This might be beyond your particular pale..."catbutt" is an expletive at my house, and it works nicely because the image hilarity (C'mon, cat butts are funny!) often diffuses the situation.
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 9:33 PM on August 6, 2008

Assuming you want to go the what-has-worked-before route, and can find a physician/clinic/etc for a script: There are a number of generic SSRIs, including Prozac (aka fluoxetine) on Walmart's $4 list.
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 7:13 PM on July 30, 2008

There are companies that put together information packages for transferees that have exactly the stuff you're looking for. If your husband hasn't asked his HR if they use a service like this, he REALLY should.

For day-to-day living anecdotes, you might want to have a look through Tales from a Small Planet. (Registration is required, but it's free.) It's written by and for US Foreign Service personnel, but the perspectives (i.e., expatriate American) might be quite useful... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 6:04 PM on July 30, 2008

My GD/induction experience was almost eight years ago and therefore my response would be more outdated than many of the answers previous, but I saw this...

I will continue to keep my blood sugar under excellent control

...and just had to say that as you progress through the rest of your pregnancy, that may be more difficult to achieve. I was *religious* about my diet and about testing, and I had a hard time keeping my numbers... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 3:45 PM on July 24, 2008

Definitely have a look through The MFA Blog, which has been through several admissions cycles at this point. I'm not sure how much coverage international student issues get, but NYC area writing programs, making ends meet and postdegree opportunities are all discussed at various times.
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 7:14 AM on July 23, 2008

If there is a line at checkout and you open up a new register, don't say "I can take someone at register 2." Say "I can take the next person in line on register 2."

Even better, determine who that person is yourself and entreat them directly to come over.

If the person ahead of me in line took forever, even if it wasn't your fault (and I know it probably wasn't), apologize for the wait. I'm not looking to... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 6:47 AM on July 23, 2008

Since I Left You - The Avalanches

omG that Muse video!!!!
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 9:16 PM on July 21, 2008

What the shortcoming is -- fat, unpopular, unstylish, smelly, whatever -- doesn't matter. This sort of thing is about taking an opportunity to wallow, and to open the door for a potential compliment. The mechanics are such that the recipient isn't supposed to *feel* put upon...but at this point in social evolution, we all know better.

I think dobbs' suggestion is most effective for killing the practice at its root.
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 12:10 PM on July 21, 2008

Geoff Ryman's Was, which adds a whole lot of creepy to The Wizard of Oz on a number of levels.
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 8:22 AM on July 21, 2008

Nitpicky pen observation: If your friend is left-handed, you may want to go with a nice rollerball or, at least, fountain pen ink that professes to be fast-drying.
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 6:42 AM on July 11, 2008

The Xbox 360 Pro will drop to $299 on Sunday.

Rock Band 2 will be out for the Xbox in September.
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 3:41 PM on July 10, 2008

Philip Seymour Hoffman and Camryn Manheim dancing to Air Supply's "All Out of Love" in Happiness. You could argue it's over the top, but that permanently changed how I hear the song.
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 7:47 PM on July 5, 2008

In what are you a Viking?
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 4:00 PM on July 3, 2008

I'm going to say right upfront that any Beavis and Butt-Head fan will recognize my picks. If the DVDs included all the videos I'd send you there for ideas, but alas...

Hobo Humpin' Slobo Babe - Whale
If I Only Had a Brain - MC 900 Ft Jesus
Here We Go - Stakka Bo
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 6:38 PM on July 2, 2008

Previously!
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 7:08 PM on July 1, 2008

Sorry to knock down your other pillar of insistence, but depression isn't always about wrist-cutting and emo songs. Depression can also be anger stuffed down and turned inward.

Given that you're seeing women get fat, ugly, poor and stupid in a week's time, I'd ponder that alternate definition a bit.
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 3:16 PM on July 1, 2008

Child of stay at home mom here, understand the concern. My only child daughter has gone to the same daycare since she was almost two -- she's now almost eight. I've never regretted the decision, and even after six years there are still nights like The Gooch describes, where I show up and she's disappointed that it's time to go home (and lugging armloads of artwork out to the car).

Some benefits I've seen: The transition to school went very smoothly, both socially and... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 8:51 PM on June 28, 2008

I've broken my ankle twice and went straight to cast both times -- there's definitely an adjustment period with swelling and general uncomfortableness (both physical and mental).

One thing I found that helped was to make sure that the cast was bearing weight when my leg was propped up, and not some spot further up on my leg where I was inadvertently pinching things. Sometimes that meant putting a pillow underneath the cast -- not to help the cast so much as to make it... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 8:33 AM on June 28, 2008

This is one of those questions where even with extra information, it's hard not to feel like you're offering a haystack to someone who wants needles. That said, I recommend looking through soundtracks -- since their purpose is generally to set moods, your yield ratio might be higher. (They're also recommended in this potentially useful thread.)

Here comes my haystack...Sofia Coppola movies have soundtracks which (to me, anyway) seem to be compatible with what you... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 11:02 AM on June 26, 2008

JDFTW
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 6:03 AM on June 26, 2008

The Avalanches are Australian, and their music consists exclusively of samples from all eras. They have an album, released in 2000, that you can buy in stores.

However, the song structures don't match what you describe -- they're more collages than one track on top of the other. Here's an (awesome!) video, in case you want to make sure they're not what you're looking for.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 4:22 PM on June 25, 2008

If you're the sort of person who will take comfort from not being alone in how you think about your infatuations, you might want to read up on limerence.
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 1:27 PM on June 24, 2008

I've always wanted to check out Gillette Castle State Park and the Peabody Museum.

If you're looking to head up the Hudson...Hyde Park and the Culinary Institute of America are pretty close to each other. Lyndhurst is on the way up, in Tarrytown. West Point is about an hour back from Hyde Park/CIA toward New Canaan, but (and this is important) on the other side of the river.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 4:12 PM on June 19, 2008

My cat, who LOVES the laser pointer, fails tests 1, 2, and 4 regularly.

Be aware that in the matter of the extra high bed, Rhubarb may eventually decide to bust out the claws and climb up, Spiderman style...
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 5:28 PM on June 16, 2008

I am not even remotely a morning person, a la [NOT-HERMITOSIS-IST]. There's a grocery store I visit a couple of times a week before work, even though they kill me with their 7:30am LOOK AT ME cheerfulness. Unfortunately, the coffee is that good.

Far and away, the best trip I've had there was one where no one asked if they could help me, and the cashier sang It Ends Tonight while he rang up my stuff. Make of that what you will.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 5:34 AM on June 13, 2008

The filed-under-YA novels Life as We Knew It and the dead and the gone are about an asteroid knocking the moon out of orbit...the results are as close as you can get to apocalyptic without going over. They're more survivalist than suspense, and the second book is definitely more grim than the first. I'd have devoured them when I was 13.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 5:54 PM on June 10, 2008

I play mindless video games. Audiosurf is my current favorite.
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 7:19 AM on June 10, 2008

Thanks, all...now I've got some books to look for as well!
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 3:30 PM on June 9, 2008

If someone discovers you're lying about your age, it will be revealed that you care about your age.

Caring about your older age enough to lie about it? Will make you seem even older.
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 2:51 PM on June 8, 2008 marked best answer

I realize this doesn't work for everyone, but as far as email correspondence goes? I do a lot of "saw this (link about some interest of theirs or that they'd find amusing, but dear god NEVER a chain letter), thought of you." Somehow, doing that also makes it easier for me to add the usual pleasantries.
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 6:08 PM on June 5, 2008

The obvious massive scale solution is to mail your discs and whatnot (including all saved games, manuals with serial codes, etc) to a long distance school friend for the summer with instructions to keep them until school starts again, no matter how much you might beg.

But I was really struck by this sentence: My guess is if your always losing, your not really having much fun so you would play less.

Since I know from personal... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 10:13 AM on May 31, 2008

It couldn't have been too far away because I remember driving there and back on the same day.

The Finger Lakes are approximately 300 miles from NYC.

Kent Falls State Park has wading with no beach, but the part I have been in is quite shallow and wouldn't qualify as a swimming hole. In the hopes of saving you research hassle, I can tell you that the other Litchfield County parks listed on that page that offer swimming are of... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 6:00 PM on May 25, 2008

Pre-Brownies would be Daisy Girl Scouts. Some resources and activity ideas here.

If starting a troop appeals...my daughter's was a Daisy troop that eventually became a Brownie troop.
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 9:12 PM on May 23, 2008

Plan on some winter driving lessons when the time comes -- even in DC, you need to know how to deal with ice. A shopping mall after hours, in my experience, can be good for that.
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 8:07 PM on May 21, 2008

I'm with vacapinta and the other straw-drawing puzzlers. I also think you need to take into account that you had to ask her brother what the problem was, and therefore you don't necessarily know everything about why your SIL was having a meltdown. Even if he tried to be 100% forthcoming with you about it, there's the whole messenger dynamic at play.

I think JUST GET OVER IT is almost always a useless answer in AskMe. But if EVERYONE HAS A BAD DAY applies here? Especially... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 8:38 AM on May 20, 2008

In light of your current account status, I will offer an observation about the profession that I haven't seen here overtly: A thick skin is an absolute necessity.
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 9:13 AM on May 17, 2008

+1 the comments that mention boy cats and urethral crystals. If it happens, it's both scary AND expensive. In our case Science Diet seemingly kept the problem at bay, but I'm sure plenty of brands mentioned above would do the same.

IANAV, but also possibly worth mentioning: Animals have allergies more than people often think. Food allergies in cats generally manifest themselves in the skin. If you're trying new food with your cats and they start washing excessively or... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 2:02 PM on May 8, 2008

My husband is a lot like this -- like you, he's also an only child who is miles away from family. I imagine things would be a little different if we lived closer to them, but not very much. He seems pretty content to me. Also: He's actually MUCH less socially awkward than I am.
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 8:51 AM on May 4, 2008

This isn't *quite* what you asked for, but it's close: How to Tell if You're American, in which people from different countries answer the same questions about their daily lives.

Super Deluxe Bonus Question: Connecticut. Contrary to what I am told by others, much of this tiny state is mansion, country club, horse, and robot free.
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 10:41 AM on May 2, 2008 marked best answer

One evening, I climbed aboard a bus and stepped on the hem of my dress as I did so.

The dress had buttons down the front, and easily 75% of them popped off -- from about the bottom to just above the waistband. I managed to clutch it to myself and quickly gather all the buttons before shuffling to a seat in the midst of others (grownups, no less) giggling. I knew only too well that I had about 40 minutes to go on my commute, and I had no idea how I was going to get... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 7:34 AM on April 23, 2008

Lots to choose from over at Duotrope.
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 7:11 AM on April 23, 2008 marked best answer

Lots of great ideas above. I'll add bubble blowing. The equipment is cheap, the fuel is dirt cheap, and I'm always amazed by how long kids are willing to do it before it gets boring. Added bonus, the running and heavy breathing add to the wear 'em out factor.
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 6:03 AM on April 19, 2008

The Bleeding Heart Show - The New Pornographers

(The University of Phoenix is a little confused about this song, too.)
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 7:24 PM on April 18, 2008

However, I know myself well enough that I will eventually start thinking crazy thoughts about chores.

It's good that you're already aware this may be a problem. I work from home a couple days a week, and I almost had to make flash cards with a big angry red marker.

From a practical perspective, if your boyfriend and his partner don't have a designated area in the house for work, they may want to think about doing that --... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 7:10 AM on April 10, 2008 marked best answer

Philip Zimbardo's The Lucifer Effect, which is mostly about the Stanford Prison Experiment, might be an interesting read for you.
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 11:07 AM on April 1, 2008

My online game purchases really depend on the game in question. If it's available digitally and I don't think there's going to be a rush at launch, I'll go that route. Something like an MMORPG where I'm willing to wait a few days for the furor and bugs to die down, I'm far more likely to Amazon preorder.

When it comes to brick and mortar, I go to GameStop most often. My seven year old has a GameBoy and that's the only place she can buy something on sight. Anywhere else... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 10:15 AM on March 21, 2008

I went into debt to pay for my MFA -- not Columbia level debt, but debt all the same -- and I'd do it again. I absolutely understand the opposing point of view and don't think my choice would be right for everyone. However, I am now making a mental note to chime in with an opinion the next time someone asks about other kinds of graduate programs...I don't know anything about them personally, but they're definitely a waste of time!

Along with Poets and Writers mentioned... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 6:04 AM on March 14, 2008

A box of Kleenex, stash of plastic spoons, small fan, nail file/emery board, hand lotion, lip balm.
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 6:10 AM on March 10, 2008

Not to burst the bubble of hope ejaned8 offers, but as someone who works from home about 40% of the time? I often work longer and get more done on the days I'm off-site. And I never sleep later. I have this arrangement because my office relocated farther away from my house, not because I wanted to work less. Had that been my goal, I'd be extremely unhappy right now.

If the reason you want to work from home is because you're tired of working, I strongly recommend... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 8:28 AM on March 7, 2008

A lot of the recipes in the book seem complicated, but I can vouch for the miniquiches being easy once you have the foil/paper cupcake things they recommend. I'd mix up the eggs and throw in whatever okay-for-phase-I stuff (spinach, onion, mushrooms, various meats, etc) I felt like having for breakfast for a few days.
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnomeloaf at 12:28 PM on March 5, 2008