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MeFi post:
Becoming a Parent of Child with Down Syndrome
Mr. Rogers sounded as if he'd had a mystical experience with this child as opposed to his others, and that made me nervous too.
Simply said, compared with raising a child without a disability, it is a vastly different path (I am on both). Some people find taking a different path a mystical experience.
posted to MetaFilter by plinth
at 11:08 AM on October 2, 2008
Ask post:
A hairy situation: has my mom been blowing hot air all this time?
You're not losing a lot of hair. It's pretty normal.
As to blow drying - depends how you do it and it depends on how you treat your hair and what you start off with.
I used to have hair that was well below should length. I washed it daily (some people say you shouldn't), and conditioned the living daylights out of it, and gently dried it on the low heat setting of the hair dryer using the standard bent-over-at-the-waist-head-turned-sideways... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by plinth
at 7:11 AM on September 30, 2008
Ask post:
Please help answer my computer question
OK, let's take a look at this from the perspective of the administration - the internet is a big scary place and the school either doesn't want to open itself up to liability for allowing illegal downloads over their network or they're taking money/endowments from an organization that stipulated that they need to certify that they're doing their best to prevent illegal downloads.
So take a practical solution to your problem rather than one that is likely to be... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by plinth
at 7:18 PM on September 28, 2008
Ask post:
How do they un-see this?
It's embarrassing. I'm sorry.
Still, your parents know about the birds and bees and have had sex at least once.
You are an adult and your personal life is your business. You have nothing to explain or defend.
posted to Ask Metafilter by plinth
at 6:25 PM on September 25, 2008
Ask post:
My daugher is a poop player
Yup, my oldest went through the feces as art medium phase. I called in a code brown on the monitor so Mrs. Plinth could run a bath while I tried to control the damage. Appropriate application of the words yucky/messy/dirty with appropriate facial expressions as well as positive reinforcement for the not playing with it helped limit recurrence.
posted to Ask Metafilter by plinth
at 7:32 AM on September 18, 2008
MeTa post:
A Fetishistic Obsession with Bureaucratic Policing
I find it interesting that roughly 28 of the current posts (at this writing 95) are about whether or not I put the post in the correct place (25 of them after I had already posted a link in the original thread pointing to it) and zero taking me up on my offer to answer specific, relevant questions.
A personal opinion about politically-correct language.
...which I backed up with information from a national organization.... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by plinth
at 11:27 AM on September 17, 2008
MeFi post:
Down Syndrome Testing
Some users believe I should have posted this MeTa thread within this thread. Since I chose not to address the aspects of this discussion related to morality, abortion, or costs, I do not believe it belongs here. I believe cross-linking is a fair concession.
posted to MetaFilter by plinth
at 7:36 PM on September 16, 2008
Choosing to bring a person into the world and force them to live with a debilitating terminal genetic disease like Down is, pretty straightforwardly, a sick perversion of 'family values.'
Good for you for looking up health issues common to Down syndrome. Now that you've done that, let's look at some of those things in more detail (I'm looking at the ones that aren't morphological) -
Heart defects are fairly common: 45% - Here is an... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by plinth
at 9:41 AM on September 17, 2008
Ask post:
I want to reach out and touch some screen.
I have an HTC 8525 running WM6. It does what I want it to do - gets my email from work, sends text messages (I prefer the slide-out keyboard), runs the WM Flickr uploader, runs google maps, runs spb shell for weather and picture dialing from the main screen.
As an actual phone, it's fairly craptacular.
posted to Ask Metafilter by plinth
at 8:13 AM on September 17, 2008
MeTa post:
Trisomy 21, General Information
With regards to People First Language - the National Down Syndrome Congress favors Perople First language. This is preferred by the community as a whole. There is a press release on the front page (.doc format) which spells out many of the things I wrote and more.
Language is an abstraction for things, events, and ideas. Any representation of something in language will often carry connotation or nuance in addition to meaning and is also likely to change over time.... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by plinth
at 6:48 AM on September 17, 2008
Ask post:
Sewing baby clothes
Baby clothes often fall into three categories:
1. Adorable, but wearable once for a photograph/church service/formal event because the clothing requires careful cleaning, pressing, constant maintenance (ties, bows, etc)
2. Impractical, poor access for diaper changes
3. Daily wear
For infants, you really, really, really, want snap-crotch clothing. I specifically avoided the overalls we had without nap crotches for that... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by plinth
at 4:47 PM on September 9, 2008
Ask post:
Why Do 9v Batteries Suck?
Modern guitar effects are using some fairly substantial computing power compared to older effects. I have a distortion pedal that I built in 1983 from a Craig ANderton design (Tube Sound Fuzz), that uses a single CMOS chip in it. I've changed the battery twice.
posted to Ask Metafilter by plinth
at 1:38 PM on September 9, 2008
Ask post:
I wish I didn't know about your blog
I just talked to my HR person about this and had to make perfectly clear that really, no, this is not about here. She has just taken a course about harassment and company liability that literally had her waking up in cold sweats. Surprisingly enough, there is nothing that needs to be done from the company's point of view. If they want to be an asshat in public, that's their prerogative. It is, however, in the company's best interest to approach the individual and suggest... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by plinth
at 8:14 AM on September 9, 2008
Ask post:
How to remove wax from plant material?
One thing to keep in mind is that certain essential oils in..oregano..comingle with other oils extremely well, so in heating up the wax to melt it, it will draw out some of the oils that you really want. I understand this technique is used for mixing..oregano..with butter or cheese.
posted to Ask Metafilter by plinth
at 5:58 PM on September 6, 2008
Ask post:
pumping iron
In my case, my GI guy has suggested that my anemia might partly due to the Crohn's not being fully under control and is therefore a slow leak. What does your GI guy say? In particular, I'd wonder what he says about managing your constipation.
Shellfish can be high residue - great source of iron, but it can wreck me.
posted to Ask Metafilter by plinth
at 4:49 AM on September 6, 2008
Ask post:
is it me or the camera?
My pictures have improved over the past few years from following guidelines from various places. The four biggest differences for me wereUsing a flash outdoorsTaking tons of pictures (I grew up in the film generation and it was hard to break the habit of being miserly)Using my feet instead of the zoomReally learning all the settings on the cameraI went from a Sony DSC-S70, which has pretty nice optics to a Canon SD400, which I bought simply because the "kids and pets" settings focused... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by plinth
at 6:52 AM on September 5, 2008
MeFi post:
Mythbusters Gagged
I can't help but be appalled by the horrible security implementations in RFID.
As the link to a previous comment says, when I was working on RFID, security was a big deal and when we were courting large credit card companies (I won't say which, but let's just call it Crapital Bun), security in the transaction was a big, big deal. We made sure that transactions required an RFID with a unique ID, a reader with a unique ID and a user PIN. Basically, the ID in the chip was... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by plinth
at 8:06 AM on September 2, 2008
Ask post:
How to drink tea in a public high school?
In the high school I taught in three years ago and in the high school I went to, you would never be allowed to carry a Thermos around with you, sipping from it now and again. Lunchtime would be the only time.
Tea requires hot water, tea and a container. I suggest you address your task in that way. Carefully fill your thermos is BOILING hot water in the morning and bring a tea ball/tea bag and a cup/mug and set yourself up. By the by, if it's an ancient family thermos,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by plinth
at 5:17 PM on August 28, 2008
Ask post:
How to care for my geek husband?
Oddly enough, trying to be a Vulcan is one of the simplest acts of irrationality. Logic is digital. The world is analog. While there are many things that follow simple rules and order, most things do not, including your husband.
I think your desire to understand him is laudable. Unfortunately, I agree with many of the armchair psychiatrists here in that he has a lot of difficulty accepting himself to start with.
Let me... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by plinth
at 5:57 AM on August 25, 2008
MeTa post:
deleted...why?
20 quatloons to the first person to post a version of this to music.metafilter.com complete with guitar solos.
posted to MetaTalk by plinth
at 12:13 PM on August 20, 2008
Ask post:
help me understand goth/punk
On the other side of the coin, you might consider that either intentionally or unintentionally, your daughter is testing you as a happy side-effect of her change in appearance. She might be checking to see if you still love her (either by accepting her or not accepting her).
When I got my ear pierced (in the best circumstances: a dorm stairwell, needle, cork, Sea Breeze), I pretty much knew what my parents' responses would be (reluctant acceptance from my dad and eager... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by plinth
at 12:06 PM on August 20, 2008
Ask post:
Make me a Master Tailor...
I learned how to operate a sewing machine as part of an 8th grade art class - the basics: threading, winding a bobbin, sewing straight seams. As an adult, I bought a cheap Elna machine and started working from printed patterns. Before I dug into patterns, I checked out this book (Complete Book of Sewing Shortcuts) from the library, at the recommendation of several more experienced tailors/seamstresses. While not "modern" it is a very complete guide to everything you'll likely need... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by plinth
at 6:06 PM on August 18, 2008
Ask post:
teen crush time
Girls can be pretty awesome. Girls at that age can also be mean sometimes.
As others have said, being yourself is really the best bet.
Unfortunately, being yourself won't always win you the girl you want most. When that happens, it will tear you up. That's OK - it's sad, but it's a part of growing up and everyone experiences it. Be sad, but try not to let the sadness linger.
Sometimes, being yourself will win you the girl... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by plinth
at 4:50 PM on August 14, 2008
Ask post:
How honest should I be with my therapist?
It's a control issue, really. It's one of the few things that you can control when everything else might spiral out of your reach. It's a somewhat warped way to feel like you can always take control of one thing in your life by denying others control over your living, but most people are warped in one way or another.
posted to Ask Metafilter by plinth
at 6:40 AM on August 11, 2008
Ask post:
Chapter Five: I Am Attacked By Wasps
Yellow Jackets are the gumpy old men of hymenoptera and tend to get much more aggressive in late summer and early fall.
Honeybees give off amyl acetate when they sting. I don't know if this is given off by other hymenoptera.
Amyl acetate is commonly used to add banana flavor/odor to things. It wouldn't surprise me if it were in a lotion.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by plinth
at 6:52 AM on August 7, 2008
Ask post:
"Why didn't anyone think of that before?"
Diapers
followed by:
Velcro/adhesive on diapers.
Can opener (my grandmother used to tell storied about having to use and axe to get some cans open)
Auto focus/Auto exposure
Toner cartridge (most of the places I worked that had early printers always had a small vacuum cleaner in the printer room to clean up toner)
posted to Ask Metafilter by plinth
at 12:11 PM on August 6, 2008
Ask post:
Help me become an autoharpy
Yup, use a chromatic tuner. It's easy and the tuners are pretty cheap.
In addition you might want to look at what Elderly has to offer. They're usually pretty good on the phone answering noob questions and have a pretty good selection of instructional DVDs and books.
posted to Ask Metafilter by plinth
at 6:44 PM on August 5, 2008 
marked best answer
Oh and BONUS - they have a $0.50 tuning guide.
posted to Ask Metafilter by plinth
at 6:49 PM on August 5, 2008
