My employer is impressed enough with my work that they want to promote me into a position which would ordinarily make for a great career move. I, however, am planning on leaving in a little over a year to earn a degree in a completely different field, and thus have no interest in the job (for reasons explained after the jump.) How do I diplomatically tell them no without jeopardizing my current position, and how much, if any, of my future plans do I mention to them?
comment posted at 7:55 PM on Oct-20-09


Told my doctor I smoked pot, now I just got a disconcerting letter from my insurance company.
comment posted at 7:21 PM on Oct-20-09


My brother attempted suicide. Now he's in the hospital.
comment posted at 4:30 PM on Oct-20-09


What happens to the owners when a small business fails?
comment posted at 4:47 PM on Oct-20-09


As a follow-up to my last question - what's your favorite dark, cynical, gallows-humour style joke?
comment posted at 2:56 PM on Oct-20-09


What are some good meals for folks recovering at home from surgery? I want to bring some food to my friend, but he is too polite to say, "I want this, but none of that," etc. If you have had surgery, what were you able to eat? What did you absolutely not want? This is for a person who normally likes everything. The surgery isn't related to the mouth or GI tract. Thanks!
comment posted at 3:01 PM on Oct-20-09


How do I become an effective leader?
comment posted at 2:46 PM on Oct-20-09


How do I ameliorate my reaction to vaccines?
comment posted at 2:33 PM on Oct-20-09


What are the 'best' bands/artists no one has heard of....from the 70's?
comment posted at 3:30 PM on Oct-20-09
comment posted at 4:02 PM on Oct-20-09


What are the best ways to comfort someone with a bad cold/flu?
comment posted at 7:05 PM on Oct-20-09


I'm by nature a person who likes to keep myself looking neat. I'm having a logistical problem with that.
comment posted at 11:03 AM on Oct-20-09


I want to go sledding with my two year-old this winter -- what's the best cheap 2 person winter sled, either makeshift (garbage lid) or sled-proper (sled)?
comment posted at 11:19 AM on Oct-20-09


There is a half-dead mouse in my room. Instruct me on what to do as if I were a little child.
comment posted at 1:03 AM on Oct-20-09


Where can I buy a hammered-silver, round mirror for a Christmas gift?
comment posted at 1:13 AM on Oct-20-09


Visiting a friend who lives in Franklin, TN this weekend, but will have Sunday afternoon free. What should I do there or in Nashville on my own?
comment posted at 11:56 AM on Oct-19-09


How is water getting into my basement?
comment posted at 12:42 AM on Oct-19-09


I'm married and we want to live in different geographical areas. Is this fixable in a way where everyone will feel satisfied?
comment posted at 11:28 PM on Oct-18-09


So I've been coveting a sewing machine cabinet for a couple of reasons. They're expensive, but I find affordable used ones at a local thrift store and on craigslist pretty regularly. However, I don't know what I'm doing!
comment posted at 11:15 PM on Oct-18-09


How can I train myself to study better at night? I'm in grad school and I need to use those evening hours for work - I just can't seem to concentrate in the evenings, regardless of if I was working during the day! I'm not a night person - but I need to be.
comment posted at 2:29 PM on Oct-18-09


I need help helping my wife figure out what to do with her life. I am a very lucky person who has known for a long time that I wanted to be an engineer. I love math and science, and truthfully I can think of lots of jobs that would probably satisfy me. However, I recognize that I am in the minority in this position, and my wife, sadly, falls into the other group. She has been feeling particularly down about finding her purpose for quite a while now, and I need to figure out how to help her. Read on for the details!
comment posted at 1:17 AM on Oct-18-09


I've to hand in a group assignment tomorrow and the input from one of the members is crap- terrible writing, no references, no clue, nice guy. I want to remain friends but want to dramatically edit his work. How can I break it to him that his work needed treatment? I'm terrible at this sort of thing. btw, this thread doesn't really answer my question as we're handing in tomorrow. Also- he's old buddies with the other group member who I don't know very well.
comment posted at 12:24 AM on Oct-18-09


Never-sick person + sickness = hell.
comment posted at 12:10 AM on Oct-18-09


The greens at Casa de Codswallop are crap. Can someone give me some yard advice?
comment posted at 2:44 AM on Oct-18-09


Is a hot dog a sandwich?
comment posted at 1:02 AM on Oct-17-09


JetLagFilter: Traveled from Beijing to New York 3 days ago, and I'm pretty sure my jet lag symptoms are getting worse, not better. How do I stop messing myself up and start improving things?
comment posted at 1:47 AM on Oct-17-09


Have you been conned? Would you share your story?
comment posted at 10:47 PM on Oct-16-09


Thinking of dropping my landline, but I'm stuck in the dark ages. I have a cell phone which is great for local calls, but terrible for long distance. Skype, VOIP, calling cards, etc...I am clueless about these things. I live in Canada. Also: I have a central alarm system in my home.
comment posted at 12:30 AM on Oct-16-09


I bought a lathe and a friend asked me to make new handles for the door of his wood stove. His current handles are both severely charred and ugly. Any recommendations as to good (and beautiful) char-resistant wood and/or methods for controlling the charring which occurs where the handle attaches to the stove?
comment posted at 4:26 PM on Oct-15-09


My buddy just landed $100k and we both want to start a business...Any recession-proof business startup suggestions?
comment posted at 6:59 AM on Oct-15-09


Woohoo! Several idle days in Washington DC! I desperately need wise counsel; Please please please tell me about cool things to do!
comment posted at 9:20 PM on Oct-14-09


What have they done to become a corporate executive?
comment posted at 5:50 PM on Oct-13-09


So a little while back, I bought a big old brick house in Richmond, Indiana (for $8000). It's way more house than I need, and there are lots of other fantastic brick houses here, just no economic reason to buy them. Why shouldn't I give free room and board and bandwidth in return for equity in a tech startup? (See also HNN's comment threads.)
comment posted at 11:52 PM on Oct-12-09


I've been a quadriplegic since the age of fifteen due to a diving accident. I live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with some of the best trails in the world-- the Olympics, Cascades and National Rainforest, to name a few--in my backyard, but I've never been able to experience them. Can anyone help with a reasonably safe solution. I pictured a carrying device with two poles and a harness where two strong individuals rested the poles on their shoulders. Any engineers out there with some nifty designs or ideas. I am 6'2 and about 220 lbs in good shape and sturdy physique. I would love to join my friends for a hot brandy and stories around the campfire.
comment posted at 2:32 AM on Oct-13-09


Mother with terminal cancer, dad being an @#$ about her care, I want to take her in but it's complicated. How do I handle it?
comment posted at 11:30 AM on Oct-12-09


I'm looking for interesting theories/discussions around the phenomenon of corporate inertia
comment posted at 10:53 AM on Oct-12-09


Car was totaled, bank that gave auto loan charged off the loan account because the collateral is gone despite us continuing with full and on time payments. What are our options?
comment posted at 11:59 PM on Oct-11-09


If I want to extend the life of the brakes on my car, how should I drive the hill close to my house?
comment posted at 10:24 PM on Oct-11-09


How can I stop my dog from getting pregnant?
comment posted at 9:42 PM on Oct-11-09


How do I stop sleeping on my stomach?
comment posted at 5:04 AM on Oct-11-09


Left my phone at the restaurant/bar after dinner, went back and was told they had it but the waitress had misplaced it. Is there anything I can do?
comment posted at 11:23 PM on Oct-10-09


How do you turn around the cumulative effect of bad decisions or bad luck?
comment posted at 11:40 PM on Oct-10-09


HalloweenFilter: Help me attach a toy plane to my hair.
comment posted at 11:15 PM on Oct-10-09


Help me pick the best option for humanely raised and slaughtered beef (Local? Kosher?) I'm having a hard time deciding between certain criteria.
comment posted at 4:39 PM on Oct-10-09


Can the interior walls of a log home be plastered smooth? Fairly simply?
comment posted at 2:49 PM on Oct-10-09


How to deal with a rude table next to you at a restaurant?
comment posted at 11:57 PM on Oct-10-09


Professional musician going through a career change, not having much luck, what am I qualified/supposed to do? What methods do you recommend?
comment posted at 3:35 PM on Oct-10-09


A friend of mine wants to open a business, and is looking for information on business loans or grants specifically for women.
comment posted at 10:55 AM on Oct-10-09


Going through old stuff, I found a box for an old Ibook that had a weird handwritten shipping label from "I.S. 339 School Of Communication Technology." Google says it's a performing arts school in the Bronx. What gives?
comment posted at 10:42 AM on Oct-10-09


What's the best single book to read about the American Civil War? I have only time and interest for one book, a fondness for historical fiction but desire to be informed about the background, history, politics and social/cultural significance of the war.
comment posted at 4:05 PM on Oct-10-09