There's also the political/economic aspects to take into account as well - someone might not want the cost of the free condoms and condom dispensing machines to be taken out of their tuition. (Of course, without those condom machines there's the distinct possibility of community costs for: morning after pills, abortions, pre- and post-natal care, and government aid for young mothers, but hey.)
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 7:56 PM on July 24, 2008

I know you haven't in any way spoken of being suicidal, but IF at any point you should start feeling like you're on the brink, you can contact the national hopeline network at 1-800-SUICIDE. I hope you won't need that, though.

That said, my rec is to politely hassle the school health services and your academic dean - it's in your college's interest to help you get mental health care, if only because students who drop out because of mental breakdowns are bad for their rep,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 11:12 PM on July 19, 2008

I'm adding my vote to "buy big-ass, cat-proof cockatiel cage" - I'm not a bird person, but honestly, based on what my bird friends and acquaintances own, I'm a little concerned at the idea of a cockatiel being kept in a cage a cat could knock over. A budgie, okay, maybe, but a cockatiel?

If that's not feasible or doesn't help, then it's up to you to carefully screen all comers until you find a great, new, bird-free home for your kitten. As others have mentioned,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 8:18 PM on July 18, 2008

"[New name of cousin], I know you really wanted to change your name from [old name/name of Great Aunt], and I respect your reasons for that. The thing is, though, that I adored our Great Aunt - and her name, which used to be yours - and if my husband and I have a daughter, we were seriously thinking of naming her after the both of you. But, we also don't want to make you uncomfortable. I don't want to pry into your personal business, but can we sit down and chat about this? Is it okay if I... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 9:28 AM on June 29, 2008

Museum/exhibit/similar locale relevant to your interests? For instance, I would totally rock the nearest aquarium and freak out hapless fellow visitors by trying to engage them in geeky conversation about the fish, but that's me. Similarly, do you like natural history, fine art, human history? San Fran must have something, but I'll leave it to the experts to specify.

Then in the evening, booze out (safely; look up cab numbers in advance).
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 10:25 AM on June 25, 2008

For the record, heavily used doorknobs (subway poles, etc) and even money sometimes feels oily from hands - fruit doesn't.
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 2:31 AM on June 25, 2008

It's not any of the ones mentioned so far. Not a "big name" writer like Jordan or King, she says. And there was an Arabic influence to the society.

Thanks for the suggestions so far, folks.
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 3:29 PM on June 12, 2008

Wow. I'm generally in consensus that there's been some mismanagement here, but some of the scenarios being assumed and concocted in various places in this thread are kind of sinister.

A few points below. For the record, although I was not diagnosed as a child I have chronic health issues that started in my teens, and I've been round the block in the medical system.

1) "Shopping" for a diagnosis doesn't have to be malicious per se. If... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 7:50 PM on June 10, 2008

Hmm. Well, I tend to seek out (or be drawn to) forums after I've reached a certain level of "basic internet expertise" in a topic, and still want to know more. In essense, if I find even a very good website about said topic, I'll already know the gist of what it tells me, and at that point, to pursue my interest online I really need to start talking to people, not just reading.

At this point, it's not that I have a formula so much as that people who have... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 3:16 PM on June 9, 2008

What I find interesting about superhero comic retcons, actually, is that over time the retcon does become the semi-accepted canon, at least for a while, and then eventually the fans (or patrons, if you will) become the artists and impose their will. Often, with more retcons to repair the first retcons, and so it goes.

There's actually a fascinating blow-up going on in Spider-Man comics right now, a sort of generational clash of editorial versus fans, a mid-life... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 1:11 AM on June 6, 2008

For the record, I've also had people ask my brother and I (we do look alike) whether we're a couple.

WTF, you have two people, each of whom is an opposite-sexed counterpart of the other (with a slight variance in weight, height, and age), and that's your first guess?! So. Creepy.
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 11:01 PM on June 4, 2008

I'm going to agree with the people who say it's the presentation and not the content that's your problem. Particularly the whole bit about you not identifying as strongly with your race/gender - you know, that's cool and all, except, um, reality doesn't work that way. Because of cultural upbringing, an Asian male sports fan who's outgoing, and liberal is going to be a very different person from a white female sports fan who is outgoing, liberal, and likes all the same music, food, and movies,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 10:15 PM on June 4, 2008

Okay. I think your husband sounds like a twit, but that's because I actually know why you're doing what you're doing. Have you sat down and explained to him what your goals are in training, why it's important not to treat the dog like a furry person, why you work with him on basic obedience, why you think it's bad - not just because it goes against what you've arbitrarily decided but why it's bad for the dog's training - for your hubby to roughhouse and swat... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 9:11 PM on June 4, 2008

The impression I get (don't own a dog, talk to a lot of dog owners) is that a carefully chosen trainer (um, an actual dog owner should help you with that part) can do wonders with this kind of thing - if the dog's owner makes the commitment to follow through with training. So the problem here is, as others have already suggested, that your parents love their dog but are kind of consigning themselves to the tragedy rather than looking for other options.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 8:32 PM on June 4, 2008

- Wash your underwear in the sink. Really, it ain't hard.
- Wait, if you have a car, can't you drive to the nearest branch? Googlemaps is your friend.


- If you are really, truly unable to resolve this issue by Thursday ... heck. I'll meet you downtown and give you quarters. Why not? You get your laundry, and I will get the best story about meeting a complete stranger from the internet ever. "Oh, no, we didn't know each... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 7:30 PM on June 3, 2008

Btw, on reread - I absolutely didn't mean to make your dilemma sound so trivial in my first two suggestions. Sorry about that! I do hope you can solve this, via sneaky Mefi meetup for quarter transfer or otherwise.
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 7:33 PM on June 3, 2008

I can't do Wednesday, ulotrichous, I have a doctor's appointment, and then dinner with friends of the family. :/ (for for the doctor part, not the dinner part.)
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 8:22 PM on June 3, 2008

Well, I can certainly bow out, but count me in to any sequels.
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 9:51 PM on June 3, 2008

Well, I would make excited squealy noises and go fishtank crazy, but, uh, that's probably not very book-compatible, is it.

I would suggest you browse Apartment Therapy for ideas - a bit pretentious sometimes, but they do provide a lot of ideas for the creative use of space, often from apartment dwellers themselves.
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 8:53 PM on June 3, 2008

Chronic fatigue syndrome. Speaking from experience - I was misdiagnosed with hypothyroidism for a few months. Didn't have throat problems, my hair is fine, and my skin problems are different, just FYI.
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 11:10 AM on June 3, 2008

I tend to be on Flunkie and kosmonaut's side here. When I bought my one panel of Forever stamps last year (right before my mother decided to dump all her 34 cent stamps from about a decade ago on me - thanks, Mom!), I started thinking of it as a sunk cost. Not money anymore, but stamps. Its value to me is no longer in how much money I can get out of it, but how many letters I can send off. Because of inflation, my panel of Forever stamps can send off more letters than if I had bought a panel of... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 7:19 PM on June 2, 2008

He's shy. It's the 21st century. Ask him out, or at least talk to him.
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 9:48 PM on May 31, 2008

It's also worth pointing out that people keep cats indoors not just to protect them from the outside world, but to protect the outside world from them - endangered small wildlife doesn't just exist in Australia, after all.

That said, make your own decision, but please do so with full knowledge of the cost-benefit analysis. My personal take on the issue is that it's as much a cultural sticking point as an ethical one. Some people honestly think that their cat will have a... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 5:11 PM on May 30, 2008

I am not an actual cat owner, but I am a hopeful cat owner who's spent the past few months researching cat foods for my hypothetical kitty, and I've heard a LOT of pet owners I trust mention that tuna is not very good for cats and should only be used to get them to eat meds (it's fatty and smells good to them, but isn't nutritious).

Some links:
Cat Food reviews
CatInfo.org
About.Com's Cat Food pages
An earlier ask.mefi on... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 4:43 PM on May 30, 2008

Sunflowers are great (although I don't know about the shade thing, admittedly). Don't go away on vacation right before the seeds are ripe, or if you do, cover the heads with plastic bags or something, or the birds will pick them all. I am still cranky about my sunflowers from two years ago - I was growing them to have a bunch of fresh seeds to sprout for my gerbils, and then we went away for vacation and when we came back? The birds had nabbed almost all of them.

And... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 12:00 AM on May 13, 2008

Having read TungstenChief's link, I'm going with "not going to kill you, but really yucky," and also, "please stop experimenting with home preserving until you do some research, because I would be somewhat sad in the abstract if you died."
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 11:35 PM on May 12, 2008

Owari. ("The end" in Japanese.)

How about a closing narration quote from The Twilight Zone? There are a bunch, but my two favorites for your purposes:

"There are more things in heaven and earth, and in the sky, than perhaps can be dreamt of. And somewhere in between heaven, the sky, the earth, lies the Twilight Zone." (1.18, The Last Flight)

"[A]sk yourself, do you live here, in this country, in... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 11:21 PM on May 12, 2008 marked best answer

You know, I hear the "tell me about ____" construction in real life all the time. Not as a dead lead-in, of course, and probably not between complete strangers, but after a bit of polite conversational banter to catch up. "Jane! It's been forever. Tell me all about what you've been up to over winter break!" Or some such. It's a bit blunt, but also a way of expressing enthusiasm about the teller. You're so awesome I want to hear aaaaaall about you.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 4:20 PM on May 9, 2008

Nthing CTY, which was so important not just for my intellectual and social development, but for my sanity. There was a period of several years when I pretty much couldn't relate to any of the kids in school (long story, it wasn't about smarts per se but culture) and desperately looked forward to CTY every year because I knew I would get to be part of a community for three glorious weeks. I will mention that some classes are more about learning for the sake of learning (Paleobiology! Astronomy!... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 4:04 PM on May 9, 2008

I'm just going to say - I am a huge huge huge ubergeek with good social skills only by the standards of other geeks. And yet, some of my very best female friends have been high-heels and make-up, pink-wearing chick-flick lovers like you wouldn't believe ... and some of the people who've been cruelest to me over the years have been fellow girl geeks.

Mutual interests are always nice, and really do help for making initial contact (for me and one of the pink-wearers, it was... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 11:22 PM on May 3, 2008

Good lord, Taz, way to swing so far in the other direction you're doing the same thing as the people you criticize! Oy.

Commander Rachek - if you really want people not to think that you're ragging on women for being women, perhaps you shouldn't refer to single-sex living as an anthropological experiment, which comes off as very distancing, nor refer to your stereotypical women's hobbies of choice (reality TV and feminist studies) as barfworthy? Food for thought.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 4:12 PM on May 4, 2008

I dunno. I'm a feminist who thinks the feminist lightbulb* joke is actually pretty hilarious, but I couldn't actually tell you were being funny about the women's studies thing, Rachek. Maybe the OP feels differently, but I doubt I was the only one confused. I mean ... calling something pukeworthy is a signifier of the funny now? Say what? And I don't see what's so goofy about women's studies, but I doubt we'll agree on that anytime soon.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 4:31 PM on May 5, 2008

As a an information student with a partial specialization in digital preservation, I can assure you that scanning is what you need, not photography. In all likelihood, your local university has large flatbed scanners perfectly suited to this task - you should call 'em up and ask whether non-students have access. In my experience commercial scanners have the technology, but are usually just a tad too small for anything over 8.5x11, unless you have a large budget.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 3:07 PM on May 5, 2008

Botticelli.

Also, learn to weave chainmail! Well, actually, you probably don't have time to get the supplies before your trip, but next time. You'd need two jewelry-size pliers (straight or round-nose - I have one of each), and the rings, probably in a cheaper material for practice. Overview of how to get started, linkfarm you have to browse around a bit. You can make everything from jewelry to bags to full on armor with this stuff, and it's very, VERY manly - obviously.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 10:53 AM on April 30, 2008

You need to get the drier goat cheeses, FYI - the wetter ones wrapped in plastic are too, er, wet for this. (This is what my mother told me - can an actual cook translate this into culinary speak?)
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 10:44 AM on April 30, 2008 marked best answer

So, I'm generally with the "racist and gay-bashing, yuck!" crowd, but I also think that Brandon Blatcher has an excellent point about positive examples of black people in your daughter's life. It's great and all if you can make a teaching point about cultural sensitivity and Why Race Jokes are Bad, but if you do that and don't teach her how to make friends across cultural and ethnic barriers, then you've kinda missed the forest for the trees, you know?
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 6:08 PM on April 29, 2008

Mmm. I've got to agree with Xod - there are a lot of great places mentioned here and pretty much every one I've been to I agree with, but the beauty of travelling is not just how gorgeous the site; it's about the state of mind. So, you know ... two cents from this gal who's tramped the seven continents.

(For the record, the happiest I've been travelling that I can think of is albatross-watching while on a boat somewhere between the Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 5:36 PM on April 29, 2008

Fishroom! But, uh, you'd have to be really into fish to like that one, I guess.
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 9:07 PM on April 27, 2008

Okay, the whole mouth-suctioning thing wigs me out. You can use echo's method (I don't like to, since one end of the vacuum goes in the bucket which I share between tanks, and I don't want to risk spreading germs from one tank to the next), or pump the siphon very quickly to get water moving up the tube, or buy a Python ... nowadays there are plenty of no-mouth-involved water vacuuming methods, promise!... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 9:10 AM on April 28, 2008

Grendel's Workshop - We studied frequently adapted folktales and fairy tales, discussed and analyzed them, and then did our own versions. The professor was awesome and we had impromptu contests to scar each other with disturbing folktale variants. Oh god, oh god, why did I choose "Beowulf: The Rock Opera" ...

Intro to Astronomy.

Gamelan (Balinese Percussion Orchestra) half-credit elective, taken every semester from sophomore year... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 9:11 AM on April 26, 2008

Given that you've been tentatively diagnosed (no offense, folks, I know nobody's saying she definitely has anything) with actual acne, a fungal infection, keratosis pilaris and heat rash, and gotten several different suggestions for several of the diagnoses ... really, go see a doctor. I suspect that "butt acne" will be far from the most embarrassing thing your doctor sees that day, and you will have your answer.

Then if you really don't like... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 10:06 PM on April 25, 2008

Oh my god, archivists and preservationists are going to looooooove your books! (Meant both literally and sarcastically. My brethern and er, sistern ... love challenges.) Follow-up query: do you want these changes to keep the book readable (even if the reading experience changes) over time, or is the plan for the book eventually to become a mute object or even self-destruct? Because that's going to change the answers you get. The omission of graphite fixative, as suggested above, is going to... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 9:44 PM on April 25, 2008

I gotta say, I'm kind of amused at the whole "girly!"/"not girly!" thing ... since the person who taught me all about microbeers and local brews was, in fact, a college gal with a discerning tongue (okay, esophagus, since she took 'em down pretty quickly), and the only person I've ever seen drink Scotch is my aunt, a 57-year-old lady who comes home and makes herself a glass or two on the rocks several times a week after work, or whenever she goes out. Methinks they could both... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 6:48 PM on April 25, 2008

There is actually a clinical term for this: dermatillomania, or compulsive skin picking. It's defined as an impulse control disorder. (Not that you need to run around flailing going, "OMG, I have a disorder," but knowing exactly what it's called can help you find resources for support.) Here's the wiki page, which explains a little about it and related conditions, mentions some possible treatments, and has some external links. I don't know whether you feel like your own situation... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 9:07 AM on April 24, 2008 marked best answer

For the record, I have seborrheic dermatitis and although I haven't fully slain the dragon yet, the best results I've gotten so far have been with the baking soda/ACV variant no-shampoo method referenced above. And my hair is awesome.

(When I travel, I use one of LUSH's solid shampoos.)... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 8:49 PM on April 23, 2008

Ask him what he does when he's bored.

(I mean, think about it - high standards for a thrill ride, there!)
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 8:27 PM on April 23, 2008

Whatever you stick on there, I suggest stencilling with bleach!. 'Cause it's purty.
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 8:07 PM on April 23, 2008 marked best answer

"Cute."
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 10:12 PM on April 21, 2008

That is some pretty scary brain shit there, and keep in mind that I have a high threshold for scary brain shit. This is definitely worth going to a doctor for - as others have pointed out, they are trained to ask you the right kinds of questions to figure out what has changed. (I'm not a psychiatrist, but I for one would definitely be asking you about your new job - no jobs are "the same." Perhaps it's a better working environment for you somehow?)

It's been a... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 9:21 PM on April 21, 2008

I just gotta nth robocop's "Major Winston Hoover of the 34th Barking Highlanders (Ret)." That's beautiful.
posted to Ask Metafilter by bettafish at 12:02 PM on April 20, 2008