Well, I don't mean to be harsh, but basically you are choosing your friend and your friend's dog over your own dog. Because that's what it is--if you take this dog, everything will be just dandy for your friend and her dog, but the creature who is depending on you to keep her safe and healthy will be confused, frightened, and physically stressed, and may die. Is this the choice you really want to make?
posted to Ask Metafilter by HotToddy at 9:49 AM on June 19, 2008

You've gotten a lot of good advice here - especially about your absolutely astronomical food budget - but I think your major problem is in your approach to budgeting. You say that you don't know where "misc" goes, and you seem to be picking numbers out of the air for different categories because they sound right, without really analyzing your spending.

Budgeting begins with looking at your spending. If you don't track your expenses, you won't have any idea... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Miko at 12:09 PM on May 5, 2008

From a Southern perspective, an understanding of how dependent the Southern economy was on slave labor is important. It's also essential to grasp that the arguments were initially in favor of states' rights, as the South did not have enough votes to sway Congress against imposing huge tariffs on cotton trade with Europe.

High schoolers are old enough to know more about the Civil War than the resulting abolition of slavery, such as Lincoln's laissez faire stance on the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by brina at 12:52 PM on April 29, 2008 marked best answer

I hate to trot out every Confederate apologist's favorite argument, but the examination of state's rights vs. federal power is still relevant.

Republicans tend to prefer (or claim they prefer) power at the state and local level (no Big Government), while Democrats are more comfortable enacting change from the federal level (see: New Deal or Civil Rights Act of 1964). Nevertheless, there are exceptions, like No Child Left Behind. I like to think of it more in terms of... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by junkbox at 1:24 PM on April 29, 2008

Well, step one: realize that a phd isn't anything about fulfillment, it's a professional qualification and that's it.

So, what are your professional goals? I assume that you want to get a job as an assistant professor in 3--8 years.

So really, as best as I see it, the only relevant question is: what prospects will I have as a CUNY product? Will I stand a chance on the market, or will all of the jobs even at Bi-Directional State University:... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ROU_Xenophobe at 6:19 PM on April 11, 2008

I'm surprised and a little dismayed at the casualness of some of the above encouragement to take on even more debt than the mountain you've already got, in pursuit of a very difficult and at best financially unrewarding career path. In my view no one should ever take on any debt to get through a Ph.D. in the humanities; as has already been pointed out, you're forgoing significant earnings just by languishing for possibly around a decade in grad school before even being... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by RogerB at 10:22 PM on April 11, 2008

I'm willing to bet that if you told us where you are, some MeFites would not only attend the ceremonies, but chip in and take you out for dinner after. I would. I think it's admirable that you've made this change in your life. I know we're not family, but we're supportive, and you just want to feel better, right?
posted to Ask Metafilter by weapons-grade pandemonium at 2:55 PM on April 5, 2008

IANAD but I've been through the terminal cancer thing with my father and several friends. It doesn't sound to me like your father has very long at all now. Has hospice been called in? If so, you may be able to call them and get a clearer answer as to his prognosis. It's very difficult to say what's going to happen right up until the very end and then that may go faster than you think.

I'm going to nth what anastasiav and mccxxiii are saying: go now. I ended up leaving... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by mygothlaundry at 7:56 AM on March 27, 2008

Francis Dana was John Adam's own secretary in Paris. In that episode Francis Dana hands Adams the letter sent from Ben Franklin to the Congress suggesting that Adams be removed from his role as diplomatic minister to France at the insistence of the French foreign minister. Right after the reading, Francis reminded Adams that he was headed to St Petersburg to the court of Catherine II (as minister to Russia). He mentions that he needs a secretary who speaks French but doesn't explicitly mention... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by junesix at 12:49 AM on March 25, 2008

To me this sounds like he wants to break up with you, even though he hasn't articulated this to himself yet. But first he wants to see if he can keep you around so that he can still have sex whenever he wants it without having to go to the trouble of looking for a new girlfriend.

It's undoubtedly more complex than this, and there could be any number of things causing it, but in the end it doesn't really matter why he's thinking about doing this. It... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by MsMolly at 2:32 PM on March 17, 2008

[they] are totally on board

You've said this several times, but nothing else you've said supports this. That's why you're getting the answers you're getting -- you premise is faulty. The issue is not helping you get creative, everyone is trying to help you get realistic.
posted to Ask Metafilter by sageleaf at 10:29 PM on February 19, 2008

I am an attorney practicing in this area of law. I have reprsented clients before the Defense Office of Hearings and Appeals. Given your description, it sounds like a potential clearance would be issued under the Industrial Security Program. Whether or not a security clearance is granted is a question of whether or not the granting of the security clearance is "clearly consistent" with national security. Decisionmakers are given guidelines to decide whether or not the issuance of the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Ironmouth at 11:15 AM on February 6, 2008 marked best answer

You live at 7th ave and 15th street in Park Slope. You wake up at 7:45am. Drink a cup of coffee. Put on jogging gear. Walk 2 aves east to Prospect Park (there's a cute movie theater there). Jog 3.3 miles, and in the morning the dogs can run free in the fields, so stop for a second to watch. Gawk at the dogwalkers and their 11 (seriously) dogs on leashes. On the way home, get a chocolate croissant at Parco (14th st) next to the laundromat where the lady yells at you if you try to use... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by unknowncommand at 9:13 PM on January 12, 2008 marked best answer

I'm going to say right off the top that your check cashing place requirement's going to make this hard since, as far as I can tell from my three years (holy Christ, has it really been that long?!) in Brooklyn, they're everywhere.

I can think of three places that sound up your alley. Brooklyn Heights, Carroll Gardens around Smith Street, and Park Slope. To investigate these neighborhoods, here's what I'd do. (This is going to be long). On preview, I see that... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by lassie at 9:29 PM on January 12, 2008 marked best answer

She should have avoided saying that in the same way you wouldn't mention other physical characteristics. (Look at her, she has nice big boobies. Like watermelons. Look at her, she's got big teeth. Like a bottle opener.) However, her comment was not necessarily racist.

Once my then five-year-old niece looked at a lady in the supermarket and shouted, "Boy is she BLACK." Truly, the woman had the darkest complexion I've ever seen. Was my niece being a racist?... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by 26.2 at 10:56 AM on December 29, 2007

An "at home kit"? What exactly do you think happens during a baptism? Wacky Christian factoid: In an emergency, you can baptism someone with spit! No secret Christian-making implements are employed, I swear.

I hear that you're upset about this, but frankly, I think you should:

a) Convene with your lady wife, and then have a gentle, but firm conversation with your in-laws about how your kids will be free to choose any religion they... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by thehmsbeagle at 10:36 PM on December 27, 2007

I have siblings who are fundamentalist christian and throughout my childhood they tried to recruit me into their beliefs, covertly without my parents knowing. When I was in 3rd grade, one of my sisters made me testify and take Jesus as my Lord & Savior. The thing is, I said what she wanted really just because I wanted to make her happy... knowing that what I was doing didn't have any power over what I believed for myself. It didn't affect anything inside of me. They were just so worried... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by miss lynnster at 3:10 AM on December 28, 2007

One consults about something. "Consulting" as a standalone thing doesn't really make sense. It's a transitive verb. You seem to be using it as an intransitive verb. So, one might be a management consultant, an organizational consultant, one might consult about client retention or expanding a client base or developing a new product. Another phrase to substitute for consultant might be "freelance teacher".

So, if you have a... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by OmieWise at 11:51 AM on November 8, 2007

Carol
Mike
Greg
Peter
Bobby
Marsha
Jan
Cindy
Alice
posted to Ask Metafilter by bondcliff at 10:32 AM on October 31, 2007

Michael
Jim
Pam
Dwight
Angela
Oscar
Kevin
Stanley
Creed
posted to Ask Metafilter by fallenposters at 10:33 AM on October 31, 2007

i've been single for 4 years. i'm a generally successful, well-adjusted person, so this appears weird to some people. it bugs me because people (at least here in the south) assume i'm immature or irresponsible because i haven't gotten married or had kids by age 31.

i'm really happy with my life. am i normal, as in conforming to the norms around me? nah, probably not. am i normal, as in falling within the average range of human experience? of course.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by thinkingwoman at 2:02 PM on October 30, 2007