Nth
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 8:15 AM on July 24, 2008

READ THE REVIEWS!!!! That will make the difference between staying in a lovely place and staying in a scummy, dirty, dangerous place that infests your luggage with bedbugs. There are books that review hostels, and TripAdvisor, and lots of sites that come up when you Google "hostels". Read reviews from several sites in case a particular place is stuffing one of the sites.

In my experience, at least half of hostels rent private rooms for about 2-3 times the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 10:12 PM on July 21, 2008 marked best answer

TripAdvisor.com and Hostels.com have reviews. You can also find hostels guidebooks on Amazon, and budget travel books like Lonely Planet have hostel reviews too.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 10:34 PM on July 21, 2008 marked best answer

In addition to earplugs, a mild sedative might be a good idea. Not so strong that you can't react to emergencies if necessary, but enough to help you sleep through other people snoring, getting up at night to pee etc.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 11:41 PM on July 21, 2008

You want to ask before you are in a position where you would find it difficult to walk away if she said yes.

For example, if you wait until you are both naked in her bed, and then ask, what do you do if she then says something like, "Oh, I had herpes once, but it's not a big deal, and I'm not contagious now?" Are you going to believe her that she's safe (don't) or are you going to put on your clothes and leave while she's offended and pissed at you?... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 10:55 PM on July 21, 2008

Google up some "father's rights" websites. I'm not familiar with them myself so I can't recommend specifics, but I know they exist and you'll find a lot of free advice and support, and maybe even lawyer recommendations for your area. Agree that you need a lawyer to help you negotiate custody and support.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 10:37 PM on July 21, 2008

Unfortunately, writing stories about your life is not going to make you much money.

Instead, you should write posts containing useful information that people NEED. How-to, self-help, personal finance, money making, weight loss, etc. type nonfiction posts. Whatever you are writing about, people need to be interested in paying money for related products or they won't click on your ads.

In addition to putting up contextual ads like Google Adsense,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 10:30 PM on July 21, 2008

My ex-husband and I got divorced (different state) with one of those self-help legal forms books. Search for Massachusetts divorce on Amazon, read the reviews, buy one or more of the best-reviewed books, fill out the templates they provide and follow the process they explain.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 10:15 PM on July 21, 2008

Salicylic acid is a beta hydroxy acid that exfoliates inside your pores and is great for blackhead prevention/treatment.

Benzoyl peroxide kills the acne bacteria. Start with the lowest percentage concentration and move up if you don't get results, and move back down to a lower concentration if your skin is sensitive to it.

While wearing thin cotton gloves or covering your nails with folded over tissue paper GENTLY squeeze your blackheads after... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 3:11 AM on July 21, 2008

Oh and for surface exfoliating, baking soda works just as well as other mechanical scrubs without any irritating extra ingredients and for a fraction of the cost.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 3:14 AM on July 21, 2008

Sometimes "mental" problems are actually easily treatable physical illnesses or nutritional deficiencies. Check all that first if you haven't already -- get some blood tests to make sure you don't have iron deficiency anemia or something like that. About 5 years ago I was in really bad shape wondering WTF was wrong with my brain, why couldn't I do math anymore, why did I feel like crap all the time, etc., and it turned out that I just needed a cheap iron supplement!
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 2:57 AM on July 21, 2008

FYI, not everyone is allergic to bed bug bites so both of you could be bitten but only one of you could display obvious bite marks/swelling.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 2:23 AM on July 21, 2008

Tequila.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 3:07 AM on July 18, 2008

Your obligation is what is best for your family, not your company. Give your employer and coworkers notice that you intend to get an individual plan for yourself and your son and opt out of the group plan if your employer does not improve the group coverage offered. Your coworkers can then add to the pressure on your employer to improve coverage or pay for a higher percentage of the premiums.

It's not your job to hurt yourself, your son, or your financial well-being to... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 2:53 AM on July 18, 2008

BTW, when we were shopping for a group plan for our company, we had a healthy young man who didn't need health insurance right then but would in 3 months. Given that including him on the plan at sign-up would lower everyone's rates over the next year by way more than the cost of 3 months of his premium, the company decided to just pay for his premium for the extra 3 months so we could lock in the low rate. If having you on the plan is benefiting everyone else but not you, then your company or... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 3:01 AM on July 18, 2008

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days does a good job presenting a caricature of the best boyfriend ever and the worst girlfriend ever. Being a good boyfriend isn't quite the same as being a good husband, but I think it still might add some insight.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 2:42 AM on July 18, 2008

Oh and showing her that you posted this and are trying to figure this out for her will probably win points.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 2:43 AM on July 18, 2008

Make yourself flash cards for your classes (definitions, Q&A etc.) or for that foreign language you've always wanted to study.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 2:34 AM on July 18, 2008

Tequila.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 2:30 AM on July 18, 2008

My gut reaction is 5%.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 2:21 AM on July 18, 2008

Much higher demand for hairless vaginas and anal sex now than before.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 2:19 AM on July 18, 2008

Monetize your content through ads on your website.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 5:10 AM on July 16, 2008

You can wear nice jeans with cute/dressy/sparkly tops, even at clubs like Pure.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 5:03 AM on July 16, 2008

This sounds like a friend not a girlfriend.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 4:46 AM on July 16, 2008

Thanks everyone!
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 2:46 PM on July 15, 2008

Del.icio.us everything and be sure to use the tags and notes fields.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 8:28 AM on July 11, 2008

She should read this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Negotiating-Your-Salary-Make-Minute/dp/1580083102/
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 6:01 AM on July 9, 2008

Looks like the bark scorpions we get in Vegas. Don't let it sting you!
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 12:55 AM on July 7, 2008

2nd Endicia / Dymo combo. I set that up for my former employer after comparison shopping a bunch of options (including Pitney Bowes) and we were very happy with it.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 12:57 AM on July 5, 2008

Subscribe to a good paper weekly news magazine (I recommend The Economist). Keep the current issue with you at all times and read articles when you would otherwise be doing nothing (standing in line, waiting on hold, pooping, etc.).
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 12:55 AM on July 5, 2008

FYI, those little text scanners advertised in SkyMall are crap, so don't get one of those. I have one and it was a huge waste of money.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 12:52 AM on July 5, 2008

Sounds like a hopelessly screwed up sociopath. The more time he spends locked up away from the rest of us, the better.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 12:46 AM on July 5, 2008

I've read some articles recently about women traveling to India and other poorer countries for inexpensive fertility treatments. If you have to pay for it out-of-pocket, look into that. There are lots of foreign clinics in poorer countries with US-quality health care for bargain prices. (Not all clinics in the country, of course, but the top ones.)
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 12:34 AM on July 5, 2008

If you're planning to spend money, you can buy articles relatively inexpensively (most seem to be priced at less than 10 cents/word) at http://www.constant-content.com/ There's a bunch in their database plus you can submit requests.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 12:31 AM on July 5, 2008

Ugh, I can't imagine having my mail delivered to my home address anymore. Who wants to let everyone in the world know where you live? Get a private mailbox.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 12:27 AM on July 5, 2008

They are too busy worrying about what you think of them to spend much time thinking about you.

Seriously.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 12:23 AM on July 5, 2008

Many are also trophy wives.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 5:55 PM on June 30, 2008

When I was involved in hiring at my previous job, if we found a good candidate who was presently unemployed our reaction would have probably been, "SWEET! He/she can start TOMORROW!" But we were a pretty small company.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 5:53 PM on June 30, 2008

I happen to have a book about Indian culture sitting on my desk right now. It doesn't give a lot of gift suggestions that really apply to your situation (other than, "Red and green or yellow gifts will be positively received, as these are lucky colors in India") but there is a paragraph on what NOT to give that might help:

"Gifts to be avoided include frangipani (used in funerals) and anything black or white (note this when choosing wrapping paper), which... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 5:42 PM on June 30, 2008

Do you and your spouse each have life and disability insurance?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 5:32 PM on June 30, 2008

FYI, in my state (Nevada) employees are legally required to work a minimum of 30 hours per week for an employer to be on that employer's group health plan.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 5:24 PM on June 30, 2008

As of this evening, the dog who had the anaphylactic shock reaction is still shitting blood :( so my husband will be staying home and keeping an eye on them. Thank you everyone for your advice, kind thoughts, and concern.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 9:16 PM on June 17, 2008

Both dogs have fully recovered. Thank you all for your concern!
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 4:20 AM on June 30, 2008

Part of what you're going through is physical withdrawal from oxytocin. Understanding that helps put the bad feelings in perspective -- you're in withdrawal, so you feel crappy, but it will get better with time, and try not to prolong the experience by doing anything that will reinforce your addiction (seeing the person, pursuing stimulus that reminds you of them, obsessing about them, etc.).

Distracting yourself helps this period subjectively seem to go faster. Now is... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 12:45 PM on June 23, 2008 marked best answer

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

(not based on actual events)
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 12:40 PM on June 23, 2008

Adderall? Hire a maid?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 6:48 PM on June 16, 2008

Also, try physically disconnecting the internet for a couple of hours and not turning it back on (give your wife the router or something) until you complete a certain number of tasks on the list.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 9:19 AM on June 17, 2008

Find all the blogs by people in your field and make a nice big blogroll of them in your sidebar. Click on all those links a few times a day and they will come to your blog to see who is linking to them. Subscribe to the RSS feeds of the best / most influential bloggers in your field and look for posts you can link to and write about on your blog. Again, they will come look to see who is linking to and talking about them. If they like what they see, they will start linking to and reading you... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 7:16 PM on June 16, 2008

Nthing Vanguard and their Target Retirement funds. They are a mix of US and international stock market index funds and bond market index funds, automatically adjusted for growth vs. safety as you age.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 7:11 PM on June 16, 2008

I don't have good news for you. My ex-husband has Crohn's disease, which is very similar, and for the past seven years he has been unable to keep a professional office job. He gets sick at work too often, misses too many days due to illness, is too miserable to be effective or sociable, and inevitably gets let go. He finally gave up and got a retail job he's grossly overqualified for because their standards are lower, but even there he's been in danger of losing his job a few times.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jacqueline at 7:05 PM on June 16, 2008