - my 16 yo daughter.
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 4:56 PM on August 14, 2008

Do you find it necessary to mock people with different accents or skin colours or different levels of education or status? Revel in diversity, and when you find it, try and learn more about it. Every person has a story to tell. Make it your job to find out what that story is.

Here's something else, some people who are younger than you have had far more life experiences, and are wiser and more compassionate, but you don't know that when you meet them. Some people who are... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 4:20 PM on August 13, 2008

Because they will have to accept their own guilt in not protecting the child, and because they would have to abandon their partner.
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 9:41 PM on August 12, 2008

There's research on the topic too.
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 9:46 PM on August 12, 2008

My husband (accident prone) has had some success with this product, Hirudoid.
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 1:35 AM on August 12, 2008

I'm an atheist and good things happen to me all the time. People are nice to me, and when I put my tax return in early, because I have a low income and children, the government gives me a fat cheque back. That's the nice thing about being human, you can like stuff that happens that isn't painful. And, I didn't even have to ask a god for any of this.

(Are you talking about The Secret which implies if you wish hard enough, you too can be Donald Trump but with more and better hair?)
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 2:22 PM on August 11, 2008

I've not had any problems explaining my different levels of suicide-ness to therapists and have been able to get the care I needed. That is, when I was worried that I might act on my suicidal thoughts, I said so, and they helped with that. When I wasn't, we talked about ways to deal with it.

I think they will probably ask you questions like, how likely are you to carry this out, have you made any concrete plans and so on. To think about suicide without necessarily being... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 3:24 AM on August 11, 2008

Oh snap. After hours and hours, I finally realised, I discovered I should middle click on the target curve.
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 8:50 PM on August 10, 2008

Whether or not people help you celebrate your birthday is not an ideal measure of how much they care. It is not a measure of you as a person, or how much you've grown. I understand it hurts, it used to hurt me too, when my family member forgot my birthday as an adult. It hurt me when only two people turned up to my 21st. However, that was a lot more to do with who I'd asked (acquaintances in many cases) and how I'd asked (casually - a written invitation would have engendered a gift and most... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 8:32 PM on August 10, 2008

One Australian volleyballer says it's about the heat, not about being hot.
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 4:49 PM on August 9, 2008

What Papa Bell said. My kids are 16 & 17 and prone to sleep-ins, and I still fret about them dying in their sleep and very rarely, sneak into their rooms to make sure i can hear them breathing.

However, instead of trying to reassure you with statistics, I suggest you apply some sort of aversion techniques when you think like this, or there will be other issues. I was somewhat overprotective of my children when they were younger, to their detriment. Don't... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 6:16 PM on August 8, 2008

Could you get her mobile number, and ring her ten minutes before you expect to leave?
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 11:36 PM on August 6, 2008

Slow down. If you can't slow down because you don't have enough time, get up earlier.

Take the time before you leave anywhere to see if you have everything.
I have a little "leaving" list that I refer to on particularly stressful days to ensure I take what I need.

When I visit people, I keep everything in my bag so that I don't have to remember to find it and put it back before I go. Your camera experience, if you'd used... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 3:04 PM on August 6, 2008

Apply logic. You are in the top 5% of the wealthiest people in the world. If you lose your job, your insurance will pay your bills. What can possibly go wrong? I can't think of anything. Therefore (I'm sorry, but I think you need this), you're being self-indulgent and hysterical over an impossibility. Secondly (this bit is nicer), if you came out of school with a 20 grand debt, and in 15 years or so amassed $200 grand in assets, you personally can handle anything. Seriously, you can.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 4:55 PM on August 2, 2008

It's to assist in tearing off sheets. You press down on the toilet paper through the holder, and tear, thus not germing up the clean and unused sheets with your less than hygenic hands.
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 7:17 AM on August 1, 2008

I turned 40 last year. In the last couple of years, I've lost 50 pounds, quit smoking, quit drinking, am 3/4 through a degree in multimedia done completely through distance education, have built a small business that services academics, and in the next few years I'm planning to:
* move with my husband (but not my teenage children) around the country living in an area for a couple of years to explore it
* take a year off and walk the Australian national trail (hopefully... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 11:38 PM on July 31, 2008

Here's something nice and practical from Jon Kabat-Zinn
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 8:07 PM on July 30, 2008

When our kids were little, we made maths a part of every day life. One of the little traditions was to pretend that kids were in a space shuttle when they went to bed, and so we counted down to zero and then turned the light out. We counted down in 1's, and later, 2's, 3's and 5s. We counted when we went shopping, let's get 5 lemons, and we unitised even before they could understand, (which cereal box is better value - this one cost $5 but only has 200 grams, and the $2 box has 100 grams),... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 3:07 PM on July 30, 2008

You've got plenty of people telling you it's fine. Me too. My now 16 year old daughter started going goth/punk when she was 12. WTF?!! My cute little blonde daughter looked like she could rob somebody. Oh wait, that's my prejudices (and a bunch of staid middle-aged people in the shopping centre). I got used to the look, bought her fun pieces at birthdays and Christmas, and she grew out of it. I bet if I'd argued the point, about her right to choose her appearance etc, we wouldn't have the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 2:30 PM on July 29, 2008

Thanks again for the replies - there's a lot of good advice there. I want to explain that I have no intent whatsoever of not being myself. I have no plan to suddenly take up wine tasting, or yachting or watching the right code of football (but this has been a fascinating insight). All I want to do, is not appear quite so yobbish in my new work environment, because I suspect that held me back from promotion in an earlier career. Perhaps it is more about being classy, than about class differences... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by b33j at 5:07 PM on July 26, 2008